I’m Not the Mastermind

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“So, what do we do now?”

After completing the soul binding, it’s now Tiamat’s turn to transform Yujin into a dragon according to their contract.

To escape this place, he needs to become a dragon and wield dragon powers; there’s no way he can escape from the maze created by the gods with just Yujin’s current abilities.

“First, take your hands off my heart and try to approach my bones.”

“Can we still talk if I take my hands off your heart?”

“Well, you’re already bound by the soul, so what’s to stop us? If you want, we can even look into each other’s hearts.”

“…I see.”

Feeling a bit uneasy about the idea of someone reading his heart, Yujin had no choice but to go along with it. After all, the contract stated as much.

As he removed his hands from Tiamat’s heart, Tiamat spoke up.

“See? We can still communicate, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Now, try getting closer to my bones.”

Following Tiamat’s instructions, Yujin approached one of the ribs that seemed embedded in the ground and placed his hand on it.

“Is this alright?”

“Yes. This next part is crucial. From now on, I will convey my knowledge to you at my discretion.”

“Knowledge transfer… ugh!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of information hit Yujin like a ton of bricks. Tiamat was directly transmitting knowledge to him through their souls.

As a result, Yujin felt like his brain was melting. His head was pounding, leaving him utterly incapacitated.

How much time passed? After standing there dazed for nearly 30 minutes, Tiamat finally spoke.

“…Are you alright?”

“…Umm… Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy.”

“Sorry. I completely forgot about a mortal’s information processing abilities. I might’ve tried to cram too much knowledge into you.”

“No need to apologize. It’s knowledge I need, after all.”

“Right.”

It’s essentially knowledge on how to evolve a human’s body into that of a dragon. Magical knowledge akin to fragments of absolute truth for human mages was suddenly injected into Yujin’s brain.

If he weren’t an Awakened One, his brain might have actually melted down. Yet Yujin remained calm.

‘Hmm… I understand the method, but it’s more complicated than I thought.’

He pondered Tiamat’s provided method for transforming into a dragon. There was so much information, and some of it was completely foreign to him, making it tough to grasp the exact principles. Still, he knew what he had to do.

But it was intricate. He never actually thought it would be simple, but it was much more complex than he imagined.

Moreover…

“Writing this magic circle with just my mana seems… tricky.”

The knowledge Tiamat shared was essentially alchemical. It was about using dragon bones as a catalyst to transform a human body into that of a dragon.

This magic field, made for transforming one substance into another, shared many aspects with alchemy… in fact, it was practically a dream come true for alchemists, packed into Yujin’s mind.

Of course, alchemy itself is a form of magic, and its foundation lies in magic circles and such. Spells can be triggered using objects as catalysts, magically processing catalysts, and transforming them — all done through a kind of magical process that involves magic circles.

However, such magical processes often require various tools and apparatus, rather than relying solely on simple magic circles… they make the alchemical processes easier.

But Tiamat’s magic circle made it possible to conduct the entire process solely through the magic circle. Understandably, the complexity and necessary mana for this process increased dramatically.

Yujin had the knowledge of the magic circle, and while he could manage to come up with it given enough time, his pure mana to activate this magic circle simply wasn’t enough.

“Ah… I see. Then let’s begin with my heart.”

“You mean your heart, Tiamat?”

“Yes, use the mana embedded in my heart. Think of it like pulling mana from an Orb.”

“The mana in Tiamat’s heart is exceptionally strong. Can I really draw it out and use it?”

The mana embedded in Tiamat’s heart was… frankly, on a whole different level compared to the miscellaneous mana Yujin possessed. Yujin wouldn’t exactly call himself a weak awakening mage, but even so, the power of the dragon king’s heart was something he couldn’t match.

Could he really guide such a lofty current of power using just his lower-level skills to manipulate his trivial mana? Yujin wasn’t optimistic about that.

“Of course, under normal circumstances, you couldn’t use my mana. But if I allow it, wouldn’t it be different?”

“…Hmm, alright. Let’s give it a try.”

Nodding at Tiamat’s words, Yujin returned to Tiamat’s heart and placed his hand back on the bones.

He began to draw out mana from Tiamat’s heart.

Whoooooom!

The magnificent mana flowed at his command. Feeling it, Yujin exhaled a long breath.

“…Phew.”

Just a moment of controlling it sent waves of omnipotence rushing through him. What would it feel like if he swallowed this heart and claimed this mana as his own? A momentary greed flashed through him, but he shook it off.

He must not forget what he needed to do. Becoming intoxicated by the sensation of power would undoubtedly turn him into something less than human.

