《The best genius alchemist ever wants to retire》 1-Episode 1 Yes, lets retire I''m retiring. ...yeah. I was called into the principal''s office, and I had a choice to make. I''ve been a holy man for 1994. I''m graduating from the Canovarian Alchemy Academy this March. It seems we need to talk about that graduation path. The one in front of me is the headmaster of the academy and my former teacher. His name is Alsfira Medis. The Medis family has produced many famous alchemists, and they are the most prestigious of the prestigious families. Among them, Arsufira seems to be extremely talented and has already been in charge of this academy in her late twenties. It seems to be an exceptional case. She looks like a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, and well, she''s not bad looking. She has a nagging and annoying personality. And why am I being summoned by this woman? It seems that the reason is that she doesn''t like the graduation path. ''Hey you really need to reconsider, your career path is elective!¡¡You can be a knight of the kingdom, you can be an alchemist who works directly for the royal family, and between you and me... you can be married to the third princess... come on, take your pick of any of these! "Retired, Alchemist. Here''s your badge. To be returned. ''Stop!!!!! I toss out my badge with a pop-tea. There are ranks for alchemists, from Bronze Bronze level, Silver level, Gold level, Platinum level, Platinum level, and Blue Star level, Blue Star. I got the highest rank, the Blue Star rank, within a year of entering the school. Each rank has a different badge to wear on your chest, and I have a "Blue Star" badge on my chest right now. But this kind of thing doesn''t matter to me, I''m retiring as an alchemist. That''s why I tossed it on this woman''s desk. ''''It''s fine, I''m graduating. I''ll at least leave my name on the paperwork. What are you going to do now that you''re retired? What?¡¡Of course I''m going to take over my family''s farm, right?¡¡We''ve done a lot of breeding this year. And I also succeeded in developing a new method of vegetable self-sustaining bipedal walking. Honestly, this was harder than writing my thesis... but I don''t want to mass-produce them since they''re completely pet-like. I''ll feel sorry for them and they won''t be able to eat. I''d like to utilize that technique in more different places. Yes, the corn I created walks. It walked. A completely self-sustaining corn. It''s a wonderful thing, with some communication. I''m low intelligence, but I''m applying and incorporating research on fully independent artificial intelligence. Well, that said, it''s not a good idea to have intelligence inhabiting vegetables, so I won''t be doing that in the future.... I tried it as an experiment and it was an accidental success. From now on, I hope we can use our research on fully independent artificial intelligence in other areas a bit more. I''d like to think a bit more carefully about the crops, but I''d like to do research on fully independent artificial intelligence for future plans. ''Huh ... stop it ... that genius of yours should be put to use elsewhere ... you''re a farmer... that''s not how it works ... although I''m concerned about the walking corn ... hah ... hah ... my thesis could have been more practical and awesome ...'' "Fully independent artificial intelligence research?¡¡Surprised, huh? ...Huh ...Huh ...Hey, don''t you think you should reconsider? Oh, no. Retirement. Technically, I''ll continue to use alchemy because it''s useful, but I don''t want to be an alchemist. It''s too restrictive and cumbersome. I don''t care if I''m the youngest ever to become a blue star class "Bluesteller", or a knight of the realm, or an alchemist who reports directly to the royal family, or married to a princess. Because that has nothing to do with farmers, right?¡¡You''ll all be glad I''m not an alchemist anymore. It''s one less post to fill. It''s a true win-win. You''d think so, Fee. "Stop calling me Fee. ..... I''m sorry. I''m the second alchemist in my kingdom who has reached the azure-star class, by the way. The first is the founder of alchemy. It''s not a good idea for someone else to become a member of that class, since he created the class and made himself the highest ranking "Blue Star" class, the "Blue Star" class. But my research into completely independent artificial intelligence, part of my "Cornish Miracle Project," was highly regarded, and I became the second person in history to become a "Blue Star" class. Incidentally, they didn''t do my research justice, but made me a "Blue Star" because they saw that a complete artificial intelligence had been completed as a result of an unintelligible process. In other words, there is not a single alchemist currently existing who can understand my theory. Even if I say so myself, it seems that I''m the greatest genius in history. That''s why I can understand why that Fee guy wants me to be a foil. I''m sure there are many reasons for his association with royalty and nobility. But I have a dream. I have a dream to sell the fruits and vegetables I grow to the whole world. I couldn''t do it with my father''s generation, but I may be able to do it. That''s why I studied alchemy," he said. ''Huh ... hah ... when I found out that your goal was really to sell fruits and vegetables to the world, I was already ... for the first time in my life, I was in despair. No, really, seriously. I''m sorry. But I want to fulfill an old dream of mine. As a teacher, you should respect the dreams of your students but Elweed Willis'' name is already too famous. Every graduate of this school has gone on to work for a very famous company. The top of all of them. The best alchemist in history''s best alchemist''s graduation path is to take over a farmhouse.......I''m dying...... Actually, this question and answer. It has already happened more than 10 times. However, the time is already one month before graduation. This woman who is the principal of the school is getting impatient. Does she really want me to get a good job? I''ve decided to devote myself to farming, but.... ''''Would it be hard for Fee to take over the farm?'''' Mm, he''s finally listened. You''re so persistent, you know that? I''m about to graduate soon, and I thought we could at least talk.... But I''ll definitely sell you some walking corn. It''s a good thing that you''re at liberty to do that, but I''m in trouble because I''ve been approached all along regarding your career path. Not only from the nobility, but from royalty as well. Marrying a princess makes you a royal, even if you are adopted by a son-in-law.¡¡It''s really already substandard from the time I entered the school to now, but when you get to the point where you''re royalty....... But I''m a farmer and I have a mission... Yeah. I''ve been talking about it with your family. But all your family and relatives say you''re not cut out to be a farmer.¡¡Your parents really want you to follow the path of an azure-star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· alchemist... ''I know my family and relatives are against me. When I graduate, I''m going to go out on my own and own my own workshop. And I''m on a mission to create the best farmers ever there. "...and alchemy is the means to that end, right? ''Yes. Didn''t we talk about that when I first got here? ''''I didn''t think that a genius who scored a perfect score in all subjects and even a perfect practical exam would say anything... that''s it... oh no...'''' ...hmm. Fee''s one has had a lot of dark circles in her eyes lately. Her hair is frayed and shaggy, even though she''s beautiful. He looks tired very well. ''Is it my fault that Fee is tired? ''I don''t mind telling you that before you were recognized I was considered the greatest genius of all time?¡¡ ...It''s just really ... it''s hard for me. I get calls every day, you know?¡¡Where do you think Elle is going?¡¡I get daily prompts from nobles, knights and royalty...?¡¡I''m going to die..................... The expression on Fee''s face as he stared blankly into the void was awful. I''m not sure how to describe it, but I can only say that it''s bad. Well, maybe I should find a compromise here. This is a good thing, as this guy has been a good help to me. "Well the thing is, I don''t mind postponing my retirement. ''''....Really!¡¡You''re recording it!¡¡I took a pledge! Yeah. But I have a condition. ...gobbledygook. What''s that? Freelancers can do it. Oh, I see. So you''re saying that you''re going to take time off for your own research and do some other work in your spare time? The truth is, I can live on the royalties from my recently finished textbook on alchemy, and I have other patents, so I''m not money hungry, but I don''t mind devoting some of my time to a job that uses alchemy. I might have a great idea in mind. Even when the corn was walking, I had a flash of inspiration when I didn''t expect it. I''m beginning to think it''s important to keep in touch with the outside world these days... what do you think? ''Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Elle really is a good girl. I''ll give you anything you want in return. Don''t you want the money or will you marry me then?¡¡I can give you the right to marry me at this very high multiplier, can''t I? No, I don''t want it. ''Ohhhhhhhh! I don''t have a man to go along with me...oooohhhhhhhhhh! Even if I go on a blind date, everyone pulls away...oooohhhhhhhhhhhh! Well, good luck with that, Fee. Good luck. "...Yeah. I think I''ll have a good night''s sleep from now on. It''s a pleasure, thank you, Master Elle. Then Fee comes over to me and clasps his hands together in worship. ''Don''t do it, it''s disgusting. So, you''ve got a list, right?¡¡Choose Now Yeah. Also sudden, hey, the only thing I can do freelance in here is... And so Fee draws a line on the paperwork. Perhaps he''s drawing a diagonal line for a job that can''t be freelanced. ''Yes. Pick one of these. The options that were handed to me were numerous. ''The job I want to do in this one is...'' After a quick glance at the list, I quickly decided. ''Okay, then I''ll take that one.'' Fee''s eyes widened as he pointed. ''''It sounds like you can''t do it, but... well, that''s okay. Probably the best news of the year in the alchemist industry.'''' Well, I''ll try. I''ll make it work. The job I chose. It was to be a part-time teacher at this school. This is how my life as a teacher was about to begin. 2-Episode 2 Farmers Blood I''m home. Oh, welcome back, big brother! My house is about an hour''s walk away from the institute. Well, I''m running back to my house by running on the roof, so I can arrive home in about 15 minutes. Alchemy is really useful. Well, if Fee finds out how to use it, it''s a big deal, but there''s no slack in it. It''s safe to say that I''ve done a good job of hiding the magic formula and blocking any signs of it. ''''So, why did you get called to the academy?'''' It''s about your career. Again?¡¡Are you sure you want to be a farmer?¡¡Your father, of course, and everyone else is telling you to stop? "...Lise, I''ve decided to teach part-time at the Academy. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! My sister, Liese Willis. She is in the midst of puberty and yet she is strangely attracted to me. Her brown hair is cropped, semi-long and very pretty. Lately, I''ve been getting a lot of calls from boys at school, and if I mention my name, they run away in fear. Huh, I won''t let anyone mess with my sister. Come back to me when you''re over me. Well, with that thought in mind, I head to the living room. By the way, this house is all renovated and rebuilt with my alchemy. It was made possible because it''s so far from the capital of the kingdom...but I''ll tell you about that some other day. It has three floors and a basement. The basement is now my alchemy workshop, and the rest is used by my family as they wish. And when I go to the living room, I find my dad, my mom, my sister Marie, and my sister Liese there. ''''Well Elle, are you really going to be an instructor at the academy?'''' Dad I''ll do it. It sounds like Fee''s guy is having a hard time too. But my ''World''s Best Farmer Project'' might be delayed a bit... "No, I don''t care about that kind of nonsense.......you finally have the awareness of being a blue star class [Bluestella]....... No, it''s not. My dream is to create the greatest agricultural crop of all time and astound the world. That''s right!¡¡You''ll see my walking corn again later!¡¡And then everyone would understand...? There''s something strangely dark about the atmosphere. What''s going on? "Elle I don''t mean to be abrupt, but you''re graduating now. I was actually going to tell you when you came of age, but today it looks like your career path is firmly set and I have something important to tell you. Yeah, okay. The dining room table in the living room is lined with me, my dad, my mom, my sister and my sister. The only time we''re all together is when we''re eating or at a family meeting. "Actually, Elle you''re not my son.... "...hmm?¡¡What? You''re not your mother''s son. You''re not your father''s son. ''Hey, hey, hey, hey, wait!¡¡That''s why my dad didn''t want me to take over the farm!¡¡Because I don''t have any legitimate farmer''s blood in my veins! That''s ridiculous!¡¡You mean to tell me I''m not descended from the venerable Willis family of farmers?¡¡Then who am I...! ''Calm down, Elle. You were actually taken in from the orphanage because you were never born a boy. You were only two years old, so I don''t think you''ll remember... I''m sorry, Elle. But you''re still our family... My mother says that after my father. Wait. What was my pride? Hey, Elle. You really didn''t notice? What''s the matter with you, Sister Marie? What''s the matter with you, big sister? You''re the only one with different hair color. "...What?¡¡It''s some kind of a segregation gene or something.... My family''s always had brown hair. My father''s family and my mother''s family and your hair is not platinum. It''s much lighter in color... Marie''s sister is right, everyone in the family has brown hair. My mom and sister have long brown hair. My sister, Liese, has semi-long brown hair. My father has short brown hair, and I have platinum brown hair. My dad has short brown hair, and I have platinum hair. I''ve been wearing my hair in a ponytail lately, but I was often praised at the academy as well. I''ve been told that I have very beautiful platinum hair. But I didn''t know that this was such a reason... oh my God... I''m not a farmer''s blood, I''m not a farmer''s blood... the "World''s Best Farmer Project" was completed. Can you do that? ''''Brother, I know you''re depressed but we''re not nobles, blood doesn''t matter to farmers. Besides, we''re family even if we''re not related by blood!¡¡Family is not blood. It''s a heart connection! ''Lise you were an angel after all.... I am sobbing. If it were true, I wouldn''t complain even if I was branded a failure as a farmer and exiled from this house. A farmer''s blood is such a noble thing. But everyone in my family, including Liese, is looking at me warmly. "Am I family...?¡¡I''m not a farmer''s blood, but I don''t know if I can stay in this house. You''re the only one who thinks so highly of farmers. I wish I could be an alchemist like you. Besides Liese is right, we are family. We all recognize that. Sis, guys... I''d like to sing a song of joy. I wasn''t born into a farming family. But my family accepts me. But it was that fact that made me decide to move forward with my plan. "Dad, I''m going out on my own... ''Hey, it''s not that sudden you can''t stay in this house forever, can you?¡¡You''re my son. You''re family. You can''t just leave because you''re not related to me by blood like that... ''No, I''ve decided this before. I''m going to start my own business and share my produce with the world. I''ve decided to teach part-time at the institute on the side. I''m moving out of my house. I''ve already rented an apartment near the academy. Fee''s guy got me a great deal on a cheap rental for teachers at the institute and I''ve been thinking about going out on my own for a long time now. I''m sorry I''m late to tell you... I wiped my tears away and told him about my future plans. That''s right. I may not be a legitimate farmer''s blood, but I''m a farmer. Then what I will do is the same. I see. I get it. You''re already a Blue Star class alchemist, so I have nothing to say to you. But if you have any problems, come back to me anytime. Everyone is waiting for you! Thank you Dad!¡¡Everyone! And I was crying big time again. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì After the world-shaking incident (that I wasn''t a farmer''s blood relative), I was in my room. I guess I''ll have to say goodbye to this room. I''m in that atmosphere when there''s a knock at my door. ...Is this your sister? I''m coming in. Yeah? It''s a good thing that you''re able to get a good idea of what you''re looking for. In fact, she is a student of the academy. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to get a ticket to the academy after a tremendous amount of effort. I really respect Marie''s sister. I''m not going to be able to tell you what to do, but I''m not going to be able to tell you what to do. Well I guess I''ll have to ask Fee about that one. Oh, yeah. But you got in at the same time as me and I can''t believe you''re graduating... ''Sis ... about that ...'' That''s okay. I''ve gotten used to your substandard talent. By the way, my sister is a bronze grade alchemist. And from what she said earlier, I was enrolled at the same time as her sister. My sister is currently 18 years old. I''m 16 and my sister Liese is 13. And me and my sister entered the academy at the same time two years ago. There is no definite limit to entering the Alchemy Academy, but the standard age is 16 at the earliest. That said, my sister is an excellent student. But I was the youngest person ever to be accepted, and even more so, I finished the graduation process, which takes at least five years, in just two years. I feel a little bit of a pullback in my sister. There were some hard days comparing herself to me, but she continues to study without saying anything to me. ''....Hey, are you really going to sell your crops to the world? You know.¡¡He said I''m learning alchemy for it. I know, but I didn''t really feel... well, go for it!¡¡My dad and mom are against it, but I''m okay with having an alchemist like that. Thank you, sister. Well, good luck with that. ''Oh...'' And so my sister left. But in the next moment, there was another knock at the door. ''Lise?'' ''Hehehe!¡¡I''m next in line after your sister! Lise is looking lovely today. Right?¡¡Hmmm! And as soon as Riese came into the room, she handed me something. This is..............an apple! You, the apple, no way. Hehehe. You should try it, mister. I take a gulp and try to eat it in one sitting. And at that moment, along with the mellow aroma, the flavor of the grapes spreads in my mouth... well, it''s finally done! How''s that?¡¡Big brother. "...gobbledygook. These apples are perfect. They definitely taste like grapes! ''Yes!¡¡It''s a success!¡¡Big brother! ''Yeah, you did it!¡¡Riese! We embrace and we both share in the joy. Lise is as obsessed with crops as I am, and I''ve been teaching myself the alchemy of breeding for the past few years. We share, and I''m the vegetable. Liese is in charge of the fruit. If we can commercialize my crops and Liese''s ''It looks like an apple, but it''s actually a grape'', there''s no doubt... a revolution in the farmer''s industry will happen...! Hey, big brother. You''re going to live by yourself, right?¡¡Can I go to your house? Of course. Liese and I are all about the same thing. One of these days, we''ll connect Liese''s room to my new room, space by space. We''ll be in and out of each other''s rooms in no time. ''Yes!¡¡I love you, big brother! Then Lise hugs me again. That''s right. I learned alchemy for situations like this. To use it conveniently. But Fee told me not to tell him about the alchemy of space transfer. But, well, it''s an alchemy that only Liese and I can use, so it''s fine. Even if we use it........! So, about that next piece of fruit... ''Hmmm. Then that technique...] We would argue until late into the night to work on our next topic. 3-Episode 3 that admirer My name is Rita Medis. I''m the daughter of the Medis family, a prestigious family of alchemists. However, my family is a branch of the family and I can''t be a legitimate successor, but I''m confident about alchemy in my own way. After all, she entered the academy at the age of 17, even though the average age of admission is usually 20. At this, all of his relatives were happy to see that he was the second coming of sister Fee. Alsfillah Medis. She is the sister of my cousin, the rightful heir of the main family. Our family''s dignity as an aristocracy is due in large part to sister Fee. And, to my surprise, I was the only student in that genius alchemist Elwydd Willis'' seminar through my sister''s connections. The academy system is very similar to that of most universities. There is a seminar, in which students write their graduation thesis and graduate. However, the difference between this academy and the university is that there is no credit system at the Kanovarian Alchemy Institute. There are many lectures, but there is no obligation to take classes. All you need is a graduation thesis. As long as you write your thesis, you can graduate right away. He would attend the graduation ceremony in March of the following year and become a Gold level alchemist. But in reality, the fastest person to graduate was Sister Fee, who took five years. On average, it takes seven years for her to graduate, and many fail. In the midst of all this, Elweed Willis, who appeared like a comet, graduated in just two years, and apparently he was going to start working at the academy as a part-time instructor this year. ''''Yes!¡¡Now all my hard work....will be gone! It was only recently that sister Fee was trembling with joy as she said that in her room. Apparently, Elweed Willis has finally decided on a career path. At first she seemed to be joking about taking over the farmhouse.......but that''s still strange. This academy is indeed amazing just to be able to work as an adjunct instructor. Full-time instructors are even more amazing. And sister Fee, the principal of this academy, is even more amazing. But even that sister Fee is a platinum-class "platinum" alchemist. On the other hand, Elweed Willis is a blue star class "Bluestella". He is the symbol of this country, a blue star class "Bluesteller". In other words, he was even older than his sister. And she was only sixteen years old. She was one year younger than me, and she was already a "Bluestella" in the blue star class. To put it bluntly, it is abnormal and out of standard. So when that''s the case, why is it that he''s a part-time instructor.......why is that? Well, putting that aside, I came to the fullest of times. To the Canovaria Alchemy Academy. To be frank, I am proud to be the first student of Elweird Willis'' seminar, commonly known as Elzemi, but I am also very worried. It seems that there were actually supposed to be about five seminar students, but apparently sister Fee was the first, so she decided to leave me alone. And I was chosen as the Elzemi. To be clear, there''s a strong element of connection, but I''ll still manage to take a bite out of it!¡¡And eventually, I will become a Blue Star, a Blue Star...! With that thought in mind, I walked through the gates of this academy with the cherry blossoms dancing. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì ''Wow....it''s so big....'' I came to the largest classroom in the institute. The school''s system is to have classes from the morning to the afternoon, and then from the afternoon to the evening, students have seminar practice and free time. On the first day of school, there was an unusual situation: right after the entrance ceremony, a live lecture by Elweed Willis was held, and to my surprise, seats were reserved. And, to my surprise, seats had to be reserved. Even the standing room seats are reserved, and it is clear that the school is unusually popular. By the way, I was in the front row, next to my sister Fee. I''m very sorry, but I need to see Elweed Willis'' lecture on my own eyes. ''Sister Fee, what kind of person is Mr. Elweed Willis? ''Like I said before my brain is full of crops. I really don''t know if I''m going to do well today... My sister said she was liberated, but she looks more painful now. Today was the entrance ceremony and there was a greeting and she was wearing a suit with her makeup perfectly made up and her hair up, but even so, the sister now had a very difficult look on her face. ''''Eh?¡¡Speaking of Elweed Willis, a blue-star-grade Bluesteller, he''s the genius of geniuses, right?¡¡Are you worried about something?¡¡And aren''t crops a joke to your sister? It would have been nice if it was a joke. I had heard about him before from Sister Fee. She said how amazing an alchemist he was, a genius who could surpass the founder of alchemy. I thought the occasional mention of crops was just a joke. But maybe there''s something to the fact that my sister says so much about it...? As I''m thinking about that, Elweed Willis walks in. Oh, he''s going to be my teacher. I''ll call him Elle-sensei........ Such Elle-sensei has platinum ¡¶platinum¡· long hair, and his height is 183 centimeters, which is high for a 16-year-old. The pitch black suit that he wore, coupled with his hair, made him look really beautiful. His face is also super beautiful. Maybe it''s my subjective view, but he''s really cool. Today, his long hair is tied up in one, if not a ponytail, at the bottom. ''''Oooh........'''' How divine.... That''s the genius of the century, Elwydd Willis? The room begins to buzz a bit. It''s not unreasonable. Today, not only the students of the institute, but also the general public enters the reserved seats. There must be a lot of people who are seeing him for the first time. ''''Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet........'''' When Dr. Elle says that, it goes silent with a shine. Ah.........His husky voice is really cool too. He seems to have already packed all the ideals of this world into one person, but to think that even alchemy is a genius.... As I was enthralled by this, Professor Elle started her lecture right away. He said, "Today''s lecture is about the reconstruction of alchemy that incorporates my theory of the elements, ''Gensory Theory''. Now please turn to page 12 of your textbook. Huh?¡¡If you''re a teacher, why the page count if you haven''t looked at the textbook? Anyway, it''s 12 pages and counting. Amazingly, all students were given a free textbook in this lecture. Moreover, this textbook is a new one to be used this year. Elweed Willis is a genius. But being a genius requires a track record of achievement. His most famous achievement is his advocacy of the theory of the elements. Until now, the alchemy was to draw an alchemy formation and put magic power into it to activate it. The process was considered mysterious and mystical, or perhaps a gift from God. However, however, an alchemist is one who goes through the theory. Why alchemy is activated by putting magic power into the alchemy formation... There have been many alchemists who have studied it in the 200-year history of alchemy. And the one who put a period on it was Dr. Elle. Six months after he entered the academy, he published a paper. It was titled ''On the Reconstruction of Elemental Theory and Alchemy''. I don''t understand all of its contents, but the summary is certainly this. The alchemy team is the tool to access the First Quality, the Primamateria, which abounds in this world, and magic power is the energy that drives the tool. The First Quality, the Primamateria, appeared here. He discovered this, thought about the elemental theory, applied it to alchemy, and changed the concept of alchemy 180 degrees. This is the reason why Dr. El is called the greatest genius in the history of alchemy. Then, let me start with an explanation of the First Pledge, the Primamateria. The First Quality, or Primamateria, is a particle that lies at the root of all things. We cannot see it with the naked eye, but it is full of the first substance, the Primamateria, like air. And it is also in our bodies. You may know that the human body is based on genes, or more specifically, DNA, but that DNA is also composed of the First Material, the Primamateria. The teacher writes a simple diagram on the blackboard. Human to DNA to the First Quality "Primamateria Seeing this, gasps of admiration escape from those around me. It is clear that he speaks in a way that is easy to understand, not only in terms of what he is saying, but also in terms of the way he crunches his words so that even first-time students can understand them. His inflection was also very clear and easy to listen to. For some reason, I felt proud of the fact that this was his first lecture, and that he was truly a genius. ''What happens when we apply this to alchemy? Existing alchemy was completely dependent on the alchemy team. For example......... The teacher draws a pentagram smelting group on the blackboard and lightly applies magic power. Then, a rose flower is generated with a pop. This is basic alchemy. The generation of all things. It is the basic of the basics. ''If you add this pattern to the pentagram''s alchemy formation like this, you can create a rose... but if you use the alchemy I proposed, which is based on the elemental theory, you can create a rose...'' The teacher squeezes his hand gingerly. Huh?¡¡Don''t you draw the wrought team? As I thought that, an overflowing rose overflowed out of Elle-sensei''s hand, and when it shimmered, it was a bouquet of roses, just like the ones you get in the store. ''''Eh...! I couldn''t help myself. Alchemy without an alchemy formation! I can do that! The people around him opened their eyes in astonishment. They were so surprised that they were too surprised to speak. ''''Thus, the alchemy team isn''t necessarily necessary. What you need are three things: a clear mental image, the First Pledge ¡¶PrimaMateria¡·, and magic power. Then you will be able to do alchemy without an alchemy formation like I did. And......... The rest of the day was truly a dream come true. A lesson in super advanced alchemy. I am sure I am standing at a turning point in history. Truly an honor, and I''m so glad I did! But sometimes in the lecture, I think the area around the teacher was shiny and lightly glowing. It was like when he was telling a parable about vegetables or fruits.... Well, anyway, the lecture went off without a hitch. The world of alchemy will change from this school year. Not just me, but all the people who were here must have had that confidence. ''''Uuuuuuuuut. El-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u, that was good. When the lecture was over and everyone was clapping, sister Fee was crying next to me. She must have been proud of herself because she was Mr. Elle''s teacher. After that, the press asked questions and had a photo session. It was off-limits to everyone but those who weren''t involved, but since I was a member of the Medis family and cousin of sister Fee, I stood there and watched the teacher closely. ''''Then we''re done. Thank you very much, Willis-san~ When the cameraman said that, I thought the people around me were going to disperse, but then people who wanted the teacher''s autograph formed a line. It''s kind of........idle now. But since it''s a seminar after this.......it''s going to be just me and my teacher.......I was lost in my fantasy when the signing session is over and my teacher comes up to me. My sister Fee is next to me, but I''m still nervous! "Rita. I am Elweed Willis, your teacher and mentor. Say hello. "...and...!¡¡Hey!¡¡My name is Rita Medis!¡¡It is a great pleasure to meet Mr. Elweed Willis! ''Hahaha, don''t be a sama. You can be a teacher or a master. Besides, I''m not much older than you. Well, I''ll just go with Dr. Elle... Oh, nice to meet you, Rita. You''re my first student. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. He shook my hand!!!! I''m sure my face must be bright red. I''ve been touched by the person I admire, and now.......there''s nothing left to think about. ''''Well, let''s just go to the lab. Ha ha..... So, Elle, it''s nice to meet you, okay?¡¡My little sister, right? The area around the teacher glowed again with a bang, but I didn''t care about that anymore. So I chewed on my happiness as I followed behind my teacher. 4-Episode 4 Graduation Ceremony Graduation Ceremony. Today is March 20, 1994, the year of the Divine History. It''s the day of the graduation ceremony of the Canovarian Alchemy Academy, and I''m walking around the campus wearing a pitch-black gown over a white cutter, pitch-black pants, and even a square cap. As I am walking towards the cathedral where the graduation ceremony will take place, I am approached from behind. ''Huh?¡¡Elle, are you alone? ''Oh........Serena. It''s been a while.... Oh, yes. And I also heard that you''re going to be a part-time instructor at the Academy... ''Strictly speaking, I''m on the sidelines of setting up the workshop. Inevitably, Fee is pestering me to work at the place he''s referred me to. ''Yes I can really understand Dr. Alsphira''s difficulty you tried to focus on selling that walking corn, didn''t you? Of course. You''re right, Serena you know exactly what you''re doing. Grinning, Serena sighs, "Huh.... Serena Brew. Her clothes are the same as mine, but her blonde hair is curled into a vertical roll. Well.............................She''s a temptress as usual. Also, Serena is one of the three major noble families, the eldest daughter of the Brew family. By the way, the three major noble families are the Medis, the Brew family, and the Barth family. All of them are famous for their alchemy, and in a manner of speaking, I''ve interacted with the direct lineage of these three families at this academy. Well, even if I say so, it''s probably more accurate to say that I was given a difficult time....... Serena was one of them. When she first entered the school, she said, "I don''t accept peasants like you! And she was resentful of me. She was frustrated that, in addition to being from a farmer''s background, she was the youngest student ever to enter the school, and even more frustrated that she had scored a perfect score on both the paper and the practical skills at the entrance exam. I was fed up with Serena, who was always following me around, but we had gotten to know each other somewhat over the two years we''d known each other. This was because she seriously admitted that my alchemy was the best thing ever. At the end, my attitude eased after I said, "I lost....... Then, me, Serena and another three of us took the liberty of planting a field in this school.......and accidentally created the ''Crawling Carrot'', a prototype of ''Walking Corn''. To be honest, it''s part of my ''World''s Best Farmer Project''. And I have such a personal contract with Serena. ''Elle, you remember that, don''t you?'' You mean the deal? Yes. I will be a knight. A knight who can use alchemy will be valued and the pride of this country. And you will continue to accompany me as I improve my abilities... And you''re going to help me with my project. Hm. If you know what you''re doing, you''re good to go. Yes, we have a mutual interest in fulfilling our goals. Selena still has a sweet spot as an alchemist. Although she will graduate and become a gold-grade alchemist, she''s still not good at the alchemy without an alchemy formation that I advocated. In combat, alchemy without an alchemy formation is the greatest strength. She couldn''t master it before graduation, but she still wants to train with me. Furthermore, as far as I''m concerned I''m actually considered a perfect genius, but there are things I''m not good at. I''m not very good at incorporating alchemy into matter, and I can''t help but overdo it in my own way. Serena makes up for that. Honestly, ''Walking Corn'' is not just me, it''s our work. I''ve even included Serena''s name in the acknowledgements for the paper. ''Oh no, you don''t have to put her name in there!¡¡ I guess she didn''t mean it. Selena''s name is already in the paper I''ve already submitted, so you can rest assured. ''''Well then, I''ll be coming over to your house again. The snacks are good! "...well, if only by accident. But be careful with your mother she really seems to want me to marry you to her.... It''s okay. I''m not getting married until I''ve fulfilled my dream. I''ve got a lot of work to do until I spread my crops around the world! Yes please keep it that way forever... I''ll see you later. I''m gonna get my picture taken with the press anyway. Yeah, see you later. After bowing politely, Serena left. That guy is a noble lady too, after all..............I walked into the cathedral. ''''........here?'''' When I walk in, there''s not much of a crowd. It looks like I came too early, but oh well. I''m reading a book. I''m about to read a book about crops that I had tucked into my pocket, when I''m approached by a voice from next to me. ''Master!¡¡It''s early! Ahhhhh Fred. It''s been a long time, too. ''Master, I hear you''re going to be an adjunct instructor. Congratulations to you. We''ll send you a gift from our home. It''s a commemoration of your employment. Really?¡¡Then we''ll go with the neighboring country''s crops. I''m going to go out on my own and set up my own farm lab. I''ll research other countries'' crops. Did your master get so impressed that he came early too? ''No, I guess it''s just habit. Besides, I''ve got a meeting with Fee later. I''ll wait here. I see. The two years that passed so quickly. It took me eight years to graduate, but two years for Master... he''s truly an amazing man. ''''It''s been a long time ago... when we met, you were just as hostile to me as Serena was...'''' Oh, I am so embarrassed. This guy who scratches his cheek is Fred Barth. He has short, cropped black hair and a well-built body. I''m on the tall side, at 6''3", but Fred is even taller, at 6''3". And this guy is the second son of the Barth family, one of the three generations of nobility. This guy, just like Serena, came to me to pick a fight. "Hmm, he''s just a kid. I''ll give you a twist," he said, and when I gave him a twist, he called me a master and somehow followed me. Me, Selina and Fred. The three of us used to do stupid things together. Most of the time, though, it''s just me planting crops in the school without permission and then causing a panic. It was good because I was a blue star class ¡¶Blue Star¡· alchemist, but the ''Great Vegetable Rebellion Incident'' was a situation that nearly got me expelled from school. That was just when I was finalizing my research on artificial intelligence and gave the vegetables a low intelligence at the drop of a hat. I didn''t think it could be done, and it really was born by accident. And the vegetables that gained intelligence were scattered throughout the school and went on a tyrannical rampage. I sparked the alchemy of space transfer to stop it but now I really miss it. ''''As I recall, Fred''s place of employment was........'''' ''Like Selina, I''m a knight, Master. But I''ve mastered alchemy without an alchemy formation, so unlike her, I''m suddenly a full-fledged knight. I was notified the other day that I''m not an apprentice. Well, that''s a cause for celebration. What would you like to celebrate ... what would you like to celebrate? ''No!¡¡I''m afraid to say... well... I hate to say it, but my master is starting up a lab and I want to help him with that... ''Really?¡¡Well, we''ve been having a hard time getting members together. I''d like you to help me out in your free time. ''''I''d really like to start my own business with my master, but I have my own family situation...'''' ''Isn''t it your aristocratic duty?¡¡Noblesse oblige. ''.........Master, please keep up the good work. Oh! As we were shaking hands with a gasp, Fee''s guy popped up. ''Fee, aren''t you allowed to abuse spatial transfer?¡¡Your words, right? ''Not today!¡¡I''ve got a lot of work to do, really... so I''m gonna go. I''ll see you later Fred. I''m going to borrow Elle for a minute. Yes. I know you''re busy. Please take care of my master. And so, Fee and I would make the final arrangements for the graduation meeting. He comes offstage and we go over the arrangements for the day. ''Okay you can do it if you do it!¡¡Mimic the greatest genius of all time and don''t touch the crops!¡¡Do you remember your answer? ''Oh, I learned perfectly what Fee gave me. I didn''t miss a thing. Well there''s a party later today. Good thing, mimicry, mimicry. The three great lords and royalty will be there and if they get ripped off here, your crop plans will be ruined. The World''s Best Farmer Project, Yes, it could be sabotaged. Keep the announcement of your plans under wraps. At least until my power is much higher. As it is, the other nobles and royalty will crush you. Huh you know, power struggles are important. That''s all right. This is the time to lay low. A skilled hawk hides his claws I''ll just do my best to prepare for the day to come... ''Yes you can!¡¡Today you are the greatest alchemist of all time, Elweed Willis. You''re not here today because you''re a crop idiot, are you?¡¡Okay?¡¡It''s your graduation ceremony until you get home, okay? What''s with the grade school field trip analogy? ''It''s not a metaphor!¡¡Even if it''s only because your path is in a lot of trouble please don''t ask me. I have my limits. Okay? Enough of a reminder. You can count on me. I''ll be a sign today. Don''t call me a genius. I grinned and Fee grinned too. That''s right. Today I''m the genius alchemist, Elweed Willis. I''m not a genius farmer. I told myself that, and I went to the graduation ceremony. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì Phew, it''s over. I was outside with my diploma in hand and the wind in my face. The graduation ceremony was a huge success. At the end of the ceremony, Elle''s idea was to lightly demonstrate my alchemy. Cherry blossom blizzards appeared from the ceiling and disappeared with a twinkle in the air, a fantastic sight. This was also a byproduct of the time I created it, but I''m glad I was able to produce it in a good way. ''Brother!'' "Oh. Riese!¡¡And your sister! Well, that was weird. "Elle. Lise and her sister Marie, dressed in formal attire, come up to me. But, however, there is no sign of their parents. ''''Where are my mom and dad?'''' The press caught me. I probably won''t be able to come down here for a while. Well don''t bother me. When I''m a little shuffled, Lise jumps on me. ''Brother!¡¡That was so cool!¡¡Now you can be independent! ''Oh!¡¡I''m the vegetable, you''re the fruit!¡¡And..... So the rest of us.... ''Master!¡¡I''ve been looking for you! Serena and Fred joined us there. Fred is fine as he is polite to everyone here, but the problem is Liese and Serena. ''''Oh my goodness?¡¡Liese, are you short again?¡¡And my chest stays flat... oh!¡¡So I''m growing and you look relatively small!¡¡Excuse me for this!¡¡Ohohohohohoh. "....the fat lady. Hey!¡¡I don''t appreciate that statement! You do the same!¡¡Fooling people!¡¡I''m your brother''s partner!¡¡Okay!¡¡It''s me! Oh, dear. Hmmm, well, go ahead and rant now, Lise. ''Disgusting!¡¡That''s disgusting to have that luxury! The two of them are having a good time. They are dog and monkey, but that doesn''t mean they are really bad. Talking bad words to each other is one of the ways of communication. A refreshing breeze blows by. The weather is clear today, as if the heavens are blessing us. Please let''s hope that my life as a farmer will go well. While praying for that........the 20th of March in the year of the Divine History 1994. I was the youngest person ever to graduate from the Canovarian Alchemy Academy. 5-Episode 5 Old Enemy, Third Queen Elle you''re a genius after all. Really?¡¡Did you do that well? Yeah. You''re a pro. Is this really your first time? ''Of course. That''s something Fee would know. I really hate your talent! The largest classroom in the school. There I was rehearsing for a mock class. Currently, I was trying to explain elemental theory and give the class a quick overview of the new alchemy. The textbook I''m using is the one Fee begged me to use, and I have it perfectly in my head down to the page number. It''s easy to convey when all the information is in the palm of my hand. And maybe it''s because I''m tutoring Lise in alchemy, but I''m good at teaching her to chew it up. This special class was by appointment only and apparently it was a ridiculously large lottery. Even now, tickets are being resold on the street for prices so high that even my eyes are popping out of my head, or something. But, well, if it''s endorsed by Fee, I''ll be fine on the day. But I''m tired of mimicking. I''d really like to proceed as a farmer........ ''''Ah!¡¡And, Elle. You, keep your mouth shut about adjuncts. Yeah ... what''s more? It''s a big one!¡¡You''re questionable to even be a full-time instructor, but if they find out you''re part-time you''ll die, I will. "...oh, oh. I wouldn''t want Fee to die either. I''ll do what I can. And if he finds out, why don''t you tell him to shut up? ''Ummm yes but I don''t think royalty is, well I don''t think it matters but there are a lot of nobles in this academy. And some of them don''t think well of you. If you want to live as a farmer, you''ll have to mimic them thoroughly. I don''t know if I can do it. Do it!¡¡You can do it! Hmm. I''m sorry if the hot pathos overflows. Keep it down. Sometimes it''s just a quality of being a farmer that you need to keep cool. Well you have a point. So do I get to say hello at the entrance ceremony too? Of course. We don''t need a fancy graduation ceremony, but it''s kind of... cool and clear?¡¡Just like a genius, please! Yeah, yeah. The usual. It''ll be just like the graduation ceremony. ''Yes, yes! ''What, you''re still struggling?¡¡My path is fixed and already spread across the country, but... ''That''s what I''m asking!¡¡It''s unbelievable that a "Blue Star" class member is teaching at our school!¡¡I mean, you''re registered as a researcher, so it''s okay... Haha, they''re mystics, that''s what they say... ...I''m tired. Fee leans limply against the desk. It''s a sloppy outfit, but I''m used to seeing it. The rest of the guys think Fee is a super-skilled woman, but she''s pretty pissed off. It''s no wonder I listen to her complain regularly. ''I see.......the mystics are involved? What a pain in the ass. They see me as an awful enemy. There are two factions in alchemy. They are the mystic school and the theoretical school. The mystics believe that alchemy is a gift from God, and they do not want to expose its deeds!¡¡They are the ones who think that this is the way to go. On the other hand, the theorists are those who think that alchemy is based on elaborate theories and that the main job of an alchemist is to expose all of it. Of course, I don''t belong to either of them. But somehow my theory of the elements is the biggest thing theorists do. I don''t know why most of them think I''m the top of the theoretical school, but I don''t care if it''s a mystery or a theory. I don''t care about mysteries or theories, I just care about how alchemy can be applied to improve the breeding of crops. That''s all I care about. I find value in alchemy. The nostalgic stiffs have always been at odds with each other, and there are still many such factions in the aristocracy. And during that conflict, I created the theory of the elements, a fully independent artificial intelligence that applied it, etc., so it seems that the theoretical faction used me to beat up the mystics with this and that. All of this is what Fee told me, but it''s really troublesome. And what''s even more troublesome is that the mystics have me in their sights. According to Fee, they say that it''s time for some real harm to come out. I''m sick of it.........let me farm....... Just as I''m shuffling around thinking about it, I see Fee get up with a bang. ''Alright!¡¡I''m working hard today! Oh! And so we would make more careful preparations for the entrance ceremony. ¡ì¡ì ¡ì This is the season when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The entrance ceremony has arrived. Today I''m dressed in the clothes Fee coordinated for me, but I''m wearing my hair in one piece and a suit. However, all I''m wearing is a suit with my hair pulled back into a bun. Moreover, the watch glimpsed on his left arm. It''s even more expensive, and I hate wearing it. I certainly make a lot of money, but I''m a commoner in terms of money. Because I''m from a venerable family of farmers. Even though we''re not related by blood, it''s a way of being a farmer. Saving money every day and always thinking about bringing delicious produce to the consumer. That''s what I''m trying to do, that''s the best I can do. "Look at that... I''m going to talk to him... It''s cool ... it''s amazing. Yeah. Blimey, I can''t believe she can see me. I''m not used to being on the big stage. I''m a naturally introverted person. I don''t want to stand out. "Huh? ''Huh?¡¡Wasn''t Dr. Elle there just now? Master Elle is gone! I immediately activate the alchemy of recognition inhibition. It interferes with the opponent''s unconsciousness, hacks the First Quality Primamateria in my brain, and erases my appearance from visual information. This is a technique I created when I was creating the flapping onions, but it''s quite useful and handy. In this way, I was supposed to meet up with Fee without anyone finding out. Yes, I was supposed to. But as soon as I walked into a secluded area, I got a pat on the shoulder. ''''It''s been a while, Elle-sama, it''s been a while. ''Well, well my dear Alice. It''s been a long time, too. So long! Can you hold on? Huh! The woman who attacked me. Her name is Alice Canovaglia. As you may have guessed, she''s royalty. She''s the third princess and someone I''ve heard of as well as being engaged to be married. We''ve known each other for a long time, and I almost got engaged to him at the graduation party. This guy''s appearance is based on the country''s symbolic blue-colored clothing and lustrous bright blue hair. The proportions are excellent, and she''s the most beautiful of all the princesses. She is often promoted in the media as a "too beautiful princess". But that''s the public''s perception. I know. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out who this dark-skinned woman really is. I''m not going to be able to get away with it. You can also hunt me down with........ "Hmm. It''s easy to control people''s minds without using alchemy. El-sama? She was the number one woman I want to avoid by far. She''s the number one woman I want to avoid by far. However, this guy has a sharp mind, and his aptitude for alchemy is superb. She''s 16 years old, the same age as me, and she''s excellent enough to be admitted here at her age. I have no connections. It''s because this academy is famous for dropping even royalty without mercy. And to top it all off, they are able to resist my alchemy. This time too, an ordinary alchemist would not have been able to notice it. As far as skill is concerned, it''s a gold-grade "gold" class. And yet, this woman would notice it. It was truly abominable and I sighed. ''''Huh.......Princess Alice, what can I do for you?'''' ''What?¡¡Is it strange to say hello to your future husband? ''It''s fine to say hello. But your future husband is wrong. ''Oh dear. If I get serious, your business as a farmer will be gone, won''t it? ''....d*mn it!¡¡You''re still a dirty girl!¡¡That''s not what people do, holding our crops hostage! It makes me cringe. Oh well. It''s not a clean word to begin with with with with this guy. Be that as it may, this woman Alice knows what I''m up to. She''s overheard me talking to Fee. I really admire her eavesdropping skills at a level I''m not aware of, but she''s using my independence as a farmer as a shield to press for an engagement. She really is an abominable woman! What''s even more troubling is that if we get engaged, he says he''ll help me with my business. With my power and your knowledge, you really can''t dream of world domination, can you? That''s the usual pattern. ''Oh my goodness, Master Elle, can I hear you talk like that?¡¡Are you sure you don''t want to interrupt me? ''''d*mn it!¡¡I knew I wanted...! ''Yes, here''s your marriage license. I''ve written mine, so you can write the rest for me, Elle. I will submit it to the city hall. Or would you like to go with me? ....! Is this what it means to not even have a voice? It really does have Alice''s name on it. There''s also what looks like the king''s signature in the guarantor''s column. Oh my God, what am I going to do? I.........what am I going to.......! As her thoughts freeze, Alice quickly puts the marriage license away. ''Just kidding?¡¡Did I take it seriously? She flicks her tongue out and winks at me, d*mn princess. Hey, you b*tc* ah! So, Master Elle, I''ll see you at the entrance ceremony! Saying that, Alice quickly leaves. Huh ... she''s still a stormy woman, as usual. And this time I was heading to meet up with Fee. ''Hey Elle!¡¡You''re ten minutes late!¡¡I can afford it, but it''s okay! "I''ve met the Third Princess. I want to die... ''Oh, by the way, Princess Alice was enrolled this year. Did you get tangled up with her again? I''ve filed a marriage license today. ''Ugh, egh. That''s scary. "The king''s signature is on there, too.¡¡How serious is that guy? Good boy. That was scary. That''s what Fee says as he pats me on the head. Oh, Fee is my friend, after all. You can really count on him. "You''re holding innocent crops hostage!¡¡You''re going to pressure me if we don''t get engaged... ''''Wow you really do like me. It was originally for your alchemy talents, but maybe Elle''s personality was perfect for the princess. Don''t tell anyone, but there''s a lot of talk about it among the nobility. It looks like the source of the rumors among the nobles is that Princess Alice. Shit!¡¡You''ve got a match-pump on your hands! Whoa. Relax. Let''s just deal with the problem at hand. I''ll find out about the princess. Yeah ... thanks Fee. Then I got a mental break and went to the entrance ceremony. 6-Episode 6: Become a Genius Alchemist and Part-time Lecturer Congratulations to all of you on your enrollment. Fee''s guy started talking on the stage. He''s crisp, and when I look at him like this, I think he''s a woman who can do it, but in reality, his stomach is probably churning. Well, it''s my fault. And I also feel sick to my stomach at the thought of saying hello over there. Normally, a mere instructor would not greet people at an entrance ceremony. But I''m a Blue Star class "Bluesteller" alchemist. In fact, it seems strange that they don''t greet each other. However, Fee''s guy omitted my greeting at first, but due to pressure from above, my greeting became a decision. It''s nice to have alchemy at my disposal, but right now it''s more of a hardship. And as I was despairing, Fee''s greeting came to a close. ''''Well then, everyone, as a special exception, I would like to introduce a new faculty member. It is the azure-star class "Bluesteller" alchemist, Elweed Willis-sensei. I stand up quickly and walk to the stage with a crisp, pimply face. For some reason, I''m now surrounded by overflowing applause, which makes me even more nervous. Hiiiiiiii. Who the hell started the applause......... But he doesn''t lose his face. I don''t even lose my posture. It''s the culmination of me and Fee''s efforts right here, right now. When I come to the stage, there is a microphone on the floor. Fee steps back and stands back, muttering to me, "Do the right thing," he mutters. Then I emotionally recited the speech Fee had prepared for me. ''Nice to meet you all. My name is Elweed Willis, and I''m happy to accept your referral. I am honored to have this opportunity to speak to you, even though this is not an appropriate place for a teacher. By the way, to all of you who have enrolled in this school this year. As you know, it is very difficult to graduate from this school. As you know, graduating from this school is very difficult, sometimes it takes 10 years. But please don''t give up. It''s not all about hard work. You need talent. You need talent and hard work, both of which are necessary. And if you give up, it''s the end of the world. Keep going. He speaks flippantly as if he were speaking for himself. It''s a good thing I''m saying this.......that''s Fi. As usual, his manuscript is perfect. When he finished his greeting with a smug look on his face, I was once again met with an overflow of applause. Phew...........................Anyway, I''ve cleared the first hurdle. And so I go to the special class, which is the biggest challenge of all. ¡ì¡ì¡ì "...Ready?¡¡When I give you the signal, you go in, okay?¡¡I''ll use alchemy to scare you off. I''ll be sitting right in front of you watching, okay?¡¡Are you okay?¡¡Are you nervous? You''re my mother. It''s all right, Fee. How many times have we rehearsed it? ''Well it''s all right, all right, all right I''ll sabotage you if you try to talk badly. ''Ah well surely talking about alchemy from elemental theory might remind you of crops and make you slip up. Please do that then. Well, I''ll resist. All right. Cover up any trace of the resist, okay? It''s a pain in the ass, but I understand. ''Then I''m going to go inside now, okay? I''ll watch with Rita. You can count on me. I''ll show you how good Fee''s students are. I grinned and Fee grinned too. Yeah, I can do that. Once this is over today, I won''t be in the public eye for a while. When this is over, I can finally.........focus on my work. There was a bit of a commotion when I walked in, so I told them to be quiet. Then everyone was firmly silent and I started the class. ''''Today''s lecture is about the reconstruction of alchemy that incorporates my theory of the elements, ''Genslorion''. Now please turn to page 12 of your textbook. It''s all arranged. Perfect. I would like to begin by explaining the First Quality, Primamateria. The Primary Material, or Primamateria, is a particle that lies at the root of all things. We cannot see it with the naked eye, but it is full of the first substance, the Primamateria, like air. And it is also in our bodies. You may know that the human body is based on genes, or more specifically, DNA, but that DNA is also composed of the First Material, the Primamateria. The first pledge I found, "Primamateria". Right now, it smells as if I found it from a human, but in reality, I found it from a pineapple. When Liese was improving the ''Pineapple, but it''s actually an apple'' that was in the process of being prototyped, I felt a sense of discomfort. To begin with, I had always had trouble improving the breed using alchemy. Even if I created the original alchemy team and encouraged it to breed, it would not start up properly. So I changed my approach. There was a problem with the alchemy team in the first place, and I suspected there was something about this pineapple. Because I have a high aptitude for alchemy, I have a special ability. And when I checked it under the microscope, I found some small grains. I took it out with alchemy and processed it to create the perfect ''Pineapple but it''s actually an apple''. This is the culmination of that. The greatest tribute to my love of crops. When I think about it, I can''t help but interrupt my ramblings. ''And this theory of the elements, actually, is my...'' The moment I try to slip up, an attack comes flying against me. However, Fee is adding or subtracting, and I easily resist it too. It glows a little bit, but well, it''s an error. And so I recovered from that and went back to my normal, mundane lessons. ''''........That''s all. Thank you for listening, thank you for your patience. He bowed lightly and was met with loud applause. Fee, in the front seat, was crying. ''Uhhhhhh. We have a photo session later, is it okay for that guy to cry?¡¡I think ... yes, it is. It''s over. I''m free from today. The plan for the rest of the day is to have a light conversation with a reporter and take some pictures. It seems that today''s event will be featured in a magazine called Alchemy Monthly. And the newspaper as well. After that, I''m going to have seminar time. I''m alone with Fee''s cousin, a student named Rita. I''ve never met her before, but after everything that''s happened, I''m in heaven. Besides, Fee seems to be talking to Rita about a lot of things, and she''s generally doing okay. I quickly chat with the reporter, take a picture, and work my way through the line for autographs, which for some reason has been forming, before heading to Rita''s with Fee. ''''...Okay?¡¡You''ll take care of Rita for me, okay? I''m on it. She''s like your sister, right?¡¡I understand how precious my sister is. She''s a bit of a quirky girl, but nice to meet you. I come to Rita''s eyes and we exchange a light greeting. ''Rita. I am Elweed Willis, your teacher and mentor. Say hello. "...and...!¡¡Hey!¡¡My name is Rita Medis!¡¡It is a great pleasure to meet Mr. Elweed Willis! ''Hahaha, don''t be a sama. You can be a teacher or a master. I''m not much older than you. Well, I''ll just go with Dr. Elle... Oh, nice to meet you, Rita. You''re my first student. He smiles and shakes my hand. He seems to be turning bright red, but well, it can''t be helped. I''m sure she''s nervous. ''''Well, let''s just go to the lab. Ha ha..... So, Elle, it''s nice to meet you, okay?¡¡My little sister, right? Once again, Fee attacks me with alchemy. I resist it again, and he grins and Fee grins too. This laugh is a signal. It''s a signal that we trust each other. She must be my precious sister. That''s okay, Fee. I know how precious she is to me. I''m gonna make sure she''s in control. And I would take Rita to my laboratory. ¡ì¡ì ¡ì ¡ì Hi, I''m Rita. I''m walking next to Dr. Elle. It''s just the two of us. I''m really nervous. My body is shaking and I feel like I can''t handle it. I glance at the teacher and he is walking with a crisp expression on his face. I''d like to think it''s a lie that he''s younger than me with this. He was in his early 20s at best. Sensei had that kind of dignity. Oh, but really........what is going to happen to me now!¡¡I can''t believe I''m alone with the doctor! And while I was thinking about this, I arrived. The front of the lab says Elwyd Willis. ''Come on, Rita, come in.'' Oh, excuse me. I bit him!¡¡Wow this is embarrassing. ''''Ha, Rita is so cute.'''' Ughhhhhh.... A smiling exchange. But the moment you open the door, the teacher''s complexion suddenly changes. ''''Wha!¡¡No way, a coup d''¨¦tat at a time like this!¡¡Number one, number two, number three, number four!¡¡Where is it?! What...?¡¡Eh.........! When the teacher opened the door and entered the room, there was a nondescript room. Eh, what''s the problem...? ''......¡¡Rita, up there! What? When I glanced up, I saw something wriggling ¡¶something¡· at the top of the bookshelf. ''''Eh........what is that?'''' I don''t want a repeat of that one, you know. When the teacher said that and activated the alchemy, the four creatures above?¡¡is slowly lined up on the desk in front of me. And I was astonished. Because there they were........corn with arms and legs. "Se-Sensei.......what is this........ ''Huh ... so this is what we''ve been doing since day one. Fee told me to never find out, but I had no choice. Rita, from now on we''re going to talk about these guys and about me. It''s no use hiding it from the seminarians. Fee will be pissed at me later, both of us. Hmm?¡¡Just the two of you? But I didn''t understand it well for now, so I responded appropriately. ''''Ha....ha...'''' I''m a little embarrassed when he stares at me with a serious look in his eyes, but when I see the crisp teacher, I change my attitude too. ''This one''s number one, this one''s number two, and then next to him is number three, and this last one is number four. This just looks like corn, doesn''t it?¡¡But hey, I can walk and I can think. A homunculus of sorts, so to speak. ''What?¡¡Homunculus!!!!! Homunculus. I think it was a creature proposed by the mystics that if God created man, then it was possible for man to create man as well. I guess the short answer is man-made man. But it would have been concluded that it was impossible. That it was impossible to create a homunculus with modern alchemy. As I recall ... the first requirement for a homunculus would be a mind and a body. The body could be smelted with alchemy, but the mind was considered impossible. Because the body has the constituent matter, but the mind doesn''t. But ... from what the doctor said, I''m guessing that these corn is a homunculus. That means they have a mind like a human, and can even think. It''s unbelievable. I''ve always hated knowing that Sensei is a genius, but I can''t believe he''s going even further! Great, great!¡¡I''ve become a disciple of someone truly amazing! Oh, but why corn?¡¡It doesn''t even have to be corn, does it? ''Sir, why the corn?¡¡Is a vegetable essential to the manufacture of a homunculus? "Hmmmmmm. Well you heard me well Rita, can you swear that you won''t say anything else in the future? I swear it. I will not speak on behalf of my family. Then the shocking truth hit me. 7-Episode 7 A brief rest and disaster Hi, I''m Rita. It turns out that the teacher had mastered alchemy so well that he could smelt a homunculus. He is a genius. The teacher is a genius!¡¡It''s no longer about being younger or age, it''s trivial. It''s trash. I''m in the presence of a genius who has done all kinds of impossible things in the history of alchemy. Isn''t that great?¡¡Uh-huh!¡¡Isn''t it great! ''It''s actually part of my project,'' What''s the project? My dream is to sell my produce to the world. But these vegetables are just a coincidence, and I have no intention of mass producing them. ''What ... crops ...?¡¡Um, isn''t the teacher pursuing the truth of the world through alchemy?¡¡That''s what people say, but... That''s a lie. The crops are all I have in mind. You know that.¡¡He said I''m from a farming family. ''Yes it''s only a rumor but I think that''s just some kind of trickery...'' No, I''m a legitimate farmer''s blood. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡It''s rumored that the teacher is actually royalty or a reincarnation of the founder... but... he''s really from a farming family and alchemy to sell crops! Yes. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Isn''t the search for truth an alchemist''s ideal! That''s what some people do. But I came to this academy to be part of a project. I knew I needed to learn alchemy in order to sell vegetables. That''s why I learned alchemy here and here I am. The Blue Star class [Bluestella] was a part of that. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Followed by the Blue Star class Bluesteer!¡¡In addition to that, you''re going to be a Blue Star class!¡¡ I was surprised........but, well, I mean, how come you''re still at this academy after you graduate? I''ve heard that the blue star class Bluestera is having problems with this kingdom when it comes to starting a farming business all of a sudden. I heard that he has a relationship with them. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the future. Well, it''s part-time. Hi!¡¡Part-time!¡¡Blue Star class Blue Star is dead!¡¡Part-time! ''Oh, that was a secret but oh well. I don''t have anything to hide from Rita. And I''m sure Fee''s guy thought about it too, and made Rita my seminar student. ''Oh I''m dizzy...'' Hahahahahaha. That''s a lie. The teacher is seeking the truth through alchemy. Lies, right?¡¡Hey, you''re saying that to surprise me you''re saying that to break the tension, right? As he was despairing, the teacher was staring at the homunculus on his desk. ''''Hmm ... the first one''s been looking shiny lately. ''''What?¡¡I need more sustenance?¡¡Wait, first, don''t over-nourish yourself. I''ve always said that. And No. 2 - hey, are you picking on No. 3 again?¡¡I told you that stress is a poisonous substance you should feel sorry for yourself for a while, No. 2. No. 3, you''ve lost some weight, you need to replenish your nutrition. And No. 4 you''re still going at your own pace. That''s good, keep it up. Is it real?¡¡Yeah, that''s the reality. I can''t believe that the greatest alchemist of all time was actually an alchemist who loved crops.... But wait. Didn''t we just have a conversation?¡¡Oh, you can talk to corn! Um ... doctor, can you communicate with corn? Hmm?¡¡Well, it''s just a gesture. I know what I want, and I know the extent to which I don''t like this. After all, I''m giving them a little of my intelligence. I know a little bit about these guys. "Huh, that''s my seminar students. You know how lovely these guys are... After hearing that, I stare at the corn and the others. Limbs?¡¡There are no fingers on things like It''s like it''s just a stick stuck to the ground. But number two?¡¡is poking at No. 3 with a toothpick. The teacher saw it and said, "Stop bullying me, No. 2! And angry. Oh, shunned. I can see that No. 2''s head is down and depressed. And it turns out, he can hold something with these hands, at least for a while. I was selfishly shocked to hear that it was a farm crop, but this could indeed be a great thing. Sister Fee also said. ''Good thing, Rita. You can''t be prejudiced. ''Don''t underestimate the fact that it''s a vegetable,'' she said. I suddenly remembered her saying with empty eyes, ''''It''s possible that your love for crops could revolutionize the history of alchemy...'''' I see, I''m gaining insight into what those words meant. The sister knew. She said that Elle-sensei was from a farmer''s background and that she was continuing to learn alchemy for her crops. Yes, prejudice is not good. Everyone has their own reasons for studying alchemy. I shouldn''t impose my values, my own image on them. Because my teacher works so hard........ ''''Sensei, what''s that?'''' ''Yeah, this is an observation diary. I need to keep a firm grasp on the biology of these guys. I keep it every day. ''Wow....what is this?¡¡That''s amazing! There was a lot of writing on it. What are the characteristics of each maize, what are their personalities, and the effects and side effects of incorporating alchemy into them? What are their lifestyle habits, what are the differences between them and humans, and is it possible to improve the breed by incorporating more alchemy into them? Yes, I saw it described. Agricultural crops...I thought...but he''s a teacher after all. The greatest genius alchemist of all time is really a genius. I was clearly reminded of that. ''''Teacher!'''' Oh, wow... what''s going on here, Rita? ''I''m glad I came to this seminar!¡¡Tell me more about alchemy, or even crops! ''''Hmph. Huhahahahahaha!!!!¡¡Yes, I knew it. Well I sensed your qualities from the first time I saw you. Together, we will walk the path to the crops! Yes! This is how the "Jeruzemiemi" as it is commonly known was started in earnest. In the history of future generations, this seminar would be described as such. The "Elspeth" is a group that revolutionized the history of alchemy through agricultural products. And it wasn''t long before I became the third person in history to become a blue star class, Bluesteller. It was at this time that all destiny began to turn. I will be truly grateful for my encounter with my teacher for the rest of my life.... ¡ì¡ì. So that''s what you told Rita? ''I''m sorry, Fee. I couldn''t help it. Well, it''s okay. It''s just that Rita looks up to you so much more. You hear that?¡¡You know how he came to me after that and started talking about the greatness of crops?¡¡How far have you brainwashed her? "...stupid. Brainwashing is a bad word for people. We were just arguing about the great relationship between alchemy and crops. I learned even more about the greatness of alchemy, and Rita learned even more about the greatness of crops. And she''s quite apt at it. And she''s quite capable of alchemy, too. Hmmm, honestly, on potential alone, you''re probably better than me. ''''Maybe it could be the third Blue Star class [Bluestella]. I have a glimpse. No way. It''s only platinum at best. Well, we''ll see. I''ll let my guidance guide her. ''Hmmm. I''m looking forward to it. Night. It''s now 8pm. Fee and I had come to a completely private tavern for a party. Fee, despite being an aristocrat, likes the taste of the common people and hates expensive food. He still orders beer and shochu highs, as well as white wine. As an accompaniment, he ordered potatoes, fried chicken, and edamame. He is a complete old man. I''m used to having meals with Fee, so I don''t really care about it now. ''''Haha ... I''m really liberated ... I just hope Elle doesn''t cause any more problems ... I''m worried about her. ''It''s ... I don''t know. There could be another ''Great Vegetable Revolt'' incident. ''Oh that''s so nostalgic. If I hadn''t covered it up, you would have been expelled for sure, that. Oh. I''m very grateful for that. Besides, that incident gave us a walking cornucopia. It''s all thanks to Fee that we''re connected to now, and I''m really grateful for that. I''m well aware of the trouble I cause on a regular basis. He scolded me for doing whatever I wanted, saying I was a blue star class [Bluestella], and guided me well. Although I''m in a higher class than him now, I still consider Fee as my only teacher. ''''Oh no.......what are you saying all of a sudden with a serious face? Well, you''re a blue star class [Bluesteller], right?¡¡And you''re my first apprentice?