I'm being Mistaken for The Mastermind

Chapter 5

Chimera Synthesis.

The act of combining different living beings to create a new life.

Surprisingly, it was not forbidden.

There were only two taboos in alchemy.

Turning stone into gold, and

resurrecting the dead.

Gold synthesis causes market imbalance,

and reviving the dead defies the providence of God.

Necromancer?

It was fundamentally different from them.

Necromancers merely reanimate corpses and control souls.

'Resurrecting the dead' was resurrection itself.

It recreated a body that had lost its life and summoned back the soul, a 'divine miracle' itself.

Naturally, Evan didn't even consider attempting the taboo.

'What kind of price would I have to pay?'

Alchemy is not omnipotent.

Equivalent exchange.

Just as you pay a fair price when buying goods,

you must pay an appropriate price when synthesizing something.

Then what is the price for creating life?

What is the cost of summoning a dead soul, recreating a lost body exactly as it was in life, and curing all diseases and injuries?

'Ugh, I don't even want to imagine.'

Evan knew how horrific the consequences of breaking a taboo could be.

Let alone taboos, he didn't even dare to attempt anything similar.

Why?

Because it would bring chaos to lives, no, to the world.

It wasn't because alchemy was dangerous or because he valued his life.

Absolutely not.

'I must absolutely protect my life.'

Then why do these strange misunderstandings keep piling up?

In the dimly lit office.

Evan, resting his chin on his interlocked hands, pondered seriously.

He had clearly lived quietly.

During the recent Theodore runaway incident, he was even accused as the culprit but still helped.

Other than that?

Nothing.

That meant he had lived that quietly.

Now was the time for good news to spread, but why on earth......?

"What on earth is the problem?"

"Hmm......."

Tap tap! Dolph, who was shaking out a pristine white bedsheet, tilted his head.

"I don't know either. Where could you find someone as diligent and quiet as you, Young Master......."

"Exactly."

"Mmmph. Mmph?"

"Finish eating before you speak."

Lapis, who was chewing on raw cucumber, raised her hand high!

"Could it be because of me?"

It was the third day since Lapis had stayed at the mansion.

In that time, Lapis had completely adapted.

It was an adaptability worthy of the Sins of the Future.

Evan asked Lapis.

"Did you perhaps go around hitting people or eating living humans?"

"No."

"Then did you ask someone to play cat's cradle with you?"

Lapis mainly handled threads of magic, magical threads created through mana.

It was both her specialty and her hobby.

A very wholesome and healthy hobby.

At least she didn't tear people apart into tiny pieces.

"No. I didn't. I only helped the ladies with their work......."

Ladies?

Ah, she must mean the maids.

......Could it be that strange rumors are spreading because of her way of speaking?

"Hmm. Understood. For now, it's better not to use the term 'ladies.'"

"Got it."

"Did you perhaps catch monsters while helping the maids?"

"Do those appear in the mansion? That shouldn't happen. They taste bad."

"?"

Taste isn't the issue here.

A rebuttal rose to the tip of his tongue.

He swallowed it with effort.

Phew, survived.

"Of course not. I was just curious."

"Got it. But...... if I mess up, will I not be able to eat this?"

Lapis pointed at her plate.

A plate once full of vegetables and fruits.

Now, it was almost empty, with only a few pieces left.

"No, of course not. That's separate, and meals are meals."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Lapis's face brightened.

Evan handed over a bell pepper he had discreetly set aside.

It wasn't because he didn't want to eat it.

"Eat it."

"Wow!"

Lapis devoured the bell pepper.

Over the three days, Lapis had become almost a vegan.

No matter what she ate, it was vegetables, and more vegetables.

She rejected meat to the point of refusal.

'She should eat it for her health, but for now, let's leave her be.'

For now, the present was what mattered.

She had changed her eating habits and developed a wholesome hobby.

Couldn't this be considered the foundation of rehabilitation?

Evan smiled in satisfaction.

'First, I need to clear up the misunderstanding.'

Such a young child being called a chimera.

How could such a terrible rumor exist.......

"Ta-da. I can make stars now."

"Amazing. Well done."

Evan patted Lapis on the head.

