The Beggar (2)
Ten minutes after they arrived at the forest, the carriage still had not moved an inch.
Jackson, the hunter hired to guide them through the woods, kept stealing glances at the knight.
"Um... Sir Knight? Have I done something wrong?"
"No. Just wait a moment."
Feroc shook his head.
"Young Master is organizing his thoughts."
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
Jackson quickly stepped back. Feroc made no move to stop him. Truthfully, Feroc himself had no idea what Evan was thinking.
What is it about that beggar that has him staring without so much as a twitch for ten whole minutes?
Through the carriage window, Evan's eyes were just barely visible. Not a single emotion showed in them. That alone was strange enough. It meant he had deceived the eyes of Feroc—an Upper Expert who already possessed the qualifications to reach the realm of Sword Master.
That left two possibilities. Either he was stronger than Feroc, or he possessed an ancient relic capable of fooling both eyes and ears.
...Both are possible.
He hated to admit it, but the chance was not zero—the possibility that Evan's realm surpassed his own.
Just as a mage ascended to the supreme realm by gaining enlightenment and comprehending the truths of magic—just as a priest ascended by proving their faith and accepting the power of the gods—just as a blacksmith ascended by listening to the ring of their hammer—an alchemist, too, could rise by similar means. For example, by committing a Taboo—
...But he hasn't committed a Taboo yet.
Honestly, he could not be certain. The rumors about Evan circulating through the underworld—if even half of them were true, he would have had ample reason to challenge a Taboo. But if he truly had committed a Taboo and reached the supreme realm... by now Feroc might no longer be human, but a chimera or an experimental subject.
I'd better pray that isn't the case.
He must have luckily obtained some rare relic or artifact. Or crafted one himself. Evan was an outstanding alchemist. If need be, couldn't he simply make one? With the wealth and renown of the Alcarte Duchy, gathering materials would be a piece of cake. Even if the material was human.
Don't tell me... he plans to use that old man as a test subject?
Human experimentation. As long as the law never caught wind of it, there was no problem. The Taboos of alchemy were only two: manufacturing gold and resurrecting the dead.
...It's not that strange.
Grinding up humans to produce results. Something an ordinary person could never do. But the other party was Evan Alcarte. Feroc knew his true nature. Would that cruel and merciless alchemist hesitate to grind up a single human?
...I just hope he holds back for now.
If he didn't, Feroc would have to kill this innocent hunter as well. He quietly stroked the hilt of his sword, hoping Evan would make the right decision—and soon.
Inside the carriage, Evan—who had been secretly watching the Dark King—finally made his decision.
...I've decided.
The two options he had been agonizing over were simple. First: pretend not to know. Act as if he had never seen the Dark King and remain completely indifferent. Second: act as if he knew. Walk over, greet him, and strike up a conversation—like a real man, or a social butterfly!
The latter is a bit... difficult, though.
It absolutely was not because Evan was a coward that he was hesitating. It was simply because he knew how much the Dark King valued promises.
Honor.
Once spoken, words carried weight, and one had to take responsibility. The Dark King always said so, and always kept his word.
Meeting him now would, strictly speaking, be breaking a promise, right?
The Dark King had clearly said they would meet "tomorrow." Whether Evan had accepted or not, the Dark King had made a promise. And Evan, who needed to maintain good relations with the Dark King, had to keep it. Maintaining good relations with his main ally—that was Evan's goal.
Alright. This time, I'll pretend not to know.
Meeting him now would be an act of breaking faith. The promised meeting was tomorrow. He was simply trying to honor it faithfully. It was absolutely not because he was scared, or because he wasn't mentally prepared.
"Dolf, Lapis."
"Yes!"
"Crunch. Yes."
"Let's get out soon."
Dolf and Lapis nodded faithfully. Neither asked why Evan had been deliberating for so long. Lapis scurried over and took his hand. In her other hand, she was munching on a carrot.
Hmm, right. With this hand, she had crushed the Dark King's disciple to death.
...Could she fight the Dark King too?