¡¡Besides, I''ve changed my image of alchemy in a lot of ways thanks to Elle and mine is the one I''m grateful for. ........right. Well then, here''s a present for such a fee. ...? Fee''s face, red with alcohol, is puzzled. I had bought Fee a gift for this occasion. It was the most expensive purchase I''d ever made in my life. Of course I had to pick it out on my own, and I had to find something that would suit Fee. "Here it is," I said. Open it and take a look. ...Is this a necklace? The original alchemy is also built in. If you are in trouble, you can put magic power into it and I will be notified. Fee is also dangerous because of the exchange between the nobles. I''ve also covered the security aspects. ''Lies I''m so happy. I can''t believe that Elle gave me such a.... such a gift... ahhhhhhh, I''m so happy... ahhh, I''m so happy... ahhh, I''m so happy... Okay, okay. I pat Fee''s head, who is crying with emotion. The booze must be making him emotional. I know exactly what Fee is going through, because I''ve been there for him for the past two years. That''s because I''ve been by her side for the past two years. That''s why I wanted to express my gratitude in some way. "....gu gu guh. Oh. That makes me happy too. It would have been beautiful to end up here. Yes, but I had my own mission. No, I had a mishap.... "d*mn it you''ve had too much to drink today, Fee! But there was no reply. I was walking around town with Fee on my back. This guy''s house is the entire top floor of my new apartment building on my own. Yes, the whole floor. It seems that Fee''s family owns this apartment, and I''ve been renting a room there at a discount. I have a separate room from Fee''s that he rents from me. We don''t live together, but well, I guess you could say we are neighbors. But this isn''t what I was expecting, and with a bit of alchemy to deceive the people around me, as well as a lot of physical strengthening, I hurry to the apartment. ''''Well, the auto lock...'''' I carried Fee and turned the key to the auto-lock, picked the top floor in the elevator and went straight up. I heard a ding, and the doors opened and we were on the top floor. I don''t have a key to Fee''s room, as expected, so I shake her awake. ''Hey Fee. Get up, you''re home. Give me your room key. "...yes. Yes.........this....... Fee takes the key out of his bag and hands it to me. I''m supposed to open it, or... I eventually opened it and threw Fee into bed. I''ve been to this guy''s room a lot, so I know where his bedroom is. You''re making weird noises, but I''ve carried you here. That''s about as good as it gets. Finally, I give him a quick word of business and leave. ''Fee, you need to get dressed and get some sleep, okay?¡¡I took a bath and brushed my teeth... Let me get dressed!¡¡Bath together!¡¡And brush your teeth! What? Otherwise, I wouldn''t be leaving! "...What? A moment later, the wards were put up by Fee''s alchemy. Hm!¡¡Let me take it off! I''m drunk. Totally drunk...... Oh God.......... Give me the courage to get through this ordeal........ This is how my day has come to its climax. The long day is still going on. 8-Episode 8 Lets Start the Workshop! Come on!¡¡Let me take it off!¡¡Elle!¡¡Quickly! Crops, give me the power... I close my eyes and in a crosshairs motion, I pray to the god of crops. And here I activate my original alchemy. It''s an alchemy that allows you to perceive space without opening your vision. It was originally adapted from the discovery of the First Quality Primamateria, which allows me to completely understand the First Quality around me. This unusual ability appeared to me as I studied crops. In this state, I can only see silhouettes, and no visual information, such as clear colors and shapes, can be received. Well, that means I can fulfill Fee''s request with my eyes closed. After all, crops are great. If I hadn''t been studying crops at the Academy, I would be in a tight spot by now. But I can still do it. I can do it. I quickly go to the bathroom and borrow a towel and tie it around my eyes, covering them. Hard. Yes, hard. I don''t want to get in a weird relationship with Fee here. He''s my friend. So I should take a stand. "Here, say "bang" to me. Yeah ... banzai! It''s happening. The greatest difficulty in my history has begun. Although there was no information from my sight, I sensed the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· and dexterously slipped off her clothes. ''''Alright!¡¡It''s off!¡¡Take a bath!¡¡Can Elle join us? ''Oh...'' It doesn''t matter now. With that in mind, I headed for the bath. "Mmm-hmmm. How does that feel, Fee, huh? ''Yes!¡¡Elle''s good at washing up! I was washing Fee''s back. Fee''s was completely naked, but I was dressed. If I didn''t, I had a bad feeling about something. ''Isn''t Elle going to take a bath?'' Oh I''ll go in when I get to my house. Hmm. Really? Hey, is this guy really drunk?¡¡Are you on some kind of sick drug or something?¡¡It''s so far removed from his usual words and actions that I think so. It''s true that Fee is a bit out of the loop...but is this something that''s potentially dormant? Well, I can''t help but think about it. ''Okay, I''m up, Fee.'' Yeah! I feel like I''m taking care of a relative''s child.... Then I got him changed into his adorable bear pajamas, brushed his teeth, and brought Fee to bed. ''Oh no!¡¡Can you sleep with me?¡¡Please..... That''s what I said with my wolverine eyes, but I''ve already finished lifting the wards. My mission is over, too. I take the towel and finally get my usual visual information. Huh ... that was a real disaster. Please don''t let Fee remember this......... And while I''m doing this, the time is around midnight. I have plans to go home and do another crop data collection. I should go home for the day. "Fee. I''ll be back. I''ll sleep with you some other time, okay? ''Yeah ... if you say so Elle ... goodnight, Elle. "Oh. Good night, Fee. The moment I was about to open the door, I could already hear Fee breathing in his sleep. He must have been really tired. Stress from repeated hardship. I''d be happy if I could relieve some of that stress. Then I went back to my house. Well, it''s next door. Ping-pong. Pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po, pin-po. The intercom is ringing all the time with a pin drop. Who''s hitting it that hard?¡¡Our intercom is not a continuous game.... I look at the clock on my bedside table and see that it''s 10am. Did I sleep a little too much because it''s a holiday? Well, I had a lot of things going on yesterday and it was late. I came home and studied the crops for two hours, and it was 2:30am when I went to bed. I''d like to get some more sleep, but I have some important things to do today. Maybe I''ll get up while I answer the intercom. Then I head for the door, still a little foggy-headed. Yes, sir. Fluffy........what''s the matter?¡¡What can I do for you? ''Squeak, squeak, squeak!¡¡Squeak, squeak, squeak!¡¡Hear, hear! "...?¡¡You''re showing off your monkey act? ''Yesterday!¡¡You remember, don''t you! Fee comes to me with a bright red face and says so. He''s also a sleeper, or maybe he''s just getting out of bed, but he''s wearing adorable bear pajamas. Oh, come to think of it, I looked at this guy''s shelves last night and found a lot of cute pajamas," said Fee, as he came over to her, blushing even more. As I was thinking about it, Fee came at me with an even redder face. ''Wow, forget it!¡¡Forget about yesterday, Elle! I can''t do memory manipulation with an alchemy. It''s impossible. Well, it was an experience, right?¡¡From now on, you''ll have to be more careful with your drinking. Ummm... so, did you see it? ''No, you know I can assess my surroundings without vision, right? Yes, but ... you remember the outline, the shape, right? It''s better than being seen in person. If this is what you call s*xual harassment, I''m going to cry. And because of Fee''s super advanced wards, I couldn''t go home. ''Uh ... I''m sorry. It''s my fault on all fronts. Schoon and depressed Fee. I''ve been lascivious to that point. I understand where you''re coming from. But this hasn''t been easy for me, either. I need you to understand that. "So, what''s the deal? Hmm? Was I pretty? ''No, I can only see your silhouette, so I can''t tell if it''s pretty or not. ''''Well you''re right ... haha, I wonder if this is how I''ll be able to get married ...'''' Well, it''ll be a good match for you some day. Yeah. I''m sorry for barging in on you like this. I''m going home. Bye. Yeah. Fee continues to toddle back. ''Good!¡¡Today is a big day!¡¡Let''s do it! I have important plans for this afternoon. Yes, I''m finally getting my workshop up and running!¡¡This is how I finally took my first step toward independence. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì Well that''s about it for now. I''ve been coming to the basement of this apartment building. In truth, there is no such thing as a basement in the mansion I live in now, but I used alchemy to rebuild it and create it. Just in case, I''ve got permission from various parties. Besides, I built the basement in a slightly deeper area so as not to bother the people living here. It''s as big as the whole floor, which is quite large. But in order to do extensive research, this size is necessary. I''ll be working on reports in my room and experiments in this workshop. And while I was preparing for various things, two guests came in. ''''Oh my........there really is such a thing as a basement, isn''t there? This is a bit........really amazing....... ''Master!¡¡It''s been a while!¡¡This is a celebration of my appointment as a lecturer. I have brought quality produce from our neighboring countries, as promised. Yes, it''s Serena and Fred that I''m calling today. They both just had a day off today, so I asked them to come this way. It''s not easy to set up a workshop by yourself. I''m glad you''re both here. You can leave that one there for Fred. It''s very helpful. Thank you. ''No, no, I''m happy to help you, Master. So what are we supposed to do? We just need to set up the lab equipment for now. Well, I know what I''m going to do. I''ll make sure it''s perfect. ''Master!¡¡I''m happy to help! Yeah, please. Let''s do it then!¡¡''Ew.'' ""Oh!" Just like when we were students, the three of us started working on it. Most of the experimental equipment is large, and I could use alchemy to set it up on my own, but unfortunately I''m not a person with that much magic power. Rather than me, Serena and Fred have more magic power than me. That''s why I called the two of them today. Let''s start with the big apparatus. These are the instruments that I created myself. From a machine that measures the sugar content of crops to one that can accurately determine vital data. The smaller instruments are common ones, such as flasks and test tubes. And so after two hours of hard work, my workshop was complete. Yes ... it was finished. Thinking back, it was a long way to go. Ever since I was a student, it was my dream to have my own workshop, to stay in here and make the best produce I could. It''s been a lot of things, really. I swore at an early age that I would be the best farmer in the world, and I learned that alchemy was the best way to improve the breed. Then I enrolled in the Canovarian Alchemy Institute and furthered my knowledge of alchemy. All in order to make my dreams come true. When I was a student, I made a lot of mistakes. There were times when I would waste my crops. Every time I shed tears, I promised myself that I would never let their sacrifice go to waste. I would never let their sacrifices go to waste, I promised myself that I would be the best farmer in the world. I would become the best farmer in the world.... I was in tears as I was overcome with emotion. ''Oh........I''ve finally made it........'' ''Master!¡¡This is the workshop I dreamed of when I was in school! Congratulations, Elle. I''m so happy for you. You''re so close to your dream. Boys ... uhhhh, thank you. Serena and Fred give me a few words of encouragement. Looking back, it wasn''t a good meeting for either of them at first. I thought it was disturbing, to say the least. That''s why I screwed them over head on. I was aware that I was more skilled in alchemy than they were, and that''s why I thought that once they treated me badly, they wouldn''t get involved again. But these two have been serious about supporting my dreams. From that moment on, they''ve been friends with me. I also miss the memories of doing stupid things with them. Even though it''s not even a month since I graduated, somehow it feels like an awful long time ago. ''I''m going to make my dreams come true now. And I''m going to be the best farmer in the world. They smiled at me as I said this with tears in my eyes, and they smiled at me. Ahhh I have a really good friend. But then Serena pulls my hand away and goes to go up the stairs. ''Huh?¡¡What''s the matter, Serena?¡¡I''m going to study ''flapping onions'' now... ''You''re supposed to be with me today to train.¡¡He said he''d do it when this was over. ''Oh!¡¡You said..... ''Master!¡¡I also want my master to train me after so long! I know. Well, it''s bad enough that you keep giving me things to do. Yeah.........oh, I wanted to study it right away....... Thus, without tightening up, I was taken away by Serena and Fred. 9-Episode 9 Evening. The three of us had come to Serena''s house. This country has the Canovarian Alchemy Academy in the center, and to the north is the aristocratic district. My house is in the center, so the three of us are currently moving north. ''''Well, Elle your mother might say something, but don''t worry about it...'''' Hmm?¡¡Yeah, I get it. I guess it''s a social call. ''Yes I hope so...'' ''Serena''s mother would want her Master to marry her daughter. If I were a parent myself, I wouldn''t leave someone like my master alone. And Serena reveals her anxiety. Whenever I go to Serena''s house, I ask her when she and Serena are going to be engaged?¡¡Today?¡¡Today? He comes at me unobtrusively like this. She''s very kind, she''s a good baker, and she''s a good mother, but Serena seems to be a bit of a pain in the ass. I guess it''s a bit of a rebellion. I walked around with that in mind when I arrived at Serena''s house. The grounds are quite large, with a fountain in the garden and a huge mansion behind it. I''ve been here many times, but I''m always impressed. ''''........Oh, it''s still huge......'''' Well I''ll just go get changed and wait for you in your usual spot. Okay. I understand. Serena said and walked into the mansion. ''Well, let''s go ahead then, Fred. ''Yes!¡¡Master! It''s always this garden at Serena''s house where we always train in alchemy. It''s because it''s safer than the hard ground, even if we are thrown or blown up. And by the way, Fred and I are already in rough clothes that are easy to move around in. Selena is always dressed up when she goes out, so she''s in the process of changing her clothes now. ''''Oh my goodness, Elle-sama and Fred-sama. Welcome to our home. Miss Kate, it''s been a long time. It''s good to see you after yesterday. Sorry to bother you, Miss Kate. I call him Mr. Kate because I''m an aristocrat, in case you''re wondering. Fred is closer to me than I am to him, so I call him Mr. Kate. "How do you like my daughter, Master Elle? ''Yes. I''ve been helping you set up your workshop today. I really appreciate it. Oh my!¡¡A workshop!¡¡The workshop of a jasper-class "Bluesteller" alchemist. It must be quite a feat. No, I''m just working my way up the ladder as usual. ''''Humility. Master Elle''s alchemy is truly amazing. And your crops are truly amazing. Let us know when you''re ready for a real venture. I''m sure our family can help you. Well, well, thank you. She bows her head and smiles at me. I find the soft, age-appropriate atmosphere soothing. Then Fred, who was next to me, speaks to me secretly. ''''.......Master, don''t be fooled. If you''re going to rely on it, it''s better to rely on the Baltic family than the Brew family. There is no doubt about this.'''' I''m sure I''m the only one who can hear this voice. But she''s got a good ear, and she immediately enters the conversation. ''Oh dear?¡¡Fred?¡¡What''s that supposed to mean?¡¡Hey? Yeah, I''m scared. She''s smiling tremendously, but her eyes aren''t smiling. I don''t know what''s going to happen to this.......just as I was thinking, Serena came over. ''''Mother!¡¡I haven''t contacted you today, so why here! ''''Hmm. I have sensed El-sama''s presence here. Are you making any progress on the matter? ''No ... well ...'' ''Good thing. Once you''ve created a preexisting situation, I''ll solidify my surroundings and guide you to your goal. You will achieve it, I promise. ''But ... me and Elle don''t have that kind of relationship ...'' Bullshit. I''ve seen it all before. For some reason they''re arguing, but it''s over quickly and Serena''s mother leaves just like that. ''Well then ... take your time, both of you. She behaved gracefully until the end. I wonder if Serena will be like that in the future. ''Then let''s do it!¡¡Fred, can we start with me first? Yes. I''ll give it to you. Thus begins our training. ¡ì¡ì ¡ì .... .... We stare at each other and walk around to see what''s going on. The training is to take one from me. It''s a simple rule. Any means of attack is acceptable. However, the use of alchemy cannot be done beforehand. Normally, the alchemy used by knights is to strengthen the body beforehand. But what we''re working on now is focusing on using alchemy while in battle. ''''.........Haha! Serena closes the distance. Fast. In just one step, she''s in my bosom, and she tries to punch her fist through my pigeon tail. ''''You''re ... sweet, Serena. ...Hey! I swooped in and dodged the attack by shifting myself a bit as it was. Then I delivered a kick to her rattling torso as hard as I could. Serena is blown backwards, holding back the pain as she goes. But it''s not a fatal wound in terms of feel. The moment she felt my attack coming, she activated her alchemy. She concentrated the surrounding First Pledge¡¶Prima Terrier¡·to her torso to mitigate my attack. ''''........Serena, you''re making progress. If it was you until now, it would have ended here. ''''.......this is just the beginning! And so, for the next half hour or so, I beat up Serena rather seriously. No, I''m not bullying her, okay?¡¡It''s just that he wants me to really come to him. I relaxed enough to not be found out, but I fought pretty seriously. My impression was that the introduction of alchemy into the actual battle was still only defensive and not usable for attack. ''''Haha... haha... haha... Elle, you''re too strong...'''' Serena is lying in the garden in a large figure. I, on the other hand, am not even out of breath. The use of alchemy was previously thought to be something that came with an alchemy formation, but I can use alchemy without an alchemy formation. It is activated by simply drawing a clear mental image in your brain. Of course, not everything can be just like the image. What''s important is the amount of the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· and the way to put the magic power into it. I need to have a good balance between the two. In my previous lecture, I told you that the three important things were the mental image, the First Quality, the "prima-teria," and the magic power, and this is what I meant. When those three are in the right condition, alchemy will be activated. It''s not a universal power. And I''m just unusually good at handling it. In a battle without alchemy, Serena would kill me instantly. But with alchemy to strengthen my body, plus I can use alchemy no-time while fighting. The amount of magic power isn''t much, so I can''t use it continuously, but I can create a wall in front of my opponent and so on. Even now, several raised grounds have been created. I can essentially create something out of nothing. Strictly speaking, as long as I have enough of the First Quality, then I can forge anything. However, the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· is prevalent in this world, and an ordinary alchemist can''t smelt something out of nothing like that. That''s why we make use of what we have here to fight like this. If you have earth, you can use earth, if you have water, you can use water, and if you have fire, you can use fire more easily for smelting. ''''As expected of you, Master, your alchemy is still in play. Well, I use it every day. Not in combat, but in research. ''''Huh ... really bullshit strength. You''ll be at the top of your game as soon as you come to the Order, won''t you? As me and Fred are having a conversation, Selina comes over to us, finally catching her breath. ''So, how was your day?¡¡Overall. ''''You''re getting used to alchemy without an alchemy formation. But you''re still only able to show its true value on the defensive side. You''re imagining an alchemy formation when you''re attacking, right?¡¡Maybe defense is an instinctive act of protection, so it''s easy to do. But attack is different. As I always say, it''s important to have the right balance of mental image, the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· and magic power. Serena''s putting too much magic power in a hurry. It''s leaking out all around. A guy like me can use that magic power as a stepping stone and use it to create an alchemy. This is fatal in battle. They aren''t using their own magic power. From now on, it might be a good idea to focus on magic power manipulation. Your mental image, which was an issue before, is much better, and you should try your best to keep it up. As usual, your analysis is uncanny. They''re easy compared to crops. It''s easier to analyze crops because they don''t have the same obvious flaws as humans do. With humans, it''s easier to analyze them because they''re just like us. What would I do if I were you?¡¡And if you imagine that, the advice comes naturally. ''''Huh I know you''re talented, but you''re really quirky. ''Master!¡¡Now with me!¡¡Do it with me! Fred''s tension is unusually high and I have a bad feeling about today. Actually, this Fred. He''s about the same in combat power as me. I''m still stronger than him, but he makes up for his poor alchemy with his physical abilities and standing. But when I say poorly trained in alchemy, I mean more than me. Fred, who is already a platinum ¡¶platinum¡· alchemist, is the best alchemist in this country. In short, he is a genius in battle. This guy... Okay!¡¡Come on in for real! I''m coming!¡¡Master!!!!! And an hour later......... ''''Master is as strong as ever... haha... haha... even though I really went for the win today...'''' There was a large amount of icebergs and melted and crushed ice scattered around me. My specialty in alchemy is ice. I''m good at creating ice from the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. Fred, on the other hand, may be the blood of the house, but fire. He can create fire from the First Quality, the Prima Materia. Realizing that we wouldn''t be able to settle this in a martial battle, we used alchemy on each other. We smelted a large quantity of ice gravel and unleashed it on Fred. Fred blocks it with a wall of fire and charges at me. It was obvious that I was at a disadvantage in the cross-range, so I smelted an iceberg around me and kept my distance from that guy. And in the end, it ended with Fred''s magic power running out. Fred has more magic power than me, but I can use it more efficiently. That was the only difference between winning and losing. Probably, I won''t be able to beat Fred in a year''s time. ''''Um.......are you two okay?'''' I need water! I need some water. Me and Fred asked each other for water. I''m very thirsty now. I want to quench that thirst a little. And that''s it for today. Yeah I''m seriously tired.........today........ ''''Yes, here''s some water.'''' Thank God. Thank you. And so we were well hydrated. Fred''s strength is probably one of the best in the country now. Fighting while using alchemy will surely become more important in the future. But with Fred there, I could teach him. I''ll be able to focus on the crops. Yeah, I hope so.... While I was thinking about this, Selena''s mother comes in. ''Oh my goodness, it''s so fancy.......please use our bath. My struggles had just begun. 10-Episode 10: Selena Brews Melancholy Hello, it''s Serena. I''m alone and absent-minded at the moment. Fred is going to take a bath first, and Elle is going to be in next, so now it''s time for us to wait like this. I''m already done, so I''m clean now. But I''ve been having a problem lately. It''s been a long time ago, but, well........your mother really wants you to get engaged to Elle....... She says that it doesn''t matter if you create a pre-existing fact, but in other words, she wants you to do that with Elle....... But but!¡¡But not me!¡¡It''s not like Elle is interested in the opposite s*x! Come to think of it, Elle has been a really rude guy since her school days.... Good morning, Selena. Hey, you''re a little transparent in your bra, aren''t you?¡¡Don''t let your guard down just because it''s summer, okay? ...What? Okay, I''m gonna go to the bathroom. And then he starts mentioning underwear in this way, just as a greeting. If there''s a lustful look in there, I''ll notice it immediately. I''m used to that kind of look. I don''t have a well-proportioned body for an Italian. But Elle doesn''t have that kind of gaze at all........ As a matter of fact, it''s like, "Oh, dinner?¡¡It''s curry, right? It seems to be only about the degree. The existence of my underwear. I don''t know if I''m in a good mood. As for me, I don''t really feel like I''m in love with Elle. I don''t think she is even remotely aware of it, so for now, I think it''s better to go out with her as a good friend.... Well, but?¡¡As a matter of fact, though, if Elle asked me to go out with her, I wouldn''t think about it?¡¡And Elle is kind of cool to look at, right?¡¡As well as being tall, he says, "I need muscle for my crops, too. Farming is pretty hard work," and I''m working out, so I have a good body?¡¡''''Alchemy is out of standard, and I''m willing to admit that I''m the greatest genius in the history of alchemy. It''s not normal for someone to be a jasper-class alchemist, because there is no such thing as a jasper-class "bluesteller" alchemist. In the long history of the three great aristocracies, all of them were at the platinum level. But Elle was a jasper-class "Bluesteller". I used to think that the nobles are all highly suited to be alchemists due to their genes, but an Elle from a farming family is a blue star class "Bluesteller"... but now I respect him. Because Elle is serious. Ever since he entered the school and met me, he''s been serious. Even at that time..... ''''Oh my God, are you insane to learn alchemy for the sake of crops?¡¡This is why the peasants who mistakenly thought they could do a bit of alchemy.... Don''t you at all want to learn alchemy for the sake of truth-seeking? ''''I can see your point. The three great noble families of the Brew family may have a mission of truth-seeking. But, I''m serious. And I am a platinum alchemist at this stage in my life. And you''re a bronze, right?¡¡If you''re going to talk about it, you''re going to have to show me the results. If you''re higher in rank than me, it''s a consideration, but you''re not. In other words, your search for truth is inferior to my love of crops. By your logic, isn''t it? ''''Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡¡I''m so mad!¡¡This is a duel!¡¡Duel!¡¡I''ll apply for a duel in the name of the Brew family! I got so hot that I applied for a duel, but I lost miserably. I was keenly aware that this is what it means to be unable to do anything about it. In the end, my pride of being a nobleman is just like this. I''m sorry. I got too hot, too. I said I was inferior to that, but I stand corrected on that one. You have your enthusiasm. It doesn''t matter if it''s rank or not. I know the search for truth, the duties of a nobleman (Noblesse oblige), and I know that nobles have a lot going for them. Still, you and I are the same. Our goals may be different, but our means are the same. Through alchemy, we have something to accomplish. It may sound like a superior argument, but I won''t make fun of your ... no, Serena''s dream. ''....Mr. Willis, no. ''Elle, do you approve of me like this?¡¡I''m just an aristocrat with a mouth.... Of course. ''Just a mouthful?¡¡Then you can be an alchemist worthy of that word. Falsehoods are also the way to the person you want to be. I approve of you. I still remember that moment. And I felt like my eyes were opened. And then Elle, and well, Fred and I started being together and I grew up. My alchemy has become much better than I could have ever imagined before... I''m now a knight of the realm, whereas I was considered an outcast in the Brew family. I''m still an apprentice now, but when I think about it from the past, it''s impossible.......it''s all because of Elle. Because I met him, I am the person I am today. So I have a lot of respect for him. I''ve fallen in love with him and your mother is obsessed with Elle. She''s determined to make him her son. Huh, I don''t know what will happen........ Serena, come here for a moment. Hmm?¡¡Is there something wrong, Mother? Now Elle has just taken a bath and I''m sitting in the garden idly reflecting on the past. Just then, his mother calls out to me. Elle and Fred have gone home on an urgent business. Why don''t you take a bath again?¡¡Didn''t you go in earlier to go in again? Yeah that''s, well... I love taking a bath, so this is a unique opportunity for me. I don''t blame you two for leaving so abruptly, but it''s fine for this. I''m sure we''ll see each other again anyway. ''''Well then, mother, I''m going to go take a bath. Well ... enjoy your stay. And so I headed to my home bathhouse. ''Hmmmmmmmmm.'' A bath is a great thing, no matter how many times you take it. We put a lot of effort into our bathrooms and they''re pretty big, you know?¡¡It would be a shame to go in alone, but I don''t mind. And when I opened the door with a caracara and entered, there was Elle, who was soaking in the hot water. So ... there was Elle. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡You must have come home on an urgent matter! Huh?¡¡That would be Fred, right?¡¡I heard you had some kind of emergency meeting or something, and you left in a hurry? Ha, I was set up!!!!! This is a trick of your mother!¡¡And anyway, we need to get out of there right away! So I put my hand on the door and it doesn''t budge. ''''What...?'''' Look, Selena. It''s an established fact, it''s an established fact, and I''m going to seal this door for half an hour, and you''re going to do it right. ''Mother aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! The door was completely sealed off with alchemy. Your mother is a platinum ¡¶platinum¡· alchemist, and this door probably won''t open by me. I could ask Elle, but that would seem incomprehensible to me, so I''ll have to be open-minded and go in with Elle. ''What''s the matter, Serena. You''re shouting all of a sudden. ''Hey!¡¡It''s nothing!¡¡Then I''m going to wash up. Oh I''m in hot water. Ah, it stings. This man................................is not perturbed by the situation I am entering with!¡¡Oh, you''re coming in with us?¡¡Okay?¡¡Do what you want? I can''t believe I''m in hot water in an atmosphere like that!¡¡Ugh, how could I let this happen.... Feeling miserable, I wash up and then soak in the hot water a little far away from Elle. Then Elle looks at me with a puzzled look on her face. What is it, Serena?¡¡Come on over here. Let''s chat like we always do. Yeah, well, I understand. I move closer to Elle, swearing that I will never take the towel off. Elle also has a towel on her lower body, so well, it should be okay........ta, maybe? ''The baths at Serena''s house are amazing..........so big and quite pleasant. I could go in this one forever........ Really?¡¡Well, well, this bath is our family''s pride and joy, so it''s no wonder! Yes, yes, I''m talking to you like it''s nothing!¡¡I can handle this......... ''''¡¡Selena, you look awfully red. Are you blotting it out? ''What?¡¡This is not a problem!¡¡Ohohohoho! And Elle comes closer to me. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡It''s close!¡¡We''re close! Glancing at his body, his abdominal muscles are nicely cracked, and he has a lot of muscle around his shoulders and his upper arms. Ka, cool........ha!¡¡This is not the time to think about that! ''Speaking of which, how is the Order?¡¡Are you doing it right? ''Yes. The seniors are nice to me, so I''m doing well. When I told them I was friends with Elle, they all wanted to introduce me to her. ''Hahaha, I''ll refrain from doing that. I don''t want to make any more connections. Well, it''s only if I get a chance... Yeah. Okay, I''ll let her know. ''Come to think of it, I can''t believe you and Serena got close enough to bathe together... I can''t think of a time since then. Yes, it is. I had no idea that Elle and I would be in this situation. What!¡¡What the hell!¡¡On purpose!¡¡That was on purpose!¡¡He''s making statements that are deliberately trying to test me! "Well I''ll be leaving. I''ll just go home, so long, Selena. Invite me back to the house. Yes your mother is looking forward to it and I hope you''ll enjoy it. With a grin, Elle goes up with a zap and walks straight out with a flop. A long sigh. Huh, was it good or bad........no, but it wasn''t bad. Yeah.... I don''t tell you that I spent that night in agony because I couldn''t get Elle''s muscles out of my head........ 11-Episode 11: The Melancholy of Arsfeira Medis 1 Hi, I''m Fee. My real name is Alsphira Medis. I''m the eldest daughter of the Medis family, the most historic and powerful of the three great noble families. I am the most promising member of that Medis family. It''s no surprise that I''m the next head of the family, but I''ve been called the greatest genius ever in the history of alchemy. He was the youngest person ever to graduate from the Canovarian Institute of Alchemy. And when he graduated, he also won the Platinum class. After that, he worked as a teacher at the academy and quickly became the headmaster of the school. It was a smooth sailing life. I don''t remember any particular hardships in my life. I''ve worked hard in my own way. But I never felt like it was hard enough to die or that I was sick of it. But that all changed when I met Elle. Yeah, that''s a big change. Elwyd Willis. A true genius who became the second azure-star class ¡¶Blue Star¡· in a long alchemy. It''s been a long time since he was regarded as the greatest genius alchemist of all time. I''ve known him since he was such a nobody. Or rather, he is my student. As the headmaster, I have the job of managing the institute. I may teach a few classes, but I don''t have a seminar like I used to. But when I saw Elle''s entrance exam scores, I knew I had no choice but to take charge. ''''Ha........?¡¡A perfect score? Yes, Dr. Medis. Dr. Medis. Perfect score. You got a perfect score on your paper and your practice. The male teacher, who was the examiner, told me so. I thought he was joking at the time. ''Here are the exam results,'' With that being said, I received the paper that summarized the exam results. Basic Alchemy Theory: 100 Alchemy attribute theory: 100 Practical Alchemy: 100 It really said that. Huh?¡¡Really?¡¡Even I was at the limit of 80% at the time........ ''Huh?¡¡Wait a minute...?¡¡What''s the passing line on the exam? ''It''s quite difficult this year, so I''m passing at 60.5 percent. My average is below 50 percent. ''Well ... a perfect score on that difficult test?'' Yeah, perfect score. He''s a genius. But the problem is... Conduct and character?¡¡It''s common for geniuses. Well, those guys aren''t that big of a deal, are they? I''m from a farming family... "...Yeah?¡¡The nobleman - if so, I''d know about it already - but you''re from a farming family?¡¡There''s never been an alchemist from a farm family before, has there? Yeah. He''s gone. Just him and his sister. How''s your sister? ''My sister''s side is normal; she passed in 60%-70%. She''s on the lower end of the passing class. The question is, is this girl... When I looked at the documents, I saw that the name Elweed Willis was mentioned. His background is normal. Pretty standard background. But it''s crazy to get a perfect score. Did you cheat? Any signs of cheating? None. And even if it was a cheat, it wouldn''t be possible to do it on the job. ''Well I understand. I''ll be the only one to interview him. I''ll take care of it. ''Yes. Nice to meet you. Then the teacher who came to tell me about the emergency leaves. I think to myself, "Can I enroll this Elweed Willis boy? I wonder if I should admit this boy, Elweed Willis, to the school. Obviously, the score is too unusual. If it''s 90% all-perfect, it''s just barely credible. But all perfect is bad. Seriously, it''s bad. I''m not sure if I can get a perfect score on this exam either. At best, it''s 90% and a half. Even with the current me........ In this school, there is a formal interview test. If you can get a passing score on the paper and practical skills, you''ve almost passed, but you have to do an interview. Then, the student is assigned to a seminar based on his or her personality. Of course, I''ll listen to what they want, but I''ll make the final decision. That''s how I''ll meet Elle. ''''Then, Elweird Willis-san. Please enter the room. Excuse me. He bows his head and takes a seat at the desk in front of me. Yeah, he''s not an abnormal person for now, it seems. Occasionally some of them can''t sit in a chair properly, but so far they''re fine. But still........you''re cool. It''s oddly my kind of look. The hair is a lightly pigmented platinum. Her hair is lightly pigmented platinum, it''s about shoulder length, and it''s smooth and silky. He also has quite a body, tall and fleshy. The sharp eyes don''t seem too harsh. That''s fourteen years old, so he''s quite precocious. ''''Now, please tell me why you want to apply. This is really a formality. For the most part, as alchemists, we don''t expect anything from you as an alchemist, the search for truth ~ or in the mission of the house ~ or anything else, either. I applied to enroll in this institute to accomplish the ''World''s Best Farmer Project.'' What, "The World''s Best Farmer Project"? ''Yes. In short, I want to share my produce with the world. ''Well what''s that got to do with alchemy? "Alchemy makes it easier to breed crops. That''s what I''m here for. My parents told me I couldn''t do it, but I think I did rather well in the test. And the fact that I was able to come to this interview means that I exceeded the passing score on the paper and practical skills, right? Yeah, well, that''s rather well done, isn''t it? Yes, that''s rather well done. Look, I''m not really sure what I''m doing here but do you want to know my score? The truth is, I don''t disclose scores to students. But I wanted to be sure. ''If you can tell me, please do so. I think feedback is important. "...that''s a perfect score, honey... ''''A perfect score, does that mean you got a perfect score for all three Alchemy Fundamentals, Alchemy Attribute Theory, and Practical Alchemy Technique?'''' Yeah. It''s what we understand here. ''Well I wasn''t sure I''d get a perfect score...'' What part of that made you nervous? ''It''s around the alchemy foundation alchemy formation and magic power. All the questions were written, so I thought I wrote too much, but it was good. ''Well, yes I do. Yeah ... The problem with the part he''s talking about is the part I made up. The relationship between alchemy and magic, which I had been studying since I was in school, was my major and my specialty. His descriptions were, to put it mildly, exactly what I was looking for. I was rather surprised that he described it in more depth than I did. But then again, that''s all for crops?¡¡Really?¡¡What''s the secret to this? So, you came to the academy to breed crops? I''ve been self-taught up until now, but I was advised to learn from someone who was an expert in the field... My parents said I should just try it, but I''m relieved I made it to this interview. You know your parents were farmers, right? Yes, I do. Do you think they can do alchemy? No, my sister, myself and I are the only ones in our family who can use alchemy. Yeah, yeah... Yeah, I don''t get it. You''re from a farm family and all your kids can use alchemy?¡¡Sometimes they are born out of the blue, but basically, alchemy abilities are inherited. That''s why the nobles want to engage a better alchemist. Well, I can''t get engaged because I''m too good at it, right?¡¡I''m not trying to be tough.... And this is not the time to be thinking about that. Right now, it''s whether or not to admit this kid. ''''Well, I can admit her to the school. But it''s not like there''s some weird purpose to it, right? Of course. My body has been and always will be with the crops. Oh, yeah. Good luck from now on. Yes! Yeah. I''m sure these pure eyes are an indication of your determination to strive for your goal. Well, it''s going to be okay. And if anything happens, I''ll take care of it. You can''t be better than me, can you? But if this is the case, you''re entering the school at 14 years old....... He''ll be the youngest ever.......this will be rough on the aristocracy, and the mystics and theorists won''t be silent. Something might happen. And it will be spectacularly betrayed. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì Huh.... Two years have passed since then. Just two years. A lot has happened. A lot of things have really happened. Elle made a name for herself as soon as she entered the school, and half a year after she entered, she became a platinum-grade alchemist. And another half a year later, or in other words, one year after entering the school, she became a blue star class [Bluesteller]. ''''Hey, Fee. It''s a good idea to have a look at this paper. I''m going to be able to say that it''s relatively well done," he said, and the paper he saw. That''s no longer the case. The result is a fully independent artificial intelligence, and it turns out that a homunculus can be created. But the process is a process that even I, or at least he, is the only one in the world who understands it. I delivered it to the Alchemy Society. But no matter how many platinum [platinum] alchemists gathered, they couldn''t understand it. But he created a ''crawling carrot'' that has a will, has simple communication skills, and moves on its own. According to Elle, "There''s a trick to accessing Qualia and incorporating the alchemy team. The intelligence itself seems to be a copy of mine and split it up a bit". I don''t know what that means. Like Qualia, copying the intelligence doesn''t make sense either, and it doesn''t make sense why the carrot is crawling with it. But this is undoubtedly a homunculus. It may seem silly at first glance, but it''s a homunculus. We decided to make Elle a Blue Star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· alchemist, making a public announcement, hiding the fact that a homunculus was feasible. The youngest and second ever Blue Star Class Alchemist, Elwydd Willis, was the name of the youngest and second ever Blue Star Class Alchemist. If it were true, he could have graduated in one year, but since the conference for that thesis stretched to the middle of April, Elle would have to stay in school for another year. But he''s taking it as a special student, so there''s no admission fee and all the tuition is free. Can we give him another year?¡¡I asked him, "Hmm?¡¡Well, I''d like to do some more research. One more year is just about right." he said. Elle''s love for crops had changed the history of alchemy. Even if I told him to be aware of being a Blue Star Class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· or that Blue Star Class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· was really amazing, he said, "Hmm. Well, I don''t care about class or anything else. As long as I can grow crops, that''s fine. But on the other hand, maybe this was the right thing to do. It''s just a lucky thing that this much talent isn''t being misused. Yeah, I''ll take that as a given. Yeah, but I''m glad Elle''s career path has been decided........ And tomorrow is the entrance ceremony. It''s also Elle''s debut as a teacher. After that, Elle and I are going to have a drink together. I''ll be released tomorrow........if only it''s over tomorrow.......! 12-Episode 12 The Melancholy of Arsfeira Medis 2 Hi, I''m Fee. Now, finally, finally.... the Commencement Ceremony and Elle''s special lecture are over... yes, it''s over...!¡¡I couldn''t help but cry as Elle finished her lecture. ''Uhhhhhh. Elle ughhhhhh, that was good, oh my goodness. It was good. I''m so happy for you. It went off without a hitch. There were some bad times along the way, but I was able to make it work with my follow-up to the quicksilver. I didn''t know that crop idiot could do so well... I was so happy that Elle was growing up in so many ways. This is already a nose job. There''s not much I''ve taught Elle, but I''ll have to continue to take good care of her! While thinking about this, Elle and I were going to a drinking party with great enthusiasm. "So, Elle, listen to me. What is it, isn''t your mother going to be married for a long time?¡¡You don''t?¡¡It''s so loud... ''Fee is 27 this year, I believe.¡¡Well, I might be tempted to say that. Besides, aristocrats are all about marriage, aren''t they? Well they say it''s important to leave behind children who are good at what they do, but who am I, you know?¡¡Isn''t that great? Well........you''re excellent. He''s in his late 20s, head of the academy, and a platinum alchemist. Yeah, yeah. And we''re going to have a blind date or something, right?¡¡With a man from a respectable family?¡¡But because my background is so amazing, people are very humble about it. They say I''m not worthy of the three noblemen who run the academy and are platinum alchemists. That''s right, I tried my best to be like that and now you''re having a hard time here. ...It''s not easy being a nobleman. I''m in a good mood now that I''ve had a drink. I got a present from Elle earlier, and I feel even better. I never dreamed that Elle would have a gift for me, and I''m so glad she did. Today might be the happiest day of my life. Free from all kinds of spells and having my beloved disciple celebrate it. There''s nothing like being a master like this. Well, the ranks are reversed now..........and ho ho ho. ''''Huh........I wonder if there''s a man better and younger than me who is more balanced. What about the Order? ''Hmm, it''s possible but I don''t know. Maybe there aren''t any more people like that in the Order. Yeah, that''s tough. I''m sorry to hear that. I''ll let you know if I can find someone who can help you. Yeah .......... Yeah, is it stupid?¡¡This crop idiot is still blind to his surroundings. I don''t think there''s any other man who''s a match for me but you! In fact, I''ve been approaching Elle lately. It''s outrageous to mess with my student!¡¡Some of you may be thinking, "Well I''m done...I don''t want to be bullied among the nobility. Whenever I attend a nobleman''s party, they always ask me if I''m still married?¡¡They say things like. The same goes for my family and relatives. I know that my father also laments that he''s too elitist to get it for nothing and that he doesn''t get it. Then you can get the man closest to you!¡¡That''s good!¡¡Because Elle is so cool, and more importantly, she''s a blue star class "Bluestella"! Elle is the only one who can match me. I never used to think about that in the slightest, but lately I''ve been wondering if it''s a fraternity for my apprentice, or if I really have romantic feelings for him. I''m approaching him to find out. But this man, he''s never fazed. Not at all. All he can think about is studying the crops in his brain. I know that Serena of the Brew family has been staring at Elle with a strange, s*xy look in her eyes lately. And I know that her mother also likes Elle. You can''t underestimate the information network among the nobles. But the problem is that Elle and I are ten years apart in age. Yes, ten years. That''s big, 10 years. Would that make it better for Serena, who''s relatively close in age?¡¡I feel a little sad when I think about it. Yeah......... Because of that, I drank today. That''s it, I drank. On the way, Elle said, "You''re drinking too much, Fee," but I ignored that. Today is the first day I''ve been released in a long time. I''m free ah!!!! And from there I dream happy dreams. ''Come on, quick!¡¡Let me take it off!¡¡Elle!¡¡Quickly! Yes, I dreamed that I was in love with Elle. All my life I''ve been acting alone and stoutly. Even my parents couldn''t allow me to take advantage of them, and I''ve been working alone as a platinum alchemist in the Medis family, the top three noble families, all by myself. But with Elle, you can support each other with me. I am no longer alone. From my subconscious, I decided to spoil Elle in my dreams. I had a series of things I wanted to do when I had a lover, get undressed, bathe with her, and sleep with her. I wanted to do little things like that. I''ve never had a lover before, and being a virgin in fact, I wanted to do those little things. Now I''m in slumber. In a dream where I can do anything I want. Yes, I can expose myself here. ''No!¡¡Can you sleep with me?¡¡Please..... Elle says she''s going home. I don''t want that!¡¡I want to sleep with you! But Elle graduated and became a lecturer because I couldn''t and she''s behind in her agricultural research. If I keep jittering around here, I''m going to be a ... heavy woman. That would annoy Elle, and it wouldn''t be good. And Elle just left. It was some kind of weirdly realistic dream, but sometimes it''s good to have this happen. I''m sure it was a gift from God. I''ve been lonely for a long time, and this is a gift for me. ''''Hmmm........'''' And so I was falling into slumber again. ''Beep-beep-beep-beep. ''''Hmm?¡¡Morning? I wake up. My head still hurts oddly. My head is throbbing. Maybe I had too much to drink yesterday. Then I went to the bathroom to wash my face to wake up. ''Huh?¡¡Is the towel folded?¡¡And the marks from the bath... that was me yesterday... I go back in my memory. Come to think of it, how did I get home?¡¡I''ve been having pleasant dreams for a long time, but... what?¡¡Wait, wait, wait. Huh?¡¡Seriously?¡¡You don''t have to do it. Really? I searched for all traces of yesterday''s dream. The bath, the toothbrush, and even the wardrobe underwear and pajamas. All of that was done by Elle in my dream. When I look at the underwear, it''s new, and the pajamas are my favorite bear pajamas that Elle made me wear in my dream. ''''........'''' Sir, your face pales. Huh?¡¡Wait a minute!¡¡Reality!¡¡That was real! I''m screwed!¡¡I immediately headed to Elle''s house, who lived next door. ''''Yes. Who are you......Oh, the only person who can ring the intercom directly is Fee. Fluffy........what''s the matter?¡¡What can I do for you? ''Squeak, squeak, squeak!¡¡Squeak, squeak, squeak!¡¡Hear, hear! "...?¡¡You''re showing off your monkey act? ''Yesterday!¡¡You remember, don''t you! Oh, forget it!¡¡Forget about yesterday, Elle! I can''t do memory manipulation with an alchemy. It''s impossible. Well, it was an experience, right?¡¡From now on, you''ll have to be more careful with your drinking. Ummm... so, did you see it? ''No, you know I can assess my surroundings without vision, right? Yes, but ... you remember the outline, the shape, right? It''s better than being seen in person. If this is what you call s*xual harassment, I''m going to cry. And because of Fee''s super advanced wards, I couldn''t go home. ''Uh ... I''m sorry. It''s my fault on all fronts. So, how did it go? Hmm? Was I pretty? ''No, I can only see your silhouette, so I can''t tell if it''s pretty or not. ''''Well you''re right ... haha, I wonder if this is how I''ll be able to get married ...'''' Well, it''ll be a good match for you some day. Yeah. I''m sorry for barging in on you like this. I''m going home. Bye. Yeah. After that exchange, I trudged back home. Oh, it''s over.......all my cool beauty impressions are gone. ''Ohhhhhhhhhh! I dive into the couch and writhe in agony. My advantage is that I''m supposed to be a capable woman, cool and intelligent... but what was I yesterday? I can''t give it back! Let me take it off! Sleep with me! You''re an idiot. Am I a brain-sweets girl or am I. Elle looked like she didn''t care, but no, in fact, she doesn''t care at all, which is even more annoying. You looked at my nakedness through my silhouette........ugh, am I really not attractive?¡¡Yesterday that was a situation where I could have been attacked. My virginity could have been scattered. But nothing. They just took care of me like I was a child. Yeah, that''s it. Ko!¡¡This must be a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, because of the stress of the day!¡¡So........... In the vain of excuses, nothing more comes out of it. I''ve done it. Yes, I''ve done it. As I am immersed in despair, the house phone rings. ''Huh ... who''s this in a situation like this ... yes, hello, this is Alsphira. ''Fee?¡¡Are you home now? Yes, but what''s going on, Mom? It was my mother who called me. I thought it was a work call, so I was a little distracted. ''Can you come home now?'' ''It''s a good thing there''s nothing going on today but what''s going on?'' The mystics have been acting strangely.......and they''re holding a meeting of the nobility, and you''re the next head of the family, so come on over. Well you''re a mystic, aren''t you?¡¡What now? ''Well I hate to say it, but I don''t like Elle''s path or something. I''ve had a lot of complaints about the Medis family starting to surround us, or being arrogant, or whatever. Countermeasures for that. Yeah yeah it''s sluggish. Can''t your father handle it? ''It''s because of you, too, isn''t it?¡¡I can''t believe you''re surrounding yourself with people who would make you a lecturer at the academy. I could have gotten a better job. ''Yeah, yeah, my fault?¡¡If it weren''t for me, Elle would be taking over the family farmhouse now, right?¡¡You''re the one who made the biggest concessions. Well that''s not going to change their heads, you know. Well, come along anyway. .... oooh... I hung up the phone and, holding my still aching head, I changed into my outside clothes and headed home. 13-Episode 13: Proto stood After returning from Selena''s house since then, I immediately holed up in my workshop and started researching. Can this research be done to make the proto stand up?¡¡This is the theme of the project. The Crawling Carrot, which is a prototype of a fully independent artificial intelligence I developed. The name is a prototype, so it''s a prototype. Lately, this guy''s crawling speed has been increasing, and his limbs are getting bigger. It''s a few percent higher than before. I can visualize this because I have all the data quantified. And I looked at those numbers and had an idea. I wondered if it was possible to make Proto stand up like No. 1 and others.... Numerically, they''re as good as No. 1 and the others. Then, theoretically, it should be possible. However, the problem is the incorporation of the training formation. Is it possible to incorporate an independent bipedal walking technique later on? If we can do that, the proto can grow more. When I arrived at the workshop, I called out to the proto. Proto, I''m back! Then a proto shows up. He''s a very good kid, and basically doesn''t leave on his own or do anything I tell him not to do. Unlike the corn, he doesn''t stage a coup d''¨¦tat. "Listen, Proto. "Listen, Proto, you just stay put until I get back, okay?¡¡The nutritional supplements will stay here. But don''t take it too fast, okay?¡¡He nodded cocooned when I said, "Slowly," and then he just crawled off somewhere. I''d really like to let him crawl outside in the sun, but I had to run some errands today, so I had no choice. When I returned home, Proto looked fine. ''Nutrient depletion ... oh!¡¡Proto, that''s another optimal interval intake today!¡¡That''s awesome! He strokes Proto gently and buzzes and shakes his head. This is a sign that he''s happy. By the way, when he doesn''t like it, he buzzes his head sideways. ''''And yet........interesting.......'''' Proto''s nutrition time is my ideal. Twice a day, with a minimum of six hours between meals. This one does it to the letter. The corn doesn''t do it very well, but the proto doesn''t. This is a guy who does what he is taught to do, and he does it honestly. Proto and the corn were born completely by accident, but because they were born, they need to be responsible for it until the end of their lives. That''s why I''m continuing my research like this for the sake of the future. "...Code activated. I quickly hold out my hand to Proto and he lies down to expose his belly. What I''m doing now is deciphering the code. Each creature has its own code that is not available to the public. That code is filled with the first material, Primamateria, which makes up matter. By rewriting the sequence of the code, it is possible to improve the breeding of crops. In fact, this can also be applied to humans. But apart from me and Fee, only a few people know about it. "Listen, Elle. It''s an absolute secret. Like the existence of the code, it can be rewritten, and when it is, the creature is transformed. We can''t let this be known. Are we talking about eugenics? That''s right. I''m going to artificially create a better man. Unlike the homunculus, it''s an acquired taste. Then people would have no human rights. The lower classes would be exploited and the alchemists would be like gods. That''s the kind of thinking that the mystics seem to like. All right. I swear I won''t say anything. Nice to meet you. That''s what the exchange was about. I, of course, will not publish the results of this research. What I want to do is to spread my crops around the world, not to publish the results of my research and be admired. And when I was cracking the proto code, it was still the change I thought it was going to be. "...as I suspected, the code sequence is similar to that of the corn. Does that mean that the proto can grow...? I quickly make a note in my notebook. Lately, I''ve been managing the corn at the academy and the proto here. Because I believe that the proto is the key to this, more than the corn. Fully independent artificial intelligence. There''s still a lot that''s not understood. And I''m the only one in the world who understands it. The only way to do that is for me to figure it out and make the best crops I can. Honestly, I didn''t set out to make a homunculus, but I''m thrilled that this is how it came to be. It''s like my own child. And up until now, I thought there was no room for evolution in fully independent artificial intelligence. That''s because the proto hadn''t changed in its code after a long time. But lately, the proto has been getting a lot smarter. It used to be that they didn''t listen to me, just like the corn. But now he understands my language well and acts accordingly. His reasoning and intelligence are already at the level of a schoolboy. Proto, are you okay? ....! Proto gingerly raises his right hand as he says this. I feel like a dentist, but it''s not bad. Every time we communicate well, I can feel that my dream is definitely moving forward. As a matter of fact, I expect this research to go even further. Deciphering the code that exists in living things. It must be equivalent to the realm of God. Well, I''m not a mystic, so I don''t know much about God or anything, but I''m sure it''s something like that. I finished Proto''s regular checkup while thinking about this. You''ve done a great job, Proto. We''re done for the day. ....! I raised my right hand gingerly again, and at that moment........Proto stood up. Yes, he stood up. "Pu, proto!¡¡You got up! ...! As he shows his astonishment, the upright proto stands upright again with his right hand gingerly... but not only that. He raises both hands high in the sky. ''''Ahhhh.........'''' My body trembles with shock at the sheer astonishment. I don''t have an independent bipedal walking technique built into my proto. The only thing it has is a fully independent artificial intelligence. And yet the proto is now strutting leisurely in front of me. He''s stepping on the ground, as if walking itself is fun. Proto!¡¡Let''s crack the code again! ....! When I say that, Proto sits down and lies on his back again, as if to say "yokel". And I check the proto code again. ''Wha...!¡¡This is a free-standing bipedal walking technique!¡¡I didn''t incorporate this alchemy formation........and yet an alchemy formation has been created.......! Yes. There was a self-sustaining bipedal walking technique there. Strictly speaking, the alchemy formation was intricately intertwined in the code. I hurriedly wrote down the current phenomenon in detail in my notebook. As a result of this research, it turns out that a fully independent artificial intelligence can grow. It was also found that it can generate its own training camp inside the body. This must be the discovery of the century. This is a major step forward in the project I''m aiming for! All right, that''s it. Proto. ...! With that, Proto quickly stands up and goes to rehydrate. His footsteps are light. ''''........'''' Proto is silently dipping his head into the water. And that''s something I''ve had to assist with until now. It''s because Proto, who can only crawl, can''t put his head in the water that''s in the bowl. But now I''m doing it on my own. Yes, all by myself........! Is this how parents feel about their children who are on their own...? Then I thought to myself. I want to share the results of this research with someone right now. And there''s only one person I can share it with. Fee. It''s night now and he should be home. "Listen, Proto. I''ll go get Fee. I''ll go get Fee, okay? "....! Proto holds up his right hand gingerly as if to say "leave it to me". And so I immediately headed to Fee''s room. ''''Fee!¡¡Fee!¡¡Hey, open the d*mn door!¡¡It''s a big deal! I forget to press the intercom and slam the door. Then there''s a thumping sound and out comes the Fee guy. ''DON''T, WHAT''S GOING ON!!!¡¡If Elle is in trouble, then something bad is going on!¡¡The vegetables are revolting again!¡¡Oh, my God!¡¡It''s not good!¡¡What are we going to do! I''m red in the face, but I''m not. Today is a moment when history has changed. ''Listen to me, Fee. Proto''s up. "...what?¡¡The proto is the carrot... right?¡¡Did you succeed in incorporating the wrought team?¡¡But, as I recall, it''s difficult to incorporate a free-standing bipedal technique after the fact... It was a natural occurrence... What? ''''It was acquired. I''ve tried to decipher the code, and the alchemy team was intricately intertwined. In other words, the fully independent artificial intelligence I created........evolves....... ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Seriously, that''s it!¡¡That''s not a bad idea! ''Oh, my God, of course!¡¡Come on!¡¡I''ll show you! Yeah! Then we took the elevator to the first floor and went straight to the basement. "Hey, Proto. He''s back. ....! Then Proto raises his right hand in a swift motion. It''s a gesture as if to say, "Hey, you''re back. There''s also a vaguely elegant atmosphere. You''re really standing up!¡¡Elle, didn''t that paper describe the lack of development of fully independent artificial intelligence! ...technology, concepts are always being updated. I accomplished the feat again today.......I did it, Fee....... ''''U....lie....Elle is really amazing....this is going to change history again...'''' Fee flopped down on the spot with too much surprise. Fee may look silly these days, but this guy is also a true genius, a platinum ¡¶platinum¡· alchemist. He understands the glimpse of how much my feats are in another dimension. ''''Huh... but this is going to be another hassle if the mystics find out about it...'''' What''s up?¡¡What''s going on? Actually.... But apparently my life doesn''t work out that way. Thus, The World''s Best Farmer Project was a big step forward. 14-Episode 14 Crawling, Third Princess! Good morning, Doctor. Good morning, Dr. Elle. Good morning, Dr. Willis. Hey. Morning. It''s been a week since I became an instructor. The students have gotten used to seeing me, and now they greet me normally. Some of them look at me weirdly, but for the most part, they are peaceful. Then, as I was walking to my lab to prepare for class, I was called out to them from behind. "Sen-sei. Good morning. ''Oh this is Miss Alice. Good morning. Then I''ll leave you to it. Can you hold on? Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...! I try to escape, but an uncommon force grabs me by the shoulder. What the hell!¡¡Now I was trying to escape with alchemy and I got resisted!¡¡Who is this guy! That''s right. In fact, almost every day I am approached by this third princess, Alice. It''s no longer the realm of a stalker. There are rumors that she''s Alice''s favorite, and that seems to be the reason why not many students have come near her. I heard this information from Fee, so I''m sure of it. Fee''s is a well-informed person. But still, this princess. I''m not sure I''m ever going to get tired of it. It''s always a bit of a challenge for me. Well, it''s not that I dislike him to the core, but I don''t like him, so I don''t want to make contact with him too much. I''m sure you''re not going to be able to get away with it.¡¡Doctor? No, it''s always purchase or the cafeteria. ''''.........Hmmm.... I see........ Alice looks at me as if she is looking at me like she is priced out of a jilarious way. Oh, what are you going to do when you find out about my lunch situation?¡¡Are you trying to extort me again?¡¡That''s right! As I was thinking this, Alice said something unexpected. ''Actually, I''ve made my lunch. What?¡¡Bento? You know I made that for you, right? He stares at me with an upward glance and a strangely s*xy gaze. It''s true that I''ve been doing a lot of purchasing or the school cafeteria lately. I would really like to consume fruits and vegetables every day, but like alchemy, balance is important in everything. Humans need three things: fat, protein and carbohydrates. If you want to get that in balance, it''s still better to rely on school cafeterias and buy your own food. Of course, my own original vegetables are always in there. Today, I always have vegetable sticks on hand. But I haven''t eaten a lunchbox in a long time. When I used to go to this school from my parents'' house, my mother used to make me a lunchbox, but now I live alone, so that''s not possible. Well, when I thought it would be okay to go out with this princess once in a while, I agreed to the proposal. ''''........Okay. Let''s eat on the roof. ''What?¡¡Isn''t the rooftop off-limits? I''ve got the keys. ''Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. What will they do to me on a rooftop where no one comes? Okay, okay. Just eating lunch. See you then. Yeah. Now...... And we part ways, but there''s no point. Because Alice''s guy absolutely sits in the front row of my lectures and attends them. An original class I''m taking this year. It''s called ''Introduction to Elemental Theory and Alchemy Reconstruction''. In short, it''s a class that teaches how to use alchemy theoretically without alchemy formation. I am used to this class, but it''s always full. For some reason, there are reserved seats and standing room. I don''t know why the class is full, but for some reason it is always standing room only. I was super nervous at first, but I got used to it because it''s my area of expertise. ''''........Okay, then, this is it. Next time I''ll talk about the relationship between elemental theory and alchemy. With that, I''m going to finish my class. The only plan for today is to have lunch with Alice afterwards, and then I''m going to teach Rita in seminar. When I get home, I''m going to check on the proto again, wrap up my report and go to bed. It''s a perfect flow. As I was pondering this, Alice comes up to me with a dada dada. ''Sir, let''s go!'' Well you''re early. Let''s go then. Alice is getting very close to me. When we walk out of the classroom, she''s right next to me. And then I hear some kind of whispering voice coming from the classroom. "I knew they were made for each other. But a princess and Blue Star class Bluesteer look too good together. ''Yeah, right! We both look pretty good together. Rumors spread buzzingly. But but I wasn''t aware of it at all at the time. Because right now I was too busy thinking about the proto. Thus, my situation would be in trouble again. ¡ì¡ì. Hm!¡¡That''s good! ''Hmmm. Isn''t it? Rooftop. It''s sunny and quite pleasant today. I usually eat lunch here by myself. Because I need to expose the "walking corn" to the sunshine regularly. I didn''t bring them with me today, though. In fact, I''ve been using this place since I was in school. I made a promise to Fee that I wouldn''t run amok on campus and he gave me a key to the place. It''s the best place to be now. And no one ever comes here. Then we eat the bento that Alice brought with her, which is also delicious. Everything seems to be homemade, from fried eggs to mini-hamburgers, rice balls, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage. It''s a stable lineup. But still, I wonder if this guy really made it? Did you really make this? "...well!¡¡Does that make you suspicious?¡¡It''s truly my handiwork. You''re royalty, I can cook a dish or two. Hmm. That''s how it works. I proceed with more chopsticks. Delicious. Should I offer this one of mine? "Alice, I''ll give you this. What''s this? Vegetable sticks. Vegetable sticks? These sticks of vegetables with my special mayonnaise. I take the vegetable sticks out of the Tupperware and serve the mayonnaise in a small bowl. The mayonnaise on the market has a lot of oil in it, but mine is less and a little more acidic. This also goes well with the vegetables. Then, if you''ll excuse me I''ll have it. Alice picks up a carrot and dips it in the mayonnaise and takes a bite out of it, taking a bite out of it. Instantly, Alice''s face turns a startling color. ''Oh my goodness, well, well!¡¡It''s delicious, isn''t it! My house vegetables and my special mayonnaise. There''s no way it''s bad. I speak with a smug look on my face and I start to eat a piece of it too. Yummy!¡¡It''s too good!¡¡I''m still in love with my own genius farmer sense. But pride is not good. I have a place to get to. I would love to commercialize this as well, but now is the time to be a hen. Let''s get more samples and wait for the time to come. As we were having lunch, Alice suddenly changed the subject. ''Speaking of which, Doctor. Have you heard about the mystics? ''Mystics?¡¡Oh ... come to think of it ... I remembered what Fee had told me the other day. ''Actually, the mystics are upset that we''re surrounding Elle. What?¡¡What''s that?¡¡Am I being fed by a nobleman? Hmm. Elle is working at the Academy now, isn''t she?¡¡And we own the institute, right?¡¡That''s why they''re keeping him here. How dare they confine that great talent to the cage of the academy!¡¡They''re releasing documents like that. So, they called a meeting of the Lords and... well, we decided to see what happened. Elle asked me to tell them. ''Huh ... the mystics are something of a challenge, too. Are you bored? ''Well I don''t know. But I''m pretty sure you have a special place in your heart for Elle. At first they said you were some kind of fanatic exposing God''s deeds or something, but now the idea that you''re more of a god has taken root. ''God?¡¡Me? Yeah. God of Alchemy. Not the god of crops? That''s...not going to happen. Well, that''s why you have to be careful. I understand. I''ll keep it in mind. We had such an exchange. But is it such a big deal for Alice to say that? ''I only asked Fee about it, but something about me being a god or something. ...or is it that woman again? Oi. The Black Princess, you''re on. Oh, excuse me. Oh-ho-ho. So, yeah. There are some wicked people you worship as gods. God is coming!¡¡And, praise God!¡¡And so on. ''Uhehe I''m not a god I''m a god of crops, even if I''m a hundred percent sure I''m a god of crops. Actually, there is a certain level of mystics in the royal family. My brother and others... ''Oh the second prince, that''s a famous story. ''Yes I''m being pestered to introduce you to the doctor. But it would be best not to see him for a while. And when you come to my house, you can come to your marriage. ''Oh... well... hmm?'' Oh, no. I''m just being honest. Oh, ho-ho-ho. You think that was deliberate? I say and give Alice a light chop to her head. ''Ouch!¡¡What would you do to the princess if you were to do it!¡¡I''ll sue you!¡¡I''ll take responsibility for getting you engaged! Whoa. Easy, Alice. ''Oh no. It''s not often that I get beaten up so... ohohohoho. And then there''s the mystics.......I hope it''s nothing. Then the rooftop door slams open. I lock it from the outside, just in case. But the fact that it opens means there''s only one person coming. ''Elle, I need to talk to you for a moment... ah...'' It was Fee who came over. And on my right arm, Alice was still entwined in this, less than a second''s worth of action. Before I recognized it, Alice was entangled in it. ''Well, I mean... did I interrupt you? Yeah. It''s very disturbing. We''re about to do something even more awesome... ........gobbledygook. Great thing, huh? ''That''s right, Fee. It''s a great thing, isn''t it? ''''Huh.......Elle, this tomboy princess has got you again. Come on, we need to talk about that matter, so let''s go to my lab. Yeah I get it. I try to break free of Alice''s arm, but I can''t. ''Hey, Alice, I''m serious. I''m serious. Let me go. Pfft. You''d rather be that woman than me?¡¡Would you rather be ten years older than your age? "...Hmmm, you''re a good sport. A girl..... Ah, this is a bad one. I thought about that and quickly activated the alchemy of transference on the spur of the moment. Via the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡·, I connected me and Fee to the laboratory and immediately jumped. ''''Well.... Wow! I succeed in landing, but Fee falls down. It''s not the first time he''s moved on, but he''s a dumbass. I give Fee a hand and he shyly stands up. "Ow, ow," he says, "if you''re going to do it, you should tell me. If you''re going to do it, you''re going to tell me!