I'm being Mistaken for The Mastermind

Chapter 12

Fortunately, it worked out well.

"Haha! Teach one, and they learn ten! It's rewarding to teach!"

The Dark King burst into laughter.

The sleeve of his garment had a small knife mark left on it.

Two hours had passed since the skill was imparted.

Surprisingly, they had succeeded in leaving a scratch on the Dark King's garment.

Lapis ran over to Evan with a slightly tired expression.

"Evan...... I'm tired."

"You worked hard, Lapis. Take a short break."

Evan handed her a cabbage he had prepared in advance.

Lapis melted into a happy expression.

Her vegetarian tendencies were on full display.

Her pure white hair made her resemble a rabbit.

Except for the part where, if raised improperly, she could become a murderous rabbit that eats human flesh.

"Ahem."

The Dark King's face turned slightly awkward.

"......The more I see, the more fascinating it is how much she likes vegetables. My skill is specialized in protecting the body, but......."

"Originally, even among animals, herbivores tend to be strong, don't they?"

Evan made an appropriate excuse.

Elephants were an example of that.

Fortunately, the Dark King seemed to accept it and didn't question further.

'From the beginning, this isn't the only strange thing, though......'

In fact, there were many parts to be suspicious of.

Starting with the Dark King's skill.

'He teaches better than I expected, but still.'

Teaching assassination techniques as...... protection techniques—isn't that a bit odd?

He was even teaching his unique skills.

-Hmm...... It's easy.

-......What, what did you say?

-These are too easy.......

It seemed that Lapis's honest impression had hurt him.

'Lapis seems to have an extraordinary talent.'

Most notably, "Shadow Stepping" was like that.

The Dark King's unique skill that allowed movement without making a sound.

It was a skill difficult even for upper-level expert knights to master, but Lapis succeeded in mastering it within ten minutes.

The same went for the assassination techniques she learned afterward.

-Hmm! With this, I can make my Cat's Cradle look even prettier! Thank you, Evan. To think you'd anticipate something like this......!

'What is that? I have no idea.......'

Anyway, Lapis, who had diligently received his teachings, became an excellent assassin within two hours.

At least on par with an upper-level expert knight.

The footwork skill "Shadow Stepping" had even evolved into "Shadow Passing."

From that point on, the Dark King displayed not just astonishment but also resignation—or perhaps even joy.

A talent that transcended the realm of mastery.

It was a rare sight to see him like this.

"Haha. Where on earth did you find such a child?"

The Dark King burst into laughter.

His eyes were filled with satisfaction.

The gaze of a professor who had found a promising graduate student candidate.

It was the same gaze as a professor looking at a friend who had become a slave (graduate student) before the transmigration.

'Should I tell her to slow down a bit from now on?'

It was when Evan was seriously contemplating.

"Young Master. May I speak honestly about what this old man feels?"

"......Yes. Of course."

"This child is a genius. More so than any child I've ever seen."

"!"

The one surprised was Theodore.

Theodore looked puzzled as to how such a slave could possess such talent.

He made eye contact with Evan, who subtly raised a finger to his lips.

Shh.

Please, stay quiet!

Was it thanks to the earnestness in his gaze?

Theodore nodded.

He seemed a bit scared, but it should be fine, right?

"Even though this old man may seem insignificant, I've seen many people in my long life. But I've never seen a genius like this child......."

The Dark King's gaze grew serious.

"However, it also worries me. Excessive talent often becomes a poison. More than anything......."

"More than anything?"

The Dark King spoke in a low voice, audible only to Evan.

"This child's talent smells of blood."

Thump.

Evan's heart sank with tension.

Tap, tap. He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair.

A habit that surfaced when he felt uneasy.

'Could it be...... that he noticed the Sin of Wrath?'

What should he do if that's the case?

Should he kill him?

The Dark King?

Should I, of all people, kill the main ally?

His mind was in chaos from the panic.

"If I were to guess, it's akin to a Heavenly Killer Star."

"......Ah."

He was wrong.

Evan stopped his fingers.

'......He didn't notice.'

If the Sin of Wrath had been discovered?

Who knows.

He couldn't predict how things would unfold.

The Sin of Wrath was, after all, a name attached in the future.

For now, it was merely something mentioned in the Bible.

'The Dark King wouldn't go crazy over that.'

It was still dangerous, though.

He had to keep this fact hidden as much as possible.

Evan feigned calmness as much as he could.

He opened his mouth composedly.

"......A Heavenly Killer Star. Are you referring to one of those celestial stars?"

"You know of it?"

"I was lucky. There were related books in the library."

Of course, he had seen it in the game.

The information probably wasn't much different.

The heavens.

Beyond that sky lies a place where countless stars reside.

Among those stars, one is the 'Heavenly Killer Star.'

A star that forms a contract with those destined to drench the continent in blood and grants them power.

"That Heavenly Killer Star has formed a contract with Lapis?"

"It's not certain, but this old man's intuition says so."

The Dark King spat as he strongly asserted his opinion.

"While we're at it, I'll confirm whether this child has truly formed a contract!"