Slowly, he moved Tiamat’s mana to begin writing the magic circle.

And the magic circle began to be inscribed on the massive pillar. The deep crimson mana etched itself onto the massive bones like a circuit.

They appeared as letters or, as previously mentioned, like circuits. Unfathomable strange patterns began to take shape on the bones.

However, the speed was anything but fast. The magic circle was slowly spreading from the point where Yujin’s hand rested, and it seemed like it would take ages to fill the massive bones. After all, Yujin had only ever used magic as an Awakened One during gate explorations, and he was a complete novice when it came to alchemy, so that made sense.

“Keep at it. I’ll help a bit more.”

At that moment, Tiamat said this and started doing something.

“….!”

Whoosh!

Yujin felt a rush of clarity in his mind. His brain began to operate at breakneck speed, drastically speeding up his magic circle writing.

“I’ve temporarily elevated your potential. Sharpening your senses and maximizing your focus. You can consider it enlightenment.”

Yujin didn’t even hear those words. He found himself in a state of pure focus, pouring all his effort into writing the magic circle.

The magic circle spread rapidly across the bones. The dragon’s bones had an extremely high conductivity for mana, allowing it to flow seamlessly without any obstruction.

And so, the magic circle began to spread across the vast bones.

***

The Great Maze.

A prison where the victorious gods of the transcendent war confine the remnants of the fallen transcendent beings.

Countless things lay asleep within the maze.

The remains of the deceased transcendent beings, the transcendent beings that used to reign before the great war, now trapped within the Great Maze, and treasures that matched the numerous crises and trials encountered inside.

All these things inspired greed and adventure in mortals.

Rare resources obtainable in the maze, absurd treasures imbued with remnants of the power of transcendent beings, and the power granted to those chosen by the trapped transcendent beings. Naturally, these were all things mortals longed for, hence their desire to enter the maze.

And so, the gods opened the gate of the maze to mortals.

Eagerly, they began to embark on adventures, believing they would gain new opportunities and powers within the maze.

The so-called age of the Great Maze exploration had begun.

Within the maze lay countless opportunities. Seize even a single one, and one could become the victor of life, enjoying wealth and glory.

Those who possessed sought even more, while the less fortunate entered the maze in search of new chances.

However, lurking within the maze were equally formidable crises and trials. Countless monsters residing within the maze, and the escalating trials that awaited them further inside, along with the scheming transcendent beings trapped there, harboring malice towards the outside world…

While there were restrictions on how much the transcendent beings in the maze could interfere with mortals according to its rules, it was still fatal for mortals.

“Ugh… Ack…!”

For example, take this girl.

A young girl with white hair, appearing to be in her late teens, twisted in agony. Like countless others who ventured into the maze, she returned burdened with some aftereffects.

The only difference between her and the many others was her noble lineage.

Confirming her status were the high-ranking priests and a woman clad in knightly armor surrounding the girl, looking on with anxious or disturbed expressions.

“…Huh.”

Finally, a blonde woman dressed as a priestess clenched her eyes shut, turning away. Her expression bore resignation.

Noticing this, the armored woman asked, “…Purifying Saint? What’s the matter…”

The Purifying Saint.

A transcendent being that received powers from the goddess of purification, Pripian.

Her status was high, given that she carried the powers of one of the gods currently residing in the heavens. Particularly in the realm of ‘purification,’ there were likely no beings above her except the gods themselves.

She was seldom unable to cleanse curses, diseases, or desecration. However…

Rarely meant it wasn’t impossible.

For a mere mortal, there were definitely curses she couldn’t cleanse.

Transcendent beings.

Though they held the powers granted by transcendent beings, mortals couldn’t eradicate them.

“…It’s impossible for me.”

“…W-What do you mean? You say it’s impossible?”

However, to the armored woman, it sounded absurd. A curse that the goddess of purification could not erase? How could that be?

Yet, despite the desperate questioning from the knight, the Purifying Saint shook her head.

“…I can’t purify everything. To begin with, this isn’t just a simple curse.”

“Not just a simple curse…?”

“…Demon.”

“…!”

Demon.

Or the evil god, the ones that stood in stark opposition to the gods.

They were transcendent beings with the opposing force of divine power—magic.

It was the name of beings that should have been imprisoned in the Great Maze after their defeat in the great war.

“So, a demon cast a curse directly?”

“…No. According to the maze’s rules, demons cannot cast curses that even I cannot purify without restrictions.”

