I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Gallimard (4)

Some time later…

As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, giving way to the rising stars, the alley was shrouded in an eerie shadow.

It was as if a black mist had settled in, making it impossible to see even a few steps ahead.

The scene had an almost dreamlike quality, like the fleeting remnants of a dawn dream.

But this tranquil scenery abruptly reversed itself.

Snap!

With a light snap of my fingers, the fog that had consumed the alley vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

“Huu…”

I exhaled in the space where the darkness had receded.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t used my powers in a while, but my fingertips felt a slight sting.

Perhaps I overdid it.

I brushed off the lingering shadows from my sleeves.

While I moved my hand absentmindedly, a faint groan reached my ears.

“Uh, ugh…”

“Uuugh…”

Two figures were rolling on the ground—Dector Holint, the pig, and his escort knight.

Their pathetic bodies writhed as their eyes rolled back, utterly dazed.

After hitting them with a direct blast of “Lies,” they were left broken beyond repair.

From now on, they’d live out the rest of their days as mindless husks, leading miserable lives in ignorance.

I offered a small, regretful sigh.

“I didn’t intend to go this far…”

I would have preferred to resolve things more amicably.

After all, I’m a generous person.

But the moment that pig mentioned Regia’s name, I couldn’t hold back.

“That’s why you should know your place, shouldn’t you?”

For an insignificant extra to even think about laying a hand on our protagonist was simply unacceptable.

Crossing the line comes with consequences.

“This is the price I impose on you.”

A sneer curled on my lips.

I let my mockery linger before turning my back on them.

With the threat eliminated, I figured it was time to head back to my lodgings.

But as I moved forward…

“…”

Something brushed against my foot.

When I checked what it was, I knelt silently.

It was a boy, no more than ten years old—or rather, his corpse.

His face was a bloody mess, smashed in as if they’d put mana into every blow.

Had he been a victim of some senseless venting?

His hollow cheeks were stained with dried tears.

I slowly extended a hand to wipe the cold, lifeless tears from his eyes.

“So cruel…”

Such is the reality of slums.

A place where weakness and youth are reasons enough to be killed.

“You died simply because you were young.”

All adults were once children, yet most forget their childhoods.

“My poor little Leon Bert.”

But you, even the right to forget your childhood wasn’t yours.

Your time stopped before you ever grew up.

May this street remember you.

And may it forget your childhood in your stead, as you could not.

Rustle.

I gently covered the boy’s face with a handkerchief from my pocket.

A fleeting song of mourning.

I then stood up once more.

‘Guess I should really head back now.’

There was still much to do.

There was only a week left before the academy’s entrance, and tomorrow was a particularly important event.

Preparation was essential.

‘Though… it feels like someone’s been watching me for a while.’

I tilted my head at the distant sensation of a presence.

I squinted into the shadows, but maybe because I’d just used my power, my senses were dulled from the aftereffects.

Still, there didn’t seem to be any real danger.

There was no killing intent, nor was there any strange flow of mana.

Probably just a drunk wandering nearby.

With that thought in mind, I decided to let it go.

It’d be a hassle if someone saw what just happened.

Not wanting to linger any longer, I briskly made my way out of the alley.

***

After the snake left the alley…

A figure hiding in the shadows cautiously stepped into view.

“…”

It was a girl, her appearance somewhat out of place in the slums.

Her deep blue eyes resembled the sea.

Her platinum blonde hair shimmered even in the night.

Though she’d hidden her identity beneath a robe, the air of nobility around her was unmistakable.

She glanced around warily, as if still on guard, in case the snake hadn’t fully left the alley.

Fortunately, there were no suspicious signs.

Only then did she release her grip from the sword at her waist.

Thud.

The girl sank to the ground as if her strength had left her.

Beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead.

Her expression remained as stoic as ever, but it was clear she’d been shaken.

“What… was that?”

She muttered to herself.

The girl’s gaze turned distant, as if recalling the scene she’d just witnessed.

It had been nothing short of a nightmare.

Her shoulders trembled involuntarily, and she clenched her fists tightly.

“I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

There had been rumors lately that the atmosphere in the slums was growing tense, but no one had mentioned the presence of such a monster.

What on earth is happening?

She pressed her fingers to her throbbing temples.

The girl slowly stood up.

It seemed she’d decided further investigation was necessary.

About the “man” she had just seen.

“Guess I should head back.”

This girl was none other than the First Princess of the Empire, Charlotte Little von Stauffen.

Known as the “Little Prince” in the original game ‘The World Seen by the Little Prince’, she was another protagonist in the story.

The Little Prince, Charlotte.

Moving with quiet steps, the girl made her way back, ensuring no one detected her presence.

***

After a day full of eventful encounters, I returned to my lodgings.

I lay on my bed.

It wasn’t that I was tired.

I was simply recovering from using part of my power earlier.

“This ability really is hard to handle.”

I mumbled to myself.

The aftermath of using it left a tingling sensation in my fingertips.

I clenched my fist lightly.

“Hm.”

Despite its difficulty, it was still an incredibly powerful ability.

If I wanted to, I could erase the entire continent.

‘Unique Ability: Liar.’

A power that distorts reality through spoken lies.

I can deceive anything I wish and deny anything I desire.

I can manipulate others to my will.

Whether it’s objects, magic, nature—even the laws of the world.

To give an example, it’s easiest to recall the final battle between Judas and the protagonist’s party in the original game.

-Hahaha! Swinging your sword all you want won’t reach me.

-Because I’m denying you.

The sword master’s strike missed by a hair’s breadth, almost as if the snake was toying with him.

-Hmm~ Magic is a bit of a hassle. Let’s set a new rule, shall we?