Meanwhile, Dolph, who had briefly left the room, hurriedly returned.

"Young Master! The reply has finally arrived!"

"......A reply?"

Dolph handed the pure white letter paper to Evan.

A familiar seal came into view.

Huh? This is.......

"The Saintess?"

"Yes!"

Dolph couldn't hide his excitement as he spoke.

"A reply has come back......! Does this mean we can now cure the Young Master's illness?!"

"......Really?"

Even Lapis looked up at the letter with eyes full of anticipation.

She had spent three days with Evan.

Naturally, she quickly noticed that his health wasn't good.

'I was worried she might underestimate me and attack, but fortunately, she didn't.'

Instead, she treated me well.

It was like watching an animal trying to earn its keep.

"Hurry and open it."

"Young Master! Quickly!"

"Understood."

What if the contents of this letter weren't what they seemed?

For some reason, a chill ran down his spine.

He carefully opened the letter, brushing his arm as he did.

-To Evan Alcart.

-I received your letter. Every day, I find myself unable to sleep at night.

-Why did you send us a letter first, and why did you give such a precious gift?

-But after reading your other letter, I realized. It's not yet time.

-I will wait for the answer to come.

-The Saintess of the Sun, Adrianna Saintga.

-P.S. Did you receive the 'gift' we sent?

"......?"

The emotion that arose upon reading the letter.

It was none other than 'confusion.'

'What is this supposed to mean?'

He had expected something like 'Thank you,' 'I'll make sure to repay you,' 'Do you like blessings,' or 'Will you join our church'......

What is this? These cryptic responses?

'Was the reply sent to the wrong person? No, that can't be it.'

The seal that only the Saintess could use was stamped on it.

It was absolutely not a forgery.

'Hmm, so...... she doesn't understand why I gave her the gift?'

Well, it's understandable to be curious.

Evan and the Saintess had never met.

It was entirely one-sided; Evan had only heard of the Saintess's reputation.

But suddenly sending potions and a letter?

Even if Evan were the Saintess, he would have been a bit hesitant.

'So, is that why she's losing sleep over it?'

She's more sensitive than I thought.

It didn't seem like she disliked the gift.

A precious gift.

In other words, she must have seen its effects.

'But it's not yet time? What does that mean?'

Isn't this the content of the letter sent to Arthur?

Technically, it was a phrase written outside the letter paper.

'I didn't realize it even when I saw it in the main story? Hmm, it seems some kind of oracle has descended?'

Evan decided to let it go.

The Saintess was a character where sanctity and mystery coexisted.

Having something strange like this wasn't unusual.

'Even though it's tied to the DLC, it's just a side story.'

In the main story, it was clearly mentioned that the Saintess Adrianna and the Holy Knight Arthur Modritter didn't have much interaction.

Would the developers go crazy and change all the settings they mentioned in the main story?

'A gift? It seems it hasn't arrived yet.'

What kind of gift could it be?

Small, but he was looking forward to it.

It wasn't from just anyone—it was from the Saintess.

Perhaps because it was five years ago, her letter-writing skills didn't seem very refined.

Hmm!

After a moment of thought, Evan nodded.

'Maybe I'm overthinking this.'

What mattered was that the Saintess didn't seem to think badly of Evan.

'I should send a reply.'

What's important in a letter isn't the content but the sentiment.

'It shouldn't be a problem to suggest getting closer, right?'

For now, let's send a reply immediately.

Evan pulled out a new piece of letter paper and scribbled away.

Roughly something like, let's get along, we can be good friends, what do you usually enjoy doing......

Someone might mistake it for a love letter, but Evan was sincere in his own way.

'Who knows? The Saintess might even bless me enthusiastically.'

A precarious life where he didn't know when he might collapse.

Preparation was essential.

"This should do. Dolph. Please deliver this reply."

"Yes! I'll deliver it right away!"

"Lapis? Is there something outside the window?"

"Yes. ......Huh? No. It's just that there's a bug flying outside."

Lapis stared out the window.

Her blood-red eyes sparkled with an inscrutable light.

***

The nearby Black Forest.

Shadow watched Dolph, Evan's servant, as he went out to send the letter.

'The Saintess has finally sent a reply.'

