The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

17 – The Elf’s Revenge (2)

A vast forest with towering trees, distinctly different from the surrounding woods.

Four elves were swiftly approaching Franz and his party from there.

All of them had bows slung over their backs and were holding menacing blades in their hands.

‘It’s understandable.’

Franz could comprehend their actions.

A man in a robe, surrounded by elves.

Moreover, with the continuous abductions of elves, their vigilance must be at its peak.

So, it wasn’t unreasonable to suspect it as a kidnapping scene.

However, wasn’t it a bit rash to draw their bowstrings without even listening to the story?

“Wait, wait-! You are mistaken-!”

Hera shouted loudly, but the arrows had already been shot.

The arrows sliced through the wind, heading straight for Franz.

‘Incredibly accurate.’

Franz was purely impressed.

The distance between them was considerable.

The elves were so small that they were barely the size of a thumbnail.

It was astonishing enough that the arrows flew in a straight line rather than an arc from that distance.

Moreover, they were flying precisely towards his forehead, amidst the clustered elves.

If we brought the elves to the modern world, they could dominate archery competitions for about a century.

Maybe later, there would be a law banning elves from participating.

Anyway, the elves’ archery skills were that remarkable.

But the wall of a 10-circle magician was too high for ordinary arrows to reach.

If it was an ambush, maybe, but there was no chance of winning by shooting head-on like this.

Thud-.

As Franz waved his hand, the arrows fell to the ground.

‘Let’s just watch for now.’

The arrows were released before Hera could even make a sound.

So, for the first time, it could be overlooked.

But if it happened again…

Well, then we would have to suppress them by force.

Though Hera was watching, so killing them was out of the question.

Fortunately, it seemed Franz wouldn’t have to subdue them by force.

Because Hera darted towards them like an arrow.

The men slowly lowered their bows as they saw Hera running towards them.

It was the moment Franz felt relieved and began to relax.

“Hera! It’s Hera of the Root Tribe!”

“The traitor who sold out her own kind!!”

Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly.

The men raised their bows again and drew the strings.

It was only natural.

Among the elves, Hera was a high treason criminal who sold out her own kind.

Even the elves she had saved couldn’t let their guard down.

They had been brainwashed by propaganda and fabrication.

‘Damn it.’

He had prepared for the worst-case scenario, but it had come to pass.

If he had just left her, she would have become a villain by now.

Franz sighed with relief and used teleportation.

With a brief flash of light, Franz’s figure disappeared and reappeared beside Hera.

As Franz’s hand swept through the air, the arrows aimed at Hera fell to the ground with a thud.

Hera’s gaze turned to Franz.

It was a confused look, mixed with surprise, sadness, and anger.

“…Franz.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Just, just one more time. Please.”

Franz nodded.

It wasn’t his business in the first place.

“You all! It’s all a misunderstanding! Can’t we have a conversation?”

“There’s no reason to talk to a traitor!”

“Even just once, please, a conversation….”

Before Hera could finish her sentence, Franz patted her on the shoulder.

Whether it was lingering attachment or simply disbelief, he wasn’t sure.

There was no reason to grovel since they weren’t in the wrong in the first place.

And conversations are meant to be had with those who are willing to listen, but the other side had no intention of doing so, so there was no need to even attempt a conversation.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Pl-please, don’t kill them…. They were just deceived, weren’t they?”

Whether they were simply deceived or traitors to the core, only time would tell.

Still, it wasn’t a difficult request.

“Ah, so it was true! You were colluding with humans!”

“Where did you sell out your kin?! Answer, Hera!”

They shouted at Hera with voices full of anger.

‘I don’t like this.’

Hera, the person in question, asked not to kill them, so he wouldn’t, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t see them in a good light.

If they were deceived, that was a problem in itself, and if they sided with Harris, that was truly a sin.

Snap.

Franz lightly snapped his fingers in the air.

Then, a transparent spherical wall formed around them.

As Franz flicked his fingers, the transparent sphere floated into the air, trapping them inside.

