Chapter 12: Beggar (5)

Fortunately, it worked out well.

“Kekeke! Teach one thing, and she grasps ten! It’s a joy to teach!”

The Shadow King burst into hearty laughter.

His sleeve bore a small nick from a blade.

Two hours after beginning the training.

Astonishingly, she had succeeded in leaving a scratch on the Shadow King’s clothing.

Lapis, looking slightly exhausted, scampered over to Evan.

“Evan… I’m tired.”

“Well done, Lapis. Take a break.”

Evan handed her a piece of cabbage he had prepared in advance.

Lapis’ face melted into happiness.

Her vegetarian tendencies were on full display.

With her snow-white hair, she looked almost like a rabbit.

Well, except for the fact that if raised wrong, she could become a murderous rabbit that devours human flesh.

“Ahem.”

The Shadow King’s expression turned slightly awkward.

The more I see, the more fascinating it is that she loves vegetables. 

My techniques are specialized for self-defense…

“Among animals, aren’t herbivores often the strongest?”

Evan offered a casual excuse.

An elephant would be a prime example.

Thankfully, the Shadow King seemed convinced and didn’t press further.

To begin with, that’s not the only strange thing…

There were plenty of things to question.

The Shadow King’s techniques were the first issue.

He’s teaching surprisingly well, but…

Teaching assassination techniques… as if they were escort techniques? 

Isn’t that a bit odd?

He was even imparting his unique skills.

“Ugh… too easy.”

What, what did she say?

“These are too easy…”

The Shadow King looked as if he’d been wounded by Lapis’ candid opinion.

She’s just too talented.

It was mostly about “Shadow Treading.”

The Shadow King’s signature technique, allowing movement without a trace.

Even an upper-tier Sword Expert would struggle to master it, yet Lapis had learned it in just ten minutes.

The assassination techniques she learned afterward were no different.

“Mm! With this, I can make my thread-weaving even prettier! Thank you, Evan, for anticipating this…!”

What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t know…

In any case, after two hours of diligent training, Lapis had become an exceptional assassin.

At least at the level of an upper-tier Sword Expert.

Her footwork, “Shadow Treading,” had even evolved into “Shadow Leaping.”

From that moment, the Shadow King’s reaction shifted from shock to resignation—no, even joy.

A talent that surpassed the realm of mastery.

It was a rare sight for him.

“Kekeke. Where did you find such a child?”

The Shadow King burst into laughter again.

His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

The look of a professor who’d found a promising graduate student.

The same look that professor had when he saw my friend become a slave (graduate student) before I was possessed…

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

Evan was seriously contemplating this when—

“Young Master, may this old man speak his mind honestly?”

“Yes, of course.”

“This child is a genius. More so than any child this old man has ever seen.”

“!”

The one surprised was Theodor.

Theodor’s expression betrayed his disbelief that a mere slave could possess such talent.

His eyes met Evan’s. 

Evan subtly raised a finger to his lips.

Shh.

Please, just stay quiet!

Perhaps because Evan’s earnest gaze conveyed his sincerity, Theodor nodded.

He looks a bit scared, but it’ll be fine, right?

“Though this old man may seem insignificant, I’ve lived long and seen many people. But a genius like this child… I’ve never seen.”

The Shadow King’s eyes grew serious.

“But I’m also worried. Excessive talent can be a poison. And above all…”

“Above all?”

In a voice only Evan could hear, the Shadow King whispered.

“I smell blood in this child’s talent.”

Thump.

Evan’s heart sank with tension.

Tap, tap. His fingers drummed on the chair’s armrest.

A habit that surfaced when he was anxious.

Could he have figured out she’s the Sin of Wrath?

What should he do if that were the case?

Kill him?

The Shadow King?

Me?

Kill my main ally?

His mind grew chaotic with panic.

“My guess is… she’s like the Celestial Slayer.”

Oh.

Evan stopped tapping his fingers.

He didn’t figure it out.

If her identity as a Sin had been exposed?

Well.

He couldn’t quite predict how things would unfold.

The title of “Sin” was something that would only be named in the future.

For now, it was merely something mentioned in scriptures.

The Shadow King wouldn’t lose his mind over that.

But it was still dangerous.

This fact had to be hidden as much as possible.

Evan feigned composure as best he could.

Calmly, he spoke.

“…The Celestial Slayer. Are you referring to one of the stars above?”

“You know of it?”

“I got lucky. I read about it in a book in the library.”

Of course, he’d seen it in the game.

The information likely wasn’t too different.

The Celestial Realm.

Beyond the sky, a place where countless stars resided.

One of those stars was the “Celestial Slayer.”

A star that formed a contract with someone destined to bathe the continent in blood, granting them power.

“The Celestial Slayer has a contract with Lapis?”

“It’s not certain, but that’s my sense.”