Indeed, transcendent beings trapped in the maze could only exert limited influence over mortals in the form of trials. Even the trials they impose couldn’t be rules meant solely for tormenting mortals.

Moreover, if a mortal passes the trials, they must be rewarded according to the difficulty, leaving the trapped transcendent beings at a disadvantage. Thus, transcendent beings would generally only give trials that were manageable for mortals, and even then, most were for entertainment. Simple diversions to alleviate their boredom.

Furthermore, the choice to undertake the trials rested entirely with the mortals, and if they failed, they would face death according to the rules of the tower.

This was the mercy of the gods. If the transcendent beings dictated the cost of failing to surpass the trials, they would likely end up simply toying with them until they broke.

At least, if the beings were dragons or giants with little interest in mortals, they might generously grant them death or even release them, but not demons.

In reality, most of the transcendent beings administering trials were demons. As mentioned before, dragons and giants generally lacked significant interest in mortals and rarely imposed trials.

But demons were different. They endlessly devised trials for the sake of tormenting mortals. What would happen if they were allowed to decide the consequences for failing to overcome such trials?

Every mortal that attempted those trials would suffer screaming agony in hell until death.

Thus, the fact that even the Purifying Saint was unable to dispel a curse was indeed a rare anomaly.

Transcendent beings could only exert limited influence over mortals. To wield greater influence than usual, they needed to impose trials.

And failing the trials meant death, while overcoming them brought rewards.

But the sight of the girl before them? She looked in too much pain to have received rewards. If she had failed, she surely would have perished.

It was common for mortals returning from the maze to suffer aftereffects like wounds, curses, or diseases, but it was evident that a transcendent being had intervened since a curse was placed upon a Purifying Saint that even she couldn’t dissolve.

“Then what on earth…”

“…The reward itself was a trap, I suppose.”

“…!”

Upon hearing that response, they turned to look at the girl’s right eye.

Instead of a pupil, there bloomed a flower.

A pure white, beautiful flower.

The fully blossomed petals obscured part of the girl’s face. If it weren’t for her pained expression, one might find it fascinatingly ethereal.

“…This flower…”

“Yes. Before entering the maze, didn’t you say to the ‘Princess’ that such a flower did not exist?”

“…Yes.”

The knight nodded. The Purifying Saint sighed and continued.

“This flower itself is a curse placed by a demon… no, it is the demon itself.”

“…What?”

The knight asked again, bewildered. A flower being a demon?

“Literally. This flower is the demon.”

“…What does that mean?”

“According to the maze’s rules, if a mortal overcomes a trial, the trapped transcendent must grant a reward. But can a curse be offered as a reward?”

“……”

“That’s impossible. The maze wouldn’t allow it. Therefore, this flower must be the reward. Simply…”

The Purifying Saint glared at the flower as if infuriated.

“…the reward was a trap, as I just mentioned.”

“……”

“The demon that granted the reward… he offered himself as the reward.”

“…!”

Upon hearing that, the knight’s eyes widened. She looked down at the girl… no, the princess.

“What do you mean…?”

“I felt it. This isn’t just imbued with the power of a demon. It’s the demon itself.”

“……”

“So it can’t be purified. Since it’s transcendent. It’s only natural that something a mere mortal has received wouldn’t be able to erase it.”

“That’s… impossible…”

The knight sank down, overwhelmed with despair.

Then suddenly, someone burst into the room.

A striking man with white hair and striking purple eyes, identical to the girl’s, entered. He approached the girl lying on the bed with a twisted expression.

“…….”

“…Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“…I heard the whole story, Saint. So my sister…?”

The man, referred to as the Crown Prince, bit down on his lip before continuing.

“…You’re saying she has a demon within her.”

“…That’s what we believe.”

“How is that even possible? The maze can’t allow such a thing…”

“…Sometimes, the maze can present dangerous rewards that the user cannot control.”

“….!”

“But if it can be controlled, it can also become a powerful weapon. It’s likely this demon is something similar.”

The Crown Prince shot a furious glare at the Purifying Saint.

“But it’s a transcendent being! An evil god or demon! If the gods are in their right minds, how could they allow a prisoner they’ve confined to break free…!”

“Your Highness! That’s blasphemy!”

“Shut it!”

At the Crown Prince’s critical tone, one of the priests retreated, visibly surprised.

The aura emanating from the Crown Prince was enough to make even pious believers step back.

“My sister is currently being taken over by a demon and dying! Do you think such a thing as blasphemy matters?!”

“…This…!”

“Your Highness, please calm down and listen.”

