Chapter 1: And be kind (1)

A hundred years have passed since the Tyrant disappeared.

Because the Tyrant of the time was a tyrant who ruled the world through death, the people…

On that day, when the city shot up fireworks and children waved balloons, I was alone, sinking into melancholy.

Because I was the Tyrant that people feared so much.

‘Has time not been the answer?’

I had been sealed for a hundred years to erase my notoriety, but people still remembered the Tyrant.

In this state, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill the last words of my friend even after hundreds of years.

I had to find a way somehow.

‘Why did he have to leave such a difficult request?’

How should I erase my notoriety?

I pondered in my own way, but nothing came to mind.

If only I could change my appearance…

“···Appearance?”

An idea suddenly popped into my head, and I looked down at my palm.

If I could change my appearance to the point where I couldn’t be recognized, I could start over.

But the problem was that I had no means to change my appearance.

Such mystical things were almost exclusively the domain of mages.

‘Should I seek out a mage?’

I didn’t know much, having sealed myself for a hundred years, but I knew which mages were outstanding.

The pinnacle of the current era, Archmage Philiana Berkyns.

She might know how to change a person’s appearance.

It wasn’t difficult to find the Archmage’s residence.

It was as simple as stopping anyone on the street and asking.

Of course, knowing the Archmage’s residence didn’t mean I could meet her.

In any era, only those who are qualified could meet the pinnacle.

‘Should I break something to get her to come out?’

A white mansion that was rare even in the empire.

The barrier surrounding the mansion was strong, so it was undoubtedly the Archmage’s.

If I broke this, she would surely come.

I raised my fist towards the barrier without hesitation.

That was when someone’s presence was sensed.

“Stop.”

A fierce woman’s voice.

Even from the aura alone, I could tell she was the Archmage.

She came already, without me breaking the barrier.

Perhaps she was more capable than I thought.

It was a good thing for me, who needed her help.

“Are you Philiana?”

Philiana’s eyes narrowed at my question.

She was wary, perhaps because of my sudden visit.

It wasn’t an incomprehensible attitude, so I decided to persuade her with ease.

“Philiana, I came to you because I have a request.”

“···The Tyrant has a request for me?”

She knows me.

I realized even more that my hundred years of sealing myself had been in vain.

Of course, I didn’t intend to regret the past now.

Because there was someone in front of me who could suggest a better way.

“I need the help of a skilled mage.”

“Help…?”

At Philiana’s question, I briefly explained everything that had happened.

From the matter of killing my precious friend, to the fact that I had been asleep for a hundred years because of the last words I heard from that friend.

Philiana’s eyes widened in surprise after hearing my entire story.

“The Tyrant wants to live a good life? Are you serious?”

“Not a shred of falsehood.”

“My word…”

Philiana’s expression changed from surprise to astonishment.

The one at the top was so expressive.

I would have been laughed at in the past.

I felt a bit pathetic and suddenly realized.

That all the common sense and knowledge I possessed were from a hundred years ago.

‘···Am I abnormal here?’

The times had changed.

I shouldn’t evaluate people based on the knowledge and common sense of a hundred years ago.

I had to learn everything anew.

Feeling that the situation was becoming a nuisance, I opened my mouth towards Philiana.

“So, is it impossible?”

“It’s not impossible, but I have some doubts.”

What doubts?

I just kept staring at Philiana in bewilderment, and she scratched her cheek and started to ramble.

“···What if the Tyrant attacks me from behind and tries to control the empire?”

Was she having such doubts?

It was truly a vain delusion.

Controlling the empire was possible without attacking the Archmage from behind.

“You are strong, it’s true, but you don’t have to resort to schemes.”

“···That’s probably true.”

Philiana pouted her lips unhappily, but nodded.

She knew that I was stronger.

“You don’t need to doubt. I have always kept my word.”

“I know. It’s even in the history books.”

What was in the history books?

I was filled with the desire to read the books, but I had to postpone it because of the situation.

“So, is it impossible?”

“It’s not impossible, but I wish the Tyrant would keep some promises.”

Promises, huh.

Is she going to make a deal with a new body as collateral?

If it wasn’t a troublesome or rude deal, I could agree to some extent.

“What promises?”

“Well, you said you wanted to live a good life, but you don’t know how.”

“That’s correct.”

Philiana fell silent at my answer.

It was after a considerable amount of time that she spoke again.

“Living a good life means living like an ordinary person.”

“Is being ordinary good?”

Isn’t being ordinary the same as being useless?

