#006. Found It (4)
Shadow.
The loyal servant of Arthur Modritter and a reformed assassin.
He was also a disciple of the <Wandering Dark King>.
His level? A whopping Upper-Class Sword Expert.
A level capable of wiping out an entire army alone.
And yet, he’d been taken out quietly.
In fact, utterly dominated.
‘Exactly how did he do it?’
Adrianna and Arthur were completely unaware of this fact.
Had they known, Arthur would have contacted them already.
In other words,
Evan had eliminated Shadow without anyone noticing.
What exactly is his identity?
Knowing secrets that only God and Adrianna should know,
Knowing Arthur Modritter’s secrets,
Possessing overwhelming martial prowess—
Isn’t he practically a supreme being?
‘…Surely not to that extent, right? But—’
Still, his power is undeniable.
Likely his strategies too.
That potion Evan gave.
It worked.
Which left Adrianna powerless.
That potion.
The last lifeline to cure her ailment.
‘…Our gift must not have pleased him.’
He seemed rather violent in nature.
Adrianna noted this information.
Evan Alkart.
All that’s known about him: He’s the second son of a ducal family, a ‘chemist,’ and physically frail.
There isn’t even a clear picture of his face available.
His reclusive nature played a big role in this.
The only people he interacts with are servants.
Though recently, a new slave was added.
She came along when he sent a golem to rescue Theodoro Alkart.
Nothing particularly special about it.
Just maybe a bit cute?
There were rumors she might be a chimera, but Adrianna didn’t believe them.
Chimeras are monsters.
Within Adrianna’s understanding, chimeras cannot take human form.
They’re weapons of slaughter, after all.
No reason for them to look human.
Anyway, it’s a noble’s privilege to bring in pretty slaves or servants.
Not much of an issue.
The kid looks around ten years old.
Even if she were some prodigy, there’s no way someone at ten could defeat a Sword Expert, let alone an Upper-Class one.
Which leads to the assumption that there’s some hidden power behind him.
‘…First things first, we need more intel on him.’
Right now, there’s no way to win against him.
Adrianna admitted defeat.
For the first time, she felt what defeat was like.
She’d always been victorious, whether growing up or even after being cursed.
Selected as the Holy Maiden, hearing the will of God,
Manipulating the Sun Temple for the greater cause,
Maintaining good relations with the Full Moon Sect,
And forging ties with other powerful figures across the continent.
Her path had always been smooth, without any obstacles.
Until now.
Her cold heart raced unevenly.
One part tension,
The other, ‘competitiveness.’
“Hmph, hahaha. Alright then.”
Above Adrianna’s head, playing around,
Could Evan Alkart be the true ‘mastermind’?
He was both her ‘rival’ to surpass and the ‘wall’ she needed to overcome.
“Hmph, hahaha. Let’s see who ends up playing over whose head…”
Misinterpreting Evan’s intentions entirely, Adrianna unfolded a letter,
“…Indeed.”
The corners of Adrianna’s lips curled upward.
*
TICK TOCK!
The next day.
Evan woke up feeling refreshed.
‘…What is this strange feeling?’
He glanced around the room briefly—it wasn’t very visible though.
Because of the heavy curtains drawn over the windows.
“Dolphe.”
“Y-yes! Yes, Master!”
Dolphe’s stiff voice betrayed his obvious fear.
Evan’s expression hardened.
Could someone have snuck in unnoticed?
CLANK! CLANK!
Golems surrounded Evan.
He moved cautiously to the corner of the bed.
Damn it!
If I hadn’t slept in, I could’ve handled this gracefully!
‘But no, my life is most important here…’
I can’t risk dying over unnecessary actions.
Hiding his trembling hands, Evan spoke.
“…Carefully pull back the curtains.”
“No, absolutely not!”
Dolphe protested loudly, but the obsidian golem arm showed no mercy as it pulled back the curtain.
BAM!
As sunlight flooded the room, the full view inside became clear.
“…Oh, damn it…”
Evan involuntarily cursed under his breath.
In the corner of the room sat a bright red cocoon, roughly the size of an adult man.
Drip… drip…
Red liquid seeped out from the cocoon.
Clearly blood.
It looked almost like a solidified corpse…
Thankfully, the tension froze his whole body; otherwise, he might’ve screamed and fainted.
“M-Master! You shouldn’t see such a grotesque sight! L-Let me clean it up…”
“Good morning?”
Creak. Evan turned his stiff neck to see Lapis enter the room, squeezing her damp hair.
Today, she seemed unusually lively as she dramatically spread her arms in front of the cocoon.
“Ta-daaa! What do you think? My present?”
“…Present?”
“Yes! Here’s your present!”
Lapis pointed at the blood-soaked cocoon.
The floor beneath it was wet with overflowing blood.
Evan felt dizzy.
Is this supposed to be a present?!
“…This isn’t a present.”
“What? Why not?”
Lapis tilted her head curiously and poked the cocoon with her index finger.
“This person was secretly spying on Evan. Isn’t that bad? Could’ve been dangerous too.”
Did Lapis really do this?
Every hair on his body stood on end.
‘Could she have awakened to sin?’
Should I run away now?
‘Nah, probably not. She’s still just a kid, around ten years old.’
If she had awakened to sin, she’d likely be an adult by now.
There should’ve been some noticeable changes, like growing taller overnight.
But there was none.
‘Maybe it’s her natural disposition?’
Damn.
So the theory about her being inherently evil is correct, huh?
Should I kick her out now?
Or scold her?
…No, that wouldn’t be right.
Why did Lapis create this cocoon?
Because of Evan.
In a sense, it’s a good thing.
