Chapter 15- BlueBeard (3)
“…To dedicate to me?”
The absurd information left me dumbfounded.
It was enough to make my head spin instantly.
“No, when did he even see me?”
Evan had no acquaintance with Count BlueBeard.
Worship? Test subject?
They had never even spoken.
“I even ignored the wedding invitation I received before.”
It was a few months ago, wasn’t it?
A wedding invitation arrived from Count BlueBeard.
[To the beloved young alchemist]
-Please attend my sixth wedding.
Naturally, I ignored it.
Why go there when we weren’t even close?
Moreover, it was a location that took a full week to reach.
At the time, No. 5 was incomplete, and I wasn’t feeling well.
“Knowing his identity too, I had no reason to go.”
Any contact after that?
None.
Would Evan have been disappointed seeing the name for no reason?
It’s because I’m unknown.
But an unexpected rumor was spreading.
“So that’s why people got scared just hearing the name Alcart!”
It’s not just because of the notorious reputation!
Of course they’d be scared if such rumors were spreading!
I would be scared too!
My neck was stiff from the absurdity.
Evan massaged his neck while contemplating.
“Should I just ignore it?”
That was wishful thinking.
Evan let out a sigh. “…That’s impossible.”
Would rumors spread without any reason?
There must be a reason behind it.
Whether BlueBeard spread it himself, or someone with ill feelings toward Evan spread false rumors.
I’ll have to resolve this somehow.
“I guess… I’ll have to meet Count Bluebeard?”
My heart seems to flutter a bit at the thought of meeting him.
It’s definitely not fear. Just slightly nervous, that’s all.
“Hmm. Better check everything before going.”
Tap, tap.
I patted my clothes.
The living golem worn in the form of leather armor.
The living golem vibrated slightly to indicate it was functioning properly.
Swoosh-
Evan’s shadow twitched slightly.
Checking connection with other golems too.
The staff serving as the medium released a short vibration.
“All normal. This should be enough.”
With this much, meeting him shouldn’t be a problem.
Whew!
Evan took a deep breath and gestured to Lapis.
A gesture indicating it’s time to go.
Evan made a subtle gesture.
Lapis bowed her head.
“Um, my brother is calling, so I need to go. Thank you! This is my gift.”
“Oh my, thank you~”
“See you again~”
Ladies waving their hands gently.
Evan slightly bowed his head while managing his expression, and left with Lapis.
The destination was the BlueBeard’s mansion.
Finding it wasn’t difficult.
‘No way, even the mansion is actually blue.’
Seeing it in person made it even worse.
A feeling like losing one’s appetite.
Just as Evan was feeling uneasy.
Rustle!
“!”
Lapis’ ears perked up.
Dolph also sensed something and quickly turned his head.
Evan, who was the slowest to react, turned his head.
Turning too sharply would cause muscle pain.
‘…… A person?’
A blue dress was rustling, moving through the bushes.
Is this a hidden camera?
While somewhat secretive, it was only somewhat.
Not even as good as a child playing hide and seek.
Suddenly.
Then, a woman with traces of youth remaining poked her head out from the bushes.
And her eyes met with Evan’s.
“Hee, heek!”
Then she immediately fainted.
“……”
***
10 minutes later.
“I’m, I’m sorry. I was just too surprised.”
“Isn’t it rude to faint just from seeing someone?”
“……”
If you know, don’t say it type of silence.
Evan looked down at the woman before him with complex emotions.
The woman lowered her head as if she were a criminal.
Though it wasn’t polite to faint just from seeing someone.
“…Please raise your head. I’m fine.”
Perhaps because she looked young, he didn’t feel any ill will.
Right.
She could have been surprised.
Evan wasn’t that petty to make an issue out of this one thing.
“I’m, I’m sorry……”
“It’s fine.”
The woman apologetically raised her head.
An appearance still showing traces of youth.
Maybe 20 years old at most?
‘A commoner?’
Her skin was certainly white and her appearance quite pretty.
However, she was rather thin.
Her manner of speaking and such didn’t feel noble either.
Yet the dress was quite high quality.