It was incomprehensible, but I didn’t intend to object.

Because, as she said, I had lived without knowing goodness.

“You don’t understand, do you? Then how about learning from me?”

“Hmm…”

She’s going to tell me what I want in exchange for my supervision?

Although it was a rather humiliating offer, it wasn’t difficult.

It was better to have an assistant than to suffer alone.

“I understand. I will treat you as my master while I learn.”

“M, master?”

Ahem.

Philiana, with her eyes wide open, cleared her throat and took out an old notebook from her pocket.

“I happen to have a homunculus that’s about to be made. I’ll give it to the Tyrant.”

“Homunculus?”

“Yes. It’s very precious.”

“Is it that valuable?”

“Even more so, I think?”

If the Archmage says it’s precious, it couldn’t be ordinary.

There was no reason to refuse.

“I’ll accept it.”

“Yep. And, it would be better if your appearance was less intimidating than it is now, right?”

“···Better than the intimidating appearance.”

I nodded to Philiana.

For the sake of living a good life, a kind appearance would be better than my current intimidating one.

“Okay. It will be finished in about a month. Shall we meet again then? Or should I prepare a residence for you?”

“I’ll stay alone so I don’t disturb you.”

There was nothing I could do, not knowing anything even if I were there.

It would be fortunate if I wasn’t a hindrance.

You have to know your place to reach the top.

So, I decided to visit again in a month.

-Let’s meet again here in a month.

Philiana said those words to the Tyrant and then moved towards her lab.

She had to create the body she would give to him within a month.

‘Is he really trying to live a good life?’

At first, she thought he had come to sort things out.

She was nervous, but then he suddenly said he wanted to live a good life.

Philiana wasn’t foolish enough to take those words at face value.

But she couldn’t really prepare any countermeasures either.

For now, she just had to give him a new body as he wished.

‘I was lucky.’

There was a homunculus almost finished in the lab.

The homunculus, also called the essence of magic, was Philiana’s long-standing wish.

The Tyrant should be able to handle the homunculus’s body well.

After finishing her thoughts, Philiana started the final check of the homunculus.

‘There’s nothing strange.’

The internal organ, ‘guts,’ was perfect.

Now, she just had to finalize the external organ, ‘appearance.’

Philiana was worried about the homunculus’s appearance, then she remembered that her assistant had a genius aesthetic sense.

‘Appearance is just a decoration anyway.’

She could leave the appearance to her assistant.

After finishing her thoughts, Philiana turned her gaze toward the pile of scrolls piled up in a corner of the lab.

More precisely, towards her assistant behind them.

“Bella, can you come out for a moment?”

“Yes.”

A blonde girl with innocent eyes peeked out from behind the pile of scrolls.

It was a girl who didn’t fit the cold lab.

“Bella, was there anything strange about the homunculus creation?”

Philiana asked in a gentle voice, looking at Bella, who was approaching with small steps.

“No! I checked it again just in case, and there were no problems! Now, it’s really just the appearance!”

“Really? Then, Bella, do you want to create the appearance yourself?”

“M, me?!”

Bella’s eyes sparkled.

It was an offer she couldn’t refuse, as she loved sculpting.

“But there’s a condition.”

“A condition…?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much, but I want the appearance to be likable.”

Is she going to say that, after all?

It was no problem for Bella.

“I’ll create the best masterpiece of my life!”

“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”

Philiana sighed in relief as she watched Bella, who was determined.

Bella would surely be able to create a likable ‘beautiful boy.’

It was as if all the urgent tasks had been solved.

‘I can finally rest.’

As Philiana sat on the sofa in a corner of the lab, Bella, who had followed her, plopped down beside her.

“Philiana, can I start working right away?”

“Yes. But can you finish it within a month?”

“Yes! Plenty of time!”

Bella jumped off the sofa and ran to the room where the homunculus was.

Was she that happy?

Philiana looked at the spot where Bella had left for a long time and then tilted her head.

There was definitely something she had missed, but she couldn’t remember it.

‘What was it…?’

She tried to think for a long time, but nothing came to mind.

It might not be an important issue if it didn’t remain in her memory.

She would just go to sleep.

As Philiana was about to cast a sleep spell on herself, Bella’s voice came from far away.

“Philiana! I’ll do my best!”

“Yes.”

Philiana waved her hand toward Bella without even opening her eyes, and Bella looked at Philiana and thought.

She would create a beautiful ‘girl’ who could be loved by everyone in the world.

What Philiana had forgotten was the homunculus’s gender.