Chapter 15
The Elf Rescue Was a Success
"Transmission" was a unique kind of magic that delivered a voice directly from one mind to another.
Much like what people often referred to as telepathy.
Before entering the mansion, Franz had sent a telepathic message to Rat Trap.
"Ahh~, Senior Rat Trap, did you receive your gift well?"
[ W-Who are you?! Who the hell are you?! ]
They say perpetrators often don't remember the crimes they've committed.
Rat Trap was the perfect example of that.
Unbelievable.
A deep crease formed between Franz's brows.
While the victims must have felt like they were living in hell every day, the perpetrator couldn't even remember what he'd done and was living comfortably.
It was something that should never happen, and something that must never be allowed.
Naturally, that meant Franz had no intention of letting Rat Trap off easily.
"The magic was so shoddy, I disarmed it with just a finger snap. Wonder who installed it?"
[ Shoddy?! Who are you! You bastard!! ]
Rat Trap's furious voice rang out inside Franz's head.
It was only natural, after all. He had just openly mocked his magic.
Mages were people whose pride in their own spells pierced the heavens.
Just look at how the fire and water magic associations fought for three days and nights over which element was stronger.
In any case—
If you want to provoke a mage, it's more effective to insult their magic than to insult them personally.
Especially for someone as prideful as Rat Trap.
[ Hey! You're from the Magic Tower, aren't you?! I've got a ton of connections in the upper ranks there, you know?! I'll make sure you're blacklisted from the Tower for good! ]
A flurry of question marks popped up in Franz's mind.
Connections in the upper ranks?
That would mean association heads or elders who had been in the Magic Tower for a long time.
But no matter how hard Franz tried to recall, there wasn't a single person in those ranks who liked Rat Trap.
Out of pure curiosity, Franz asked,
"And who exactly are these 'upper ranks'?"
[ Do you know Franz Gilbert? You must, if you're from the Tower, right? He's the current Master, but he used to be my junior, you know? ]
Puhah—
Laughter burst from Franz's lips.
So the guy was lying.
He was claiming to have a connection, with Franz himself.
No wonder Franz hadn't been able to think of anyone.
The whole thing was made up from the start.
Franz decided to play along with the lie.
He was curious to see just how far the man would take it.
"Huh—. So you're the Master's senior?"
[ Now do you understand who you've messed with? ]
"Oh, my deepest apologies for not recognizing such a great senior."
[ As long as you get it now, just walk away. I'll even put in a word with Franz for you, tell him to go easy on you. ]
Rat Trap's voice was full of excitement.
He must've thought everything was going exactly his way.
You really are hopeless.
From the moment Franz had called him "Senior Rat Trap," he should've realized who he was talking to.
Well, if the guy were smart, he wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess in the first place, and he definitely wouldn't be throwing around the name of the Magic Tower's Master.
[ So, what's your name? Who the hell are you anyway? ]
Franz was already growing tired of Rat Trap's pathetic imagination.
So he figured it was time to enjoy the most entertaining part.
"Franz Gilbert."
[ Wha…? ]
"Didn't catch that? I said I'm the Franz Gilbert you were just talking about."
A sin for tormenting an innocent junior.
Add to that the audacity to not even remember the voice of his victim, contempt penalty.
Using the name of the Tower Master for personal gain, another charge.
And now, involved in the elf slave trade?
No need to say more.
Hmm. Death sentence.
The verdict in Franz's mind was clear.
* * *
A world cloaked in darkness.
Hera was hiding behind a large tree planted in the garden, watching the guards.
"Hey, did you see the new batch of slaves?"
"Of course I did. Damn, top to bottom, just incredible."
"Think if I ask Lord Gidric nicely, I could get a turn with one of them?"
"Don't be stupid, man. You say something like that and you'll be the one sold off as a slave. End up with some fat noblewoman and get worked morning and night…"
Grrr—
At the guards' vile conversation, Hera ground her teeth.
Truly, like master, like soldiers.
The scum of the world, the kind that dirtied the earth just by existing.
Hera slowly ran her hand along the tree.
Then the large roots began to squirm and move.
"Hey, did you hear something?"
"Yeah, I think I did…"
The guards looked around, sensing something, but it was already too late.
"It sounds like the ground's cracking—kuhck—!"
