I’m Not the Mastermind

"......"

In a room resembling a laboratory—indeed, an actual research lab—a woman held a crystal orb, contacting someone through its glowing surface.

Wooooong!

[“What is it, Enneria?”]

A low, rumbling male voice resonated from the orb as it lit up. The ashen-haired woman, Lynne, replied, her voice calm.

“I have something to ask you.”

[“You, asking me a question? I take it this isn’t about magical knowledge. Something related to internal affairs?”]

“Correct.”

[“I’m sorry, but even for you, that’s not something I can divulge lightly. If you were to join our organization, things might be different...”]

“There’s nothing more to discuss on that front.”

Lynne’s tone dropped as she responded.

“You ‘dark magicians’ provide me with magi, dark magic knowledge, and experimental materials, and in return, I cooperate with you. That’s our business arrangement, isn’t it?”

[“......”]

It was exactly as she said.

To outsiders, Lynne Enneria appeared to live a perfectly respectable life as an alchemy professor at the academy.
In reality, she was a collaborator with the dark magician faction—not a dark magician herself, but someone who worked with them when it suited her needs.

The dark magicians, notorious for their secrecy, often relied on such collaborators to gather information and secure cooperation. This necessity arose because practicing dark magic inevitably exposed the user’s magi, the ominous energy tied to their craft. Without specialized tools or relics to conceal it, blending into society was nearly impossible for dark magicians.

Thus, the faction strategically recruited non-practitioners as allies, whether through coercion or mutual interest. Collaborators like Lynne, who were fascinated by dark magic or needed its resources, were especially valuable.

Lynne belonged to the latter group.

Her interest in dark magic had led her to contact the faction and establish a mutually beneficial relationship that persisted to this day.

While studying magi and dark magic was globally forbidden, with violators harshly punished, human curiosity and greed had always defied such bans—and always would. Unable to pursue their research alone, those drawn to the field often turned to the dark magician faction for assistance.

This was how the faction expanded its reach in secret, one collaborator at a time.

[“If this is just business, then I have even less reason to share internal details with you,”] the man said.

“I’m not asking for sensitive internal information,” Lynne countered. “I want to know if you’ve sent any operatives to the academy.”

[“Operatives? To the academy? What are you talking about?”]

The man sounded genuinely puzzled. Lynne’s sharp eyes narrowed.

“So, you don’t know anything about this?”

[“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”]

Gazing into the crystal orb, Lynne scrutinized the man’s response.

He’s not lying. There was no reason for him to lie about something like this.

But if that was true... who is that man?

Lost in thought, Lynne was pulled back by the man’s voice.

[“From you, we learned that the Second Princess of the Empire was being overtaken by the demonic seed she acquired in the labyrinth. That’s why we planned to target her. You know we don’t lie about matters like these.”]

“I know. That plan involved the academy terrorist attack, didn’t it?”

[“Yes, we planned to use the chaos of the attack to abduct the Second Princess.”]

“That’s why I’m confused. If that’s the case, then who is he?”

[“Who are you talking about?”]

“Yujin. Professor Yujin Han. He claims to be a dark magician.”

[“...What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”]

“Let me explain.”

Lynne began to recount the details.

She spoke of Yujin, the magician whose name had recently risen to prominence due to his groundbreaking lecture on space-time magic. She described how he had been recruited as a professor at the academy, approached the princess upon arrival, and earned the trust of the headmistress by sealing the magi within the princess.

And finally, how he revealed his true nature—and intentions—to someone as if it were all a game.

[“......”]

The man who had listened to everything fell silent for a moment. Lynne broke the quiet.

“What do you think?”

[“It’s... perplexing. Even to me, this is unusual.”]

“You feel the same way?”

[“That said, it’s not entirely implausible.”]

“What do you mean by that?”

[“Let me explain.”]

The man began to elaborate.

[“As you know, magic that seals only a part of someone’s essence—let alone the essence of a transcendent—is unheard of. I can’t even begin to predict what side effects such a seal might cause. Viewed in that light, the story isn’t completely far-fetched. Sealing, after all, is the act of forcibly confining and suppressing something somewhere. And if it’s the essence of a transcendent? Who knows how such suppressed power might react if it tries to break free?”]

“That’s true.”

[“Comparing it to an abscess might be accurate. If left alone, it will fester and rot. But forcing it to rupture could lead to an uncontrollable explosion. And if nothing is done, it will rot from the inside out.”]

“......”

[“What ‘rotting’ entails, I don’t know. It might even work in our favor. Perhaps the princess will transform into a demon so suddenly that she won’t even have time to resist. If that’s the case, then the idea of Yujin being a dark magician isn’t so far-fetched. Moreover...”]

He paused briefly before continuing.@@novelbin@@

[“Did you say his name was Yujin Han?”]

“Yes, that’s correct.”

[“As you’re aware, we operate under a cell structure for security reasons.”]

A cell structure.

Unlike typical organizations, a cell structure limits interactions to small groups of one to three people who work independently. While goals and rules may be shared, there is no central figure consistently issuing orders or maintaining communication. This system minimizes risk, making it almost impossible for a captured member to compromise the larger network.

Most such organizations are secret societies or criminal groups.

[“As such, we don’t have shared contact systems between members. While there is a leader who oversees everything, none of us know who they are or what they look like. They act as an invisible figurehead, appearing only sporadically to issue a few cryptic directives before disappearing again. Even the recent terrorist plan wasn’t ordered from above but was devised by some cells collaborating independently. In short, it had no interference from the higher-ups.”]

“Wait, are you saying...?”

[“Yujin Han... he could be our leader. At the very least, he might be someone close to them. Think about it. He evades the eyes of that monstrous grand witch, subdues the chairman of the Wizard Association effortlessly, uncovers space-time magic, and seals the magi within the princess with incomprehensible magic. If he is the leader, this could all be a calculated move.”]

“......”

[“Of course, I can’t explain why he would reveal his identity and treat it like a game. That part baffles me. It might just be an eccentricity born of supreme confidence, but who knows?”]

“I see...”

[“It’s just speculation for now. The fact remains that our leader hasn’t appeared, even as the cells devised this plan. Then, suddenly, someone shows up, orchestrating peculiar schemes. It’s a possibility worth considering.”]

Lynne pondered his words. If this were true, perhaps she would need to confirm it herself.

The man continued.

[“If that’s the case, the terrorist plan might need revising.”]

“What do you mean?”

[“If the leader is truly orchestrating something related to the magi within the princess, it would make sense to time the attack with any anomalies arising from it. The leader wouldn’t be unaware of our plans. Perhaps they’ll signal us at the right time or inform us when to act. Until then, it might be wise to place the plan on indefinite hold.”]

“......”

[“One thing I find strange, though, is how a mortal could seal the essence of a transcendent. Could it be something he obtained from the labyrinth? That’s another question worth investigating.”]

“...He might not be mortal,” Lynne muttered absentmindedly.

The man’s voice carried a hint of surprise.

[“You might be right. When I met the leader once, they didn’t feel like a mortal either. Perhaps Yujin is the same.”]

“......”

A brief silence hung between them before Lynne spoke again.

“Understood. That’s all for now. I’ll end the contact here.”

[“Very well.”]

Wooooong.

The light in the crystal orb faded, and the connection was severed.

“Phew...”

Lynne exhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, her gaze thoughtful.

“A transcendent...?”

Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, a strange mix of obsession and madness flickering within them.

“...It wouldn’t hurt to confirm it myself.”