MTLNOVEL Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Running away from home.
A dangerous act of leaving a safe home.
As someone who has survived for a year in this world, it's a choice I can't possibly understand.
'Especially in a world without police or CCTV, why would anyone go out of their mind and leave?'
Did he seriously hit his head hard?
"Was there no other reason besides repentance?"
"He disappeared, leaving only a letter on his desk that said, 'I will return after repenting'......."
"Hmm."
Evan scratched his chin.
'Why did he really leave?'
That's not just reckless; it's downright stupid.
And the reason is repentance?
Theodore, the atheist?
This is suspicious.
The Alcart Ducal Family is famously non-religious.
-Believing in gods is something only the weak do.
The true mastermind and real power that even ruled the underworld.
A non-believer who values only his own power and wealth.
Isn't that exactly what the Alcart Duke is?
'Their children had similar personalities too.'
Of course, the reason seems suspicious.
Could it be that someone with a grudge against the Alcart Ducal Family or a cultist kidnapped him?
'Nah, no way. Who would be crazy enough to kidnap him?'
To breach the Duke's family's security, you'd need to be at an extraordinary level.
A 6th-tier mage or an advanced expert knight.
At the very least, that's the level required.
There's no way someone of that caliber would be in this remote area.
Even if they were, success itself would be uncertain.
"Are there any traces of the culprit?"
"We haven't found anything yet......."
But they still haven't found the culprit.
A perfect crime.
To succeed this perfectly, it would have to be someone like Arthur Modritter.
'But there's no way Arthur is the culprit.'
He's a lunatic, but he's not the type to kidnap someone.
What the hell is going on?
Evan was confused!
'Screw it, I don't know.'
He shook his head to dispel his confusion.
His vision spun.
Drip!
"Oh, oh no."
"Y-Young Master! Quickly, your nose!"
Blood dripped from his nose.
Evan, leaning forward, grumbled.
'This trashy body. I need to fix it quickly.'
That's why I'm trying to recruit helpers.......
I need to focus on this matter for now.
What Evan needs to do now is simple.
Make potions and write letters.
However.
'From the next helper onward, sending letters will be difficult.'
There are roughly four helpers left.
As I narrowed it down based on personality and skill, the candidates decreased.
The Wandering Beggar King of Darkness.
The Shaman of Starry Sky.
The Witch of the Swamp.
The Grand Duke of the North.
All of them are people who are hard to meet right now.
'The Wandering Beggar King of Darkness and the Shaman of Starry Sky appear in random locations.'
The Grand Duke of the North and the Witch of the Swamp have fixed locations.
Instead, the difficulty skyrocketed exponentially.
'At this point, the North is off-limits. The swamp requires passing trials...... This is tough.'
To meet them right now, wouldn't I need the skills of Adrianna or Arthur?
Both of them are among the strongest even at this point.
Or maybe other helpers.
'But I can't just boss them around as I please.......'
Let's not forget.
I'm the subordinate.
Acting presumptuously might get me killed.
It was frustrating, but there was no other way.
This world inherently favors the strong.
'Still, it's regretful.'
Isn't there someone who is strong but has low recognition and self-esteem, making them easy to manipulate?
At that moment, some figures flashed through his mind.
'......There is someone.'
The Sins.
Villains who become the enemies of the player and the continent in the later stages.
Representing each sin, these monsters, capable of wiping out entire nations, could probably do anything.
In terms of talent alone, the Sins surpassed the helpers.
'For instance, the Sin of Wrath single-handedly wiped out an entire kingdom.'
A mountain of blood created by grinding an entire kingdom.
Even though it was a scene I saw through a monitor, it's still vivid.
That's how insane the power and personalities of the Sins were.
But it was just a passing thought.
I had no intention of doing anything about it.
'Am I crazy to try to recruit them?'
It's not about whether people are inherently good or evil.
What matters is that they'll become monsters who kill countless lives later.
You can't tame bears or tigers.
When they get hungry, they'll eat their owners too.
'I should never touch anything dangerous.'
Thud! Thud!
It was then.
Someone knocked on the door.
"!"
Dolph jumped to his feet.
Evan stared at the door with an expressionless face.
'Oh damn! My heart.'
Clutching his trembling heart inwardly.
"Wh-who is it?"
"Excuse me. Is Young Master Evan inside?"
"What? Yes! He is inside!"
"Could you open the door for a moment?"
A polite tone and voice.
A rare polite attitude in this mansion.
