I'm Not the Mastermind-Chapter 53

A pathetic shadow of something greater.

So why?

Why did so many waste their lives chasing after something that wasn't even the real thing?

Lynne had questioned it ever since she first entered the field of alchemy.

Why settle for this imitation?

To her, it was laughable.

That’s why she had chosen a different goal.

Not the Philosopher’s Stone.

Not a mere copy.

But a real Transcendent.

To become one—or to create one with her own hands.

Surely, there was a reason transcendents came into existence.

If she could find that reason, then replicating one was not impossible.

She knew what others would think.

To priests, believers, and scholars, she would be labeled a heretic.

But she didn’t care.

She would hide her true thoughts, but she would never abandon them.

That’s why she had aligned herself with black mages.

If she lacked knowledge, she would borrow theirs.

Transcendents existed in four known forms—Gods, Demons, Dragons, and Giants.

She had studied the first three.

But Demons?

Demons were an incomplete puzzle piece.

And when Alicia von Arsedium was born with the Demonic Seed, Lynne had hoped.

Hoped that she had finally found the missing link.

But she was disappointed.

The Demonic Seed did not transform a mortal into a transcendent.

Rather—it was a vessel.

A womb for something already transcendent to be reborn inside a mortal shell.

Alicia’s body was simply a cradle.

When the process was complete, her consciousness would be erased.

It was not what Lynne wanted.

However—

It was useful.

She had no personal attachment to Alicia, so she simply offered the information to Bollen, the black mage she had dealings with.

The black mages had been ecstatic.

To them, the birth of a new demon meant the birth of their era.

But Lynne?

She thought it was pathetic.

Demons had no allegiance.

They thrived in chaos—not order.

Even the monsters and demi-humans that demons had spawned feared their own creators.

They were left to slaughter each other in an endless hellscape—all for the amusement of their makers.

The black mages thought they could control demons?

Fools.

At best, demons might cooperate temporarily to topple the world for fun.

But once that fun was over—

The black mages would be next.

Lynne was sure they knew this.

If not, they wouldn’t have tried to kidnap Alicia.

If they truly believed she would transform into a new ruler of hell, they would have simply waited for her transformation to complete naturally.

Instead, they planned to take control.

They were delusional.

In the end—

Lynne’s ambition remained far out of reach.

Perhaps that was why—

She had become interested in Yujin Han.

"I will force even the Transcendents to acknowledge me."

Just those words alone were enough to enthrall her.

Not to mention—

He had already proven himself.

He had systemized the concept of spacetime magic.

A magic thought to be exclusive to Transcendents.

If Lynne was a seeker—then Yujin was a pioneer.

When she later learned from Bollen that Yujin might be more than mortal, her curiosity only deepened.

If true—

He might be the leader of the black mages.

He might be a Transcendent himself.

The possibility was slim.

According to history, all Transcendents had either perished or been trapped in the Great Labyrinth after the Divine War.

But history wasn’t always right.

What if…

What if a Transcendent had survived?

What if they had hidden from the Gods’ eyes?

If so—

Then Yujin might be the first real subject she could study.

Lynne had encountered projections of Transcendents in the Labyrinth before, but those were shadows—echoes of their true selves.

If Yujin was the real thing…

This was her chance.

"Even mortals can become Transcendents."

Yujin’s words echoed in her mind.

If he was telling the truth, then it was confirmation.

She wasn’t wrong.

She wasn’t chasing a delusion.

For the first time—

She felt validated.

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

And now—

She needed to get closer.

That Night – The Imperial Dormitory

That night, after his lecture, Yujin arrived at Alicia’s dormitory.

He had not forgotten.

"A night stroll at 10 PM."

Even with Tiamat’s warning—even with Alicia’s emotions weighing on his mind—

He decided to go through with it.

Standing before her door, he knocked.

"Your Highness, are you there?"

A moment later—

"Yes, Professor."

Alicia opened the door immediately.

As if—

She had been waiting for him.

He wasn’t surprised.

He had already known.

But still—

The fact that she had been standing at the door in anticipation…

It felt strange.

Regardless—

He greeted her.

"Good evening, Your Highness. It's a fine night."

"…Yes, good evening, Professor."

She nodded slightly, her voice soft.

She hesitated for a moment—then, as if gathering courage, she asked,

"D-Do I look alright?"

Yujin examined her.

She had dressed up.

A pure white dress, a wide-brimmed hat, and a touch of light makeup.

She looked delicate—elegant.

A beauty like a single flower in bloom.

He smiled.

"You put effort into your appearance. It suits you well."

"R-Really? Thank you…"

Blushing, she lowered her head.

Suppressing a sigh, Yujin extended his hand in a gentlemanly escort.

"Shall we go? Fortunately, the moon is bright tonight—it should make for a beautiful walk."

"…Yes."

And so—

Their night stroll began.