Not that he was telling her to fight. But if the Dark King ever tried to kill him, she would have to stop him. Evan carefully asked,
"Lapis. Can you see that old man outside, by any chance?"
"Hmm? Yes."
"Anything unusual about him?"
"Hmm..."
Lapis narrowed her red eyes.
"A beggar...?"
"...Besides that. Is he the same as the person who threw a dagger at me?"
"Hmm... Other than both being old men... I couldn't see their faces..."
So she couldn't be sure. Disappointing.
"But the feeling is similar..."
"Anything else?"
"He smells really awful. Like rotting animal carcasses..."
The smell of rotting corpses? Ah. Evan understood.
It means it's been a long time since he last killed someone.
Good. Evan was relieved. He didn't know why it specifically smelled like rotting animal carcasses, but—
"...Lapis. Last question. Can you tell how strong that person is?"
"Hmm... Way stronger than that uncle I saw last time... Hmm, this much? Thiiis much?"
Lapis flailed her arms. He didn't know exactly how much, but the difference was huge, at least.
"Can Lapis beat him?"
"Hmm..."
Lapis hesitated for a moment. After fretting for a while, she held up three fingers.
"Three minutes?"
"Hmm."
She shook her head.
"Thirty minutes?"
"Hmm."
She nodded. So she could hold out against the Dark King for thirty minutes.
Impressive.
He could worry a little less about dying. Glancing around, Lapis carefully asked,
"...Is he, by any chance, a really dangerous person?"
"No. Just an ordinary beggar."
Evan firmly denied it. Since he was pretending not to know, denial was essential.
...Ah, knowing that he was an ordinary beggar was a bit suspicious too, wasn't it?
"...Probably."
So he added that carefully. Lapis tilted her head.
"Probably?"
"I don't know him, after all."
"Aha."
"He was sitting in front of the forest, so I just asked out of curiosity."
Evan gave Dolf a look. The loyal Dolf understood the signal at once. Like zipping his mouth shut, he closed his lips with a soft swish. Evan nodded in satisfaction.
"Dolsoe. No, Dolf. Give me more veggies."
"Here you go."
Dolf handed over one of the carrots he always carried. Lapis chewed it with a satisfied expression—crunch.
"Dolf. Would you open the door for me?"
"Yes! Let's finish this quick and head back!"
Dolf energetically opened the carriage door. With a heave-ho he climbed down and helped Evan out. Feroc, who had been waiting outside, bowed respectfully.
"Have you finished organizing your thoughts?"
"...Yes."
Evan nodded, inwardly soothing the heart that had jumped when Feroc spoke the moment he stepped out.
"...Everything is settled."
"Congratulations."
Feroc did not ask what he had been deliberating over. Evan felt relieved inside.
"Young Master. This man is the hunter who will be guiding us today."
"Greetings, Young Master."
Feroc introduced the man standing beside him. A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, wearing sleek leather armor with a bow on his back, bowed his head.
"I am Jackson, who will be guiding Young Master through the forest today."
"...I look forward to working with you."
Evan nodded slightly in return. Even with the difference in status, Jackson was old enough to be his father. The age gap was a bit too large for him to treat casually or rudely.
"..."
But Jackson, receiving the greeting, could not help but be surprised. A noble young master who actually returned a greeting?
This is the first time I've seen a noble young master like this.
Jackson was a hunter with thirty years of experience. Naturally, he had plenty of it—and he had been burned by nobles many times.
It's the complete opposite of the rumors.
A gleam of interest flickered in Feroc's eyes.
"Young Master. Before entering the forest, is there anything else you need to prepare? The luggage will differ depending on how many days we stay."
"It's fine."
Evan shook his head.
"I plan to gather only the Light Calming Herb and leave today. We'll finish before the sun sets."
"!"
Jackson was surprised once more. The Light Calming Herb? It was hard to obtain, but not surprising in itself. What was surprising was—
He's telling me both the schedule and the purpose?