Six days.

It wasn't a short amount of time.

If it weren't for the distance between the central region and the Alcart Ducal Family, it wouldn't have been strange to think the letter had been ignored.

The Saintess had agonized a lot before sending the reply.

How not to offend Evan.

How to gauge Evan's intentions.

'It seems to have worked well.'

Shadow rubbed his chin.

Everything was going smoothly.

The Saintess had started to take action, and Arthur's recovery was gradually showing progress.

'Last night, he finally succeeded in infusing aura into his sword.'

It had been several years since Arthur lost his aura.

From the day his only family, his younger sister, fell ill and was stripped of her title as the 'Saintess.'

He wielded the sword purely with strength.

Such a person had begun to infuse aura into his sword.

Just how strong would he become?

Anticipation began to build.

The growth of a master, always acknowledged and served, brought joy to his subordinates.

'Come to think of it, it's about time for Master to arrive.'

Shadow was an assassin.

He had a master who taught him the art of assassination.

The master was a beggar.

Literally.

A wandering beggar and assassin who never settled in one place.

Occasionally, the master would send updates to his disciple.

The methods were quite brutal.

Letters would arrive accompanied by a dagger.

Sometimes, the master's eerie laughter, "Heeheehee," would echo in his mind, sending chills down his spine.

'He said he'd visit once. It would be nice to meet him.'

For now, focus on the mission.

It was a letter to the Saintess.

He had to ensure it was well-guarded so no one could steal it.

"Hello."

It was at that moment.

A polite greeting came from behind.

Shadow nodded his head.

"Yes. Nice to meet......."

Wait a moment.

Hello?

Whip!

Shadow quickly retreated backward.

The spot where he had been standing.

A girl with white hair and red eyes was calmly standing there.

Her presence was almost inhuman.

Since when?

"Who are you?"

"I'm Lapis."

"Lapis? ......The kid rumored to be a chimera."

"That's too much. Considering who made me, I'm far too unstable."

......Unstable?

He realized from her tone.

This girl was no ordinary child.

"Who are you, really?"

"Still, it's not bad. It means I look natural enough to seem like his creation."

Lapis displayed a joyful expression.

It was awkward, as if she had never tried smiling before.

Still, one thing was certain.

Right now, Lapis was entirely loyal to 'Evan.'

"In a short time, I've learned a lot. From speech to delicious foods like vegetables and fruits, and basic knowledge......."

Swoosh-

Broken branches and leaves fell in a flurry.

"And finally, the 'peace' that has come to my heart."

Lapis.

No, Ira had always been angry.

She didn't know why.

She had been that way since birth.

Everyone who looked at her was angry, and she too was angry.

But Evan?

'He was different.'

He didn't get angry upon seeing Ira.

He always maintained basic etiquette, using honorifics.

As if he were someone from another world.

That couldn't be, so there was only one explanation.

'He must know my fate.'

Just how much did Evan know?

And how much could he fix?

No, it didn't matter if he didn't fix anything.

Evan.

As long as he alone understood Ira and cared for her, that was enough.

The Sins instinctively knew their fate.

They were destined to destroy the world, armed with the power symbolizing sins.

It was inevitable.

Into such inevitability, a foreign impurity had intruded.

It was so small and precious.

The thought of losing it didn't even cross their mind.

"I don't know if you're a bad person or not, but you're definitely watching over him."

Ssshhhhhh-

The forest began to glow faintly.

Magical threads, spread out like a spiderweb,

Began to shine as they reflected the moonlight.

[Magical Threads - Cat's Cradle]

A forest glowing in silver.

The bodies of the beasts roaming nearby were sliced into pieces by the threads, spraying fountains of blood.

"I won't kill you."

'......This is bad.'

Shadow urgently twisted his body.

At the same time,

The spiderweb surged like a wave.

***

The Saintess stared at the letter with a grim expression.

A small smear of blood on the edge of the letter.

Cold sweat trickled down her face.

"......Hah, haha. This is terrifying."

Forcing a smile, the Saintess opened the letter.

To be precise, the envelope beside it.

The enclosed envelope.

"......Is this a warning?"

Inside was Shadow's severed finger.