Chapter 17: Blue Beard (5)

The small golems diligently stacked up items.

Among them was something bright red.

Ugh!

The sight alone was enough to make Evan grimace.

The stench and the visual were overwhelming.

Nod.

“You don’t need to bring things like hearts.”

Seeing an organ that shouldn’t be seen made his stomach churn.

As Evan tried to calm his nausea,

The small golems began piling up papers this time.

Papers filled with complex formulas and records.

Research journals.

“Wow! The writing is super dense!”

“Hmm.”

The main focus of the research was “lifespan extension.”

Evan wasn’t particularly curious about it.

As a safety-first, self-proclaimed non-coward, Evan wasn’t keen on dealing with the side effects.

Homunculus? 

Oh, he had this too.

Seeing it in person was fascinating.

Should he take it, just in case?

Oh, this is pretty good too.

Thud!

The next find was a book containing alchemical knowledge.

It was labeled as an introductory alchemy book, written in a hurried scrawl.

Handmade, perhaps?

Must be a book his master made for him.

Not bad at all.

It was a newer edition than what Evan already had, and it was well-organized.

I should make a copy of this.

It could be useful.

Maybe even more so than his master.

Saving his master is a lost cause.

Meeting Blue Beard made it clear.

Even among alchemists, trust was hard to come by!

Alchemy was a one-to-one tradition.

A structure where everything is passed down to a single disciple.

Inheriting from the wrong person could spell disaster.

Might as well study on his own.

With the knowledge from the game, he could tell if he was on the wrong path.

Click, click!

Next came items that looked ominous at a glance.

Not golems, but objects with the power to “contaminate” any living being that touched them.

The skull that had spewed smoke earlier was one such item.

These are heretic artifacts?

Items that only the fallen heretics, recently killed by Arthur, would possess.

Why were they here?

Did he buy them somewhere?

It made sense.

Heretics were always short on money.

It wasn’t strange for them to sell such items.

But.

Tch, this is way earlier than in the original story.

Count Blue Beard did interact with heretics in the original story.

But it never came to fruition.

Not out of guilt, but because he was caught beforehand.

He ended up as dew on the gallows, but at this point in time?

It didn’t add up.

Should I take a few anyway?

Curses?

They only affect living beings, not inanimate objects.

Golems would be immune.

He had the golems pack them into a box and seal it tightly.

This should be fine.

Click, click!

“Good job.”

Everything necessary had been collected.

Evan roughly checked the haul.

A few gold coins that had appeared out of nowhere, homunculus research notes, an alchemy book, and essential materials like Full Moon Phantom Grass.

This was solid compensation.

Satisfied, Evan descended to the first floor.

“Gasp!”

Count Jildre woke up, gasping for air.

***

The moment Count Jildre regained consciousness, despair washed over him.

His last memory was being knocked out with a blow to his jaw.

The golden eyes looking down at him were etched in his mind.

I failed.

The grand cause he had pursued, even at the cost of countless lives, had collapsed.

He saw through my plan from the start.

That thing in the shadows.

Something that couldn’t be considered alive—when had it been hidden?

Probably from the moment they met.

It must be a chimera.

Not a golem.

A golem residing in the shadows?

He had never heard of or seen such a thing.

Even as an alchemist of over a century, even his master didn’t know of such a golem.

No way such a thing existed.

Golemcraft was a forgotten art in alchemy.

No one taught it, no one inherited it, and no records remained.

The only known golemancer reportedly died without a successor, becoming a corpse in the underworld.

So, Jildre had struggled with homunculus creation due to the lack of information.

A chimera was more plausible.

A rare creature said to dwell only in the North.

With the wealth of the Alkart Ducal Family, acquiring and combining one was feasible.

But more importantly.

One undeniable fact.

I completely failed!

His long-held dream had crumbled.

“You’re awake.”

A low voice reached his ears.

Opening his eyes, he saw Evan sitting at the head of the room.

Even in the shadowy, unlit room, those golden eyes gleamed calmly.

Propping his chin, Evan gazed at him and asked.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m… fine.”

There wasn’t a trace of anger in Evan’s demeanor.

Not just anger—no emotions at all.

It felt like looking at a lifeless doll.

Staring at him, a creeping emotion emerged.

Its name was fear and dread.

“It’s probably pointless to ask, but I’ll ask anyway. Why did you betray me?”

“Answer.”

The urging came from the little girl beside him.

Beneath her white hair, two red eyes glared at him fiercely.

“I really want to kill you.”

“Tch, t-that’s… I mean…”

His teeth chattered instinctively.

The murderous intent born from pure “wrath” made his head spin.

Worse than the Assassin King.

It was as if wrath itself had taken form…

“Lapis.”

“Gasp.”

Snap.

The murderous intent ceased the moment Evan spoke.

She glanced at him cautiously.

Acting like a tamed rabbit.

It caused significant cognitive dissonance.

“Calm down.”

“Sorry, Evan.”

“It’s fine. You were angry for my sake. I’m just worried that frail body can’t handle that killing intent.”

Evan patted Lapis’s head.

It was like watching a young ruler.

Evan slowly rose from his seat.

His body was small and frail.

Yet, the aura he exuded was extraordinary.

I’ll die like this.

Really?

As death loomed, his mind went blank.

All that remained was survival instinct.

“I’ll confess everything!”

Thud!

Jildre collapsed, bowing his head.

“Please, just spare me!”

More terrified than when he heard the name of the Assassin King.

Evan looked down at him with impassive, or rather, puzzled eyes.

What’s with this guy?

Like he saw a ghost or something?

Did Lapis scare him too much?

***

Count Jildre confessed everything.