Evan's kindness. Ordinary nobles never shared their schedules. Most would get angry and say, "Hmph, is that important? You should just take care of it yourself!" Jackson's expression softened.
This employer seems like a good one.
"Do you know where the Light Calming Herb is located?"
"Yes. We just need to keep going this way."
Jackson politely pointed toward the center of the forest. The Light Calming Herb was a medicinal plant that only grew in the heart of the woods. The reason was that it required a place with optimal humidity, temperature, and especially sunlight. There was even a small pond, making it the ideal growing spot. However—
"There are many monsters nearby. So you must be careful."
"We will guard you thoroughly."
"It's fine."
Evan waved off their concerns. He was not afraid of entering the forest at all. Why? Because he wasn't going in.
"How long does it take to reach the center?"
"It won't take long. Around when the sun is high and just starting to dip a little."
Then the distance was sufficient.
"Number 5, Number 4. Golem Dok."
Evan gestured behind him. Number 5, which could inject things like a syringe. Number 4, with long arms. And Golem Dok, specialized in finding things or moving.
Thud, thud!
They walked forward. The knights sent puzzled looks. Instead of answering, Evan drew up his mana and looked at the trees. The foundation of alchemy was [Understanding]. For that purpose he had learned the second-circle magic [Analysis Eye]—one of the few spells he possessed.
The composition is similar to ordinary wood.
Then the preparations for alchemy were complete. Evan placed his hand on the ground.
At that moment—
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The earth shook violently, and the trees twisted. As if turning into rubber, they were [Decomposed], bent, twisted, and cleared away, then [Reconstructed]. The range was so vast it could not be taken in with both eyes.
Evan's advantage: the lack of range limitation on [Transmutation]. Normally, alchemy only applied to the part the hand touched, or to a single object. Evan had no such restriction. As long as objects were connected, he could transform them as far as his mana allowed.
Rooooar.
This should be enough.
He had used up quite a bit of mana. Evan pulled a small strawberry-flavored high-grade mana potion from his coat and downed it. Wiping his mouth with a swipe, he ordered the golems.
"Golems. All of you, move out. You know, right? The Calming Herb. Bring it carefully without damaging the roots."
Number 5, Number 4, and Golem Dok nodded and entered the forest. Their sturdy backs looked quite imposing—like protagonists.
...Should I just go in with them? I have Living Golems too.
Honestly, Evan was still young. At an age when blood ran hot. He felt the urge to go in and be active together. But—
"Achoo!"
His nose itched, and he sneezed. His body felt a bit chilly, as if a cold was coming on.
Ugh, this damn body.
If it weren't for this, huh? He'd be playing the protagonist too. It wasn't that Evan was a coward—this world was making him into one...
GROOOOAR!
Then a roar erupted from the forest. His body went stiff with a snap. Was this what they called Fear or something?
"Evan."
Lapis quietly approached and took his hand.
"You can't go inside. It's dangerous."
"That's right, Young Master! Let's just wait quietly here!"
"Young Master. The inside is dangerous. Leaving it to the golems is the best option."
"A-amazing, Young Master. To think of having the golems gather it in your place..."
Everyone stopped him—with occasional praise mixed in.
"Ahem."
Evan gave a small cough. It was not that he wasn't going in because he was scared. It was because everyone was stopping him.
"I shall follow everyone's wishes."
"Evan is the best!"
"As expected, Young Master is the greatest!"
Lapis grinned, and Dolf shot him a thumbs-up. Phew. Evan sat on the edge of the carriage, relieved.
While waiting, maybe I should make some potions?
That was when it happened.
"No! You must not enter that forest today!"
A thin, old voice. Crack—Evan's body tensed with tension. He forced his head to turn to the side.
The beggar who had been sleeping until just now—no, the Dark King. Clutching a few black pebbles in his hand, he was yelling at them.
"Today is full of ominous omens! The ground is damp, and more than three wolves gathered and howled together! The Angol Grand Devil has foretold ill fortune! If you enter today, you will all die!"
...While spouting strange nonsense.