#8. The Beggar (1)
First year of reincarnation.
I thought I’d gotten a little used to this harsh world.
Didn’t I handle yesterday’s accident pretty well?
My shoulders were slightly raised.
This much must mean I’m not just a manly man, but the manliest of men, right?
The days of being mocked as a weakling have been long erased.
But today…
Evan realized that the real crisis hadn’t even begun yet.
“…A dagger was aimed at me?”
“Yes.”
Lapis nodded her head.
Her hair was still messy since she’d just woken up.
Evan was also in disarray—though it was more his mind than his hair.
‘What the hell?’
An assassination attempt.
Something he hadn’t encountered since his reincarnation.
Why?
Because there was no reason for his life to be targeted.
Evan was reckless.
A walking time bomb who could die at any moment.
A guy who would probably kill himself if left alone.
There was no need to waste money trying to kill him when he had no interest in succession and was completely absorbed in alchemy.
Though the reason he got into alchemy was a bit sad, still…
Right now, he was basically worthless.
Yet someone had targeted his life.
Could it be because of yesterday’s incident?
“Did I do well?”
Lapis looked up at Evan with hopeful eyes, silently asking for praise.
…Yeah, praise is important.
Evan tried to hide his trembling as he patted Lapis on the head.
“…You did well.”
“Hehe.”
Lapis smiled.
Evan forced strength into his face, which felt like it might crawl with bugs any second, and said,
“Did you happen to see who threw the dagger?”
“Mmm… Not exactly.”
“Even an approximate description would help.”
“The person seemed kind of old. Super strong too. But… they didn’t seem like they really wanted to kill Evan.”
Didn’t want to kill?
Not an assassin then?
‘Then why throw a dagger just to send a letter?’
Looking at the dagger in Lapis’s hand, there was indeed a letter attached to its tip. It did look like it was primarily meant to deliver the message.
“The target was beside your head, but their hand must’ve shaken and it flew off course, so I caught it.”
“Can I see the letter?”
“Yes!”
Lapis cheerfully responded, pulling out the letter and unfolding it to show its contents.
-Thank you for saving my disciple. I shall visit tomorrow.
The handwriting was stiff, almost mechanical in its neatness.
‘Something about this feels familiar…’
There was one character he remembered who wrote like this.
The Wandering Dark King.
That guy used this exact style of writing.
“…Disciple? Who? Could it be that guy from yesterday?”
The scrawny man he let go yesterday?
It didn’t quite match up.
‘Then again, it doesn’t feel like anyone else either.’
The insignia stamped at the bottom—a red hood—was used exclusively by the Dark King. Genuine article.
‘The Wandering Dark King.’
A legend among assassins and a master-level expert even in active service.
Also one of the key allies in the future.
-Thank you for saving my disciple. I shall visit tomorrow.
‘…Wait, that guy was the Dark King’s disciple? For real?’
Evan recalled the person he released yesterday.
Aside from having slightly less hair, there wasn’t anything particularly special about them.
‘I don’t remember seeing a disciple with a face like that.’
Most of the Dark King’s disciples were famous figures…
Not the good kind though.
More like villains.
Evil schemers who get thwarted by the players.
Whenever that happened, the Dark King would personally step in to assist the player, taking responsibility for his own students.
‘Maybe I just forgot an important character? Or is this some MacGuffin type? Or… someone like Lapis?’
Could they become the main antagonist later?
Hmm… something feels off!
…Could yesterday’s actions have caused some resentment?
We parted on good terms though.
‘…Should be fine.’
Positive mindset!
Snap out of it!
Evan slapped his cheeks.
Smack smack!
“Ah.”
Damn, that hurts.
He rubbed his now red-hot cheeks.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
Anyway, let’s think positively. It’s just a thank-you letter, not a murder announcement.
He won’t try to kill me.
The Dark King can be trusted at this level.
The Wandering Dark King, after all, is a decent character.
He has a grandfatherly vibe.
His beliefs are sound too.
Non-attachment.
Obtaining freedom through letting go of material possessions and sharing with others.
Surprisingly, the Dark King practices non-attachment.