Not just his irrelevant past but also why he betrayed Evan and what tools he used.

Man, hearing this makes him sound kind of pitiful.

The reason was to see his master again.

Hearing it directly made Evan feel a twinge of sadness.

But only for a moment.

Count Jildre, a murderer, didn’t change that fact.

In modern terms, a mad scientist.

The fact that he revered life didn’t change either.

Most of the information aligned with the game.

The only difference was his connection to the heretics.

He met them much earlier than in the original story, huh?

The reason was Arthur’s massacre.

…Which made it hard to say much.

Still, it was a good haul.

This might help him avoid the heretics.

“Will you… kill me?”

Jildre asked in a strained voice.

Evan pondered for a moment.

A clean resolution with no loose ends?

That would mean killing Jildre here.

But that was a lowlife move.

Why?

I don’t want to get tangled up with the Alchemist’s Tower.

Just like the Mage Tower for wizards, there’s the Alchemist’s Tower for alchemists.

It was said to have had various names like Cauldron or Transmutation Forge.

Changed because it was too hard to remember, apparently.

Jildre was part of the Alchemist’s Tower, or Tower for short.

Killing him would surely prompt them to investigate why.

They tried to approach a year ago, but the Duke’s authority blocked them.

I don’t want unnecessary attention.

Evan was all about safety.

He didn’t want to take pointless risks.

Not because he was a coward, but purely for safety’s sake.

Keeping him alive is more beneficial than killing him.

A supplier who could provide materials without underworld connections.

With his wide network, Evan could get what he needed, like now.

And since Jildre was a coward, he wouldn’t dare betray again.

In the game, he was often used as a material supplier.

If you kept your conscience at a distance, he was useful.

Evan slowly shook his head.

“No. I won’t kill you.”

…Why?

“It’s inefficient.”

He needed an excuse, any excuse.

Honestly, he just wanted to leave quickly.

“I’m an alchemist too. Efficiency is key in our profession. There’s no need for either of us to do something inefficient.”

“What I wanted wasn’t your life, but materials and knowledge. I’ve already taken what I need.”

Swish.

Number Four waved the Full Moon Phantom Grass with its long arm before stowing it away.

“So let’s let this slide. I trust you know what comes next.”

Don’t make a fuss, and let’s end it here!

That was the implication.

Jildre stared at Evan.

It seemed he had more to say.

“I’ll take the homunculus research notes, but I won’t touch the other journals.”

“…!”

You didn’t… touch them?

Jildre’s eyebrows trembled.

“I’ve taken the materials and a few books I need. Let’s call it even.”

“B-But…”

“Or do you want to pay a heavier price?”

“!”

Jildre hurriedly shook his head.

A heavier price?

He couldn’t even imagine what that might be.

“I’ll forbid you from continuing this research. If your current wife is part of it, end the engagement or be a good husband.”

“Understood.”

“And don’t forget to atone daily for those you’ve killed.”

“Understood…”

That should do it.

Evan glanced at Lapis.

Lapis made an “O” shape with her thumb and forefinger.

Good enough, it seemed.

Time to wrap this up.

“Contact me later. This is my contact information.”

Swish.

Evan pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it over.

Not quite a business card, more like a proof of identity.

Something nobles often exchanged.

Since he’d need materials occasionally, it was good to establish a connection.

“This is…”

“Consider it payment for the items.”

Having finished his business, Evan abruptly stood.

“Where are you going?”

“My business is done, so I’m leaving. Anything else?”

“No… nothing…”

“Then I’ll be off.”

Evan left without a farewell.

Jildre couldn’t even think of stopping him.

In the empty reception room,

Jildre’s eyes, fixed on the seat Evan had occupied, filled with emotion.

…Ah! To have such composure.

Jealousy, hatred, and anger had already faded.

Something greater.

To show such mercy.

It was like the attitude of his revered father, stirring a sense of “admiration.”

Could he be the noble person Father spoke of…

His father’s dying words.

“A noble person will come.”

Yes!

Evan was that noble person.

Delusion and jealousy washed away, replaced by a field of enlightenment.

Enlightenment.

In the presence of a radiant sun illuminating that field, shadows were meaningless.

I was so foolish.

This was the noble person.

He was certain.

Evan.

A being who couldn’t be confined by the word “genius,” exuding the aura of a true ruler.

He could become the new master of the Alchemist’s Tower, as his master had led.

This is my chance.

A chance to atone for his rudeness.

With trembling hands, Jildre sat at the desk and reached for paper.

His purpose: a letter of recommendation.

To recommend Evan as the “Tower Master.”

A pair of eyes watched.

Hmph!

Lapis, who had slipped out to observe Evan secretly, vanished.

She had been unsure if Jildre was lying, but now she was convinced he wasn’t.

This was good enough to spare him.

Maybe even better.

Because it would spread Evan’s fame further.

Hehe.

All of this was for Evan.

Lapis let out a quiet laugh.

***

The carriage rolled along.

Thanks to Number Five pulling it, the ride was smooth.

Man, that was exhausting.

Now he just had to return safely.

No more dangerous stuff like this.

Two hours after making that resolve.

Rattle!

“Stop!”

“Hand over everything you have! Do so, and you’ll be freed from the false god’s embrace!”

An attack by strange people.

Oh, come on!

Crying internally, Evan looked out the window.

His expression turned sour.

A band of attackers.

But they were overly pious for mere bandits.

Among them, Evan spotted familiar blue hair.

In the future, he would reign over all religious orders, uniting them and toying with enemies through schemes—the Sin of Pride.

And he was mixed in with the heretics.

Why the heck is he here?