Neither the material nor design was something a commoner would wear.
Then?
“You must be the Countess.”
“!”
The woman showed a startled expression.
“H-how?”
“…You just seemed like it.”
“I-I get scolded by the Count everyday for acting like a troublemaker……”
“Perhaps, sister.” Lapis asked while crunching a carrot. “Were you in the middle of running away?”
“Uh, what?”
“Because you came out like someone who’s escaping!”
“W-well…” The lady hesitated to answer.
Hmm, is the atmosphere too scary?
Evan slightly pulled back the golems.
Though he meant to ease the burden, the lady seemed to interpret it differently as her face turned pale.
“I-I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything!”
“…We won’t do anything.”
“W-well… you see…”
The lady, that is Amelia, was the youngest of six sisters in an ordinary family.
With her pretty looks for a commoner, she received several marriage proposals, but suddenly a count visited and proposed marriage.
Naturally, she accepted.
Although she would be the sixth wife, she didn’t know the weight of that position.
At least the count was kind.
Though she wasn’t sure if he’d be a good husband.
There was one condition in exchange.
To bear a son.
Then one day.
“There’s… a room in the mansion that I absolutely must not enter…”
“A room?”
“Yes… He said I could enter all rooms except the former wives’ room… He said he wanted to preserve their traces…”
“Did you go inside?”
Lapis asked.
The lady hurriedly made excuses.
“I-I was trying to catch a mouse…”
What nonsense?
For a Count’s mansion, with all its servants, why would the lady personally try to catch a mouse?
Even a passing golem would laugh at that.
‘Why would she do that?’
Though he was the manliest of men, Evan couldn’t understand such a choice as someone who valued safety.
Why deliberately open something you’re told not to open?
But he didn’t voice this thought.
What’s done is done.
“You can stop there.”
“I went inside and… there was a c-corpse… Kyaaaaaah…”
The lady let out a small scream, not even hearing Evan’s words.
Lapis caught her with a ‘hup’ before she could collapse.
‘…So basically, she saw a corpse?’
Well, in the original story, this wife was already dead too.
In the main story, he remembered there being up to ten wives.
‘Ugh. It’s even more unsettling hearing it in person.’
Should they just go back?
Maybe it would be better to gather ingredients directly?
Though they’d have to go west rather than east…
‘Damn. I need to find out about my rumors.’
It would be troublesome if those rumors spread beyond this territory.
Who knows how they might be exaggerated?
Now was the best time to stop it.
That’s when it happened.
“F-found her!”
“My lady!”
The guards rushed in.
Maybe they should have gone somewhere farther?
“W-who are you!”
“Identify yourselves!”
‘Ah.’
The trembling guards shouted.
Evan finally realized how suspicious his appearance was.
Just wearing a hood was suspicious enough.
And now there were golems swarming around?
Even Evan would suspect himself.
Suspect himself of being a criminal.
Should I reveal my identity here?
“……Everyone, please calm down.”
“Don’t move!”
The soldiers pointed their spears.
Flash!
The spearhead tips glittered in the reflected sunlight.
Evan unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.
Wow, how brutal!
The problem wasn’t these spears.
It’s not like I would die even if stabbed by those.
The problem was Lapis!
“…….”
Lapis had been silent for a while.
She wasn’t even chewing the carrot she had been eating.
They say silence is scarier than anger.
‘Everyone’s going to die at this rate?’
That can’t happen!
Evan steeled himself internally.
Though scared, there was no choice.
The only option was to survive first.
Swoosh.
Evan pulled back his hood.
His black hair and golden eyes that gleamed coldly even in the shadows were revealed.
Anyone could tell he was nobility.
The soldiers hesitated at his refined appearance.
One soldier recognized Evan and his eyes widened.
“D-Duke Alcart…… gasp!”
“H-huff!”
The guards stepped back.
After all, they were just commoners.
Mere soldiers who hadn’t even received knight training.
Mistaking a noble for a criminal and pointing spears?
That’s immediate execution.
It wouldn’t be strange even if three generations of their family were wiped out.
‘Though I have no intention of doing something that crazy.’