She sees Evan as something—or someone—to protect.
‘But it’s complicated.’
Imagine this:
While out on a stroll, Evan accidentally bumps into someone.
Being medieval times, the guy raises his fist threateningly.
-Hey! Do you want to die? How dare you touch me!
If Evan coughs up blood from shock,
The next day, BAM! There’s another cocoon.
No quarrel necessary.
Someone “likes” Evan so much, they send a love letter.
Mistaken for a stalker?
Another cocoon appears.
Here’s the problem:
What if the person is directly related to the royal family?
Or a noble?
Or the child of a noble?
‘…Then he becomes public enemy number one across the continent.’
Getting branded as a criminal would be lucky.
Capital punishment wouldn’t be out of place either.
He’d get kicked out of this mansion for sure.
Without money or connections.
Meaning no proper food for Lapis.
And then?
-I’m starving. Guess I’ll have to eat you.
‘Shit. Absolutely not.’
Absolutely not.
Lapis needs to be controlled properly.
If I were Hanamja Lee Hanol, a regular 24-year-old Korean guy, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
But who am I right now?
‘I am Evan.’
17 years old, drop-dead gorgeous, ducal lineage, young and rich.
Survived for a year in this world.
A well-rounded gentleman skilled in both literary and martial arts.
‘I can do this, Evan. You’ve got this.’
Taking a deep breath to avoid hiccupping.
“…Let’s start with the good points. Protecting me was well done.”
“Really?!”
“But this wasn’t exactly for my benefit.”
“Huh?”
“If you kill everyone who slightly threatens me, will you end up killing the whole world?”
“…If needed?”
Typical answer from someone embodying sin, but not what Evan wanted to hear.
“I’ll be fine though. After all, Ira is strong.”
“!”
The word “Ira” made Lapis react.
Her two crimson eyes locked onto Evan.
Goosebumps ran down his arms.
‘Shit. Super scary.’
But he had to push through.
Swallowing hard, Evan continued.
“But I’m not. I’m neither as strong nor as resilient as Ira. If the whole continent turns against me, I’ll definitely die.”
Lapis’ power isn’t debatable.
Instead, they discuss the survival of the one she’s protecting—”Evan.”
“…!”
“You won’t be able to enjoy your favorite vegetables or fruits either. Is that really what you want?”
“…Couldn’t I just become super strong?”
“If Dolphe were as strong as that, could he protect me alone?”
“Probably… not.”
Dolphe has great instincts.
He gave the perfect response immediately.
“Even if you’re strong, there’s a limit to what one person can do.”
“That’s right. Ira, you shouldn’t recklessly swing your power around. Remember, that cocoon could’ve been me.”
He delivered a small dose of discipline.
Now for the reward.
“It’s not that Ira did anything wrong. I just wish you understood a bit more. This is my fault for not teaching you properly. Sorry.”
‘It’s not your fault, so don’t get mad.’
Because it’s terrifying.
“No… That’s not it…”
Lapis started rambling incoherently.
Evan quickly took the lead again.
“So, Ira, please don’t immediately turn people into cocoons whenever you feel threatened. Got it?”
“…Okay…”
This wasn’t the end.
Protecting Evan? Appreciated.
But this situation could be used to his advantage.
“If my life is in imminent danger or someone openly declares they want to kill me, ask me first. If I say it’s okay, then Ira can protect me. That sound fair?”
“…Okay…”
Lapis nodded dejectedly.
Was that effective?
A sigh of relief escaped his mind.
“Alright. Come here.”
Evan tapped his knee.
Thanks to genetics, Evan was quite tall.
On the other hand, Lapis was still short due to her age.
Short enough to sit on his thigh for a bit.
Though not for long.
His knees would hurt after ten minutes.
Normally, she’d rush over instantly.
Instead, Lapis hung her head.
“B-Because I messed up…”
“?”
“Please… don’t call me Ira…”
Tears began streaming down Lapis’ eyes.
Evan was shocked.
‘Wait, she’s crying over this?!’
After casually turning someone into a cocoon?
Evan was momentarily flustered.
‘…Ah. That makes sense.’
Regaining composure quickly, Evan patted his thigh again.
“…Alright. I understand. Lapis. Come here.”
“Mhm…”
Sniffling, Lapis approached as Evan crouched down to meet her eye level and gently stroked her head.
‘Well, this turned out alright.’
Relief washed over him.
Thank goodness it ended here.
Almost met his maker there.
‘Now, how do I deal with this mess?’
The cocoon.
Who could it be?
He had a rough idea.
Some shady guy likely following him.
‘Black Dawn, probably.’
Assassins. Who else?
Black Dawn.
The continent’s top assassination guild.
Only someone of their caliber could’ve done this.
‘Were they watching me since our last encounter?’
A mistake during his alchemy practice.
That’s when he tangled with Black Dawn before.
Thought he’d cleaned up everything, but apparently not.
…Yeah. Who doesn’t get targeted by assassins, right?
‘Repay kindness twofold, grudges tenfold.’
An assassin’s code.
Unnecessary trouble arises if you make enemies carelessly.
Please, just don’t die!
As long as you live, there’s a way to resolve this.
“Let me open it… Hic.”
“Dolphe, help Lapis wipe her nose.”
“Yes, yes… L-Lapis, come here.”
“Hmph.”
Lapis followed Dolphe out, holding his hand.
Alone in the room, Evan remained.
The golems formed a circle around the cocoon.
Yesterday’s half-finished Living Golem slowly approached Evan.
SQUEAK—
The top of the cocoon opened.
Inside, covered in blood, Shadow weakly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met.
