MTLNOVEL Chapter 33
The banquet had reached its peak.Countess Lort subtly scanned the hall.Every guest in the room was engaged in lively conversation, their faces adorned with smiles.There was no trace of the usual tension, wariness, or jealousy that often lingered in noble gatherings.Yet, their laughter did not seem truly joyful—it was empty, as if their eyes were gazing at something far beyond the present.‘The magic is working perfectly.’This unnervingly peaceful atmosphere was the result of the mind-control spell cast over the hall.Once caught in the spell, all stray thoughts were erased, leaving only the words spoken to them lingering in their minds.Count Lort and his wife hosted banquets, invited nobles, and then indoctrinated them through enchantment, steadily increasing the number of their followers.Followers devoted to the resurrection of the Demon God.“Dear.”At the countess’s signal that the magic was in effect, the count rose from his seat, as if he had been waiting for this moment.“Are you all enjoying the banquet?”The entire hall turned to him, their gazes unfocused.“First, I extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for gracing this gathering with your presence.”“…….”“And to our great god, the Demon God, who has brought all of us here together, I dedicate this gratitude and joy.”The guests clapped mechanically, their faces faintly smiling.It was a grotesque sight.Surveying the room, Countess Lort ensured that everything was proceeding smoothly.Her gaze soon landed on a woman whose striking beauty made her stand out even among the crowd.Elsez Rohan.Niece of Baroness Hervan.The woman widely known as the future Duchess of Rittenhouse.Even now, Elsez stood beside Baroness Hervan, clapping vacantly along with the rest of the guests.As the congregation basked in his words, Count Lort’s speech built toward its climax.“A day is coming soon when all the filth of this world will be cleansed, when we shall be reborn in a new land, in a new world, with new life!”“…….”“Only those gathered here will be granted the honor of welcoming our god’s complete descent upon this earth and witnessing the birth of a new era!”“…….”“Will you stand with me to welcome this new world?”At his final, resounding words, a deafening applause erupted.The countess smiled and joined in the clapping.With that, Count Lort stepped down from the podium, his speech concluded.Just then, a servant approached him and whispered something into his ear.At the news, the count turned to his wife, who was watching with mild curiosity.“A guest has arrived. I’ll go to the annex.”Countess Lort immediately understood who he meant by ‘guest.’She gave him a light nod.“Go ahead, dear. I’ll take care of things here.”With that, Count Lort left the hall.The countess watched him go before turning her gaze back to the room.And once again, her eyes found Elsez.Elsez was being helped up the stairs to the second floor by Baroness Hervan.‘She must not be feeling well.’Some individuals, particularly those with weaker constitutions, were highly susceptible to the effects of the mind-control spell when combined with alcohol.It caused them to lose control of their bodies, much like intoxication.Elsez appeared to be one such case.Countess Lortr watched the scene unfold, pleased.In this state, the spell would take hold of her mind even more deeply.And with Baroness Hervan—already under the spell—guiding her, the effect would be absolute.‘Tonight’s greatest prize is that woman.’If Elsez Rohan, the Duke of Rittenhouse’s fiancée, became one of their followers, the wealth of the duchy would soon flow into their hands.Smirking to herself, Countess Lort lifted her wine glass.Watching Elsez’s hazy figure reflected in the deep red liquid, she murmured softly,“To this beautiful night.”The blood-red wine swirled lightly in her glass. **** Baroness Hervan struggled to support Elsez as they made their way to the balcony on the second floor.Elsez leaned heavily on her, stumbling as they stepped outside.A cool spring breeze brushed past them.The baroness gently lowered Elsez onto a chair and sat beside her.“My dear, you must have a weak tolerance for alcohol.”“…Aunt.”The voice that drifted into her ears was crisp and clear—too clear for someone who had been barely able to stand just moments ago.But under the influence of the mind-control spell, the baroness didn’t notice anything strange.Elsez slowly lifted her head from her aunt’s shoulder.Her previously dazed eyes were now sharp and golden, focused intently on the woman before her.“Elsez, are you feeling better now?”The Baroness’s green eyes, in contrast, were clouded and lifeless.She was asking out of habit—there was no true concern, no emotion in her gaze.A shiver ran down Elsez’s arms.At that moment, she saw Count Lortr emerging from the main building.His gaze was fixed on the annex.Taking in the sight, Elsez glanced at the faintly glowing magic circle on the back of Baroness Hervan’s neck.Then, she issued a command.“Go to Count Lort and request a conversation.”Her soft voice slithered into the baroness’s ears—like a demon’s whisper… or an angel’s.The entranced woman did not react at first, so Elsez leaned in and whispered again.“Tell him you wish to speak about ‘Him.’ Right now.”“…Him.”Now.The irresistible pull of magic wove itself into her voice, making it even more potent.Without hesitation, the baroness stood up and swiftly left the balcony.‘That should buy me some time.’Once the baroness came to her senses, she wouldn’t remember exactly what had happened.Mind-control magic clouded all memories except those directly related to the spell itself.Even if she did recall something, no one would suspect a thing.A noble at a banquet with blurred memories?
