I'm being Mistaken for The Mastermind

Chapter 16

The name of the Dark King is never taken lightly.

To assassins, he remained a legend, and to those who lived in the same era, he ruled through fear.

Being an alchemist of the same era, it was not strange to fear him.

'Still, isn't this a bit excessive?'

"P-please, just spare me!"

The Blue-Bearded Count, Gilles de Rais.

Just moments ago, his attitude seemed confident, but now he was bowing his head, begging for his life.

All because of a single letter!

'No, what did I even do?'

Suddenly, Evan felt a sense of injustice.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have shown it!

'Even if I say it's a misunderstanding now, he won't believe me, will he?'

Evan thought that even if he were the Count Gilles de Rais, he wouldn't believe it.

Trembling like that, what words could possibly persuade him?

"......I did not come here to harm you. I only came to obtain the materials I need."

"I-I'll give you everything."

Look at that.

It's not working, is it?

'Oh, to hell with it!'

Let's just take what we need and leave quickly.

With that decision, Evan opened his mouth.

"Do you happen to have Full Moon Illusion Herb?"

"Yes! Of course, I do! I'll guide you to it immediately!"

Count Gilles de Rais jumped to his feet and began to lead the way.

Evan followed Count Gilles de Rais.

"Hmm."

It was at that moment.

Lapis cautiously tugged at Evan's sleeve.

"Evan, Evan."

"?"

Lapis whispered quietly into Evan's ear.

"That man, he reeks of evil."

"......Evil?"

"It's my intuition. Probably......."

The intuition spoken by the Sin of Wrath.

"I think he's planning to betray you, Evan."

"......."

A chill ran down his spine.

Instead of replying, Evan stared at Count Gilles de Rais's back.

Yes.

The reason Count Gilles de Rais conducts human experimentation.

It came to mind.

***

The Blue-Bearded Count.

His real name, Gilles de Rais.

An alchemist who has lived for over a hundred years.

As he climbed the stairs to guide Evan, he briefly reminisced.

A long life.

Countless meetings and partings.

And one of those partings was with his mentor.

-Master.

-Heh heh. Even if you call me father.

Count Gilles de Rais's father and mentor.

The only family in his life, who passed everything down to him according to the system of single inheritance.

In the end, despite using blood to extend his lifespan, he met his death.

-Suppress your cruel nature and live. You must not live according to your true nature.......

His mentor had earnestly advised Count Gilles de Rais.

-Never do something like trying to resurrect me....... Wait for the destined one.......

Children are meant to defy their father's words.

The only person who could understand Gilles de Rais, who had become nearly infertile as a result of extending his lifespan.

All he had left was his father and mentor.

He continued his research on extending lifespans, focusing on resurrecting the dead.

[Resurrecting the Dead].

A taboo that must never be attempted.

As long as he belonged to the Alchemists' Tower, he could never defy it.

So he turned his eyes elsewhere.

That was homunculus.

Artificial lifeforms.

Golems with life.

Although information about golems had been lost and was difficult to find, he managed to make some progress.

-Oh? It's not resurrecting the dead? Reviving by implanting the soul into artificial life...... This is intriguing.

The Dark King, whom he met along the way, also found it fascinating.

-I like it. When the time comes, I will give you something useful.

Count Gilles de Rais waited patiently and gathered the necessary materials.

The most crucial material was 'human life.'

Ordinary ones wouldn't suffice.

He needed a woman with vitality strong enough to share it with her offspring.

So he took a wife.

Disguising it wasn't difficult.

It was common for noblewomen to die.

Especially wives of nobles like counts.

After all, weren't they commoners?

They had no family to protect them, no power, so their deaths were inevitable.

Pretending it was an accident, he killed his wives one by one.

During that time, he heard a rumor.

The youngest alchemist, Evan Alcart.

The scoundrel born into the Alcart Ducal Family.

-He started learning alchemy because his mother passed away?

-That is.......

-Yes. For resurrecting the dead.

-Tsk. How pitiful. That's an impossible task.

-What a sad situation. We don't judge him for it.

The limit for Resurrecting the Dead is twenty years.