¡¡You scared the hell out of me! I''m sorry. I had to do this or Alice wouldn''t have let me go. ''Well, yes. So, to get to the point... And I''m going to get a startling revelation from Fee. 15-Episode 15 Welcome to the Canovali Alchemy Society Having escaped from Alice, we quickly got down to business. "Actually, I talked to the Alchemy Society about that research, but they said no one could understand it. But from now on, they will periodically pay for our research. "...Seriously?¡¡You''re going to get research funding! ''Yeah. I mean, it''s funny that I haven''t left before. So the president wants to fill out the paperwork, so he wants you to come over after school today. Are you free? ''Yeah yeah I''d love to study the proto, but it''s unavoidable. Money is important to me. Okay, I''ll see you after school. I''ll come with you. What?¡¡I could be on my own, right? Huh you''re underage. You have a guardian or a master witness. Okay. I understand. Okay, well, good luck with that. And I headed to my lab. Research money. After all, money is important for everything. The projects I want to do also cost money in some way. No matter how much money I''m making, it''s always good to have more. And so after school came. Me and Fee are walking side by side. The Alchemy Society in this country is central to the world, and it''s pretty big. The Canovarian Alchemy Society is so well known that everyone knows about it. And such an association is just a ten-minute walk from the Institute. Both are located in the center of the country, well, that''s only natural. And it''s more convenient that way. ''''Speaking of which, how is Noah-san doing?'''' ''Oh, Uncle?¡¡Yeah, I think she''s fine. Elle''s coming today and she''s looking forward to it. ''Right. That''s what I''m looking forward to. Noah Medis. He is Fee''s uncle and Rita''s father. He was the second son, so he didn''t take over the family, but he has been the president of the Alchemy Society for several decades now. He''s also such an outstanding figure that he was considered the closest thing to me before I became a Hekisei-class "Bluestella". And I''m something of a friend to him, but Noah is a rare person who knows what he''s talking about. Anyone who hears about my crop project raises an eyebrow. This is especially true of the nobility. But Noah was receptive to my project from the start. According to him, "Whatever the purpose, we can''t afford not to respect the contributors to the development of alchemy". I''ve been indebted to him since the first time we met, and Noah-san must have helped me with this research funding. I''m really grateful. ''We''re here.'' Yeah. Okay, let''s go to the top floor. We took the elevator to the top floor. We''d have to go through the formalities at the reception desk, but Fee and I had a face pass. The lady at the reception desk smiled at us and went through with it. We heard a ding, and we arrived at the top floor. And after a short walk, we find the Chairman''s room. With a bang, Fee knocks. ''Uncle, it''s Fee. I''ve brought Elle here. ''Oh!¡¡Come in. Excuse me. Excuse me. Me and Fee bow our heads and then enter the room. It''s a simple room. A bookcase and a bunch of papers. Just a desk and a chair. Mr. Noah has been working here for a long time. Also, he wears glasses and looks very smart, even at a glance. He''s the chairman of the board, so it''s only natural that he''s a talented person. I greeted Noah right away. It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one.¡¡It''s been a while. This is Elle. It''s been a while. How''s the research going? That''s actually... ''We''ll get to that later, but right now you have important things to do! ''Haha, Fee is as serious as ever,'' I smile at that and Noah produces the papers. ''You''ll have to sign this. I''m sorry, I''m late on the research funding. ''''No. As a blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· from a farm family, there must be a lot of things going on among the nobility and the association. I understand. It really helps to hear that. Yes, I''m done writing. ... yeah. That''s all right. So starting next month, we''ll start paying for your research every month. Nice to meet you. I bowed my head, and Noah''s eyes became more serious than before. ''So Fee told me you have a new paper?'' ''Yes!¡¡Listen to me, Uncle!¡¡Elle is awesome! Fee says, looking quite excited. I then hold out a thick bundle of paper from the bag I''m holding. ''''Here........'''' Ho. The evolution of full-fledged artificial intelligence. Yes, sir. Let''s have a look. Mr. Noah skimmed through my paper briefly. It doesn''t take that long, though. The process of research is just enormous, and there''s a summary at the end. If you only look through it, you''ll get the gist of it. "Proto is the carrot, right? Yes, sir. He walked upright. Yes, I''m sure. There''s no doubt about it. I''m walking briskly in my workshop today. "Here ... this description of the spontaneous occurrence of a free-standing bipedal technique ... ''Right now, we''re still in the possibility stage. If we look into it a little more closely, we might be able to manipulate that process here as well. So you''re saying that you can modify the homunculus after birth? Theoretically, it''s possible. Hmm. Interesting. And this achievement so soon after you created the homunculus. You truly amaze me. ''I''m afraid. Mr. Noah. "But I''m always sorry but... ''I can''t publish it yet. Isn''t that right? Yeah. There''s been a lot of activity among the mystics lately. I''m sure Fee has told you about it. Yes, sir. I tell him lightly what I''ve heard from Fee, and Noah adds more information. ''Fee. You left right after that, didn''t you? ''Yeah, I know, but ... what is it again?'' Looks like it''s the mystics. They''re trying to turn Elle into a full-fledged guru. "Yeah yeah.... Me and Fee''s voices hummed. The thought of us being a real pain in the ass came together. ''Didn''t we lose the first Mystics last year?¡¡And now the second prince is putting it all together. ''Oscar Canovaria, I believe, right?¡¡Today, Princess Alice said the same thing. Hmm. Apparently, Prince Oscar is quite determined to do whatever it takes to make you a guru. I hear he''s willing to do anything to make you a guru. ''Huh ... but I''m not a mystic or a theorist. I''m a farmer. ''It''s good that they''re that good at listening, but they''ll probably be approaching Elle-kun in the near future. I want you to be careful. Yes. I nodded casually and Fee next to me turned a little blue. ''Well, uncle are you telling me that you''ll do anything you want?'' No, it''s just a rumor. But you can''t smoke where there''s no fire, right? "...I see. Elle, what would you do if your crops were all messed up? What?¡¡Of course I''m angry, "...what if the homunculus is kidnapped or destroyed? ...What? The thought stops. Proto and the first ones will be destroyed?¡¡Does that mean I''m going to die?¡¡My own children, the ones I raised, the ones I cared about?¡¡I won''t allow it I might lose myself if that happens. ''Well I''m definitely going to lose my temper. I might skip one of your arms. Of course. Look, Uncle, it''s not good!¡¡If you take Elle seriously, the mystics are really going to be a bloodbath!¡¡Quickly take action! ...let Fee do his thing. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡You think I can stop Elle?¡¡I can''t!¡¡Elle, you''re super strong in real life! ''But as it stands, you are the only alchemist after Elle-kun. I''ve already declined, too. Well, you''ll have to take proper security measures. ''Huh... well, I guess it''s safe to say that our apartment is tightly secured...'' Then we chatted about things and I went back to my house with Fee. On the way home, we stopped at the supermarket together. We stopped at the grocery store on the way home, because we were going to have dinner at Fee''s room today. It''s a rare day, a hot pot. Winter has long since ended, but since we''re going to eat together, we decided to make an unseasonal nabe. Then we went to Fee''s room and then we both made the pot and started eating it. Then, to my surprise, Fee spoke up. ''Did you see the paper today, Elle?'' No, I don''t know anything about the basic news stuff. What I heard is that the third maze has been invaded. Wow. I didn''t know anyone had ever been in a maze. Yeah. It''s amazing. Apparently the labyrinth is a really nonsensical construct. The third labyrinth that Fee is talking about is one of the world''s seven labyrinths in this world. It is a vastly sprawling underground facility. A large number of demons roam there, and for some reason, they never leave the labyrinth. And it is said that this labyrinth is a lost technology. It has existed for a long time, but the technology of that time is not feasible, and the method of creating the labyrinth is a mystery, and it is believed to have been lost in the past. That is lost technology. Some theories say it is a type of alchemy, but that too is a mystery. However, capturing the third labyrinth means that you have reached the lowest level of the labyrinth. ''''So, what happened in the lowest level of the labyrinth? Well ... so far. But I''m sure something happened. Well, I don''t think they''re going to make that public. Yeah, I see. So, what did you capture? Rafe Allan. He''s a very famous adventurer. Oh well that''s a no brainer. Rafe Allan. That is the most famous of all adventurers. There are people called adventurers in this world, but they are self-proclaimed and do not belong to any organization. They are not registered with an association like alchemists, nor are they registered with an association like alchemists, but simply put, they are just like a hobby. It''s quite difficult to make a living, and it''s unlikely that any of them will become adventurers. Probably not even half of the alchemists. Occasionally, some alchemists do things like adventurers, but basically they make a living out of alchemy. That''s how harsh and unrewarding an adventurer is, and it is not stable. Among them, there is one who is an adventurer and tries to conquer the world''s labyrinths. That was Leif Allan. Even I, who am dull to the world''s information, knew that name. I''m sure he must have gotten rich off of his labyrinthine feats. ''Well, it''s none of our business. ''Oh. Right. I flipped through the pot as it was and went straight back to my room. 16-Episode 16 Liese and Asobi Asobase Hi, I''m Lise. I''m my brother''s sister. My brother is a very amazing person, a genius who is the youngest ever to become an azure-star class¡¶Blue Star¡· alchemist. But that''s a minor issue. Yes, my brother and I have a goal. That is to produce the best agricultural products in history and sell them to the world. This is my brother and I''s goal........but to my surprise, he recently left us.... I''m sad. It''s painful......... We lived together all our lives, bathed together, slept together, but I still can''t get used to the sudden change in my life. My parents and sister tell me that I should leave my brother, but I can''t. That''s how much of an older brother I am. But he left because he said he was going out on his own and now he''s living next door to Mr. Fee! I''m angry. I want my brother to be my big brother all the time, but I don''t want someone else to take him away or anything. I like Fee because he''s a good person and he helps my brother with alchemy related things and he''s nice to me. Whenever I see him, he always asks me, "Liese, are you getting big again?¡¡You''re still so cute. He says, "Here''s a candy bar," and gives me candy. It''s impossible for me to dislike Fee-san, but I still want to play with him, so I won''t give him a big brother. I would like him to wait another ten years. Also, I recently found out that my brother isn''t related to us by blood, but I''ve known for a few years now. But he''s still a great brother. So today, I''m visiting my brother at his house. The plan is to hang out in my room and then have a shopping date. Then we''re going to do some research in the workshop. He''s been busy lately and we haven''t been able to see each other much, so I''m really looking forward to today. ''Brother!¡¡It''s Liese!¡¡They''re here! When I ring the intercom, my brother comes out with a smile on his face. ''Oh!''¡¡Liese!¡¡You''re so cute today. Come on, come on in. Yeah! It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you, though. I know. I''ve missed you, brother! Ha, ha. I''m sorry, I''ve been in the middle of things. When you get to the table, they offer you a cup of tea. Of course, it''s the one I like. He''s a quintessential big brother. He understands me very well. ''So what are you going to do today, big brother? Why don''t we just go to town? ''Yes!¡¡I haven''t had a date with my brother in a long time. ''Yes!¡¡So come on, sister! Oh! Then they go out into the city hand in hand. Central Street. This is the center of the kingdom, so there are quite a lot of people here. That''s why they are holding hands tightly. We can''t let go of this hand. And we came to a grocery store. Yes, this is a date that is also a research date. I stare at the fruit and my brother stares at the vegetables. "......... Then he quickly takes his eyes off the ground, and with a grin, the two of us exchange glances and leave without a trace. What''s the point of this action.......can you tell the quality of the crop just by looking at it?¡¡This is the training that says, "I''m a farmer. Farmers also need to have an eye for judging quality. It''s not enough to just do farm work. It''s not just about farming, because what we''re aiming for is something higher! Well, Liese. Do you want something to eat or something to eat? ''Mmm. I need a parfait today! Well, there you go!¡¡I''ll take care of it, and it''s all on me today. Hugh, you''re the man!¡¡You have it. Hehehe, that''s what a master does! Ha, you can''t get anything out of a compliment, can you? Then when I walk into a handy cafe, I ask for a jumbo parfait. I love farm products, but I eat them at home all the time, so I have a hankering for something mundane on occasion. I have a particular fondness for sweets, so when I go out of town with my brother, I often have a parfait. ''Is it good, Lise?'' ''Yes!¡¡It''s delicious!¡¡I''ll take a bite, yessssss. ''Ahhh. Yeah, it''s good! Of course. After a quick bite to eat at the cafe, we went shopping. He said he had some extra money today and that he could buy me anything. As expected of a generous man. But even if he doesn''t have any extra income, he always buys me the things I like, so he''s really a good brother who cares about his sister. ''Is there anything you want?'' ''Well, let''s just go look at some clothes! Yes, sir. And so we head to the clothing store. When we are about to head to the usual cheap place, my brother says, "Let''s go to a more expensive place today," so I follow him. Well, what do you want? Yeah. Big brother, this is a different order of magnitude. I don''t need it. Yes. I''ve come to the store with one digit different. My eyes are dizzy. I''m a normal farmer''s daughter. My financial sense is normal. I rather like to live frugally and I don''t like expensive things. But if my brother wants me to choose........ but I can''t. I can''t choose. I wish my brother would coordinate with you?¡¡What? What?¡¡Are you sure?¡¡Am I free to do what I want? ''That''s better!¡¡Do that! I''ll do it. I''m gonna make you the prettiest little sister in the world. And so I decided to be my brother''s dress-up doll. ''How about this one?''¡¡No, it''s still good. What about this one?¡¡No, it''s still weak. Riese''s potential should be higher. What''s this?¡¡Okay, that''s the top. No wait...?¡¡It''s not time to panic. Okay, this is it? ... ha ha ha. All I can do is smile bitterly, but if my brother is doing it out of concern for me, I don''t mind. And then for the next hour I finally decide. ''Alright!¡¡It''s perfect! Is that ... me? In the end, I settled on a simple outfit. A pure white, pure white dress and a straw hat. Lately, especially today, it''s as hot as summer, so this outfit is just as good as it should be. ''''Alright. I''ve cut the price tag, let''s put it on and go home today. "...Yeah!¡¡Thanks brother! I walk away from the unexpected gift, elated as it is, with great enthusiasm. I am so lucky to be loved so much. I am so grateful for my brother. I walk along snuggled up to him, hoping that we will always be together. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì I bought some clothes for Lise. A dress and a straw hat, but it was a pretty expensive purchase. But it didn''t hurt that much because I''ve been getting quite a bit of money these days from textbook royalties and whatnot. And I hadn''t seen Liese in a long time. It''s only natural to spend this much money. In fact, it''s not even close, but I''m afraid that if I spend too much money, Liese will be in trouble, so that''s about it for today. And finally, let''s get down to business. I haven''t told Liese about the proto at all. In other words, Liese still thinks the proto crawls. Actually, these days, Proto can run lightly. It hasn''t lasted long yet, but it''s still a lot of growth. ''Liese. I''m going to the workshop now, but I''m sure you''ll be surprised... Well ... what''s going on? ''Oh. I''m sure Liese would be pleased with that. I lead Liese to the basement workshop. Then Proto, who has been walking around, looks at me and raises his right hand with a swift smile in greeting. ''''Eh!¡¡Eeeeeeeeee!¡¡That''s a proto, isn''t it!¡¡That''s right!¡¡What''s wrong with you! Actually, you know ... the proto can now stand. I can walk and even run for a bit. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡That''s great, because the free-standing bipedal technique can''t be built in until later... It''s spontaneous. That means my fully independent artificial intelligence is evolving. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡That''s not good.¡¡So close to the dream again!¡¡Big brother! ...Oh! Riese expressed his astonishment and was pleased with my results. In fact, Liese has been teaching me alchemy in person, and to be honest, she''s closing in on Fee in terms of theory and practice. She has a much deeper knowledge of alchemy than those platinum "platinum" alchemists out there. My theory isn''t perfect either, but I have a pretty good understanding of it. Also, she''s not famous right now because she''s not an alchemist belonging to the association, she''s just a farmer''s daughter, but I''m sure she''ll probably be as good or better than me as an alchemist. ''Wow, that''s great. I''m really walking. Right?¡¡I can run a little bit these days, and that''s a tremendous improvement. I knew my brother was great! "...Thank you Liese. It''s really nice to hear you say that. ''''Ehehe. I''m the only one who understands my brother! I pat Liese''s head good-naturedly. Looking back, we''ve come a long way. I decided at an early age to grow the best crops in the world, studied alchemy, and got here. At first, I was often ridiculed. My parents and my sister kept telling me to stop. But Liese was the only one who was always on my side. Even though she didn''t understand me well at that time, she always supported me. And now that we''ve found ourselves collaborating, I''m in charge of vegetables and Liese is in charge of fruits. Riese also recently completed ''It looks like an apple, but it''s actually a grape''. We''ve been ridiculed for years. They said it was impossible, that it was impossible. And yet, we made it happen. And that''s why we can continue to build each other up. I really do have the best sister in the world. And as I''m thinking about this, the Liese guy starts talking as if he remembers. ''Ah!¡¡Come to think of it, I heard a funny story at school yesterday. What''s so funny? Yeah. What''s this story about my brother being a god of alchemy? It''s that again... ''So I thought. I didn''t think my brother was an alchemist, I thought he was the god of crops. But I didn''t want to talk about him too much to everyone, so I kept it to myself. ''That''s wise. But still, the rumor is spreading through the school.... ''''Yeah. It''s only a small rumor, but I''m pretty sure that''s what the nobleman''s son said. ''I see. They didn''t do anything to Riese, did they? ''I don''t have anything to do with it, okay?¡¡But is your brother okay?¡¡Mystics, I believe?¡¡Was it ... that''s what''s interfering with your brother, isn''t it? ''We haven''t done any real damage yet, but we''ve just been told by Fee and the chairman to be careful. This should be quite alarming. We don''t want to be interrupted in our plans here... ''Oh. Of course. Even so, it seems that the rumor is quite widespread among the school.......or rather the nobility. As I recall, when I became a blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡·, I was quite disgusted by the mystics'' gang, but now they''ve flipped out and......God? At all, is their brains a fantasy?¡¡There''s no way I''m a god in the normal course of events. There''s still a lot of mystery in alchemy and it''s still developing. No matter how much I contribute to its development, God is an exaggeration. Huh........this is going to be troublesome somehow.......when I was thinking that, someone comes into the basement. But it''s probably Fee. ''''Huh?¡¡Is Lise with you today? Yeah. I was on a date!¡¡Ehem! Oh my!¡¡It''s a pretty dress. Did you get it for me? Yeah! ''Oh my goodness, well, well. You''re really cute, Lise. I''ll give you a candy bar. ''Wow!¡¡Thank you! Fee has always been very protective of Lise. But but where does that candy always come from?¡¡It is very mysterious......... ''Oh, and here........the invitation. To Elle. An invitation?¡¡Who''s that, Fee? You''ll know it when you see it. I look at the back of the letter envelope. I thought it was awfully clean, but there was a royal coat of arms on it. ''''This is........'''' Yes. It''s an invitation from the Second Prince Oscar. You don''t have to go because it''s a private one but you don''t have to turn down an invitation from royalty... Hmm.... I would have kicked it off before. But I''ve learned that if you''re going to live as an alchemist in this country, it''s important to socialize. And I don''t want to smash Fee''s face in. ''Okay. I''ll go. ''Thanks, that helps. Also, I''m going, so I think it''ll be okay, but be really careful with the mystics. Oh. Okay. This is how I got involved with the mystics in earnest. 17-Episode 17: Mysticism ''Elle!¡¡What''s the matter with you, Elle?¡¡I''m ready! The door slams. It''s loud. Very loud. I was up late yesterday working on the prototype. I need to relax on my day off. ''I''m coming in!¡¡I''m coming in! At the sound of that voice, the door opens with a bang. Fee and I have recently exchanged our duplicate keys. Just in case something happens to each of us, it''s so that we can run to each other immediately if something happens. But I didn''t give it to him to interfere with a good night''s sleep. I complain to Fee, who walks in without asking. ''....Hey. It''s only six o''clock, right?¡¡I''m going to sleep until noon today just let me sleep.... ''I knew it!¡¡Good thing I came early!¡¡You''re having a party today that Prince Oscar has invited you to!¡¡Elle is really lost without me already........haha.... Hmm?¡¡Oh ... come to think of it, I slink out of bed. In a daze, I pop off what I''m wearing and head straight to the bathroom. ''Geez!¡¡Make sure you take your clothes off before you take your bath!¡¡And I''ll make you a meal!¡¡I''m going to use it on my own, material! .... oooh... I''m sleep-deprived, so I''ll just have to deal with it. With that in mind, I took a quick shower and ate the breakfast Fee made for me. There''s an egg roll, miso soup, a salad and grilled salmon. As I was munching on the food, I wondered why the fee for the excellent property remained unsold. ''....Hey, Fee. How come I''ve been able to do this much and you haven''t been able to get married?¡¡He can do all the household chores and is a good-looking man. I have a good family background and good abilities. I doubt it.... ''Ughhhh........don''t say that while eating a man-made breakfast........'' Me and Fee have breakfast across from each other and then change into the suit I had on for the entrance ceremony. Well, I guess it''s okay to wear this outfit. Fee''s is also wearing a suit. ''Good thing, Elle. Just keep your mystic crap to yourself. You don''t want to bite them by accident, all right? Same old mimicry, right? ''Yeah, yeah. Say hello to me in genius mode! Yes, sir. With that, Fee and I headed to the royal castle where the party was to take place. The royal castle of this kingdom is located in the north, further away from the town of nobility. I''ve only been there once, during the awarding ceremony for the Blue Star class Bluestera, so I don''t remember much about it. That''s why I don''t remember much about it. Even back then, I left as soon as the awarding ceremony was over. The only thing you can do is to get your hands on a few of the items. What kind of person is a prince? ''The Second Prince Oscar?¡¡Um, he''s an honest man. I can''t believe you''re a fanatical mystic. I''d like to believe that I''m mistaken in some way, too. ''''But hey........a direct invitation at this time. And with the rumors, there is no doubt that he is the leading mystic. It doesn''t seem like it''s something that the other party would want to know about. ''Well, the mystics are quite assertive. I''ve been recruited a few times, but the faction warfare is really tedious... As a nobleman, it''s important to know which side you belong to, the mystics or the theorists... haha, it''s tiring... ... ''Fee''s been in the middle of it all along, hasn''t he? You''ve caused me a lot of trouble, too. Let me thank you another time. What''s the matter with you.......you''re strangely perceptive these days. You couldn''t be that considerate when you were a student. That means I''m growing too. It''s not enough to grow the best crops in the world. You have to sell to people. And to sell, you have to have connections. And this kind of socializing can be useful when the chips are down. You don''t want to be called a mystic and look down on them. ''Elle ... ugh. You''ve grown up I''m so happy for you.... Come on, don''t cry. We''re almost there. Chit-chat as we arrive at the castle. It''s still a big castle. You have to look up to see the whole picture. And when we got there, the maids arrived. ''Lady Elwydd Willis and Lady Alsufira Medis, please come this way. The hall is already open, sir.'' When we followed, it was a garden. However, it was a much more elegant garden than Serena''s yard. The trees beside it are neatly trimmed and the grass looks freshly mowed. In addition, the desk and chairs there have a white base color and are emblazoned with the coat of arms of the royal family. ''Hey Fee. I was wondering, what''s the name of this party? ''''Well it''s sort of like a regular gathering of the nobility. Occasionally, the royals will hold it for me. Well..... And so, as we entered the garden, the gazes of many people turned to us at once. ''''Oh........that one. "You are Elweed Willis, an alchemist of the Blue Star class, Bluesteller. "Hohoho..... A top-notch alchemist has a different class. I''m used to this gaze. Normally I would ignore it in a Texan manner, but it''s hard to face it.......even though I''m not such an attention-grabbing being......but after all, the blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· is special to the nobles! Ugh. I''m a farmer and it doesn''t sound right to me.... I''m a little scared of my surroundings so I stick close to Fee. ''.........Fee, help me.......I''m scared, this gaze is scary.......'' ''Bear with me. I''ll have to leave when it starts in earnest, okay?¡¡It''s about time you stood on your own. ''d*mn I''m only 16 years old! ''''We can''t afford to be like that. You''re a jasper-class Blue Star. They don''t think of you as a child. ''Oh yeah.... Yeah, I know........ Sad. I''ve tried to change things up a bit too, but this is hard. I used to completely ignore it, but now that I''m facing it, people are looking at me curiously. A lot of people have been watching me in class, but this is different. It''s the eyes of prey trying to secure me. Probably, only the mystics are gathered at this party. I was keenly aware of this, when the second prince Oscar arrived. It seems that he''s going to start off with a short speech. Thank you all for coming here. I''m very happy to see so many people here. Now, now that my greeting is over.......let''s have today''s main character appear. I''m Mr. Elweed Willis, a Blue Star-class "Bluesteller" alchemist. The people around me applauded overflowing and made their way open to Prince Oscar. Oh.........how could this happen.......I didn''t hear this....... I head to Prince Oscar''s with a grudge in my mind. And I decided to speak just one word. The air around me is telling me to do so........ ''''Ah. Hi, my name is Elweed Willis, and I''m happy to accept your introduction. Thank you so much for inviting me to this kind of meeting........ I said a few words like that to the Texan and the party started promptly. My trusty fee has gone somewhere, and as I''m cringing, about five young women come barging in. ''Master Elle! ''Kyah!¡¡It''s Lord Raw El! ''Dear Elle, thank you for coming today! Oh my Lord Elle, you are precious. ''Cool. Ha ... ha ... ha ... Ha ha ha, hi. When I had a conversation with them, I found out that they are all daughters of noble families and don''t come to this party. But this time they heard a rumor that I would be there and rushed over. They all said they were my fans and handed me a pen and paper, so I signed my name as usual. My signature, by the way, was made by Fee. As usual, he''s an excellent person. ''Well, if we get another chance........'' I cut off the conversation and try to run away quickly, wanting to take a break, but he grabs me by the shoulders. Heeeeeey good!¡¡This feeling! Doctor, you''re here. Oh, Princess Alice. Thank you for this... I greet them with a bow. In the meantime, I respond with a respectful tone of voice, since I have eyes all around me. And then Alice begins to speak in my ear, sneaking around. "........Sensei, why did you come here? ''''Well no, I can''t smash that Fee guy''s face in... and it''s a royal invitation...'''' It''s Fee again. Put the black princess away for now. And that''s just the way it is. ''....Yes. There are almost exclusively mystics here. Today is just like the unveiling of our guru. ..... As I''m talking about it, someone comes lazily approaching. This is.......... Hi, Alice. Would you like me to join you in the conversation? Brother Oscar. The second prince, Oscar the Second, arrived with a smile on his face. He had short, pale, pigmented, blue hair, and an unpretentious but graceful demeanor. Without a doubt, he was a member of the royal family. "How do you do, Lady Elwydd Willis? I''m Oscar Canovaria, the second prince of this country. I am the second prince of this country. This is polite Elwyd Willis. We shake each other''s hands firmly. He''s smaller than I am in stature, but I still sense an air of elegance and grandeur. It''s something unique to royalty. ''''Speaking of which, Alice. Your father was calling you, he said you''d understand if I mentioned that incident. ''Gee!¡¡Ah.....................Ohohohoho. I see, then I''ll take it........ The last thing I asked for, Alice, has gone. Normally I''m annoyed by being tangled up, but today I wanted her to stay with me the whole time.... Just as I was thinking that, Prince Oscar comes over to talk to me with a big smile on his face. ''''I''m sorry about earlier, that was sudden. You said you didn''t even have a meeting. ''No, no. I''m used to saying hello... You''re a brilliant blue-star class "Bluesteller" alchemist. No, it''s a work in progress. Well, you still have a long way to go. After all these results, you are not proud of yourself. That''s as good as it gets, Master Willis. I heard you were a remarkable man, but you''re even more than they say you are. Smiling, Prince Oscar appears to be just a young man with no malice in his heart. But surely he must be planning something in his heart. ''''Well then, I''ll take my leave...'''' As I turn to leave, Prince Oscar utters a word I can''t miss. ''''........Proto, was it?¡¡It seems to have paid off lately, and I''m as happy as I am. Where did you.........about that? Hmmm... where could it be? The prince smiles as he did earlier. But there was definitely something evil lurking in his eyes. 18-Episode 18 How did you know about that, Prince Oscar? Hmm. I don''t know why... I was facing Prince Oscar. No, I''d say we were staring at each other. Very few people really know about Proto. And that''s only those I believe I can trust. It''s hard to imagine someone leaking it to me. As I was pondering this, he made a suggestion to me. ''Let''s be blunt, you know that anyway. I want you to be the symbol of the mystics. ...Is it a symbol? That''s right. It''s the mystics who run this kingdom. Alchemy is certainly a theoretical thing as well. But it''s still just something that humans have applied on their own. Even you don''t think you''ve arrived at the truth of alchemy yet, do you? It''s... I''m at a loss for words. It is true that alchemy is a theoretical thing. I''ve developed alchemy by going through the theory and theory. But Prince Oscar was right, alchemy is still an unknown quantity. That''s exactly what I''ve described as the realm of the gods. God. That is an existence that cannot be proven. There is no proof that there is, and no proof that there isn''t. In other words, proof of the devil. But it seems that my existence is the closest to the god of alchemy. That''s what the azure star class [Bluesteller] is.......to them....... ''''This world was created by a god, and that god created the miraculous work of alchemy. And you are the one who has reached the deepest depths of alchemy in this world, Mr. El-Eid Willis. Come on, let''s go together. I know you''ll understand. And we''ll help you, too. We''ll help you with your vegetable interests, we''ll give you an engagement to Alice. Will you join us as royalty and help us make this country a better place?¡¡Not a bad story, is it? .... There are no immediate words. It''s certainly not a bad deal. With the backing of the royals, my business is definitely going to ride the wave. I''m definitely closer to my dream. From a rational standpoint, I should be here to get in on the conversation. But my emotions don''t say so. A blue star class "Bluesteller" alchemist. It is the closest being to the truth of this world. That''s what an alchemist is, if you trace it back to the source. But but, but is my dream good?¡¡Even if you follow this path. Riding the rails of others, getting engaged and becoming royalty just for the sake of your dreams. I''m sure Alice will have mixed feelings about it. She''s always been thoughtful, but she''s been seriously supportive of me. In light of that, what should I do....... No, I''ve already decided. I should move forward on my own. It''s fine to cooperate with others. But it''s on an equal footing. If it goes on like this, I''m just a tool to be exploited. I''m a mere token of this country''s respectability. But I''m a farmer. I have a dream that I want to fulfill as a farmer. When I made up my mind to do so, I showed Prince Oscar a firm attitude. ''''.......I''m sorry, but I can''t accept that proposal. Oh... how''s that? Because I want to achieve my own goals. ''''I don''t know. It''s hard to believe that a being who is driven by such emotions is a blue star class [Bluestella]. Is there some other element of anxiety? ''No, no. And I don''t care if I''m a mystic or a theorist. I''m just chasing my dream. That''s all. ''Well I get it. I see your point. I''m sorry to take up so much of your time today. Maybe some other time, if I get the chance. Yes. Now, if you''ll excuse me. So I left the party, and went home to eat with Fee. Back at home, Fee and I ate dinner together. At that time, I guess I was a little depressed, but Fee spoke to me with a worried look on his face. ''Elle ... is there something wrong?'' ''Huh you''re the Fee. Actually, Prince Oscar asked me to join the Mystics. He wants me to join the Mystics. I knew it. So...? I said no. Said I had things to do. And somehow the prince knew about the proto. You''re definitely leaking information. Lie....where does it leak from...? ''I don''t know. At the moment I don''t think anyone else has told you and you don''t think Fee is betraying you, do you? ''That''s true ... and I hate those mystics. They''re always being nebbishy, nebbishy about my nuptials.............ahhhhh!¡¡I''m even more pissed off when I think about it! Yeah. Well, I said no anyway. You''ll be fine. We ended the conversation there and parted ways. But it seems I had a strange night of sleep this evening, and I woke up well into the night. Hopefully, my dreams will continue to go on.... ¡ì¡ì. Actually, Rita. There''s someone I want to introduce to you today. "...Is there someone in there?¡¡Dr. Elle. The next day. I was teaching Rita in a seminar. Lately, this time has been really therapeutic. Rita''s alchemy skills are quite good, and she''s really improved compared to when we met. If she keeps this up, she might be able to become a Gold Grade ¡¶Gold¡· alchemist in the near future. I''m going to submit an application to the association soon and have him take the test. And just like that, right now, I want to introduce that guy to Rita. ''Here, come on out. Proto. Proto peeked out of his bag when I called him that. Today I brought him to the lab. Of course I wanted to show Rita, but I brought her here because I wanted to see if she could communicate with the first one and others. ''''........! Proto, as usual, said, "Hey! He raises his right hand as if to say, "I''m not going to let you go. Rita''s eyes widen when she sees it. ''''What!¡¡Is this that proto! Yeah. That''s the proto I keep talking about. Look, I can walk these days. It''s a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you''re looking for. It''s a small gait, but the way it walks without hesitation. It''s a good thing that you''re able to get a good idea of what you''re looking for. ''''Ohhhhhh!¡¡Soooo, that''s amazing!¡¡You used to crawl around!¡¡I was surprised when I heard that the homunculus could walk on its own, but when I saw the real thing like this, it was very impressive. All the results of your research are packed in here, aren''t they? That''s right. Rita is a really understanding guy. She always listens to me seriously. I''ve also recently entrusted Rita with the care of the walking corn. When I''m not around, I give her the key to the roof and let her walk them. At first, they were hesitant, but then they said, "By all means, let me do it! So I left it to them. Then, the corns liked Rita more than me, and they''ve been leaving it up to her lately. ''''All right, then ... let''s call it a fated encounter, shall we? I lay out all of numbers one through four on my desk. Then I decided to make contact with the proto and see. ''''...! "..........! "....! ".............................. They are exchanging some kind of gesture. I quickly compile it into a notebook. After all, it seems that a fully independent artificial intelligence can communicate with each other, no matter which crop it''s on. Even though they''re two different crops, carrots and corn, they''re communicating well. And after a while, the proto starts shaking hands with all of them. It seems to be accepted. ''Hoeeeeeeeeee.......this is truly an encounter with the unknown!¡¡It''s amazing!¡¡I must have witnessed a historic moment! ''Oh!¡¡That''s right!¡¡There''s no doubt about it! You did it, sir! ''Oh!¡¡Yes! For a while after that, we went on a fool''s errand with tensions high. But then I happened to walk by and Fee said, "Shut up! I was blackmailed by him. Fee is pretty scary when he''s angry, so me and Rita just shuffled off and broke up. As we were about to leave the academy, we ran into Fee by chance. It''s strangely awkward after what happened earlier... but I can''t ignore it. ''''Oh, is Elle home now too?'''' Yeah. Can you have dinner with me tonight? Well that''s fine. There''s nothing in my house right now. "I''m just out of it right now too. Do you wanna go shopping with me? Yes, sir. Apparently Fee doesn''t care so much about it. Thank goodness so the two of us go to the supermarket to do some shopping and then we both walk down the street at night. The road we''re on now is in a place where the street lights don''t work very well, and it''s a bit dim. It''s not safe for a woman to pass by alone. Most importantly, the kingdom of Canovaria is a safe place, so there are rarely any thugs. There''s no need to be so vigilant. As I was thinking this, I sensed a strange presence. "Fee, get behind me for a minute. What...? ''''Look closely, it''s a smelting scar. This is........a nerve paralyzing thing....... I look at the wrought team and see that. And then resist it in an instant. From the accuracy of this formation, the person who set this up is definitely at the platinum level. I''m going to be even more cautious than before. If I''m alone, I can handle it, but I can''t understand it when Fee is with me. However, I''m not worried because Fee is strong in his own right, but just in case. ''''I''ve resisted, but my opponent is quite skilled. There are no quirks in the training team. This one is going to be difficult to identify from here.'''' Well, I guess so. Fee and I stared at the resisted alchemy formation. There was an endlessly beautiful formation on the ground. Each person''s team has their own peculiarities and is unique. It would be easy to identify individuals from there with the association. However, this one deliberately erased that quirk. We''ve seen tens of thousands of training teams, and we know this very well. And then we realize. Apparently, Prince Oscar and his mystics don''t intend to leave me alone. "Let''s go home, Fee! Yes. I squeezed Fee''s hand and hurried back to the house. ''...... .... We eat in silence together. That''s what happened, and I can''t bring myself to talk about it cheerfully. Then Fee spoke up. I''ll tell my uncle about today," she said. ''Yes. You''d better have the Chairman''s ear. .... .... Then there is silence again. When I looked closely, I saw that Fee''s body was trembling slightly. ''''Fee, you........'''' ''I''m scared. I don''t want someone to harm me because Elle is too good for me because I know I''m too good for her....¡¡Elle has been doing her best for a long, long time. And I''ve never seen anything like this.¡¡What the hell is that?¡¡What would have happened if Elle hadn''t found out?¡¡I am, you know, frustrated. I can''t allow people to do that. Just because he''s a Blue Star Class Alchemist, Elle is a human being too. Ignoring that and calling him a god... there''s no such thing... When I looked closely, I saw that tears were flowing from Fee''s eyes. I can''t believe that you care that much for me.... Hey, Elle. I''m going to be with you today, okay?¡¡I want to stay with Elle today. Okay, fine. I''ll stay the night. Since I live next door to Fee, I don''t have to stay there separately. Normally you might think that. But I respected Fee''s feelings. He told me he wanted to be with me, Fee, who rarely asks for it like this. Fee had been doing a lot of work for me all along. I could see that since I started working at the academy. That''s why I wanted to repay her for that. "...Hey, are you awake? I''m not sleepy yet. We''ve bathed each other since then, and now we''re both in the same bed. I said I''d sleep on the couch, but Fee gave me a disgusted look, so I decided to sleep with her. We have our backs to each other and I can hear the sound of our breathing up close and personal. ''I wonder what''s going to happen now...'' I don''t know. But we need to do something about it. But they''re royalty.¡¡If you''re going to disobey me... I''m ready to leave the country if it comes to that. No, it''s not possible. ''Not really, my research can be done outside. Environmentally, this country is the best, but there are other countries where alchemy is thriving. ''Well yes but I''m going to miss Elle. ''''Well I will. I''m going to miss Fee too, and I''ve got a family to look after. I guess that''s a last resort. ''Hey Elle stay with me the whole time I don''t want to... there''s no such thing...'' Fee hugs me from behind tightly. It''s a small body. Thinking about it, I''ve been watching Fee work hard for so long that he looks bigger mentally than his body. They''re ten years apart in age, too. But Fee is so much smaller. And shaking. No matter how old you are, people can''t be that strong. We have to support each other to survive. I accepted Fee''s hug as I thought about that. And the next thing I knew, Fee was breathing in her sleep. I turned over and looked at Fee''s face and saw tears streaming down her face. Like the last time he was drunk, Fee is a lonely man. He had grown up in a tough environment all his life and had been called a genius alchemist. He didn''t have many friends, and the chairman had told me once that he was isolated. At the time, I didn''t think that was the case with that Fee. He was social, diplomatic, and serious and firm. That was my impression of him as a student. But now that we work at the same academy, I''ve come to understand Fee''s struggles, and I know he''s been working alone for a long time. That''s why I need to be Fee''s rock. I''ll be there for Fee until the day he finds someone to marry and doesn''t need me anymore. I fell asleep with that thought in my head. I slept well that night. I slept like the previous day''s insomnia was a lie. In my dream, I saw myself selling my produce to the world. That''s me in the future. I will get to that place for sure. No matter what obstacles I face.... 19-Episode 19: End and Rapid Development The next day. Fee and I had come to the Society. We''re going to tell the chairman what happened yesterday. "Uncle, you know, in fact... With that, Fee begins to talk briefly about what happened yesterday. Hearing that, the chairman presses his head. Come to think of it, do you know what this stuff is? Is this...? It was something me and Fee had never seen before. A small, square, black blob. At first glance, it looked like a bug. This is a piece of lost technology mined from the labyrinth. It seems to be able to pick up and transmit sound within a 5 meter radius. As far as technological systems go, it''s different from alchemy. Well that''s interesting. And then I stare at the object. Yeah, I can tell if it''s an alchemy. I can tell if it''s an alchemy or not by looking at it a bit, but this is something else entirely. What kind of technical system is this........ And then the chairman says something unexpected. ''''Actually, there''s another one. Is it...? But the other one was stolen while we were transporting it... Stolen...? So here''s an idea. Is this not on your body? No way. I think, and I probe the body. But there''s nothing. There''s nothing like that. "Hey, Fee. You don''t have any...? Yeah. Here it is.... Fee pulled out a small black object from the inside pocket of his suit. And it was definitely the same as the one on this desk. ''''Huh.......I checked it to make sure, but I knew it. Even Prince Oscar is in trouble........ "Hey ... wait a minute. Does this mean my private life was in full view...? Sahhhh, the Fee''s guy goes pale. Indeed, if you ask me, the sound alone is quite a bit of information. It''s safe to say that the conversation between me and Fee is almost completely tuned out. ''Oh no ... maybe the conversation that happened?¡¡No way, not even that one!¡¡¡¡I can''t allow this to happen again!¡¡This is an invasion of privacy! Fee snaps out of his temper with a slap on the ground. Yeah, I haven''t seen that in a long time. I haven''t seen him lose his temper like this.... "Elle," he says. Also, I want to check something else. This is a very top secret information, but is Proto in the workshop now? Yes. I''m here. Can you check that now? Well, we''ve got the alchemy path linked... well, I can see... what? I trace back to the First Pledge, the Primamateria, and look for traces of the proto. Normally, this would be a random task; it would take less than 10 seconds. However, it doesn''t connect. I can''t connect the path to the proto. "Huh?¡¡No proto? I knew it. Prince Oscar kidnaps the proto. I just got word of it............................but it''s too late. Proto ... proto ... Proto kidnapped?¡¡I''ve been with Proto all my life. In health, in sickness, in joy, in sorrow, in riches, in poverty, I loved Proto, I respected Proto, I comforted Proto, I helped Proto, and I swore to give my whole heart to Proto for as long as I lived... Did they take Proto away from me? My proto for their own desires...? I won''t forgive you. I''ll never forgive you! ''Feeb!¡¡Let''s hit the royal castle! ''Hey!¡¡I''ll bite you!¡¡Our alchemy is for this moment! ''Huh ... well, I guess I will. Anyway, we''ve got the evidence, so that''s good.......................but don''t go overboard with the fancy. Good luck. When the chairman said that, we headed to the royal castle as soon as possible. ''''What''s the point of royalty! I don''t give a shit! ¡ì¡ì. Reliance!¡¡Reliable!¡¡I''m here to break the dojo! ''Yes!¡¡Yes!¡¡Open up!¡¡Let us in! In front of the main gate of the castle we make a scene. Then the same maid from inside comes out. "...Prince Oscar is waiting inside. ''Hahahahahaha!¡¡They''ll make it a bloodbath! I''m going to make you regret invading my privacy... With unfocused eyes, we were led straight to the throne. ''Hey I''ve been waiting for you. Elweird Willis-kun. For some reason, Prince Oscar was sitting on that throne. As I recall, the king said yesterday that he would be gone on an expedition, but it''s not like Prince Oscar is the rightful successor... what was that attitude? You understand why we''re here, don''t you? Of course it''s for this guy.¡¡And maybe this one for Alsphira? With that, Oscar''s bastard came over with the proto in his right hand and the wiretap in his left. Ahhhhhh!!!!!¡¡You ready?¡¡Let Proto get hurt, and think you''re not going to live!!!!! Proto is jittery and flailing in the hands of the f*cking Prince. Oh Proto, poor Proto I''ll let you go in a minute. ''Wow. I''m scared. Your obsession with this is apparently true. Besides, I''ve been talking about it with Alsphira all week. ''Ah!¡¡Speaking of which, are you two lovers?¡¡You seem to be living a very bland life. That was just Fee being drunk. ''No!!!!!¡¡I don''t like this anymore!!!!¡¡I''m going to kill him, I''m going to kill him, and I''m going to die too!!! Fee went crazy. But, well, it would be unbearable to hear that lasciviousness. The first thing to do is to go down to my military gate if you want this carrot back. I''ll put a curse on you at that time, though. ...the curse. Curse ¡¶Curse¡·. It was an alchemy used in the days of slavery. It was a way to seize control of an opponent and manipulate them at will. That was a technology that has already died out, but was there anything that could still be used? ''''Okay. We''ll make a deal. ''Errrr!¡¡That''s........ I''ll be fine. After saying that in a blur, I headed to Oscar''s place. On the way to the throne, dozens, no, close to a hundred alchemists were waiting for me. I see...the mystics. "Give me back the proto first. I can''t do that. Let''s do it at the same time. Okay. I roll up my right arm and present it to him. And at the moment Oscar carved the alchemy formation of the curse ¡¶Curse¡·, the proto was back in my hand. ''''........! Gulp, I tried to raise my right hand as usual, but it was instantly shuffled away. ''''Hahahahahahahaha!¡¡This kingdom is mine!¡¡Even the Blue Star class Bluesteller alchemist has fallen into my hands!¡¡Oh God, I...I...I...I did it! Oscar shouts that with a joyful voice. And Oscar immediately tries to use the curse ¡¶Curse¡·. "Hmmm. Then, let''s use the spellcasting ¡¶Curse¡· immediately. Elweed Willis. I''m going to hurt Alsfira. There''s no need to kill her. But that woman''s repulsion was rather troublesome. Do it......... At the same time I say that, I slowly move closer to Fee. ''Uh ... you''re lying, right?¡¡Eh, Elle is important to me too, right?¡¡Hey...? Fee pulls and shakes like a fawn. Then I walked up to Fee and raised my right hand just like that. ''''Hee!¡¡I mean, what? Take care of the proto. I''ve got an errand to run to that f*cking prince. Uh-huh. Gently, so gently, I hand the proto to Fee and I go back to Oscar. ''''Bah ... silly!¡¡The curse ¡¶curse¡· is not working!¡¡It''s something that even a Platinum Grade [Platinum] alchemist can''t resist! Oscar stands up to back away. Is this guy an idiot?¡¡How do you expect me, a blue-star class Blue Star, to be able to hold them off with just a sample of the platinum class? This kind of thing is even lower and lower down in the early stages of Proto''s research. This crude wrought team can be resisted in seconds. It''s no trouble. ''''Oh, you guys, stop it!¡¡Don''t let this thing get anywhere near me! When Oscar says this, nearly a hundred alchemists unleash their alchemy on me. But that''s too poorly done. It''s too late to build a smelting formation from scratch. Overwhelmingly slow. I quickly cleave my right hand to the side, and an area of ice expands around me. And not only do I freeze the legs of the ragtag bunch, I also freeze their hands. ''''Ha........ha!¡¡I''m a platinum-grade "platinum" and gold-grade "gold" alchemist!¡¡And that in an instant...! This a**h*le was wrong about my abilities. Well, that can''t be helped. My accomplishments are my research work, not my combat prowess. Besides, there''s only a limited amount of people who know about my strength, and I guess he didn''t think to research that much. You were too impressed with the name of the Blue Star Class ¡¶Bluesteller¡·. But still, if I were you, I''d prepare a bit more. You thought you would win if you cast the Curse, dumbass. And now I''m going to be right in front of Prince Oscar. Hey ... how do you want to end this? Hi!¡¡Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Oh, it wasn''t me!¡¡I mean, they said to do it! That''s not very nice... ''Hi, hi, hi!¡¡It''s cold!¡¡It''s cold!!!!! Slowly, I freeze it from my feet. And once I stop it, I grin and start talking again. ''Hey, do you want me to freeze just the limbs ... and scrape them off a little at a time? ''Hi, hi, hi, hi!¡¡That''s it!¡¡That''s it!¡¡And besides, I''m royalty!¡¡If anything happens...! ''Do you think I''m going to give in to that?¡¡You are not royalty when you take away the proto. You are a criminal. Punishment for the crime... right? Oscar''s face goes even paler when I give him a serious look and stare. Finally, he understands that I''m serious. Stupid Prince. "Well how many more seconds do we have?¡¡Until your extremities are frozen... ''Heeeeee. I won''t do it anymore, I''m sorry!!!!! A dumb voice rang out, and the door behind them opened. And there they were, the King and Alice. ''''Oscar-sama, if you let him swim, is this the quickest way to do it? Huh........pathetic....... Oh, Father... Oscar''s eyes widen as he looks at the king who should have left. ''Oscar. That''s why I told you, things have their limits. You are a foolish son of a jasper-class alchemist, Lord Elwydd Willis, to offend a jasper-class alchemist.... And Lady Alfira Medis. I am sorry for my son at this time I will punish him, can you forgive me for today? ''........Okay. If the King says so.... I unlocked my own alchemy and walked straight out the door with Fee. "See you soon, doctor? Alice said, and I smiled at her, and I smiled at her. Well, the proto will come back and that a**h*le will be brought to justice. Enough said. ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì Later on, or rather, the end of that a**h*le, I asked the president of the association the next day after that. Prince Oscar has been deprived of his claim to the throne and sentenced to a month in prison. And he''s going to be sentenced to a month in prison. I also heard that he''s going to apologize to Elle and Fee individually. The King asked if you''re unhappy with them. No, it''s not that... it''s over now. I would have liked to take at least one hit, but, well, Elle did it, so that''s fine. Well that''s the main thing. The chairman fumbles with something and pulls out a sheet of paper from his desk. Me and Fee look at it and wonder if there''s anything else going on. I''m sure there''s nothing more we need to do here, right? ''Elwydd Willis and Alspheera Medis have a request from the Society. We need you to capture the Sixth Labyrinth. What?¡¡The Sixth Labyrinth? The Sixth Labyrinth. It''s a labyrinth near the Kingdom of Canovaria. But why would we...?¡¡As I thought about it, Fee was shaking next to me. Ah, I see. Speaking of the Sixth Labyrinth.... "The Sixth Labyrinth?¡¡Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Ah!¡¡I don''t want to be in that labyrinth alone... I don''t want to be in that labyrinth!¡¡Forgive me, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Fee becomes half-mad. That''s right, the sixth labyrinth is also known as............the labyrinth of the spider. For now, well........it looks like my retirement is still a long way off.......hohoho..... 20-Episode 20: Elf Village Nico I''m sorry, Fee. You''re the only alchemists from our society right now. "....Lies!¡¡I know there are many others!¡¡I know you! ''''........There are some, but they must be capable of capturing the Sixth Labyrinth. At the very least, a platinum level [Platinum]. This is something I can only ask Elle-kun and Fee to do. In the meantime, I want you to go and inspect the site. To the Elf Village. "In the village of the elves?¡¡What does this have to do with anything, Mr. Chairman? I suddenly wonder. Elves are a type of sub-human, close to humans, but they are creatures of a different race. And such elves have built a village near the Canovaria Kingdom. They also regularly distribute goods and so on, so they are on good terms with our country. But what happened in the elven village? ''You know that the Elven Village and the Sixth Maze are close by, don''t you? Yes, sir. In fact, it is said that demons and spiders sometimes flood the labyrinth. They head for the village. ''Hee hee hee hee hee!¡¡Oh, my God!¡¡You''re too scared!¡¡I mean, all those spiders there are just giant spiders, right?¡¡I''m so scared........scary....... The giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· that Fee mentioned is a type of demon and is a giant version of a normal spider. It is twice as large as a human. Of course, due to its size, it also eats people. The damage is not zero in a year. But what is the point of overflowing from the labyrinth? The seven labyrinths of the world are all inhabited by demons that have been living there forever. I''ve never heard of an overflow. ''''I understand. I''m going to the village of Fee and the elves. ''Noaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¡I hate spiders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In vain, Fee ended up going, crying out that he was going to ¡ì ¡ì ¡ì That night. We had gathered at Fee''s house to organize information on the Sixth Labyrinth. The Sixth Labyrinth, also known as the ............Spider Labyrinth. Numerous adventurers, and even alchemists, have tried it, but there are almost no survivors...? "Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Hey, Fee. There''s a spider in there. ''Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I''m sorry. And, well, Fee''s dislike of spiders is extraordinary. He also says they''re mankind''s greatest natural enemy. I ignore a furious Fee and organize the materials I got from the chairman. The Sixth Maze. It is one of the seven labyrinths of the world, located south of the Canovaria Kingdom. It''s also famous that there is also an Elf village in the south. Elves are a type of sub-humans, a species that has almost the same shape and intelligence as humans, but with a different genetic sequence and an odd appearance. On a civilization level, humans are more advanced, but the sub-humans have also built their own civilization, and no sub-humans are in clear conflict with each other. However, there is one entity that is hostile to humans and subhumans. That is the demons. Demons have low intelligence, but they are intelligent enough to hunt their prey, and they can eat both humans and subhumans. In the sixth labyrinth we are heading to this time, there is a giant spider, the Huge Spider, which is a demon. The giant spider, the Huge Spider Spider. It is a beetle-like creature, about 6 meters long. It varies from one individual to the next, but it is about the same size. Its breeding cycle is the same as that of a normal spider, but it doesn''t give birth in large numbers at the same time. For this reason, the overall number of monsters is small. However, as an exception, the sixth labyrinth is mostly dominated by giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spider¡·. The inside of the labyrinth is also quite large, and it is said that there are hundreds of giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spiders¡·. However, it is an unconquered labyrinth, so the whole picture is a mystery. We don''t even know what''s in the lowest level........ Hey Fee. As for the countermeasure for the giant spider "Huge Spider", are you sure it''s ice-based?¡¡There''s a chance you won''t be able to do it with flames, so I think it''s in your best interest to freeze your legs so you can''t move... Hm!¡¡I don''t know any Elle! I turn away with a twang. Huh, I''ve gone too far..... ''''I can''t do this alone. The total amount of magic power is also low, and it''s absolutely impossible for you to traverse through it all by yourself. Besides, Fee knows a bit about the labyrinth, right? Well, you know. I had to look into it for work. Please! I''ve got a guy named Fee. Oh, really?¡¡You need me?¡¡To Elle. Of course. Come with me. Well, I hope you''re right... Easy. I''ve recently learned that Fee doesn''t matter if you praise him or not. I hate to use it, but it''s a spider this time. It''s just what it is. "So, about that giant spider, the Huge Spider, the Huge Spider... ''Just like I said.¡¡I don''t think flames are a bad idea either, and with the electrical system, I don''t know how much power I''d like to have, and the water... it''s just not practical. "Oops. Let''s get going. I''ll just get the main one on ice. All you need is a suit of armor and a backpack. You''ll need food and water. Well, if anything happens, we can use transference, so I think we''ll be fine, but let''s be careful. ''Well but really!¡¡I''m really bad at it, so when the time comes, please take care of it. I''ll give you my magic! I''ll take care of it. I''m not afraid of spiders. The next day, we went to the elven village to investigate. "Huh, this is going to be a bumpy ride. ''Well...'' They currently travel by carriage. Basically, the level of civilization within the kingdom where alchemy is flourishing is quite civilized, but alchemy is not a panacea either. This is because the intervention of an alchemist is always necessary there. As for the means of transportation, I chose a carriage because I wanted to avoid the consumption of magic power, although transference was not impossible to use. Then, after a few hours of shaking, we arrived at the village of the elves. I see. So this is the village of the elves...'''' There is a lot of greenery throughout. The house is also built on top of a tree, which makes it clear that we are living with nature. And me and Fee try to go to the office that we heard about beforehand.... ''Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I heard shouting. We''re a bit outside the village, but not too far. At this distance, we can just barely use the transition. ''''Fee jump! Okay, okay! Then me and Fee designate the coordinates and do a momentary move in transition as it is. ''''Ku, don''t come!¡¡Don''t come over here! ''Aaaaahhhh...'' There were two elves there. And around them is a giant spider, the Huge Spider. I see. They''re pretty big when you see them up close. And with five of them, it''s an impressive sight. As I was thinking about this, Fee began to shake and tremble. ''''Hi, hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!¡¡What is that!¡¡It''s not that big!¡¡It''s bigger than I expected! Really?¡¡That''s about it. Speaking of six meters long, ''Come on, just do it!¡¡I can''t... I can''t! ...Okay, okay. I wave my hands out as I spread them out, and I immediately freeze the legs of all five spiders in an instant, making them unable to move. The spiders scream "Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! But it was so noisy that I ended up hitting the icicle into his brain. Well, that''s about it. It''s over, Fee. Oh, really? I glance out from behind me and see the carcass of the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·. "Ugh, aaaaahhhh........ Elle is still so unbelievable, ehhhhh. It looks like a single object, that one. It certainly doesn''t look a bit like a work of art when your legs are frozen and you have an icicle stuck neatly into your brain. ''Oh, thank you!¡¡You saved my life!¡¡So, so.........uh, what about you guys?¡¡Where the hell did you come from?¡¡If you''re that skilled ... from the kingdom, then ... if you''re from the kingdom? The elf male starts talking to me as the elf male looks at me, pouting. Fee is still saying, "Oh yeah," so I decide to deal with him. ''''I''m from the Canovaria Kingdom. My name is Elweed Willis. This is Alsphira Medis. I''m a Blue Star Class [Bluestella] and she''s a Platinum Class [Platinum] alchemist. ''''Blue Star class Blue Star and Platinum class Platinum!¡¡To have such a high-ranking alchemist come from the kingdom!¡¡Thank you so much! So we were led straight to the village chief''s place. The village chief is in the central office, which is up in the trees. Fee and I went up to the upper floor without any difficulty, and we met the mayor immediately. ''''Well, well, thank you for coming all the way from the kingdom. My name is Cyril Dunn, the village chief. Elweed Willis. This is Alsphira Medis. Me and Fee shake hands with the village chief. Mayor Dan looks quite young. But the data says he''s 60 years old, which makes me realize how different elves are from humans. Then we got down to business. "Is that giant spider, the Huge Spider, always like that? ''No I''ve never been that close to the village before. When did it first appear? ''''As I recall, it was about a month ago. Suddenly there was a report of a sighting in the vicinity of the village... There are people in our village who can use alchemy, but we can''t deal with more than one giant spider, the Huge Spider, so we asked the association to help us. I didn''t expect to see that Blue Star Grade [Bluesteller] and Platinum Grade [Platinum] alchemist coming to me, so it''s reassuring. ''No, no, I''m afraid not. So ... the labyrinth, have you explored it? ''No, not at all. In our village, we''re told to never go near the Sixth Labyrinth. A few reckless young men have gone there, but there have been zero survivors. And as long as they don''t enter the labyrinth, they won''t be harmed, so I thought it was safe... And now, all of a sudden, a giant spider, the Huge Spider, appears? I see. I''ll go investigate tomorrow. "...please. And about the inn, my daughter lives alone, but she''s alone in a rather large house, so please use that place. I''ve already told my daughter about it. All right. Thanks for your help. He bows his head and we walk out. But still, is Fee''s guy okay? Fee, you okay? ''Oh yeah. I still see that scene......Elle, thanks for the response. Oh well, let''s get going. Yes. The house of the chief''s daughter is apparently a big house on the outskirts of the village. She seems to have recently left home and is 18 years old. Well, I''ll leave the communication to Fee. As I walked around with that in mind, I soon arrived at the house. When I knocked on the door, a beautiful elven woman came from inside. Yes, a beautiful woman. My eyes widen in surprise at this. It''s a good idea to have a look at a few of the most popular items on the menu. It''s just perfect. You can''t help but describe it as such. ".........um, who are you? We were introduced by the chief. Are you Monica? ''Oh!¡¡You''re the alchemist my father was talking about!¡¡Please, please.... I''m sorry. Upon entering the house, it seemed very well organized. But there was not much furniture. And a bit lacking?¡¡Some parts. ''Sorry, we''re still working on...'' Hey, Fee, is it okay for you to fix this thing by yourself? ''''The kingdom can''t be expanded by alchemy without permission but Monica-san, is it okay to fix it separately? ''What?¡¡I''d ask if I could, but there are so many of them, at any rate.... Well I''ll do it myself. Monica, I just need you to tell me the relevant part. Let''s see. There and there and there and there. Gathering the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡· at the spot I pointed at, I activated alchemy. I increased the density so that I could reinforce it firmly. ''''Eh?¡¡Is it over? ''Yes. Make sure. It''s true, it''s fixed. But the alchemy team...? Fee and I can do it without a blending team. ...Are you Elwyd Willis? Monica, who says that with a big smile on her face. Oh, come to think of it, you didn''t get the message about who''s coming. ''Yes. I''m Elwyd Willis and this is Al-Sfeira Medis. Hi. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Aren''t they both very famous!¡¡A person like that in this village.......too awesome to be dizzy....... Apparently, from what I''ve heard, Monica is good at alchemy and wants to come to the kingdom one day and enroll in the academy. She said that being independent is part of that. She said it was only natural for an alchemist to know me and Fee. And the food. Unlike the kingdom''s, it''s simple. A lot of farm produce, which I''m looking forward to.......crunching and biting. Na!¡¡This!¡¡These potatoes, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, etc. are all grown to a pretty high standard. This is on par with our farmers! ''''U........tasty!¡¡Monica!¡¡Where did you grow this.... ''Oh, I''m making it, you know?¡¡I hope it was palatable to you. And Monica is fine, can I call you Elle and Fee too? Of course!¡¡But more importantly, this... Then I started asking Monica a lot of questions. How the vegetables are made, what nutritional supplements are used, what is the harvest cycle, etc. And it was a mystery to me why Fee was in such a strange mood that night. 21-Chapter 21: The Sixth Labyrinth, Break In ''Wow....'' Morning. I looked at the clock and saw that it was past five. I woke up strangely early, but Fee and Monica seemed to be up already and were both preparing breakfast. ''Good morning, you two,'' Good morning, Elle. Good morning, Miss Elle. We said hello and had breakfast. As I thought last night, it''s delicious. On a civilization level, the kingdom is superior, but that''s a one-sided assumption on our part. ''''Well ... can I follow you?'''' In the maze? Yes. She looks down and says that, but it''s not safe to say the least. It''s tough for me to fight while protecting her, too. But it''s not a good idea to say no out of the blue, so I''ll just talk to Fee. Hey, Fee. What do you think? It''s okay. ...Really? ''''Because this girl can use a platinum-grade "platinum" level alchemy. What ... really? ''Seriously. I can do it without the alchemy team. I heard that he read Elle''s paper and worked hard to learn it. I heard it''s still not very good. But until now, it seems like Monica was mostly fighting the giant spider "Huge Spider" all by herself? Are you sure about this, Monica? ''''Ha, yes. I''m still not very good at it, but I can fight the giant spider, the Huge Spider. I ponder. I never dreamed that we would be able to secure our strength in a place like this. To be honest, I didn''t expect to reach the bottom level with just me and Fee, so it''s helpful to help. Oh well. I don''t mind if Fee and I can follow through. Good luck, Monica. I''ll take care of it!¡¡I''ll do my best! And so we get ready. Our backpacks are too heavy, so we pack in a small pouch. Portable food and drinking water, minimal armor and weapons. We don''t need the weapons because of the alchemy, but we''ll be careful. Moreover, this weapon........it looks like just a sword, but it''s actually a secret. Hmph. ''''Alright, let''s go then! "''Oh!'' Then me, Fee and Monica left for the Sixth Maze. ''''It''s a nice day. It was a sunny day. In a little while it will be much warmer. I want to reach the entrance to the labyrinth before that. Fortunately, Monica knows how to get to the labyrinth, so it''s easy to get there. It would take us about 30 minutes. We''ve arrived at the sixth labyrinth, also known as the spider''s labyrinth. The entrance is wide, and it certainly looks like a giant spider, the Huge Spider, can get through. I decided to check out the entrance for now. ''''What are you doing?¡¡Mr. Elle. ''''I''ve been looking for any smelting marks, but there aren''t any. I suspected the intervention of a third party, but so far I haven''t found any. This is just a labyrinth. Just look at the entrance. ''''.........I can''t see any smelting marks to my eyes either. Well ... let''s go in ... I''m in the middle, right?