The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

34 – Shocking News

Meeting someone of high status is always uncomfortable.

It was the same whether it was the 21st century modern world or a fantasy world in a game.

One wrong move and you could be in big trouble, so you had to be careful with every action, even breathing, and you needed the ability to respond excellently to any situation.

But there are worst-case scenarios that you can’t handle no matter what you do….

“Franz, would you like a cup of tea?”

“I-I’ll do it.”

His Majesty stood up and brought the teacup and teapot himself.

Franz could only watch in a daze.

He couldn’t dare to stop His Majesty’s actions.

This is exactly the situation I mentioned earlier.

The high-ranking person tries to be considerate so that the subordinate is not uncomfortable, but the subordinate ends up experiencing hell in real-time.

Hmm….

It’s very terrible.

I want to go back to the Magic Tower quickly.

“Actually, I’ve recently taken an interest in making tea. But I’m not confident in serving it to you. Would you taste it and tell me what you think?”

His Majesty said this as he poured tea into the teacup.

Franz gulped as he looked at the teacup placed in front of him.

‘What should I do?’

His Majesty personally made this tea.

Considering that, it would be right to say it’s delicious regardless of the taste.

But what if His Majesty made a mistake in the process?

In the end, it would be a lie, and if that lie is found out, it would mean deceiving the Emperor.

Hmm-.

‘Let’s drink first and think later.’

There’s a chance that the tea personally brewed by His Majesty might actually taste good.

“It’s truly an honor to taste the tea brewed by Your Majesty.”

“Haha-, it’s not that big of a deal. Anyway, go ahead and drink it, and tell me your thoughts.”

With His Majesty’s gaze filled with anticipation that didn’t match his age, Franz took a deep breath and picked up the teacup.

Slurp-.

‘Ah….’

The moment he tasted the tea, Franz felt a deep sense of relief.

It’s delicious. Much better than what he brewed himself.

In the end, all his worries were meaningless.

Well, if it’s used in the royal palace, it must be the finest tea leaves.

Moreover, the Emperor is the noblest of nobles. It was only natural for nobles to learn the art of brewing tea, so it was to be expected.

He felt pathetic for doubting His Majesty, but instead, he felt at ease.

Because he didn’t have to lie.

“Your Majesty, it’s truly delicious. It’s incomparable to any tea I’ve had before.”

“Is that so? I’m glad it suits your taste.”

A gentle smile spread across His Majesty’s face, pleased with the compliment.

Franz sipped the tea, watching him carefully.

‘What on earth is he trying to say by going this far?’

He had only met His Majesty a few times, but he had never been this kind.

Naturally, it made him curious.

The silence was only broken by the sound of sipping tea.

It was His Majesty who spoke first.

“Franz, the reason I called you is not because of Duke Ishtar, or rather, that cultist.”

“You mean….”

“I have an urgent favor to ask of you.”

As expected.

It was exactly what he had anticipated, so it wasn’t surprising.

The question was what kind of favor he would ask for next….

“Please, let it be simple.”

Having predicted correctly before, Franz hoped it would be the same this time.

But Franz’s hope was shattered in less than a minute.

“I plan to wipe out all the cultists in the Empire.”

…?

Franz’s brain stopped thinking and output a question mark.

It was an incomprehensible statement.

“I understand your reaction. Of course, it will be difficult. But after witnessing this incident, I realized that if we leave them alone any longer, they will become a festering wound that will eventually lead the Empire to ruin.”

He understood the Emperor’s sentiment.

But whether it was possible, well, honestly, it was hard to give a definitive answer.

They pretended to be a religious group worshipping the demon, but in reality, they rarely acted as a group.

Wasn’t that the case with Ishtar, whom they met this time?

If he had led more cultists and caused an incident, he could have easily brought Yuna down, but he didn’t.

So, they are a group that is not a group.

It is more accurate to see them as individuals moving with a single purpose.

