I'm being Mistaken for The Mastermind

Chapter 7

'......Who is it?'

As the cocoon opened, a face was revealed.

It was a face he had never seen before.

'Doesn't seem to be someone from the Assassin side.'

He cautiously reached out and checked the scalp.

If it were the Black Dawn, there would naturally be a tattoo engraved on the scalp.

There was no trace of such a mark.

Instead, it was just a bit bare.

'Phew.'

Evan let out a big sigh of relief inwardly.

'Not an assassin. Not an important figure either.'

Evan might be an experienced player, but he hadn't memorized all the characters.

He only remembered the important ones.

Fortunately, this man didn't seem to be an assassin or an important figure.

'Well, that's why Lapis was able to catch him.'

Lapis was now 10 years old.

Even if she would become a future sinner, for now, she was still a child.

The probability of him being an important figure dropped significantly!

'Still, just in case.......'

He had to remain cautious.

It wasn't because he was scared at all.

"Number 5, hold him firmly. Be careful not to crush his bones."

Nod!

Number 5, the golem with a hulking, Hulk-like physique.

Held the man tightly with its thick arms.

"Number 4, bring the potion from shelf 29."

Number 4, the golem with long arms.

Handed the potion to Evan.

[Potion of Mountain Empty Poison.]

Mountain Empty Poison.

A poison that has the effect of evaporating magical power.

A potion refined from that poison.

Even if used, it wouldn't endanger one's life.

The duration of the effect wasn't very long either.

Instead, its effect had been amplified several times.

It was also made so that no poison remained in the body.

'Good thing I prepared it in advance.'

It had been really difficult to make.

Did it take about three months?

He had succeeded solely with intuition and knowledge, without anyone's help.

'I really don't have any talent.'

If he were a genius?

At most, it would have taken less than a month.

Lacking?

That didn't matter.

A person with the talent to make up for deficiencies.

That was what a genius was.

Wasn't the character of the actual player like that?

'It would be nice to have a teacher.'

Evan was a makeshift alchemist.

He didn't belong to any formal school or have any formal knowledge.

The result? It was good, sure.

The problem was the process.

If a mistake or error occurred by accident?

He wouldn't be able to fix it.

Knowledge and essence.

He needed a teacher to pass these down.

'First, I'll finish this and then look for one.'

If I offer a lot of money, maybe I can get at least one.

Evan put an end to his idle thoughts.

He handed the potion of Mountain Empty Poison to Golem Number 3.

"Number 3, inject this potion."

Nod.

Number 3 received the potion.

Something like a straw popped out, sucking up the potion and filling a syringe with it.

Tap tap!

As if saying, 'Here comes a little prick~,' it tapped the man's arm.

Poke! The syringe was stuck into the man's forearm.

"......!!!"

The man writhed as if he was about to wake up.

Evan stepped back slightly.

The living golem firmly protected Evan.

......Flop.

The man, who had been writhing for a moment, went limp.

Whew. He let out a sigh of relief.

Lapis, who had been secretly pulling out threads, stealthily hid her arm.

"Number 4, inject the recovery potion."

Number 4 handed over an advanced recovery potion.

Number 3 received it with a nod.

Just like before, it filled the syringe with the potion and poked it into the forearm.

Gulp gulp.

"Ugh......"

The pale complexion started to return.

The arm, however, did not heal.

To regenerate a lost body part, at least a top-tier potion was required.

In other words, unless it was a concentration equivalent to a diluted elixir, the wound couldn't be completely healed.

The advanced recovery potion used just now was far from sufficient.

'Should I attach a prosthetic arm?'

Golems could be used in various ways.

It was even possible to turn them into arms or legs.

If this guy demanded compensation for the damage?

'Well, that's fine.......'

If he's not an enemy, it's worth giving.

If he becomes an enemy.......

'Then, there's really no choice.'

He would have to use force to survive.

Feeling unnecessarily tense, he gulped down his dry saliva.

After the potion was fully injected,

About three minutes passed.

'When he wakes up, I'll just pretend to be unrelated.'

Treat him politely.

Isn't that the courtesy between people?

'Please, don't notice.'

"Ugh, ugh......."

The man regained consciousness and opened his eyes.

His blurry eyes met Evan's.

***

'......Where is this?'

Blurry focus.

Hazy vision.

Shadow regained consciousness.

Realizing he was alive, he let out a sigh of relief.

'......I was lucky.'

To think he survived that hell.

