The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

26 – The Social Gathering of Ruin (2)

The situation was serious.

It seemed that Duke Ishtar had done something to all the wine in the social gathering hall.

Feeling the unpleasant sensation like when facing a demonic beast, it was clear that it was not a good thing.

But the problem was that the unpleasant sensation was also felt from the nobles who drank the wine.

In other words, something was accumulating in their bodies every time they drank the wine.

‘What will happen?’

Even as the Master of the Tower, he could not know everything in the world.

Especially the bizarre actions of the insane cultists were beyond prediction.

Franz placed the wine glass he was holding on the table.

It seemed that he absolutely should not drink it.

Then Arian tilted his head.

“Master of the Tower? Aren’t you going to drink the wine?”

“Arian, lend me your ear for a moment.”

Arian was puzzled, but he did as Franz asked and lent him his ear.

“The Duke of Ishtar has done something to this wine. Don’t touch it.”

Franz whispered softly, afraid someone might overhear.

“Really…?”

Arian replied just as softly.

Franz nodded.

‘He’s completely insane.’

The Duke of Ishtar had asked them to find evidence of his involvement with the cult, and they thought he had hidden it somewhere. But he was doing it openly.

Of course, in his mind, this was probably his way of hiding it.

‘Should I just kill him now?’

That seemed like the cleanest way to end things without any loose ends.

It was obvious what kind of consequences would follow if the Duke of Ishtar started moving in earnest.

Why was he so welcoming when they had never met before? Was he doing this behind their backs?

You’re dead today.

At that moment, Franz saw a familiar face.

‘Yuna…?’

She was much more emaciated than the last time he saw her, but he had never seen anyone with such red hair other than Yuna.

But Yuna’s condition was too severe to be described as just emaciated.

Dark circles hung heavily under her eyes, her lips were dry and cracked, and there was no life in her eyes.

She looked like a dead person.

‘What on earth happened?’

She had an annoying personality that tried to laugh off even the most serious situations, but on the other hand, Yuna had rarely lost her smile.

She even laughed in her sleep.

It was strange to see someone who had been so bright become the darkest person in the room.

As Franz continued to think, Yuna, who had been biting her nails and looking around anxiously, finally fixed her gaze on him.

Yuna stared blankly at him, then slowly started walking towards him.

“Master of the Tower?”

Arian, feeling that Franz’s gaze was peculiar, asked.

But Franz couldn’t give her an answer.

Stopping the destruction of the world and thwarting Duke Ishtar’s plans.

Just those two things alone made his head feel like it was going to explode.

Arian’s gaze followed Franz’s.

And Arian realized.

Franz was staring intently at a frail-looking young girl.

‘Huh? She looks familiar somehow?’

Arian felt like she had seen the frail-looking young girl somewhere before.

Red hair and golden eyes.

A hero, yes, she was a hero.

Alarm bells rang in Arian’s head.

Last time, the elves requested a dispatch, the saintess personally brought tea leaves, and now a hero had appeared.

Even in a frail state that invoked a protective instinct.

‘Is this not a hero party but actually a wizard-eating party?’

In any case, she couldn’t let Franz be taken away like this.

Arian subtly clung to Franz.

“Master of the Tower, I suddenly feel dizzy, maybe some fresh air…”

“Arian, I’m sorry, but I need to be alone for a moment.”

“What…?”

“If you feel like something’s going to happen, send a message right away. Don’t be stubborn.”

Arian blinked in confusion at Franz’s words.

Franz left Arian behind and headed towards Yuna.

No matter what the cultists did, he could somehow handle it, but if something happened here, it would be really hard to manage.

Eventually, the two faced each other.

“Yuna, it’s been a while.”

Franz greeted first.

But Yuna just stood there blankly, not giving any response.

‘Ah, this is making me uneasy.’

Both Justia and Hera, at least, could communicate.

But Yuna didn’t say anything, which made the situation feel unnecessarily serious.

However, giving up was not an option.

“Is something wrong? Are you eating properly? Why do you look so thin?”

Franz spoke with concern, just as he had with Hera.

Usually, people feel relieved when someone shows concern for them.

But this time, Yuna remained silent.

“You may not remember, but I don’t consider you a stranger. So if you’re having a hard time, tell me anything. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

It was almost a last-ditch effort.

After all, if Yuna didn’t respond even after this, there was no point in saying anything more.

Following her around and prying would be inappropriate, wouldn’t it?

Of course, that didn’t mean he was giving up.

It meant he would watch for the right moment and take care of her.

At that moment, Yuna’s lips moved slightly.

Seeing that she seemed to have something to say, Franz felt a sense of anticipation.

As if to meet his expectations, a voice flowed from Yuna’s lips.

“Franz, will you really do anything…?”

“Then tell me anything.”

With the power of the Tower Master, what couldn’t he do in this world?

Money, fame, even if she wanted to become an emperor, he could make it happen.

Though he would try to persuade her first.

Franz felt that something important was about to be discussed, so he quietly used a soundproofing spell.

Then Yuna immediately spoke.

“Franz….”

“Yes, go on.”

“Save my mother and brother….”

Mother and brother…?

Were they kidnapped?

“Can you tell me more?”

“Duke Ishtar kidnapped my mother and brother. And he demands that I follow his orders….”

“That’s enough.”

Franz interrupted Yuna’s words.

He felt he already knew what she was going to say.

‘He was an even bigger piece of trash than I thought.’

Collaborating with the cult, involving the empire’s nobles in the incident, kidnapping the hero’s family, and even using the hero through threats.

It seemed that Duke Ishtar couldn’t be let off easily.

He was like a demon in human disguise.

Since the important conversation was over, Franz lifted the soundproofing spell.

“Yuna, come with me.”

Yuna nodded.

Franz led Yuna to Arian.

Arian, left alone, wore a sullen expression.

Franz felt a bit wronged too, but he didn’t express it.

After all, it was true that he had done something to be sorry for.

“Yuna, this is Arian, my secretary. You can trust her, so stay with her.”

At Franz’s words, Yuna nodded.

But Arian was full of discontent.

Bringing a new woman and telling her to stay together, was this even reasonable?

“Where are you planning to go again?”

“Duke Ishtar kidnapped Yuna’s family.”

Franz whispered softly into Arian’s ear.

Arian sighed deeply and nodded.

“…Be careful.”

“Sure, if anything happens, send a telepathic message.”

“Yes, don’t worry and go.”

Franz left the social hall, leaving Arian and Yuna behind.

He hid himself in a suitable place and sent out waves of mana in all directions.

The plants in the garden, the knights guarding the mansion, even the mice hiding in small holes were detected by the mana waves.

But something was strange.

‘There’s something underground.’

There was a massive lump of mana underground.

And the wavelength was very similar to that of a human.

The problem was, it was only similar, not human.

Franz focused his mana underground.

It was to get a clearer understanding.

‘What the…’

Franz’s expectations were far off.

What was underground was a person.

A person with an unpleasant and grotesque appearance due to the power of the cult.

At that moment, Yuna’s words suddenly came to Franz’s mind.

─ The Duke of Ishtar kidnapped my mother and brother.

No way.

It can’t be.

Please, it must not be.

He desperately hoped, but no matter how much he detected with mana, there was no intact person underground.

In the end, Franz used teleportation to check with his own eyes.

And soon, he arrived underground and faced it.

“Uh, ugh-.”

One of the grotesquely twisted people had the same red hair as Yuna.

Franz’s hand slowly rose to his forehead.

A deep furrow formed between his brows.

At that moment, a telepathic message came to Arian.

[Master of the Tower, the Duke of Ishtar has business with the hero.]