The Shadow King spat with conviction, emphasizing his point.

“Let me confirm whether this child has truly formed a contract!”

“Wait—”

“Lapis.”

Before Theodor could intervene, Evan spoke first.

His impassive gaze turned toward Lapis.

“Are you okay with it? Having him check if you’ve made a contract with a star.”

Asking her directly like that?

A spark of interest flickered in the Shadow King’s eyes, while Theodor’s were filled with shock.

Why would he ask a slave that?!

Of course, Evan had his reasons.

She’s not just any slave…

She was nominally a slave.

For the sake of keeping her in the mansion.

A real slave? 

Hardly. 

One fight, one sulk, and their relationship could end like a friendship gone sour.

Ignoring her opinion and performing a ritual to check for a star contract?

That’d be a disaster.

A man values his friends.

It absolutely wasn’t out of fear.

“Okay!”

Lapis nodded.

“Of course. Um…”

“Is something wrong?”

“It won’t hurt, will it?”

“Kekeke. Would this old man ask for something like that? It won’t hurt at all.”

“Then, sure. If Evan wants it, I’ll do it.”

“If Lapis is fine with it, I’m fine with it.”

Evan didn’t refuse and gave his approval.

There was nothing to worry about.

After all, Lapis hasn’t made a contract with any star.

The Sin of Wrath, Ira.

Her innate destiny wasn’t tied to something as trivial as a star contract.

He didn’t know the details exactly.

Evan was a veteran player, not the game’s creator.

What he did know was that Ira’s destiny as a Sin was far more powerful than any star contract.

This is an opportunity.

A chance to make Lapis seem like an ordinary prodigy.

If he could deceive the Shadow King, he could deceive others too.

“Of course, this old man isn’t as skilled as the Oracle of the Starry Sky, but I can perform a small divination.”

The name of the Oracle came up naturally.

Are they acquainted?

Should I ask for an introduction?

Suppressing the impulse, Evan nodded.

“Please, go ahead.”

***

This is astonishing.

The Shadow King.

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

A contractor of the Celestial Slayer!

The ritual hadn’t even started yet.

But he was certain.

Lapis was a contractor of the Celestial Slayer.

Otherwise, such talent makes no sense.

Inhuman.

Lapis’ talent couldn’t be measured by human standards.

A talent that transcended even time.

A talent recorded not in history, but in legends—nay, in myths.

This is thrilling.

His fingers twitched with excitement.

One of the few things the Shadow King, who had forsaken much, still held dear was “history.”

I’ll write a new chapter in history!

What could be more splendid?

A contractor of a star like the Celestial Slayer appeared perhaps once every few hundred years, with scant records.

A hero or a butcher.

Either way was fine.

As long as they rewrote history.

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

The crow omen was wrong.

Bad luck, they said?

Nonsense!

What could be luckier than this?

With this, I’ll make my mark once again.

The Shadow King had already carved his name into history as a legendary assassin.

But he had yet to raise a disciple who could do the same.

That was one reason he trained apprentices.

The moment to fulfill that long-held dream had finally arrived.

Then, only one thing remained.

To complete the legend of the Shadow King by cementing his history.

To be honest, I’m tempted. 

If it weren’t for that guy, I’d have kidnapped her.

The Shadow King glanced at Evan with regret.

That frail young alchemist had already recognized her talent and taken her under his wing.

A slave!

Branded with a seal, unable to be kidnapped or betrayed.

Truly ruthless.

He’s even worse than me.

Even the Shadow King didn’t bind people with slave contracts.

Unaware that Evan and Lapis were only nominally master and slave, the Shadow King’s misunderstanding grew naturally.

Tap tap.

A small magic circle drawn on the floor.

Rising from the ancient runes, which resembled an alchemical array, the Shadow King dramatically spread his arms.

“Now! Let us see whether Lapis has a contract!”

“How does it work?”

“Kekeke. Simple. Just roll this iron bead.”

It was a kind of superstition.

Those contracted with a star had the power to endlessly draw upon the star’s energy, and within this “constellation” array, the iron bead would roll without stopping.

And it was true.

The only condition was that it required a high level of understanding, like the Shadow King’s.

“Here we go.”

The Shadow King began rolling the iron bead.

Clatter! Clatter!

The bead rolled endlessly.

Unimpeded, as if drawn by a magnet.

The Shadow King’s smile deepened.

As expected, she’s a contractor!

This ritual could only determine the presence of a contract.

If the bead stopped, they were ordinary.

If it kept rolling, they were a contractor.

And if it broke?

Well.

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

But that was unlikely to—

Crack! Boom!

The iron bead shattered.

The Shadow King’s smile vanished.

“…W-What… How…”

“Lapis, are you okay?”

“Y-Yes.”

Lapis nodded.

In her hand were fragments of the shattered bead.