Evan and Dolph looked at each other with puzzled faces.
Was there someone in this mansion who treated Evan like that...?
"Wh-what is this about?"
"It's a light investigation. It's just that..."
The voice beyond the door hesitated for a moment.
"There was a witness statement claiming that Young Master Evan is the culprit."
...Me?
***
Theodore was missing.
It was the disappearance of the beloved youngest.
Naturally, the mansion was turned upside down.
However, this was an opportunity for someone else.
The eldest son poured out accusations, seizing the moment of his competitor's disappearance.
-Immaturity at a young age is fine, but he is not suitable as a successor.
-But as a compassionate brother, I will search for my younger sibling.
Thanks to that, Commander of the Holy Knights, Ferok, who was out on a business trip cum vacation, was struck by lightning on a clear day.
Ferok hurriedly returned.
"...Who did you say was the culprit?"
Ferok doubted his ears.
What? Who's the culprit?
"There have been continuous witness statements suggesting that Young Master Evan is the culprit."
...Young Master Evan?
"He wouldn't do such a thing."
"I'm surprised too. Surely, he's not capable of that."
The knight reporting scratched his head.
However, there was a slight difference in their astonishment.
If the knight thought, 'That guy?'
Ferok thought, 'That person?'
"I thought the maids were mistaken... but even the newly hired knights saw it this time."
"Hmm."
Ferok stroked his rough chin.
He knew that Theodore often bullied Evan.
Probably yesterday was no different.
Did he cross the line?
Even if that were the case, would that Evan really have committed a kidnapping?
'That's strange.'
'That Evan' couldn't possibly have such little patience.
"Are you going to check it out yourself?"
Ferok, who was pondering over the knight's words, slowly stood up.
Creak!
The chair let out a short scream.
"...I suppose I should. I have a duty to first identify the culprit."
"Then I will go."
"No. I will go."
"Are you saying the Commander of the Holy Knights will go personally?"
The knight expressed doubt.
Evan Alcart was a rare alchemist even on the continent, but that was all.
A frail body, weak mind, and a notorious troublemaker.
Though he had been quiet for the past year, how long could that last?
The general opinion was that he would revert to being a troublemaker after coming of age.
A parasite who wasted the family's money on strange herbs.
For Ferok, a knight of commoner origin who had risen to a baron's title through outstanding ability, Evan was not someone to deal with directly.
"The reason I'm stepping forward?"
Ferok sneered.
"It's because of your attitude."
"...I apologize."
"I'm not saying this to make you apologize. I'm saying this so you understand from now on. Even I sometimes fear him."
"...Fear? Him? Are you referring to Young Master Evan?"
"Yes."
"Haha! I didn't know the Commander of the Holy Knights could joke like that!"
The knight burst into laughter.
The laughter quickly ceased.
It was because Ferok's expression was serious.
"You don't know. How terrifying Young Master Evan is."
Ferok's rank was Advanced Sword Expert.
A knight qualified to reach the rank of Sword Master.
His eyes could see many things.
Enough to roughly guess the Duke's intentions.
However.
'I can't read anything from Young Master Evan.'
Nothingness.
What a terrifying word.
Humans feel fear from the unknown.
That was the same when facing someone whose intentions couldn't be read at all.
Evan was always expressionless.
Some said it was because he was scared, but Ferok was certain that wasn't the case.
From his eyes to the corners of his mouth.
Everything was motionless like a piece of wood.
Yet, when he made other expressions, weren't they natural?
It meant he was delicately and completely controlling every muscle of his body.
Unless he had turned into stone.
'Perfect control of his facial expressions. Something only someone like the Duke could do...'
Most decisively, the rumors about Evan.
To be precise,
The rumors that spread in the 'underworld' where the Duke mainly exerted his influence.
'...Even if half, no, just a part of those rumors are true, he can't simply be called a troublemaker.'
Evan had only been learning alchemy for three years.
Within that time, rumors of that level had spread in the underworld...
It was only natural for Ferok to feel fear.
'For someone with such thorough self-control to suddenly kidnap Young Master Theodore?'
The misunderstanding needed to be cleared.
If even for a moment he was offended.
This entire mansion could be overturned by Evan's will.
The golems would massacre everyone,
or everyone would be poisoned by an unknown disease,
and all sorts of misfortunes would undoubtedly follow.
Deaths where the perpetrator could never be found.
An
Evan, one of the few legitimate alchemists on the continent, was capable of countless deeds.