The threads pouring down like a natural disaster.

He had desperately clung to survival.

Staying alive was a miracle.

Even though he had lost an arm.......

'This is enough.'

He survived.

That was all that mattered.

As for the arm, he could reattach or regenerate it later.

'......More importantly, where is this?'

Shadow extended his senses as much as possible.

His vision hadn't returned yet.

Instead, his other senses were sharper.

But perhaps because his mana was depleted.

'I can't sense anything.'

Clench-

He slightly twisted his body.

It didn't budge.

'......Something is tightly restraining me.'

At the very least, this fact was clear.

He had been captured and brought somewhere.

Thud!

'......!'

At that moment, something pierced his arm.

A liquid flowed into his body through the pierced area.

Could it be a truth serum?

His body instinctively tensed up.

He clenched his mouth shut.

In case of emergency, he prepared to bite his tongue.

Even if he couldn't die, he could at least prevent himself from speaking.

'......Am I recovering?'

At that moment, the pain began to subside.

He could feel the wounds on his body healing.

A recovery potion?

At least a high-grade one.

There was no trace of poison or impurities.

Shadow was immune to all poisons.

He could even discern the potion that entered his body.

'Why would they give me something this expensive?'

If it were poisoned, it would make sense.

But just to 'heal' him?

'Who on earth is it?'

Shadow forcibly opened his eyes.

Though he was far from fully recovered, he had no choice.

At the very least, he needed to confirm whether they were an enemy or ally.

Swoosh......

A silhouette came into view through his blurry focus.

After blinking a few times, his vision gradually cleared.

"......!"

Shadow swallowed his shock.

A thin, emaciated body.

A golem clad on his body like armor.

Hair grown out in a tangled mess.

Yet, a radiant appearance that was not concealed at all.

'Evan Alcart......?!'

The person Arthur Modritter had ordered him to protect.

That very person stood before Shadow.

'So, it was Evan Alcart who captured me?'

Shadow's expression hardened.

The possibility of being discovered by chance? None.

Evan Alcart rarely left his residence.

The location where Shadow was defeated was deep in the forest.

A place so remote that without prior marking, it would be difficult to find again.

And yet, he was discovered and brought here by chance?

That made no sense.

'If Evan Alcart is the culprit...... everything makes sense.'

Not long ago, rumors began circulating in the territory.

Rumors that Evan Alcart was creating chimeras.

If that were true?

It wouldn't be surprising that he found Shadow,

Or even subdued him.

Chimeras, creatures born solely for combat.

Combining the strengths of various life forms, they were naturally powerful.

The difficulty of creating them being the highest didn't matter.

Evan Alcart.

He was an alchemist who could even create a potion to repair the Aura Hall.

'It's my fault. How could I fail to grasp this fact.......'

Shadow bit his lip lightly.

Why didn't Evan go out often?

It must have been to secretly complete his chimeras.

Simultaneously, cutting off any information.

Swoosh-

Evan approached Shadow.

Was this how he would die?

Even if he lived, he would likely become an experimental subject.

Turned into a chimera, treated like a puppet.

'Oh, God. Please forgive my incompetence.'

Clench! Shadow closed his eyes tightly.

"Are you alright?"

"......?"

Evan did not pull out Shadow's heart or anything of the sort.

In a dry tone, he continued speaking while observing Shadow.

"It seems you are in a lot of pain. Please endure it for a little while longer."

"......?"

"I picked you up in the forest while you were in a cocooned state and treated you urgently, but since it was first aid, the pain must still linger."

Not... going to kill me?

"I considered taking you to the temple, but there was no way to verify your identity. So, I brought you to my room instead. Please try not to be too nervous."

"......."

"Do you have any means to prove your identity? Once it is confirmed, I will have you transferred to the temple."

Evan did not kill him or turn him into an experimental subject.

On the contrary, he was showing kindness.

A faint respect seeped into his tone.

Shadow was thrown into confusion.

'......Pretending not to be the culprit? Why?'

When it's already clear as day?

Shadow's mind raced quickly.

There is a prejudice that assassins are uneducated.

That is literally just prejudice.

Assassins also needed to be quite intelligent.

Selecting good positions, identifying the enemy's weaknesses, gathering information, and so on.

There were countless tasks requiring the use of one's mind.

Shadow was the disciple of the Dark King.

As an assassin, he was both well-trained and highly skilled.

Discovering the enemy's purpose was one of his specialties.