¡¡Right? Yeah. I''ll take the lead, then Fee, and finally Monica. Fee, you do the mapping. I''ll take care of it. My spatial awareness is as good as Elle''s. Actually, Fee has excellent spatial awareness, and that''s partly why he''s been selected this time around. It''s bad enough that you can''t go back in the labyrinth or something. Well, we can use the transference, but we need to map it out to keep the materials. And so we go down the stairs at the entrance. ''''It''s ... dark, but it''s a mystery why the lights are on. ''Yes. But I hear the labyrinth is permanently lit. It''s the Lost Technologies of the world. It''s really amazing.... Down the stairs we went, and we arrived. The sixth labyrinth, the first basement floor. A large space as far as the eye can see. And the tricky part is that at this stage, the path is divided into four parts. There should be a staircase to the second basement floor somewhere. There are still no traces of the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·, but there are threads strung all over the place. It''s true that this is one of the most difficult to capture in the world''s seven labyrinths. However, this is not a structural problem, but rather the presence of a swarm of giant spiders, the Huge Spider, is the main obstacle. If caught by the threads of the Huge Spider, it would be impossible for an ordinary human to escape. You will be preyed upon alive. ''''This, scary!¡¡What is this, spider silk everywhere!¡¡I''m scared ... hey, is Monica okay? I''m fine with bugs and such. ''Who''s afraid of bugs in an elf village?¡¡Well, the giant spider [Huge Spider] is a bit creepy for me too. ''''A bit, you know. It''s a bit........I honestly think it''s like ''all the evil in the world''.... The two of them are chatting, but I''m going to burn this string. I pay off my right hand and activate the alchemy and ignite it. Then it burns, but the fire is slow to spread. I see, I can''t incapacitate it in an instant. Next, I increase the output. Next, instead of an ordinary flame, it''s a hotter blue flame. Although the magic consumption will increase, it''s inevitable. Then it burned in an instant. I see, I''ve figured it out. "Fee, Monica. The thread can burn with a blue flame. The temperature should be at least 1,000 degrees. A thousand degrees. That''s not very efficient. I''m going to have to stick with the ice. Yes. ''Ah well let''s go further in. So where does that leave us... There are two paths, one on each side. I don''t know which one is the right one. Then Monica points to the path diagonally to the right. ''There ... there''s a faint flow of air. It''s circulating.'''' Do you understand? Yes. An elf can do this. I''m still glad Monica''s here. No, no, I''m glad I could help! And so we move on. And along the way I find a chunk of string. Prey?¡¡But it''s unraveling a bit ... after the predation. Well I see. Huh! Fee and Monica speak up. It''s not surprising. This is a human corpse. Next to it is the corpse of an elf. There are even dead dogs and wolves around. They must have been attacked and killed here. The body is still there, but it''s in a mummy-like state. It seems that the giant spider ¡¶Hugeespider¡· is a spider that sucks body fluids just like a spider. I summarize the information in the memo I have at hand and investigate further. "...you two, be aware of your surroundings. I''ll take the bodies. Yeah. I''m sorry, Elle. I''m sorry, nice to meet you. The right person in the right place. I don''t want to go scavenging for corpses either, but I don''t have a choice. I''m the one who seems to be the most okay with it. And so I scavenge all the bodies around. There is no such thing as a relic. Humans and elves have no clothes. Just bodies. "...that''s odd. Why no goods?¡¡It''s a mystery that they could have had it... and yet they''ve stripped you of your clothes only... ''''That''s right. Maybe the giant spider [Huge Spider] has a collecting habit. Me and Fee conclude that for now, and we move further in. Then we hear a spic and span noise. ...Water? From there it was a plaza. Finally I came out into the square. And I found it. That there was a staircase in front of me. Okay, for now, I''ve got a path to the basement floor. And I feel a strange sensation. This is ... a gaze. Suddenly, I look up. And there........there were giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spider¡· as far as the eye could see. As far as I can visually see, there are about 50 of them?¡¡That sound you were making before was like the sound of their saliva. It''s like they responded to us coming in. Monica Fee. Upstairs. "What? You speak in a whisper. The other party hasn''t attacked me yet. I''m building an alchemy now. I need to buy a little more time. ''''Ugh.... Monica was able to get away with that level of reaction, but the problem was Fee. As soon as he can, he forces Fee''s mouth down and suppresses his voice, but Fee''s volume is unusual and a little sound leaks out. A moment later, there is a continuous bobbing sound. When I stared at it, I saw a giant spider screaming, "Keeeeeeeeeee! I''m ready for war!¡¡You two, cover me!¡¡Decide at once! "Yes, sir! Leaving Fee and Monica to take care of the front line, I built an alchemy in the rear. It''s a large-scale alchemy called Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· that is activated. Normally, it takes several hours to build up multiple layers of alchemy camps. However, I can activate the Singular Alchemy "Extra" in a few seconds without going through the formation ranks. ''''Okay, construction is complete!¡¡Fee, Monica!¡¡Get behind me! ''Hiiiiiiii, they''re coming after us! Monica runs with a firm footing, but Fee seems to be risking her life. And at the same time as I confirmed that the two of them came behind me, I activated the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡·. ''''........Absolute Zero.... -The cold air at 273 degrees Celsius attacks the giant spider, the Huge Spider. The temperature is determined by the vibration of matter. The greater the vibration, the higher the temperature, and the lower the vibration, the lower the temperature. Theoretically, there is no upper limit to high temperature, but there is a lower limit to low temperature. It is a state of no vibration. That state is called absolute zero. I can alchemically refine that state. The crunching, crunching, crunching of the ice area spreading out around me. Then I freeze all the spiders'' brains as if they were emptying their brains, and I aim at them and thrust the icicle into them. You can hear the screams of "kiiiiii," but I kill them without mercy. Then it''s all killed and we take a breath. ''''Phew ... it''s over.'''' ''''It''s amazing........This is the Singular Alchemy [Extra]? It''s a dream come true to be able to do it without a smelting formation and in a few dozen seconds... I can''t do this either. That''s what I''m talking about. You may be a crop idiot, but your alchemy skills really do live up to the name of the Blue Star Grade "Bluestella". ''So much for praise, let''s move on. We''ve got as much road as we can walk on. We try to move forward to the stairs we can see ahead, but again we hear a tic-tac-toe ... tic-tac-toe....................... "Hey............ Hmm? What? I stared at it. Then I realized. That was an egg. Body fluids were leaking out of the giant egg. Instantly, a flood of bodily fluids falls from the ceiling and pours down on us. I quickly covered myself and wrought a wall of ice to prevent it from falling. ''No more!!!!!¡¡Let me go home!!!! Taking Fee''s shout as our cue, we began to fight again. 22-Episode 22: Philosophers Stone ''Whoa!¡¡I don''t like this anymore!¡¡I''m home!¡¡Aaaaahhhh! ''Hah ... hah ... I''m tired ...'' Yes, well........this is a bit......... Fee was sobbing and me and Monica were breathing on his shoulder. The battle since then had lasted for an hour. The eggs were still there, it seemed, and they were pouring out endlessly. I summoned my final strength and burned the carcass of the giant spider, the Huge Spider, to nothing. Not a single egg remained. We were the only living creatures left in this square. I didn''t think even the wreckage existed, but........ ''''Kiiiiiiiiiii! The moment we thought we had killed it off, only one of the giant spiders, the Huge Spider, descends. We don''t have much power left to defeat this thing. Thinking that, I decided to make up my mind and pulled out the sword at my waist. ''''.........The Usubakagerou. The name of the sword that was to be pulled out, it was Usuba Kagerou. It''s not just a matter of how many times I''ve seen it. I''m not sure how many times I''ve seen it, but I''m sure I''ve seen it before. However, the sharpness of the blade is unmistakable. ''''........phew! I managed to construct an alchemy with the remaining magic power and froze all of the legs of the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· and flashed it with the thin-winged dragonfly ¡¶Usubakagerou¡·. With a snap, the brain is neatly split vertically, and the body fluid overflows vigorously. ''''Huh........it''s a good cut.'''' As I sat down quietly, Monica burned the corpse out in flames. Thank God. ''You did it. But isn''t that last sword amazing?¡¡Is it some kind of magic sword? No, that''s a cucumber. A cucumber? Yes, this ant lionfly is a green dragonfly. In fact, the main constituent material is cucumber. I use alchemy to stretch the cucumber as thin as possible. You have to be careful so that you don''t lose any of the components. From there, the cucumber is processed into the shape of a sword and sharpened at the end. I fixed it with alchemy to complete the process. This is my famous sword, the Usuba Kagerou. I think the workmanship is very good, if I do say so myself. So, the rumor is true about you being a farmer. Oh. I live on a farm and die on a farm. I''m studying alchemy because it''s good for genetic improvement of crops. The azure-star class [Bluesteller] is a close second... Huh........that''s what geniuses are like, isn''t it....... What?¡¡Do you think I''m a freak? Haha. Well, I guess so.... ''Huh, you''re right. Monica. As I do so, I notice that Fee is really crying. Uh-oh. Has the stress gone beyond the limit? Well, in any case, it''s tough to go to the second level in this state. Let''s go back. ''''Gusu........gusu.......oooohhhhhh......that was so scary.......'''' Let''s go home, Fee. But I don''t have the magic anymore, so I need a transfer. Oh, really?¡¡Can we go home now? Yeah. I''ll be back in a minute. ''No!¡¡Oh no, no more! Whoa. Let''s just get back to it, okay? Yes. And we came back to the doorway in transition. "Fee. Just in case you want to ice the entrance. ...chuckle. Okay. Sniffling, Fee silently freezes the entrance. ''Why are you blocking it?'' Me and Fee will return to the kingdom once we tell the chief what''s going on. Well can I follow you? Don''t you have a job? ''Fortunately, there''s only so much crops to grow at the moment. I don''t mind giving it a few days'' notice. Then let''s go. And I think you three should be the ones to report to the Chairman. Fee, can you let Monica stay the night? Giggle. Okay, Monica, you saved me. I''ll save you too, Monica. Yeah, it''s all in one language. Fee is not going to be able to report to the chief just yet. We should go on our own. We left Fee at Monica''s house, and then we went to the chief''s place. ''....Monica!¡¡No way, you''ve been there too!¡¡I told you it was dangerous...! Dad, I''m not a kid anymore. I can fight and I''m back like this. The village chief saw our dirty appearance and realized that Monica had gone into the labyrinth too. But I want Monica to continue to accompany us. But we need Monica''s help in the future, because we need her to help us capture the maze. ''''Monica really did a great job. If it weren''t for her, we would have struggled even more.'''' ''''If that''s what Lord Elwydd says, but please take care of my daughter. I will. I''ll protect you with my life. So, how did that work out for you? Actually.... I bit down and told him about the Sixth Labyrinth. There were about 300 giant spiders, the Huge Spider, in the first layer, and they had been eradicated. And the stairs to the second underground layer had already been discovered. Furthermore, the entrance was carefully sealed off. However, if I''m in a perfect state, I can easily resist the alchemy. I''m going to go under again in a few days. For now, I''m doing so with the village in mind. And the biggest question. That''s the biggest question of all: spiders have a habit of collecting. I asked the village chief about it. "The Huge Spider [Huge Spider] has such a characteristic...?¡¡It''s a collection habit ... of goods and clothing. The corpse was simply stripped of its nutrition, right? No, I don''t know. ''I see. Well, we will notify the association of the current situation once we are done. Yes, we''ll be here again in three days. We will definitely capture that labyrinth. I have some things on my mind. Thank you for your help. The village chief bows his head and I thank him briefly and leave the room. ''''Well, let''s get back to the kingdom at once. Monica, are you ready? ''I''d like to bathe in the water, but it looks like we''d better get going. Let''s go. Yeah. And so we rode the day''s carriage back to the kingdom. Fee''s guy was saying all the time, "I hate spiders, I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders. I hate spiders," she muttered. Empty-eyed and a little scared. As we rattled and shook, me and Monica talked about a lot of things. Like the crops, Monica was curious about my alchemy. When I told her about the homunculus, she said, "Please let me meet with you! So let''s meet Proto and the first group. You know, they''re all in the workshop right now. Just in time. And a few hours later, we made it back to the kingdom in one piece. There was a little bit of work at the checkpoint, but since elves come to this kingdom rather often, it was easy to enter. ''''Huh........This is the Canovaria Kingdom. It''s amazing.....................And yet, is it a festival or something today?¡¡There are a lot of people out there, though. ''No, it''s just a weekday. And that''s a small one. Holidays are more crowded. ''What?¡¡That''s not much! Well, the Canovaria Kingdom is one of the most populous in the world, and this central city is the most prosperous place. That''s about it. Now, let''s go to the Society. ''Huh. It''s so awesome my neck hurts. Monica kept looking up. The Alchemy Society is indeed quite a tall building. It''s no wonder she sees it that way. By the way, Fee has been holding onto my sleeve the whole time and trudging along. He doesn''t seem to have any intention of making a conversation with me. Fifteen minutes later, we walked up to the chairman. Fifteen minutes later, we were in front of the Chairman. He was in his room, apparently on a break now. Good timing. ''Oh!''¡¡You''re back!¡¡So, how did it go...?¡¡The Sixth Labyrinth, It''s probably possible to capture it. It depends on the number of giant spiders (Huge Spider), but I''ve figured out how to fight them. I think we can be more efficient in the next round, so I think we can probably make a lot of progress. "...Oh!¡¡That''s great, Elle. So, how''s the young lady over there? Monica Dunn. She''s the chief''s daughter. ''''It''s nice to meet you. I''m here to help the two of you capture the labyrinth. Oh ... you think you''re good enough to help? The chairman raises a question and I brush it aside. ''''Yes. Monica can use the alchemy equivalent of platinum grade [platinum].'''' Well that''s unusual for a subhuman. Yes, the human race has a far greater aptitude for alchemy. Among the sub-humans, there are hardly any races that are good at alchemy. But there is an exception to everything. That''s Monica. Then I turned in my carriage report. At the end, the chairman saw that Fee was looking oddly unhappy and made a suggestion to her. ''Fee. If you''re having a hard time, I''ll send someone else to help you? ''....No, I''ll do it. I''m still scared, but Elle and Monica need me... yes I''m still scared, but yes... yes... ...I''m a good adult and I''ll do my best... yes... Oh, yeah. Elle, Monica, take care of Fee. He seems to be very tired. Yes, sir. Home. Finally, I came back. And as soon as I opened the door to Fee''s house, this guy started screaming. ''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¡I''m back! "...oh, oh. Well I''m going to take a shower in my room and I''ll come back. ''Yes!¡¡Monica and I are going in together, right! ''What?¡¡You''re going in with me! "Of course not!¡¡And it would save time! Then we reconvened. We were having dinner and discussing the next attack. ''''Now, the next attack........it''s two underground levels. Probably hundreds of units of fighting against the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· will be the norm from now on. I''m going to take this with me. ''It''s ... is that okay, Elle?¡¡You''re going to use it for research... ''Good. It''s essential for this labyrinth attack. And for the sake of the elven village, and that''s something to be concerned about. ...What''s that little white stone? Monica says so, and I answer. The name of this stone. ''The Philosopher''s Stone,'' What is the Philosopher''s Stone, you know...? Yes. I stumbled across it in my research. But this is the imperfect white one. It''s also known as Elixir. It''s a type of elixir that can replenish magic power. With it, the number of times the Singular Alchemy [Extra] is used will jump. "...It''s amazing that you even made such a thing, Elle. The Philosopher''s Stone. It is also one of the greatest goals of an alchemist. A substitute for golden metamorphosis, immortality, perfection of human spirituality, perfection of the universe, making everything possible, and so on. This is also one of the lost technologies. It is clear from the literature that in the past there was a complete Philosopher''s Stone. And there are two types of it: white and red. The white one is imperfect and the red one is perfect. The white one is something that even I might be able to make again if I put in the time, money and effort. But the red Philosopher''s Stone is impossible. In other words, it''s impossible to create a complete Philosopher''s Stone. This is a kind of divine realm that humanity cannot reach. "But, Fee. Are you sure you''re alright?¡¡If you can''t.... ''I''ll try my best I''m afraid, but you can''t do without me, can you?'' ''Well. I''ve been freaking out and running away, but I definitely need your help. And it''s important that you can use the transfer. ''Right. I might go crazy again but no, I''ll go crazy, but I''ll fight while I go crazy... Oh, yeah. Well, that''s good, but... We cut our story short there and went to sleep. 23-Episode 23: Threats Pouring Speaking of which, Elle. What''s on your mind...? Two days later. We were getting ready and getting into the carriage. That''s when Fee comes to me asking about what happened. "Oh, you mean that. Hey, you remember what happened a month ago? A month ago...? Speaking of which, the sighting of the giant spider, the Huge Spider, in our village a month ago, as well as the news of the capture of the Third Labyrinth arrived around that time. Well done, sir. As Monica pointed out, I think this case has something to do with the first time I stepped in the labyrinth. In fact, it would be strange if I didn''t think so. The sixth labyrinth, which has been empty for hundreds of years now. The nature of the labyrinth had been known for hundreds of years, and as long as they didn''t enter the labyrinth, they were safe, so people didn''t even go near it. But this is why this strange, unusual situation is happening. Demons are pouring out of the labyrinth. The giant spider, the Huge Spider, is classified as a class B monster. The danger level of the monsters is divided into S¡úA¡úB¡úC¡úD¡úE¡úF. Speaking of danger level B, ordinary humans can''t deal with it. In particular, only those with special skills, such as alchemists and knights, can deal with demons of danger level C and above. All the demons in the labyrinth are C class or higher. In other words, the fact that it floods the outside world means that there is considerable danger to ordinary people. Even if they were killed, it wouldn''t be surprising. The outflow of the Giant Spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· is such an extraordinary situation. No wonder the chairman sent me and Fee. ''''Maybe there is something in the labyrinth that is interacting with each other. Well maybe Elle was right. When you put it that way, yes. I have no doubt that they are related. The huge spider "Huge Spider" overflowing from the labyrinth has a collecting habit, which is an unusual characteristic of the huge spider "Huge Spider". The existence of the Huge Spider was known for a long time, but I didn''t know that it had a collecting habit. In other words, the Huge Spider in the labyrinth may be a unique individual, a subspecies of the Huge Spider. While talking about this, we made the same preparations as last time in the village of the elves and immediately headed for the labyrinth. ''....Now, let''s get rid of the ice at the entrance. I read Fee''s constructed alchemy and resist it in an instant. Fee''s stuff was easy to resist because he dared to smelt ice in a clean state. ''''Let''s go.'''' Yes. Yes, sir. And so, our search for the labyrinth. The second one began. ".... .... .... The three of us proceeded cautiously. But it''s easier now because we just follow the same path as last time. After a while, we came to the square in the example. There was no giant spider (Huge Spider) there. That''s because we killed them all. I was just thinking, when I noticed a giant spider, the Huge Spider, on the wall. ''''Ah, that''s.......do you want to take it down?'''' Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. I can''t get used to this.... No, it''s weird I just want to have a look. Was that giant spider, the Huge Spider, leaking from the second underground layer? Nevertheless, it is behaving strangely. It could be that it is wandering around, or it seems to be hesitating to enter the second level of the stairs. But is there any reason for hesitation?¡¡I don''t have a complete grasp of the ecosystem here, so it''s hard to say in general, but I have a strange feeling of discomfort. After looking at it for a few minutes, a giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· slammed down the stairs. We decided to follow its trail. ''''Let''s chase it!'''' Yes! "...yeah yeah. I don''t like it. We descended the stairs, not very long, and in no time at all we reached the second level. It wasn''t a narrow street or anything like that, it was a square again. But it was smaller in scale than the previous plaza. Then we found the giant spider from earlier, the Huge Spider. Furthermore, other huge spiders, the Huge Spider, kept coming around that one. In a moment, I see something unbelievable. ''''.........Whaaaaat? Hee.... ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡What''s that, cannibalism! Yes, as Fee said, cannibalism was taking place. The giant spider [Huge Spider] that came from one level was bound by threads to the other giant spider [Huge Spider] and was being preyed upon alive. ''''Kiiiiii! And I''m giving them a decapitation, but they gradually ate me from my legs, then my head, and then everything is gone. Cannibalism. I wondered if such an ecosystem existed, but it was inexplicably strange. That giant spider, the Huge Spider, was wandering around and came here to be eaten. That''s the impression I get. I don''t think it''s just cannibalism. Of course, cannibalism is a common occurrence for demons, so it''s not particularly surprising.... As I was sorting out the situation, dozens of giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spiders¡· stared at me. The moment they come running at an uncommon speed, they spit out strings and try to restrain us at the same time. Let''s go! "Got it! The three of us each refine ice. We follow the spit thread and freeze it, making the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· unable to move. And as usual, they try to stab the icicle into the brain........ ''''What?!¡¡Resist! Yes, my alchemy was resisted. As the alchemy formation unfolded as it spun around on the head of the giant spider, the ice pillar I had smelted was counteracted by it. However, I''m still unable to move. So I took the trouble to flash the heads of each one of them with a thin-winged dragonfly. I cracked them open vertically, and after killing them all, I asked Monica to burn them. Monica has the largest total amount of magic power of any of us, so it seems that this much is not a hassle. ''''Fee, what do you think?'''' ''''Well I haven''t heard of any cases of demons using alchemy. I''ve heard many rumors of alchemy in my work, but still, I don''t know about this one. ''Right. I did a quick check of the body while I was killing it, and the smelting marks are the same as the ones we''re using. It''s not anything special. Just ordinary alchemy, but apparently, maybe alchemy isn''t just for people... Well.... If you think about it, we don''t really know how alchemy was born. I only know that it was created by a person called the Founder. ''''Hey, maybe alchemy isn''t also a type of lost technology?'''' ''Alchemy is a lost technology?¡¡No, because.... The name "alchemy" is a name that we humans have given ourselves. In the past, it was also called magic and witchcraft. The alchemy was developed by discovering the laws, thinking about theories, and developing them. In other words, it''s not surprising to think that there was an alchemical equivalent in the past. The same is true of the existence of the labyrinth. How are these things made?¡¡Such a large facility in the basement. And it''s well built. There are no signs of collapse. Perhaps the spiders here have created this labyrinth. ''''You have a point. It''s really starting to smell funny now. Oh, and the information on the third labyrinth, I found out how many layers the bottom level was. I did some research before I came. You can''t wait to say something like that... ''''Nah, because I was afraid to come here but now I''m more interested in figuring out the mystery, so I''m kind of okay with that. So, but, I heard it was 50 layers. Fifty layers ... deep. ''I don''t know if it''s just the third labyrinth, or if it''s the same for the other labyrinths I don''t know, but it''s an indication, right? ''Yes. It''s easier to move forward if you have a goal in mind. Once we finished talking, Monica came back. ''We were talking about something, weren''t we?¡¡What do you understand? Actually.... I told him briefly what I''d just told him. ''''....I see. Indeed, there are stories like that in elven lore. Alchemy, or rather magic, was incredibly prosperous a long time ago, but at some point it went down the path of destruction. There was even a city called the City of Magic somewhere, or something like that... ''A magical city... or something similar to the kingdom we have now, and that''s what we''ve had in the past...'' Almost everything in the Kingdom of Canovaria is made up of alchemy. Alchemy is the key to infrastructure and other things as well. Listening to what you just said, it''s no exaggeration to say that it''s a modern day magic city. ''''Let''s stop talking and move on. I don''t want to spend too much time on it, and assuming there are 50 layers, we''d better move on quickly. Yeah. I understand. We then proceeded through the labyrinth. We went through the second, third and fourth layers of the labyrinth, but we haven''t seen the huge spider that uses alchemy, the Huge Spider, since then. They are all ordinary individuals. So when we reached the 9th level we decided to take a break. The three of us ate portable food, drank water, and rested slowly. ''Huh I''m tired. But we''ve made a lot of progress with nine layers. Yeah well it''s going well so far. ''I think I''m starting to get used to it too!¡¡I used to hate it, but now I only think of it as creepy - lazy! Well, that''s good to know. If everyone is in top condition, it''s not a dream to step through the labyrinth. You''ve marked the Fee Transfer, right? ''Of course!¡¡I''m doing it one tier at a time. With this tier, you can''t jump to the entrance all at once, but you can go through and get back to the entrance. Okay the transference is still a big deal. Then we checked our future plans and decided to go back to layer 10 today. ''So this is layer 10 here ... that''s a big place. When we got down to the tenth level, it was quite open. It was one level larger than the plaza on the first level. And furthermore, we could already see the stairs to the 11th level. And then a door comes down to the stairs to the 11th level and the stairs to the 9th level where we came from. ''''........What!¡¡I''m trapped! But are you sure about this? No, you can''t destroy it like this, can you?¡¡The alchemy is completely played out. No way, the transference is also... feeeee!¡¡Can you use the transfer?! No!¡¡There''s a disconnect between the other layers and the alchemy!¡¡I can''t go through the First Pledge¡¶Primamateria¡·! ...I''m trapped. Then I felt something stirring in the ceiling. I thought it was the usual giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·. Yes, I had assumed that. But what was that thing?¡¡What is that thing...? It''s... what the hell... What''s that? ''Ughhhhhhhh!¡¡I can''t, I can''t, I can''t, I can''t, I can''t! That''s right, the giant spider on the ceiling, the Huge Spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·, was an individual that was more than 10 meters in size. The giant spider, the Huge Spider, chirped. However, its volume is much louder than the normal ones. We were stunned by the sheer strangeness of it. Thus, we are completely trapped and have to fight against this monster. 24-Episode 24: Death Fight at the Tenth Layer As soon as I let out that cry, a huge spider, the Huge Spider, landed on the ground with a thud. We will call it a subspecies for convenience, but this subspecies is abnormal. It was far too big. We were overwhelmed by such a sub-species, which is slightly larger than the normal type, but we immediately became ready for battle. "Fee, Monica!¡¡Let''s do it! "Got it! We spread out, and each one of us launched an attack from three directions. We had expected this to happen to some extent beforehand. This time we were a little surprised, but we kept our cool and began to fight. This time the formation was me as the vanguard and Fee and Monica as the rear guard. I''ll have the two of them use the ice to stop me from moving, and I''ll attack with the thin-winged dragonfly. Normally, I would like to participate in the attack with alchemy, especially using Absolute Zero, but then I would have to use the Sage''s Stone. Even though it''s only 10 layers, it''s a waste of time to use it. I''m also feeling a bit overheated due to the overuse of ice based alchemy. I want to rely on melee combat for now. I''m going to use alchemy to strengthen my body. I gather up the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materialia¡· from the surroundings and use it to draw out my potential ability beyond the limit. Then, running through the ground at an uncommon speed, I immediately flashed a thin-winged dragonfly as I slipped under the subspecies'' feet. I''m not going to be able to get a good idea of what I''m talking about. Heavy. It''s not just a matter of time before you are able to get your hands on it. You''re going to be able to find out if you''re going to be a good fit. You should be able to find out if there are any differences between the two. You''re going to be able to use it for your own personal use. You can see that it is not a very easy task. It''s because I made it that way. A moment later, a large amount of fluid flooded out of the severed surface of the leg, and what looked like muscle fibers came out of it like a tangle of muscle fibers... giving birth to a leg again. Regeneration. It''s also super fast. The regeneration time now is only about a second. This is a pretty bad situation. We''ve used alchemy to some extent to get here. The magic power is also quite low. It''s far from perfect. What are we going to do? What should I do........As I was thinking about this, the subspecies spat out a string from its ass. But, however, it wasn''t aimed at us. It''s spitting the thread at the misguided one. ''''........Not good!¡¡Get out of the way, Phee!¡¡Monika! I realized. At the end of the thread, an alchemy formation was unfolding. Yet another alchemy formation appears, surrounding each of us. I know this........I know this. Me and Fee know it well, and it''s an alchemy we use often. I''m pretty sure this is ... transference. We are transferring the thread through an alchemy formation. That transference alchemy formation appears in multiple layers, and it''s unclear from which direction the attack will come. ''''What the hell is this?!¡¡This guy!!!! Is this....transference? The two of them use alchemy to prevent the threads coming towards them. I manage to burn it all out. I attack the main body in the meantime. ''''Whoa! With a roaring cry, I fly into the sky. I fall according to gravity as it is, carrying all the weight and swinging the thin-winged dragonfly down into the subspecies'' brain. It''s decided. .........and my attack is blocked by an invisible barrier. ''d*mn it!¡¡You''ve got a defense strapped to your head! The first pledge, Primamateria, is concentrated in the head and an invisible wall is smelted. This subspecies constantly deploys its protective wall. But this technique is quite advanced. The fact that it only exists in the head is good proof. ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡It''s got a protective wall around its head!¡¡Can you resist?! ''I can''t!¡¡I''m doing the best I can with my strings! I''m strict too! ''d*mn it!¡¡Jill! If this is the case, we will be jittery and our magic power will be exhausted first. However, however, the opponent''s magic power consumption is also considerable. Currently, Fee and Monica are dealing with the threads, while I''m facing the main body by myself. ''''........'''' I jiggle away. My opponent is staring at me, too. He instinctively knows that he is the greatest threat. That this guy is the biggest threat. ........phew! Letting all the breath out of my lungs, I try to dive into their belly. Once I get underneath, we can attack all we want. I have a clear vision of winning. ''Ki-kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!'' The subspecies swings its own leg down over my brain. But it''s too poorly done. I''m going to split him open. Or so I thought. ...Wha...? A moment later, when I thought that an alchemy formation appeared right beside me, the subspecies'' legs were closing in on me, piercing my head. ''''d*mn it!¡¡Shifting is good for your legs!¡¡Clever one! I managed to dodge it, but it was slightly snatched away. Blood is pouring out of his cheeks. The actuality of the situation is that it''s not a bad thing.¡¡Are you okay?! Oh my God.... Once again, I face the subspecies. The thin-winged dragonfly''s sharpness hasn''t diminished at all, and my physical strengthening still continues. I can still do it. You can still fight. As it was we continued to fight. While I managed to handle the small, wise use of transition, I continued to cut off my legs, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again. But the regeneration of the legs never ended. I don''t have enough firepower on my own. I really want to ask Fee and Monica for reinforcements, but I can''t do that. The two of them are standing around to make sure I don''t get any strings attached to me. That means I need to take down this body alone. "...Use it? I stare at the Philosopher''s Stone in my hand. With this, I can use the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· one more time or so. If I use the Absolute Zero, Absolute Zero, I can manage it. An absolute alchemy that freezes everything. Looking at Fee and Monica, I can see that they''re quite exhausted. We can''t be stingy here and all of us can''t be wiped out. I''ve decided. I use the Philosopher''s Stone to activate Absolute Zero ¡¶Absolute Zero¡·. ''''Fee, Monica, we have one minute left!¡¡Just bear with me for a minute!¡¡I''m going to use Absolute Zero! Yes, sir! And I released all the power of the Philosopher''s Stone. The white Philosopher''s Stone, which I hold in my right hand, overflows with an uncommon first quality, the Primamateria, and it converges in my body. And it converges inside my body. Ah, goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! My body is about to burst from the inside out. And that''s not a metaphorical expression. I''ve tried this in past experiments. I have tried this with rats as well as with vegetables, and when I put the first ingredient, the prima donna, into the rat over its capacity, it burst with a pop. The vegetables shattered into pieces, and the rats were crushed into tiny pieces. I well remember the result, which was that tiny pieces of meat were scattered around. Even though it was an experimental rat, that was too disastrous. The end result of that experiment was the Philosopher''s Stone. An enormous amount of the First Quality, Primamateria, lay dormant there. It would be nice if we could adjust the amount of this coming out, but it''s not that convenient. If you release it, it will all flow out. ''''Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I can feel the blood bleeding from my ears and nose. In addition, the blood is also sluggishly pouring out of my eyes. There were cracks all over her body and she was bleeding more from there. His entire body was already covered in blood. I''m almost there, almost finished building the training camp. I was processing the whole process in my brain. When it becomes such a huge giant giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·, it will need a reasonable amount of power to freeze everything. It should be decided here and now.......and everything is ready to go. ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡Come here! A moment later, Fee''s guy used the transference to turn behind me with Monica. The moment I felt it, I activated it. A realm of permanent ice and snow that would freeze this entire world........ ........Absolute Zero........ Then I spread my hands out to the side and unleash an icy wave of energy into the subspecies. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki. The noise is so loud you want to cover your ears. But I won''t stop. Because I need to use alchemy until I can freeze this guy completely. The resistance of the sub-species is quite considerable, and although some of it is already frozen, it resists my Absolute Zero. ''''.........Lie, you''re resisting......? What is this all about... The two of them are saying that behind me, but I''ve already abandoned the sound. All I need to focus on now is continuing to build the alchemy. I can''t do this in an instant. It can''t be over until I spit out the large amount of First Pledge¡¶Primamateria¡·in my body. The time to use the Absolute Zero ¡¶Absolute Zero¡· had already exceeded a minute. Of course, it would normally be impossible to use the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· for a full minute, and even if he could, his body would collapse. But I couldn''t pretend anymore. I don''t care about the blood pouring out of it anymore. All you have to do now is focus on freezing this thing. And the opponent may have run out of magic, but all at once, his resist is loosened. I didn''t miss the opportunity. ''''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki........'''' ......... finished. In front of me, a supermassive ice sculpture had been created. And I was so exhausted that I fell down on the spot, neither passive nor taking, but Fee held me up. ''Are you okay?¡¡Ellegh! ''Mr Elle!¡¡Please get a grip!!!! I watched the closed door open with my own eyes. Ah, the gimmick unlocking of this room was still to defeat this subspecies... I thought... that''s right... a little bit of this labyrinth of secrets. ...I feel like I''ve been touched. But ... I''m very sleepy now. It''s like all the strength is leaving my body........ And that''s when my consciousness was cut off. 25-Episode 25: A Study of the Labyrinth As soon as I let out that cry, a huge spider, the Huge Spider, landed on the ground with a thud. We will call it a subspecies for convenience, but this subspecies is abnormal. It was far too big. We were overwhelmed by such a sub-species, which is slightly larger than the normal type, but we immediately became ready for battle. "Fee, Monica!¡¡Let''s do it! "Yes, sir! We spread out, and each one of us launched an attack from three directions. We had expected this to happen to some extent beforehand. This time we were a little surprised, but we kept our cool and began to fight. This time the formation was me as the vanguard and Fee and Monica as the rear guard. I''ll have the two of them use the ice to stop me from moving, and I''ll attack with the thin-winged dragonfly. Normally, I would like to participate in the attack with alchemy, especially using Absolute Zero, but then I would have to use the Sage''s Stone. Even though it''s only 10 layers, it''s a waste of time to use it. I''m also feeling a bit overheated due to the overuse of ice based alchemy. I want to rely on melee combat for now. I''m going to use alchemy to strengthen my body. I gather up the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materialia¡· from the surroundings and use it to draw out my potential ability beyond the limit. Then, running through the ground at an uncommon speed, I immediately flashed a thin-winged dragonfly as I slipped under the subspecies'' feet. I''m not going to be able to get a good idea of what I''m talking about. Heavy. It''s not just a matter of time before you are able to get your hands on it. You''re going to be able to find out if you''re going to be a good fit. You should be able to find out if there are any differences between the two. You''re going to be able to use it for your own personal use. You can see that it is not a very easy task. It''s because I made it that way. A moment later, a large amount of fluid flooded out of the severed surface of the leg, and what looked like muscle fibers came out of it like a tangle of muscle fibers... giving birth to a leg again. Regeneration. It''s also super fast. The regeneration time now is only about a second. This is a pretty bad situation. We''ve used alchemy to some extent to get here. The magic power is also quite low. It''s far from perfect. What are we going to do? What should I do........As I was thinking about this, the subspecies spat out a string from its ass. But, however, it wasn''t aimed at us. It''s spitting the thread at the misguided one. ''''........Not good!¡¡Get out of the way, Phee!¡¡Monika! I realized. At the end of the thread, an alchemy formation was unfolding. Yet another alchemy formation appears, surrounding each of us. I know this........I know this. Me and Fee know it well, and it''s an alchemy we use often. I''m pretty sure this is ... transference. We are transferring the thread through an alchemy formation. That transference alchemy formation appears in multiple layers, and it''s unclear from which direction the attack will come. ''''What the hell is this?!¡¡This guy!!!! Is this....transference? The two of them use alchemy to prevent the threads coming towards them. I manage to burn it all out. I attack the main body in the meantime. ''''Whoa! With a roaring cry, I fly into the sky. I fall according to gravity as it is, carrying all the weight and swinging the thin-winged dragonfly down into the subspecies'' brain. It''s decided. .........and my attack is blocked by an invisible barrier. ''d*mn it!¡¡You''ve got a defense strapped to your head! The first pledge, Primamateria, is concentrated in the head and an invisible wall is smelted. This subspecies constantly deploys its protective wall. But this technique is quite advanced. The fact that it only exists in the head is good proof. ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡It''s got a protective wall around its head!¡¡Can you resist?! ''I can''t!¡¡I''m doing the best I can with my strings! I''m strict too! ''d*mn it!¡¡Jill! If this is the case, we will be jittery and our magic power will be exhausted first. However, however, the opponent''s magic power consumption is also considerable. Currently, Fee and Monica are dealing with the threads, while I''m facing the main body by myself. ''''........'''' I jiggle away. My opponent is staring at me, too. He instinctively knows that he is the greatest threat. That this guy is the biggest threat. ........phew! Letting all the breath out of my lungs, I try to dive into their belly. Once I get underneath, we can attack all we want. I have a clear vision of winning. ''Ki-kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!'' The subspecies swings its own leg down over my brain. But it''s too poorly done. I''m going to split him open. Or so I thought. ...Wha...? A moment later, when I thought that an alchemy formation appeared right beside me, the subspecies'' legs were closing in on me, piercing my head. ''''d*mn it!¡¡Shifting is good for your legs!¡¡Clever one! I managed to dodge it, but it was slightly snatched away. Blood is pouring out of his cheeks. The actuality of the situation is that it''s not a bad thing.¡¡Are you okay?! Oh my God.... Once again, I face the subspecies. The thin-winged dragonfly''s sharpness hasn''t diminished at all, and my physical strengthening still continues. I can still do it. You can still fight. As it was we continued to fight. While I managed to handle the small, wise use of transition, I continued to cut off my legs, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, over and over again. But the regeneration of the legs never ended. I don''t have enough firepower on my own. I really want to ask Fee and Monica for reinforcements, but I can''t do that. The two of them are standing around to make sure I don''t get any strings attached to me. That means I need to take down this body alone. "...Use it? I stare at the Philosopher''s Stone in my hand. With this, I can use the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· one more time or so. If I use the Absolute Zero, Absolute Zero, I can manage it. An absolute alchemy that freezes everything. Looking at Fee and Monica, I can see that they''re quite exhausted. We can''t be stingy here and all of us can''t be wiped out. I''ve decided. I use the Philosopher''s Stone to activate Absolute Zero ¡¶Absolute Zero¡·. ''''Fee, Monica, we have one minute left!¡¡Just bear with me for a minute!¡¡I''m going to use Absolute Zero! Yes, sir! And I released all the power of the Philosopher''s Stone. The white Philosopher''s Stone, which I hold in my right hand, overflows with an uncommon first quality, the Primamateria, and it converges in my body. And it converges inside my body. Ah, goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! My body is about to burst from the inside out. And that''s not a metaphorical expression. I''ve tried this in past experiments. I have tried this with rats as well as with vegetables, and when I put the first ingredient, the prima donna, into the rat over its capacity, it burst with a pop. The vegetables shattered into pieces, and the rats were crushed into tiny pieces. I well remember the result, which was that tiny pieces of meat were scattered around. Even though it was an experimental rat, that was too disastrous. The end result of that experiment was the Philosopher''s Stone. An enormous amount of the First Quality, Primamateria, lay dormant there. It would be nice if we could adjust the amount of this coming out, but it''s not that convenient. If you release it, it will all flow out. ''''Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I can feel the blood bleeding from my ears and nose. In addition, the blood is also sluggishly pouring out of my eyes. There were cracks all over her body and she was bleeding more from there. His entire body was already covered in blood. I''m almost there, almost finished building the training camp. I was processing the whole process in my brain. When it becomes such a huge giant giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·, it will need a reasonable amount of power to freeze everything. It should be decided here and now.......and everything is ready to go. ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡Come here! A moment later, Fee''s guy used the transference to turn behind me with Monica. The moment I felt it, I activated it. A realm of permanent ice and snow that would freeze this entire world........ ........Absolute Zero........ Then I spread my hands out to the side and unleash an icy wave of energy into the subspecies. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki. The noise is so loud you want to cover your ears. But I won''t stop. Because I need to use alchemy until I can freeze this guy completely. The resistance of the sub-species is quite considerable, and although some of it is already frozen, it resists my Absolute Zero. ''''.........Lies, you''re resisting......? What is this all about... The two of them are saying that behind me, but I''ve already abandoned the sound. All I need to focus on now is continuing to build the alchemy. I can''t do this in an instant. It can''t be over until I spit out the large amount of First Pledge¡¶Primamateria¡·in my body. The time to use the Absolute Zero ¡¶Absolute Zero¡· had already exceeded a minute. Of course, it would normally be impossible to use the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· for a full minute, and even if he could, his body would collapse. But I couldn''t pretend anymore. I don''t care about the blood pouring out of it anymore. All you have to do now is focus on freezing this thing. And the opponent may have run out of magic, but all at once, his resist is loosened. I didn''t miss the opportunity. ''''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki........'''' ......... finished. In front of me, a supermassive ice sculpture had been created. And I was so exhausted that I fell down on the spot, neither passive nor taking, but Fee held me up. ''Are you okay?¡¡Ellegh! ''Mr Elle!¡¡Please get a grip!!!! I watched the closed door open with my own eyes. Ah, the gimmick unlocking of this room was still to defeat this subspecies... I thought... that''s right... a little bit of this labyrinth of secrets. ...I feel like I''ve been touched. But ... I''m very sleepy now. It''s like all the strength is leaving my body........ And that''s when my consciousness was cut off. 26-Episode 26 Search for Tradition So, what''s happening now? ''Oh ... that''s ...'' We went into a nearby cafe. However, it would be bad if the people around us saw or heard us, so we used alchemy to create a barrier of recognition inhibition. It''s actually not a good idea to use it like this (at worst, demotion of rank or disqualification as an alchemist), but well, it''s fine.......it won''t bother anyone. ''''First of all, the chairman asked me to attack the sixth labyrinth. Why is that? It seems that a giant spider, the Huge Spider, has flooded the Sixth Labyrinth. This happened a month ago. So we got a request from the elven village to ask for assistance from the kingdom. This went to the Chairman, who carefully selected the alchemists and gave me and Fee a white feather in his cap. Because the two of us are among the best in the kingdom if only in terms of our alchemy skills. Oh....I see. And you''ve managed to get to the 10th layer? ''''That''s why you should listen to it. The giant spider, the Huge Spider of the tenth layer, is quite huge at first. Normally, it would be around 6 meters, but to my surprise, that thing was 10 meters high. Furthermore, it also uses transference alchemy. Fee and Monica covered it up, and I used the Singular Alchemy Extra to kill it off. It''s also the absolute zero that I used the Philosopher''s Stone to maximize my output. Huh...?¡¡Absolute Zero, using the Philosopher''s Stone...?¡¡Was Elle an opponent you had to go that far to win? ''''Oh. First of all, the amount of magic power is significantly different. The amount of magic power isn''t necessarily proportional to the size of your body, but the demons might be different. They had more than the three of us. Plus, Absolute Zero was finally decided upon while being resisted. That''s a low estimate, but it''s an A grade. ''''Eh, an A-class.......demon.......even in the Order, an A-class requires hundreds of people, but, well, that''s just the way it is.......'''' ''''No, I pushed myself pretty hard this time. My body nearly collapsed after that; A-level is still impossible for the three of us to do, usually. ''''So, right.... I thought Elle could do everything, but there''s a limit to what the quicksilver can do... ''You know my total magical power is low, right?¡¡If it''s just skill alone, I can handle it, but running out of stamina is the biggest drawback. ''''Huh.......That''s really an amazing story. But I didn''t think that Elle, who only thinks about crops, would be that keen on attacking the labyrinth to that extent....... Serena and Fee are both mistaken, but my ultimate goal is to grow the best crops ever and sell them to the world. The labyrinth attack will be a footnote to that. With my alchemy skills further improved, I could easily create homunculi like Proto, Ichiro and others. My research into fully independent artificial intelligence will be further advanced as well. ''''It''s kind of a relief. I knew Elle had to be, after all! ''But more to the point, do you know of any fairy tales or fantasy stories that have magic in them? Magic?¡¡Are you interested in that prehistoric stuff?¡¡It''s backwards compatible with alchemy, isn''t it? Let me know if you know of any anyway. ''No, I don''t know. I''ve never been someone who''s been exposed to books much. Especially in those fancy stories.... Well, thank you for listening to me. Well, I''ll leave you to it. Saying that, I quickly take the slip and pay for the two of us. Hey, hey!¡¡Aren''t I supposed to be the one buying the drinks! That was a lie. That''s what I asked you to do, and I''m paying for it. ''''f*ck it!¡¡That''s the kind of thing... Hmm?¡¡What? It''s nothing! Then Serena said, "Humph! And then he left. Hmm. I still don''t understand women''s minds. And I decided to go home, since I had finished everything I had to do today. ¡ì¡ì Welcome back, ja? Open the door, and then ... and then close it. Yeah, I''m tired. I''ve seen all those deadly battles in the labyrinth. I''ve used up the First Pledge, the Primamateria, and my magic power. Fee and Monica''s treatment has helped me make a full recovery, but my mental faculties must still be exhausted. I can''t believe I''m having this kind of hallucination. Yes, there is no way that Alice would enter my house wearing a maid''s outfit. Even if she were a princess, right?¡¡It''s weird to dress up as a samurai, and I''ve definitely locked up my house. Besides, there are a lot of things in my room that I don''t want to be seen (such as agricultural research materials), so I have alchemically prevented them from entering my room. This door cannot be opened without my key. Or a duplicate key. A duplicate key...?¡¡I think to myself and open the door again. "...Welcome back, ah-tah? What do you think you''re doing, Alice? ''What?¡¡Don''t you like it? No, that''s not the point. It''s not why you''re in my house. Your parents gave me a copy of the key. "...What?¡¡That''s such a lie... ''Here you go. I asked to be allowed to clean the doctor''s room and he gave it to me. Well, I lied and said I had the doctor''s permission to do it. Huh ... you''re trespassing. ''Well, well. Besides, I''ve been waiting for you to put this on, you know?¡¡Isn''t it pretty? What?¡¡Isn''t that what a lady-in-waiting looks like?¡¡Is that in the pretty category? ''I hear it''s all the rage in the world, but not with the doctor? I''m going to go change. Saying that, Alice runs and enters the room. Huh.........a troublesome person has come. Trespassing or something like that is dangerous, normally........ I know you do it knowing I''ll forgive you, but all sorts of things are tiring........ ''''Yes!¡¡Would you prefer this one? Yeah, I guess so. I sit down on the couch as I compliment Alice on her outfit in a Texan way. ''Huh ... I''m tired ...'' I''ll make you a cup of tea. Do you understand? Your mother told me. I see. I''ll take your word for it and ask you to make me a cup of tea. ''Yes, please. ''Sir.'' Thank God. Zuzu and a cup of hot tea. Huh ... this is the best thing to do when you''re tired. Then Alice''s guy comes to sit next to me. He''s close, but I don''t have the energy to be still today. Let''s just leave it at that. ''Sir, I''m sorry about your brother Oscar. Alice said and bows her head deeply. ''No it''s not ... well enough. Besides, Alice has nothing to do with it, does she? ''No, I was letting them swim, it''s true. And I''d overlooked the fact that they''d kidnapped your precious prototypes. ''Yeah but he''s doing well now too. And Alice has thought of a lot of things for me too, right?¡¡That''s fine. In fact, I''m rather grateful to you. ...Are you sure? Oh... You''re not angry? Of course. Heh heh heh, good for you! Alice looks at me with a big smile on her face. Okay, so this guy was worried. I thought he was causing me trouble. He usually jokes around, but he''s still royalty. He''s a disciplined guy. ''''Speaking of which, sensei, how is the capture of the labyrinth progressing? Hmm?¡¡Do you know? ''Yes, sir. I asked the chairman. I wondered how he was doing since the teacher wasn''t there, and I heard that he went to the sixth labyrinth when I explored a lot of things. I see. I''ve made it to the tenth level now. But I don''t know about the bottom level. And the demons are only on B~A level. It''s not easy, actually. ''What...?¡¡Do even teachers have a hard time with this? That''s because I''m only human. I have a hard time being human. Hahaha.... it''s a labyrinth. ''Oh, by the way, does Alice know about fairy tales and such?¡¡Or the one where the magic comes out. Yes. I have the book in my room. "...Seriously!¡¡I can go read it tomorrow!¡¡I need to read it right away! Hmmm. Okay, but will you let me stay over today? He says with a grin, but it''s nothing to do with the fact that he''s staying over. And Fee''s staying over, too. ''Yeah, great.'' ''Yay!¡¡I''ll take a bath then! Then I watched Alice disappear into the bathroom as she skipped away. Okay, now I''ve got a clue. Now it''s just a matter of whether or not I have the information I want.... But I''m going to find out that what comes after is the hard part. 27-Episode 27: Monicas Trail 1 Hi, my name is Monica. I am a subhuman species called Elf. But I''m not that different from humans. I heard that there was a lot of things that happened in the past, but now I''m not persecuted or discriminated against. I grew up and lived in the village normally. I am such a person, but I had an aptitude for alchemy, which is rare in the village. Elves, or rather sub-humans, generally have a low aptitude for alchemy, but I was able to use alchemy from an early age. ''''Well Monica, I''ll give you this book. What''s this book?¡¡Dad...? This is a book on alchemy. Read it and study it. If you want to be better at alchemy. Yeah! Some people thought that alchemy was a human thing and should not be used by elves, but my father understood. He believed that I had a talent for alchemy and that I should develop that talent. Now that I''ve grown up, I can see that elves are conservative. They do not like change. I was born in such a situation and I am a foreigner. I was sometimes called a cursed child. And yet, my parents raised me firmly and uprightly. And now I am 18 years old. It was a good opportunity for me to start living on my own. I plan to attend the Canovarian Alchemy Institute in the near future. For that reason, I wanted to get used to living on my own as much as possible now. I don''t know if my alchemy skills are good enough for me. Because I don''t have anything to compare it to in this village. Nevertheless, this mysterious phenomenon of alchemy has held me captive in my mind. Just like in that book........alchemists must search for their own truth. I still remember those words, and I have tried to be. I don''t know what my truth is, but I wanted to pursue it. It was called alchemy. The turning point for me was one year ago. I heard that the second ever Blue Star class¡¶Blue Star¡· alchemist was born in the Kingdom of Canovaria. His name was Elweed Willis. His age at the time was 15 years old. It''s hard to believe. I had no idea what to expect, but I understood the greatness of the Blue Star class. Then one day I stumbled upon a copy of his paper. ''''What is this... it''s unbelievable...'''' A theory of alchemy construction without alchemy based on elemental theory The genius of the azure star class "Bluesteller" had changed the history of alchemy. In the books on alchemy, it was written that alchemical formation and magic power were essential. Its basics have not changed for hundreds of years. It''s a universal truth. But what is written here is a reversal of that. I was so engrossed in reading it that I forgot to eat and sleep. Then a year later. I don''t know if it was hard work or talent, I don''t know, but I was able to use alchemy without an alchemy formation. It was still poor, but his theory was correct. ''''Kyaaaahhhh!¡¡The giant spider, the Huge Spider, has appeared! Taking that voice as a cue, the elven village was in an uproar. This is because no one has the power to defeat this B-class demon. But I did. I wanted to know how far my alchemy could take me. Then I was able to defeat it in a flash. I froze my feet, stopped myself from moving, and put a single icicle on the brain. After that, I burned the corpse with fire. ''''........Monica, you''ve grown up to this point......'''' I''m getting good at alchemy. Dad. Oh. You''re the hero who saved the village!¡¡I knew you had a great talent! Then I was praised and I got on a roll. I was almost alone in dealing with the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· that was flooding out of the labyrinth. ''''Huh...............................'''' I''m so exhausted that I''m breathing on my shoulders. The last few days have been especially voluminous, and it''s gotten to the point where even I can''t handle it. My father said to me, "Monica, the alchemist from the kingdom will be here in a few minutes. He said to me, "Monica, the alchemist from the kingdom will be here in a few minutes. Until then, you will have to be patient... ''Yeah...'' And I''m going to meet the man of my dreams. "...Um, who are you? We were introduced by the chief. Are you Monica? ''Oh!¡¡You''re the alchemist my father was talking about!¡¡Please, please.... I''m sorry. There was a knock on the door and when I answered it, I found two people there. I forced my father to let the alchemist stay at my house. I wanted to know about the most advanced alchemy in the kingdom. In front of me stood a man with long platinum hair and a woman with long blonde hair. Both of them were well-dressed, is this what alchemists are like?¡¡I thought. Then the men did some repairs to my house. But there was no alchemy team. Huh?¡¡Is it normal to have no wrought team?¡¡But it''s only been almost a year since that paper came out... it can''t be... it can''t be... this guy... ... ''Huh?¡¡Is it over? ''Yes. Make sure. It''s true, it''s fixed. But the alchemy team...? Fee and I can do it without a blending team. ...Are you Elwyd Willis? I asked, suppressing my racing heart. Then.......... ''Yes. I''m Elwyd Willis and this is Al-Sfeira Medis. Hi. ''Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Aren''t they both very famous!¡¡A person like that in this village.......too awesome to be dizzy....... Elwyd Willis and Alsufira Medis. The two of them are very famous in the alchemy industry. Even I, who live in the village of the elves, know about them. An azure-star-grade "Blue Stellar" alchemist and a platinum "Platinum" alchemist. Both are of the highest rank. I never dreamed that such people would come to me. I''m sorry to say this, but I cooked and served them dishes made from my own farm produce. Just as I was thinking that I hoped they would like it, I received an unexpected response. ''Ugh ... yum!¡¡Monica!¡¡Where did you grow this.... ''Oh, I''m making it, you know?¡¡I hope it was palatable to you. And Monica is fine, can I call you Elle and Fee too? Of course!¡¡But more importantly, this... From then on, he kept asking me how I was growing and what I was using for fertilizer, and he was digging my roots. Mr. Fee said, "I''m going to bed. Take care of that idiot for me," and he went to sleep. Elweed Willis is a farmer. We''ve all heard such rumors, but it''s just a quibble. I thought that such a jealous rumor was being spread because he was so talented. But as far as I can tell, Elle is extremely knowledgeable about crops. And I was determined to ask her. Are you a farmer, Elle-san? Yeah. I''m from a venerable family of farmers. So the rumors are true. ''What, even the elven village has heard of me?¡¡Well, a lot of people don''t believe me, but I''m a bona fide farmer. I always have been, and I always will be. In fact, my dream is... Elle told us with a twinkle in her eye. He thought how wonderful the crops were and how alchemy was extremely useful in improving them. It was an extension of that that he became a blue star class "Blue Stellar" alchemist. If he had pursued crops, he would have become one. After all, a genius is a genius. But he was somewhat friendly and gentle. Until now, I had subconsciously thought he was like a god, or perhaps a god of alchemy. But I was relieved to find out that he was an innocent boy, two years younger than me. ''Come to think of it, did Monica ever learn alchemy from anyone?¡¡You said you could use it. No, I''m self-taught. I learned from this book. Mr. Elle gives me a surprised look as I bring the book on the bookshelf behind me. ''This is so old I don''t know how you got this stuff in this village. Is it old? ''Ah. The academy uses more updated stuff. Oh, yeah. I see. Starting with that conversation, I asked a lot of questions about the kingdom and about alchemy in the kingdom. Elle didn''t look uncomfortable, and she answered all the way through. And this was how I met my future mentor, Elwyd Willis. 28-Episode 28: Monicas Trail 2 Hi, my name is Monica. I will be going to the labyrinth with Elle and the others. It''s like a dream to be able to go with a Blue Star-class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· and Platinum-class ¡¶Platinum¡· alchemist. Incidentally, that was the deciding factor when I showed Fee-san the alchemy without the alchemy formation early in the morning. ''''Mo, Monica.......did you learn that......on your own?'''' ''No. I used Elle''s paper as a reference. "You''re referring to... just reading? ''Yes. I read it up, remembered the theory completely, and practiced it over and over again. ''''I didn''t expect........to find a platinum level [platinum] alchemist in this village.......'''' ''What?¡¡I''m at the platinum grade [platinum] level?! That''s right. If you understand the theory and can use it, that''s a platinum level. Maybe you can take the exam right now and pass it. As for the practical skills, well, I don''t know about the paper part. Heh heh ... oh, it''s amazing. I can''t believe I''ve grown so much. Oh, by the way, you can only use Monica in this village. ''Yes but I''m kind of glad. It was worth the effort. As a result of these exchanges, I was able to get Elle''s permission to accompany me afterwards. But you can''t go into the labyrinth with a half-hearted heart. It is said in the village that it is really a different place. And so we entered the labyrinth. ¡ó Ready for war!¡¡You two, cover me!¡¡Decide at once! "Yes, sir! ''Okay, we''re built!¡¡Fee, Monica!¡¡Get behind me! ''Hiiiiiiii, they''re coming after us! The first level of the labyrinth. I was terrified in front of a large number of giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spiders¡·. Ordinary spiders are fine. But when there are this many of them, I imagine that I will be eaten alive from the head...yes, I imagine that. But the alchemy that Fee-san uses while going half-crazy is much more skilled than me, and Elle-san is even more amazing. Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extras¡·. It''s a large-scale alchemy, an alchemy that can be accomplished by combining many layers of alchemy groups and using a large amount of magic. However, it takes an enormous amount of time to use it, so it''s not practical. However, Elle managed to do it. In a minute. ...Absolute Zero. It is a realm of absolute zero. In the blink of an eye, all the giant spiders, the Huge Spider, freeze in place. Overwhelming. There is no more appropriate word to describe this. Everything is outstanding. There is no alchemist who can use the Singular Alchemy ¡¶Extra¡· all by himself. Except for him......... I once again caught a glimpse of the heterogeneity of the blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡·. Then I went to the kingdom once and we came to the labyrinth once more. The second time, it was smooth, as if I knew what I was doing. We move deftly through the second, third and fourth layers. But on the tenth layer, we have to realize that this labyrinth is a horrible place to live. This labyrinth is a horrible place to be. ''''........What?¡¡I''m trapped! But are you sure about this? No, you can''t destroy it like this, can you?¡¡The alchemy is completely played out. No way, the transference is also... feeeee!¡¡Can you use the transfer?! No!¡¡There''s a disconnect between the other layers and the alchemy!¡¡I can''t go through the First Pledge¡¶Primamateria¡·! ...I''m trapped. The moment I entered the tenth level, the doors closed and completely sealed off. The alchemy has been resisted by the wall and there is no way out. Then we noticed something large wriggling [squirming] in the ceiling. That is.............................but it is an order of magnitude larger than that. It''s probably a subspecies, but that one is far too big. ''''Fee, Monika!¡¡Let''s do it! "Got it! Elle''s voice was the cue to enter the battle. This time the battle was really what we should call a fight to the death. In addition to using alchemy, they also use transference together. They would use transference to move the threads they spit out and attack us from their blind spots. Me and Fee-san responded to it, while Elle-san fought the main body alone. But I knew that Elle-san''s magic power wasn''t much anymore. I''m fighting that thin-winged dragonfly [Usubakagero] with only physical enhancements, but the subspecies also uses regeneration. We were completely trapped. That''s when Elle-san used it. A pure white Philosopher''s Stone. We managed to buy time while preventing the attack. And then Elle-san shouted, "Feeb! ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡Come here! At the moment, I was behind Elle in Fee''s transition. But it was painful to see him from behind. He''s bleeding all over his body and there''s a pool of blood on the ground. But we can''t stop it. Because if we don''t do this, we will all.......die. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki...........................'' As the subspecies squeezed out its last voice, everything froze. And at the same time, Elle-san collapses. ''''........Oh, you did......I.......'''' ''Are you okay?¡¡Ellegh! ''Mr Elle!¡¡Please get a grip!!!! ¡ó Then, when Fee''s transition took him back to my house, I shared my magic with him and healed Elle. The wound, which was too painful to heal, quickly healed. But he did not return to consciousness. ''''.......Is Elle-san going to be okay?'''' The pass is over. I''m sure he''ll wake up tomorrow. Good, good... I''m really relieved. But despite Elle''s deadly efforts, I didn''t do much to help. To put it bluntly, I''m probably only contributing half as much as Fee-san. I''m ashamed and frustrated at my inexperience. ''''........Mr. Fee, I want to be even better at alchemy.'''' I guess that''s good enough for now? ''But I wasn''t that useful in the battle earlier...'' ''You''re not trained in alchemical combat when you say that, are you?¡¡That''s good enough for me to do all that. No. That''s not good enough. I want to be better and better at it. So I''d like to talk to you about it, and I''d like to enroll in the academy. At the Academy?¡¡But it''s a little late in the season, don''t you think?¡¡Well, I''m also a principal, so I can twist it, but.......seriously?¡¡There''s no doubt that they''re very hard on sub-humans. Especially the nobility. Ordinary nobles take a lot of pride in themselves. What do you think would happen if an alchemist who is even better than them comes in such a situation?¡¡And by a sub-human alchemist. The stakes will be high, won''t they? Yeah. It happens to normal people, too. Even more so with elves. They may not be persecuted or discriminated against, but they don''t look good. Do you still want to go in? ''I''m ready. And if relationships make alchemy less important, then so be it. I''ve been making excuses all this time. One day, let''s go. Someday, I''ll go to the kingdom and learn alchemy. Someday, I''ll become an official alchemist. But someday when is that...?¡¡I''ve always been spoiled by my potential. I thought I could do it someday, but that someday I would have to decide for myself. But that one day has to be decided by me. And that someday is now. Elle and Mr. Fee. After meeting the two alchemists, I realized that I''m not ready for this. I''m not ready yet. And I will become an alchemist who can be not only for myself, but for someone else. Well that''s a good spirit. Fee smiles at me. I grew up in this village all my life and then never had the courage to let go of the comfort of this place. I have a talent. So I knew that one day that talent would grow. But there is a limit to what you can strive for alone in this village. The only way to get more specialized training is to go to the kingdom. The Kingdom of Canovaria is a human kingdom. There are sub-humans, but it''s said that they are less than 10% of the total population. But even so, I''ve made up my mind. I won''t expose myself to the kind of unceremoniousness I''ve seen this time. I would become an alchemist who could serve someone else. That''s how I officially took the exam for the Canovarian Alchemy Academy. 29-Episode 29: Inu Monkey no Naka Doctor, I''ll come in later. After you. Really?