Evan sighed in relief.

Phew, that could’ve been dangerous.

“Ugh.”

Theodor was the one who got hurt.

Honestly, Evan didn’t care much.

He’d recover quickly.

“Theodor, you okay?”

“I-I’m fine.”

Good to check, though.

Since he said he wasn’t hurt, that was a relief.

Just in case, Evan handed him a potion. 

Theodor’s expression grew complicated.

“Elder, are you alright?”

The Shadow King looked dazed.

When Evan asked with concern, he hurriedly nodded.

“Y-Yes! Of course.”

He seems pretty shocked.

Was it that surprising that she wasn’t a star contractor?

Puzzled, Evan subtly gestured to No. 4 Golem.

Now was the chance.

The moment to hand over a potion and build rapport.

“You seem tired. Have this potion.”

“A potion?”

“It’s good for the body. I tend to fidget a lot when I’m nervous, and drinking this helps.”

Theodor shot him a look that screamed, What nonsense is this?

Evan ignored him.

The potion’s effect might be a bit… excessive.

It didn’t just address physical issues—it could even deceive curses by numbing the nerves.

But that should be fine, right?

The effect was good, after all.

The Shadow King stared at the potion for a moment.

Finally, he accepted it.

“…I’ll drink it well.”

With a strange emotion in his eyes.

***

That evening.

“There’s nothing more for me to teach.”

Having drunk the potion and imparted many techniques, the Shadow King rose from his seat.

Crunch. 

Lapis, taking a big bite of an apple, nodded.

“Good job, crunch, you did, crunch, well.”

“…You can talk after you finish eating.”

“Teaching such a bright child was a great experience for me. I hope you’ll make good use of my techniques.”

“Mm. I like thread-weaving.”

The Shadow King, ever professional, ignored Lapis’ last remark.

“…I’ve received too much in return. The potion, for one.”

“It’s nothing…”

“This is my small token of repayment.”

Swish.

A letter appeared on Evan’s desk.

Evan’s face remained impassive, as if he’d expected it.

“Look at it after I’m gone.”

“I will.”

“May we meet again under better circumstances.”

With a whoosh, the Shadow King vanished.

Shadow Leaping.

In an instant, he slipped out of the mansion and appeared in a nearby forest.

“Master.”

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

“I’ve come to escort you.”

A red hood.

A black coat.

Symbols of the resistance.

And the Shadow King’s first disciple.

“Judas, is everything prepared?”

“Yes, as you commanded.”

The red eyes beneath the pressed hood spoke calmly.

“We’ve toppled the territory governed by the Emperor’s direct knights.”

“Well done.”

“Will this ducal family be next?”

The red eyes turned toward the ducal estate.

“No.”

The Shadow King shook his head.

Overthrow?

Ridiculous. 

Even he alone couldn’t do it.

Not even with all his disciples.

Not because of the Duke.

But because of that little girl he’d just met.

And the young alchemist who kept her as a slave.

“I met an interesting person. My perspective was too narrow.”

“How could you, Master, say such a thing…?”

“My dreams are still far off.”

A smile played on the Shadow King’s lips.

To be remembered in history.

What was one way to achieve that?

Power.

Unassailable, indomitable, overwhelming power—the kind that made one an emperor.

Dante Midas.

Crime: Attempted regicide.

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

Unsatisfied with the offerings poured upon him.

Now seeking the “power” to be remembered in history.

The Shadow King, Dante, removed his glove.

The hand beneath gleamed golden.

The Curse of the Golden Hand.

A curse that turned everything he touched to gold.

Thud.

He touched a nearby tree.

Astonishingly, the tree turned to gold.

But the farthest branches remained wood.

Normally, even the ground would have turned to gold.

“He mitigated my curse. With just one potion.”

“…What does that mean?”

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

He’d known this wasn’t an ordinary alchemist.

But to this extent?

A fate greater than a star contractor.

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

Being near him was enough to get swept up.

Yet he’d kept her under his control.

He said he was self-taught in alchemy.

What if he studied alchemy formally?

How far would he grow?

What would he become?

Clatter!

The Shadow King rolled a black pebble.

A fate stone, untainted by the golden curse.

A fragment of a monument used only by the Emperor’s bloodline.

The image on the fate stone foretold his future.

“…Nothing appears.”

No animal symbol showed.

As if it were hiding from Evan.

He rolled it twice more, but the result was the same.

The first time might be chance, the second inevitability, the third fate.

Even the Shadow King couldn’t glimpse Evan’s destiny.

And this was a child who hadn’t even finished growing.

“Young blackguard.”

A smile curled on the Shadow King’s lips.

“When we meet again, what kind of monster will you have become?”

How exciting.

Swoosh—

With those words, the Shadow King left the forest.

Before departing, he left a gift.

Certain that Evan would appreciate it.