"Huh…? W-What the—kuh, kuhk—!"
Tree roots burst up through the ground and pierced the guards straight through the neck.
It was the power of the Spirit King that Hera possessed.
Soon, the roots retreated to their original forms, and the guards who had collapsed to the ground twitched in pain.
From the punctured throats came nothing but a hissing sound of air leaking out.
Hera looked down at them with a cold gaze.
When she thought about the pain the enslaved elves must have endured, even tearing them to pieces wouldn't have been enough.
But she wasn't here for vengeance. She was here to rescue the elves.
Time is short.
Hera's figure disappeared back into the shadows.
From that point on, the guards stationed around Gidric's mansion died one after another, without a sound, without a trace.
Some tripped over grass that had sprouted from the ground, only to be strangled by vine-like tendrils.
Others had their necks twisted by suddenly moving tree branches.
Still others were devoured alive by sudden swarms of rats.
Thus, Hera eliminated all the guards outside.
Cleanly, without mercy.
The basement, it should be underground, right?
Entering the mansion, Hera immediately began searching for the path leading down.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before she found a staircase leading to the lower levels.
"U-Uaaagh—!"
Just as Hera was about to head down the stairs, a scream filled with pain rang out from the upper floor.
That must be Franz at work.
Hera paused for a moment, then resumed her steps downward.
Clack—
In the darkness, only the sound of footsteps echoed loudly.
She descended the stairs, and descended again.
At the bottom, what greeted Hera was a long corridor.
One side of the corridor was lined entirely with cells, and just as Franz had said, it appeared the elves were being held here.
What crime could they have possibly committed to deserve being locked up in a place like this…?!
Fury surged in Hera for a moment, but she quickly shook her head and swallowed it down.
Rescuing the elves came first.
Hera's steps moved quickly down the corridor and stopped in front of one cell.
She looked into the cold iron bars and called out,
"You, are you all alright?!"
The elves, dressed in ragged clothing, sat on the hard floor.
At the sound of her voice, the elves all lifted their heads at once.
At the appearance of a savior, the light slowly began to return to their lifeless eyes.
And then their lips opened, a dry voice emerging.
"Please… help us…"
"I'll free you all right now, just wait a little longer."
Bang!
Hera slammed her fist down onto the cell's lock.
With a loud crash, the lock shattered and the cell door swung open.
It was at that moment—
Clack—
Footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Hera immediately turned her head toward the source.
There stood two knights, swords in hand.
Apparently, guards were stationed inside the mansion as well as outside.
"Hmph…"
At the faint sound, Hera glanced into the cell.
The elves inside were shrinking back in fear at the sight of the knights.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of this."
A gentle smile spread across Hera's face.
But that smile was only for the elves.
When she turned her gaze back to the knights, her expression was icy cold.
"You an elf? Tch, well, since you're not a slave, I guess we can do whatever we want."
"Look at that face, feisty little thing. Bet she's real tasty."
At the knights' lewd jeers, Hera clenched her teeth.
Then she stretched her hand forward and grasped at the empty air.
Light gathered in the void, and a bow appeared in her hand.
The result of holding a bow had already been decided, so the process had followed accordingly.
"W-Wait, where did you get that—?!"
"Shut it! Just run, you idiot!"
The knights turned and began to flee, and at the same time, Hera pulled back her bowstring.
Light gathered and slowly took the form of an arrow.
Control the power…
She couldn't make it too strong.
Otherwise, the entire mansion might collapse.
Shaaak—!
Hera released the bowstring, and the arrow flew.
It pierced through the armor of the fleeing knights and drove into their hearts.
And even that wasn't enough, it embedded more than halfway into the stone wall beyond.
When Hera let go of the bow, it dissolved into light and vanished into the air.
Hoo—
Exhaling the breath she had been holding, Hera turned back toward the inside of the cell.
"Alright, let's go now."
Elf rescue operation, success.
* * *
Gidric's gaze moved from Franz, to Rat Trap, now a crumpled mess slumped against the wall, and back to Franz again.
Without delay, Gidric threw himself to the floor and shouted,
"I-I'm sorry! I swear I'll never do anything like this again!"
"Does saying sorry make your crimes disappear?"
"I-I'll do anything, please, just spare my life!"