If the resurrection doesn't occur within twenty years, the soul completely leaves this world.

Even with fifty years of study, one wouldn't have enough skill to perform such a taboo.

In other words, it's an impossible task.

So all the members of the alchemists' tower lost interest, but Count Gilles de Rais was different.

'It's possible.'

However, he still lacked something.

The body to serve as the base for the homunculus.

There was only one way to fill the gap.

A body with exceptional talent in alchemy was needed.

Just then, news arrived that Evan Alcart was showing an unbelievable growth rate.

Advanced potions in just half a year?

Normally, it would take ten years to achieve such a feat.

His talent was proven.

The only thing left was to summon him to the territory.

So, when strange rumors spread, they were left alone, even encouraged.

To make him come on his own.

And today.

The Dark King finally fulfilled his promise.

Tap.

"We have arrived, Evan."

The sixth floor.

The highest floor. A room that had been entirely remodeled.

Count Gilles de Rais, standing at the door, stepped aside.

"Inside, you will find everything I have gathered so far. I hope it pleases you......"

The knowledge, items, and essence accumulated by the alchemist.

As a fellow alchemist, it was impossible not to covet them.

Conveniently, there were also some items received through dealings with heretics who had fled from Arthur.

'He will definitely be tempted.'

Just one more step left.

Until the day I meet my master again-

"......."

Evan looked down at the back of Count Gilles de Rais' head.

What he intended to do.

Simply put, it was resurrecting the dead.

Even if it started as life extension, in the end, it was an act defying the natural order of death.

In the original story, it naturally ended in failure.

The first reason.

His knowledge and skill were insufficient to perform the synthesis of a homunculus.

A homunculus is an artificial life form and an artificial body, essentially a type of golem.

Naturally, one had to be skilled in handling golems.

The second reason.

As it was close to a taboo, an equivalent exchange was required.

Five women were far from enough.

Ten would be the same.

Even if he sacrificed his own life, it was uncertain whether it would succeed, so how could this work?

"Count."

Evan calmly opened his mouth.

"......Yes, Young Master."

"How about taking your hand out of your pocket?"

He was caught.

Count Gilles de Rais instinctively realized it.

His eyes sparkled with intense determination.

An alchemist whose purpose was exposed had only one course of action.

Forced execution.

Proceed with the plan, no matter what!

Thump!

Using synthesis, he braced himself against the wall.

[Understand], and [Disassemble.]

A door that should never have been opened was disassembled and vanished, revealing the inside of the room.

At that moment.

A foul stench overwhelmed them.

Five skeletons sprawled across the room, dried blood stuck to the floor, and the stench from rotting flesh being pecked at by insects.

At the same time, smoke billowed from an empty skull.

Smoke carrying a paralyzing curse.

The smoke, along with the stench, engulfed them.

"Ugh?!"

Dolph screamed, covering his nose with both hands.

His body seemed frozen in that state, only his eyes blinking.

Evan, next to him, remained calm.

He seemed to be affected in the same way.

"Got you, you brat."

Smirk!

A cold smile appeared on Count Gilles de Rais' face.

He immediately reached into his pocket.

A glass shard he had prepared in advance.

Though weak, it was sharp enough to sever a throat.

Using synthesis, the glass shard was sharpened and shot toward Evan's legs.

At that moment.

Clang!

'......Clang?'

It was blocked by something.

Count Gilles de Rais was flustered.

Only then did he notice the clothes—or rather, the leather armor—that Evan was wearing.

The leather armor had somehow protected his legs.

'No way.'

Was that a golem?

That armor?

Swoosh!

The Living Golem instantly transformed its shape.

Full-body armor.

Only Evan's eyes were visible.

"......Antidote, open."

Boom!

The wall of the mansion shattered, and a long arm reached in.

It was the arm of a golem.

The golem that broke through the wall threw an antidote, instantly dispelling the curse.

"......!"

At least a high-grade antidote!

Even one targeting 'curses.'

Why would he carry such a thing?

Could it be that he anticipated betrayal from the start?

A chill ran down his spine.

Squirm!

"!!"