It’s hard to believe for an assassin who calls upon sacrifices and summons death, but it’s true.
He truly wanders without settling down anywhere, using the earth as his floor and the sky as his ceiling.
Yeah, he’s not a bad guy.
Why would Evan highlight him as another main ally otherwise? Sure, he has a serious case of wanderlust, but practically no downsides.
‘Time to get closer.’
He said he’d come tomorrow, right?
‘I should prepare some potions ahead of time.’
Food isn’t important.
Just enough to fill the stomach will do.
What matters is the healing potion to treat his condition.
‘Wasn’t it something about tremors?’
Not a severe illness per se.
But for an assassin, it’s quite serious.
Shaky hands?
Lower accuracy.
For someone who needs to quickly and stealthily eliminate targets with certainty, it’s a fatal flaw.
Plus, there are various inconveniences…
‘Giving him treatment should work.’
Fortunately, preparations are almost complete.
Just one more ingredient is needed.
“4th golem, bring me the materials.”
Shake shake.
“…None left? What, why?”
Shrug.
The 4th golem shrugged its shoulders, pointing at the empty shelf with its long arm.
All the bottles were empty.
“…”
Seriously, that one ran out?
The potion to treat tremors doesn’t have a specific name.
Evan couldn’t memorize every single potion name anyway.
Additionally, he modified it to avoid side effects.
Luminous Calming Herb, which only grows in the forest near the Alkarte Ducal Family estate.
It’s known to stop trembling legs.
That’s all Evan knew about its effects.
He merely amplified them a bit.
‘Aww, who should I ask… it’ll take forever…’
The Calming Herb is difficult to collect.
As soon as it senses danger, it sprays paralyzing powder everywhere.
No way to block it.
It enters through the respiratory system and skin.
Can’t hold your breath forever, and even cloth barriers can’t fully protect against it.
So the golems are the only solution since they don’t breathe.
‘Unfortunately, I haven’t reached the skill level to send golems that far yet…’
I haven’t implemented the shared vision function due to insufficient talent.
“…Sigh. Don’t want to go out, but what can I do…”
Guess I’ll have to go myself.
Evan made a big decision.
Jingle jingle.
“Have you awakened?”
“Yes! Young Master! Did you call for me?”
The door opened as Dolphe entered.
Lapis giggled, rubbing her cheek against Evan’s hand like a child.
She was unmistakably a young girl.
After watching Lapis for a moment, Evan spoke.
“Dolph, I plan to go out today.”
“…!”
Dolph’s eyes widened.
It had been nearly two weeks since the last outing.
His skin had turned ghostly pale from lack of sunlight.
“Could you assist me? Please… as quietly as possible.”
“Yes!”
This was welcome news to Dolph.
He had always been concerned about his master’s health.
“I’ll prepare immediately!”
…
“Please follow me, young master.”
Ferok bowed respectfully.
Evan flinched at the unexpected appearance of such a major figure.
‘Why is he here?’
Ferok.
The First Knight Captain and a knight nearing the Master level.
He was also the knight who had suspected Evan of being the culprit.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding had been resolved.
‘…Yeah. Better him than others.’
Still, isn’t this too many people?
The number of bodyguards visible was already over ten.
Before Evan could ask, Ferok spoke first.
“Since Theodore Young Master’s incident, we’ve strengthened the security measures. Please understand…”
“…Understood.”
Yeah. Safety first is good.
Having rationalized it to himself, Evan casually asked,
“…Where’s Theodore?”
“He’s staying in his room.”
“…I see.”
Theodore had locked himself in his room ever since that day.
Looking sickly, as if ill.
So Evan decided to leave him be.
He’ll take care of himself.
‘At least he’s not showing much interest.’
Ferok sighed in relief internally.
Theodore.
Since the runaway incident, he had secluded himself in his room.
To avoid meeting Evan.
Starting to believe in gods he once doubted, repenting daily while trembling.
Especially when hearing the name Evan Alkarte, he would have seizures.
His condition was serious enough for the Duke to personally check on him.
-I have no son as pitiful as him.
Recalling those words, Ferok shook his head.
Actually, what was most shameful wasn’t just Theodore’s attitude.