“W-what are you doing!”

“Hera! Are you betraying your kin again!”

They shouted, pounding on the transparent wall.

With a furrowed brow, Franz snapped his fingers once more, and the sound from outside was cut off.

He added a soundproofing spell.

“Franz, thank you…”

Hera bowed her head to Franz.

It was gratitude for granting her request not to kill.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t that difficult. But you should brace yourself. It was almost brainwashing.”

“I just realized it too. I didn’t think it would come to this in just a year…”

“Well, things will change from today.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”

Hera nodded, showing her firm resolve.

Soon, Franz teleported the former slave elves who were far away.

Their gazes crossed through the transparent wall.

A little elf spoke.

“This-! Looks fun… oops?”

“I’m sorry. My younger sibling is still very young…”

To the little one, floating in the air seemed fun.

Franz decided to be understanding.

It seemed fun, so he thought he might let them ride it later.

At that moment, Hera looked at the elves trapped by magic and spoke.

“Franz, I want to try persuading them first, is that okay?”

“Do as you wish. I’m just helping, but ultimately, it’s something you have to resolve.”

Franz snapped his fingers to release the soundproofing spell.

“How did this happen…”

“I don’t know either…”

The trapped elves seemed confused.

Well, it was understandable since Hera, whom they thought was a traitor, had brought back the missing elves.

They hadn’t intended to kidnap them, but to bring them back, so it was their fault for not checking.

“You all, I regret that things have come to this, but you attacked first, so I hope you understand. First, take a look at this.”

Hera took a necklace out of her pocket.

The elves’ ears moved busily up and down.

Soon, their moving ears stopped, and one of the elves spoke.

“Isn’t that the chieftain’s?”

“Yes, I found it when I went to rescue the elves.”

“But, but the chieftain, Hera, you…”

“If I had sold out my kin, why would I rescue them again? It was all, all Harris’s doing. To gain the chieftain’s position and wealth. There are more elves I rescued within the tribe, you can ask them.”

Three of the four elves’ expressions were painted with confusion.

The chieftain they had trusted and followed for a year, and Hera presenting evidence right before their eyes.

They must be torn about whom to believe.

But only one elf wore a different expression.

“Unbelievable! How can we trust that?! What’s to stop the traitor from betraying us again?!”

He was truly pouring out his passion.

As if he had stepped on a block on the floor, or stubbed his little toe on the doorframe.

‘A lackey.’

Franz was convinced that he was Harris’s lackey.

Otherwise, that reaction couldn’t be explained.

If left alone, he would surely hinder Hera.

As Franz’s hand moved once in the air, a round sphere split into two, separating him.

“W-what are you doing…”

Adding a soundproof spell made it perfectly quiet.

A moment of silence passed.

The elves and Hera, who had stopped talking due to Franz’s actions, began to converse again.

“Then, for now, Hera, we will trust you. It’s true that you brought these children, and that you have the chieftain’s necklace. But if all this is a lie, we won’t stand idly by.”

“Do so. If it’s a lie, I’ll gladly offer my neck.”

Hera, having concluded the conversation, nodded at Franz.

It meant it was okay to release them now.

Understanding the meaning, Franz snapped his fingers in the air.

Then the transparent sphere disappeared, and the elves trapped inside were freed.

Of course, the lackey was still trapped.

The elves looked at Franz with strange eyes, then turned their heads to Hera.

“Hera, what do you plan to do now? Will you go straight to the chieftain?”

“Yes. We must correct the wrong.”

“Is that human over there coming with us too?”

“He is a benefactor who helped us with this matter. I hope you can tolerate him even if he makes you uncomfortable.”

At Hera’s words, the elves turned their heads again to look at Franz.

And they lightly bowed their heads in greeting.

Since they were being gentle, Franz did the same.

He had no desire to be hostile.

Soon, led by Hera, the elves and one human entered the Great Forest.

And at the heart of the Great Forest, they could meet him.

The culprit of this incident, Harris.

“He, Hera…? How did you get here…?”

It was time to set things right.