¡¡Then let''s go in first. Alice says that when she comes back from the bathroom, so I take her word for it and bathe first. I take off my clothes and underwear and put them in the basket and I start running the shower. The water is not hot, but I filled it with water all at once and alchemically raised the temperature to about 42 degrees. ''''Oh, I''m sorry to disturb you.'''' ...Huh. I see. Hey, hey, sir!¡¡Don''t sigh when a naked girl walks in! He''s wearing a towel. Don''t tell me you''re naked. "...hmmm!¡¡Now if you''ll excuse me~ Alice walked in without a care in the world. Oh well. I''ve bathed with Serena and Fee, too. I used to be with Liese all the time, too. It''s not that I''m not used to it, so it''s fine. "....shhhh. What? ''No, its something. I''m just annoyed at you for being so calm. Aren''t you a little upset? ''Well, I wouldn''t want to be completely naked, but I have a towel. Besides, I''m used to taking a bath with someone. It''s a man, isn''t it? ''No, it''s my sister Lise, Fee and Serena. Those three have been in there together. ''Ha, ha!¡¡What''s the situation with that? It''s all in the flow. And it''s more efficient for both of us to be in there at the same time, right? ''I''m amazed at your ethics!¡¡Are you still a clergyman! I''m a farmer, okay? ''That doesn''t matter! Hey. Black Alice is on! Oh-ho-ho. Sorry about that. I''m a little upset. Haha, I''m used to that now... You''re the only one to show me like this... I was soaking in the hot water, and Alice was taking a shower, but Alice''s was getting into the tub. Well, it''s good because it''s big enough for both of us to have plenty of room. ''''You''re not responding?'''' How do you want me to respond to what? I mean, aren''t you horny? He''s not coming, at all. I feel like my sister. Huh... don''t you have a s*x drive, doctor? The obvious question is, "What''s the point of asking the obvious but, uh, okay. Well, I''ll tell you. I don''t feel it. I understand for sure. Our libido allows us to reproduce, to have children, to thrive. But that''s not what I want. I can''t afford it, at least not until I can sell my crops to the world. This is a project I''ve been working on my whole life. Huh..................well, that''s true. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be taking a bath with another woman, would I? I don''t want to be the first one up. Ew. I quickly get out of the bath and organize everything I''ve done so far into a notebook. The mystery of the labyrinth, the state of this world, and what is alchemy? As I concentrate on my thoughts, the time is already 23:00. It''s time to go to bed. And when I went to my bedroom, I could already hear him sleeping. I flipped up the futon and saw that Alice''s guy was sleeping comfortably. Most likely, the sleeper had taken her away while she was waiting. It''s the one that seems to have been planned and left out. I crawled in next to Alice and just fell asleep within minutes. ¡ó Morning. I''m awfully happy today. I woke up on my own without anything. I looked at the clock and saw that it was seven o''clock. It was a refreshing morning. I opened the curtains and soaked up the morning sun. It''s a beautiful day, too. Now, I have to go to Alice''s and look for some lore. Ugh ... it''s so bright... Alice, just get up and get ready to go. Uh....oooh. Is this princess really royalty? There''s something oddly mundane about it. It''s good because it''s easy to get used to. Then the intercom rings with a pin drop. It''s definitely Fee. I went straight to the front door and opened it to find Fee and Monica. Hi, Elle. Hi, Elle, we''re here to make breakfast. Monica said she''s going to help us. Hi, nice to meet you. Then I''m done with you. Oh, excuse me. Fee zips in without asking my permission. Monica is hesitant, but I cautiously follow Fee. Oh, I didn''t tell her about Alice. ''Sen-sei! Where is my change of clothes?¡¡Whew ... neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Alice came out while rubbing her sleepy eyes. But it wasn''t me that she saw. ''''What?¡¡Why is Princess Alice here...? Fee stands there, stunned. Then suddenly, the Alice guy has a grin on his face. It''s predictable, but there''s no room for me. Female fights are unreasonable. Maybe I''m biased, but that''s especially true with these two. I''ve interrupted them in the past, but on the contrary, I was incredibly pissed off at them. Since then, I''ve decided to stay on the sidelines. ''Monica, I''m going to make breakfast for the four of us. ''What?¡¡Okay?¡¡And a princess... It happens all the time. Let it go. We went straight to the kitchen and it started promptly. ''Oh my goodness?¡¡What''s the matter with you, Fee?¡¡You''re a regular wife and you''re making breakfast? ''Hahhhh!¡¡You''re a little gangbanger like you, Elle. It''s no use!¡¡Get rid of the flats! ''Hahhhh!¡¡I''m still growing!¡¡I''m not like my aunt! ''Hahhhh!¡¡Who''s an auntie, you little brat! "Shut up, old lady!¡¡Don''t get carried away just because you happen to be next to your teacher! Just because you''re a princess doesn''t mean you can''t be a princess! What? What? We crisply finished making breakfast amidst all the noisy exchanges. Miso soup and rice, grilled salmon and salad. It looked good again today. See, the rice is ready. Let''s eat! They were both breathing hard as I brought them their food while I said that. How do you do that in the morning........ ''''Haha........haha......that''s enough for today, aunt. ''Huh ... hah ... hah ... I''m talking to you, you little f*cking princess. Then the four of us took our places and began to eat our meals. By the way, Monica is next to me. It''s fine that Fee and Alice insisted, but Monica is strangely afraid to do so. ''''Elle-san, the princess and Fee-san are staring at me like crazy! Hmm?¡¡Don''t worry about it. It''s harmless. Oh that''s right, I haven''t seen Alice before. Monica Dunne. She''s from the elven village. We''re working on a maze together. Hi, there. My name is Monica Dunn. I''m an elf. I''m working with Elle and Fee, and I''m here to capture the maze. Dear Alice... Monica is nervous and furious because it''s her first time to meet a royal. But Alice is friendly to Monica. Oh my. Oh dear, that''s very polite of you. I''m Alice Canovalia, the third princess. I''m also the third princess. You don''t have to call me "sama," do you, Monica? So, Alice, then. Good. Yes, you can be my mistress. I''m sure you''ll be able to find it in the same way. Unlike this old lady. ''Oh?¡¡Don''t get too carried away, okay? ''Hmmm. I''m an adult and I''m not going to take that kind of provocation. We''re about to argue again, so I lightly remain still. It''s mealtime, in case you were wondering. "Don''t fight with each other, at least not during dinner. You''ll scare Monica away. Guess whose fault it is... He''s blurting out something, but I can''t hear him very well. Well, sometimes it''s better not to hear. And as I continue to eat, Fee is talking to me. ''Elle, what are your plans for today?'' I''m going to Alice''s room today to look for some lore. Apparently, he has a copy of the book. You know, like a book. I see. I have to run errands for Monica and the Academy, so we''ll be separated today. Yeah. Alice was strangely nimble, but they had nothing more to argue about and the day was dismissed. Now, if only we could have the lore we wanted.... 30-Episode 30: Tenjo Magic City Arcadia Since then, Alice and I have been heading to the royal castle. It seems that there are books on fairy tales in the storeroom in the basement of the castle besides my own room. I''m not sure if it''s a good idea. Are you sure you want to do this?¡¡As well as your room, I didn''t expect to be shown the basement stacks. ''I''ve given the doctor a lot of trouble. In the meantime, I have my father''s permission, so it''s okay. Well, that''s okay. I guess it''s called the merit of the injury. I didn''t know that being inconvenienced by that idiot would lead to this place..................life is unknowable. But I can''t forgive you for kidnapping the proto. Absolutely. ''''Speaking of which, what are you going to do looking for a fairy tale? Didn''t I tell you?¡¡To put it bluntly, I need it to solve a little labyrinthine mystery. Huh... ''Yes. I want to unravel the state of the labyrinth, the state of alchemy, and the state of the world. ''What........you''re awakened to the search for truth?¡¡Did you hit your head in the labyrinth or something? What?¡¡You guys always get it wrong, but it all comes back to the crops. My project will be accomplished. That''s why the labyrinth attack is essential. There is something else in there that is different from alchemy. No, maybe I should call it the prototype of alchemy. So, is it magic? ''That''s what I mean. If we look for lore, we might be able to get some truth to it. ''''Huh........I see. That''s the reason for trudging through the labyrinth... but I''m relieved that the doctor is the same as usual. My beliefs are the same. I''ve always been and will always be a farmer ... and I''m just going to die. I fell in love with him because he was such a hard worker.... What?¡¡What? ''It''s nothing!¡¡Teacher silly! Alice says that and runs off. A lively one as always. And Wangcheng. I had come to Alice''s room. A large room with a big bed, a bookcase and some desks. There is a large bed in a large room, a bookcase and some desks. All of them must be expensive, but it was a very simple room. ''''Let''s see, the fairytale books... this is where they are. Thank God. I arrange all the books from the top of the bookshelf, where Alice pointed to, on the desk. ''I''ll borrow your desk,'' Go ahead, go ahead. I''ll do some work for the Academy. Alice says so, and I immerse myself in my world. Magic. It is a supernatural phenomenon, a reflection of what people want in the world. Wizards abounded in this world, and the world thrived on magic. There were a number of such stories, but I''m not quite sure of them. They all seem to have been made for children, and by the end, the descriptions of magic are gone. I can''t blame them because they''re meant to entertain children - I''ll have to look at the underground stacks and such. ''Alice, I need to go to the basement.'' ''I was hoping you would say that. It''s just that what we have here is for children. What the teacher is looking for might be in the stacks. We came to the basement. But Alice is no longer there. Because she left and said, "I''ll be in my room, let me know when you''re done. The guy knows I''m serious, too, and he doesn''t make fun of me. He''s a very airheaded guy. And, well, that''s not the point now about Alice. We should be looking for the lore now. I light a flame on my index finger. It''s created by alchemy, but it''s nothing like this. Then I look at the spine and search for it. ''''........What is this?'''' What I found was a really old looking book. It was covered in dust and the title was hard to see. And it''s a very thin book. ''....The Magic City, Arcadia? Yes. The title was "Magic City Arcadia". At any rate, I decided to read it. And this is what the book was about. This world was filled with magic. All kinds of creatures used magic, people used magic to build cities, and magic made them prosperous. But one day, some people gave up that magic. And those people used a technology called Kagak to meet their prosperity. Magic and Kagaku. Conflicting relationships. Then one day, a natural disaster strikes. It seems that a meteorite is going to crash on this earth. Magic and Kagaku temporarily cooperate to stop it, but in vain, their civilization collapses. However, the wizards have been advocating that they should not go to earth, but to heaven, and have fled to the heavens before the meteorite crashed. The name of that city is Arcadia, the magical city in the heavens. The remaining wizards lived there happily........ ''''Hmm........'''' I unfold my notebook and quickly write this content down. What is kagaku?¡¡There''s no doubt that the technology system was good enough to compete with magic, but I don''t know how. At first glance, it''s pictorial. It''s just fantasy and fiction. Even the book has a blurb saying this is fiction. But I couldn''t help but wonder. It''s intuitive, but I knew that magic is something that goes hand in hand with alchemy. Then I explored all the books of lore, but I didn''t find any more information than I did earlier. There was no particular description of the labyrinth either. The only thing written about the labyrinth is that it''s a commonplace, mysterious underground facility. Well, that''s probably why it''s been said to be a mystery all the way to the present day. But the third labyrinth was captured, and we''re well on our way to capturing the sixth labyrinth. Perhaps this is a turning point in history. I will change the nature of alchemy, and the labyrinth will change the nature of this world. It could be like that. Maybe I''m just mistaken that I''m at the center of it all, but history has definitely begun to advance. Starting with the labyrinth attack. The crops might also use this as an opportunity to grow in a big way.......hmmm....... Then I thanked Alice and decided to leave. ''''Sensei, please come back anytime. I''ll be waiting for you. You''ve been a big help today. Thank you. Alice, unusually, didn''t come over afterwards. She bowed politely and sent me off. It''s nice to see Alice like this once in a while. No, I hope it''s always like that.... Thinking about this, I headed home. ¡ó Elle, I need to talk to you about something... okay? I don''t mind, but... Just as I was about to open the door to my house, I bumped into Fee. I don''t mind that I''ve been eating dinner in Fee''s room a lot lately... but I sense an oddly serious vibe. I walked over to the table in the living room and found Monica. She looks strangely nervous. And as the three of us take our seats, Fee starts talking. ''Elle, Monica took the test today and passed. And by the way, it was also an exam for the association''s rank, which was quite difficult to pass, but she passed it. Monica is now a Platinum level alchemist of the association. At the same time, I''m going to be your second seminar student, okay? ...Monica? I didn''t know anything about it. He just said he wanted to go to the kingdom one day and learn alchemy, but I didn''t know it was so sudden.... But maybe Monica had a thought, too. If her motivation for alchemy increased after meeting me and Fee, that''s good. And Monica has good sense. I''ve always thought it was okay for me to teach her. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the labyrinth as well. I''m sure you''re right. An alchemist in an official society......................and a Platinum level. Isn''t this the first time a subhuman has ever done this? You''re the first one in the country. There are others, but in the last few years, Monica might be the only one. And she''s only 18 years old. That''s going to attract a lot of attention. So, are you sure about Elle? Monica stares at me with nervous eyes. I can tell she''s serious. She''s going to have a tough time. It''s a foreign land and a different race. Even though humans and sub-humans are close, they still live in a different civilization and culture. There will be a lot of confusion and hard times. There aren''t even ten percent of sub-humans in this country. Nevertheless, Monica is going to take the test, pass it and get in. There''s no way I''d turn that down. It''s because I want to support anyone who is trying their best. All right. I''ll introduce you to Rita. Monica, welcome to the Academy. I will be responsible for making you a great alchemist. I am not yet a teacher, but I hope you will be. Hey!¡¡It''s nice to meet you too!¡¡Well....sir? Teacher. Yeah, that doesn''t sound too bad. Yes!¡¡Teacher! This is how Monica became the newest member of my seminar. 31-Episode 31: Monicas Trail 3 Hi, my name is Monica. Now I''m fiercely nervous. And I''m standing alone in front of the gate of the institute. The people around me are paying attention to my stunned face, and I think they are talking about my appearance. The characteristic pale green hair and long ears. Everyone can tell that it''s a sub-human, an elf. There are no sub-humans in this school. I''m the only one. That''s right, I''m the only one. It seems more nerve-racking and difficult to jump into this environment than a difficult exam. In fact, the teacher asked me if I wanted to go with him. That being said, I don''t want to draw any strange attention to myself and I need to walk on my feet. ''''Okay..........! Inspiring myself, I walked through the gates of the academy. ''''Wow it''s so big........'''' Today I came to take a class with Mr. Elle. In the afternoon, I''m scheduled to meet with Dr. Elle and Fee''s cousin, Rita, at a seminar. The school system is a rough system where you can take classes and write a thesis of your own accord. There''s no gathering by class, so it''s easy...but it''s still painful to look at. The seat in front of me was empty, so I sit there a little bit by myself. Ughhhh........my shoulders are narrow....... ''''Hey, that''s........'''' You''re an elf...? But you''re a platinum-ranked alchemist, a platinum alchemist, and I''ve heard of you, Elspeth. ''Seriously...?¡¡A subhuman is a platinum-class platinum? Yeah. Solid information. Well..... Oh no. I can hear it. I have a good ear for my species, so I can hear the voices in the back seat perfectly. Most of the other people are gossiping about me. Then I hear footsteps coming towards me from behind. Who could it be...?¡¡I turned around and saw three girls. And they''re staring at me too. No, I''m staring at them. Ughhhh. Doing this from the first day........it''s hard....... ''''Hey, are you an elf?'''' ''Yes, yes ... yes. I came from a southern village. ''Hmm. So how did you get it in? Yes?¡¡What do you mean you''ve got it in you? "It''s too good to have an elf assigned to a platinum class [platinum] and also to an Elspeth. Do you know what I''ve done? He gives me a hard stare. I was tempted to explain. That I had taken the exam properly and passed........and that I had been officially assigned to Elsewhere. But I''m speechless. I''m trembling and I can''t say anything. The human society was harder than I thought it would be. I said at the time that I was ready for it, but I''m still afraid of what I''m afraid of. Malice is a terrible thing, not only for humans, but also for the same elves. As I was trembling, someone came again. Oh........what will happen to me.......? ''What?¡¡Monica, what''s going on? Oh. Good morning, Alice. Yeah. Morning. That''s my section, by the way. ''Ahhhh!¡¡Sorry, too!¡¡I''ll be back in a minute! Hmm. No problem. There''s a seat next to you. Why don''t you come study with me in his class? Are you sure? It''s not natural. I''m a student of this academy. Unlike someone somewhere else, I''m not a small person who would discriminate against someone based on race... hey, don''t you think? ""Oh, no!" The girls who had crowded me earlier turned pale and left. ''''Ah, um........thank you very much. Alice-san......... Oh, it''s okay. Those tactless people will inevitably exist, but they''re not worth the harm they can do you. It''s only natural that you should help them. Besides, I don''t like prejudice, you know. Thank you for everything you''ve done for me. I nodded my head and Alice laughed at me. ''Hmm. Monica is really cute, she''s honest, humble and very beautiful. She''s honest and humble and so beautiful. Yes ... very much. Come and have lunch with me at lunchtime? Are you sure? ''It''s not natural. Let''s go to the school cafeteria today and surprise everyone. Yes sir! I felt a little more positive, and then I took a class with Professor Elle. First of all, you have to understand the nature of the First Quality, the Primamateria. The First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· is floating in the air, but there is a bias. When you use alchemy, the prima-teria in its place also disappears, as is the law of conservation of mass. This is as per the law of conservation of mass. Also, you can use the First Placer¨ªa in your body, but it is not recommended at first. This is because if the First Quality Material, Primamateria, is exhausted, it will cause various symptoms such as poor health. And then... The teacher wore a microphone on his lapel and spoke carefully so that his voice could be heard throughout the classroom. The talk also seemed to convey the content of that paper, but it seemed much more vivid than if I was reading it alone and unobtrusively. To say that the knowledge seeped into my brain might be an exaggeration...but that''s how it felt. The teacher was very good at teaching. He didn''t just talk about difficult subjects in a straightforward manner, but he used intonation and simple metaphors to guide the class. To say that he was a genius would be an understatement, but I''m sure he made an effort to do so. Truly, I have to thank my teacher for the opportunity to meet him. ¡ó Monica, can we go to the cafeteria? Yes! When the class is over, Alice tells me so. Then I walk next to Alice-san in line. The school cafeteria seems to be very large, and I hear it''s delicious. I''ve been eating simple meals in the elven village for a long time, so I''m very interested in people''s food. We buy food coupons here. "You buy a ticket here," he says, "and I recommend the tonkatsu set meal. Then I''m going to have to... You ask for the same thing as Alice and give her a food ticket at some sort of reception area. ''Huh?¡¡Are you a friend of mine, Lady Alice? Yes!¡¡Her name is Monica and she''s an elf girl. Isn''t she pretty? You''re a pretty woman.........you''re a pretty woman......and I''m going to fry up a big pork cutlet for you two, for free. ''Wow!¡¡Thanks, Auntie! Alice seems to be a regular and is well served. I thought the princess was more uptight, but Alice is very friendly and I like her. Then we move with the tray we received and take our seats. ''''Hey ... that''s ...'''' A princess and an elf that''s an amazing combination. I hear that elf is platinum. Wow. Wow..... I hear whispering and gossiping, but I don''t care anymore. I will act like me and act as an elf. ''''Hahaha........hmmm......after all, freshly fried food is delicious! Alice ate it extremely well, so I snacked on it too. Next to the crispy texture, the juices sizzle out of the inside. The crunchy texture of the pork is retained, and as you chew on it, the flavor of the pork overflows even more. The sauce on it is also a nice accent, very tasty! I''ve never had such a good meal in my life! Oh, it''s delicious... Right?¡¡It''s fried food, after all. Let''s have a fried set meal next time. Hahaha.........yes! After having a nice dinner together, it was time for the seminar. Your seminar is here. Well, let''s go in. ''Huh?¡¡Alice, are you in Dr. Elle''s seminar too?¡¡As I recall, it was only Fee''s cousin Rita... ''I forced him to screw it up. Fee''s guy wouldn''t listen to me, no matter how many times I told him, so I gave him a little scare. I said, "I''m going to reveal some embarrassing memories from the past. Heh, heh ... it seems like quite an abuse of authority... No, no, no!¡¡Power and weaknesses are only to be used! Is that what you call it? ''Yes!¡¡Let''s go then! Alice pulled my hand away and opened the door. Thus began my life as an alchemist. 32-Episode 32 El Zemi, Full-scale Start Welcome, you two. Alice and Monica walked in, making some kind of noise. I look up from the material I was looking at and welcome them in. By the way, Rita hasn''t come in yet. Well, there''s still 10 minutes until the end of the lunch break. The best thing about this is the fact that it''s a very good idea. Sensei. ''Mmm-hmm!¡¡I''m here for you!¡¡Teacher! Yeah, nice to meet you, you two. Monica is extremely horrified, but Alice is normal. She''s forced Fee to tell her everything and screw her over. I don''t mind because I know him, but Alice''s guy is reckless too. I''m sure people will say a lot of things about him. So I quickly put away the materials and decided to introduce those guys. ''Okay, you can all come out now. Then the corn creeps out of a box on the desk. All of them, from No.1 to No.4, seemed to be in good health. It''s worth having Rita take care of them. In addition, this guy is strangely understanding these days. It''s a good thing that they''re not bullying me anymore. What kind of education did Rita give him? ".........! They all gingerly raise their hands in greeting. Yeah, this kind of gesture had never happened before. Maybe Rita was a gem after all. ''''Wow........this is a homunculus........pretty.......'''' Sir!¡¡Is this really a homunculus? Alice asks me that, and I answer with a smug look on my face. ''Oh, sure!¡¡I''ve incorporated the greatest achievement of my research, a fully independent artificial intelligence. Wow.....you''re amazing after all... As Alice says this, she is pecking at No. 1 with her fingers. The first one is also reacting to that and is tupping her fingers with her hand. It''s a very wonderful sight. A true encounter with the unknown. Alice and Monica are also curiously interacting with each other. Then the door opens. That''s right. It was Rita who came. ''''Hah ... hah ... just in time, it''s safe, right! Yeah but what''s so urgent? Ta-da!¡¡Two new people are coming, so I bought a cake!¡¡We''ll eat later!¡¡I''ll put it in the fridge. Oh that''s clever. ''Oh!¡¡Um, Monica and Miss Alice!¡¡My name is Rita Medis it''s nice to meet you. Rita bows her head in a bow and they both greet each other. I watched such a scene with a smile on my face. ''''Monica Dunn.........!¡¡Yo!¡¡Best regards!¡¡Rita-san! I''m Alice Canovaglia. Nice to meet you, Rita. It''s nice to meet you, Rita. Then the three of us shook hands with each other in turn. There are three of us in my seminar. It feels like we''re finally getting into the swing of things. Ah, sensei. The first one is here. Now, if you''ll excuse me... When Rita says something like that, she throbs, "Mmm! and get into some kind of body position. What is it?¡¡What are you going to do? Watch out!¡¡Number!¡¡One, two, three, four!¡¡Yes!¡¡Rest! ""What?" When Rita says this in a very stern voice, the first group of people all get into a bishu posture and salute with the call of the numbers. Then, once they make a resting stance, they spread out as before. Rita has some kind of satisfied look on her face. Huh?¡¡What are you doing? Well, Rita. What''s going on here? ''What?¡¡I''m just trying to educate you. Wait, education? ''Yes. The doctor assigned me to take care of you, so I did my best. By the way do you have any references or anything to refer to? ''It''s a book about military training. I didn''t want to read about how to grow vegetables or anything like that, so I went with that kind of book I have at home...I''m glad it worked out. People don''t go wild like they used to anymore, do they? Uh-huh. Yeah. So that''s what you''re talking about when you listen to me so desperately... Oh, wow. That''s very impressive, Rita. ''Rich, there''s another soldier in this room...?¡¡No way... right? Monica and Alice are also reacting to each other, but today we should practice alchemy in earnest for a bit. Thinking about that, we headed to the outside exercise area. ¡ó ''Yes. Then we''ll do some practice today. ""Yes." After getting them to change into comfortable clothes, we were gathered in the exercise area. It''s good to study indoors, but it''s also important to understand the theory in your own body. Let''s start in earnest today. Well then ... probably Monica is the best at this, so please follow my example. ''Yes. So what do you want me to do? Hmm. Let''s make a pillar of ice. A really thin one. It''d be nice if we could make a column of ice as big as your head. I understand, Doctor. When Monica hears my words, she puts her right hand in front of her and begins to concentrate. Then I think I see a block of ice form at Monica''s feet, and it stretches upward, thinner and thinner. ''It''s done,'' What was completed was a pillar of ice with no blurring at all. As expected of a platinum-class "platinum" alchemist. Speed, accuracy, quite a high standard. It must be the result of hard work that he was able to be so accurate without a smelting team. ''''That''s pretty good. But couldn''t it be a little thinner? Well I thought it would probably fall apart if I did any more, so... I see. I pay off my right hand lightly with a huff and smelt the same one as Monica''s. However, mine is even more extremely thin. From a distance, it''s so thin that it''s not very recognizable. ''''.........Wow, that''s amazing Sensei.'''' ''I''m not asking you to aim for this level of accuracy, Monica, but you should aim here and gradually improve your accuracy. And for future battles in the labyrinth. Yes! To be frank, I don''t have that much to teach Monica. So I decided to have her do the rest of the training on her own. ''''Sensei. What should I do? "Can Alice be smelted without a smelting camp? Hmm. Only the easy stuff...not quite like Monica. What about Rita? I''m doing much better, thanks to you! So let''s do the same kind of training you two did with Monica for now. "Yes! Then we both start to focus on it. In fact, this practice has all the basics. If the balance between the three elements necessary for alchemy, a clear mental image, the First Pledge¡¶Primateria¡·and magic power, is not neatly established, a tall and thin pillar of ice cannot be created. If you make a mistake in the mental image, it will collapse, and if you mishandle the First Ingredient ¡¶Prima Material¡·, it will also collapse, and the magic power must not be too much or too little. It''s an object that can only exist when the perfect balance is cleared. If you want to live as an alchemist in the future, you had better cultivate this sense of balance while you are still alive. Thinking that, I decided to impose this practice on the three of us. ''''Mmmm........'''' Rita has good muscle. Or rather, in this case, the talent would be outstanding. The rate of growth since I taught her is extraordinary. I''m sure she''s already closing in on the platinum grade [platinum]. I''m still managing to work hard and refining the pillar of ice. Its speed is slow, but it''s a good one. ''''Hmmm.........'''' Alice is normal, for better or worse. That said, her resist skills are already at the same level as mine, but it seems to be pretty hard to do without a smelting formation. It''s just a small pillar of ice. Alice is struggling with many things, but that ice won''t be able to grow any further. What do you think, Alice? ''''It''s difficult........the balance is a bit.... And if you think about it without a training camp, the balance is even more... ''''Well I''m a big believer in no training camp, but that''s not strictly true. What? ''''It means that the alchemy formation is activated at the unconscious level. After all, alchemists are inseparable from the alchemy team no matter how far they go. It''s just invisible, but it''s embedded in the process. By making it unconscious, I just make it look like I''m doing the alchemy without the alchemy team at first glance. Well, I say none because there''s no end to the details. ''''I see.......so you can do the entire alchemy team process unconsciously? ''Right. If you can do that, then it''s just a matter of balancing the three. Anyone can do the smelting itself without a smelting team. But after that, it''s difficult. It takes a lot of cultivation to get to the level of me and Fee. Okay..... I''ll do my best! That''s the spirit. We practiced for the next hour or so and then broke up. I used to think this didn''t matter, that it would be nice if we could just focus on the crops, but it''s not so bad. But it''s not as bad as it sounds. After selling our crops to the world, I''ll have to raise the rightful successors... As I was thinking about this, Fee''s guy came running home, as usual. He''s a busy guy, as usual. ''''Fee, what''s up?'''' I''ve got top secret information! For what? I heard that Rafe Allan is in the Imperial City right now. It''s a holiday tomorrow, so let''s go to the Imperial City. We''ll have a rare opportunity to hear from someone who has captured the labyrinth! ''''Hmmm........yes. I was definitely at an impasse about the labyrinth too. Just in time. So we''ll leave early tomorrow morning. Oh, and I''ll bring Monica with me. Hmm?¡¡Yeah ... and now we''re all three of us attacking it. That would be good. Well, nice to meet you! With that, Fee went back to the academy. Perhaps he still had some work to do. This is how we ended up heading to the Skrull Empire. 33-Episode 33: Skul Empire The Skrull Empire. That''s the name of the empire that controls the entire land that spreads further north of the Canovaria Kingdom. The power of the Skrull Empire is tremendous, winning a series of wars hundreds of years ago and expanding its territory to the present. The Canovaria Kingdom was not swallowed up, but most of the other kingdoms came under the control of the Skrull Empire. But now, however, there''s no severe oppression, and we''re functioning as a normal, large country. It''s a good thing that we have a normal trade with our kingdom. I''m sure you''ll find that people come and go to the empire and to the kingdom. I''ve heard that Leif Allan is in the imperial capital of the Empire. Leif Allan. Its name is world famous. Even I, who''s not very well versed in the world, know him. He has achieved many great feats in spite of his unfortunate position as an adventurer. In the beginning, he didn''t work in the labyrinth, but hunted demons for a living, but in the past few years, he began to capture the labyrinth. A few months ago, he conquered the third maze. This is truly an unprecedented achievement. I am in awe of him. And we were on our way to the Skrull Empire to meet this person. ''''Haha, I''m used to traveling by carriage. I don''t like the shake ups, though. It''s about half a day''s travel time, right?¡¡Then..... Yeah. We should be there soon. Fee, me, and Monica got into the carriage to get around. It''s tiring to move around so much these days, but it can''t be helped. It''s okay if you think this is all connected to the crops. Besides, now is the time to put the research aside. It will be a few months before we get the results, which is just fine. I''ve left the care of Proto, No. 1 and the others to Rita and Alice. ''''Leave it to me!¡¡I''ll turn it into a fine vegetable! Rita had been talking about it boldly, but I guess Rita has that kind of talent. It might be a good idea for her to become a teacher in the future, just like me. Checkpoint. You''ll need a badge and a permit, both of you. Okay. I understand. We reach the gates of the imperial city, and we proceed to the checkpoint. We get out of the carriage, pay the money, and then line up one by one. Since we are alchemists belonging to the association, our badges and the permission slip from the association are our identification. What do you want? Can you just shut up and let me through with this? Fee bribes the person doing the checkpointing. It''s quite a bit of money. It must be a mind-blowing thing. "You''re an alchemist. Do you have a permit? Yes, for three. ''Check. Alfira Medis, Elwydd Willis, Monica Dunn ... hmm?¡¡Elweed?¡¡You don''t mean a jasper-class Blue Star alchemist?¡¡No, silly. Such a celebrity.... It''s a badge. It''s real. I show them my blue-glowing badge. And the other guy sees it and starts to tremble. ''Seriously?'' Yes, sir. It''s just a couple of things. I''d appreciate it if you didn''t pry. Okay, all right. All three of you, please. Even though Monica was a subhuman, she didn''t say anything in particular. The fact that she is my companion must have worked. ''''Oooohhhh........it''s big.......'''' Monica exclaims in admiration. I''ve never been to the Empire before either, but it''s much bigger than the Kingdom. This imperial capital is the center of the empire. It''s the center on which many kingdoms are built. I knew it was bigger than the Kingdom of Canovaria, but I didn''t expect it to be this big.... First of all, the number of structures is different, and the number of roads running through it is also very different. The extreme is the number of people. The population is several times larger than that of the Kingdom of Canovaria. The population density is overwhelming. This isn''t a festival either, is it? Yes. It''s partly because it''s a holiday and partly because it''s so many. ''You''re used to it, Mr. Fee, aren''t you? Hmm?¡¡Oh I come here a lot because of my job. And as a nobleman, I have parties and stuff. ''You''ve never been here before, Elle?'' ''Come to think of it, Fee asked me once, but I didn''t come because I was in the thick of my research at the time. It''s a complete first. So, Fee. Where are we going first? The Society. I have to say hello to Clarice, the president of this place. And so we managed to make our way through the crowd to the Skrull Empire''s Alchemy Society. ''''This is........the society here? It''s huge. My impression can be summed up in one word: huge. Yes, it''s huge. The Kingdom of Canovaria feels long and narrow. Rather than big, it''s long. But the Skrull Empire''s is wide and wide, and my only impression is that it''s huge. It''s wide and deep horizontally. But it''s not big vertically, and at a cursory glance, it''s probably about five floors. ''''Well, let''s go,'''' When we walked in, the place was crowded with all kinds of people. This is the most populated country in the world. There are more alchemists than any other country in the world. There is a reception beyond the entrance, and on either side of it is a bar, or something like a cafe is attached to it. They are probably exchanging information there. I''m not sure.¡¡Is it Lady Arsufilla? The woman at the reception desk says this, and Fee replies with a smirk. ''Yes. ''Is Clarice here now?'' I''m sorry. The chairman isn''t home at the moment... What''s going on? ''Everything seems to have gone wrong in the west of the Empire, so I''ve got to deal with the aftermath. But we''ll be back tomorrow. Yeah. All right. Oh, um ... who are you two?¡¡In case you''re an alchemist, I''d like to see your badge... We had taken our badges off at the checkpoint earlier, so they weren''t on the collars of our clothes now. No matter how well we know each other, no matter how much we know Fee''s companion, it would be important to check. Me and Monica quickly put the badge on the collar. Monica wears a platinum class badge and I wear a blue star class badge. Then the receptionist made a blank look. Is it possible that you are........a Blue Star class alchemist, Elweed Willis? ''Yeah, you''re right. That''s going to work, right? ''Yeah!¡¡Are you sure it''s that azure-class "Bluesteller"? Yeah. Here''s for proof. I smelt a rose from my right hand without a smelting formation and give it to the woman at the reception desk. Send flowers to the woman. By the way, these are Fee''s words. I''m not going to be able to get it right.¡¡That''s the real thing!¡¡Now, sign me up! He hands me an autograph paper and pen that he pulls out of nowhere, and I''m confused, but I''m used to it in the kingdom, so I make it quick. ''Here you go,'' ''''Ohhhhh.......I''m going to make this an heirloom!¡¡Thank you! Later, a large number of women came from behind the reception desk and begged me for an autograph. Fee and Monica said, "I''m having tea over there," and disappeared. I finished signing dozens of autographs and there was another crowd of people behind me. ''''Are you really a blue star class [Bluesteller]?'''' A kid like this? ''No, but Elweed Willis is sixteen years old. That''s about right. Well it certainly has an air about it. This is the world''s greatest alchemist... The alchemists who had been buzzing around earlier, from a strong man to a woman, look at me slyly. ''''Hahaha it''s nice to meet you, I''m Elwyd Willis haha. Hey, he''s talking. Will someone ask me something? You go ahead. No, I''ll take care of this. No, it was me. The pressure of the people coming at me pushes me, but it''s a hassle, so I use alchemy to wind them all back a step on the spot. ''''Really....'''' Did you just see the formation? ''No but it could be carved into your body...'' ''No, there was no sign of that now. Because what''s carved into my body is faintly luminous. Does that mean it''s real? It''s real! Here comes Bluesteller. " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " It looks like this is going to be another dispute.....Hohoho. And I was greeted by the alchemists of the empire, for better or worse. God of crops, help me......... 34-Episode 34: Demon Activation I managed to get out of the association after that, fumbling my way out. I was exhausted and went outside to find Fee and Monica waiting for me. "Elle, how did it go...? I''m tired... Right?¡¡Imperial Alchemists are pretty friendly. That''s going to come all at once. Well, a famous tax. ''Famous tax, yeah........anyway, I don''t want to do anything else today.......'' We''re getting a place to stay. ''Oh...'' So we headed to the inn Fee had taken. On the way, he was staring at my face with a jittery look, but I''m hiding my badge, so it shouldn''t be obvious. Well, if they know your face perfectly, you''re out, but if it''s dark right now, you should be able to get away with just a stranger''s impersonation. ''Elle is in a room by herself. I''ll be in the same room with Monica and I. Wouldn''t it be cheaper for all three of us to be together? Why don''t you change it now? "You have no delicacy!¡¡Huh!¡¡I''ll see you guys later!¡¡I''m going to eat! Yeah, okay. I was pissed off. After all, I don''t seem to understand women''s minds. So I decided to put my bags down and wait outside. All I have is my wallet. We''re all here. Well, let''s go then. Where are you going, Mr. Fee? Your favorite tavern. Well, let''s use the cognitive distraction so we don''t get into a tizzy this time. ''''Are you sure?¡¡May I use alchemy in town? ''We have one celebrity on our hands, you know. And I''m not going to bother you with that, and I''m fine. Oh, I see. Fee''s recommended tavern was right there. I seemed to be familiar with the owner and was shown to a discreet seat in the back. I decided to lightly give myself some cognitive distraction and left the ordering to Fee and Monica. ''So, where is Rafe Alan?¡¡Any information? All I know is that ... I''m in the Imperial City now. What are your sources? ''The chairman here. His name is Clarice Burde, and he''s the same age as me and we get along great. You''re the chairman of this empire at Fee''s age. You must be very capable. Yes. A lot more than I do. So you heard a rumor that I was hiding in the maze and you gave me the news. ...I see. How about we can ask around and see what''s going on? ''Well that might be a good idea. But it''s going to take quite a while. As the three of us are talking, the door opens messily. A pair of men and women entered. But the people around them are strangely deflated or surprised to see them.........or maybe they are just weird. ''''Oh it''s not Clarice. ''What?¡¡Is that it? Yeah. I''m sure. He''s tall, with a short cut to his black hair, and he''s at least five feet tall. He has a slender body. The man next to me, on the other hand, is a muscular man with a brown haircut. He''s taller than me, and his muscles are even thicker. He must be a very good user. In addition, there are glimpses of alchemy camps dug into his body. It''s a good idea to have a good idea of what you''re looking for. It''s a good idea to use it without a training camp, like we did, but there are many people who can''t do that, so carving a training camp is the norm. However, there are disadvantages to it. First of all, the pain of the treatment. The pain is considerable as the alchemy is carved until it reaches the nerves. Furthermore, the consumption of magic power is intense. From those two points, there aren''t many users, but this man is carved all over his body at a glance. He must be an excellent human being. While I was observing the two of them, Fee and Clarice started talking to each other normally. ''Oh?¡¡Not a Fee. ''Long time no see, Clarice. You''re back.¡¡I went to the association. ''Actually, there was a demon active in the west. I was part of a strike force. ''Demons?¡¡What kind? It''s called the Scorpion. And there''s a giant scorpion called the Huge Scorpion. ''What?¡¡Were those things inhabited by the Empire?¡¡It''s supposed to be more common in the desert and the tropics... That''s the mystery. But people are actually dying and there''s a lot of damage. I''ll take the day off today, but tomorrow we''ll be back on the western front. The front?¡¡Do they have a field ward?¡¡On that scale? ''There are thousands of them. We''ve shaved off a lot of them now, but I''m not sure yet. There''s a supply party in the imperial capital right now. ''I can''t believe that''s happening...'' Forget about that. How about you two? Clarice says so, so me and Monica introduce ourselves. ''I''m Elweed Willis,'' Monica Dunn. I''m an elf. Well.... you''re a blue star class Bluesteller and a platinum class elf. I''m Clarice Burde, a platinum alchemist of the platinum class. I''m a Platinum-class alchemist, and I''m the president of the Alchemy Society of the Empire. Oh, and you can talk to me straight. I don''t like to be formal. ''Well, um ... would it be wrong to call me Miss Clarice?'' It''s okay, Monica, because you seem to have a normal tone of voice. Clarice, so where''s your man? I rudely asked him that. And the answer I got was a convincing one. "Rafe Allan. Maze walker. ¡ó And the man we''ve been looking for, Rafe Allan, opens his mouth. "This is Rafe Allan. This is Rafe Allan," he says, "and this is Alfira Medis, Elwydd Willis, and Monica Dunn. I understand you are currently in the Sixth Maze. Oh, and I can call myself Leif. I don''t like to stand on ceremony. So how about the Sixth Labyrinth? Rafe says and stares at me. Should I answer this one? Ten layers?¡¡So, have you encountered any big or extremely strong demons? Oh. I fought a giant spider, the Huge Spider, which is over 10 meters long. Moreover, it uses alchemy. Although it was mainly for defense and transference. Did you take them down?¡¡The three of you? I froze it at absolute zero with Fee and Monica covering it. ''''You can use the Singular Alchemy [Extra] all by yourself? So the Blue Star class [Bluesteller] is not an expert... We''re here to see you. You want information? That''s right. Well, hey, Clarice. We should get these guys on the front line. They''ll be useful. Rafe waved that to Clarice. ''Oh?¡¡That''s a good idea. In fact, that''s what I thought all along. In the front line, there''s a blue star class "Bluestella" and two platinum class "Platinum". Furthermore, if I hear that they have broken through to the tenth level of that sixth labyrinth, I''ll just have to ask them to join us. ''''Fee, is that right?'''' I''m good, but what about Monica and Elle? We all nodded. I''m sure you''ll be able to tell me all the information about my labyrinth once I''ve determined that you can traverse it with this case. And they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I don''t trust you yet. Yeah, okay. So what''s the situation?¡¡What''s going on? Actually.... Then Clarice gave me an overview. A month ago, the Scorpions, or Scorpions, appeared in the western village. There were over a thousand of them, including the Huge Scorpion, the Huge Scorpion. The Scorpion is a class B dangerous scorpion, while the Huge Scorpion is a class A dangerous demon. They are a crustacean type of monster, and their ecosystem is basically found in tropical regions such as deserts. It has a bright red outer shell that would be flattened by a half-hearted attack. And the poison in their tail, if consumed, will kill them within minutes. And what''s more troublesome is the way it disperses its venom. In some respects, it is similar to the Huge Spider, but if anything, the Scorpion type is more troublesome. Thousands of them appeared out of nowhere. Right now, it seems that excellent alchemists and armies are in charge of things. However, it seems that almost only alchemists are left in the front line right now. Other ordinary humans are already dead or wounded and have left the front line. It seems to be a pretty tough situation. ''''Is it okay to leave the front line? I ask, and Clarice replies with a serious look in her eyes. It''s like they have an activity cycle. Right now they''re resting somewhere. This is a pattern, and after a certain amount of time of activity, they flee to somewhere else. It''s an uncanny speed. Or..... We decided to break up and get ready for tomorrow. 35-Episode 35: Abnormal Monster Battle Zone Alter 1 The next day, early in the morning. The five of us got into a carriage and headed west to the village of Altaat. Altart. It''s a small village located just west of the imperial capital. It''s a place that can be reached in a few hours by carriage, but it seems that it''s now a hellish battlefield. Furthermore, according to Clarice''s information, the Scorpions will be appearing this evening. ''''You should read this. All three of you. After Clarice said that, me, Fee, and Monica received a document. It was detailed information about the "Scorpion". The Scorpion ¡¶Scorpion¡·. A demon with a danger level of B. Unlike spiders, there are no small ones in the Scorpion. The Scorpion has been evolving since the past, and even the smallest individual is about the same size as a person. They are mainly found in the tropics, especially in the deserts, but some have adapted to colder regions. The outer shell is red. However, I heard that there are some that are very blue in cold regions. I didn''t know this information. I knew that demons also change according to the environment. Fighting is basically crushing their heads. The outer shell is quite hard, and it''s not easy to break through it. Therefore, it is written that you should prioritize crushing the head intensively. However, there are some that use alchemy to defend against it, and that is not always the right way to fight. Also, the Scorpion can spread the poison from its tail around. This is quite effective on humans with soft skin, and the area touched by the scorpion will become sore and red. After some time, it will turn bright blue, leading to death. The information was summarized as such. The last sentence should be handled flexibly accordingly. That''s what it''s all about. "If it''s the Scorpion, why don''t you just freeze its legs? I skimmed through the material and asked that question. But the answer I get is that it''s not that easy. There are quite a few of them, and there is a possibility that they will involve the people around them. Moreover, there are individuals who use reflectors. Basically, the front line is the white army. The rest of the time we use alchemy to back them up from behind. "....Reflectors... It''s tricky. The Reflection Formation ¡¶Reflector¡· is an alchemy that returns the opponent''s alchemy exactly as it was. There are many alchemists who use it, and I can use it too. But if a demon can even use the Reflector, this is finally... strange. It''s an anomaly. Obviously, something is causing an oddity in this world, starting with something. The matter of the labyrinth, and this time, the Scorpion ¡¶Scorpion¡·. A demon that uses alchemy, a demon that appears in a place where it didn''t appear before. It didn''t seem to me that this was a complete coincidence. ''''So, how can Elle, Fee, and Monica have a white army battle?¡¡I''d like to see those who can go to the front lines. It''s just me. I''ll answer Clarice''s question. If I keep quiet, Fee and Monica might say they''re going too. Fighting on the front lines is definitely hell. It''s going to be a hell of a close call with death. If that''s the case, I have no choice but to go. I''m not a blue star class "Bluesteller" alchemist. ''''........Can I go?'''' Rafe stares at me quizzically. ''''Ah. I''m essentially just a farmer, but lately I''ve gotten used to fighting white knuckles in a labyrinth attack. Besides, there''s this. I thump the thin-winged dragonfly that I''m holding at my waist. Then Rafe reaches for it, as if he''s curious. ''''........can I look at it?'''' Yeah. I don''t mind. With a swoosh, Midori''s sword blade is exposed. I sharpened it before I came here, and I used alchemy to make it harder than before. Probably, it would be easy to cut through the outer shell of the Scorpion, too. Based on what happened in the Sixth Labyrinth, I had strengthened the Thin Feathered Dragonfly and I didn''t expect to make use of it here....... ''''You''re........thin. But it''s not bad. I''m sure it''s very sharp. And it''s also quite hard. The outer shell of the Scorpion should be no problem. Now, the magic sword?¡¡But I don''t know of any magic swords that are green, thin and thin, and even more specialized in cutting. Did you get it in the Sixth Labyrinth? No, I made it myself. ...ingredients? Cucumbers. ''''...I see. Crop-crazed, crazy genius, or so the rumor goes. Well, I am aware that I have a point, so I won''t argue with that. I know I''m not going to argue with that, because I know that my work is being judged fairly, and I shouldn''t complain. I''m going to use this. It''s a magic sword, Levatain. "...Levatain?¡¡A magic sword of fire? ''Ah. I got it in the deepest part of the Third Labyrinth. The Demon Sword Levatain. Unlike my Usukane Kagerou, it is a true demon sword. It has a red exterior and a thick blade. My Hatsuha Kageru specializes in cutting, and it has a sword form, but this one is different. This thick and heavy demon sword feels like it will crush everything. Moreover, when it comes to the demon sword Levatein, it can be covered in flames. ''''Um... what''s the difference between a demon sword and an ordinary sword?'''' Monica says that, so I decide to answer her. Leif seems to be basically silent. ''''A magic sword is a sword that cannot be reproduced by modern alchemy. As a type of lost technology, this magic sword Leavatein can be clothed in fire.'''' Couldn''t you have done it by using normal alchemy to wear flames? ''''No, the demon sword has alchemy applied to this sword itself. You can carve an alchemy formation on the weapon, but it always requires the alchemist''s magic power. But the magic sword is complete with this one. In a way, it is the ultimate sword. ''Wow....that''s amazing...'' I handed Leavatein back to Leif, and he grinned at me. ¡ó A field ward....this is a mess. When we arrived at the village of Altaat, we found ourselves in the field ward. It was a simple tent with many beds laid out in a simple tent. Also, the houses in this village were no longer occupied. All of them had already been evacuated, apparently. The only people here were either soldiers or alchemists. Some had no arms, some had no legs, some had no eyes, and many others were missing. There were all sorts of people from mild to severe. They seemed to be groaning and holding still. The Empire was a rather large country, and it would take days for a large army to arrive in this Altart village. It seemed that the soldiers guarding this neighborhood had been fighting until then. There are alchemists as well, but many soldiers were driven out because there are few that specialize in combat. The result seems to be this. There has never been a large scale battle with a demon before. Even if there was, we were well prepared, and the other demons do not leave the territory. It was very easy to handle. Yes, until now. But it seems that the people who dealt with the sudden appearance of the Scorpion ¡¶Scorpion¡· were hit across the board and this field ward was born. ''''Wah, I''m going to go treat them! I''m coming with you. Fee and Monica are good at healing alchemy. It''s a good thing that you''re a good friend of mine. ''Elle, you don''t do anything. You''ll be on the front line in a few hours, save your ass. Besides, your presence is the only hope these guys have. ? I was making a face that said I didn''t understand, when Rafe began to speak in a hushed voice. ''Listen!¡¡Elweird Willis, a blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· alchemist, came to me. Now I can find a way to make a living!¡¡Your injuries were not in vain. With us and this one, we will definitely hold the front line and round up all the Scorpions! Oh... that... "If you say so, Master Leif... Oh thank goodness this is.... Will we ever get out of here alive...? The gloomy field ward came to life as if it had been brought back to life. ''Hey, are you sure? You weren''t exaggerating, were you? It''s fine. You can''t afford this level of performance. It''s good for morale. Okay, we''re going to the Ops Room. And I would follow Rafe. 36-Episode 36: Abnormal Demon Battle Area Alter 2 Me and Leif came to the base of operations. When we entered the tent, there was Clarice and a few soldiers. There were also a few alchemists. Including us, there were probably more than ten of us. But that''s strange. The number of people in the room seems to be very small. Or are there others? "Welcome, Elle. Well let''s talk about it. Wait, Clarice is this all the people you''ve got? Yeah. The only people who will be on the front lines in the next few hours are the members here. ...is it really that harsh? ''Yes. There were more of them, but they are dead or wounded and gone. And we can''t expect reinforcements from the army at a distance. I see. You maintain the front line with only a few dozen men. I don''t have any experience with white knuckle fighting in a group, but I can understand that this is a very bad situation. ''''Now, let me introduce you all. I''m Elweird Willis, a Blue Star-class [Bluesteller] alchemist. "...my name is Elweed Willis. I have no experience in group warfare, but I will try to help you. Oh...! ''''Another amazing person with a blue-star class Bluesteller alchemist...'''' This will greatly strengthen our forces. Oh. I can finally push back. The world around me begins to buzz. Apparently my presence was a welcome one. ''So how do you fight it?¡¡We need to work together, just in case you want to tell me about it. Clarice, and even the people around me were staring at me with interest. But lately I''ve gotten used to the gazes, so I was able to speak normally. ''Alchemy can be used without an alchemy camp. The time depends on the thing, but it''s almost no time. I''ve dealt with hundreds of giant spiders ¡¶Hugeespiders¡· in hand-to-hand combat as well, so I''m used to it. This time, I heard that there are some individuals that use the Reflector, so I''ll mainly fight this thin-winged dragonfly and body strengthening. After that, depending on the situation, I''ll freeze them and stop them from moving. .........Can you use some kind of singular ability, the Dunamis? Leif blurts out. The Extraordinary Ability ¡¶Dunamis¡·. It''s academic official name is Extra Sensory Perception which comes from Alchemy. However, it is generally known as "Dunamis", perhaps due to the influence of the old days. The singular ability "Dunamis" is a supersensory perception that comes from alchemy. Basically, the singular ability ¡¶Dunamis¡· is an extension of the five senses. It''s something like having extraordinarily good eyesight, or an extra keen sense of smell. Most of it is inborn, and the higher your aptitude for alchemy, the more likely you are to be born with a singular ability called Dunamis. But I have an acquired singular ability, Dunamis. This is self-proclaimed, but I call it the Absolute Realm, or "Sanctuary". This is something that perceives the first quality around you, the Primamateria, not visually, but with your senses. Human vision is not an absolute thing. There is what is called a blind spot in the human eye. The optic nerve, which runs through the eyeball, is connected to the brain like a cable, and the cable blocks the vision of only one part of the eye, so there is one point that we cannot see. People just make up their own vision, using both eyes to compensate for it. It is impossible to perceive the world as it really is in the first place. But my Absolute Realm, the Sanctuary, makes it possible. There is no blind spot for me to perceive the First Quality Primamateria, the foundation of this world. My brain can directly perceive what exists in which position and in what form it is located with all my senses. There is what I call the Absolute Realm, or Sanctuary, which is the first quality of the surrounding area, the Prima Materia. It doesn''t need to rely on sight to keep track of its surroundings. No blind spots? Yeah, just enough to know that you''re holding your hand out to me from behind. Well, that''s convenient. It. Rafe seemed to be testing me, so I lightly activated it. I don''t often use it due to the poor mileage of my magic, but I can use it as usual. ''''....I see. Potential is enough, you know. He''s a top-notch researcher and a top-notch fighter, that''s just what the blue star class "Bluesteller" is. For now, Elle and Leif are the vanguard, the rest of us should go in cover. But, well, it''s the same as usual. Elle and the other guys should work well together. We''ll cover from the rear guard. The same goes for recovery, but if you run out of magic, we''ll have some flexibility. Then I''ll see you on the battlefield. Then we were dismissed and I moved to another place by myself. ¡ó ...there''s this place. While I was maintaining the thin-winged lion alone, the one behind me was Leif. ''''Well, the only thing I have to do is maintain this guy,'''' So?¡¡Are you nervous? ''''Well maybe you''re right. I''m just a farmer, and the labyrinth is the first time I''ve started fighting demons. And now, when you''re going out on the front lines with the lives of so many people in your hands, I can''t help but get nervous. Well, the first battle is like that. You don''t lose if you don''t die for now. You must understand that. Rafe seems to be used to it. ''Oh?¡¡Well I originally became a mercenary from the knights and then an adventurer. My experience in group battles and fighting with demons is far different from yours. ''''That''s great. I''m celebrated as a blue star class [Bluestella], but in reality, I''m just a sixteen-year-old kid. I don''t have the determination or guts. I''ve always thought that I should just live my life thinking only about the crops. But there are all kinds of people in the world, and they all interact with each other. Now I am also a teacher at a school. When I think about it, I realize the weight of people and I can''t stop shaking. To think that people like that field ward will come out again, you know.... You''re a 16-year-old kid who thinks too much. ...Is that so? ''You can go your own way. In the end, people can only follow what they decide to do. Don''t be swayed by the people around you. I''m not saying that you shouldn''t take this battle lightly. But don''t get too uptight. I''ve seen many people die on the battlefield because their swords, their alchemy was dulled. It''s okay to have doubts. But don''t make it conscious. In battle, think only of what''s in front of you and fight. Probably because you and I are the biggest force in the fight. Well that''s about it. ... "Oh, that''s about it. So good luck with that, Elle. Rafe said and left. I thought he was a quiet, unassuming man, but he might actually be a caring, friendly guy. So I got up and headed to the field ward where Fee and Monica were. ''Elle, where have you been?'' A little bit. You done with your game plan? Yes, sir. But it''s just logistical support. Unlike you on the front lines. But I''ll do the best I can. You''re in charge. I''ll cut down the line as best I can. Just as I''m talking to Fee, Monica comes over too. ''''Preeminent!¡¡I thought I couldn''t see you but are you okay?¡¡Fighting on the front lines... ''''Ah. I''ve been in that labyrinth, and I''m reasonably familiar with dealing with demons. ''Well that''s fine then...'' Monica looks at me with a worried look on her face. The truth is, I''m afraid of Monica, and I''m afraid of Fee. I''m sure there isn''t a single person on the battlefield who isn''t afraid. I''ve been feeling a faint sense of fear even in the labyrinth. When it comes out like this, my legs are trembling and I can''t seem to get out of it. But it''s all connected to the crops. My actions now are connected to a definite future. It''s an unexpected turn of events, but it''s also a choice I have to make. I could stay holed up in my kingdom for a long time and study the crops. If I was a Blue Star Class [Bluesteller], I could have pushed through that much. But I still went out there. I wanted to go out and spread the word. I believe that this must be connected to somewhere. And I was finally going to be the first to go out there. 37-Episode 37: Abnormal Demon Battle Area 3 Evening. But the sun is already setting. Our frontline group is waiting side by side. You can''t get rid of them. I had sensed the flow of the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· around me. It was flowing like air, but it was gathering evenly. But then I felt a slight fluctuation. ''''........It''s coming, Leif. Do you get it yet, Elle? ''''Oh. I can feel the faint first pledge, Primamateria, swinging. That''s quite a lot.......I can''t give you an exact number, but it''s more than a few hundred. All hands, prepare for battle! In this battle, Leif is serving as the captain. And the frontline group that heard his voice readied their weapons and entered combat readiness. I''m going to be the first to attack, Leif. But it''s only to freeze your feet. I''ll make sure that the influence of the Reflector will not reach this far. All right. You take the lead. In an instant, a bright red mass of dust was coming from the horizon. The one that came with a thud thud thud thud thud thud was a swarm of Scorpions. I caught them within the range of my alchemy and smelted an icy area from right below. The movement of the Scorpion swarm slows down as a thin layer of ice snaps and peeps across the ground. ''''Alright!¡¡That''s it! "''Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Some of them have succeeded in stopping them and are emitting strange noises. However, it seems that some of them used a reflective formation ¡¶Reflector¡·, and there were also individuals that came straight at us. ''''.........'''' As I exhale the air from my lungs in one fell swoop, I run straight to the ground. I''m strengthening my body, and my speed is not half-hearted. Run. Run. Run. Run! The landscape around me passed by in an instant, and in front of me were several Scorpions. The Scorpions that are lined up side by side attacked me, trying to cut me with their huge, sharp scissors. However, before their scissors could reach me, I flashed a flash of light. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make your life easier. ''Go ahead!¡¡Don''t let one of them pee behind you!!!!! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " As a sign of my sword, my companions charged at once into the Scorpion horde. I followed suit and quickly cut through the Scorpions. As I charged in alone, I was completely surrounded by the surrounding area because I was feeling isolated, but I have a complete grasp of my surroundings in the absolute realm of the Sanctuary. I ducked the attack from the blind spot behind me without any difficulty and made a flash. Botry and his head falls off again. As if aiming for that moment, the Scorpion is going to shower me with poison from its tail all at once. But that''s too poorly done. In an instant, I move to my opponent''s side and cut him down as it is. These guys are defenseless when releasing their venom. I''d still rather be attacked by a pair of scissors. Then I kick the ground again and run through the battlefield. As I run away, I cut dozens of Scorpions ¡¶Scorpion¡· into small pieces at once. I''m not going to relax my hand even though the scorpions begin to make a lot of noise all at once, whether it''s calling for pain, intimidation, or support. Furthermore, the thin-winged dragonfly''s sharpness shows no signs of dropping at all. The more you cut it, the more familiar the sensation seems to be with you. ''''Whoa!¡¡Get away from me!¡¡Don''t come over here! I looked and saw that a man had fallen down. His right arm was already missing from the elbow and he was backward while managing to stop the bleeding. Although the distance is 100 meters away, I headed towards it without hesitation and froze the feet of the four scorpions with alchemy. It seems that this time it was an individual that didn''t use the Reflector. ''''Lucky. ''''........huh! I cut the heads of the four Scorpions, which are motionless, with a thin-winged dragonfly. While avoiding the overflowing body fluids, I manage to save the fallen man. ''''........Are you okay?'''' Oh that was really helpful. Thank you. As expected of a blue star class [Bluestella], you''re like a demon god. I''m not interested in compliments. Now get behind me. Oh. I''ll thank you later... I said that and ran off the man and ran off to dive even deeper into the battlefield. ¡ó You''ve killed a lot of people. Hundreds of corpses were growing around me. The number of Scorpions was probably close to a thousand. But now, I''ve already destroyed almost all of them. There were only a few dozen of them left, and they were all around Leif. There would be no need to help them. ''''Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Leif shouted that and released the ability of the magic sword Levatein. The blazing flames burned out the Scorpion ¡¶Scorpion¡·. Annihilation. The Scorpions, the Scorpions, who are being swallowed into the sea of waving blue flames. It''s an overwhelming sight. As expected of a magic sword. Unlike my Hakuhae''s dragonfly, it''s an object for the overwhelming majority. And then the first battle ended after killing all the fleeing Scorpions. The number of wounded here is less than ten. No one died this time. I guess we''re good. "Elle, it''s over. ''Rafe. That''s what I''m talking about, and that last one was a medium one. ''I was surprised at that skill on your part. You worked so hard that I couldn''t believe you were the guy who was scared before your first battle. To be honest, you were quite a big part of the success of this project. It helped. We were congratulating each other on our good work. It''s over. We had done it safely. We killed them on the front lines, and what was left out was covered by the alchemy of the rear. It was perfect. Yes, it was perfect. But even at this moment, I had activated the Absolute Realm, the Sanctuary. The fact that I had activated it even though it was over, I just forgot about it. It was just a coincidence, just a coincidence. But that was just the beginning. The beginning, dragging this boggy battlefield further into the mire. ''''...?'''' What''s up, Elle? There''s something in the basement and it''s huge! It can''t be the Huge Scorpion! In an instant, an explosion sounded from the ground and a large pair of bright red scissors could be seen. ''''Wha-........? That''s the Huge Scorpion? The giant scorpion, the Huge Scorpion, that appeared was clearly abnormal. Its total length must have exceeded 15 meters. And the size of the scissors was also unusually large compared to its physique. Could this be the same subspecies as that labyrinth? As I was thinking this, the subspecies raised its scissors high and opened its sharp mouth. Strange voices. We couldn''t help but cover our ears. Then, a large number of Scorpions appeared again from the horizon. "Errrr!¡¡We''ll buy ourselves some time! Yes, sir! Leif and I, realizing quickly, entered the battle formation again. I''m going to set up an ice barrier to slow down the progress of the approaching Scorpion swarm. To be honest, that side can handle it without us. However, this one in front of us is the only one that Leif and I need to fight with. That''s how I intuitively felt. ''''Rafe!¡¡Behind you! A moment later, when I thought that an alchemy formation had appeared on his tail, it shifted and a sharp tail was coming at Leif''s head. ''d*mn it!¡¡This is transference, huh! The moment Rafe perceives my words, he crouches down to avoid them. I quickly take advantage of the opportunity and cut off its tail. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make your life easier. You have to be able to find the best way to get the best results. You''ll be able to find out what''s going on in the marketplace. ''''Rebirth.........'''' ''Looks like ... this sucks ...'' Yes. The mutilated tail had already been regenerated. And the subspecies one had started munching on the cut off tail. Is that roar a yell, anger, or........ A further infernal battlefield has risen to the curtain. 38-Episode 38: Abnormal Demon Battle Area Alter 4 A variant of the giant scorpion, the Huge Scorpion, the Hygge Scorpion. This is reminiscent of the battle in the labyrinth. At the same time, I''m convinced that this is the same phenomenon as the labyrinth, and that all the demons in the world are activated. If you don''t think of it that way, it''s impossible to explain. The subspecies rushes at me while shouting that. It swings both hands of scissors at me, but due to its size, it''s slow. However, my senses caught something. That''s right, the scissors that were in front of me now are approaching from behind. The Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡· is the ability to perceive the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. And a peculiar fluctuation appears as a sign when alchemy is used. I can perceive the First Quality, Primamateria, which gathers in a way that converges with the alchemy team. For that reason, although it''s not a prediction of the future, I''m able to anticipate the use of alchemy to some extent. Transferring.¡¡Too much trouble! I then manage to duck the shears that are coming at me from behind by shifting, and keep my distance. I''m sure that Leif''s also come closer to me, and for the time being, the two of us will maintain this line of fire. ''''Huh........that was bad. ''''That''s true. But you seem to be able to handle it with your Singularity ability, Dunamis, but I''m a tough nut to crack. Are you okay? What? I haven''t been on the battlefield for decades. I''ve ducked under the death line many times. This is just one of them. You''re a bullshitter. I''d be dead if I didn''t. Instantly, the sub-species one raises its tail high in the sky. Then it begins to spread the poison around like a fountain. "Let''s go, Elle!