'He's deliberately pretending not to be the culprit. Does this mean he doesn't want this matter to be revealed?'

Or, is it to test me?

Even at this moment, a test?

Goosebumps rose on his arms.

Terrifying.

How much does Evan see?

How far ahead is he predicting?

Surely, Evan must know that Shadow's master is Arthur.

It was a rather well-known fact.

That the Dark King's disciple had repented and become Arthur's servant.

Someone of Evan's caliber wouldn't be unaware of it.

In other words.

'......Is this a warning?'

I'll let it slide for now.

But if you try something foolish again, I won't let it pass—something like that.......

His mouth went dry.

'......I almost crossed a major line.'

What would have happened if I had?

Who knows.

He couldn't be certain.

The only information he knew now was that Evan could create golems and potions.

There was no way that was all.

He must have hidden powers.

'......I have to find out.'

At the very least, I need to figure out his purpose.

Even if it means risking my life.

All for Arthur.

"......I'm sorry. I lost my belongings when I was attacked by beasts."

"......I see."

"This much kindness is more than enough. First...... could you untie this? I'd like to repay the favor."

Shadow looked down at the thread. The thread binding his arms.

It was so thick that he wondered if it would break even if struck with a blade.

Evan didn't answer immediately.

He stared with emotionless eyes.

While cold sweat dripped from Shadow's forehead,

Evan nodded.

"......Repayment is unnecessary. I didn't do this expecting anything in return. I'll move you outside in that state. I'm a coward, you see."

'Cautious.'

A coward?

Even a passing dog would laugh at that.

'No sense of humor, huh.'

He gained one piece of information.

Shadow stored the information in his mind.

In the meantime, Evan gave an order to the golem.

"Number Four. Move him outside the window."

Swoosh-

Shadow's body was lifted into the air.

A golem with long arms picked him up just like that.

Despite its frail appearance, its strength was considerable.

'Is he telling me to get lost like this?'

Before being thrown out of the window, Shadow urgently asked Evan.

"Why did you...... save me?"

"......?"

Evan sent him a look as if asking what he meant.

"Why did you use an expensive recovery potion to heal someone like me, who has neither possessions nor money? Please tell me. My mother always said that one must repay kindness."

He even brought up his parents while giving a reason.

It shouldn't look awkward.

If it did, there was nothing he could do—

"Hmm."

Evan didn't answer immediately.

As if trying to figure out Shadow's intentions, he stared intently.

With dry eyes.

No emotions could be read.

As if something was covering them.

Evan finally spoke.

"I don't like making 'enemies.' Ignoring someone who's injured and earning their hatred seems pointless. So I thought it'd be better to treat you."

Shadow almost let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.

The reason for treating him was absurd.

Because he doesn't like making enemies?

Then cutting off his arm was a warning,

And the treatment meant don't be hostile towards us?

'A lunatic.'

Still, not an enemy.

That was enough.

"Is this answer sufficient?"

"......Yes. It's enough."

Shadow nodded.

The information was obtained almost too easily.

It must have been Evan's intention.

'I should inform Arthur.'

That Evan already knows everything.

And that we must never become hostile towards him.

"I will... take my leave now. Later, I will come to repay the favor."

"Yes."

Evan smiled.

It was a stiff and awkward smile.

"Take care."

Swoosh-

Number 4 lowered Shadow out the window.

Rip! Shadow, with his healed body, tore through the thread and disappeared into the shadows.

As the enemy disappeared, the living golem unraveled with a rustle.

Evan clutched his chest.

'Hah, hah!'

Damn it. My heart.

'What kind of person's gaze is that terrifying?!'

I thought they might even be an assassin.

But their lack of strength and ignorance of Mountain Empty Poison suggested otherwise.

They were just a bit scary, that's all.

'Still, this should have resolved things well enough, right?'

......Just in case, we should strengthen the security further.

Even so, he felt proud.

Another crisis safely averted today!

This is how I take another step closer to being a real man.

Evan smiled contentedly to himself.

Knock, knock.

Dolph knocked on the door.

"Young Master. It's over."

"Come in."

"Sniff. I'm back......."

"Come here, Lapis."

At least there shouldn't be any grudges or misunderstandings.

Evan felt relieved as he patted Lapis on the back, who had thrown herself into his arms.

***

"Evan!"

"Yes, Lapis. What's the matter?"

"A letter has arrived."

"What?"

The next day.

A single letter arrived.

...Pierced by a dagger.