Quentin pulled the shop supervisor into a room and conducted a brief interrogation. After a few questions, the events of the past two days became roughly clear.
Graham's son had somehow discovered an adventurer who had been parasitized. But instead of reporting it, he secretly hid the person in a secret chamber.
This matter could not be concealed from the shop supervisor, yet the supervisor did not understand the situation and did not dare to ask further questions.
Even if he racked his brain, he probably could not have imagined that the matter would be this serious.
Logically speaking, the horrific fate of someone parasitized by a Mind Flayer tadpole was well known to the upper ranks of the Union, including Graham and his son.
The parasitized individual captured earlier was still being held in the dungeon.
Yet Devin did not stop his dangerous behavior until he ultimately lost his life.
He might not have been entirely willing, but now there was no longer any need to discuss that.
Anser beckoned to Quentin and said calmly, "Seal the Iron Crown. Send people to search all of their shops and residences. Do not let any suspicious person or object slip through, especially a type of purple jar."
"Once Councillor Graham has calmed down, send him home to rest. For the time being… forbid him from going out."
"Th-this… I'll handle it immediately!" Quentin clenched his teeth. This matter left him no room to play both sides.
If not for the president's sudden inspiration, in a few more days the Iron Crown might have turned into a nest of monsters.
Iris sat on the flying carpet, quietly watching everything, her eyes carrying a trace of melancholy.
"Looks like the Iron Crown probably has nothing to do with the Iron Throne," Anser said as he walked to her side.
"Heh, there must be cooperation. If you don't believe it, go ask Graham," Iris said with great certainty. She never spoke without evidence.
"Tomorrow." Anser jerked his chin toward the courtyard. "Does he not have any other relatives?"
"Probably not." Iris seemed unwilling to talk about the matter and changed the topic on her own initiative. "Didn't you say Mind Flayers are very intelligent? How did it get exposed the moment it made a move?"
"Could it not simply be that I am wiser?" Anser tapped his temple with the gem on his staff, wearing a smile.
"Speak like a normal person." Iris rolled her eyes at him.
"A guess." Anser shrugged. "Someone wants to stir up the situation, confuse the public, or take the opportunity to force me out. Aside from the people of Amn, it seems the Mind Flayers stand to gain the most."
"That Mind Flayer will soon reach its fully matured state. When that happens, in all of Durlag's Tower only the two of us will be able to threaten it."
"Only you." Iris sighed. Mind Blast ignored most protective abilities. Aside from Wizards and Paladins, other spellcasters really could not withstand it.
A thought stirred in her mind, and she asked in confusion, "How did you discover that secret chamber?"
Truesight and Detect Evil and Good could both be blocked by earth, stone, or metal. Finding a well-hidden secret chamber was almost impossible.
"Arcane Eye," Anser replied casually.
"Don't you know Fire Shield?"
"Oh, I know quite a lot."
At once, Iris lost all interest in continuing the conversation. With a whoosh, she flew into the sky and quickly disappeared from sight.
"Was that really necessary?" Anser shook his head slightly.
But he knew that today's incident was also part of the reason. Iris was in low spirits.
At that moment, Quentin came trotting over in small steps and handed him a purple olive-shaped jar about the size of a palm.
"So there really is one." Anser's heart skipped a beat. "Where was it found?"
"Right in a hidden compartment inside the secret chamber." Quentin looked puzzled. "What is this?"
"A Mind Flayer larva."
"Hiss…" Quentin sucked in a sharp breath, then his expression darkened. "Destroy it!"
Anser focused his mind on the jar:
[Brain Fluid Jar, Rare, Mind Flayer larva: 5/10]
"I'll handle it properly." He put the jar into the Avaricious Dragonhide Pouch.
Quentin looked as though he wanted to say something, but in the end said nothing, instead directing the guards to clear the scene.
When the soldiers carried away the corpses of the Intellect Devourer and the Mind Flayer, along with sack after sack of headless skulls, the surrounding crowd erupted in an uproar.
"Councillor Graham usually looked quite upright…"
"Don't talk nonsense. It was clearly his son who dragged him down!"
"Oh, so now you understand everything…"
"Don't make me beat you up."
"…"
Anser left first, reducing his public exposure, and handed everything over to Quentin to deal with.