¡¡I''ll let you decide what to play! Roger that! And so the two of us will run the ground. Run, run, run, run!¡¡Stamping firmly on the earth, we ducked the poison and aimed at his tail and scissors. ''''Haaaaaaaaah!!!'''' Leif''s one released Leavatein''s ability. Unusual flames enveloped the subspecies'' scissors and then burned. The subspecies one is in agony over it, but it seems to be able to use resist as well, and in the blink of an eye, its flames are extinguished. And I had taken the opportunity to get behind it. I had lowered my posture and was running with the thin-winged dragonfly parallel to the ground. Furthermore, with that momentum, I flew high into the sky. ''''Haaaaaaaaaah!!!! I also let out another yell and flash my subspecies'' tail. The sputtered tail fell to the ground with a thud. But in the next moment, flesh was rising from the severed surface. I quickly freeze the severed surface. The freezing tail resists and counteracts the crunching and crunching, but it doesn''t release immediately. This time, he had put the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡· and magic power in it quite strongly. At least, that tail wouldn''t be able to regenerate for a few more minutes. And me and Leif once again take a breath from a distance. Good job. But now it''s all about those scissors. Yeah, I guess so. Can''t you freeze them again? With that purity of ice, it would require a huge amount of the First Quality Quality and magic power to refine. It''s not something that can be fired in rapid succession. I see. So that means you won''t change what you do. As we were talking, we noticed that the color of the outer shell of the subspecies'' one was changing. ''''Blue........outer shell...?'''' Elle, be careful something is wrong. And in the next moment, it has moulted. Stupid big skin fell to the ground from the outer shell that was being peeled off. A roar. The volume of the voice is louder than ever and we can''t help but cover our ears. ''''Nah........that was.......'''' What I saw was a giant scorpion, the Huge Scorpion, which was completely different from what I had seen before. The bright blue outer shell and the translucent glow. At a glance, its appearance looks fantastic. However, its tail has already regenerated and we''ll have to fight it again from scratch. And we don''t even know what happened to the change. I''ve been told it exists in cold regions, but its size is also different from normal ones. We don''t know what kind of attack will come. ''''.........Reihu!¡¡Avoid! I was able to anticipate his attack. Rather, I''ve been using alchemy, so I could even predict what was coming. He is using ice. Ice alchemy. If it sounds as good as it looks, it is, but a huge wall of ice runs vertically zaaaaaah between us, tearing between us. I ducked to the right, and Rafe ducked to the left. But in the next moment, I felt an unusual pressure on my own right side. ''''........What?'''' Yes, he had already come around to my right. He had already come around to my right. I had a preconceived notion that what I could transfer was limited in size to some extent, such as scissors and tails. I myself would have a hard time moving something bigger than me when using transference. That''s why I should have expected it. That this guy can also move himself. And I used the thin-winged dragon as a shield to prevent the attacks of my opponent. I''m going to be able to make sure that the antagonist is also able to withstand the impact of my body. You have to be able to use it. You have to be able to get the best out of it. I''m not sure that I can use perfect alchemy in a spur-of-the-moment environment. ''''Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! With a grunt I am blown backwards as it is. Vomiting blood. Probably my internal organs, or maybe my bones were hit. I rolled backwards without taking a proper passive position while enduring the uncommon pain. And when I came to a standstill with a dragonfly, he was already right in front of me. My head was just about to be swallowed by the scissors. ''''Ah........'''' I''m stunned to hear that. This........is dead. But my head didn''t fly in the air. It was because a pillar of fire appeared between me and the shears. It seemed that Leif had unleashed Levatein''s abilities as he let out a yell. The subspecies staggered backwards in agony. And beside me came the Leif guy. ''Is he alive?'' I''ll see what I can do. A bone?¡¡Is it internal? I think it''s both but I can give you first aid myself. I put my hand on my stomach and activate the alchemy. I''m not good at the medical stuff, but I can do the bare minimum. I lightly connect the bones together and block the bleeding from my internal organs. But the oozing pain doesn''t go away. The greasy sweat doesn''t stop either. ''''Huh ... hah ... hah ... success ...'''' "Well I''d say it''s quicksilver, but I don''t think I can fight anymore. I''m on my own from here. No I''m coming with you. But..... You know what I''m talking about.¡¡That was too much for one person to handle. It''s an opponent that me and Leif can barely compete with together... Yes, but can we go? Oh I''ve left a lot of important things to my country. I can''t just sit here and quit. Well let''s do it. Ah! I ignore the pain and stand up. I still have some magic power left, and I can feel the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Terrier¡·. I can do this. I can still fight. Besides, if I pull back, this front line will fall apart and the damage will be enormous. No matter how many people in the rearguard teamed up, they would be no match for this subspecies. Besides, I still have some work to do. The vegetables we have left in the country, the research that has yet to come to fruition, and my students. I''m not going to die here. I''m going to fulfill my dream. The subspecies finally resists the flames and howls again. But the burning scissors don''t seem to have fully recovered yet, and I can clearly see that they are blazing. ''''I''m going to decide this time! Ah! And me and Rafe would run through the ground again. 39-Episode 39: Abnormal Demon Battle Area Alter 5 Half an hour had passed since then. Me and Rafe had pretty much cornered the subspecies'' guy. ''''Ki-kiiiiiii..... ''Huh ... huh ... huh ... huh ...'' "I ain''t dead yet, you d*mn scorpion... All three have wounds all over their bodies. Their magic power was already running out on each other. The subspecies of the Huge Scorpion, the Huge Scorpion, already had its right scissors cut off, as if it couldn''t regenerate. But the only thing missing was that. The only thing that remains is the marks of burns and mutilation all over the body. The blood that poured out of my body shows the harshness of the current battlefield. Leif and I have wounds all over our bodies. I''m still reeling from the damage of my earlier attack, and Leif''s magic power is being depleted by the flames he fired to protect me. The First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· is also in disarray. It''s probably a final roar. It''s probably a sign of his will to kill you guys with this. Without giving me and Leif any time to rest, the subspecies guy is already charging at me. ''''With this........I''ll end it. I stand there dumbfounded as I hold the thin-winged lion low. Leif''s guy is dizzy from the depletion of his magic power. You have to be able to get the best out of it. And he''s coming at me, too. Dodo-dodo-dodo, and he runs across the land. Raising a cloud of dust, he comes for my head. I don''t move. No, I didn''t have to move anymore. In the first place, I don''t have that much strength left in me right now. Then there''s only one thing I can do. ''''Soooooooooooooooooooo, haaaaaaaah.'''' I take a deep breath and prepare myself. This is the end of my life if I fail. Without a doubt, I''ll get my head popped off in an instant. No, I''m sure I''ll end up being preyed upon alive. ''Ka, ka, ka, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki...!!'' I take an iaiduki stance while catching the one that comes in front of me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make your life easier. You can''t fail. You can''t afford to fail, and if you fail, I die and Leif dies. I''m not going to be the only one who can do this. Yes, I''m going to further evolve this pygmy dragonfly. I''m not a dragonfly. I''m not sure how much magic I have left. But there is a large amount of the First Pledge, the Primamateria, created by the massive use of alchemy, floating around. If that''s the case, then combining a large amount of the First Quality, a little bit of magic, and my clear mental image, I can do it. Remember. Back then, when we made the proto and the first ones. All you have to do is trace it back to what we did then. And I want you to remember Leif''s magic sword. Combining those two memories together, I was........................ready to go. ''''Not yet ... not yet ... come ... come ... more ...'''' This move has an extremely short range. It needs to be sufficiently drawn in for that reason. In front of me. I''ve already stepped into the realm of the dead in less than a second. I''ll have to make all the decisions in this world. The Absolute Realm, the Sanctuary, is confined to a radius of a few centimeters. The area just a few centimeters away from my body is all I can react to. And the scissors are about to touch my head. Yes, just barely. So close that I can''t tell if I''m really touching it or not. From the side, you''d think I was cut off by a subspecies of scissors. But I''m still alive in a world of zero commas. And muttering this, I pulled the thin-winged lion out of its sheath. ''''........attribute granting [Enchantment]: absolute zero [Absolute Zero]. The moment I pull out my sword, a pillar of ice runs in front of me as if it were growing vertically. And the subspecies guy who took a decent bite of it emits a strange sound. But if you eat this attack from me, it''s all over. This technique is an alchemy that is unleashed by using the first quality material in the opponent''s body as well as the Primamateria. It is released after filling the surface of the Hatsuhane Dragonfly with the alchemy of Absolute Zero. When the target touched the target, when it touched the alchemy I built into it, it automatically combined with the first pledge and the primamateria to trigger the alchemy. This time, I applied the absolute zero to it. The life activity of the giant scorpion [Huge Scorpion] subspecies ended at this moment. I thrust the thin-winged lion into the ground, using it as a wand. You''ll be able to see the huge scorpion, which is over 15 meters tall, completely frozen in front of me while I breathe on my shoulder. And two drops of blood flow out of its slightly grazed cheeks. It really was a slight difference. It''s not surprising that either of them could die. That''s how close the fight was to death. But I won. I poured all the results of my research to date and won. I was able to fight this far because of Proto, the first one, and my dearest friends. I''d like to brag to my parents that even farmers can do it if they do it. But now I do. I''m tired and I need a well-deserved rest.... ''Errrr!¡¡Ellegh! ''Firstborn!¡¡Sir! I can hear Fee and Monica''s voices. Probably done over there too. Oh, good. I''m so glad. And I let go of my consciousness there. Where am I? I woke up. But I didn''t feel that much time had passed since then. When I checked my body, there was no trauma at all. I checked and looked at it, but I was healthy enough right now to be lacking in magic power. Then I looked around and saw that this was the night warfare ward. I was sleeping on the bed, and when I raised my body up, I found Fee and Monica lying there, overlapping each other. ''....Oh?¡¡You''re up? Clarice how''s the battle going? We won. You won. The big one was probably the leader. The moment you defeated him, the other Scorpions lost their will to fight, or were easily destroyed. Perhaps this battle is over. ........right. We''ve got a couple of casualties. You know these two did everything in their power to take care of your injuries, right?¡¡You should be grateful. Yeah well I guess so. Then I get out of bed, trying not to wake them up. ''Huh?¡¡Shouldn''t you be in bed yet? ''''Oh. My body seems to be fine, just lacking in magic power. I''m going to cool off a bit. Have a good day. I walked straight out. I look up at the sky and see the stars shining there. There are no clouds at all. The night sky is endlessly clear. While looking at such scenery, I head to the place where I was alone before my first battle. Then, as I thought........this man was there. ''''Leif, are you okay?'''' ''Oh?¡¡Elle. You''re the one who was badly wounded. ''I can manage, thanks to Fee and Monica. You would have lost a lot of your magic power. How does it affect you? I''ll be back after dinner and sleep. I wasn''t too badly hurt. I see. I and the others remained silent for a while. Then Leif spoke up first. ''About the labyrinth, tomorrow I will give you all the information I have. How much do you charge? We''ll call it even on this one. We wouldn''t be here if it weren''t for you. Okay. All right, well, we''ll talk about it tomorrow. ''Oh...'' And then I left Rafe''s side. Thus, my first battle ended in victory. But this was only the beginning. I would later learn that this was only the beginning of the world''s mutation. 40-Episode 40: The Nature of the Labyrinth "...Elle, are you sure you''re okay now? Yeah. I''m ready. ''That would have been nice, but Elle is really being too reckless these days!¡¡You have to be careful! That''s right, sir!¡¡I really didn''t know what was going to happen when I collapsed! Ha ha ha sorry. The next day. We were back in the Imperial City. Clarice''s guy is busy with some post-processing or something, and we went to the tavern where Rafe and I had come before. Incidentally, Monica is not here this time, saying she has to help with the healing process. Besides, it seems that Rafe''s pressure isn''t very good for her. It''s a good thing that we''re waiting for you, Fee and I. We finally get to hear about the labyrinth, which is the purpose of this visit. And after a while, Leif''s guy came over. "Master, a drink. Yeah. After ordering that, Rafe sits down in front of me. At that moment, I activate the alchemy of audio blocking so that no sound can leak out. Now we can talk in private. ''''Now........where do I begin?'''' ''As I recall, you knew there was a powerful demon on the tenth level. How did that come about? ''''Oh that''s because the third labyrinth I invaded was the same. An enormous underground space with a total of fifty layers. And ten layers, twenty layers, thirty layers, forty layers, fifty layers, there are all powerful individuals in there, and the deeper you go, the stronger the demons become. Furthermore, each hierarchy has its own territory, or the demons that go to the other layers are preyed upon by the guys there. It seems that there is something like a hierarchy in the ecosystem. Is it the same over there? ''Ahhhhhhhh... Elle, do you remember that?¡¡That thing. ''Oh that..... So that''s what it was, after all. That being said, I was remembering. The giant spider, the Huge Spider, which was on the first layer, was scurrying around, but when it found us, it went down to the second layer and was cannibalized. That must have been a demon from a lower level of the hierarchy that went down to the second level, and that''s why it was eaten. I thought they had their own ecosystem, but apparently that was a correct guess. We found the same ecosystem here as well. As soon as the giant spider [Huge Spider] on one layer descended to the second layer, it was preyed upon. I see. That information would be useful to us. I like to think of this as a common perception in the labyrinth. So, how was the third labyrinth?¡¡That''s a vague question. You know the Third Labyrinth by name, don''t you? Oh. Chimera Labyrinth, right? Yes. The Third Labyrinth. Also known as Chimera''s Labyrinth. For some reason, there are many powerful individuals that are combined with various demons hanging around. Chimera itself can be created by alchemy, but when it comes to demons, it''s a different story. Secure a powerful demon and combine it. That''s true in theory, but in that labyrinth, there are an unusually large number of them. Rather than being born by human hands, it''s more reasonable to think of them as naturally occurring. I don''t know the details, but the chimera there may also be a product of lost technology. ''The third labyrinth was truly hell. Far more so than the Scorpion [Scorpion] this time. I usually work alone, but I''ve decided to use four to six people to capture the labyrinth. I went around the world to gather four carefully selected men to capture the third maze. With this group, I have no doubt that we can traverse the labyrinth. But one person died at the tenth level and then one person at the thirtieth level, and from there there there was no way to return and we continued on to the deepest depths and at the last fifty levels, only me and one other person survived. ...Is the other one a famous one? "Marie Blanc. A woman of indeterminate age. An alchemist who became a hermit in a forest, but an odd one. I will lend my help in the quest for truth!¡¡She was a crazy woman with a crazy head, but her skills and survival skills were the only thing that was outstanding. If it wasn''t for that guy''s success at the fiftyth layer, I would be dead. Marie Blanc?¡¡I''ve heard of it, I believe, on a rumor or two. Fee, do you know about this? I don''t know the name Marie Blanc. But apparently, Fee does. ''''She''s a top-notch alchemist, also known as a witch, who lives in the forests of the Far East. I don''t belong to the association, so I have no idea, but I''ve heard that if he were in the public eye, he could become a blue star class Bluestera...'''' "Alsfira was right, he was in the Far Eastern Forest. Furthermore, he was conducting his research in the deepest part of the forest. Whatever it was, he said it was the best concentration there, or something like that. But in terms of skill, he''s definitely on a par with Elle. Well, I''m subjective, but Marie''s guy also used alchemy without an alchemy team. ''''What...!¡¡I didn''t know there was anyone else like that besides Elle... it''s a big world. So, Rafe. Where is this Marie thing now? I''m back, in the woods. I had a good time on this adventure, too," he said. He went back without taking any loot or anything else. Like you, a man who has mastered the art of alchemy is somewhat crazy. ...I see. I ignore the word "crazy". I''m only interested in the crops. Well I like to think so. ''So, back to my story, there''s a hierarchy in the labyrinth and apparently the demons in the deepest part of the labyrinth are protecting something. It''s like a guardian deity. What was in the deepest part of the Third Labyrinth? The Chimera. It''s the mythical equivalent of the word chimera. Chimera?¡¡Does that mean that the head is the lion, the body is the goat, and the tail is the viper? ''''Ah. The body is too strong, the mouth spits flames, and the goat''s head on the body uses alchemy to use electric shocks. Not to mention the viper in the tail, a true trinity. It was an uncommon fight to the death. The attack was resisted by Marie and I gave the attack.......................and after fighting for more than ten hours, I cut off its head. And as soon as I defeated him, the back door opened. ''There it is?¡¡Something...? There was a box and two small, square, black things. That''s all. I''m not sure about the box, but the black one seems to be able to pick up sounds around it. I sent both of them to the Kingdom Society, have you seen them? That''s it... You know... Me and Fee have an idea of the other one, aside from the box. It''s the listening device that Prince Oscar was using. I didn''t think that the one that Leif and the others obtained after their death struggle would end up in the hands of that jerk....................karma. ''''Well, in the end, even if we conquered the third labyrinth, we only found the demon''s ecosystem and a mysterious object. But as I''m sure you''ve all noticed, the world''s demon ecosystem is strange. I''ve been aware of it for three years now. Three years ago?¡¡That''s when it started? ''Oh. I''ve been facing demons longer than I''ve been facing people in my job. And I think the mutation was three years ago. At least, when I found out. So, at the same time as I captured the labyrinth, or even before I captured it, something was wrong... but I still haven''t gotten the full picture. I came here to give Clarice in the imperial capital the information about the labyrinth, and I fought those scorpions just by chance, just like you guys. And I plan to go to the fifth labyrinth next. ...the fifth labyrinth. So that means we''re going north. The fifth labyrinth. It is called the Ice Labyrinth. A labyrinth made of ice, located further north, at the northernmost point. It is famous for having less information than the other labyrinths and no one goes near it. Leif is apparently going there. Well, considering the ability of the magic sword Levatain, it''s a reasonable choice. ''''Ah. I was actually planning to traverse the entire labyrinth myself, but I''ll leave the sixth labyrinth to you.'''' Well that''s true. When we return, we''ll resume our attack on the Sixth Maze. One last parting gift. What''s this? ''''It''s an alternative to the data I compiled on demons and the characteristics of the third labyrinth. It also contains a discussion, but it''s subjective. Don''t take my word for it. Are you sure?¡¡Something that could be worth such an enormous amount of money. I''m not in it for the money. I''m in it for the money. And I got a copy. Thank you. Thank you. I say, and get a thick stack of paper. ''Well, then I''m going north.'' Well I''ll see you later. ''''Elle, Alspheera, and Monica aren''t here, but I believe the three of you can capture the Sixth Maze. The labyrinth is the key to unlocking the mutation of this world. I look forward to working with you. ''Goodbye, Leif. I''ll take care of Elle, and I''ll make sure she stays at the helm. As Fee said this, Rafe put his mouth close to Fee''s ear and whispered something. ''This guy''s blunt, right?¡¡Come on, man. Sometimes you just have to be pushy, you know? What? Fee''s face turns bright red and looks perturbed. What on earth was said? ''''Well then!¡¡I''ll see you soon! Then Leif let out a loud voice and left. Leif Allan, the adventurer who had trudged through the third labyrinth. He was somewhat blunt, but he was compassionate and, to put it mildly, a good guy. There will be a time when we can meet again. We have to capture the maze before that time. 41-Episode 41: March! The day after Leif and I parted ways. We had left the Empire and returned to the kingdom. Me, Fee and Monica are living in different rooms on the same floor, so we''re on our way. By the way, as I said before, Monica moved into the room next to Fee''s. Fee has taken care of the rent and all the other stuff for me. Fee is really quite capable. Then I open the door to my room. "...Welcome back, ah-tah? .... Open the door, and then ... and then close it. Yeah, I''m tired. I''ve seen all those deaths in the Empire. I''ve used up my First Pledge and my magic. The treatment from Fee and Monica has helped me make a full recovery, but my mental faculties must still be exhausted. I can''t believe I''m having this kind of hallucination. And this is not the time for d¨¦j¨¤ vu, even in recollection. I felt like there were two of them now. Alice didn''t have to say it, but I felt that Rita... that diligent and tending to the crops... that Rita... was there. A hallucination. Yes, I was hallucinating. I was truly exhausted from the battle. Yes, that must be it. I decide to believe that and open the door again. "...Welcome back, ah-tah? Shut it. I''m so dead. Maybe I''m done for good. "Hey, you!¡¡Please respond!¡¡Even though Rita is doing her best! ''Ughhhh........this is so embarrassing.......'' Hey, what are you doing?¡¡Both of you. Don''t bother with me. We''re here to relieve you after a long day at the Empire! ''No I was trying to bring Proto and the others here but when I did, Alice caught me... and then... ugh...'' They''re both talking in maid outfits, so it''s like they''re my personal maids. But there will be a lot of problems with the daughters of royalty and the three noble families wearing maid outfits....... Huh........anyway, let''s go inside the house. "Sir, do you want a cup of tea? Hmm?¡¡Oh I''ll get the usual stuff ... no, I''m going to go take a bath before I do. I thought you might say that. I''m boiling it for you. Really?¡¡It helps. I put my bags down and went straight to the bathroom. Then, as Alice said, the hot water was already on. Again, it''s completely trespassing, but it''s so convenient for something that I can''t even complain. Huh?¡¡Do I look like I have a princess to take care of?¡¡What the hell? Hmmm, but well it''s okay that he''s doing this on his own. I conclude that on my own, and get into the tub. I took a bath at home after a long time. I feel at home after all. I feel like everything I do is here. "Sensei!¡¡I''ll make a meal for you~ Oh I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I hear such a voice from outside. In fact, I was concerned that he might break into the bathroom again this time, but he seems to be doing okay. I''m sure he''s worried about me being seriously tired, and he''s going to be thoroughly devoted to me. Even though he''s royalty, he''s a worthy guy. Well.........and I''m the one who''s indulging in that....... Then I got out of the bathroom, changed and went to the living room, where Alice and Rita were sitting and waiting for me. Today''s dinner was hamburger steak, corn and carrots prepared, and corn soup. Huh, looks like they''re using my parents'' vegetables. Just look at that luster and the even distribution of the First Quality¡¶Prima Terrier¡·. That''s like home. You''re as good as me. "Sensei, Rita and I made this for you! ''No I was just helping out a bit but Alice is amazing!¡¡She did everything so quickly and efficiently....I thought she was amazing, even though she was a princess... ''You''re right, Alice is a very good life force. I mean in a general way in the future, but she''d make a good wife. ''Hmm. Doctor, do you want me now? ''Honestly, that''s a big help, but you''re royalty, aren''t you?¡¡Not too far away.... ''''f*ck it!¡¡You have my word not to say that!¡¡Then let''s just take it for now! ""Thanks a lot." The three of us held hands and ate our meals together. It''s refreshing to see that the last few days have been a flurry of activity. This is how we take our meals slowly. And I didn''t know Rita was going to be there, let alone Alice. My house has become very busy. But this won''t be a problem at the academy, will it?¡¡We''ll take our chances. We''ll take your word for it. And they''re nobles and royalty. They should be able to do what they want with their power. "So, Master, have you enjoyed the Empire? ''Yeah, you told Alice that I was actually going to go talk to her, but I got into a battle with a demon. ''What?¡¡What kind of demons are they? The Scorpion and the Huge Scorpion. When I said that, Rita was like, "Whoa!¡¡He coughed. ''What?¡¡That was in the Empire?! ''No, there was a sudden outbreak in a village to the west. Nearly a thousand individuals, plus a subspecies that used ice alchemy over fifteen meters long. So... what happened? Hmm?¡¡It was an honest to goodness kill. It was a pretty deadly fight. I almost died. Ha-ha-ha. I didn''t want to talk too seriously about it, so I lightly explained it to them. Then Alice and Rita looked strangely serious. And it was Alice who opened her mouth. ''''Preeminent!¡¡You were reckless in the labyrinth, and you were reckless in the Empire!¡¡You''re not a handyman anymore doctor... what were Fee and Monica doing?! ''No that was for a lot of reasons...'' ''Well I know that but I was worried about you. As punishment, you''ll have to sleep with me again today. ''What?¡¡Alice and the teacher are sleeping together!¡¡But that means sleeping normally, right?¡¡It doesn''t mean anything weird, does it? ''Oh, my goodness?¡¡Rita, what''s the matter with your blushing?¡¡What''s the weirdest thing you''ve ever done? ''What?¡¡Well, that''s... well... a man and a woman... that''s not... that''s just... that''s enough!¡¡You know what I mean! Okay, okay. I''m sorry. It''s just that Rita''s so cute. Then the three of us talked about things. Then Rita said she was going to show us something interesting. It seems that the reason why they brought the vegetables this time is because of this incident as well. ''''Oh........Proto ni ichi and the others, how are you doing?'''' When I say that, they all salute with a bicep. Huh?¡¡What is this?¡¡D¨¦j¨¤ vu? Watch me, doctor! Then there was a whistle or rather.......whistle around Rita''s neck. What was that? Rita puts the whistle in her mouth and begins to make a bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep. The next moment, the vegetables reacted with a jolt and began to march rapidly. The ranks are tightly aligned vertically. The spacing is also exquisite. ''''Entirely - advance! Then the vegetables march neatly across the desk to the sound of beeps, beeps, beeps. After circling around, Rita opens her mouth again. ''Formation-, transformation!¡¡All right, move along! Next, we''re going to march in a straight line, side by side. Yeah. No disparity in limbs. You can see it clearly from the side, but it''s a sight to behold. It''s like an army march itself. Everything is neatly aligned and in place. But........what is this? ''Yes!¡¡Whole, rest! The vegetables salute Rita and then fold their hands behind their backs and strike a resting pose. I can feel the confidence or the atmosphere of a veteran soldier from those guys somehow. Yeah, what is this? How do you like it, sir?¡¡Isn''t that great! Oh that''s great, but what is it? What march?¡¡In order for everyone to get along with each other, group activities are essential. So when the teacher wasn''t around, we all practiced the march together. Uh... yeah. The vegetables seem to be completely under Rita''s control. Alice looked at such a situation and muttered, "Rita is indeed a strange talent........ I agree with that. Just then, the door opens again with a clatter. ''Hey, Elle you''re being loud at night........think about me and Monica........'' Fee and Monica were in the doorway. Then they saw Alice and Rita and froze. ''Oh dear?¡¡So, Fee is just getting here now?¡¡It''s already over......... Yes, sir. The usual stuff starts. Our night wasn''t going to end yet. But once in a while, we would start buzzing and buzzing, thinking it would be nice to have this kind of atmosphere. 42-Episode 42 The Sixth Labyrinth, Reopening the Strategy It''s been a few days since then. The three of us spent our days working at the academy, while Monica was taking classes, but we decided to resume our attack on the labyrinth. Leif gave us the information about the labyrinth, which was our original goal. The three of us met every night. We discussed how we should attack based on this information and how to do it most efficiently. We went to the elven village early in the morning. By the way, Monica had told her parents that she had become a student at the academy, so naturally it spread to the village. When Monica returned to the village, people congratulated her on her new status. And every time she did, Monica smiled. It was a dream come true. I''m sure she was very happy. When we got to Monica''s house, we started to get ready. This time it''s going to start on the tenth floor. We can move on, right, Fee? Yes. I''ve got it well marked, so it should be possible if you have access to the First Pledge, the Primamateria. Good. We''re all set. Doctor, please don''t be too reckless this time, okay? Well it depends on the situation, but we''ll do the best we can. ¡ó The tenth layer. He had returned to the place where they had fought to the death. But it''s strange. Yes, it''s strange. It''s because there''s nothing here that shouldn''t be there. Hey ... where''s the body I froze that time? Well..... that''s when you froze me... ''I don''t know. It''s not alive, and it''s not that quick to solve. Is this also the nature of the labyrinth? If he suddenly shifts over, that subspecies'' corpse is gone. This labyrinth is getting more and more confusing, isn''t it? I look at the paper Leif gave me with the information on it. But I don''t see anything that applies to this phenomenon anywhere. There''s no point in thinking about it. Let''s go. Yeah. Yes, sir. We go down the stairs and proceed to the tenth level. If Leif''s information is correct, the big mountain ranges are twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty layers. Of course, we don''t take that into account, but it''s one guide. And we continued to kill the giant spider, the Huge Spider, that appeared. This one too, the lower we went down as per the information, the more powerful the individual became. But considering the battle in Altart, they are not as strong as those Scorpions. After all, the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· doesn''t have that hard outer shell. Moreover, there aren''t many individuals that use reflectors or resists. Maybe I got used to that battlefield, but I could feel my ability as an alchemist increasing. In particular, my handling of the First Pledge, Primamateria, had become outstanding. I was able to make minor adjustments to the amount and fine-tune my alchemy. With pinpoint accuracy, he froze only the toes of the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· and flashed it with a thin-winged dragonfly. Just repeat that process. Fee and Monica also froze their legs in the same way, nonchalantly, and I cut off both of their heads. Then, progressing smoothly, we reached the fifteenth layer. Now we rest in front of the stairs to the sixteenth layer. ''Huh ... so far so good. Yeah. It''s not too far off. But we''re about to see twenty layers, which is a bit scary. Let''s keep our guard up. After eating drinking water and portable food, we continued on to the next layer. Just then, I caught a glimpse of something in my vision. Is that........the Ouroboros emblem? Ouroboros. It represents the circle in alchemy: ''One is all, all is one''. A snake with its own tail added to it. That emblem is found in textbooks, and alchemists know it as common knowledge. But what does it mean that this is inscribed in this labyrinth? ''Fee, Monica, look. It''s Ouroboros. What? Hmm? There is only one ouroboros carved into the wall as you descend the stairs, but it''s carved into the wall. This might mean something. ''''Well sure, it''s an ouroboros. But why is it here? "...The Ouroboros represents the circle of the world, right?¡¡Could it be that the labyrinth is connected to somewhere else? ''Well we can''t ignore this. After all, the labyrinth may be a facility related to Lost Technology or alchemy. And I quickly write that information in my notebook. Ouroboros. I have a feeling this is connected to something. And we continued onward, and we smoothly arrived at the front of the 20th layer. The giant spider ¡¶Hugeespider¡· may have improved its skill level as well, and has been making quite a few strategic moves. However, we humans are more intelligent than them. Their strategies are of little consequence. It wasn''t that hard to kill them. And that''s before the 20 layers of problems. If my information is correct, there should be a powerful individual here as well. "...let''s go. You ready to go? Yeah. Yes..... I proceed with the thin-winged dragonfly drawn out. ''''........What is this?'''' I took the lead and entered the 20th layer. It was the same space as the tenth layer. Just a big space. Yes, something is wrong here. That''s right, it''s strange. "Hey, Elle........what is this place? Sir.... Oh ... nothing? That''s right. There''s nothing here. No signs of life. Just an empty, empty space. And I can see twenty levels of stairs. ''''Well well then, let''s go ahead with that. The moment Fee tried to walk, I realized it was because I had activated the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·. Some kind of alchemy is being activated........ ''''Feeb!¡¡Look out!!!!!! ...What? I pushed her away from the alchemy that was activated right underneath Fee, shielding her from the alchemy that was activated. And the alchemy that was activated came at me decently. That''s right ... this alchemy is ... transference. With the last look on Fee''s stunned face, I was sent flying off somewhere. ¡ó Ugh... what is this place? The place I came to at the moment of transitioning was a small room. I considered the possibility of being attacked by a large number of giant spiders, the Huge Spider, the moment I transitioned through the labyrinth''s traps, but it seemed to be different. And I had noticed that. That alchemy was installed during the past few days, and it is a delayed activation that reacts to the First Plasmateria in the human body. I was keenly aware that the labyrinth is not straightforward. Was that alchemy set up by a giant spider, or was it................................by a third person? But it''s strange to think of it as a human. Could they have gotten there by ignoring the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·?¡¡Even if you use a transfer, those things need to mark each other''s locations. You don''t think there''s a pioneer?¡¡But why would he do that?¡¡I don''t understand, but for now ... we have to get out of here for now. And we need to meet up with Fee and Monica. I''m sure they''re worried about me. I smelt the flames from my fingertips and tried to light up the surroundings. Then I see a desk and ... some kind of box. Is this ... what Leif had said? ''The box ... but it has glass ... what is it for?¡¡And this one? There it was, a box and a small round thing. It has a string attached to it. But I don''t know what it''s for. But I''ve never seen this before in the Kingdom or the Empire. No way, is it a lost technology? I''d like to take it home with me, but it''s heavy when I gingerly lift it. With alchemy, I could carry it, but right now it would be more important to understand the current situation. I opened the door and there was a narrow passage. And when I looked at the passage, I was horrified. Yes, because there was a large number of ouroboros drawn there, as if they were connected all the time. Instantly, the lights above the two sides light up. ''''........do you want me to come? It was as if he was inviting me to join him. It was dimly lit. I don''t even know what''s out there. But the only choice I can make right now is to keep going. It''s my only choice. Fortunately, I still have plenty of water and portable food on the porch. I can go on exploring the maze. Relax, I''m all right. And then I walked forward, as if something was inviting me to do so. 43-Episode 43: Someday a Far World I walked along like I was led along. But I couldn''t see the future. In fact, the structure of this place is strange. I must have walked at least a kilometer. But there was no change in the structure. As I was thinking about it, I found something. "...Door? Yes, it was a big door. And I opened the door with a bit of hesitation. ''Hey you''re here. Who are you? The room was simple. A desk, a chair, and a cup that was already being poured. A quick glance at it would tell me that was probably tea, but that doesn''t matter right now. Are there people in this labyrinth?¡¡And this... in the middle of nowhere...? A young man in appearance. Short hair, but his hair was pure white. And somehow, he looked like me. Or so I thought. "Sit down, Elle. How did you...? I don''t know why. I sat down anyway, staring at this guy. The truth is, I''m suspicious of many things, but I don''t instinctively feel any hostility. That''s why I decided to think about it after we''d had our conversation. ''I figured it was about time you came around. Where am I?¡¡How many layers of the labyrinth are there? ''''Oh well you''re in the middle of capturing the Sixth Labyrinth right now, aren''t you? "?¡¡What are you doing now?¡¡It''s like I''m the one who isn''t now. That''s right. In this world where this ouroboros is spinning in circles, all possibilities lie dormant. You think the world is repeating itself over and over again? ''No, the world itself does not repeat itself. Time is a one-way street, an irreversible thing. I like the idea of a loop, but you are you. But there are possibilities in the world. Lots of possibilities. And right now, you, as a possibility, are in the middle of the Sixth Maze. Isn''t this ... in the Sixth Labyrinth? ''It''s in the sixth labyrinth, but it is and it isn''t. But I don''t understand these words to you right now. Then why am I in this place and having a conversation with you? Yeah. I just wanted to tell you that. What? The way the world is.... What''s your point? What do you do for a living? Suddenly he asks me a philosophical question. But that''s a given. I''m dedicated to everything I do for my crops. "Of course, I want to spread my crops all over the world. Yeah. That''s your nature. You want to achieve it. You always wanted it and you will continue to work for it. But you see, ten years ago the world started to go mad, and I want to stop it. I want to stop it. ... doesn''t ring a bell. Straight to the point. ''Yes. I want you to traverse the entire labyrinth first. After all, there''s something in the maze? That''s right. People in this world are too ignorant to begin with. We should have captured that labyrinth earlier. But no one has ever been born who can capture the labyrinth. But now they''re here at last. That''s what you are. You have a great gift. Having said that, you are a descendant of that family. To say it''s only natural. That''s what I remembered. Dad told me he picked me up from an orphanage. But I don''t know my exact origins. I don''t know my real father, and I don''t know my real mother. So who am I if I think about it? Until now, I''ve only thought about the crops, and that family is the real family. Now I think that''s right, but where is the person who is related to me by blood? What is a descendant of the family? ''''Well yes. Honestly, there''s not a lot of information I can give you in this space. It''s still pretty overwhelming, you know. But if I had to tell you one thing, I''d say you''re a descendant of the original wizards. ''The wizard ... after all, magic is one of the Lost Technologies, and it has something to do with alchemy, doesn''t it? "Magic and alchemy are essentially the same. The only difference is the process of intervention. Alchemy uses the First Quality, the Primamateria, while magic uses the Akashic Materia, the First Quality. The Akashic materia...? "You alchemists seem to think that the First Quality, Primamateria, is the root of everything, but in fact the Akashic Materia, the First Quality, is the root of the world. All is one, and one is all. The only thing that makes it so is the Akashic Materia, the First Zero Material. All wizards use the Akashic Materia without exception. And it makes all phenomena possible. This labyrinth is also a product of magic. I knew it. I was right about that but I don''t know what to do. I''ve learned about the magic, but what can I do? But what can I do?¡¡Being a descendant of wizards, I have a high aptitude for alchemy. I can understand. But what''s beyond trudging through the labyrinth? ''I can''t tell you now. You don''t deserve it yet. It''s not really possible that I''m meeting you now," he said, "but I had to do it this way to get ahead of them. But I had to do this to outsmart them. "They? There''s a group of people called the Phanaticos. Their goals are different from ours. They have different goals and we have to keep each other in check. In the future, you will also meet the Phanaticos, the truth-seekers. "...come to think of it, are you on my side?¡¡Aren''t those truth-seekers, Fanaticus, more sane? ''No, they live in a crazy world. They will do everything wrong to prove the existence of God. You know, you know what they are, the mystics. Are you saying that the mystics are related to the Phanaticus, the seeker of truth? It''s more like a sub-organization of the Phanaticus, the Truth Seekers. They want to put God down in this world and then create a new world beyond the proof. If they get into the labyrinth, they have a problem. That''s because there are certain secrets in this labyrinth. Besides, I know you''ve already fought them, but the demonic anomalies in the world are also artificially caused by the Phanaticus, the truth-seekers, who are using humans as test subjects. They are experimenting on humans. You will know, in the depths of this sixth labyrinth, the result of their atrocious experiments. .... I have to admit, there''s a part of me that doesn''t follow the story that''s too outlandish. But I''ve met someone I don''t understand from that transition and am talking to this way, and I don''t think this guy is lying to me on purpose. It''s dangerous to try to believe it, but I actually thought there was something in the labyrinth to begin with. It doesn''t change my purpose now. Besides, the word that I''m a descendant of wizards bothers me. It''s because it brings me one step closer to my roots. Furthermore, it seems that there is something in the deepest part of the sixth labyrinth. Something from that truth-seeker, Fanaticus, or something like that. "Hey.......who am I....... I''m sorry. It''s like time. We can''t keep this space any longer. Elle, you are going to traverse the entire labyrinth. And then you will find the truth of this labyrinth. And then you will find your way to the truth. I believe you will. Hey, I''ll tell you what... So long, Elwyd Willis my... The man was about to say something at the end and my consciousness flew away. ¡ó ''Errrr!¡¡ELGH!¡¡Are you okay?! Hey, you! What? The next thing I knew, I was standing on the twentieth layer. The same as I was then. But what''s going on?¡¡I''m pretty sure I was having a conversation with a guy in that weird space. ''What''s wrong with Elle, she''s suddenly spaced out?'' Hey ... didn''t alchemy go off here earlier? Yes, but Elle resisted on the spur of the moment. But Elle resisted on the spur of the moment, and then the moment she did, she just stood there blankly for a minute. But as soon as he resisted, he just stood there in a daze for a minute. I was worried that something had happened to you. One minute?¡¡Is Monica the same? ''What?¡¡That''s right. The doctor was in a daze for about a minute. ''Well ... no, it''s nothing. Let''s move on. I say that and start walking away, pretending it''s nothing. But that strange sense of reality in that space, that conversation. Is it just a daydream?¡¡Or am I just being paranoid? But he knew me, and he knew what had been, and he knew what was going to happen. And what was to come. What the hell is a labyrinth?¡¡What is this world? I was thinking about that as I continued on to the further end of the labyrinth for now. 44-Episode 44 Thank you After experiencing that mysterious phenomenon, I''ve been thinking a lot about it, but for now, my priority is to advance through the labyrinth for now. And unlike Leif''s information, there was nothing in the 20th layer. Just an empty space. We continued downward, wondering a little bit about that. I guess we were getting used to dealing with the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡·, but it was crisp. If truth be told, I was going to turn back at some point, but at this rate, I can still do it. Besides, Fee''s guy may have gotten used to it, but he didn''t go crazy anymore. If we want to go, it''s now or never. Thinking that, we moved on. "Thirty layers next. Yeah. What, but I''m getting nervous... Yes, it''s finally the 30th layer. We must be careful what we do. And so we descend the stairs to the 30th level. "Nothing here...? I muttered and huffed and looked at the ceiling. In my usual pattern, I should be stuck to the ceiling. But there was nothing there. It was the same as the twenty layers, just a large space. When Fee said that, there was only one giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· in the corner of my eye. It was still, staring at me without doing anything. ''''Nah, it''s kind of spooky...'''' ''Well...'' I agree with Monica''s opinion. For some reason, that giant spider "Huge Spider" seems different from the past. The previous giant spiders ¡¶Huge Spider¡· attacked us immediately. Attacking humans is an instinctive characteristic of demons. To them, humans are the best food and food for them. It is natural for them to pounce on you right away. But that giant spider, the Huge Spider Spider, is still and just staring at you. I wonder if it has intelligence. And since it didn''t move even a little bit, I decided to approach it. Then the giant spider, the Huge Spider, stepped back and let out a strange noise. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki. It''s starting. I think he was just checking up on us. It was just a misunderstanding. And so, we began to fight the giant spider, the Huge Spider, the Huge Spider. "......... The first move. I quickly apply my body strengthening and close the distance at once. I firmly grip the thin-winged lion and run while holding a low, parallel position. ''''Hah!!!'''' A flash. If it were a normal individual, it would be a blowout here. I''m sure it would have been decided. But this individual is quick to duck my blow with just a back step. ........30 layers, that''s what you do! I keep my distance and look at him. However, he doesn''t move again, standing still. Strange..... "Is he asking how we''re doing? ''I don''t know...?¡¡But you''re staring at it. Maybe it''s an individual with some intelligence. In the meantime, freeze Fee and Monica. I''ll handle the proximity. Okay, I get it. I get it, I get it. And so I run the ground again. This time the reinforcement is stronger than before. And then, just like that, it closes in on a straight line and flashes again. ''''Kiiiiiiiiiiiii! The giant spider yelled out that and avoided it, but I swung my sword back. I killed it! That''s what I thought, but the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· seemed to be inexplicably very mobile and could only sever one leg. ''''Kyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! And in the next moment, it regenerates. Apparently, this unit can use regeneration as well as before. It''s tricky. "Errrrgh!¡¡Don''t swerve to the side! Hearing Fee''s voice, I quickly avoid to the right. Then a wave of ice runs vertically from the front of Fee. ''''Yaaaah!'''' And as Monica said that, a wave of ice ran vertically from behind the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· as well. When I understood their intentions, I launched an ice alchemy technique around the giant spider "Huge Spider". I''m going to lock them in and freeze them in place. And the ice that the three of us created encircled and eroded the giant spiders, trapping them in place. It''s done. That was surprisingly stunned........ While I was thinking that, the next moment, the resist was completed and cracks started to appear.......all the ice returned to dust. It''s not just a matter of time before you find yourself in the middle of the night. I''m not a master........ Our alchemy can''t be resisted by ordinary abilities. This is because the composition of alchemy is slightly different for all three of us. In order to resist, you need to completely understand the opponent''s alchemy. Unlike the Reflective Formation ¡¶Reflector¡·, resisting is quite an advanced technique. It''s also quite difficult for me to resist the alchemy of three people at the same time. However, this unit easily pulled it off. Probably, this giant spider "Huge Spider" is an individual that specializes in alchemy. Furthermore, I think it can use precise alchemy. Although he hasn''t used it to attack, but his resist is first-class. In terms of skill alone, it''s probably at the level of a platinum class <>. ''''.........Haaaaaaah! I once again assumed that my opponent was an advanced alchemist and approached the battle. This guy is not just a giant spider, the Huge Spider [Huge Spider]. It is better to assume that it is fighting an alchemist. Thinking so, I waved the thin-winged dragonfly while simultaneously using alchemy to hunt down my opponent. Of course, there will be reinforcements from Fee and Monica. The three of them attacked with their ice alchemy and I attacked with my own melee attack. I''m not sure if I can get away with just one of them. I thought so, but I couldn''t help myself from attacking. I kept dodging my attacks at the drop of a hat, and the alchemy resists all of them. d*mn it!¡¡If you just look at this skill alone, it''s far superior to anything I''ve ever seen. This unit is without a doubt one of the strongest giant spiders we''ve ever seen, even among the Huge Spider Hugespiders. But I can''t figure it out. Why isn''t it attacking me?¡¡Why do you keep avoiding it?¡¡Why...?¡¡No way...? Still, now is not the time to get lost. The only thing we need to do now is to take this thing down. That''s it. That''s all we have to do. "Ki-ki-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! When the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· chirped that, it spat out a thread. And it was sent away in transition just like the previous individual. But I''m activating the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·. If it''s an attack involving alchemy, I can avoid it perfectly. And I ducked all the attacks that rained down from my blind spot and ..............................vertical flash. ''''Ki, ki, ki, kiaaaaaa.........................kiiiiiii. It''s over. His head cracked open vertically and he died. His last moments were surprisingly short-lived. I don''t know if my stamina had run out or something, but I couldn''t move fast enough. "Elle, that''s what I''m talking about. ''Firstborn!¡¡It''s over! ''Oh...'' And with a quick wave of my hand, I burned the body. But there was a strange feeling of discomfort. I have the feeling that the corpse is still staring at me. It''s dead. Life activities are over. I can grasp the First Quality, the Primamateria, through the Absolute Realm, the Sanctuary. Therefore, I can also understand the death of life with my senses. This is because the First Quality Prima Terrier dwells in every living thing. And the First Quality, Primamateria, is leaking out of that giant spider, the Huge Spider, which is a sign of a dead organism. This is a sign of a dead creature. It will eventually lose all of its First Quality, the Primamateria, and return to nothingness. This is what death is all about. I''ve seen it all in my experiments. I''ve seen it in experiments on rats, and on vegetables as well. And when I stared at this giant spider, the Huge Spider, the primary substance, the Primamateria, leaked out and melted into the air. At the same time as I was feeling this, I felt a strange sensation. I''m staring, staring at it. This guy has been staring at me from the beginning to the end. It feels like that. I want him to tell me something. He wanted me to do something. I felt like I was hoping for that. But what does a mere demon want from a human being? What in the world do they want? In the first place, I don''t even think it can think as highly as a human. Yes, this is just a simple misunderstanding. Let''s go. Let''s go." "At this rate, we''ll be able to reach the bottom of the deepest ocean. Yeah. Yes! So we went down to the 30th layer. "...thank you. I thought I heard a voice like that at the end, but it was my imagination. I shouldn''t have noticed it. 45-Episode 45 Thank you, kind person From then on, it was beatifically easy to break through. Honestly, this was harder than the first layer to the tenth layer. The three of us went on without any particular question about that. We didn''t even know that we were missing a serious discomfort. ''Hey Elle, can''t we just keep going to the deepest level?¡¡And it looks like I can transfer normally. Well is Monica okay? Yes!¡¡It''s okay! And so we entered the forty-second layer. "So it''s the 40th layer at last. Fee, Monica, are you ready? I turned around. Then there was no one behind me. Yes, the door closed at the same time I entered ahead of him. ''''Transitioning........is impossible.......'''' Just like the tenth layer, the First Pledge¡¶Prima Terrier¡·can''t get through. And once again, it''s staring at me intently, just like the individual on the 30th layer. ''''........d*mn it, what''s the matter with you? I dismiss a certain possibility that exists in my brain. No, don''t think about it, if I think about it, my sword will be dulled. This is just like that battlefield. We''re fighting for our lives. Thinking that, I hold the thin-winged dragonfly in place. I''m going to kill her. I will cut the antagonist to pieces and kill him. That is all. That''s all you have to think about. And if you look closely, this giant spider, the Huge Spider, was a small individual. About one size smaller. I''d guess it was about 5 meters or so. But I''m not going to let my guard down. It might be a special individual, just like the one at the 30th layer. "Ki, ki, ki, kiaaaaah! And his movement speed could not be captured by my vision. ''''........What? But I managed to avoid that rush thanks to the fact that I had activated the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·. However, if I hadn''t activated the Absolute Realm Sanctuary, I would definitely have been hit by the current attack. And if he ate it properly.......he would have died. That''s how fast he was moving. And I abandoned my vision. Information from the eyeballs is superfluous right now. The only information we need is that from the Absolute Realm, the Sanctuary. My ability to project this world as it is. It''s all right. I''m not used to fighting with the Absolute Realm Sanctuary alone, but there''s nothing I can''t do. "...There it is! I shake the thin-winged dragonfly in time with the giant spider, the Huge Spider, which is approaching from behind. Then, it succeeded in severing one of its legs. However, he felt that it was regenerating quickly. Apparently, this individual is not a simple matter either. I continue to use alchemy to freeze it. A pillar of ice is created from right underneath the giant spider (Huge Spider Spider), but it ducks. But it''s a stepping stone. I went around the spot I had avoided beforehand and swung the thin-winged dragonfly at the brain. But he twisted his body to avoid the duck. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on with your own personal computer. There are many different individuals. When I was thinking about it, I was assaulted by the sensation of that time again. She is staring at me intently and intently. Staring at me. I open my eyes and look at him. He stops and stares at me as if he''s examining me. I don''t know what''s in those eyes. But, just as with the thirty layers, he didn''t seem like a normal individual. Is it trying to tell me something?¡¡No, it can''t be. That giant spider, the Huge Spider, is just trying to figure out what I''m going to do. Isn''t that right? Don''t get lost. As Rafe would have told you. He said that hesitation can lead to death. "...Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki. I had placed the thin-winged dragonfly vertically in line with the giant spider ¡¶Huge Spider¡· that rushed at me. And as it was........the giant spider "Huge Spider" was swallowed by my thin-winged dragonfly and cut off. The cut off giant spider ¡¶Hugeespider¡· did not even twitch. It must have died instantly. Just a fast individual, it was nothing........ That''s right. Don''t notice it. Fool me, fool yourself. Forget it. Turn away. The truth don''t you think that I did the right thing... Don''t know. Don''t notice. Don''t turn away I don''t know.... I don''t know anything.... Don''t you........?¡¡Hey..........I........ ''Errrr!¡¡You''re okay! ''Sir!¡¡Are you okay? Then the door opens and Fee and Monica rush over to me. ''Oh it''s over. And I burn the bodies, as usual. Just like always, I''ve done my job. That''s it. "Elle?¡¡You''re blue but what''s the matter with you?¡¡Was he that strong? Are you tired, doctor? ''No, the battle itself was staggering. It was just a fast individual. Putting the thin-winged dragonfly down as it rushed forward, it was split in half vertically. I''m sure you''ll be able to find it. And I have enough magic power. It''s amazing!¡¡As expected of a teacher! Oh, come on, Elle, you''re freaking me out. Don''t notice. Don''t let her notice. Act tough. I''m a genius. This is something a genius could easily do. If you were Elweed Willis, the greatest alchemist of all time, wouldn''t you know it? Hey ... don''t I? The Society asked me to capture the labyrinth, and then I noticed something was wrong with the world, so I made a promise to Leif and now here I am, trying to capture the labyrinth. It''s the right thing to do. The labyrinth invasion is for the sake of humanity. If the demons continue to grow as they are, humanity will die. The Scorpion and the Huge Spider in here are good examples of this. If that thing can get out of the house normally, ordinary humans won''t be able to compete with it. They will be eaten alive and that will be the end of it. The world is a world of the weak and the strong. It''s the natural order of things, and it''s right. So forget it. Forget the fact that the giant spider [Huge Spider] that we just saw tried to commit suicide.... It was a coincidence. It was only a coincidence that he came to hit my thin-winged dragonfly on purpose. The fact that they were cut off by the ant lionesses and lionesses despite the fact that they had lost their position due to their excessive speed....... There can''t be. And even if it was a suicide, what does it matter? I just removed the obstacles. I just kill monsters, like I always do. Just demons. Don''t you see ... don''t I? So be proud of yourself. As proud as I''ve been of the research I''ve done, I''m moving forward for my dream. Exploit the labyrinth, and you''ll get closer to your dream. I have a dream to share our crops with the world. So, you should be proud of me. What''s funny?¡¡Hey Elweed Willis. You''re a genius and you''re the right one, aren''t you?¡¡Hey... no...? But then again, the gimmick here is strange. Yes but I was in a hurry when the teacher was trapped alone! I know. But as expected of Elle, to be able to break through on your own is truly genius. Yes, sir!¡¡The teacher is the greatest genius alchemist of all! ''Haha that''s too much of a compliment. I''m just a farmer. Just a little bit of alchemy, that''s all. ''No, it''s not!¡¡Hey, Monica. Yes!¡¡The teacher is amazing! Please don''t do this. Please, please don''t do this. I''m not that great a person. I''m a human being, just like you. But I''m even more than that, I''m a puny little person I''m a very puny little person. I''m just a selfish, arrogant human being who wants to justify himself by ignoring the fact that he is nothing more than a selfish, arrogant human being who wants to run away, hide, hide. You want to run away, you want to hide, you want to be distracted. I don''t know. I don''t know anything. Everything is justified when it comes to your goals. I''m just a man who thinks like that. Well, I guess we should move on. Elle''s here, so I think we''ll be okay. Yes!¡¡Let''s keep going to the deep end!¡¡With a teacher, we''re a hundred men strong! Don''t do that. Don''t look at me like that. Don''t look at me with envy. I''m just a........... Just then, I saw a burning corpse. ".......... No response. Still, still ... just burning. What a sight. We''ve seen this many times before, haven''t we? Why am I so, so frightened? I''m shaking. Turn around. Go on. I''m doing the right thing. Yes, it''s the right thing to do. So you don''t have to be scared and you don''t have to be shaking. You know, hey. "Elle, what''s up? Let''s go!¡¡Teacher! ''Oh!¡¡Let''s keep going to the deepest part of the city! Louder than ever, I go on, louder than ever. I go on, trying not to see the truth, trying to hide it, trying to turn away from it. ''....Thank you, sweetheart. I thought I heard a voice like that at the end, but it was my imagination. I shouldn''t have noticed it. 46-Episode 46: This was probably because I was worried We went down to the lower levels again and we were finally in front of the fifty layers. There was a large doorway there, inscribed with the Ouroboros emblem. This is in Leif''s data, but I''m sure of it. It''s the same as the third labyrinth. This is the lowest level. Leif''s data said that the third labyrinth had a similar doorway. After all, the labyrinths might all have a common feature. I''ll have to tell Leif''s guy about this. Thinking about this, we decided to move on. ''''It''s the lowest level.......at last. ''You''ve really come this far........'' ''''We''ve come to the deepest part of that sixth labyrinth........'''' Then I take the lead and open the big door. I open it with a giggling..........and there''s a large pillar. ''''Is it a pillar?'''' It''s a big one. ''No, this is...'' I noticed. That''s ... a leg. "Fee, Monica, look up. "What? Then there was a giant spider, the Huge Spider, but it wasn''t attached to the ceiling. Yes, the scale was different until now. It was too ... too ... large. Its total length is approaching twenty meters. Big. Too big. And this individual exists in the lore. It is the ancient spider, the origin of all the giant spiders, the Ancient Ancient Spider. And the Ancient Spider "Ancient Spiders" may have sensed us, and moved their bodies a little bit. We also reacted to it and got into a battle stance, but this guy is also..............watching us, no, me. The battle at the 30th layer, the battle at the 40th layer. I can''t help but be reminded of those two giant spiders, the Huge Spider. It''s the same. They are exactly the same. Those eyes........they are the same. But we mustn''t notice it, and we mustn''t let Fee and Monica notice it. I am the only one who has to do this work. That''s right. That''s what geniuses are for in times like these. I''ll take care of everything. Fee and Monica have nothing to do with this. It''s just ... they don''t need to know that I''m doing things knowingly or knowingly. I''ve come this far, and I''m the one who killed those two bodies. I had my hands on them. Fee and Monica are innocent. It was all me, and I did it. But don''t think about it now. If I kill him, we''re going in the Sixth Maze. We can move forward. We can''t go back now. It''s too late. It''s too late. So, my dear boy don''t get lost. Remember what Leif said to me. Lost is dead. And I can''t die yet. I''ve got a lot of work to do. So don''t look at me like that. ''Let''s go, Fee, Monica! "Got it! And so began the worst battle in the history of the world that could rock my life. ¡ó ''Whoa, whoa, whoa! We''ll take the lead and run the ground. Run! Running! Then he flew into the air and swung the thin-winged damselfly down to the brain. ''''Ki, ki, ki aaaaaaaaaaah! The ancient spider ¡¶Enchemental Spider¡· yells out so and defends against my attack. ''''Guuuuuuuuuuuuut! Because of the alchemy barrier, my thin-winged dragonfly attacks can''t get through. And I meet eyes with him. I''m staring at him. I''m not going to be able to get the same kind of results that I did at that time. ''''Feeb!¡¡Monika!¡¡Let''s go with the usual stuff! "Got it! The two of you will follow me as usual. That''s what I was thinking. But just when you think a large amount of string has been spat out of that guy''s ass a transfer is triggered. What''s even more troublesome is the amount due to its huge body. It''s an incomparable amount of thread compared to previous enemies. And then it spreads all at once with transference. I immediately felt all the attacks in the absolute realm of the Sanctuary. I anticipate all the attacks coming from all directions and make a single flash. I cut through all the threads. But apparently I was the only one who was able to do so. ''''Kyaah! d*mn!¡¡The thread! Yes, Fee and Monica were tangled up in threads. It seems it wasn''t as much as they could handle before, and the two of them couldn''t move. ''''Fee!¡¡Monika! I yell and try to run to them, but once again a large amount of thread from the transference is spat out at me. ''Ki-kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! This has to stop. I was aware of the intentions of the Ancient Spider, the Ancient Spider, the Ancient Spider. No, you mustn''t be aware of this. He''s only doing this to kill us. It''s not like he''s only aiming at Fee and Monica, and I''m not the only one deliberately removing the strings. This ... is ... a coincidence. I couldn''t pretend anymore. Now I just wanted it to be over. I just wanted to get out of this maze. That''s all I wanted to do. ''No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t, don''t.... I was waving a dragonfly and combining alchemy as I stood alone against the ancient spider, the Ancient Spider. The four major attributes of alchemy: ice, fire, lightning and water. I shook out all of them. His body strengthening also exceeded the limit. His body was destroying itself and blood was pouring out of it. But right now, none of that mattered. All I want to do is kill him and be done with it. I don''t want to see this thing I don''t want to see anymore. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki...... When the Ancient Spider ¡¶Enchemental Spider¡· shouted that, a large amount of alchemy formation was deployed around it. This is........ice. And a large amount of ice debris is shot out and attacked me. I will deploy the reflector. I''ll bounce off all the attacks. That''s what I was thinking, but I quickly decided to switch to resist. This is because my intuition told me that that attack would be able to penetrate the Reflector. This is incomparable to the individuals who used alchemy until now. And if I were to talk about skill level alone, he''s probably surpassed me. It''s as if I''ve been using alchemy for decades, hundreds of years.......that kind of skill....... ''''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¡Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away, go away. Counteracting everything. I was resisting every single one of the massive amounts of ice that were coming at me. Then I realized that Fee and Monica were still not attacking. Fee and Monica were still not attacking. They are still entangled in a string, and right now they are only attacking me. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to help them if they attacked Fee and Monica in this situation. Those two will also die if the attack comes. But the Ancient Spider, the Ancient Spider, is only after me. ''''Hey........who are you?'''' I can''t hear you. ''You know what I mean.¡¡I''ll.... I can''t hear you. "Look at me. I don''t look. ''Hey, can you tell me your name?'' I won''t tell you. "Hey ... me. I thought I heard a voice like that, but it was my imagination. I shouldn''t have noticed it. I don''t want to know anything anymore. I don''t want to find out. I didn''t hear his last words. I can''t hear them. I am normal. I''m ... all right. I''m ... right. I''m sure this is all in my head. 47-Episode 47: A Girl Who Wants to Know the Outside World, or a Spider Einar, don''t be so reckless! Yes! My name is Aina. This year I turned 12 years old so I could go to the woods. I was usually jealous of my big brothers playing in the forest. But now I can go to the forest too. I''m very excited. ''Oh, big brother!'' ''Aina. Well, I see you''re ready to come too. ''Yes!¡¡Play with me! Oh! Then my brother and I played a lot in the forest. We did a lot of things together, like climbing trees, watching bugs, and throwing pine cones at each other. It was very, very fun. ''Itadakimasu! Hmm. Aina always eats so well. I think I look like my mother, don''t I? Oh dear. It''s just like you. Dad and mom are very close. My brother is smiling and laughing too. I was smiling at them too. My family is very close and very warm. I am very proud of my family. The next day I decided to go to the forest by myself. It seems my brother can''t come because he has to study or something. ''''Huh...?'''' Once in the woods, a man?¡¡A woman?¡¡I don''t know what it was, but there was someone walking around with long white hair. He was wearing all black clothes and his skin and hair were pure white. I don''t see anyone like this in my village. And I thought she was very........beautiful. ''''Uh ... um ...'''' Hmm?¡¡What can I do for you, sweetheart? Are you an angel? What? Because you are so beautiful. ''Hahaha, you''re an angel. No, I''m not an angel. I''m just a human being, but I''m not yet a... Hmm? I don''t know, but that person played with me. And to my surprise, that person was........a wizard. ''Is this your first time seeing magic?'' ''Yes........only a few people in this world can use magic.......'' No. No, we''re not wizards by nature. We''re all wizards in the end. I''m a wizard, and so are you. Wow, can I be a wizard too? Of course I do. Do you want to be? ''Yes!¡¡I want to be like Mr. Rosenkreuz! ''Haha. Aina''s cute. The wizard told me that his name was Rosenkreuz. But he didn''t tell me the gender. ''Male or female, you say?¡¡It''s the least of my worries. I am Rosenkreuz. ''No more, no less, Aina,'' he said. But it certainly didn''t matter what gender I was. I was looking for a new stimulus. I vaguely thought, at a very young age, that I was going to spend all my life in this village and die here. But then Mr. Rosenkreuz came to me. From then on it was a very exciting day. He taught me magic, and I was able to use magic to a small degree. ''Yes!¡¡I did it!¡¡Mr. Rosenkreuz! ''That''s great. Aina is an amazing talent! Then Mr. Rosenkreuz began to come to my house. ''My daughter has always been a great help to me,'' ''No, no. Mother, I''m the one having fun playing with Aina. Besides, she has a talent for magic. Magic?