Franz looked down at the groveling Gidric and thought,
'What an eyesore…'
His bulging gut and balding head reminded him of someone.
Someone who had tormented black-haired Koreans in the 21st century.
Anyway, I can't leave evidence behind.
If a rumor spread that the Master of the Magic Tower had killed someone during a private job, that would be a huge problem.
No matter how heinous the criminal, controversy would be unavoidable.
So there could be no evidence left behind.
Definitely not because Gidric reminded him of an old boss or anything like that.
As Franz reached out his hand, having made up his mind to deal with Gidric—
"W-Wait! I'll tell you everything I know, just please spare me…!"
Gidric was the lord of a commercial city.
That meant he likely knew a lot about the elf slave trade as well.
Franz lowered his hand.
"Alright, let's hear it. What is it?"
Of course, he never said he would let him live.
Chapter 16
You all, kill him
The Lord of the commercial city Kal Desien, Gidric, cautiously opened his mouth while kneeling.
"A-Aren't you going around rescuing elf slaves, Tower Master…?"
"Well. Do I have a reason to answer that question? From the start, I spared your life to get information, not so you could ask questions."
"T-Then, where should I begin talking from…."
Franz Gilbert found Gidric's behavior a bit strange.
Is he hiding something?
Gidric tried to subtly drag out the conversation, watching Franz's mood.
As if he had something or someone to rely on.
Whether it was just a misunderstanding or a sharp instinct remained to be seen.
Honestly, even if he was scheming something behind the scenes, it didn't really matter.
Whoever came, whatever tricks they tried, he was confident he could crush them all.
In any case, extracting information came first.
Franz spoke calmly.
"Spill everything related to the elf slaves."
"T-Then I'll start by explaining how I came to acquire the elves. It's been a little less than a year. Someone came to my estate. They said they wanted to trade elves on a regular basis."
Whoever Gidric was talking about was probably one of the two that Hera had mentioned.
If not, then someone in league with that person.
It was both curious and disgusting that an elf would walk around selling their own kind.
To the point Franz wanted to rip their head open and peek inside.
"T-To be honest, it was tempting. As you know, Tower Master, elf slaves are extremely rare, aren't they…?"
Gidric glanced at Franz to gauge his reaction.
Sensing that gaze, Franz openly twisted his expression.
He was obviously trying to see if Franz had any interest in elf slaves.
If he sensed interest, he probably would've proposed a deal, offering elf slaves in exchange for his life.
Maybe he would've even gone so far as to ask for personal protection.
This guy really is an idiot.
It was understandable since his life was on the line.
But that didn't mean Franz could look at him favorably.
Franz spoke firmly.
"You keep asking questions. Do that one more time, and forget information, I'll send you to join that rat trap over there."
Franz pointed at the Rat Trap embedded in the wall.
At that, Gidric gulped.
He seemed to freely gamble with the lives of slaves, but was quite attached to his own.
"O-Once a month. That guy would set the time and place, and I'd send people to kidnap the elves."
He didn't sell them himself, but used human hands to do the work.
Then he probably shifted all the blame onto Hera.
After all, among the elves, Hera was the only one who had left the Great Forest and made contact with humans.
Such sneaky and petty bastards.
"Yeah, next. Next. Speak quickly."
"Those kidnapped elf slaves…"
Maybe the intimidation had worked well, because Gidric began to spill everything he knew.
From the route through which the kidnapped elves were traded, to the fact that he had a list of buyers.
If only he had done this from the beginning.
Not that Franz had any intention of sparing him anyway.
"Bring me that ledger you mentioned."
"I-I'll bring it right away."
Gidric shot up and headed to the drawer beside the bed.
As he pulled out the ledger from inside, he said,
"Ah, come to think of it, that elf gave me something as a token of trust."
"A token of trust?"
"Yes, it was like a strange pendant…"
"Bring that too."
Franz became interested in the item.
If it was something called a "token of trust," it wasn't likely something handed out to just anyone.
Perhaps—
It might allow us to identify its owner.
Of course, it could've just been a made-up item handed over, but there was no harm in keeping it.
Anyway, Hera could figure out the details.
Eventually, having gathered the items, Gidric turned around and approached Franz.
"H-Here it is."
As Gidric stretched out his hand to offer the items, and Franz reached to receive them—
Flash—
A gleaming blade caught the moonlight and sparkled.