-From now on, magic won’t work on me.

The mages’ attacks were effortlessly absorbed.

Sharp mana surged, yet it left not even a scratch on the snake.

-Whoa! You almost killed me there, Miss Regia.

-Your summoned creatures really are dangerous!

-Let’s put them on hold for a bit, shall we?

The protagonist’s summoned creatures vanished, as if they’d never existed.

-This is getting boring.

-Why don’t we make the world a little more interesting?

The laws of reality were denied.

With a single clap from the boy, the gravity of the entire continent reversed.

People plummeted upward toward the sky.

It was a scene that could only be described as the apocalypse.

Amid the swirling black fog, the Liar grinned wickedly.

“…”

Just thinking about it brings back trauma.

Damn it. A final boss should be strong within reason.

Who decided to make this kind of broken character the final boss?

There was a reason I failed 1,943 times.

The difficulty was absurdly high.

A single slip-up, and you’d be wiped out. Yawn during a fight? Wipeout. Blink? Wipeout.

Watching the protagonist’s party get obliterated time and time again made me curse out loud.

But I did finally manage to beat him in the end.

It’s just a shame I got dragged into this world before I could see the ending.

“What a pity.”

=This sucks ass.

In any case, that’s the kind of power this body possesses.

The power to erase the world on my own.

Of course, it’s not without its drawbacks.

For such a potent ability, its efficiency is terrible, making it difficult to sustain for long.

In the original game’s late stages, Judas seemed to have overcome this limitation, but I’m not there yet.

I’m still only three years into this transmigration—practically a newbie.

You have to know your limits.

In other words, I can’t do anything on the scale of “reversing the continent’s gravity.”

‘I could try… but I’d probably run out of energy first.’

This ability is like a battery.

Once I’ve used up all my lies, the power stops working.

It’s like trying to run a computer on a triple-A battery—it just won’t work.

Not to mention, once I’ve exhausted it, I have to recharge it before I can use it again.

There’s no using an empty battery.

Here’s how the recharging works:

“I confess to myself. I didn’t do anything today.”

After the short statement, a blue screen popped up in front of me.

Ding!

[Lie partially recharged.]

[Current charge: 57%]

It’s a rather fitting ability, considering its concept.

The more convincing the lie, and the more emotional the reaction it evokes from others, the more effective it is.

“I had stew for lunch today.”

Ding!

[Lie partially recharged.]

[Current charge: 57.5%]

“I’m currently outdoors.”

Ding!

[Lie partially recharged.]

[Current charge: 57.8%]

“I hate video games.”

Ding!

[Lie partially recharged.]

[Current charge: 58.4%]

“I’m not human.”

Ding!

[Lie partially recharged…]

That’s basically how it works.

These trivial lies don’t recharge much, but it’s still good to keep them up.

I need to be ready to use my power at all times.

Maybe someday I’ll discover a more efficient method, but for now, this is the best I’ve got.

It’s also good practice for getting used to lying more naturally.

So I lay in bed, mumbling lies to myself for a while.

‘Come to think of it… is tomorrow the day of that event?’

A particular thought flashed through my mind.

My lips curled into a sly grin.

Tomorrow’s going to be interesting.

Ripples of anticipation stirred in my chest as I drifted off to sleep.

***

The next day, after a full day had passed.

It was evening when I finally left the inn.

I was on my way to the event.

I hid my excitement as I walked leisurely.

Whoosh~

Even though the sun was setting, spring was still in the air.

Petals fluttered in the gentle breeze.

The scene was one of peaceful harmony.

As I made my way through the streets, it wasn’t long before I reached my destination.

Of course, I hadn’t just walked there.

Along the way, I’d used “Lies” to distort space.

What would’ve been an hour-long carriage ride took me less than ten minutes.

Ding!

[Current charge: 81.7%]

Ignoring the notification ringing in my ears, I looked up.

Through the clearing mist, a massive building came into view.

For a place so remote, its exterior was excessively extravagant.

‘It looks exactly like it did in the game.’

The Empire’s largest illegal slave auction house—The Apple Tree.

An underground facility run by the “Entrepreneur,” a major figure in the underworld.

It’s also the backdrop for a certain character’s story.

I approached the grand entrance.

A guard stepped forward, blocking my path as if to check the guest list.

“The Apple Tree is only open to those with reservations. Could you please provide your name?”

Of course, I hadn’t made a reservation.

Instead of answering, I simply raised my right hand slightly.

“Would you mind looking this way for a moment?”

“Huh?”

The moment our eyes met—

Snap!

I snapped my fingers.

Immediately, the focus drained from the guard’s eyes.

He twitched like a broken puppet before freezing in place, his consciousness completely gone.

I whispered to his empty gaze.

“Step aside, please.”

“…Reservation confirmed. I’ll escort you to the VIP section.”

“How courteous of you.”

“Please enjoy your time.”

With that, I strolled leisurely into the auction house.

The brainwashing had hit him so hard that he guided me to an excellent seat.

A prime spot with a perfect view of the stage.

Humming a tune, I settled into the plush chair.

-We’d like to thank everyone for visiting the Apple Tree, the finest auction house in the land!

-Before we begin the auction, we have a few announcements…

The auctioneer’s voice buzzed with excitement.

But I wasn’t paying any attention to that.

My focus was entirely on what lay beneath me.

Directly below where I sat, there was a basement prison.

A place where kidnapped members of other races were held before being sold as slaves.

The person I was looking for was probably down there.

A character from ‘The World Seen by the Little Prince’.

A supporting character who helps the protagonist’s party and eventually becomes a Sword Master, playing a crucial role.

“It’s time to meet the fox.”

My plan was simple—to tear this auction house apart.

All to save her.

——–