The Saint’s words made the Crown Prince grit his teeth. Perhaps he simply couldn’t afford to direct his anger at the chosen saint, but he restrained his expression, asking instead.

“…What happened?”

“From my assessment, I believe she is not a complete transcendent being. During the great war, a demon’s remnant appears to have sealed its seed in the form of a reward.”

Within the tower, transcendent beings bestow trials, as well as various task-like trials upon mortals. Accordingly, rewards are distributed in the same way.

While a deceased transcendent being can no longer administer trials directly, the remnants of a dead transcendent’s power can be awarded as a reward for overcoming those trials.

“So you mean…”

“The remnants of a dead transcendent… effectively have no self. They were likely released because they judged that they couldn’t control the user.”

“……”

“However… right now, Your Highness the princess’ body is undergoing drastic changes. Perhaps a new demon may be born on the surface.”

The Purifying Saint observed the princess’s body, concluding that she was on the verge of transcending her humanity. She might turn into something akin to a demon.

“…Does that mean…”

“…We may need to make a decision quickly. Before it’s too late.”

The implications were that they might need to kill her before a demon was fully born.

Thankfully, since they were dealing with the imperial princess and the relatively easygoing Purifying Saint among the gods’ apostles, this suggestion was only lightly stated. Had the war god’s apostle been present, the Crown Prince would have likely found himself dealing with a forceful intervention into the potential transformation of his sister.

In fact, several of the priests present suggested an immediate execution of the princess. Yet the saint wanted to at least give the family some time to accept the reality.

“…Is there no cure? Is there no way to heal her?”

The Crown Prince asked for a solution. But, the Purifying Saint had no suitable answers.

“…If it were a transcendent being, there might be a way… However, due to the aftermath of the great war and the Great Maze erection, the gods can only exert limited powers on the surface now. Hoping for aid from the gods is unrealistic.”

“……”

“Other transcendent beings, those trapped within the maze… But dragons and giants have little interest in humans. Even if they were to help, getting a reward that could eliminate the seed of the transcendent being would be near impossible. And demons? Well, that goes without saying.”

Essentially, she was saying that no viable options presented themselves. Nevertheless, the Crown Prince was unwilling to give up.

“Then… is there any way to overcome this?”

“…It requires a powerful aura.”

“…A powerful aura?”

“Yes. The princess’s own ‘aura’ won’t suffice. It’s impossible to withstand a demon’s magic with the inferior aura that mortals possess.”

“……”

“However… if she continuously imbibes powerful auras akin to those of transcendent beings… like divine power from the gods, or the aura of giants, or… the magic of dragons… she may have a chance of overcoming the demon’s magic.”

The Saint continued, her face darkening somewhat.

“Even though I have received divine powers, the aura I can wield is still that of a mortal. I cannot compare to divine power.”

“……”

“As I mentioned earlier, we need transcendent assistance. Though healing may be impossible, it’s essential to aid the princess in overcoming and controlling the demon’s aura…”

But, there were no transcendent beings currently present. The gods could only exert limited influence on the surface due to the aftermath of the great war and the Great Maze, while all other transcendent beings were either dead or confined in the Great Maze.

The Crown Prince ultimately hung his head in despair.

Just then…

“Then, is there a way to buy some time?”

“…Your Majesty!”

A middle-aged man with white hair and a crown suddenly entered the room.

The Saint bowed and knelt before the crowned figure, even lowering her head to him.

“I greet the sun of the empire.”

“Enough with the formalities, Saint. But tell me, if there are remnants of a dead transcendent, can we buy some time?”

“Yes. If there are artifacts imbued with the powers of a transcendent being, we might be able to buy some time.”

“…I understand.”

The Emperor nodded at that remark, gazing at his daughter’s suffering form on the bed.

“…Then we must find some answers in the Great Maze while buying time.”

After saying that, the Emperor turned to the knights standing at the door.

“By the name of the Emperor, Julius von Arsedium, open the palace’s records.”

“Yes!”

“And the second princess, Elysia von Arsedium, will be sent back to the academy as soon as the emergency treatment is completed.”

“Your Majesty!”

The Crown Prince, who had been keeping his head down, was taken aback at that proclamation.

“Father, what do you mean? She should be resting, at the very least!”

“Would just resting change anything, Alen? Nothing will change by dragging things out.”

“……”

“We’ll send her back to the academy first and then to the maze. There, we will find our answers.”

The Crown Prince could only lower his head in defeat, unable to counter the Emperor’s decision.

“Oh, God…”

He clenched his eyes shut, praying to the gods.

May the gods protect her.

 

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