And to root out such individuals would mean spreading knights across the Empire and shedding blood.

The Emperor probably knew this too, which is why he hadn’t taken action before.

Whether good or bad, the land soaked in blood would destabilize the situation.

If knights killed people all over the Empire, whether they were cultists or not, it would certainly have a negative impact.

“Your Majesty, what should I do?”

Franz set aside such doubts for a moment and asked.

It wouldn’t be too late to decide after hearing the Emperor’s words.

“I have been secretly gathering information about the cult, and it seems there are ranks among them. Among them, the highest-ranking ones are the seven called the Seven Evils. I want you to deal with them.”

In short, it meant killing the seven bosses of the cult.

“If you take care of them, we will handle the rest. Can you do it?”

Honestly, there was no choice.

If the Emperor was this resolute, it meant he would execute it no matter what.

He asked as a formality, but who would refuse a superior’s request? Especially when the superior was the Emperor.

So, in the end, there was only one answer.

“I will do it.”

These days, the cultists have been creeping out, making me uneasy.

Duke Ishtar, that cultist, almost brought the world to ruin by tormenting Yuna.

So now that I have a reason, I must thoroughly crush them.

“Franz, thank you so much.”

His Majesty bowed his head while sitting at the table.

As soon as Franz saw it, he hurriedly went down to the floor and bowed his head.

It was something he learned in social life.

When a high-ranking person bows their head, you bow even lower.

“Y-Your Majesty, you mustn’t do this. Please, raise your head.”

“If you do that, what does that make me? I can’t even express my gratitude.”

“Expressing gratitude is fine. It’s something I must do as a citizen of the Empire.”

“Having someone like you by my side is truly a blessing. Anyway, I understand. I’ll stop, so you can raise your head now.”

Finally, Franz could raise his head after receiving the Emperor’s confirmation.

It was something he never wanted to experience again.

He felt like he was going to lose all his hair from the stress.

By the way.

“Do you know anything about the Goddess Church?”

“The Pope and the Saintess are coming tomorrow. I’ll talk to them well, so don’t worry too much.”

He wasn’t particularly worried.

For the Goddess Church, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They would surely mobilize everything to help the Empire.

However, he was a bit worried about Justia.

‘She’s gotten much better.’

If her body gets tired and her mind gets pushed, she might fall ill again.

If that happens, another bad ending might come, so he thought he should visit her soon and have a conversation.

If he could prevent the turning point from coming, he should try.

Anyway, His Majesty’s business was surely over with this.

There was no reason to stay here any longer.

“Then, Your Majesty, if you don’t mind, may I leave first as I am busy with the matters of the Magic Tower?”

Franz was very excited at the thought of finally being able to return to the Magic Tower.

It felt like it hadn’t even been an hour since I arrived at the imperial city, yet my head was already throbbing.

But once again, Franz’s hopes were shattered.

“I have a personal favor to ask. Could you take a look at my daughter? I think she has the potential to become a great mage.”

It seemed the emperor’s doting father syndrome had flared up again.

Not that I could refuse, though.

“It would be my honor to witness the princess’s magic.”

Whether she was a great mage or just a hopeful, I would find out soon enough.

But I had a feeling it was more likely the latter.

* * * * *

The Great Forest, home of the elves.

A significant problem was arising there.

“Hera, the leaves of the World Tree are still withering.”

“Is that so.”

Hera, the chieftain of the elves, was deep in thought.

The power of the World Tree had been weakening recently, and as a result, the trees of the Great Forest were also losing their strength. This was no small issue.

Even when asked, the Spirit King only mentioned sensing an evil presence, without providing any solutions.

At that moment, a name popped into Hera’s mind.

Franz.

The man who had helped her before.

She owed him a debt she could never repay, so she didn’t want to ask for his help if possible…

‘But there’s no other choice.’

The fate of the Great Forest and the entire elf tribe was at stake.

There was no room for pride.