#14. Blue Beard (2)
The mansion was in an uproar.
Evan Alkarte.
The second son of the ducal family.
A guy who’s so much of a hermit that he barely leaves his room—he’s practically famous for it.
And yet, this Evan has just declared he’ll be—wait for it—spending more than a day outside!
“M-Master!”
Thud!
Dolphe dropped to one knee in front of Evan.
His face was streaked with shock.
Meanwhile, Lapis stood nearby, munching on a carrot and looking confused.
What’s going on?
“I beg you to reconsider!”
“…Reconsider what exactly?”
“Spending more than a day out there…!”
Dolphe started sniffling.
“You could get seriously hurt!”
“…I won’t do anything reckless. I’ll only be gone for a few days.”
“A FEW DAYS!?”
Gasp!
Dolphe sounded like he was choking.
Not to mention, anyone watching might think Evan was off to die.
“It’s dangerous! And there’s no personal physician around right now either…!”
Evan used to have a dedicated priest assigned to him.
Past tense though.
Too old, retired.
And a new one hasn’t been appointed yet.
‘Hmm. Still, I’ll bring plenty of recovery potions.’
Fifty high-grade recovery potions.
A golem will handle storage.
Not only can it dispense them, but it can even produce more if needed.
I’ve also diluted them properly so they’re safe to drink daily.
‘…This should be convincing enough, right?’
Of course, recovery potions aren’t a cure-all.
If someone gets hit hard enough to die instantly, well… they’re dead regardless.
Just imagining death sent a shiver down Evan’s spine.
Isn’t this all about avoiding death anyway?
But what if these precautions are leading straight to my doom?
‘Hell no! Absolutely not.’
Still, staying put isn’t really an option.
To be honest, his pride is slightly wounded.
Am I some kind of coward? Retreat just because I’m scared to meet someone?
There’s no real danger here, so why back down?
At least not for a man among men like Evan.
He’d just prepare even more thoroughly!
‘…Is there anything else I could possibly add to this plan?’
Secret weapon No. 2 fully stocked.
Living Golems definitely equipped.
Even things he usually skips are being packed this time.
Most importantly…
“…I’ve got Lapis with me, don’t I?”
“Huh?”
Evan gently patted Lapis on the head.
Lapis obediently let him, looking as docile as a grazing herbivore.
“Lapis will protect me.”
“Hehe.”
Lapis smiled brightly and spread her arms wide.
A magical weaver.
Shimmering white threads appeared and sparkled.
“Yes! I’ll protect you!”
…She seems faster than before, doesn’t she?
“Hehe. I’ve gotten much better since last time.”
Swish!
Lapis gathered her threads into a ball and started playing cat’s cradle.
An unsuspecting fly passing by got caught up and turned into a tiny drop of blood.
…Did I accidentally create a monster?
“…Anyway, this trip will be perfectly safe.”
“But, still! Even Sir Perok…”
“That’s unreasonable. He’s a busy man; he can’t afford to leave his post for days just for me, right?”
“Well…yeah, that’s true…”
“Don’t worry too much,”
Evan continued calmly.
“I’ll return quietly and safely.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Evan affirmed.
“Absolutely. Nothing will happen.”
Please!
Evan’s desperate plea.
Dolphe nodded solemnly.
“…Understood.”
“I need to see Brother first.”
Normally, reporting to Father would suffice, but the Duke himself is currently absent.
Leaving no choice but to report to the eldest son, the current heir apparent.
The Duchess?
Nah, too awkward…
Though technically, the eldest son isn’t that intimidating.
‘Still, this is better.’
Reporting to the eldest son could also be interpreted politically.
It implies recognition that he’s the closest to being the heir!
‘Yeah. Can’t help it.’
The only option is to handle it quickly and manfully.
“Did you hear? Master Evan is stepping out!”
“Really? The weather is amazing today!”
“Nope. He’s meeting a friend.”
“What?! Does Master Evan even HAVE friends?!”
“Well, apparently yes, and he’s even spending the night out!”
Two maids were gossiping in a corner.
They had worked in the mansion for quite a while and knew its secrets well.
Everyone knew that Evan had neither a fiancée nor any friends.
“Maybe… it’s not a friend, but someone secretly supplying experimental subjects?”
“H-Huh?”
That actually made sense.
Supplying experimental subjects!
Such an important matter!
Especially for someone as passionate about alchemy as Evan!
Sure, Evan would feel wronged, but that’s just how it goes.