Evan just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding and get the ingredients.
He had no intention of doing such frightening things.
That would just be insane.
Evan could magnanimously understand this situation like a man.
It definitely wasn’t because he feared the aftermath.
“I have no intention of harming you. And I won’t touch the lady either.”
“T-then…….”
“I came to this mansion as a guest.”
Evan approached the guard.
Right in front of him.
The guard, seemingly startled, stumbled backward and fell.
Evan helped him up, patting the dust off his pants.
That should be enough to avoid any misunderstandings, right?
“Would you kindly escort me into the mansion?”
“Y-Yes! Yes! Of course!”
Evan tried his best to put on a friendly smile.
Or rather, he intended to.
‘Ah, a cramp.’
Damn it.
In the end, his face remained expressionless.
Still, he did his best to sound polite as he spoke again.
“Would you please escort me inside?”
“Y-Yes!!!”
That should be enough to avoid any misunderstandings, right?
***
It wasn’t.
“First, I must apologize.”
The Blue-bearded Count.
Bluebeard, blue clothes, blue walls, blue floor.
The Count, showing an arrangement that could drive one mad, bowed his head.
“The rumors about you spreading in my territory are all due to my negligence.”
“…”
“I will personally find the source and resolve it, so please forgive me.”
I’m not… angry though.
Why does he think I’m angry?
Instead of answering, Evan stared at the Count.
Cold sweat running down the Count’s forehead.
Seems like he’s feeling guilty about something.
‘Well, he must have killed people and piled up corpses in the room.’
It would be strange if he wasn’t feeling guilty.
Normally, people would use this as leverage for blackmail. But Evan had no such intentions.
That was his sensitive spot.
What reaction would he show if prodded?
He’d either despair or lash out.
And who would get hurt?
Evan would.
Just need to quietly report this.
Evan wasn’t a safety-first person for nothing. This takes priority over getting hurt.
‘Reporting to the Imperial family would be safest, right?’
Evan slowly opened his mouth. “I’m just puzzled.”
“…Do you remember the letter I sent to you, young lord?”
“You mean the wedding invitation.”
“Since then, rumors have spread. That my wives’ deaths were connected to you, specifically that they became experimental subjects to be offered to you…”
So that’s how it spread.
I understand. Rumors tend to grow naturally.
However,
‘Seems like he didn’t try to stop it though?’
He could have stopped it if he wanted to, but deliberately didn’t.
Because it didn’t harm him.
He could even hide his crimes with it.
That’s quite vexing.
Should I just confront him directly?
‘No, that won’t work.’
The Blue-bearded Count is a serial killer.
Who knows what he might do here.
This tea might even be poisoned.
‘Should I let it slide for now?’
Absolutely not because I’m scared.
Just because I’m not trying to play the hero.
Evan took a sip of tea instead of answering.
The Count made an aggrieved expression.
“I had no such thoughts. Sending you the wedding invitation was merely sending it to one of few companions.”
“I see.”
“I have no interest in [Taboo]. Why would I covet the most forbidden act for alchemists?”
What a liar.
It’s absurd from someone who knows the truth.
He didn’t bother to point out the flaw.
“I understand.”
“Re-really?”
“Yes.”
The Count’s face brightened.
He’s not even a superior.
It felt awkward being in a position to see such an expression, but anyway.
“I didn’t come to charge you with crimes.”
“Then…?”
“I just came to get materials.”
Evan took out the Dark King’s letter from his breast pocket and slid it over.
“Could you hand over some materials I need? I’ll pay for them.”
“This is…”
The Count picked up the letter.
A gasp escaped his lips.
Simultaneously, an emotion briefly flashed in his eyes.
It was fear.
“…So, you came knowing everything.”
“?”
Evan looked at him with an expression that said ‘what are you talking about?’
But the Count seemed to have already finished his thinking.
Thud!
The Count fell to his knees again.
“I-I’ll confess everything. Please, if you want my research too, I’ll hand it all over. Pl-please spare my life!”
“…”
This reaction from just one letter.
Evan felt his head spinning.
Thanks for the chapter!