They’d simply blame the alcohol.‘That must be why the count and countess use banquets as their hunting ground.’A controlled noble wouldn’t even realize they had been brainwashed—they’d just assume they’d been too drunk.Elsez rubbed her left wrist as she got up, feeling the cold touch of the transparent bracelet around it.As she tracked Count Lort’s movements, she murmured,“Thank you, Tracia.”Bringing the bracelet had been a stroke of genius.Since she wasn’t expecting to use much mana, she hadn’t bothered carrying mana potions.
And thanks to her abilities, she didn’t see a need for healing potions either.But she had prepared a status recovery potion—a decision made after nearly falling victim to paralytic poison not too long ago.Frowning slightly, Elsez checked the amount left.‘Not much remains.’She had been complacent—assuming nothing major would happen, she hadn’t refilled the potion reserves to full.With mind-control magic active throughout the mansion, her potion would run out soon.And once that happened, she would succumb to the spell.Elsez thought back to the faces she had seen in the banquet hall—
The empty eyes of those ensnared by the spell, absorbing every word without question.‘I’d love to track down the caster and break the spell…’But Astaire had made one thing clear: his presence here must remain a secret.And while the magic wasn’t directly lethal, the greater priority was ensuring Astaire and Count Lortr never crossed paths.TAP, TAP.Elsez lightly tapped her earring.“Your Highness. Can you hear me?”No response.“Your Highness?”Still nothing.Elsez bit her lip.‘Did the dark magic interfere with the device?’After quickly running through her options, she checked her surroundings.Thankfully, no one was nearby.She slipped off her heels, stored them in her inventory, and grabbed the hem of her dress.Then, she climbed onto the balcony railing.Strengthening her legs with magic, she leaped off.Landing barefoot, Elsez sprinted across the garden.The backyard of the mansion was littered with couples in various states of embrace.At first glance, they seemed like lovers sharing a secret rendezvous.But as Elsez passed, she caught snippets of their hushed conversation.They weren’t whispering about love.They were chanting about the Demon God.A chill ran down her spine.‘So the mind-control spell extends beyond the mansion.’Elsez quickened her pace toward the annex.She needed to reach Astaire.
And she refused to become one of them.At that moment, a black haze drifted from her brooch, followed by Reti’s voice.“Why are they eating each other?”Elsez stumbled.Reti’s misty form pointed toward a couple locked in a deep kiss.Her face turned bright red.This felt like explaining reproduction to a five-year-old.“Ahem! They’re not actually eating each other. They’re… um, just pretending. It’s something people do when they like each other.”“Ah, like how I like cookies?”Elsez decided not to correct him.She had zero confidence in her ability to explain this further.By now, she had reached the annex.The number of brainwashed couples had thinned out, and her bracelet’s potion was depleting at a much slower rate.She was nearing the edge of the spell’s influence.Elsez tapped her earring again.“Your Highness. Can you hear me?”After a brief pause, Astaire’s voice finally came through.“-…yang. …happ…ng? Can’t… hear… well…”His words were breaking up.Elsez frowned.At this range, she should be able to communicate clearly.‘The spell must still be interfering.’Even if she couldn’t hear him well, she hoped he could hear her.“Count Lort is coming your way. You need to hide—”Before she could finish, she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps.“Who’s there?”It was one of the guards stationed at the annex.‘Damn it.’Elsez scanned her surroundings.All she could see were ivy-covered walls and decorative arches.With no time to think, she slipped into one of the arches to hide.Only to collide with someone.“Ah…!”She staggered, nearly falling backward—But a firm arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her.Eyes widening, Elsez blinked up at the figure before her.A man.Wearing a white mask.Behind the mask, his strange violet eyes stared down at her.