"Wait......."

"Lapis."

Before Theodore could intervene, Evan spoke up first.

Evan's emotionless gaze turned to Lapis.

"Would it be alright to confirm if you've formed a contract with a star?"

Asking this directly?

The Dark King's eyes glimmered with interest, while Theodore was filled with shock.

Why would he ask a slave?!

Of course, Evan had his reasons.

'No, you can't just see her as an ordinary slave.......'

Officially, she was a slave.

For the sake of keeping her in the mansion.

But in truth, she wasn't a slave at all; their relationship was more like friends who might fall out over a single argument.

And yet, ignoring her opinion and performing a ritual to verify the star's contract?

'That would be a disaster.'

Men value their friends.

It wasn't because he was scared, not at all.

"Yes!"

Lapis nodded.

"Of course, it's fine. Ah......."

"Is there a problem?"

"You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

"Hahaha. Do you think this old man would ask for something like that? It won't hurt at all."

"If that's the case, sure. I'll do it if Evan wants me to."

"As long as Lapis is okay with it, I'm fine."

Evan didn't refuse and agreed.

There was nothing to worry about.

'Lapis hasn't actually formed a contract with any star.'

The Sin of Wrath, Ira.

Her destiny wasn't something like a star's contract.

He didn't know the specifics.

Evan was a veteran player, not the game's developer.

What was certain was that Ira's destined sin was far more powerful than a star's contract.

'Still, this is an opportunity.'

An opportunity to make Lapis appear as an ordinary talent.

If they could fool the Dark King, they could fool others too.

"Of course, I'm not as skilled as the Shaman of Starry Sky, but I can perform a small divination."

The name of the Shaman of Starry Sky slipped out as if it was familiar.

Did they know each other?

......Would he introduce her if I asked?

Evan suppressed the impulse and nodded.

"Please go ahead."

***

'This is astonishing.'

The Dark King.

As he prepared a small ritual to confirm the star's contract, he couldn't hide his amazement.

'A contractor of the Heavenly Killer Star!'

The ritual hadn't been performed yet.

But he was certain.

Lapis was a contractor of the Heavenly Killer Star.

'There's no other way to explain such talent.'

Beyond human.

Lapis's talent couldn't be measured by human standards.

A talent that transcended time, overwhelming in its brilliance.

A talent that was recorded in legends rather than history, and in myths rather than legends.

'This is thrilling.'

His fingers twitched with excitement.

One of the few things the Dark King had left after abandoning so much was 'history.'

'I'm rewriting history!'

Where else could one find such a grand achievement!

Contractors of stars like the Heavenly Killer Star appeared once in several centuries, if at all, and records of them were scarce.

Heroes, or perhaps mass murderers.

It didn't matter what they became.

As long as history was rewritten.

The Dark King would be recorded as the mysterious old man who taught them.

'The Crow's fortune was wrong.'

This is bad luck?

Nonsense!

Where else could one find such good fortune!

'With this, I'll set another record.'

The Dark King had directly written history and become a legend among assassins.

However, he hadn't raised another talent to write history.

One of the reasons he had trained disciples.

Finally, the moment to fulfill his long-cherished wish had come.

Once that was achieved, only one thing remained.

To complete the history he had built as the Dark King and turn it into legend.

'Honestly, I'm tempted. If it weren't for that guy, I would've kidnapped her.'

The Dark King looked at Evan with a regretful gaze.

That fragile young alchemist had already recognized her talent and kept her under his wing.

A slave, no less!

With a seal engraved, kidnapping her or even betrayal was impossible.

Truly ruthless.

'He's worse than me.'

Even the Dark King had never gone as far as making a slave contract.

The Dark King's misunderstanding of Evan and Lapis being only nominally master and slave deepened naturally.

Tap, tap.

A small magic circle drawn on the floor.

Rising from the ancient ritual that resembled a transmutation circle, the Dark King dramatically spread his arms.

"Now! Let's see if Lapis has formed a contract!"

"How do we do it?"

"Hahaha. It's simple. You just roll this iron marble."

This, too, was a kind of superstition.

It was said that contractors of stars possessed a force that endlessly attracted the power of the stars, causing the iron marble to roll endlessly within the 'constellation' drawn.

And this was real.

The only condition was that a high level of understanding, like that of the Dark King, was required to implement the 'constellation.'

"Now, let's roll it."

The Dark King began rolling the iron marble.

Roll! Roll!

The endlessly rolling iron marble.

It moved without hesitation, as if drawn by a magnet.

The Dark King's smile deepened.

'As expected, it was indeed a contractor!'

This ritual could only determine whether there was a contract or not.

If the iron marble stopped, it was an ordinary person.

If the iron marble rolled, it was a contractor.

And if it broke?

Well.

In very rare cases, it meant they were tied to a fate stronger than the stars.

That was something that would never actually happen...

Crack! Bang!

The iron marble shattered into pieces.

The Dark King's smile disappeared.

"......Ah, no...... How could this......."

"Lapis. Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Lapis nodded.

In her hand were fragments of the shattered iron marble.