After all, people’s perceptions of Evan had already spiraled out of control.
Switching to formal speech and acting serious wouldn’t change that overnight.
More often than not, it just made people fear him even more.
‘Experimental subjects…’
A young man named Leo rested his chin thoughtfully, overhearing the maids’ whispers.
The eldest son of the Alkarte Ducal Family and the current sole heir.
He brushed back his jet-black hair, inherited from the Duke.
‘Was that your purpose, Evan?’
Leo recalled Evan’s earlier visit.
“Brother. I’m going out briefly.”
Evan had arrived accompanied by various golems.
His expressionless face showed no emotion, his eyes devoid of feeling.
As if silently declaring, “No objections allowed.”
‘Acting so arrogantly.’
Leo twisted his lips.
Certainly, Evan’s tone had been polite and respectful.
Treating his superior with proper deference.
However, Leo had seen it clearly.
Evan’s eyes.
Those golden eyes that shone even in darkness.
A perfect replica of their father’s gaze.
Arrogant eyes.
‘Looking at me like that while pretending to be respectful on the surface?’
Clearly, Evan and Leo held equal standing.
Even though Leo was considered closer to becoming the heir, that fact remained unchanged.
Being of the same bloodline wasn’t something easily dismissed.
True. On the surface, Evan seemed to have inherited the strongest essence of the Duke’s bloodline.
The necessary evil of the empire.
A powerful figure who practically controlled the underworld, catering not just to criminals but even nobles.
The mastermind behind the current economic dominance of the empire: Duke Alkarte.
He was a carbon copy of that great man.
And yet… such a useless troublemaker!
‘All that fuss about reviving some woman. Now, has he finally matured?’
Suddenly acting mature, huh?
Of course, Evan hadn’t genuinely grown up.
He’d just gotten smarter, that’s all.
Smart enough to mock his enemies without directly causing chaos.
Announcing his intention to leave was part of that.
Since Father wasn’t around, he’d report to his brother instead, who was next in line to become the heir?
‘How arrogant.’
On the surface, it looked like acknowledgment of Leo’s position as heir.
But this was Evan Alkarte we’re talking about.
Could his intentions truly be pure?
Impossible.
A notorious villain who had made a name for himself in the underworld with just two operations.
Unbelievable achievements accomplished mere months ago.
Nowadays, most people in the underworld either tremble in fear or worship the name “Evan Alkarte” when they hear it.
And this was only his first trial before adulthood.
What grand feats would he accomplish during the second and third trials?
Perhaps this outing was preparation for those trials.
Considering how he recently dealt with Theodore…
‘Blue Beard, the Baron.’
Blue Beard.
A fairly renowned baron in the eastern region.
Also somewhat similar to Evan in nature.
Because he was one of the rare alchemists on the continent.
Infamous ones, at that.
‘Didn’t he say he uses wives as experimental subjects?’
Apparently, this is his sixth wife.
They’re getting married soon, and rather audaciously, he even sent an invitation to the dukedom.
Not to the Duke himself.
Had that happened, Blue Beard would’ve been wiped out long ago.
Instead, the invitation went to Evan Alkarte.
An invitation extended to him as a fellow alchemist.
Despite initially ignoring it, Evan decided to show up now?
‘Looks like he has some sinister plan in mind.’
Leo sat on the window frame.
Beyond the window, the carriage was departing.
Evan was inside that carriage.
Security was relatively lax.
Sir Perok was also away.
Would it be possible to eliminate Evan now?
Evan wasn’t yet a major player.
He was more of a promising young talent.
But what if he completed all the trials of adulthood and became a full-fledged adult?
Would Leo simply stand by then?
Would Evan start eyeing the position Leo was aiming for?
“…Should I eliminate him now?”
Just as Leo muttered this, something white flashed outside the window.
Before he could react,
SWISH! Something pulled, and the window slammed shut, throwing Leo into the center of the room.
THUD!
“Ugh!”
Before Leo could scream, his mouth was covered.
In front of him were crimson eyes.
“Just felt a bad vibe, so I came to check.”
Snow-white hair contrasting sharply with fiery red eyes.
Lapis tilted her head, her hands emitting magical threads, her lips curling into a sly smile.
“This is a big catch.”
‘This brat is definitely Evan’s servant…!’
“We can’t leave dangerous elements like you unchecked, but I need to keep this quiet this time.”
Lapis spoke softly, mimicking Evan’s voice.
“Mmmph mmmph!”