Gidric gripped the dagger he had hidden under the ledger and thrust it forward.
But that dagger never reached Franz.
Thutuk—
With just a flick of his finger, Franz knocked the dagger to the floor.
Along with Gidric's wrist.
"U-Uaaaah-!"
A scream filled with pain broke the still silence, and blood gushed out from the severed wrist.
He had gotten enough information, and also secured the items he needed.
On top of that, he might've even obtained an important key to solving this issue, so frankly, whether Gidric lived or died now didn't matter in the slightest.
"F-Forgive me, hick, p-please, just spare me once…! Hick, huaa."
Gidric crawled toward Franz on his knees.
Franz stared blankly at him and hesitated.
Should I let him live?
This was, after all, Hera's problem.
So the decision to kill or spare him should be up to Hera.
She might still need him for something.
Having organized his thoughts, Franz snapped his fingers lightly.
At that, a brief flame erupted from Gidric's severed wrist.
"U-Uaaaagh-!!"
Overcome by the searing pain of burning flesh, Gidric rolled across the floor wildly.
It must have hurt quite a bit, but at least the bleeding was stopped now, so there was no need to worry about excessive blood loss.
Now then…
Franz used mana detection to scan the situation outside.
The large number of knights were now all cold corpses, and the elf who had been in the underground was now above ground.
It seemed Hera had succeeded in rescuing the elves.
Then I guess it's time to move.
Franz lightly flicked his fingers, lifting Gidric into the air.
Then he jumped out the window together with him.
Gidric's room was on the top floor of the mansion.
As Franz fell freely from there, the night view of the commercial city spread before his eyes.
It was beautiful, but didn't bring pleasant memories.
It reminded him of the late nights he used to work.
Besides, the night view from the top of the Magic Tower was much more spectacular.
As he fell rapidly toward the ground, a blue magic circle formed beneath Franz.
His speed gradually decreased, and by the time he reached the ground, he had almost completely stopped.
Having landed perfectly, Franz walked straight toward Hera.
Naturally, the bald pig came with him.
"Franz, is everything settled?"
"Yeah, it's all done."
Franz's gaze shifted to the elves hiding behind Hera.
The elves were huddled together, watching Franz nervously with frightened expressions.
Like small animals trembling in the cold.
Watching their long ears twitching up and down, he couldn't help but find it oddly fascinating.
Just then, Hera glanced at Gidric and asked,
"Franz, what about him?"
"Ah, this guy? I brought him alive just in case you needed him."
As he said that, Franz dropped Gidric, who had been floating in the air, onto the ground.
Seeing that, the elves flinched in unison and drooped their ears.
Ah, is that what it means?
Elven ears weren't for telepathy, but rather for expressing emotions.
It was a moment of great realization for Franz.
His gaze returned to Hera.
"He's the owner of this mansion, and seems to know a lot."
"You mean he knew a lot."
"Right. He had records of how the elf slaves were traded, and a ledger of past buyers. From what I heard, he was supplying elves to the human side? Sounds a bit off, but yeah. That kind of guy."
At Franz's words, Hera frowned.
Then she glared at Gidric, who was trembling on the ground, with lifeless eyes.
Seeing Hera like that made Franz flinch reflexively.
It brought back fresh memories of recent events.
No way. Surely not.
She wouldn't suddenly start talking about the end of the world or anything, right?
Just as Franz was rationalizing things to himself—
Hera's voice rang out.
It was cold as ice.
"Franz."
"Uh…?"
"Did you hear all the information?"
"I think so."
He was pretty sure he got everything.
Gidric had been threatened with his life, there was no way he'd kept anything hidden.
Come to think of it…
Suddenly recalling something he had forgotten, Franz quickly searched his pocket and pulled out a necklace.
Holding it up, he showed it to Hera.
"Hera, do you know what this is?"
Hera, seeing the necklace, froze and blinked in silence.
Then, slowly, she opened her mouth.
"Where did you get this…?"
"That bald pig said he got it as a token of trust from someone."
"I see… So that's what it was. In the end, my brother was the one who contacted this bastard directly…."
Hera muttered to herself.
Then she turned to the elves behind her and spoke.
"You all, kill him. In the most horrific and brutal way possible."
It was time for the elves, who had once been slaves, to claim their revenge.