Instinctively, he lowered his head.

Something ominous writhing in the shadows.

Before Count Gilles de Rais could even react.

Thud!

A golem surged out from the shadows and struck Count Gilles de Rais on the jaw.

The golem squirmed like liquid.

Number 2.

It was a golem that hid in the shadows, solely protecting its master.

"Ugh..."

Thud!

Count Gilles de Rais rolled his eyes back and collapsed backward.

"......"

Lapis looked down at him.

Of course, Lapis was not affected by the paralysis curse.

Her body was bound by a greater curse called Fate.

Such a trivial curse could not affect her.

However...

'He's not... too angry, is he?'

Even Lapis, born under the Fate of the Sin of Wrath, was someone who could control her anger.

She was only concerned about Evan's wrath.

While Lapis was observing Evan's reaction.

'Phew. I survived!'

A timid man, safety-first advocate, coward.

Evan was merely relieved inside.

'I almost had a heart attack from the shock!'

***

It's fortunate that I prepared in advance.

Otherwise, I would've been in trouble here.

'Good thing I knew ahead of time.'

In the original story, Count Gilles de Rais only targeted women's bodies.

Was it because he needed them as materials?

He said men weren't particularly necessary.

But the reason he targeted me.

Perhaps it was because he needed something for the 'Homunculus' he was trying to create?

'Could the reason he didn't quell the rumors also be because of this?'

What exactly is needed to create a homunculus?

Could it be.

'An incredibly handsome appearance?'

Was appearance the standard?

Evan seriously pondered this, then belatedly realized this wasn't the time for such thoughts.

It was so easy that he almost forgot.

"Lapis. Dolph. Are you alright?"

"Ack, cough. Yes! I'm fine!"

"I'm fine too, Evan. That..."

Lapis glanced nervously and asked.

"You're not angry, are you?"

'Me?'

Why would I be angry?

It was annoying.

However, being subdued so pitifully like this... it's true that it didn't evoke much emotion.

"I'm not angry."

"Is... that so? I should've resolved it earlier, I'm sorry..."

What's scarier is Lapis.

'Could Lapis be angry?'

Lapis is the Sin of Wrath.

If she awakened in wrath even now.

This territory would be annihilated.

"You've done enough by informing me in advance."

He carefully patted Lapis's head.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt, Lapis. You did well."

"Hehe."

Did she feel something from his touch?

She finally looked relieved and smiled brightly.

"Then what should we do now? Should we kill him?"

"......Don't say such ruthless things, Lapis. It sounds cruel."

Let's not say such chilling things.

"What do we do now?"

"Hmm."

What should we do?

Should we wait until he wakes up?

'Nah, why bother?'

Evan might be a timid man, but he wasn't a pushover.

Being stabbed in the back like this?

He should at least get something out of it.

"Let's take everything separately. We need compensation for the damage."

"Shall I go?"

"It's dangerous, so stay here."

Tap, tap.

Evan tapped the floor with his staff.

The staff in his hand broke apart into several small golems.

Wiggle, wiggle.

The small golems gathered and looked up at him.

Evan pointed to the room.

"Take everything."

Nod!

The golems swarmed into the room.

Lapis showed interest in the new form of golems she had never seen before.

"What are those...?"

"They are small golems. I split them up to move items."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. Of course."

The golems he used to handle Count Gilles de Rais were only two.

This wasn't even close to his full power.

Tap, tap!

Clack, clack!

The small golems began sorting useful items and stacking them neatly.

As he turned his head, his eyes met the wife's.

"Ah, right."

"Eek!"

She was clearly terrified.

Hmm, did I scare her too much?

Evan looked at the wife for a moment.

As if to convey to her to forget everything and live quietly, he placed his finger on his lips.

Meanwhile, the small golems dragged Count Gilles de Rais away and disappeared.

It was because moving the items was bothersome.

It felt like witnessing the aftermath of a murder scene firsthand—a shocking sight.

Nod, nod, nod!

The wife repeatedly nodded her head with a terrified expression.

...Why is she so scared?

Evan, though puzzled, began to gather everything he needed.