"No more reports. Block any mention of Young Master Evan. Both outside and inside the mansion."
"......Understood."
Ferok, who blocked any mention of Evan to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, moved with heavy steps.
"Phew."
Knock, knock.
Standing before the door, Ferok knocked.
He intended to speak to Evan with the utmost respect.
Fortunately, it worked well.
Now, the only thing left was—
"A light investigation. It's nothing else but......."
to ask Evan's opinion.
After briefly gathering his words, Ferok asked.
"There was a witness account claiming that Young Master Evan is the culprit."
-.......
A moment of silence.
Ferok swallowed dryly.
He had no idea how Evan would react.
If Evan were to get angry?
Ferok would have to prepare to risk his neck.
-Open the door.
-Y-Yes!
Creak!
The door opened.
As it opened, a strong scent of herbs and an unknown smell of potions wafted out.
Evan sat before his desk, as always, with an expressionless face.
"......You're saying I'm the culprit?"
"It's not a certainty, but witness accounts are surfacing."
......It doesn't seem like he's angry.
If he were angry, his formal speech would have broken.
In fact, since Evan began using formal speech, he had never once reverted to informal speech.
It could only be speculated that it was a 'restriction' Evan imposed on himself.
Ferok didn't even want to imagine the aftermath if that restriction were to break.
"......Are those witness accounts credible?"
"They are not certain."
"I see...... Ahem. I see."
'He's holding back his anger.'
"For now, I am not the culprit. All my golems were in my room."
"Understood."
"Commander of the Holy Knights. Further investigation......."
"Silence."
Ferok silenced the knight.
There was no need to unnecessarily provoke Evan's mood.
If he said he wasn't the culprit, then he wasn't.
That's how the strong always were.
"......But this won't erase the suspicion, will it?"
"Excuse me? No, that's not......."
"I'll send a few of my golems. Use them to find the culprit."
Creak—
A few golems walked forward.
They resembled dogs in form.
It wasn't an insult; they genuinely did.
However, they were a bit unusual.
'......Six legs?'
They had six legs and slightly elongated necks.
They were closer to monsters than dogs in form.
Why do they look like that?
Swallowing the words that almost slipped out, Ferok quickly bowed his head.
It was fortunate his expression was hidden.
"......Thank you for your consideration."
"Not at all. Both of you are working hard."
After showing proper respect as knights, Ferok and the knight withdrew.
Once the two left the room, Evan let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
'Haaaa.......'
Fortunately, they didn't ask why the golems were in the room.
Otherwise, he might have answered, 'Because I was scared.'
'More importantly, me, the culprit?'
......Me?
Why on earth?
'I'm just an ordinary transmigrator and a common citizen, aren't I?'
Why did such a rumor spread?
'Ah, PTSD.'
As old memories suddenly surfaced, Evan rubbed the back of his neck.
Dolph asked in a worried voice.
"Young Master...... Do you think the misunderstanding will be resolved?"
"Let's hope so. I sent the cutest ones, after all."
"?"
Dolph looked at Evan with a puzzled expression.
Evan returned the look with the same puzzled expression.
For a moment, their gazes exchanged.
Dolph hurriedly spoke.
"......Those golems, they're really cute!"
"Thank you."
Golem Dog.
Originally, they were just golems resembling puppies.
Golems that Evan had arbitrarily modified.
It would have been nice to modify them even further.
The fact that his skill level was still low was regrettable.
"Please make yourself comfortable while waiting."
"Ah, no. I'll quickly bring today's lunch!"
"Yes."
Evan moved the golems.
'Just in case, I should make more recovery potions. If they suddenly lose their temper and come to kill me, I need to be prepared.......'
The night deepened.
***
That evening.
"Young Master Theodore has returned! He said the Golem Dog was very helpful!"
"That's a relief. ......But what is this?"
"Well......."
Theodore had returned,
"Mmph?"
and the Golem Dog had brought back something strange.
Evan was momentarily silent.
White hair and blood-red eyes.
As if playing cat's cradle, she was fiddling with thread in her hands,
while chewing on one of the Golem Dog's legs with her mouth—a girl.
'......No, this is insane.'
That appearance and speech.
He instinctively realized who it was.
[Sin of Wrath, Ira.]
A monster who ground an entire kingdom into a mountain of blood.
The golem, which had been sent to search for his missing half-sibling,
had brought back a Sin from the Future.
Ira's eyes sparkled as she looked at Evan.
"Wow, it smells delicious."
......Someone, save me.