The appearance of a Mind Flayer left him deeply uneasy. If, right after he became president, this place turned into a playground for aberrations, that would be truly humiliating.
'Why does this feel like I got tricked…'
After returning to the Union, he went straight to the guards' station and told the duty personnel to bring him the investigation report concerning Matthew.
According to the testimony of those adventurers, after their group fled from Silver Scale Bay, they had not stopped at all. They ran all the way southeast, passing along the edge of Cloak Wood and the Coast Way on the way, spending most of their time traveling through the wilderness.
The others had not been especially close to Matthew. Several of them had even joined the group midway, so they did not know when Matthew had become "cheerful and talkative."
'Most likely it was the night something happened at Silver Scale Bay. Who knows how many people like that there are.' Setting down the report, Anser felt as though a vast net was spreading across Faerûn.
He entered the dark dungeon. After confirming that those adventurers had no problems, he had them released.
As for the adventurer Fulga, who had been parasitized by a Mind Flayer tadpole, Anser marked him with the mark of the paradise and teleported him directly to the second floor of the Black Tower, then personally escorted him into a sealed cell.
Fulga was still in the process of aberrant transformation. His skin was grayish purple, and his head had already begun to deform slightly. It looked as though tentacles were about to grow out at any moment. But at present he was in a helpless state and had no ability to resist; even an ordinary person could kill him.
Yet in just a few days, he would completely transform into a Mind Flayer wielding psionic power!
'Only seven days… truly a remarkable species.' Anser stood at the prison door, observing Fulga inside through the one-way transparent blackstone door.
It was said that Mind Flayers were a group of psychopaths with self-destructive tendencies. The entire collective relied on the Elder Brain to lead and control them through a telepathic network. This kind of "hive mind" could suppress or even strip away a Mind Flayer's individual thoughts.
And the Elder Brain itself was a gigantic brain-shaped creature with terrifying psionic power, floating within a heavily guarded brain pool, rarely moving from its place.
'Isn't that basically a central server?' Anser suddenly thought of the internet from his previous life. 'So Mind Flayers are all netizens.'
Fortunately, the Elder Brain's telepathic network generally did not extend beyond ten kilometers. If it could reach dozens or hundreds of kilometers, that would truly be terrifying.
He placed the newly obtained Brain Fluid Jar together with the previous one, then teleported back to the Union.
Using a human directly for experiments would be too cruel and too dark, and it might even break his oath. But Fulga had already been parasitized, making him perfect for becoming familiar with Mind Flayers.
...
The aberration parasitism incident involving a councillor of the Union caused a huge uproar. Streets, alleys, and taverns were all abuzz with discussion. Most adventurers had heard of monsters like Intellect Devourers and Mind Flayers for the first time.
This was not gossip—it was a regional disaster related to their own safety, and many adventurers began to think about retreating.
But some people were full of confidence in the new president. Hidden dangers were not frightening; what was truly rare was resolving them every time they appeared.
At least the former president Stoll—who was rumored to already be dead—had never been able to do that. He always waited until things exploded before taking action, dealing with those who might be problematic.
As evening approached, several cloaked figures emerged from the Wood of Sharp Teeth and entered Durlag's Tower through the west gate.
One of them wore a gray robe. His body was thin and weak, his head bald and without a beard, his skin pale, giving him a sickly appearance.
Hearing fragments of conversation from passersby, his lifeless eyes moved slightly. "Song, go ask what happened."
"Yes."
A tall figure left the group alone, his hand moving to his waist as he took out several iron coins that jingled faintly.
A moment later, he caught up again and leaned toward the bald man. "Mentor, Durlag's Tower has changed presidents. Mind Flayers and Intellect Devourers appeared, and the son of one of the councillors was parasitized…"
"Hmm?" The bald man paused, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. "Interesting. Did they capture a living one?"
"Apparently not. I heard the corpses were blown apart by Magic Missile and then shoveled away," the tall apprentice added quietly.
"What a waste. A bunch of spell barbarians!" The bald man's expression filled with disgust. Then he abruptly changed direction. "Let's go to Fort Jacqueline."
"That might not be necessary, mentor." The apprentice looked troubled. Last time they had just stepped through the door before being thrown out. This time would probably end the same way.
The bald man's expression stiffened. He forced himself to turn back again. "At this hour, it would indeed be impolite. Tomorrow, then."
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