Evan sighed in relief.

Whew! That was close.

"Tsk......."

Theodore was injured.

Honestly, it didn't matter.

He would recover soon enough.

"Theodore, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine."

Still, a moment of concern.

It was a relief to hear he wasn't in pain.

Just in case, Evan handed him a potion. Theodore's expression was complicated.

"Sir. Are you okay?"

The Dark King seemed to be in a daze.

When asked out of concern, the Dark King quickly nodded.

"Ah, yes! Of course."

'He seems to be quite shocked.'

Was the fact that it wasn't a star contractor that significant?

Evan, though puzzled, subtly signaled to Golem Number 4.

This was the opportunity.

The moment to hand over the potion and strengthen their bond.

"You seem tired. Please take this potion."

"......Potion?"

"It's good for your health. When I get nervous and my hands tremble, drinking this helps."

Theodore shot him a look that said, 'What nonsense are you spouting?'

Evan ignored him.

'The potion's effects were slightly excessive, though.'

Not only did it address physical issues, but it also seemed to deceive curses to the extent of numbing the nerves.

Still, wouldn't it be fine?

After all, it worked well, didn't it?

The Dark King stared at the potion for a moment.

In the end, he accepted it.

"......I will drink it well."

With a peculiar emotion in his heart.

***

That evening.

"There's nothing more to teach."

After drinking the potion and passing on many skills, the Dark King stood up.

Crunch. Lapis took a big bite of an apple and nodded.

"Thank, crunch, you for, crunch, your hard work."

"......You can speak after finishing your food."

"Teaching such a smart child has been a great experience for me as well. I hope you make good use of my skills in the future."

"Mm. I like Cat's Cradle."

The Dark King, like a professional, ignored Lapis's last comment.

"......It seems I have received too much in return. The potion, for instance."

"It's nothing......."

"This is my small token of gratitude."

Swish.

At some point, a letter had appeared on Evan's desk.

Evan, as if he already knew, remained expressionless.

"Read it after I leave."

"......I will."

"I hope you have better encounters in the future."

The Dark King disappeared with a swoosh.

Shadow Passing.

In an instant, he exited the mansion and appeared in a nearby forest.

"Master."

Another beggar appeared before the Dark King, kneeling on one knee.

"I've come to escort you."

A red hood.

A black coat.

Symbols representing the Resistance.

And the first disciple raised by the Dark King.

"Yuda. Is everything prepared?"

"Yes. As you commanded."

The red eyes beneath the deeply pressed hood spoke calmly.

"We have destroyed the territory ruled by the Emperor's direct knight."

"Well done."

"Is this Duke's family also a target for destruction?"

The red eyes turned toward the Duke's family.

"No."

The Dark King shook his head.

Overthrow?

What a ridiculous notion.

It was impossible for the Dark King alone.

Even if all his disciples came, it would still be impossible.

Not because of the Duke,

The boy I just met.

And the young alchemist who treats her as a slave.

"I met an interesting person. My perspective is still narrow."

"How could Master say such a thing......."

"My dream is so far away."

A smile appeared on the Dark King's lips.

Something that will be remembered in history.

What could be one of the ways to achieve that?

Power.

To become an emperor with overwhelming power and authority, unshakable and absolute.

Dante Midas.

Crime: Attempted Assassination of the Emperor.

Punishment: A thousand years of probation and the Curse of the Golden Hand.

Dissatisfied with the overflowing offerings.

Now, one who covets 'power' that will go down in history.

The Dark King, Dante, took off his gloves.

The hands beneath the gloves were golden.

The Curse of the Golden Hand.

A curse that turns everything touched into gold.

Tap.

He touched the tree beside him.

Astonishingly, the tree turned into gold.

However, the farthest branches remained wood.

Normally, even the ground would have been turned into gold.

"I weakened my curse. With just a single potion."

"......What does that mean?"

"Interesting. Truly interesting."

It was clear he was no ordinary alchemist.

But to this extent?

A fate greater than a Star's Contractor.

A fate stained with blood, one that could perhaps destroy this continent.

Just being near it would entangle you.

He placed him beneath.

'He said he learned alchemy on his own.'

What if he were to learn alchemy formally?

How far would he grow?

What would happen?

Clatter!

The Dark King rolled a black pebble.

A black stone that wouldn't change even with the Curse of the Golden Hand.

The Stone of Fate.

A fragment of the monument used only by the emperor's bloodline.

The drawing on the Stone of Fate foretells his future.

"......I see nothing."

No image of any animal could be seen.

As if it were hiding from Evan.

He rolled it two more times, but the result was the same.

The first might be coincidence, but the second is inevitability, and the third is fate.

The current Dark King couldn't even glimpse Evan's fate.

And he was still just a child who hadn't finished growing.

"Young Mastermind."

A smile appeared on the Dark King's lips.

"Next time, when you've grown more, what kind of monster will you become-"

I truly look forward to it.

Swoosh-

Leaving those words behind, the Dark King left the forest.

Before leaving, he handed over a gift.

Certain that it would please him.