It was that he started believing in gods.
The fact that the Duke was an atheist was well-known within the family.
Someone who believed in deities was considered insane, worthy of harsh criticism.
-Holy power? That’s merely corrupted magic. Giving power in exchange for faith? Human hearts change like reeds in the wind. How can one dedicate both heart and soul to a god whose form is unseen?
Thus, all his children were atheists.
Especially Theodore, who admired the Duke, followed this belief even more strongly.
When his resolve was shattered in one fell swoop, disappointment was inevitable.
Effectively excluded from the line of succession.
‘Could this have been planned?’
Ferok glanced sideways at Evan.
Ferok didn’t think Evan was the culprit.
However, the fact that Evan had become the focus of fear suggested some connection, even if not directly responsible.
‘What’s he planning by going out this time…?’
Could it be that he has to handle something personally?
Or is he looking for new test subjects?
Various thoughts swirled in his mind.
But he didn’t show it.
What mattered was the present.
Carefully escorting Evan safely was his priority.
“Preparations are complete, young master.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
After politely acknowledging, Evan boarded the carriage.
Dolph and the young girl Lapis also climbed aboard.
‘That kid… newly acquired slave?’
A girl with striking white skin and crimson eyes.
What was unusual was how pretty she was.
But for some reason…
Ferok felt an inexplicable chill.
‘…Strange things have been happening since that kid arrived.’
Especially with the rumors about Chimera spreading.
Could this kid be the experimental subject Evan created to approach ‘the forbidden’?
Then…
Gurgle-
Ferok, who had boarded the carriage, noticed Evan’s armor-like robe twitching.
‘The armor is moving?’
“…Young master, where did you purchase that armor?”
“It’s my golem.”
‘This armor is a golem?’
Slurp-
The armor moved like a living thing.
When it sensed Ferok’s gaze targeting the heart area, it shifted protectively.
‘Really unbelievable…’
Golems are exclusive to alchemists.
However, research progress lags behind potions.
Firstly, they’re not profitable,Secondly, they’re highly complex.
They can’t be easily created through mere alchemy.
Energy must radiate from a [core], limbs must move without error, and commands must be executed accurately…Any changes in shape alter structure and flow, making it unavoidable.
This is why golems tend to have similar forms.
Their simple block-like shapes are well-documented in papers.
Beyond that, information is scarce.
Independent research is practically the only option.
‘That one has long arms, that one a thick body, and that one… a dog? Though its neck is too long.’
But Evan was different.
The variously shaped golems currently waiting outside the carriage.
All created within a year…Not just one or two, but enough to fill an entire room.
‘Incredibly… sturdy looking.’
A golem resembling a knight caught Ferok’s eye.
Its bulky frame was so imposing that even Ferok momentarily flinched.It would be difficult to scratch it without an Aura Sword.
‘What purpose could he have for creating such golems…?’
Could he be planning to recreate that ‘incident’ from the black market?
As Ferok felt deep fear in his core,
“…”
Evan was staring at him.
Apparently wanting to say something.
Ferok signaled for him to speak,
Could someone have made a mistake?
Fortunately, it seemed not.After staring intently, Evan turned away.
“…Shall we depart?”
“…Yes, young master. I’ll guard you.”
“Thank you.”
“Where are we headed?”
“We’re going to the Black Forest.”
Black Forest?
What experiments does he plan to conduct there…
While nodding, Ferok subtly adjusted his sword hilt.
Could I possibly… stop the young master?
“…”
Lapis was silently gazing at Ferok with blood-red eyes filled with unknown intent.
…
A short while later.
Evan and Ferok arrived in front of the forest.
“We’ve arrived, young master.”
“…”
“…Young master?”
Evan remained silent.
His gaze was fixed on the window.
Confused, Ferok looked out the carriage window.
Drone-
“That person… is a beggar. Shall I remove him?”
“…No.”
Outside the window was an old man.
He was a beggar.
Greasy hair, tattered clothes.
Snoring under the shade of a tree.
A quintessential beggar.
But Evan knew.
‘Why is that guy here?’
That beggar.
No, that man was the Dark King.
‘…Could he be here to kill me?’