“So…I’ll use a little force?”
“And it won’t hurt too much.”
Lapis’ magical threads crept closer.
Leo screamed soundlessly with his mouth gagged.
Two days later.
A strange landscape stretched beyond the carriage window.
A blue wall.
Literally.
Built entirely from blue stones, the fortress walls gleamed.
Dolphe marveled.
“Wow! Master! We’ve arrived already!”
“Have we?”
Evan replied with a less-than-ideal expression.
The reason? One word.
“…Then, let’s slow the carriage down a bit.”
“Yes sir!”
Motion sickness.
Evan leaned out the carriage window, letting the cool breeze soothe his queasy stomach.
Ah, that’s better.
‘Need to hurry up and make an auto-golem…’
Unfortunately, Evan’s golems weren’t quite at automobile level yet.
For now, Horse Golems and Porter Golems were the best options.
“Good work, Unit 5.”
Clunk.
Unit 5, the carriage-pulling golem, nodded.
Specialized in brute strength, it handled the carriage effortlessly.
With no need for rest, it kept moving even through the night.
Thanks to that, they hadn’t encountered any bandits, who were supposedly common along the way.
‘Guess we had good luck.’
Let’s wrap this up quickly since we’re here.
Evan glanced up at the blue walls.
Symbol of Blue Beard’s territory.
Not for nothing is the baron called “Blue Beard.”
His extreme fondness for the color blue explained it.
Thus, the walls were blue, every roof in town was blue.
Why not the walls of houses too?
Due to protests from the townsfolk, who claimed it ruined their appetite.
Apparently, it got so bad that some people starved, forcing a change.
‘So all this was done through alchemy?’
Blue Beard the baron, a famous alchemist.
Someone who reportedly transformed his entire domain using alchemy.
Evan nodded after carefully inspecting the walls.
‘Hmm, not bad.’
How many transmutations must have been performed?
Given the scale, it probably didn’t take more than a couple.
Range for transmutation shouldn’t be an issue,
likely the mana was the limiting factor.
‘I’d probably need three attempts.’
Mana shortage aside, this wasn’t bad.
Especially considering extras like him usually don’t even get screen time.
‘Word is he’s rich too.’
Should have access to necessary materials, then.
Entering the city was smooth.
Proving identity wasn’t difficult.
“P-P-Alkarte Ducal Family?! P-please enter!”
Instant compliance upon hearing the Alkarte name.
Such excessive fear.
Why though?
Evan and Lapis exchanged puzzled glances.
Meanwhile, they arrived at an inn to park the carriage.
“Uh? What about the horses…”
“The carriage alone will suffice. Payment goes here…”
“Oh wow! Such esteemed guests have arrived! Please, allow me to assist!”
While Dolphe parked the carriage,
Evan pulled his hood low over his face.
No need to reveal his identity unnecessarily.
‘Hmm, maybe I should wear a mask?’
Actually, that might be better.
Evan tapped his cane lightly against the ground.
Just then,
Evan noticed a group of people whispering nearby.
Seemed like they had a lot to say.
Evan quietly asked Lapis.
‘Lapis. Could you scout ahead for me?’
‘Yes!’
Lapis nodded, pulling her own hood down and grabbing a basket filled with vegetables like carrots, then approached the group cheerfully.
Offering them carrots.
“Excuse me, would you like some carrots?”
…That wasn’t exactly what I meant…
Selling carrots as a cover-up?
As Evan’s inner thoughts grew complicated,
“Oh, hello dear? What brings you here?”
“I’m helping my brother with his work. Thought I’d sell some veggies I love.”
“Oh my… what a sweet girl.”
“So, what’s going on? Everyone today, including my brother, seems overly cautious.”
The two ladies exchanged glances.
After a moment of mutual staring, they nodded and cautiously informed Lapis.
“You should probably leave this domain.”
“Huh?? Why?”
“Another of the baron’s wives has gone missing, so he just remarried.”
Remarriage.
Pretty standard stuff in a fantasy world, right?
“Is that bad?”
“It’s not necessarily bad. It’s just…”
The lady’s voice dropped lower.
“It’s that wives tend to disappear once they marry him.”
“Well, this rumor might just be circulating among us…”
One lady whispered very discreetly.
“Truth is, the reason he keeps making wives is allegedly to offer them as experimental subjects for ‘Evan Alkarte’, the alchemist…”
The sudden mention of the name.
Evan blinked twice.
…Me?