¡¡Is that what you told her?¡¡But if you can see that... Yes. I''m a wizard. ''Well!¡¡I never thought I''d meet a wizard while I was alive! Then Mr. Rosenkreuz got to know his father and his brother so well, it was like my family was growing. It was a very happy and fulfilling day. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and as more years passed, Mr. Rosenkreuz taught me his magic. ''That''s amazing, Aina. Maybe one day I''ll surpass you. You''re no match for Mr. Rosenkreuz. You''ll find out when you get out there. You''ll be a good wizard. The world outside...? Oh. I''m a traveling wizard. I''ve been in many different countries all my life. And I''ve been looking for someone with talent. Why are you looking for it? ...to be closer to God. Is there a God? Yes. There is God in me, and there is God in you. There is a God. But there are people who say there is no God in the world. That''s why we want to prove that there is a God. There is a God in this world. ''We...?¡¡Does Mr. Rosenkreuz have any friends? Yeah, of course. I have plenty of wizard friends. Wow....there are a lot of wizards out there... Does Aina want to go outside? What? If you want to leave, we''ll travel together. You''re fifteen years old now. You''re an adult, and if you tell your parents, you''ll be fine. I''m.... Do I want to get out? What do they want to do out there? But what happens if you stay in this village all the time? It''s just another day of boredom. Mr. Rosenkreuz will be here for a few years, but one day he''ll be gone. And when that happens, what will happen to me? When I thought about it, my mind was made up. ''I''m going,'' Then Mr. Rosenkreuz and I set out on our journey. ¡ó My parents were worried, but they agreed. They said they felt safe with Mr. Rosenkreuz. Then we went to different countries. Some in the land of water, some in the desert, some in the mountains, some in the fire, and even some in the ice. I was happy to know that there are such wonderful things in the world. I also met many wizards. Every time I met a wizard, he told me that I was a great wizard and that I was indeed a disciple of Rosenkreuz. It seems that Mr. Rosenkreuz is one of the most amazing wizards in the world, and I was even prouder when I learned that. I''m under the thumb of an amazing person... or so it seemed. But the end was abrupt. No, it wasn''t the end. It was a long, long, beginning. The beginning of a long journey that would drive me crazy. "Back to the village? Yeah. Aina''s eighteen years old now, right?¡¡Shouldn''t you show up at least once? ''Well ... yes,'' Mr. Rosenkreutz said so, and I decided to show up for the first time in years. ''Aina!¡¡How are you! Aina, you''re so big! Aina, you''re getting pretty. My father, mother, and brother all praised me. And Mr. Rosenkreuz smiled at me, too. And the night. As I was about to go to sleep, it happened. I felt something unusual, a great magical force. I hurried to the living room. Then I saw my family and Mr. Rosenkreuz lying limp.... ''Huh?¡¡What''s this? Aina. Apparently, this world is a disaster. It will come crashing down. But you know, there is a way to save yourself. Come with me into the sky with me, and up in the sky you can still get out. ''What are you talking about...?¡¡Can''t we all go together? ...no matter what the cost. And it is the consensus of the Phanaticus, the seeker of truth. Understand that. Families are the cornerstone of our existence. For us wizards! What ... what are you ... what are you talking about? I back away from it with too much fear. I''ve never seen Mr. Rosenkreuz like this before. Are you in a hurry?¡¡Or.......... Thinking about that, Rosenkreuz-san sighed. ''''I knew you were........from that side. It can''t be helped. It''s at least a mercy. You and your family will be together. What...? And my consciousness was cut off there. ¡ó When I woke up, I found myself in a place I didn''t know. A space where I didn''t know anything and I didn''t understand anything. Pitch-black and empty. But even in such a place, I could see something. I could see it. It was a wriggling ... giant spider. Hiiiiiiiiii! That''s what I should have said out loud. But no voice?¡¡Come to think of it, you seem to have an awfully high point of view? When I looked, I saw that I had no human limbs on my body. Well I had become a much bigger spider than those giant spiders. I, no! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Screaming that did not improve the situation at all. Yes, nothing. Nothing. And so I ended up living in this dark place for hundreds of years.... How long has it been since then? I know what the spiders here are. These spiders seem to listen to me and will do whatever I tell them to do. Wanting to know what is out there, I told them to collect the clothes and articles of human beings that came in. And when I saw them gathered before me, I longed for the outside world. But I can''t go outside. I don''t know how many hundreds of years have passed. I can''t count the number of times I''ve thought about dying. But I can''t die. I can''t die when I have nothing to eat. I can survive forever. And I had a family up there, and I could feel my family up there with my senses. I''ve been exploring the facility and seeing things with magic. But there were limits. Just nothing. Nothing to do, nothing to do. Then one day, something happened, and the spiders started going out. I don''t know why. But they seem to be going out and eating people. People. People. Am I human now? Who am I with the mind of a man and the body of a spider? After a while, I noticed three people entering this place. Those three people are coming closer and closer to us. And they killed my brother, my father, and my mother, and then they come here. But my family must have wanted it too. I knew. They had been turned into spiders, just like me. But death is a relief. I was jealous. I can''t wait to be gone, to be with my family. The door opens. And in comes three humans. Oh you are in here a wizard. He is very powerful. He''ll be able to finish me off. But suddenly I feel a burning sensation in my body. ''Kill him. Kill the intruder. Kill the intruder. That''s your mission. I heard such a voice and I lost my reason. But with what little reason I had left, I asked him. He must have heard me. I want him to reach me, and I want him to reach me. ''Hey ... who are you?'' ''You know what I mean.¡¡I''ll.... "Look at me. "Hey, can you tell me your name? He was fighting hard. He was fighting this me. And in the midst of all this, I told him of my wish. ''Hey ... kill me ...'' 48-Episode 48: Dedicate a Girl to Death Don''t do that. Don''t talk to me like that. Don''t talk to me. Don''t. I don''t want to kill the ''human''........ ''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! My head seemed to be able to handle it. By a voice that echoed in my brain all the time.... And that wish was ''kill me''. That was it. The same as before. The same as before. The truth that I don''t want to know, that I mustn''t realize, is assaulting me. I was aware. I knew that the spiders fighting at the 10th, 30th, and 40th layers, as well as these 50 layers, were human beings. To be precise, they are a chimera of humans and spiders. Perhaps they are human at heart and spiders in body. Unlike the homunculus, this is a substitute that incorporates a pre-existing human mind into a demon. This was the truth of the Sixth Maze. And I remembered what I said at that time. ''''Besides, you''re probably already fighting it, but the demon mutations in the world are also artificially caused by the truth-seekers, the Fanaticus. The Phanaticus is an experiment in human experimentation. You will know, in the depths of this sixth labyrinth, the result of their atrocious experiments. That''s what he was saying at the time. That''s why I noticed the discomfort right away. Those spiders were the result of a heinous experiment. And they wanted to die. I could sense the will to kill us, but there was a clear ''wish to die'' in them. And I, in spite of my hesitation, made it happen. I still don''t know if that was the right thing to do. ''Thank you,'' Thank you, sweetheart. That''s what they called me. They thanked me. So it''s not wrong. But I feel the illusion that my hands are stuck with someone else''s blood. And the ancient spider in front of me, the Ancient Spider, is attacking me even as it wishes to die. Everything is directly related to death, and if I''m not careful even a little bit, I will die. That''s why I had no choice but to fight with the resolve to kill this guy. There''s no stopping now. This fight will continue until either I or he dies. And that girl she wants to die. She''s fighting something, and she''s desperately trying to tell me. Should I make that wish come true or not, I''m still wondering. What should I do, what should I do, I''ve been fighting with those thoughts. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki! The Ancient Spider, the Ancient Spider, is chirping. But I knew it was the wailing of an ancient spider. This is the wailing of a wailing spider. It''s not wailing, this is wailing. You will find that the blade becomes dull when you realize this. My thoughts became dull. My hand trembles. But I have to go on. I have to hand over the end to a girl who wants to die. A girl who knows nothing. I don''t know her face or her voice, I don''t know anything solid, I''ve never met her or talked to her. But I know for sure it''s a girl in there, and I know she''s talking to me. ''''Please, let me finish...?'''' Instantly, the ancient spider ¡¶Enchemental Spider¡· lets out a yell. !!!!! Obviously, the convergence of the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· was abnormal. I had sensed it in the Absolute Realm, but something was wrong. Is this the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡·? When I thought about it, I remembered that guy''s words again. ''You alchemists seem to think that the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· is the root of everything, but in reality, the First Quality ¡¶Akashic Materia¡· is the root of the world. All is one, and one is all. The only thing that makes it so is the Akashic Materia, the First Zero Material. All wizards use the Akashic Materia without exception. And in the next attack, this one will come to kill me. But what can I do now........?¡¡As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me. That''s right. I had rewritten the code inside the vegetables, genetically modifying them to alter their existence. Then, isn''t it possible for humans to rewrite their own code? I think about it and carry it out at will. And I rewrite the code inside my body. I''m going to make the passage of the first quality, the prima materia, better than ever, and expand the storage of magic power, which is its greatest flaw. It is said that magic power is generally located in the prefrontal area of the brain. I even enlarged that area at my own will, rewriting the code in my body. ''''Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! It hurts so badly that my head feels like it''s going to crack. But if I didn''t do this, I wouldn''t be able to withstand that attack. The current me can''t reach it. Then I''ll just have to go beyond the present. Rewrite it. Rewrite who I am. For the sake of that girl I''m going to.... And I''ve taken care of the whole process. I look the same. But what''s inside me was definitely altered. The human code sequence has been forcibly rewritten, and then rewritten from my brain to my body to adapt to the alchemy. ''''Soooooooooooooooooooooooo, haaaaaaaah.'''' Taking a deep breath, I held up the thin-haired dragonfly. At the same time, the guy is also ready and activates his magic. !!!!! It was an endless stream of fire pouring down from the sky. A wave of fire falling from the heavens. If I don''t block it, me and... and Fee and Monica will die. That''s why I''m going to put everything I have into this attack. ........attribute granting [Enchantment]: absolute zero.... And my alchemy and the girl''s magic intersected. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! One move is not enough. It''s not going to be the same as it was back then, with Altaat. This is magic. Then I will make up for it in numbers. I''m no longer the man I was before. Now, I''m able to hit absolute zero in rapid succession. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! The girl also loses and opposes it. Fire and absolute zero. Their wills clash with each other. With a clear will to kill each other, they continue to unleash their attacks. And then.........the end of the offensive and defense that seemed like an eternity came without a hitch. The moment our attacks broke off from each other, I was already running out of the ground. As usual, I made the thin-winged dragonfly parallel to the ground and ran at super high speed on the ground. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it. As I have repeated many times before. I.........I.......I.... I''m going to kill this girl. And then I flew and swung this blade at the brain........and swung it down. The trembling was there. The fear was there. But I still swung the blade. ''Ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki, ki. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¡Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. ..... I scream at him, my whole body shaking. But it''s over. It''s all over. My brain was ripped open and my body fluids poured out. At the same time, the ancient spider fell to the ground with a loud ground shaking. I stared at the overflowing body fluids. Then, when the thin-winged dragonfly was brought down, its body fluids adhered to the ground in a flash. It''s over. I''ve done it. But this time it''s different. I knew everything, and I killed a man with the determination to do so. But what is the definition of a man?¡¡Are you a person if your mind and body are both in line?¡¡Isn''t this guy really just a spider?¡¡But it''s not. My mind didn''t think so. I had always heard the voice, the voice of a girl. I had heard that heartbreaking cry, the wailing, the voice of a girl who wished to die. The girl had been alone in this labyrinth for hundreds of years, and I wanted to make her wish come true. And I killed this spider ... no, I killed the girl. It was dumbfounding and easy compared to the fights I''ve been in. I''m not as tired as I used to be. I, we had trudged through the Sixth Maze. But I felt a heavy weight hanging over me, much, much heavier than ever before. And as I looked at the ancient spider "Ancient Spider" prostrated on the ground, tiny light-like particles scattered toward the heavens. It was like a beautiful snowflake rising up instead of falling in a flurry... it was such a fantastic sight. I knew this too. The individuals who were frozen in the tenth layer must have disappeared in this way. The reason they were burning at the thirtyth and fortyth layers was to avoid facing this scene. To escape, to justify it, I hid it. But now ... I can''t escape and I''m not going to hide it anymore. I have to face this girl. It''s the responsibility of a murderer. "Hey what''s your name? "Elweed Willis. People call me Elle. And you? "I am Aina. Thank you, Elle. My brother, my mother, my father, and I are grateful to you. Thank you for killing us. "Is death ... salvation? I''ve been lost, running, hiding, regretting, and... ''It will help. You gave us an end. And for that I am so grateful. So please don''t cry... "...did I do the right thing...? ''Yes. But you know, righteousness is subjective in the end. You''ve done the right thing for us. So, let me say this ... thank you. "Aina please be at peace... "Yes, goodbye, Elle. Please grant you the greatest possible happiness. And the ancient spider that was in front of me, the Ancient Spider [Ancient Spider], no.......Aina has returned and passed away. Everything became particles, light, and brilliance, dissolving into this world. They became crystal-clear, unblemished light and scattered everywhere. And then, as if rising high into the heavens, the girl departed. Have I finished......... I stood there, stunned and with tears still streaming down my face, I looked up at the heavens. Praying that I could sleep peacefully, I stared at the particles of light that were the residue of the girl dancing in the air. This is how we entered the sixth labyrinth. I had become the second person in the world to traverse the labyrinth. But there was nothing to be proud of. 49-Chapter 49 Chapter 2: Epilogue Elle, it''s over! ''Firstborn!¡¡It''s really amazing that you could take it down by yourself! Oh it''s done. I, I did it. I did it.... I was still standing there, dumbfounded, tears streaming down my face. I was just sad. I didn''t think it was right for this to exist in this world. But if I was able to save that family, that little girl, I was so glad. The thought preceded the guilt now. Death could be a salvation. And at the same time, I couldn''t forgive the person who had done such an atrocious thing. What right did he have to create a chimera of people and spiders? Moreover, he would lock it up in a labyrinth and make it live forever and ever for a long time. A living hell indeed. That family, the girl had no choice but to accept it. There was no choice........ So killing her was the right thing to do, right?¡¡Hey ... isn''t it? "Elle, why are you crying? Sir?¡¡What ... is ... what''s going on? And then, poof, poof, I began to speak. The spiders that fought in the tenth, thirtieth and fortyth layers of the Sixth Labyrinth, and here in the fiftieth layer, were chimeras with humans. They were human at heart and spiders in body. They had been living in this labyrinth for a long time in that state. They can''t even kill themselves. You can''t do anything. I can''t even go outside. You''ve been trapped in there forever. That''s what I''m saying.... "Hey, Fee. Monica. I killed a man. Human beings with my own hands. I didn''t know it at ten layers. When I was on the 30th layer, I knew it wasn''t right. Forty layers I was aware of it. And at fifty layers, I knew.....and I killed it. The girl''s wish was to die. So I killed her. Hey are we right? I said I killed a human. That was a man. It was a solid person with a human heart. He may look different, but he was born as a human being and died as a spider, a human being. And I ask them both if I am right. Am I right? No, I ask if we are right. Even though I had my hand in it, there is no doubt that the three of us worked together. Is it a good thing that the three of us captured this labyrinth? I still think so. My trembling hands haven''t stopped shaking. This trembling hasn''t stopped since I cut that girl''s head open for a long time. ''''Elle........'''' Sir.... Then they wrap me up in a hug as they wrap me up. Then Fee pats me on the head. ''I''m sorry I let you carry me around for so long. Elle, you know, you did the right thing. I let someone who wanted to die die, and I let them die properly as a person. So don''t look so sad. .... ''Sir, I''m sorry. I wasn''t aware of anything but I think I am too. Sensei, you did the right thing. And I''ll carry that with me. When I heard those words, I felt something inside me disintegrate. I didn''t have to act stoutly anymore. You don''t have to hold back anymore. You don''t have to hide it, you don''t have to run away........ ''Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! And I wailed with their support. I still didn''t know what to call this feeling. ¡ó All the various things since then have been done by Fee and Monica. There was a book at the back of the Sixth Labyrinth. That was all there was. And in the corner of the room was some clothes and miscellaneous items. Those must have been collected by Aina, who longed for the outside world. I cried again when I saw that, but I didn''t regret it anymore.... Then I went to the Elf Village and told them of my plan to capture the Sixth Maze. Then I received a welcome party at the Elf Village and returned to the kingdom. ''''It''s hard to believe all of a sudden, but I see. The truth of the Sixth Labyrinth is anything but...'''' Mr. Chairman, this is the book I found in the deepest part of the book. Let''s see. When I came back from that, I was here to tell them that I had attacked the labyrinth. Fee and Monica are gone now because of another matter. I was the only one who came to tell the chairman what happened in the maze. And now I''ve handed him a book I found in the deepest part of the labyrinth. But I couldn''t read it because I didn''t know what the letters were. A completely unfamiliar script. Probably a language from before the fall of civilization. I don''t know this language either. I''ll save this one for the Association for now. Well this is going to be a bit of a clich¨¦, but thank you so much. Conquering the maze is an international achievement. Your names will be heard around the world. But let''s not tell the truth. The announcement from our association will not be that big a deal. We''d actually like to have a celebration, but I don''t think we''re in the mood for that. Yes I just need to get my mind out of the gutter now. A demon and a human chimera. And an individual that lives for hundreds of years. There''s a lot of mystery here but it looks like there''s something in the labyrinth after all. Mr. Chairman. I''m going to take care of the rest of the maze now. Are you going to do it?¡¡Really? ''Seeing that devastation, other labyrinths could be as well. I can''t tolerate such atrocities. ''It''s a big help to us but if you''re determined, we''ll do our best to back you up too. This may sound like a clich¨¦, but I wish you the best of luck. I understand. I said those words for the last time and went back to my house. I turned the key and opened the door but........it was already unlocked. ''''Preeminent!¡¡Welcome home!¡¡Congrats on the labyrinth! It was Alice in the doorway. I didn''t close the door this time. And I ... hugged Alice as hard as I could. ''What!¡¡Huh!¡¡What''s the matter with you?¡¡Did you hit your head in the labyrinth! ''No I''m ... I''m feeling very blessed ... thank you, Alice ...'' ''No that''s fine but, well yes...'' I still hadn''t wiped out the feeling of death from that moment. When I returned home and was alone, I would remember it. And I would think that my hands were sticky with bright red blood. When I came back home, my mind seemed to be able to handle it. The reason it''s normal like this now is because I have a clear purpose. The purpose is to capture the labyrinth. The same thing with the crops, but now we need to capture the labyrinth. I''m going to work on this at the same time, but I think I can do it. No, I''ll do it. "Sir, the bath is boiling again today. Oh thank you. When I got away from Alice, I went straight to bathe I ate my dinner with Alice. During that time, Alice didn''t ask me anything. She smiled and laughed and told me about her time at the academy, how she and Rita had gotten to know each other better, and how Proto and No. 1 were doing. I laughed and listened to it too. It''s not that I want to forget. I don''t want to escape. I don''t want to hide it. I am going to live with the truth and the work I did. I am going to move forward. And on top of that, enjoy this everyday life. Hey, Alice, listen to me. What do you mean? It''s about the great adventure in the Sixth Labyrinth. Yes! I want to write a book about what happened in that labyrinth someday. I want to share it with the world. The sad and fragile story of a young girl who lived on alone in the labyrinth... and lived a worthy life to the end. ¡ó Early morning. Alice is asleep next to me. Yesterday, we slept together in silence. I was shivering and Alice held my hand and I slept peacefully. ''....Morning. I was out of bed, as usual, soaking up the morning sun. Then, even though it''s this morning, the intercom rings. It''s Fee''s.......what''s going on here? While thinking about it, I opened the door. ''Elle I have a letter for you. No, technically, it''s us. Who''s that? It''s Rafe. "Leif?¡¡I think he''s gone to the fifth labyrinth now... I opened the letter that was handed to me, and it simply stated, "Request assistance as soon as possible. "Request your support as soon as possible. And we were to face the fifth labyrinth. 50-Episode 50 Fee Wants to Tell Hi, I''m Fee. The time goes back to after the entrance ceremony. ''''....Haha, that''s good. Elle did well and really........ I''m really worried about Elle. She''s a lot better than she was in school, but it''s still dangerous. She''s a genius at alchemy, but not much else at all. The only thing on my brain seems to be crops. Besides, after what happened the other day I wasn''t even fazed by it. He even saw me naked....well, technically he didn''t see me, but what was that reaction! The ultimate goal of humans is to preserve and prosper the species. So, people and s*xual desire are inseparable. Eventually we will reach that point of love. But I don''t feel any s*xual desire in that man. Liar, I''m too unattractive...! I can''t help but think about it. Somehow, once again I''m starting to think about it....I''m getting annoyed. "Okay, I''ve decided!¡¡I''ll make Elle tell you! I''ve decided. That''s right. We have to get Elle to tell him somehow. Because if we can''t do that, that a**h*le is not going to give us back our attention. Huh?¡¡Why don''t you just tell him yourself? Well that''s an option, but for now, I think it''s better to tell him of my attraction and have Elle tell him. Yeah. It''s not an escape, okay?¡¡It''s not like I''m running away from something that happened after I got dumped. No, I''m not. I''m not running away. Yeah......... While making such an excuse to myself, I decided to make a plan and carry it out. ¡ó ''Elle!¡¡Good morning! Hmm?¡¡That''s a coincidence, Fee. Good morning. ''What?¡¡Yes, haha.... Early morning. I bumped into Elle at the door before I left for work. It''s just a coincidence?¡¡Just because I''m next door doesn''t mean I''m overheard. You wanna go with me? You''re coming with me. Yeah! Operation No. 1. Casual body touch. I am a little confident in my body. I have a good amount of chest. Today, I made a tight suit, one that shows the line of my body. And really casually, I''ll try to look at it casually, casually guessing my arm or something. ''''Hmmm, for the sake of the evolution of these vegetables...'''' Yes, Dame. I don''t think he noticed. This guy needs to focus, okay? He can''t see his surroundings. He seems to be studying more and more lately, and he becomes unusually distracted. The reason I''m coming to school with you is because I have ulterior motives, but it''s not safe to leave you alone. Totally, Elle would really be without me........ As I was thinking that, I had already passed the gate of the academy. Elle is still her own world. Everything, "My thoughts are more active when I''m walking. That''s why I walk" or something like that.....but it''s really bad right now Elle. Seriously, I''m not seeing anything. So I''m casually fine-tuning the direction we''re going in. I''d really like to hold their hands, but I''ve got my students'' eyes on me. ''Sensei, good morning.'' ''Good morning. Miss Fee, you and Miss Elle are good friends!¡¡Are you guys dating? ''I knew it! They''re perfect for each other. Come on. Stop messing around! I don''t know how many times I''ve had students say this to me. In fact, I have tried to use this move to bury them from the outer moat. But it''s useless because the person in question doesn''t know about such rumors. After all, Elle doesn''t know what''s going on around her. Yeah I''m starting to cry a bit. ''''Sensei, good morning! A woman came running dada dada dada and tangled in Elle''s arms. It was Alice. I really don''t like Alice. Because I''m spoiled by Elle. It was my right to do that. I really hate her! Come on, get away from me. Mm. Fee, you''re jealous? Elle is a world away today. Oh I see. And before I knew it, while Alice and I were talking, Elle had disappeared. She probably used transference and jumped to the lab. Geez, I''m telling you not to use transference with a whip in the academy................I''ll be preaching to you later!¡¡Let''s have a cup of tea, just the two of us! Huh ... the doctor is gone? So, is Fee still appealing?¡¡Why don''t you just give up? What?¡¡What if you give up too?¡¡Don''t get carried away just because we''re the same age. ''Huh?¡¡How can you say that when you''re ten years older than me? The old lady should stay out of it. An old woman?¡¡You''re a little girl... ''Ohohoho. As expected of an old lady, her boiling point is very low. So, I''m sorry, I''m sorry... Then Alice said as she left. We haven''t been friends for a long time. When I first met her at a royal party, I thought she was a shadowy, dark person. Especially when it comes to her age, there''s nothing I can do about it. In fact, I think I''m at a disadvantage. There''s data that says men like younger men, and that''s true of actual married couples. But that doesn''t mean I can''t give up. Besides, I''ve raised Elle with my eyes on her, and I''m not giving her to anyone else! I swore that, and headed for my own office. ¡ó Huh....I''m tired.... A few hours later. It''s lunchtime. Today, I had classes in the morning and did some administrative work from lunch. Until last year, I was also in charge of a seminar, but Elle graduated, so I''m not in charge of a seminar this year. So, if anything, I''m free this year. Rather, the two years that Elle was there were bad. That a**h*le''s tremendous experiments have left me busy dealing with the aftermath. The day the veggies staged a coup, I thought my head was going to fall off. So now that I have some free time, I decided to head over to Elle''s lab. I don''t really want to be alone with him or anything like that........ Yeah.......... "Elle, let''s go eat dinner! .... Ellew? ''Oh yes I do. What?¡¡Number two is bullying you?¡¡He''s a totally troubled guy. What''s wrong with my education policy? It wasn''t a response to me. Elle is having a conversation with the corn and others. That''s probably No. 3, but he''s gesturing and telling Elle something. It''s smiling, but right now I want to go to dinner. Besides, this jerk is probably skipping several meals again anyway. ''Elle, Elle!¡¡Let''s go grab a bite to eat!¡¡You haven''t been eating much anyway! Hmm?¡¡Ah, Fee. Yeah, I haven''t eaten for a couple of days now. Just in time. ''''f*ck it!¡¡Two days!¡¡You could have fallen down, and I wouldn''t have known!¡¡I''m going to make dinner tonight! Are you sure?¡¡I''ll be fine. Okay, that''s fine. We''re right next door to each other. I''m not... I said it with great gusto, but apparently it took a turn for the better. Now we have a good cause! Then we ate lunch together and went to Elle''s house to make dinner by the supermarket on the way home together. "Elle, where''s the cabbage? Hmm?¡¡Isn''t it there? Let''s see. What are you going to make today? "Pork miso soup, grilled pork with ginger and a heap of shredded cabbage. You know what to do, Fee. Well, we haven''t been dating for two years. Then let me know when you can, because I''m reading the research material. Okay. And I cook crisply. I''ve been living alone for a long time, so I''m good at cooking. After about an hour or so of cooking, I go to call Elle.......she''s still super focused.... ''Elle, it''s ready!'' Hmm?¡¡Oh, thank God. We both sit down and start eating together. This isn''t the first time I''ve asked Elle to eat for me, but I''m pretty nervous....... ''''Unh!¡¡That''s delicious........Fee is a real good cook....... Yeah?¡¡Oh, thank you. I got a compliment. Okay, great!¡¡Keep it up, me! ''Fee, do you want to go shopping with me tomorrow? ''What?¡¡That''s.... Yeah. It''s a date. What...? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! A date!¡¡I''m surprised the word "date" even exists in this guy''s brain! And somehow I was going on a date with Elle tomorrow. Come on, me! 51-Episode 51 Fees Want to Date Yes. So, here I am. It''s the day of our date. "...what to wear... That''s what I was thinking about when I woke up in the morning. I''ve been thinking about it all last night and it really bothered me. It''s just the warmest time of year. But it''s the halfway point of the year when you can wear long or short sleeves. As a matter of fact, some people in town are already wearing summer clothes. You can attack it with neat and tidy, or you can go boldly girly... or not. I don''t know what Elle likes (probably not), but I chose this one for now. ''''........this one works! And I was heading to the meeting place with Elle. ''''Well I hope I''m not too early.'''' We had decided to meet in front of the central fountain at 10:00. But I''m overly enthusiastic and arrive an hour before. Fidgety, I wait. Then two men approach me. ''''Hey lady, you''re so cute...'''' "Would you like to have tea with us if you''re not busy?¡¡I''ll buy you a drink~ Hmm. Pick-up. I''m used to this kind of pickup, which is fine, but it''s totally disgusting. And doesn''t he know me?¡¡ Nobles and such exist, but those are really creatures of a world that is only useful to alchemists. ''''No thanks. I''m waiting for you. Don''t say that. Come on, it''s a little bit. Annoying. I should smash him with alchemy........ Just as I was thinking that, a beautiful woman walked over from the corner of my eye. Eh, but that''s......... ''''Fee, you''re early. So. It was Elle. That''s strange. This man is too crazy. He is wearing a black jacket over a pair of tight jeans and a white shirt, and a necklace on his chest, but it is tucked away inside his clothes. He also has a necklace on his chest, but it is tucked away inside his clothes. That casual neckline, which is not too revealing, makes her look stylish. And she may be wearing a hairdressing product to make her hair look nicer than usual. Normally, her long hair is tied up in a tidy bun, but today it looks strangely shiny as if she''s wearing oil or a glossy wax. And although she wears her hair in a ponytail, it''s a little loose and s*xy. The shoes are also brown, high cut, and they''re cool and... what do you call it, who are they?¡¡Did you do this to yourself?¡¡Seriously? Hey, b*tc*, you got a guy? Let''s go. The pickup guy spits that out and leaves. But this can''t be helped. There aren''t many men who can compete with the current Elle. ''''Well Fee, you''re looking stylish today. I think you''re pretty. ''What?¡¡Well, yeah, well it''s a date. My outfit, on the other hand, was simply a plain white dress. I actually bought it this spring and hadn''t had a chance to wear it...but I figured it was now or never. It''s truly the ultimate in neatness. The material of the dress is important. That''s why I put a lot of thought into my makeup, hair and makeup today. But that''s just the bare minimum of etiquette, and I didn''t expect Elle to point it out to me. Something is wrong with Elle today. It''s the same with being dressed up, and he''s never told me I''m pretty, but he''s just plain saying it. I''m amazed that this man had an aesthetic sense that existed. No, he said something about the shape of vegetables being beautiful but I never thought he had that for humans. ''Alright, let''s go then.'' Ha-ha-ha. What? ''Hey!¡¡It''s nothing!¡¡Let''s go! And so we both walked side by side. ¡ó It''s crazy. This man is abnormal. He said he hadn''t eaten breakfast, so I stopped by a nearby cafe, but he bought me a drink. Basically, Elle doesn''t buy me a drink. I''m not interested in gender equality, or even the concept of gender in the first place. She doesn''t have a gender bias that says she should be strong because she''s a man or pretty because she''s a woman. Or rather, they don''t know about gender bias itself. So you don''t know that there''s this idea that men are supposed to escort women. And yet, he bought me a drink. I said, "Fee, I''ll pay the bill," so I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and quickly paid the bill. By the way, this is a restaurant where you pay in advance. And that wallet. It''s a branded long wallet. The base color is chic black, simple but also slightly shiny. The person who sees it can understand that it is an expensive one. And the watch you wear on your left arm, which I caught a glimpse of, also looks expensive. It''s kind of shiny. Seriously, what is it? Did this guy hit his head from all that research? "Fee, what do you want to do after this? ''What?¡¡I haven''t really thought about it, but... So let''s go with my plan. .... Drop the croissant you''ve been eating. Let''s go with my plan, shall we? Is that what Elle made to escort me to? Eh, wait ... I can''t get my head around it. Is this a fake?¡¡Do you have a cognitive disruption on me? I look at myself with that thought and see the alchemy of resist on myself. ''What''s the matter, Fee. You used alchemy out of the blue. Hahaha it''s nothing. Nothing much happened. The Elle in front of me was still a stylishly handsome man. Wow.........this is bad.......cool....... My original goal was to ''make him confess'', but if I''m not good at it, I''ll end up ''about to confess''. It''s not just the appearance, but I like the rugged, kind and hardworking Elle. It''s not legal to mess with your students, but hey, we''re in the same position now, right?¡¡I mean, we''re colleagues, right?¡¡I mean, what''s wrong with being in love at work? So this is legal. This is the way it should be. That''s it. "All right, let''s just hang out for a bit. Uh-huh. And we were walking out of the store. ''No, this might look good on Fee but but but...'' Oh, yeah?¡¡Do I look good? I''m at the grocery store, and Elle says she buys me all kinds of little things. It could be a necklace, a bracelet, or another trinket.......but the store here is rather expensive. Elle makes a lot of money and a lot of different things, so I''m sure she can pay for it but I really can''t believe that the idea of spending money on people is in this head. Do you have any idea which fees are better? Whatever Elle chooses for me, I''ll take it. Okay. Well, you''ll have to choose carefully. Elle turns her smiling face towards us. Noooooooooooooooooooo!¡¡No, no, no, no, no!¡¡Who are you, who are you, who are you, who are you? The ranking of what I would want to do if I were a lover is being digested. It was a bit sad to be digested when I wasn''t a lover, but I was still genuinely happy that Elle was doing so much for me. At the same time, it was scary. There was no way that this crop idiot could behave in such a normal way. There has to be a backstory... something behind this... but there''s nothing. I can''t help but think that he''s genuinely doing a lot of things for me. It''s not that I''m doubting you, Elle, you know! What do I want to do, I want to bite the tsundere alone........ This might be a bug that''s coming to me as well. ''Alright, let''s do this.'' Elle chose a bracelet that was a bit expensive. It''s a simple silver one, but that''s a good thing. There''s no weird ornamentation, which I like. Then don''t go buy it. Yeah. Have a good day... I thought as I looked off his back. This might be a maybe. I, I can go as far as I can. Ah.........finally I won''t be able to be bullied either....... I''m so glad......... While thinking about this, we continued to date. 52-Episode 52 Fee wants to go to the hotel Hi, I''m Fee. It''s now lunchtime and we''ve come to a trendy restaurant for the two of us. This place is one of the most popular restaurants in the kingdom and it''s hard to get a reservation. ''''I have a reservation, Elweed Willis. You must be Mr. Willis. Come this way. Hmm? Is this the Elweed Willis you booked? That''s ridiculous. Elle had reservations? What? No way. There is no way this man could do that. But the reality is that we came to the restaurant...and were shown to the best seat, which is said to have the best view. From here we can see the clean, clear waters and the ships that come and go for trade. The Kingdom of Falberica is a thriving port city, so the seats here are truly precious. It must be absolutely something that Elle is holding back. I was more skeptical than genuinely happy. And, but........it''s not that I''m not happy, you know! Yeah, I''ve done the tsundere again.... Ughhhh. I''m just going crazy........... "It''s an appetizer. Then the waiter brings us an appetizer. I''m pouting when I see it, and Elle casually explains to me. ''I ordered a seafood course, but you liked the fee, didn''t you?'' "Uh-huh. I love you, but... The carpaccio came. Shredded sashimi and veggies, with a sauce of olive oil and vinegar. Honestly, it looks so delicious. I took a bite. Then the sweetness of the olive oil and the acidity of the vinegar combined with the flavor of the vegetables and sashimi. Ugh, yum! As expected of a restaurant that can''t be booked in, it''s not very pretentious.... Next up was the fish cooked in poirette. Grilling the fish in poirette gives it a crispy texture. I politely, but somewhat amused, enjoyed my meal while talking to Elle. Finally, the parfait came for dessert. Sure, I like parfait, but only at the end did something strangely mundane come along, as Elle explains again. ''Fee liked the parfait, didn''t he?¡¡I was forced to make it. By the way, I had it made into a banana flavored ice cream. Well thank you for that. Thank you for doing this to me... ''Fee''s been a big help to me all these years, you know. It''s only right that I give him a good workout like this once in a while. Of course ... of course ... of course ... of course ...? ''Glad ... thank you, Elle. You''re welcome, Fee. I use a long, thin spoon and go for the puffa. Ice cream with chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce on top of the ice cream. And crunchy cereal underneath. So sweet and delicious! I''m crunching away at it, and before I know it, I only have a little more left. Ahhhh. I wanted to eat more........ Then, seeing me like that, Elle sticks her spoon out to me. ''''Fee, ahhh.'''' What? Come on, open your mouth. Uh-oh. Crunch. I got the banana flavored ice cream that Elle had been eating. It''s delicious but.................it doesn''t taste good. Because this is a........indirect kiss. But I''ve had a few indirect kisses before. Because he''s often taken my drink away from me, saying things like, "Fee, I''ll take this. But now the situation is different from that. It''s the legendary ''ahhh''. Aang" is the third on the list of people I would like to have as a lover. I never thought it would happen here...am I dreaming?¡¡Hey ... is this a dream?¡¡If it''s a dream, I don''t want you to wake up. ''?¡¡What''s up, Fee. Pinch your cheeks. And I''m biting the dust... "?¡¡That would be nice, though, wouldn''t it? I pinched my cheeks and reaffirmed my happiness. It was a dream, but it wasn''t a dream! No, which one. Yeah. I can''t tell you how many times I have to keep reminding you that this isn''t a dream. This is real! Well, now that you''ve eaten, let''s go see a movie. Yeah. Thank you, Elle. I look at her with a smirk and Elle smiles back, smiling even more than I do. ''Fee. Thank you, on my part. That smile knocked me down in my brain. ¡ó The movie theater is located across the street from the restaurant, down the main street. But there seems to be a lot of people here today, so it''s hard to get going. Ughhhhh........there are so many people........ ''Fee, this way. What? Then Elle grabs my hand forcefully with a gui and escorts me away. And just like that, we walk together, hand in hand....walking...? My left hand........my hand might be sweating badly....... With that in mind, Elle took us by the hand and we arrived at the movie theater. When we went to the counter to buy a ticket, Elle said something even more outrageous. ''A couple''s discount, please.'' Yes. Yes, sir. The lady at the counter gave me a discount without checking anything in particular. Moreover, Elle will pay for it again this time. Or rather, I''m not paying today.......... ''''Yes, the ticket. Don''t lose it, okay?¡¡Do you want popcorn or something to drink? ''Well I don''t need it. I just ate. Okay. Well, let''s go. Yes. I follow Elle without question. By the way, the title of the movie I''m watching today is "Sin and Love". It''s a love/hate movie that''s been all the rage in the kingdom lately. I prefer a slightly heavier story to a lighter one, so I was planning to come see it one day. Alone...... But, to my surprise, Elle and I came to see it as a couple. We became a couple. And the screening started. ''''.........'''' .... Of course, I''ll shut up and watch it. It''s light in the beginning, but the story gets heavier in the middle. ''I''m not important to you! No, I love you. Then show me the proof! And after such an exchange.....................the bed scene. Huh!¡¡That''s pretty neat!¡¡I''m seeing deep kisses and all sorts of things!¡¡I glanced at Elle and she was seriously staring........at the screen. I''m kind of embarrassed that I''m an adult and I can''t afford it....................embarrassed. Even though I thought that, I was embarrassed by what I was embarrassed by, so I watched the movie to the end with my face red. ''Oh no, that was good. I rarely watch movies, but that was fun. Yeah, right. I thought it was funny, too. We talked and talked about our impressions and went outside, and it was already dusk. Aaaaah. It''s the end of time. Anyway, we''ll have a romantic dinner at a hotel, and then........stay in the same room.......and then..... Well, there''s no way that''s going to happen. I guess we''ll just break up. ''Fee, what are your plans for tomorrow?'' Well I''m not really sure. Then why don''t we go to a hotel for dinner? Okay, but won''t it slow you down? I''ve saved you a hotel room. You don''t mind if we spend the night out? Yeah, fine. You held back two rooms?¡¡Is the money okay? No, it''s just one room. What? You don''t like being in the same room with me? ''No I''m totally fine, but...'' I don''t understand. Am I hallucinating? A hotel?¡¡And sleeping in the same room. That''s......................a long shot invitation! That''s right! It''s not that I''m not a woman, but even women have a s*xual appetite and can have it. So it''s okay to expect it, right?¡¡Adult stairs, you can climb them, right?¡¡I''m an adult now, but.... Let''s go then. ''Yeah...'' And so we headed to the hotel. What''s going to happen to me now! 53-Episode 53: The Fee Wants to Prepare, and... Well, let''s get in there. ''Yeah...'' We came to a hotel together. It''s also a very exclusive hotel. Even though I am a nobleman, I only eat at such a place a few times a year. We came to such a place. We were led to a table where we could see the night view. It was even better than the daytime restaurant. ''Fee, we''re going to have another course, okay?'' Yeah. Good. This time it was a meat course. But this time the meal didn''t taste like anything at all. My brain was on the verge of short-circuiting because I was so nervous and paranoid. I don''t even remember what we were talking about, I don''t really remember what we were doing. ''Is the wine good?'' Yeah. It''s good, Elle. The wine is quite dated and very good. I don''t know how much money I''ve spent today alone. But even in my vague awareness I''m still wary. Maybe there''s still a backstory to this. ''Well, dinner''s all done. Let''s go to our room. Well ... yeah. We both head to our suite on the top floor. I hadn''t had that much to drink today and I''m very conscious. My heart really felt like it was going to jump out of my chest in the elevator. That''s how nervous I am.......me. ''I guess the room is here,'' .... When we entered the room, it was large and luxurious, just like a suite. I''ve never stayed in a place like this before. Finally, here I am at last........ Just as I was thinking about this, Elle came to me with something outrageous. ''Fee, go take a bath first. ...What? Want me to come back later? No, he''s coming in first! I put my bag down and went straight to the bathroom. The bathroom was also very clean and lavishly decorated. As I take a shower, I think to myself. Could this be....that''s what this is all about?¡¡But Elle is underage and...?¡¡But ... but ... it''s okay to be prepared, just in case, right?¡¡Besides, I''m not at all sure if it''s at least a kiss......................and then the young urges hit me. While indulging in such fantasies, I washed my body carefully for about 40 minutes. I don''t have any ulterior motive, you know! Manners!¡¡It''s just good manners! Fee, it''s been a long time. ''A woman''s bath is like this...'' I came out in the bathrobe that was provided. Eh, Elle.........say something more....... ''Then don''t let me come in too. Have a good day. Then I start to hear Elle taking a shower. I sit still on the bed and wait. Ki, I''m too nervous to move my body properly. But it''s okay, right?¡¡We can count on that, can''t we? Clatter. There''s a sound, and Elle comes out. She''s suitably wet, and her hair is unraveled...how s*xy she is. No, it''s erotic. This is bad ... my heart is racing. ''Fee.'' What? Do you? ''What?¡¡Do it!¡¡You really do! Yeah. Isn''t that the deal? Oh, yeah ... yeah ... okay, let''s do it, okay? I willfully try to take off my bathrobe, shivering. ''''Hmm?¡¡You gonna change?¡¡Then I''ll be in the other room. ''What?¡¡Soooo, aren''t you going to do that? Hmm?¡¡You''re going to do it, drink your dinner. ...What? I promised you the other night. You said you wanted to have a drink at a big hotel at night. And you said you wanted to have a date for the day. I tried to fulfill that request today but you didn''t like it? ''Oh....'' I was remembering everything. Right after the entrance ceremony was over, I soared and demanded it of Elle. He said he wanted to have a glass of wine at an expensive hotel, not a pub, during that lumbering launch. And he also said he wanted a nice date. But that was just drunken nonsense. "...Did Elle remember all that drunken crap? ''No wonder. I''ve only been an instructor for a short period of time, but I''ve learned a little about Fee''s struggles. You should give it a good workout every now and then. Thanks, Fee. .... I can''t do this anymore. I''m all red in the face now. Already red. I''m hot. I can see that my face is hot. It''s not just my face. My body is hot too. This is not a sense of shame. I''m happy with Elle''s behavior, and I love her so much that I can''t help but feel an overflowing feeling. Oh no it''s really bad. I think I''m going to get out of this. You''re blushing, Fee. Did the wine come around? ''What?¡¡Yeah, maybe so~. But I''m going to drink again now, and that''s just fine! Really?¡¡I''m not a drinker, but I''ll go out with you. Then Elle brought me some drinks and we spent the evening talking and talking together. I was wrong, but I really appreciate Elle''s help. Thank you, Elle. And after finishing my dinner, I fell asleep with the greatest happiness. By the way, my desire to make him tell me was no longer important to me.... Someday, I''m sure I''ll be able to tell you......... ¡ó Phew, I''m home. I''m back at home. But there''s no need to say I''m home or anything like that, because there''s no one at home. But I would say it out of habit when I was at my parents'' house. But there was a reply to that. ''Welcome back, Elle. How did it go? Sis. When did you.... ''I was just curious. It was my coordination. ''Well that was really helpful. I think it worked out well. Yeah. Good. This plan, in fact, wasn''t something I had planned alone. I''ve collected various magazines and stuff and tried to figure out what dating is all about, but I''ve never come close to a perfect understanding of it. My knowledge is skewed towards anything related to alchemy and crops. No matter how tall I am, there is a limit to how far I can go. And I asked for someone to help me. That person was sister Marie. She must know a lot of things. So I asked for help, and I was right. She told me to buy everything, from the clothes to the hair set and everything else, and we were on the perfect date course. The last hotel would have been perfect. He was strangely pleased with his evening drink. "So, what happened at the hotel? Hmm?¡¡I just had a normal dinner and went to bed, but... Huh you should show a little more guts there you know Mr. Fee would have been expecting that. "...what did you expect? You''ll have to know that for yourself. Is that what it is? ''Yes. There''s a lot going on in a damsel. As soon as my sister said that, I felt something hit me from behind with a don. ''Brother!¡¡What do you think?¡¡Surprised? Liese. Where have you been? ''I was hiding!¡¡You didn''t even notice! ''Oh. Riese''s covert skills are as amazing as ever. Heh-heh-heh-heh. I give her a good pat on the head. Then Liese says ehehe and lets her face relax with a grin. Come to think of it, it''s been a really long time since siblings have gotten together like this. Okay, now let''s go on a date together! ''Yay!¡¡Let''s go, let''s go!¡¡I want to go with my brother! I''ll pass. I''m busy with my research. Yeah. Let''s go, sis! I''m sorry, Liese. I''m going to leave now. Bye. Then my sister leaves. She''s still cool as ever. Well, that''s what makes her so attractive. ''So, Liese. Can we go on a date next week? ''Okay. Because today is a thing, isn''t it? Yeah, that one. We both grinned, and I read the research materials that Liese brought with her. Liese has become a better researcher lately. It''s not just fruits; Liese wants to produce crops that can grow in any kind of harsh environment. He wants to create a wonderful crop that can grow in temperatures below zero and above 50 degrees Celsius. My sister tells me not to make such a monster, but I will. Okay, I''ll keep working on it! Oh! And we''re working on our research, as usual, when Lise asks me something unexpected. ''Do you like your brother, Fee-san?'' ''Oh. I like you as much as I like Liese. I mean romantically! Love.... I''m not sure if that''s what you''re asking. But if I were to start a family in the future, it might be an understanding woman like Fee. Well, in my case, I''ll have to push on for my goals for now. "Hmm. I don''t know. But I think Fee would make a good wife. "Hmm, I see. But you''re going to have to play with me some more, big brother. I''m not giving it to Mr. Fee yet! Hearing that story, I''m sure I''ll be in love with one of them someday. Vaguely, I thought so. 54-Episode 54: Colonel Ritas Military Training Hi, I''m Rita. My teacher has gone to the labyrinth now and is not here. However, he comes to work twice a week, so he shows up for classes and seminars. But I miss him because he used to be in the lab even when he didn''t come to work, and I used to go there to visit him. But but!¡¡I have a mission now! That''s the proto and the care of Nos. 1 through 4. The doctor told me to take care of them. "Rita, take care of these guys for me. I''ll take care of it! ''It may not be easy to listen to you, but you can educate me and do it well. Just don''t be too strict, okay?¡¡Corporal punishment and all that. ''Sir, I won''t do that. I''ll guide these children firmly! Oh, well you''re in good hands then. And so the teacher has gone into the labyrinth. I miss him, but now I have a mission. Yes, this book will give you an idea of what education is all about. The book was about military training. It was in my brother''s room, who is a military man, and I borrowed it. Well, that''s fine. I''m going to put it to good use. Hmmmm..... As I read it, it says that strict instruction is still important. And discipline. I see. Discipline........what should I do about it? As I was thinking about this, an image popped up in my head. ''''Ah!¡¡Yes, we can all practice marching together! It hit me. A march. That''s right, a march. That sight of everyone moving forward in unison is a true symbol of discipline. Let''s teach the veggies to march. I can''t do anything difficult, but I can handle the march! I hear that this kind of thing is quoted as a sergeant or something like that, but I''m going higher. By the way, this is how the military ranks are supposed to work. It is written in the book. Commander-in-Chief -> General. Officer -> General > Lieutenant General > Major General > Major General > Colonel > Lieutenant Colonel > Major > Captain > Lieutenant > Lieutenant > Second Lieutenant Associate Officer to Adjutant. Noncommissioned officer > Chief Petty Officer > Sergeant > Sergeant > Corporal Soldier to Captain > Corporal > Private > Private First Class > Private A general would be too much for me, so I made it a colonel. I will stand in heaven! So I appointed myself as a colonel among the officers. I''m Colonel Rita. It''s kind of cool. Let''s make those vegetables a private. They have the luxury of being instructed by the colonel in person. Then one day I put my whistle around my neck and went to his lab. ''Ready, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee row! ".........! The five people inside, Proto and Nos. 1 through 4, are freaked out. I haven''t said anything harsh lately because I''ve been listening to what they say comparatively, but not today. I will lead them. ''''See!¡¡Line up properly! " " " " " "...? Everyone looks puzzled and shuffles off to line up. "Yes, then, listen carefully. They''re all staring at me. Hmm. I''ve been taking care of them all these days. They listen to me. "Today we''re going to practice our marching. Then I blackmailed them as they all began to panic as they scurried to look at each other. ''''........Silence!¡¡Listen, you have a mission to grow up well. I''m going to show the teacher who made you all great! ".........! Everyone seems impressed, and everyone squeezes their right hand up. But I''m going to straighten this out as well. First of all, let''s start with the salute!¡¡When you reply, do this! And I''ll show you how to do it. I bring my right hand in front of my head, firmly extend my fingers and salute!¡¡Then everyone else did too. ''All right. Good - keep it up! Oops. I didn''t mean to sound so sweet. I''m a demon sergeant I''m not a demon sergeant but a demon colonel. I know that the colonel is not really in a position to do this kind of thing, but it''s okay. Because I was left in charge by my teacher! Marching practice, then!¡¡When I blow the whistle, we should all walk side by side! ".........! A big salute. Hmm, nice trend. Hmmm. And then a beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, and a whistle. Then everyone''s spirits are lifted, and they all manage to walk away with their spines tightened.........but they are in pieces. "....Stop!¡¡Hmmm, it''s disjointed... What can we do to raise the improvement...? Ah!¡¡Appropriate feedback is important first. You can''t get angry just because you can''t do something. What''s wrong and what to do about it, educators are expected to give solid feedback. And that''s what the book says. ''Then let''s do it one at a time! ".........! Salute again. Hmmm, motivation is enough. There is no time to surprise the teacher. We must work quickly! So let''s start with the proto... Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. With a rhythmic whistle, the proto marches with gusto. But is he moving a little too much?¡¡He has big hand gestures and big strides. It''s nice to be more energetic than everyone else, but you have to be able to fit in with your surroundings properly. ''Proto, can you be a little more restrained next time? ...! A quick salute. Yup. Good thing you''re willing to do it! Beep, beep, beep, beep. And the proto is mostly finished. I knew that the best growing strains in this one were swallowed quickly. And then I taught the first, second, third and fourth individually as well. I am a demon colonel. With my heart and soul, I instructed them all to be bishops. Sometimes we continued to train in the storm, sometimes in heavy rain, sometimes in fire, sometimes in smoke... sorry, I got a little carried away. The training is on a desk in the teacher''s lab. But it''s a training ground for them. They can''t get their minds off it. And for a few days, I trained with them. I even gave them rewards (nutritional supplements) if they got it right. It also says in the book, "When you stop learning, you stop teaching. If you stop learning, you must stop teaching. I see. That''s a great statement. You can''t just step back and push your education from above. We need to learn well too. Well we need to keep learning more than they do! And I spent a lot of time in my sleep studying their habits and so on. How could I find out the habits of individuals and how to make them march cleanly? Now this was something I enjoyed doing. I realized that it''s a great thing to work hard for someone else. And finally..... ''Ya, I did it!¡¡Everyone is perfect! ".........! Everyone decides to give a big salute. Ka, it''s perfect........!¡¡I did it!¡¡Colonel Rita has achieved her goal!¡¡Good job, privateers! Rita, what are you doing here? Alice! Just then, it was Alice who came in just in time. That''s right, let''s let Alice see our feats! All in a row! It comes together nicely and neatly. All right, move along. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. And in rhythm, more firmly and neatly they go on with their hands and feet together. All the hard work seems to be washed away.... ''Okay, stop!'' Everyone stops. It''s perfect, no matter how many times we do it. We did it. This is an accomplishment. ...What''s going on? The march! I know it when I see it, but why are you doing it? He put me in charge! ''Yeah, Rita''s a genius in a way...'' Alice says so, but I''m not sure. But she must be giving me a compliment! I''m looking forward to seeing the doctor next time! 55-Episode 55: To the Republic of Igal "Request assistance as soon as possible. That brief sentence and the inn where he was currently staying. That was all the letter from Rafe was. But that was enough. I''m sure Leif must be struggling quite a bit. Besides, I wanted to give him information about the Sixth Maze. Just in time. "Come on, Fee, let''s go north. ''You''re going ... what about the Academy?¡¡I can handle it, but Elle... I''ll only go to work once a week. And with my current situation, it''s easy to use the transition. There''s no way I''m going back to the Kingdom once a week. Well if Elle says so, let''s go. I told Fee and Monica that I had altered my code. This probably falls under the contraindication, but I had no choice at the time, and I''m not going to pass this information on to anyone but us. I''m going to take it to my grave. And thanks to the modification of the code, I have a better aptitude for alchemy and even a higher total amount of magic power than before. If it''s me now, there''s no reason for a long-distance transfer. ''''Well then, we''ll talk again in the evening. I''ll get everything ready for today. Yeah. As Fee walked away, Alice was standing behind me. ''Sir, are you going away again?'' Alice. I had ... to do what I had to do. Is that more important than your work at the academy and your dreams of being a teacher? ''''I don''t want to prioritize it, but the priority right now is to capture the labyrinth. There''s something very wrong with the world. I understand. Besides, I''ll be back at least once a week. You promise? Yeah. We both cut off our fingers and I prepared to go north, as did Fee. ''So, speaking of the north, it''s the Igal Republic. Have you ever been there, Fee? ''There was one time, at work. But it''s really cold there. And the labyrinth is further north. I''m sure you''ll freeze to death if you don''t take proper precautions against the cold. ''I see. Should we try to keep your body temperature at all times? Yeah. So what''s the situation with Rafe? Unknown. They only sent me a terse note. Are they in a hurry or was there something else going on? ''But you want me to come to the inn, right?¡¡Then I don''t think it''s in danger yet. Well yes. Me and Fee were getting together and discussing our future plans. By the way, this time it''s just me and Fee. I''ve been asked to accompany Monica to the Sixth Maze as a matter of course, but she''s already a student at the Academy. You need to work hard on your studies. I''m sure you''ll be able to find something to do with it. Besides, we can probably procure warm clothes locally. Okay. Then me and Fee got an early night''s sleep and it was early morning. This time we took the earliest carriage to the north. Our destination was the Igal Republic. It''s a bitterly cold country further north than the Empire. The average temperature is quite low, often dropping below freezing. That''s why it''s called the Land of Ice. It''s also the name of the ice labyrinth. I''m not sure I''ve ever seen such a thing. But this time we can''t take that long. I''m planning to use the transfer all at once from the middle of the road. "Let''s use it from here... Can we really go? I''ll take care of it. Currently they were off the carriage and in front of a mountain a little north of the Empire. This place would not be disturbed. I can use alchemy to my heart''s content. What we need to transfer is the connection of the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡·. I''ll use the magic of the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· to connect the place where I want to jump and the place where I want to jump to create a pseudo-hole. If you jump into the hole, you can move through the First Quality¡¶Primateria¡·. This is a technology that uses alchemy to trick the space in the world and give the illusion that it is connected. It establishes for a moment in the world the perception that they are inherently connected. And this, if ever, requires that you have been to a beginning and an end point. Because if you don''t, the connection of the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Terrier¡· is not possible. But now I can sense the First Pledge¡¶Primateria¡·from a few kilometers away. ...I''ve got it. Fee, let''s jump! Uh-uh! Me and Phee had used the transference to go a few miles in an instant, and now we had arrived at a place where we had used the transference about five times. In a matter of hours, we were right in front of the Republic. ''It''s getting cold...'' Well.... His breath was already white. My body was feeling the cold well. And we were coming to the checkpoint. But we made it through the checkpoint easily. Fee and I are so well known that even the people who were doing the checkpoint seemed to know us, so it was over easily. Igal Republic. As the name of the ice country suggests, it was covered in ice and snow. But it wasn''t lacking in activity, and people were usually overflowing. It''s not as big as a kingdom or empire, but it''s a big country in its own right. It''s probably just as well. ''''Fee, where''s the inn with Leif?'''' Well, it''s this way. Fee and I quickly made our way to the inn where Rafe was staying. Looking at the scenery around us, we saw people shoveling snow and dropping icicles. I''m sure it''s a normal part of the job here. ''Here,'' Should I go in... Once inside, the place was filled with people. But there was no sign of Rafe. I asked the receptionist where Rafe was. ''Excuse me, do you know where Rafe Alan''s room is?¡¡If I tell you that Elle and Fee are here, you''ll understand. We were told to let you in when you two arrived. It''s the last room on the third floor, room 324. I understand. I walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door of room 324. Then Rafe came out from inside, but he seemed inexplicably surprised. ''Elle and Fee.......too soon?¡¡I thought it would take longer. He jumped through the transition. Ha, you''re a bluesteller. How''s that for irony? Let me in for now. We have a lot to talk about. ''Oh...'' We walked in and each of us took our places at the table before we started talking. ''So, Leif is the fifth labyrinth in trouble? Yeah, but not exactly. What''s the difference? We can''t enter the Fifth Labyrinth. What? Me and Fee''s voice hums. That too. What do you mean you can''t go in? In this world, with the exception of the seventh labyrinth, the details, or rather the characteristics of each labyrinth are known, and it is possible to go inside. However, even if you go in, few of them can reach the deepest part of the labyrinth.... Furthermore, I''ve never heard any rumors that the fifth labyrinth is inaccessible. There is also information that there are ice-based demons inside. So what does it mean that they can''t enter it? ''''The fifth labyrinth was completely closed off by ice. I was planning to investigate at least one layer of the labyrinth to test it out and then gather my friends.... I didn''t think I''d even be able to enter it... What''s wrong with Levatain? In fact, they''re so good with magic swords, the ice regenerates so fast. ''''Ice that doesn''t even have a magic sword as a thing.......I didn''t know there was such a change in the labyrinth.... As I''m thinking about it, the Fee guy asks Rafe about something. ''So, what are you going to do now, Rafe? Are the three of us going to go together? ''No, actually, that''s part of what got you guys here in such a hurry, but that''s not the main point. Separate? I''d like four of us to take on the Fifth Labyrinth. Four?¡¡There''s three of us now. So that means there''s one left. What the hell is that...? I''d like to ask Marie''s guy for support again, but the forest where she''s at is so bad for recognition inhibition. To be honest, I don''t know if I''ll be able to see her by myself. What were you doing in the past? ''''I had another companion before but they all died in the Third Labyrinth. That''s why I''m asking for Elle and Fee, the high ranking alchemists, to help me out. I see. So you''re going to the East Woods now? Yeah. But I''ll take this one to get around. Rafe said and took a small stone from his pocket. It was green in color and crystal clear. ''''What''s this?'''' It''s a transferable stone. It''s like Marie''s work, and it can jump anywhere near the forest where she lives. ''What?¡¡Marie Blanc can even make such things by alchemy!¡¡I''m not as much of a genius as Elle! Fee seems surprised, but I''m not sure if I can create this through alchemy either. Indeed, a woman named Marie Blanc seems to be quite an alchemist. And so we head to the Eastern Forest to meet up with our other companion, Marie Blanc. 56-Episode 56: Marie Blanc A spider and a human chimera in the Sixth Labyrinth? ''Oh. He was human at heart, he was rational, he could talk. But you were willing to die. All those years, hundreds of years trapped in a labyrinth in the form of a spider and I killed it. ''''I see. I can''t get used to slaying people, either. I feel like this hand is stained with sticky blood no matter how long it''s been there. But to slay someone at such a young age.......you must have been prepared to do it too. ''Oh yes I have. But has Rafe been through this before? ''I''ve slayed more demons and people than you have, and I''ve slayed more people than you have. When I was in the Knights and Mercenaries, I used to get drunk with a sense of justice and slay all the bad guys. Well.... After that, we jumped east with the transition stone and were walking through the forest. But it''s really amazing what can fly to the eastern continent. To get to the eastern continent, we need to cross the sea by boat. That would take hours, and if you wanted to go from the Igal Republic to this forest normally, it would take days. That it could be done in an instant makes me keenly aware that Marie, the alchemist, is truly substandard. And we were talking about the Sixth Maze on the way. By the way, Fee is scared of the insects in the forest and is holding my hand tightly. ''''I''m not scared. Don''t be scared. Don''t be afraid. Don''t be afraid. Do not be afraid. There is no fear. I''m not afraid. I''m not afraid. We are not afraid. There is no fear. Ha-ha, that Fee guy''s a perk. "Shut up, Rayfoot!¡¡Just shut up!¡¡I''m really scared! ''I don''t know what the guy who trudged through the Sixth Labyrinth is talking about to the extent of a bug. ''We''re rejecting it on a genetic level, so we can''t do what we can''t! The two of them start bickering and fighting about something, but well, that''s okay too. There''s no point in being too gloomy in the air. I''ve decided to carry that thing on my back and move on. Then I can''t keep dragging it out forever. The same thing may be waiting for you in the future. But where are we now anyway? Rafe says so, and I unfold the map Rafe brought with him. Then me and Fee discuss it and determine our current location. ''''Well we were just here,'''' ''Yes. I think that''s correct... Are you out of scale or are you already in cognitive inhibition... Yeah. That''s funny. Me and Phee have concluded that there''s something wrong with this place. Leif and I were right. There''s something wrong with this forest. We''re supposed to be going in a straight line and then we find ourselves back in the same place. I thought I was going right and then left, and vice versa. I don''t know if I''m losing my sense of direction or if I''m being hallucinated, I don''t know right now but there was no doubt that Marie Blanc was doing something to this forest. ''''Well I''ve resisted the cognitive inhibition many times, but I didn''t know I was so lost...'''' You want to explore the Sanctuary, the Absolute Realm? I activated the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·. Then I noticed that the placement of the First Pledge, the Prima Terrier, was messed up. Normally, the placement of the First Pledge Primamateria would be evenly aligned. Even if he used alchemy, it wouldn''t be this disordered. In other words, it seems that this space is still intentionally twisted. But my absolute realm, the Sanctuary, exposes the world. Although I''m still incomplete from the battle in the Sixth Labyrinth, I''ve also been able to sense the Akashic Materia, a zero-quality material. Therefore, uncovering the alchemy is not a contrivance for me right now. Then I closed my eyes still and concentrated. I will be able to identify the part that is the cause of this phenomenon. And then ... a few kilometers north of here. That was the starting point, and the disturbance of the First Quality ¡¶Primamateria¡· had begun. The area beyond there is normal. In other words, the small house there was the starting point. ''''I found it ... three kilometers north of here. There''s a little house there. What''s it like on the outside, Elle? "....with a chimney, with ivy and plants tangled up in it. The color of the house is an old brown........ Don''t miss. That''s Marie''s house. At the same time Rafe said that, a loud voice came from inside the forest. ''''Fuhahahahahahaha!¡¡You have broken through my cognitive blockage, you are a master of the jasper-class "Bluesteller" alchemy!¡¡I''ll give you that!¡¡Fuhahahahaha! The voice was from above. And it was getting closer and closer ... and I could see it. Yes, a little girl was flying towards us, hanging from the ivy, imitating Tarzan. Yup. What is that...? Marie Blanc!¡¡Suicide! It lands coolly. It doesn''t matter how it appears, this little girl is Marie Blanc?¡¡She has semi-long reddish hair and a large black robe that comes to cover her body. From the looks of it, she''s the same age as Lise, or even younger. But........is this really Marie Blanc?¡¡Is this little girl a genius alchemist?¡¡If I may say so, I''m young. Too young. It''s hard to imagine him smelting a transition stone at this young age, or contributing to the third labyrinth traverse. "Marie, you''re as crazy as ever. ''Oh you''re Leif''s boy. So what are you doing here?¡¡Bring me a guest. ''Introductions. This is Elweed Willis and Alsufira Medis. Hi, I''m Elweed Willis. Please call me Elle. ''I''m Alsphira Medis. You can call me Fee. Somehow I''m going to use a respectful term, but as far as the conversation between Rafe and Marie.......no way.......? "Hmm. I am Marie Blanc, the alchemist of the century!¡¡Easy, you can call me Marie or Marie!¡¡So ... I don''t know about Fee, Elle ... but I know about you. Really?¡¡And, on a different note, you''re very young. Hmm?¡¡I''m 45 years old this year. What? Me and Fee are pouting. This little girl is 45 years old?¡¡That''s impossible. How in the world can I keep this look up forever? Well that Leif doesn''t seem to be talking. The failure of the experiment in my childhood has left my body incapable of aging. That''s all. Can I ask you to elaborate on what a failed experiment is? I was so hungry then. I was very hungry and I tried to forge something to eat. And then...? It''s happening. What? Me and Phee are hamming it up again. Is the failure of food smelting going to make you immortal?¡¡It''s hard to believe, but it''s not like he''s lying. ''Isn''t that crazy?¡¡When I first heard about it I thought it was something to be teased but this guy is for real. I could swallow that it was true because he''s a real hottie. This guy....could be. Leif''s always been a rude bastard. I mean, how do you think you''re always going to cum and talk like that? Oh well. I am not going to change in my lifetime!¡¡Ga-ha-ha-ha! Many high ranking alchemists are freaks. I don''t like to admit it myself, but maybe that word is right, including me. ''''Hmmm ... you played with the contents, didn''t you, Lord?'''' Do you know...? I do. Who do you think I am?¡¡It''s Marie Blanc, the alchemist extraordinaire!¡¡And it has the same ability as you. The code to the First Pledge is intuitive. You know about the code... Of course. But I have heard rumors that there is an alchemist as good as or better than me, but this is more than I expected. Rewriting my own code is madness. Even I hesitate to do so. It is a prohibition that leads a human being outside the laws of the world. Is it right to say that this is the realm that an alchemist cannot reach, or rather, the realm that he cannot reach? Elwydd Willis, you are truly an amazing man. I''m amazed that you know so much Marie you''re the one who''s amazing I''m truly amazed. ''Yes!¡¡Yes!¡¡Yes!¡¡I am the one who will expose the truth of the world, Marie Blanc!¡¡Well, now that we''re home, we can sit and talk over a cup of tea. It''s all about the labyrinth, anyway, with Leif in there, right?¡¡Follow me. Marie goes there and proceeds without hesitation. Definitely a genius among geniuses. I''m sure she''s a substandard alchemist. And we follow Marie. 57-Episode 57: Lets Go to Marys House Well, here we are. This is my castle! I came to the house where Marie lives. But it''s too ordinary to be called a castle. Well, I guess it''s just a metaphorical thing. Well, let''s get you some tea. When we entered, the place was larger than we expected, with a table for four and chairs in the center. The three of us took our seats and waited for Marie to bring us some tea, but what arrived was some kind of... black juice. "....black? It''s black. Black. All three of us have the same reaction. But Marie doesn''t care about any of this and encourages me to drink. ''Come on!¡¡You can try it! "......... We drank it in silence. Then a mellow aroma and faint sweetness spread in our mouths. What is this...?¡¡I feel like this is the best thing I''ve ever drunk. ''''Fuhahahaha!¡¡Isn''t it good?¡¡It''s a masterpiece that years of research have only recently produced!¡¡The ingredients are a secret!¡¡Hahaha! Looking at Marie like that proudly, I''m reminded again that, ah........this guy is a bit different. But for some reason I feel like I''m looking at myself, and it''s complicated.... Good heavens. So, what can I do for you?¡¡You want me to come to the labyrinth again, Leif. That''s right. Now the Fifth Labyrinth. Hmm. Speaking of the fifth labyrinth, it''s an ice labyrinth.......so what''s inside? I''m not going in. You don''t think Levatain would do? Oh. It''s blocked by thick ice. Even Levatain could not destroy it. ''I see ... well maybe it''s not alchemy at all. I heard those words and remembered what happened in the Sixth Labyrinth. It''s similar to alchemy, but with a different technique: magic. Perhaps it is magic that Marie is referring to. ''''........Magic, is it?'''' "Law. Does Elle know about the magic? ''No, I don''t know the details. But I''m sure it''s there. Where did you see that? The sixth labyrinth, the deepest part. An ancient spider, the Ancient Spider, the Ancient Spider, was there using magic. Hmmm. So how do you know it''s magic? The use of alchemy always requires the First Pledge, the Prima Materia. My peculiar ability, Dunamis, senses the First Pledge, and with alchemy, I can understand the entire structure of the First Pledge, but that wasn''t the First Pledge, the Prima Materia. ...the same as the third maze? I see. The same as the third labyrinth. Does that mean that the chimera also used magic, as Leif had told me before? Did the chimera in the Third Labyrinth also use magic? Hmm?¡¡Ah Leif told you about it? Yes. You''re the only one who can do it. Perhaps it was magic that used the First Quality Akashic Materia. Magic is really convenient, and unlike alchemy, there is no need for an alchemy team in the complete sense of the word. It''s really useful, and unlike alchemy, it doesn''t require alchemy in the full sense of the word. It''s an enviable thing... but it''s a lost technology, so we can''t reproduce it. .... I didn''t dare mention the Akashic Materia, the First Pledge. The conversation with the man I met in that daydream. I haven''t told anyone about that yet. It might be accurate to say that it was too ridiculous to tell, but I intuitively avoided it. It''s a connection to my roots. And while I was thinking in silence, Fee''s guy asked Marie. ''''Um, what''s the Zero Pledge [Akashic Materia]?¡¡I''ve never heard of this before... An ordinary alchemist wouldn''t know about it. The Akashic Materia is what is used when you use magic. Well, you can think of it as a relative of the First Quality, the Primamateria. Alchemy requires the transformation of the First Material, the Primamateria, by using an alchemy team. On a diagram, it should look like this. Marie wrote this in the notebook she brought with her. The First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡· -> Mental Image -> Magic Power -> Alchemy Formation -> Alchemy. But this is how magic works. The First Zero Pledge ¡¶Akashic Materia¡· -> Magic. ''''Eh, magic doesn''t require mental images or magic power?'''' No, strictly speaking, no. Strictly speaking, the Akashic Materia contains everything. In other words, the Akashic Materia itself is the entire process in alchemy. So the outbreak is unusually fast. That chimera was also extraordinary, and if it weren''t for my analytical skills, my judgment, and my genius skills, Leif would be dead. That''s what Marie says. I''m stunned by the knowledge as expected. I was not able to see the difference between alchemy and magic to that extent. But Marie talks about it as if it were natural. Her rumors are more accurate than I expected. ''Where did Marie get that knowledge? Hmm?¡¡It says a lot about magic in this book. That said, what I brought with me was an old-fashioned book. I can guess that it has been around for quite some time. ''I''ve never seen these characters before...'' Isn''t that right?¡¡However, I can''t read them all either. There is a place where the same letters as in the present day are found in a few places. I''m trying to read it from there. Where the hell did this come from? The third maze. I found it in the deepest part of the labyrinth. ...the same as the Sixth Labyrinth. I thought to myself after hearing Marie''s statement. I''m sure that each of the labyrinths has its own book on magic. I''ve been thinking about it for a while now. 58-Episode 58: Go to the Fifth Labyrinth...? Hmm. So you''ll need my help for now, won''t you? Yeah. See you later, Marie. Rafe''s guy bows his head and so do I and Fee. Then Marie smiles at me. ''Hahahahahaha!¡¡You need my help? Of course. Do you think I need your help, Marie? Of course. ''Good!¡¡Good!¡¡Okay, good!¡¡Let''s help you capture the labyrinth again! Thank you, Marie. It seems like Rafe is manipulating Marie, but well I guess it''s called the unspoken word. ''''So you can go back to the transition again?'''' I asked if I could get back by the means I came here. Of course, it was a question that I expected to be able to get back to, but the answer I got was the worst I could think of. But the answer I got was the worst I could think of. ''Huh?¡¡That was a one-way street. ""What?" The voices of the three of us overlap. Does that mean........we need to get back from this far eastern forest the normal way?¡¡I could use my transference but it''s hard for all four of us together. Isn''t this ... bad? Travelling is companionship, the world is kindness. A trip for the four of us could be a good idea!¡¡Gahahahaha! "......... Me, Rafe, and Fee look down in silence. That''s right. That''s what Marie is like. I had to have a firm grasp on that. Yes, this is a natural thing ... and it''s inevitable. ''Well, it can''t be helped. Let''s walk down to the south and take a boat from where we''ll cross the ocean. I suggest that, and everyone nods their heads. ''Gahaha!¡¡Traveling with the four of us is what makes my heart skip a beat! Marie was the only one who looked strangely happy, but the three of us couldn''t help but have a bad feeling about it. We each looked at each other with such an expression on our faces. ¡ó ''Oh no, the air is good!¡¡It''s been a long time since we''ve had an adventure. What about in the Third Maze? Right now, me and Marie are in the back, with Rafe and Fee walking in front of us. The composition is somehow like this, but I don''t mind talking to Marie, so it''s just the right time to do it. ''I didn''t have time to enjoy it at the time. I didn''t have time to enjoy myself then, and I was just going through the motions. But now it''s different. I''ve decided from the start that I''m going to enjoy it, and I will!¡¡Ga-ha-ha-ha! Yeah? So what do you think? You mean the labyrinth? "Hmm. The labyrinth is a kind of lost technology. There''s no doubt about that. But why was the labyrinth created?¡¡That''s definitely artificial, too. I''d like to hear Elle''s opinion. "...something to do with magic. A control device or is the labyrinth a shelter from something?¡¡But there''s still a lot of mystery about the Chimera, too. A human and a spider chimera.... What a terrible thing to make! ''It''s a possible technology in theory. But it''s not yet possible with alchemy. There are too many factors to go over to cross the human genetic sequence with the spider one. And if we''re talking about chimeras, we''d have to go beyond Maxwell''s demons. Hmm. That''s true. We can''t do it with alchemy yet. But I think that magic... can do it. ''And Marie hasn''t gotten the gist of the magic yet?'' I still don''t understand it. There is no doubt that the magic is mediated through the Akashic Materiae, the Zero Quality, but even I don''t understand it. ...magic. Why is there such a thing as alchemy and magic... As he speaks, Marie''s guy runs off laughing. ''''Hahahahahaha!¡¡O Elle, you, too, dedicate yourself to the search for truth!¡¡Ga-ha-ha! Marie runs straight out into the woods, and Rafe''s guy chases after her impatiently. Seeing this, Fee''s guy drops back towards me. ''Elle, are you okay?'' What? ''Aren''t you tired of being here?¡¡And it hasn''t been that long since that thing happened... ''''There are things that are still on my mind. There are things I haven''t been able to separate. Still, I''ve decided to move on. So.... The two of us continue on through the forest. Fortunately, I have an idea of where Marie and Rafe are, so there''s no need to be in such a hurry. It''s also a good time to talk to Fee slowly like this. ''''Is it okay with you, Fee? ''''Is it okay for you to come here?'''' You''re telling me that now?¡¡I''m already prepared for that. Besides, I''m used to going along with Elle''s recklessness. It''s been a few years since I met Fee. I gave you a hard time in the beginning. ''Yes!¡¡I know how hard it was for me!¡¡But well that was a great experience too. Really? Well, yeah. And there''s no honor in conquering a labyrinth. Honor.... ''Elle doesn''t seem to mind me saying that but...'' I''m just here for the fun of it. ''Flow..... I''m like that too, and I can''t speak for others but it''s good for someone else. I hope so. When I looked at the sky, I saw that there was a clear blue sky everywhere. If we pass through this forest, we will reach the southern city. From there, we can take a boat back to the western continent and return to the fifth labyrinth. I know how it goes. With the four of us, we can make it. But what will we see after we capture the labyrinth? I''m sure that something as horrific as that labyrinth might be waiting for us again. Still, I had no choice but to keep going. There is no way to go back. 59-Episode 59 Fee, Lets Do It Again Hmm.... I take a break from the bed. We had walked through the forest on foot since then and had reached a town in the south. It would be impossible for a normal human to get through in a day, but the four of us are all pretty good at using alchemy (mainly physical enhancement) to quickly get through the forest. We encountered some demons along the way, but it was no big deal, and now this is how we greeted the night in our warm beds. ''''What will we do tomorrow?'''' What we need to think about is how to get back. As for the route, I don''t want to head directly to the fifth labyrinth, I want to go through the kingdom once. I have classes at the academy, and that said, I''ve made a large amount of teaching materials so that I can study on my own, but I want to do the bare minimum. Even though I''m exploring the labyrinth, I''m going to do what I have to do. I''m still thinking about my future class schedule and researching crops. And while I was thinking about this and that, the door suddenly banged!¡¡It was opened wildly with a loud noise. ''''........Fee!¡¡What''s the matter with you? Heh, heh, heh, he''s here... You''re not....you''re not.... Hmm, what? I had expected it. The three of us, except me, were already grown up, so I went out to the bar, determined to have a drink today. I thought it would be too much trouble to follow them, so I stayed in my room... but I didn''t expect this to happen. Aside from Marie, I was relieved that Rafe was there too, but after all, Fee''s bad drunkenness seemed to be the same no matter where he said he was. ''Come on, I''ll carry you to your room,'' Oh no! Forced to lift Fee''s jittery, flailing body and put his hand on the doorknob to get out as it is in a princess hug....... ''''What?¡¡Can''t you open it? I don''t get it. What does it mean that I can''t open it from the inside, let alone from the outside? As I was thinking that, I heard Marie''s loud voice from outside. ''''Ga-ha-ha-ha!¡¡I''ll take care of you. Saying that, the voice becomes more and more distant. No way is this......... ''''Gyaa! Throwing Fee onto the bed, I activate my Singularity Ability ¡¶Dunamis¡· and examine the door. Then I realized that there was an unseen alchemy formation there, and with my current strength, it would be impossible to open it on my own. No, technically, I can open it, but in that case, this inn will collapse. That means I''ll have to spend the night with this Fee. When I stare at the door, it seems to be temporary, as evidenced by the First Pledge ¡¶Primateria¡· gradually leaking out of the door, rather than permanent. But looking at this state of affairs, it seemed to be able to keep it light for one night. ''''Huh........Fee''s amulet again......'''' As I was so disappointed, somehow Fee had taken off his clothes. ''''Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! What? Don''t take it off. Why? You''ll know that tomorrow. So don''t take it off. "Me tomorrow?¡¡That''s not important. I''m going to take it off! Wait. Don''t panic. Take it off! Stop! No! I manage to restrain Fee from taking off his clothes, but he''s so out of control that I can''t restrain him. I don''t care if Fee is completely naked, I can still maintain my normalcy. The only problem is that if I don''t stop the behavior, I can''t afford to have Fee yell at me for returning to my bare face. I don''t want to make the same mistake I did before. But Fee''s guy seems to have more power than you''d think, and he takes off his jacket and puts on his underwear with a bang. "I''m going to go take a bath! ''Oh...'' I''m tired. I''ve come so far and I''ve got so much going on and I can''t believe this is the last thing I''m going to do...I''ll give Marie a hard time tomorrow. Then Fee heads to the bathroom and I''m in bed in a big pile. ''..............Ha! I was out of consciousness. I was definitely asleep for a few minutes. Where''s Fee!¡¡Nothing happened, right? Huh, that''s refreshing. There''s an uptick. I was relieved to see that he was indeed wearing clothes. ''Huh, my stomach hurts.'' What''s up?¡¡Have you eaten something bad? No. I''m having a period. I''m pretty heavy. .... Hey, rub me. .... Fee shows his belly as he lies down on the bed. I''m sure this guy is going to regret it to death tomorrow. But I have a feeling that if I refuse now, he''ll go even more wild. No, I''m convinced. In other words, the action I''m going to take is to obey and be quiet. "Huh....calm down.... Yeah? I''m not in a weird mood. But there''s a lot to see when you''re in your pajamas and your belly is hanging out.... ''Hey Elle.'' ? I''ve been wanting to tell Elle for a long time. What? Thank you. ...why? I can''t tell you a secret! We had that conversation and we slept next to each other. I''m sure there was a lot going on in the morning, but for now I just wanted to sleep. ¡ó Huh ... neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. The morning sun just hit my face and woke me up. I wasn''t planning to drink too much alcohol yesterday, but Marie kept pouring it into me and I drank a lot. I feel like I said a lot of things, and I don''t remember much from the beginning. Good...what? ''Uhhhh... hmmm...'' I''m pretty sure he''s sleeping next to me. It''s Elle. Huh?¡¡Did I do something wrong? Huh?¡¡Wait, really? After freezing for a while, I slowly came to remember. That''s right. Since then, Marie carried me to Elle''s room and told me to ''take care of it''. But that doesn''t mean that I''m going to........ A woman who suddenly takes off her clothes as soon as she enters the room. A woman who talks about the status of her period. A woman who sleeps next to me without a care in the world. If I were a man, I wouldn''t like such a woman. But in reality, I am such a woman. So.........regardless of the alcohol........ ''Noaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.¡¡Kill Elle and I''ll die too! Hmmm... oh, I knew it. "Well, Elle ... what happened yesterday ... Hmm?¡¡It''s always been that way I''m used to it. Did you see it? Well, to an extent. ''Forget it!!!!!! I quickly activated my alchemy, but even though I woke up in my sleep, it was a quintessential blue star class "Bluestella". Elle resists my alchemy in the blink of an eye. ''''Hey, hey, calm down. I won''t tell anyone about my heavy menstruation. I promise. Really? Yeah. So does your drinking problem. Are you sure? "Oh. I swear on the crops. Well, that''s okay, though, isn''t it? As I''m shuffling around, Elle gently pats my head. ''What''s wrong?'' No, I''m just depressed... I used to do this to my sister all the time. Hmm. Pretending I wasn''t interested, I accepted the act. It''s a tough journey for many things, and in fact, there may be many more hardships ahead of us. But still, with Elle, I could go anywhere. It felt like that. But.........for now.......let''s stop drinking for a while. That was my vow. 60-Episode 60: Cross the Sea "So I''d like to go through the kingdom once. I suggested as the four of us ate our breakfast together. ''The kingdom!¡¡You can go to the kingdom! Marie''s guy is strangely excited to say that, but is this the first time he''s been to the kingdom? ''''Hmm, wait. Come to think of it, does Marie have any ID cards or anything? There is no such thing. There is no such thing. "Rafe, before you... I stare at Rafe, and he turns his head away from me and Fee. This world isn''t a system that allows you to bypass the country, as it should be. It''s only natural to need identification... but if you don''t have it, that means you were smuggled into the country before and captured the third labyrinth. But for the future, it would be more convenient to belong to someplace and have an identification card issued by that place. ''''Then why don''t you become an alchemist belonging to an association in the kingdom?¡¡I think Marie will be fine.¡¡I''ll arrange for you to take the test myself. ''Whoa, whoa!¡¡It''s true! ''I mean, why didn''t Marie have it?'' I ask her that and Marie starts to mope. Is there a reason for this? As I thought this, the words that came from Marie were incredibly simple. ''''I don''t understand the procedure. What? What? ''I don''t know what to write about on that paper!¡¡And it''s a long explanation!¡¡I''ve been living in the woods all my life since I had a bad experience with that in the past! ''Well, isn''t there another reason you live in the woods? No. I''ve always wanted to get out. "Yeah.... Me and Fee let out an exclamation of amazement. I didn''t think that he was holed up in that forest for such a stupid reason, so I was seriously surprised. I thought there must be all sorts of other reasons, but no way........ ''''Did Leif know about this?'''' ''No, I''ve never heard of it before, but I kind of knew what to expect. I see. For now, let''s just figure out how to get back to the kingdom now. ''''Me, Fee, and Leif have our IDs, so we can enter the Principality of Melkut for now, but.......'''' A huge country in the south of the eastern continent. It is the Principality of Melkut. Since this country is the center of the distribution of the world, various people exist. However, as with other countries, various checks are made on the entry examinations and the submission of identification documents. The question is how to get through it.... "Hmm. You''re going to be smuggled into the country by transfer as usual? As usual I''ll make an ID when we get to the kingdom properly and we''d better get some other formalities done as well. "?¡¡No way am I going to live in a kingdom?! ''Well, it''s not impossible. Besides, you may be more skilled in alchemy than I am. You''re welcome. ''Ho ho ho ho! Marie is strangely excited, but is the house in that forest a good idea? ''Hey, Marie. Is that house good?¡¡Don''t you have a lot of things on hand? Hmm?¡¡As long as I have this book, I don''t mind losing that house. "......... What a lightweight. The three of us sigh again at Marie''s weirdness. Considering he''s bringing the books he got in the third labyrinth, that''s all you need... totally, he''s really a great guy in many ways. And after wrapping up the story to some extent, me, Fee and Leif arrived at the checkpoint in the Duchy of Melkut. There aren''t too many people at the moment.......or perhaps it''s because there aren''t many people coming from the direction of the forest. The checkpoints don''t seem to be that tight either. ''Entering?'' Yeah. I.D., then a body check. We handed out our three IDs to the person doing the checkpoint. He looks through them and then stares at our IDs again. "Elweed Willis. Yes, sir. "Ars Fira Medis. Yes, sir. "Rafe Allan. Oh. Uh, are they real? Well they''re all real. When I replied, he bowed his head with a bang and said, "I''ll have your autograph! "Sign here, please! I felt nostalgic....... ¡ó We got into the country safely and came to the Principality of Melkut. I only know their names, but I wonder if Fee and Leif have been here before. "Have Fee and Leif been here before? I don''t. I''ve had a few. I know some people. So you don''t happen to know the guy who arranges the boat? No the only people I know are adventurers or alchemists. I guess we''ll just have to go back the normal way. We come to the alleyway with this conversation. "...Elle, can you really do this? Yeah, I got it. I had made a pass to this place and this place where Marie is. However, there is an abundance of the First Pledge¡¶Prima Terrier¡·and Marie has taken care of various things over there. All I have to do now is connect the path, and as I was thinking about it, it was completed. And then Marie''s appears, clad in golden particles. ''''Huhahahahaha!!!!¡¡Marie, look out! He appeared, taking some kind of weird pose, but all three of us seemed to be able to get used to it and just went through it. We started walking. ''Hey!¡¡I''ll miss that reaction, ah! So we immediately came to the harbor to check on the ship''s flight to the kingdom. However, there was information posted there that we hadn''t expected. ...Due to a large number of demons, the flight to the Kingdom today is cancelled. Oh, terrible timing. A demon?¡¡It was normal when I was here before... or rather, a demon out at sea... Squid!¡¡Tuna?! It''s not a seafood. It''s a monster, you idiot! Aah! Marie holds her head up when Rafe bites her with a chop. Well, let''s assume it''s normalcy.......what to do. ''Excuse me. What''s the meaning of this? I decided to talk to someone nearby. You can see that he has the appearance of a sailor, and his skin is quite tanned. It''s been like this for about a week now. We can''t sail because of the demons that are out at sea. A few Gold-class alchemists went on board the ship, but there are so many of them that they can''t seem to get rid of them. ''''Well it''s a negotiation, but I''ll deal with the demons, so can you give me a free ride?¡¡And you won''t even ask for our identities. What?¡¡Are you guys criminals or something?¡¡I''m not going to be a part of a crime like that... hmm? I show him the azure-star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· badge that I kept in my pocket. This man would know about alchemists, so he should know what this badge means. ''''Blue, a badge?¡¡You''re not... are you... are you real? Elweed Willis. It''s real. ''I heard you recently captured the labyrinth, how did you end up here...'' Well, it''s a long story... ''''Well it certainly matches the look you''re hearing about, but what about your abilities?¡¡I don''t want to imagine all of us getting hit, do you? The four of us will be fine. Trust me. I don''t believe it... When the other guy is so reluctant, Fee''s guy comes forward. For some reason, he opens his chest boldly. ''''Hey ... no?'''' ''What?¡¡Oh no, that''s not it! Trust me. We can do this for you. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Squeezing the man''s hand tightly, Fee looked up at him and said. ''''Ugh...'''' Oh. That''s nice..... You can''t get it out. Lolita. "I''m not some old loli b*tc*!¡¡Leif''s an a**h*le!¡¡One day I''ll fix it! So the negotiations were concluded. We were to go out to the sea where a large number of demons were occurring. 61-Episode 61: Material Code Hey, are you sure?¡¡The labyrinth, two of them have been captured. And in a fairly short period of time. ''''.........It''s true that hundreds of years have already passed since the establishment of the labyrinth, but it was the capture of the sixth labyrinth right after the first capture. The situation is not good.......I would like to say that the situation is not good......but we are already achieving our goal. There''s no problem with you capturing the rest of the labyrinth. ''''Hmm. Well, as long as they don''t capture the seventh labyrinth, it won''t be a problem. Yes. Yes. One room, all white. A man and a woman were talking to each other there. The woman''s appearance is pure white, semi-long hair and a large black robe. Her face is well-defined. The man also has short hair, but this one also has white hair. However, his face is not similar to the woman''s. I don''t think they''re related by blood, but I have some connection...or so I felt. Rather, is this a dream? I was going to cross the ocean. We should have talked about it there and tried to get on the boat as soon as possible. And yet my consciousness is staring at this one room from a bird''s eye view. "? What''s going on? No they are watching us. What?¡¡Because this place is.... That''s when my consciousness was puzzled. It was as if some kind of power had been intentionally turned off. ¡ó 1245/1440 Hmm?¡¡What is this place.... The next time I woke up, I was in a different space. This time I have not only my consciousness but my body as well. It moves firmly as I want it to, but this isn''t the real world. Such a feeling was somewhat there. ''Hey, it''s been a while.'' You''re.... In the same room as before, this time there was a man sitting alone in a chair. I know this guy. I have met this man before when I was attacking the Sixth Maze. But I haven''t told anyone about it. I''m sure this is just a dream. I thought it was just a dream, a daydream of sorts. "Sit down. Oh... At that prompting, I take a seat. ''Hey ... where am I and who are you?'' It''s all well and good, but it''s pointless. What do you mean? ''What I mean is this. This place is xxxxxxxxx, and I''m xxxxxxxxxxxxx. What? What. It''s like the information was intentionally hidden or something.......only the important part was cut out. I had that feeling. ''God hasn''t given you the right to do that yet, you know. I can''t tell you what gets to the heart of the matter. God...? The God that the Phanaticus are so desperately searching for. But the irony is that those who claim to be the closest to God are the furthest away from Him... isn''t it ludicrous? .... What are you talking about? I don''t get it. And before that, what are the conditions for coming here? Can this guy really be trusted in the first place? A lot of questions are going through my head, but first we need to talk. I can''t get any information without talking to this guy. "Is there a God? Yes. Is it a conceptual entity? No, there is a God. There is indeed a God who created this world. There is no concept, no religion, no god that can be considered as such. God, you see, is the embodiment of all those things. "And that makes you guys close to God? Yeah. .... I think about it. Does this mean that these guys and the Phanaticus are opposed to each other in their quest for a god or something? What about the code? You mean code theory? Yeah. There are two sets of codes running through the organism. Two?¡¡I thought the code was singular... Oh. I''m just getting there. But you''ll get there. Hey, you... Oh, time to go. Bye. Hey, I''m talking to you! The moment I shouted that out, the scene in front of me turned thin and white. ¡ó ""Oh yeah....." Next thing you know, I was on board. That''s right. I''ve been forced to get on the boat since then, and now I''m here. And all three of us, except me, had become wonderfully seasick. "Oh no.....why do I get this sick just this one time.... I might be in a bit of trouble too... ''Gahaha!¡¡You don''t have enough training!¡¡Oh yeah........ What can I say, well that''s a terrible sight. Or rather, I''m the only one who can fight in this situation, right?¡¡Are you okay? So, there it is, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! A sailor shouts out. And I catch sight of the demon in the distance. I know it. I''ve read about them in books, but that''s a kraken. It is said to be a type of giant squid, but you can think of the Kraken as a demonized version of that. It''s ferocious and grows by eating people. They don''t have to eat people for anything, but for some reason they are said to have a habit of attacking people. However, there have been no sightings of these demons for the past few hundred years, and they were thought to be extinct. It is only natural that ships would stop when it enters the middle of the sea, a seaway often used for trade.... .........Hey, I''ll do it alone, okay? "......... The three of us are so limp that we can no longer reply. Well, I didn''t expect this, and I can''t blame them. ''''........Just one of them?'''' A few hundred meters away, a Kraken is flailing about with its big legs outstretched. Any closer and the ship will be in danger. ''I''m going. Please stop the ship here. ''Hey, how are you going to...? I hear a surprised voice behind me, but I was already running out over the ocean. No, technically speaking I''m running on the frozen surface of the sea. The ice rails are stretched out at the end of my run and I''m running on the ice. But there''s not much friction on the ice, so it''s slippery anyway. I''m doing this action while fixing my relative position on the ice with alchemy. If it were me before, this trick would be impossible. But since I rewrote my body in the Sixth Labyrinth, I was able to do this. I''m becoming more and more dehumanized, but that doesn''t matter right now. All we have to do now is to get rid of this guy. When I heard that sound, I thought. ''Does a squid make that noise?'' No, the squid would not make a sound. To begin with, there should be no organ that can vocalize. But if you''re a demon you can understand exceptional events. "...let''s try freezing it first. And then I tried to put the surroundings on ice......... ''''Aaaaaaahhhh!!!'''' Instantly, my attack is resisted. And a huge foot was about to be slammed right above itself. While avoiding it to the side, I go and freeze the surface of the sea for now to further increase my range of action. ''''........Should we try it?¡¡But.... Is it against all alchemy to resist in the first place?¡¡At what point in the process of resisting does that get thwarted? Understanding the current situation, I chose Phenomenal Alchemy. The four major alchemy attributes are ice, water, fire and electricity. However, there is a big difference in their activation. In detail, ice (solid), water (liquid), fire (phenomena), and electricity (phenomena) exist. Ice and water are materials and can be smelted relatively easily, but fire and electricity are not materials. These two are phenomena created by the use of matter. Therefore, unlike the material smelting, the phenomenon smelting is a high degree of difficulty. This is because there are many processes to follow. Among them, I chose electricity. The process of generating electricity involves smelting atoms and applying external stimuli (heat and light) to them. Then some electrons are ejected from the nucleus of an atom and become free electrons. The free electrons are then incorporated into another neutral atom, which becomes charged. This whole process is processed by alchemy, and the phenomenon of electricity is refined. It''s easy once you get used to it, but until I was able to put all of this theory into my head and use it unconsciously, I had a lot of trouble with it too. ''''Well ... get burned whole, huh? Activate. I synthesize the phenomenon of electricity and shoot it at the surface of the sea. Then the electric wave I fired goes through the sea surface and hits the Kraken. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! It purred louder than before. That definitely shows it''s effective but for some reason I remembered that man''s voice at that moment. ''How''s the code?'' You mean code theory? Yeah. There are two sets of codes running through the organism. Two?¡¡I thought the code was singular... Oh. I''m just getting there. But you''ll get there. Hey, you... Code. That''s right, they say living things have two codes. I activate my singular ability, Dunamis, the Absolute Realm, Sanctuary. And I read the opponent''s first pledge, Primamateria. No, this is not enough. The current state is also activated to perceive my surroundings. But there is no point in using the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·. The choice here is to read it. ''''..........Elemental Eye [Dicodding Sight]. It''s a newly created singular ability ¡¶Dunamis¡·. I don''t understand why he could do this all of a sudden. But for some reason, I was confident that I could do it. Maybe it was because of my conversation with that man. And I understand the biology of this Kraken creature. No, no. I understand what it is at its core. This is the.... The two codes can be named: the material code and the anti-material code. The root that supports matter and the code that exists in opposition to it. I instantly understand and raise my right hand in a flash. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! A moment later, the foot disappears. Strictly speaking ... that thing has returned to the world. It reduces matter to the First Material, the Primamateria. Well, this is what the double code theory is all about. It reverses the code that resides in living things. This is not only for living things. This is a technology that will return everything that exists in this world. I don''t know if he thinks it''s bad, he turns all his feet towards me but I understand completely. And I let a certain process run in my brain. Anti-matter "anti-material" code: "Reverse Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter "Material": reverse, first charge "prima donna .... A large amount of golden light spread in his eyes. All this amount of mass is returned to the First Pledge of Quality ¡¶Prima Terrier¡·. Seeing it pouring down like snow, I stand there in a daze. ''''Elle, what the hell was that?'''' When I turned around, I saw that the three of them had followed me and were standing still behind me. But all three of them are staring at me with their eyes wide open. ''''Ah........'''' I feel blood dripping from my eyeballs with a twang. ''Elrgh!'' And my consciousness was cut off there with a puzzled look. ''There you go. I knew you''d do well.'' I thought I heard a voice like that at the end........ 62-Episode 62 Compensation ''Elle!¡¡Are you okay! What am I...? I thought I had lost consciousness just a few moments ago. But the situation hasn''t changed at all. So my consciousness was only flying for a few minutes?¡¡But it seems like more time has passed in terms of experience........ ''.........Fee. How long have I been unconscious? A few minutes, maybe but it''s good to see you back on your feet. So much for that. But the blood just won''t stop. The blood in my right eye has not stopped bleeding from earlier. The blood was pouring out in trickles, creating an endless puddle on the ice. There was no pain, but there was still something wrong with my eye. Or perhaps there is something wrong with your brain. But whatever the case, there was no doubt that the ability that was activated earlier was involved. ''''........Elle, what did you do just now? Marie is always joking around, but this time she has a very serious expression on her face. "Using the code in the creature, I scratched out its existence. No, it might be more appropriate to say that I used the creature''s code to wipe out its existence, or rather to give it back.... But it happened very quickly. I don''t know it clearly and theoretically. Hmm. Is it instinctive? ''Instinct ... or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that something came down ... on the spur of the moment. Inspiration. That was the right way to describe it. No, there was a faint feeling of something flowing in... but now it felt right to say that. How could he understand the code that existed in the organism? And how was it possible to use it to return the existence of living things to the world? The "material" code and the "anti-material" code. This is the truth that lies at the heart of living things. How was it possible to understand it so quickly and even apply it? And although it was only slightly I had a feeling this wasn''t the first time. I had a sense of deja vu somehow. But the more I thought about it, the more I didn''t know who I was. My origins are shrouded in mystery. My parents say they took me in, but where are my real parents?¡¡And my parents are still........related to magic? I couldn''t help but think so. ''''........Elle, are you in pain?'''' Rafe asked me that, but there was actually no pain at all. ''No pain ... but it seems that with my eyes open, the ability stays activated ... only in my right eye ... but apparently I can''t get it under control yet. Hmmm ... that should do it. Then, out of nowhere, Marie smelted what looked like an eye patch. ''What''s this?'' It''s an eye patch designed to suppress abilities. I created it a long time ago when I let my powers run amok. Thank you for this. When I put on the eye patch Marie had given me, the fever in my right eye suddenly went away. And the blood also stopped sputtering. You see? Oh. That''s very helpful, but it''s going to take a while for the eye patch to kick in. Elle, I''m here to support you. "Sorry Fee. Then we went back to the ship, and when Marie''s guy melted all the ice I had created, the ship went straight to the kingdom. ¡ó ''Oh!¡¡This is the Kingdom of Canovaria!¡¡I give up!¡¡Hahahahaha! After that, we arrived safely at the port of the kingdom, and we got off the ship and headed back inside the kingdom. ''''It feels like it''s been a long time since I''ve been here...'''' ''What are you talking about, Elle? It hasn''t even been a week. Yeah, but I''ll just go get ready for class tomorrow. I''ll take care of Marie. You''ll be ready to take the Association''s aptitude test tomorrow. Okay. Okay, I''ll see you tomorrow. Yeah. And when I left Fee and Marie, Rafe was staring at me. ''What about Rafe?'' "Can I get in trouble at your house?¡¡I''m not strapped for cash, but I do want to save some money for the future, though. Yeah. That''s fine then. I''m going to go straight to my house, okay? I don''t mind. And as they started walking together, Rafe said something unexpected. ''''.........Are you feeling like you''re killing it?'''' Really?¡¡I guess it''s business as usual... Or maybe it''s just my imagination. As I was talking, a familiar face passed in front of me. It was Fred and Serena. I hadn''t seen the two of them much since they helped me set up the workshop. It wasn''t that long for a period of time, but it felt like it had been quite a while since I had seen them. ''Fred, Serena!¡¡It''s been a while! "Elle? ''Master!¡¡It''s been a while! Neither of them seemed to have noticed my presence at all. And that was just as well, because they seemed to be in some kind of hurry... or... impatient. ''Work?'' Yeah, I was just on a short notice, and... ''I''m sorry, but I think we''re done for the day. With that, the two left in a hurry. ''''........What''s going on in the kingdom?'''' ''No well nothing happened before I left, but...'' Well, it''s nothin'' but my imagination. Let''s go. Well yes. But this was a sign. I would later learn of it. ¡ó Hmm.... When I got home, I was in the hot tub. Rafe''s guy said he was going to go to the bar by himself and he''s not there now. Then I gently removed the eye patch in my right eye and decided to look.... Suddenly, I felt a sudden, intense pain. At the same time as my vision flashed white, I felt a sharp pain in my eyeball. ''''Huh ... hah ... hah ... still not good enough?'''' The elemental eye, the decoding sight. It''s my unique ability to expose this world, the Dunamis. It is the ability to deal with not only living creatures, but also all substances that harbor the First Quality¡¶Prima Materia¡·. And in the case of living creatures, the First Quality, Primamateria, is stored in a way that it is intertwined in the double code. ''Huh ... that''s a long way off. A sudden awakening. But in return, I lost my right eye. It wouldn''t be permanent, but it might hinder my future attempts to capture the labyrinth. Thinking about that, I left the bathroom. ''''........'''' Doctor, what''s going on? Why are you here? Is it bad to be here? ''Rafe is staying the night. We can''t have Alice over for the night, can we? Yeah. Yeah, no. As soon as I left the bathroom, the intercom buzzed, so I answered it and saw Alice standing there, looking smiling. When I asked her about it, she seemed to have met Fee and Marie and knew I was back. ''And is that stylish?'' Hey!¡¡Stop! Alice tries to remove my eye patch and it shifts a little bit. And once again, I feel a sharp pain in my eyes. ''''Ugh!¡¡Goooooooooooooooooooooooo! What, sir?¡¡Are you okay! Yeah, well, you know. ''I''m sorry!¡¡I mean, I didn''t think it would come to this... ''Hah ... hah ... no, I''m fine.'' I guess I''m getting used to this pain, and this time it subsided quickly. But Alice''s guy had a very depressed expression on his face, so I put my hand on his head with a pop and said ''Huh, totally. Be more careful from now on, okay? ''Yes ... so what''s the matter with you?¡¡Are you hurt? ''No, I should say injured... or should I say injured... or should I say injured? Then I told Alice what had happened, leaving out the important part. ''Oh, is that okay?'' I don''t know. I don''t know. Maybe I''ll never be able to use my right eye. Oh no... "Don''t you think you''re any more shocked than I am? ''Don''t worry, I''ll take care of it. If it''s something to do with alchemy, I can handle it. I''m not known as a genius by any means. Normally you don''t like being called a genius, but you''re always on top of things. Then, as they were talking about other trivial things, they heard the door open. It was probably Rafe coming back. ''''I''m back~. Wow, I knew the drinks in the kingdom would be good!¡¡Hmm? It was nice to see Rafe back, slightly drunk and in a good mood, but somehow Alice was on my lap. Could Alice, who can move faster than I can recognize, possibly be a great guy?¡¡I thought, but now is not the time to think about that. ''''Oops, you interrupted me. That''s because he''s a man. Sometimes you just want to hold a woman. I''m going to stay somewhere else today. ''Well, wait a minute, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It didn''t take long to clear up the misunderstanding, but the Alice thing was so Texan that I was strangely tired of it. 63-Episode 63: Second Blue Star Class Hmm?¡¡Morning...... I woke up when I felt the morning sun come into my room. I wriggled out of bed and remembered what I had to do today. ''Elle!¡¡Are you awake! Oh well, sort of. It was Fee who came in the room with a thud. Last night, he asked me to be present at Marie''s exam as an examiner. Normally, I wouldn''t take on such a troublesome task, so do what you want with it, but this time it''s a little different. The reason for this is because it''s Marie who is taking the test. Marie Blanc. Those in the know, the genius of alchemy. I''m sure you''ll be able to see that his skills are as good as or better than mine. That''s why I was sent out this time. ''''Alright, let''s go then. ''Rafe said he was going too, do you need to wake him up? ''''Just leave the map of the Academy. We have a lot of work to do!¡¡I can''t wait to go! Ew. I left Rafe a map and a note, and Fee and I headed to the academy. ''Hey, Elle. You''ve brought another extraordinary person with you. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Well this is just another fate, isn''t it? When I arrived at the academy, the chairman was already there. The exam this time has the usual structure of a written test and a practical test. The same test is used in every alchemy society, but this time I was involved in creating the questions specially for this. It''s not that I''m not an ordinary alchemist, but I can''t even solve it with the knowledge of an ordinary alchemist, although I only lightly converted my own research materials. Originally it was going to be a test that an ordinary alchemist would take, but since the opponent was Marie, a special treatment was given. Perhaps a second Blue Star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· could be born. The association is also seriously trying to figure out her abilities. And while the three of us, me, Fee and the chairman were discussing it, Marie showed up. There you are, Marie. We''ll start the test right away. "I have no problem that I cannot solve...¡¡Ga-ha-ha! And the first step was the written test. This time, all the questions were descriptive questions. Usually, there are multiple-choice questions, but all the questions were written for Marie. That''s why the difficulty level jumps up instantly. The questions were composed using the knowledge of me, Fee and the chairman. It employs classic problems that exist in the history of alchemy, and even the latest research. Incidentally, the problem I was in charge of was the problem of ''The Relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Alchemy''. Nowadays, there are many attempts to reproduce artificial intelligence with alchemy. However, many of them have failed. Therefore, why do those failures occur and how is it possible to reproduce artificial intelligence? To begin with, solving this problem starts with defining what intelligence is, and what exactly intelligence is. I''m at the forefront of this research, and while I already have the answer, I haven''t published that in a paper yet. That means I''m the only one who knows the answer. If I was able to get an accurate answer to this, then that person would be comparable to a jasper-grade "Blue Star" in terms of knowledge alone. Of course, this is the only thing I can''t measure, but I was still hoping for it. How far could this alchemist named Marie Blanc go........ ''''It''s done! "....Haha! Three voices overlap. As it should be, I thought this problem would take at least two hours, and the test time was set at three hours. And yet Marie''s answer time was 50 minutes. If this is more than 80% correct, then I''m qualified enough to qualify for the Blue Star Class ¡¶Blue Star¡·.......I thought so, but the exam itself far exceeded my expectations. ''''...Full marks. ''Perfect score here too. Elle''s area of responsibility is........ "...perfect score. I can''t complain about it. We used the remaining time in the exam to grade the results. And I was astonished. The answers Marie provided were more than I was looking for. In fact, isn''t this a good approach for my subject?¡¡There was even a suggestion to do so. The same was true for Fee and the Chairman, who not only had the answer, but also wrote a description of a different perspective on the approach. Even if I were to take this question, there''s no way I''d be able to come up with an answer at this level. And that''s in a mere 50 minutes. It''s true that knowledge is proportional to the amount of study, but even so, this is an anomaly in the history of alchemists. I realized once again that the alchemist named Marie Blanc was truly a monster. ''''Huhahahahaha!¡¡A perfect score?¡¡Of course!¡¡Nothing is impossible with this Marie Blanc!¡¡Huhahahaha! At a glance, she looks like a crazy little girl, but she''s still a genius... The three of us moved on to the practical test, keeping in mind that we''d make it to the azure star class "Bluestella". ¡ó What''s with all the people?¡¡And there''s the media. Outside, many people were around the schoolyard as they took in. Apparently, they were onlookers. If you look closely, you can see Rafe among them. And there''s also ''Keep Out'' tape around it, and alchemical wards have been created. Oh, my uncle and I decided to do this. And also, well, it just leaked out, so we thought we''d make a spectacle out of it anyway. I see... Then, the test Marie was set to perform was the Material Shift, a transformation of matter. First of all, she collected water from the air, combined it with the First Quality Primamateria to refine water, then converted it into ice, and finally sublimated it into steam all at once. This one is a normal-acting test, but the problem is the time it takes, if it takes less than 30 seconds, it''s the alchemist equivalent of a platinum-class ¡¶Platinum¡· alchemist. By the way, I''m serious and finish the whole process in 3 seconds. That''s why I''ve decided that if I can do it in three seconds, I''ll make Marie a blue star class "Blue Star". Then, let''s begin! The moment the Chairman said that an extraordinary phenomenon occurred. That''s right, water was created ... and all at once it created a column of ice ... and then returned to steam. If you just look at the process, it is in line with the test. But the time was 1.7 seconds. That was the record that Marie had set. The onlookers around me spring to life when they see it. But that''s as it should be, and the fact that he''s done with this in 1.7 seconds shows one thing: he''s not going to be the only one. Then the Chairman expanded his own voice with alchemy and announced. ''The exam is over. Full marks on the written test. In addition, in the practical test, he broke Elweed Willis'' record of three seconds. We have one result to take into account. We are pleased to announce that Marie Blanc here is the second Blue Star of the class. It''s official, the association has made it official. As soon as Singh and the surrounding area quieted down, the onlookers sprang up again. At the same time, the media entered the premises and thrust a microphone at Marie. ''''Yes, how do you feel now...! Hmmmm.... ? ''''Huhahahahaha!!!!!¡¡Well, well, well!¡¡This Marie Blanc is the alchemist''s greatest genius!¡¡Let the world carve my name on it!¡¡Marie Blanc is the supreme!!!!! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " And at the same time, for some reason, the Marie call happens. "''Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie! Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie! Marie!¡¡Marie!¡¡Marie! ''Huhhahahaha!¡¡Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Thus, a new name was carved into the world of alchemy. Marie Blanc. She was the moment when she became the second ever Blue Star-class "Bluesteller" alchemist. 64-Episode 64 So your alchemy skills are innate? ''Yes!¡¡I''d like to say that, but the truth is that my skills grew after I was 20, and my teenage years were only as good as the weeds out there compared to Elle. Hmm?¡¡Excuse me, but how old are you now...? I''m 45 years old this year. A rustle........and the room begins to buzz. Currently, several hours had passed since then and it was nighttime. Marie was receiving a press conference at the association, as she was the second Blue Star Class¡¶Blue Star¡·in history. And me, Fee and Leif were staring at the scene. I was worried that Marie might say something strange, but she seemed to have a certain amount of common sense and the press conference was progressing smoothly. Well, looks are trivial," he said, "but what''s inside is important. Well, looks are trivial, but what''s inside is what''s important. Ha....ha.... Excuse me, can I ask you a question? "Mm. Then the next reporter poses a question. ''''I heard that you broke the record held by Elweed Willis, the first blue star class "Blue Star", do you think you are better than him? "...and so is this!¡¡I''d like to say that, but I can''t really say what it is. There is a part of me that is better than Elle, and a part that is inferior. It depends on what you define "superior" as, but I can''t possibly be considered superior to Elle. He is the genius of the geniuses I admit to being. ''I see........a rivalry?'' ''Competitors?¡¡I don''t have that in mind, but I''d like to have a good relationship with him. And for the sake of my future research. Speaking of research, Marie, what are you majoring in? It''s not a secret... The press conference proceeded like this, and ended after about an hour. The scene was broadcasted in real time throughout the kingdom, and it became a well-known fact that this was how the alchemist named Marie Blanc became the second blue star class "Bluesteller". ¡ó ''Oh, oh, oh, oh!¡¡You can''t live in a place like this! Okay. It''s my stuff. I have a room available, and I''ll rent you a room. ''Fee!¡¡Are you a god?! No, I''m sorry, but it''s not that bad. ''Oh, oh, oh, oh!'' Marie''s residence is now on the same floor of the same apartment as ours. Fortunately, there were still rooms available, and even if it was just me, Fee, and Monica, there were other rooms left over. That''s why we agreed to give Marie a room. Of course, they''ll sign a contract and pay rent every month, but once you become a "Blue Star"-class member, you won''t have to worry about various financial matters such as research funding. If the results of the research come out, there will be even more money. I won''t say that money is the most important thing, but still, it''s better to have it. By the way, I heard that Fee did all the procedures. ''''........Whoa!¡¡Your room is beautiful! Well, I didn''t use it. ''Whoa!¡¡Your bed is so soft! Yeah. That''s why I didn''t use it. Plus, I put new furniture in there for a quick fix. ''Whoa!¡¡God?! No, I''m human, but... The two of us had such an exchange, and after a while, Marie''s tension finally calmed down and we decided to talk about the future. But Rafe was in my room and said, "I''m sleepy, I''m going to bed. I''ll leave the future plans to you," and he''s already gone to bed. Marie is also asleep, snoring loudly. Well, there''s nothing wrong with just talking to me and Fee. "So, Fee. What do you want to do now? We''re heading to the fifth labyrinth, but the problem is the ice that even Levatain can''t melt. Maybe it''s not just ice. ''''Well no, it''s probably not ordinary ice in the first place. There''s definitely some alchemy or magic involved. ''Yes, I know. But it seems that if you can''t get through it, you can''t even get in. ''Honestly, with my eyes, I can do something about it. There''s no substance that can''t interfere with me now. I could easily make it disappear, like ice, but... What''s that eye of yours, exactly? It''s... I scratched and explained. The peculiar name of the said singular ability ¡¶Dunamis¡· is the Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡·. It is able to visualize the first quality "Primamateria", and thus is able to interfere with the code that resides in living things. That''s why I was able to use the anti-matter code to instantly return the giant Kraken to the First Quality, Primamateria. ''''That''s great, but... but there''s still a price to pay...'''' ''At the moment, removing this eye patch will cause extreme pain. I haven''t gotten it completely under control yet. Hey, are you all right?¡¡I''m terribly worried about... Well, I''ll take care of it. They don''t call me a genius. I''ll figure it out. Well that''s okay. After that, we packed up the conversation further and made plans for the future. As I did so, I was about to leave the room and for some reason, Alice was standing in front of the door. ''Hey Alice I''ve always told you........what''s up?'' .... He''s shaking. And he''s acting weird. Normally she would have hugged me and made one of her lighthearted remarks, but today she''s still hugging me and shaking. This is the first time I''ve seen Alice like this. ''Are you okay?'' .... I don''t know what to do. I''ve got Rafe in my room, and I doubt there''s a place outside that''s open right now. Then........... ''Do you want to go to my lab?¡¡I''ve got Rafe in my room right now. .... I nodded with a chuckle, and I used the transition to jump straight to the lab at once. ''Can I have tea?'' .... As usual, he doesn''t want to talk. He was still staring down, his face dark. The trembling seemed to have stopped, but his expression never cleared up. ''Here, tea.'' I set it down on the desk with a ton and reluctantly Alice put her hand on it. Until now, my impression of Alice was that she was a mischievous and bright princess. A bottomless glow that knows no stain, no darkness. I''ve never seen Alice not in good health before. But that must have been my assumption. This is the kind of person Alice is. That''s a prejudice, not the whole story. There is a side of you that you haven''t shown me, and this is how it is now. I decided to ask her what happened for now. ''What''s up?¡¡What happened?¡¡Is that something I can help you with? What do you think of me, doctor? He''s a valued student. What about without the students? My dear friend but you are one of the most important people to me. I see..... Alice stares at the sky through the window in a daze. What in the world was going on? ''Will you still care for me if I''m no longer me, doctor? "?¡¡What do you mean? No, it doesn''t mean much. But I just want someone to care about me, that''s all. ''Does that mean you want me to answer my feelings?'' ''Oh you''ve noticed that, haven''t you? But that''s not what I meant. I was aware of Alice''s feelings. She was always joking around with me, but I knew it was out of love for me. I''ve never been in love, but I knew that Alice admired me in a romantic sense. Because even in the joking aspect, I could read the real feelings in the joking aspect. But he didn''t want me to answer that, apparently. What the hell...? ''Sir, we''re going to the labyrinth again, aren''t we?'' ''Oh. I finished my classes this evening, and I''ve turned in a bunch of assignments. I''ll be holed up in the labyrinth for a while. ''Then I''ll discuss it with you when the doctor comes back thank you for going out of your way today. With that, Alice left the room. All I had left in my mind were endless questions. The next time I saw Alice, I would regret this moment. But I couldn''t know that now. 65-Episode 65: Go to the Fifth Labyrinth! ''No! What is this? It was like this when I arrived. ''There''s that old lolly hag screaming again. We were getting ready to leave in the morning today, and we had gathered to get ready. But Marie''s guy was stubbornly refusing to move. I can''t move when I get this comfortable!¡¡I will not go! You said you were going to cooperate with us. "Leif''s a**h*le!¡¡The human mind can''t just change!¡¡You a**h*le! Hey...?¡¡Do you mind if I punch this guy in the face? Well, relax. I soothe Rafe and force Marie off the bed. ''Don''t ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡¡Don''t take me away! It was too noisy, so I used alchemy to quickly restrain Marie, handed her over to Leif and the four of us headed to the fifth labyrinth. ''''Gusun........you don''t have to treat her like that.......'''' I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I''m sorry, Marie. When I go outside, Marie starts to make a fool of herself, so I manage to calm her down. It''s like I''m really dealing with a little girl when I''m dealing with her like this. But she''s 45 years old. It''s not at all in line with how he looks, what he says and does. Well, I won''t say this because if I say this, I''ll create a stir again. ''''Hm?¡¡Isn''t there something wrong with those guys? Well that''s certainly odd. Just as we were using the transfer to move to the Yigal Republic, where the fifth labyrinth is located.......a strange group of people surround us. Their entire bodies were wrapped in robes, and their faces were difficult to see. At a quick glance, there are probably about 20 people in number. "Hey, get into a fighting stance. These guys are trying to kill us. ''Oh...'' Yeah. .... hmm. I understand. Then the four of us shifted into battle formation. We had a formation in mind for such a time as this, and the front line is me and Leif. The rear guard is Marie and Fee. ".......... He was staring at us, and he was inching closer and closer. I thought they were bandits or wild thieves of some sort, but it was odd for that. That''s because they''re all alchemists. I was able to firmly perceive the First Pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· that was leaking out slightly to me. Rafe shouts out and goes charging at his opponent. I follow suit and pull out the thin-winged dragonfly. I raise my body functions with alchemy and first try to prevent the opponent from moving. ''''........d*mn it! I let out a gasp. The opponent''s attacks aren''t that big of a deal. His alchemy skills are also adequate and not so much that he can''t handle it. But right now I can only rely on the vision of my left eye. A slightly deranged sense of distance. That''s why the attack of the thin-winged dragonfly doesn''t hit you. But more than that, I was........terrified. It''s called the resolve to slay a person. The realization that I killed someone in the sixth labyrinth still lingers in my mind. That''s why I''m tormented by the question of whether it''s okay for me to continue killing people in the future. ''''Elle!¡¡Oh, shit! The moment Leif said that, the attack that the opponent had unleashed was right in front of me. It seems that some of the opponents are good at white knuckle fighting, and a sword was about to be swung down in front of me. The defense will be in time... no... what are we going to do! When I turned around to look back, I found Marie there, staring at me seriously. What are you doing?¡¡This is killing each other! I was reprimanded and reminded of that. If you don''t kill him, he''ll kill you. That''s right. And that''s where we stand now, fighting for our lives. It''s nothing unusual. Brigands, bandits, thieves, they attack and slaughter. Or they get hit back and killed. I know from hearsay that it happens. But when I actually see it in front of me, my hands are shaking and my vision is blurred. It''s not just that I''m wearing an eye patch for anything. Unlike the demon, I''m still not ready to kill the same person. In the meantime, Leif seemed to have cleared out all but one of them and captured the leader human. ''''Hey, you guys. Who are you?¡¡It''s not like we''re just thieves.¡¡Who sent you? ................ When the man who is being held said that, he suddenly lost his strength and fell down on the spot sluggishly. You have poison in your mouth or something. Does he have a pulse... Rafe checks the pulse and pupils of the fallen man. "I don''t have a pulse and his pupils are completely open. Instant death. Hmm. It''s quite gallant of you to include a poisonous substance in your own body that can kill you instantly. But it could also be due to brainwashing. Yeah. But this is odd. I''m the first type of guy you''ve ever met. What''s your purpose in the first place? Hmm. I don''t know. Did they target us, or did they just happen to be here, and that''s why they targeted us... I stood there, dumbfounded, while Rafe and Marie talked like that. ''Elle, are you okay?'' ''Fee. I guess I''m not ready for that yet. Being prepared to kill someone is not something that is easy to do. I don''t want to do it, and I''m scared. ''Well I guess you''re right,'' In the end, it''s just a matter of getting used to it. Later, Rafe told me that, and Marie told me the same thing. Once you get used to killing people, you can swallow that fact. No matter how callous it is. This world has developed through alchemy. But at the same time, alchemy is also very useful as a means of killing people. Therefore, when such a sudden battle arises, there will be cases where they have no choice but to kill. The result of having too much power over each other. I was still ashamed of my inexperience, and used the transference to move beyond it. ¡ó I''m cold.... ''It''s really cold. This is something I''ll never get used to. The four of us had already entered the Igal Republic. The group we just talked about remains a mystery, but our goal now is to traverse the Fifth Labyrinth. ''''The fifth labyrinth is further north from here. But even so, it''s cold...'''' Rafe says so, but it''s definitely colder. Colder than when we were here a week ago. I wonder how much it has dropped, in terms of temperature. That''s why I decided to stop by the city''s Alchemy Society. ''''As a matter of fact the cold has rapidly worsened since last week and it''s currently below freezing. When I spoke to the person at the reception desk, this phenomenon started a week ago. He said it was the first time this had ever happened in Igal. The temperature is much lower than usual. Apparently it''s slowly eating away at the city. And apparently, they believe the cause is the fifth labyrinth. ''''........The fifth labyrinth is the cause of the cold weather?'''' ''Leif was right, there must be something in the labyrinth. ''Isn''t that the kind of ice that wouldn''t work on Levatain?¡¡Isn''t that the reason? ''Hmm ... but it''s hard to imagine that''s all. Something may have happened inside the labyrinth. ''Well...'' The four of us discussed it and decided to head to the fifth labyrinth right away. From what we heard at the association, it seems that some alchemists in this city have headed to the fifth labyrinth. However, it was not for the purpose of attacking the labyrinth, but just to investigate. But in front of the fifth maze, we saw an unbelievable scene. "Hey, this is.... ''Oh...'' Hey, hey... It''s like art. Well, that''s not very nice. In front of the fifth labyrinth, there was some kind of avant-garde art-like object. At first glance, it could be understood to be a highly artistic object. But the problem is what''s inside. It was a human being trapped in the ice. It was also dismembered in all four limbs. On top of that, heads distorted by fear were gathered and arranged in a circle at the top of the ice. ''''Bad taste.......or is this what a demon did?'''' ''No I don''t know. But the labyrinth is still a mystery to me, even if I''m willing to attribute it to a person. Look, there''s no ice at the entrance. ''Hmm. Maybe he''s asking me out.... But we can''t stop here. The four of us walked past the object and entered the interior of the fifth labyrinth. 66-Episode 66: The Essence of the Fifth Labyrinth This is a big place... We entered the fifth labyrinth. First, we went down the stairs at the entrance, and there was a wide hall of sorts. But, however, everything was made up of ice and the cold air was visible. Of course, we''re wearing anti-cold equipment, and we have some control over our own body temperature through alchemy (as opposed to strict body temperature regulation). And as the four of us stepped forward, the ground suddenly began to glow. ''''........Nah!'''' The voices overlap. And at that moment, I recognized it. This was a transference alchemy formation built into the ground. It wasn''t that I hadn''t thought of this possibility at all. I had invoked the Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡· and all of us were on alert against the trap. Leif and Marie had trudged through the Third Labyrinth, and I and Fee had trudged through the Sixth Labyrinth. Therefore, we were well aware of this kind of trap. But we didn''t notice it until it was triggered. The lack of response in my Absolute Realm ¡¶Sanctuary¡·.......comes down to one conclusion. This was magic, and that the Akashic Materia was used. And I felt my right eye begin to tingle as I took the hand of the human who was nearby in a moment''s time. At that moment, Marie and I''s eyes crossed. A momentary moment, really. But that was enough. I take Fee''s hand. Marie had taken Rafe''s hand. Me and Marie knew intuitively. This interference was due to magic, and this labyrinth....must be.... And we were enveloped in a dazzling light. ¡ó Yikes! Oops.... I caught Fee falling from above without panicking. I was in the form of a princess hug, but it was unavoidable. Are you okay? Yes ... and yet ... A narrow road spreads out in your eyes. The fifth labyrinth is a labyrinth of ice. The fifth labyrinth was a labyrinth of ice. That wasn''t a mistake, but it wasn''t the essence of it. Looking back, the Fifth Labyrinth had extremely little information... but that was understandable when one looked at this phenomenon. The essence of the fifth labyrinth is that it has this structure that should be called a maze. In the first place, the word ''Labyrinth'', meaning labyrinth, is derived from the word ''Labyrinth'', a maze, a labyrinth. In other words, in the true sense of the word, this fifth labyrinth is a labyrinth at the same time. Our preconceptions may be frightening, but we seem to have forgotten the commonplace fact that labyrinths are mazes. This is an ice maze. The lack of information means that no one has ever entered this maze. The person who wandered in here must be dead. I can still smell fresh blood, albeit faintly. ''Fee, are you aware of this? You mean... this maze? That''s right. The Fifth Maze is not a maze of ice. The maze must be the essence of it. We''ll just have to move on, won''t we? Yeah. You smell the blood? Are you going? We''ll have to go. Fearfully, I try to move on. First I go straight ahead, turn right, then go further and turn left. Then beyond that I see ... the remains of a predatory human being. Its limbs were scattered, and what looked like internal organs were being dragged out and eaten. The name of that monster is the White Wolf. It is reported that it lives in cold regions, and although it is a carnivore, there are those that particularly like to eat humans. I''m sure this individual is one of them. I''ll take care of it. Okay. A dozen or so white wolves turn to us when they spot me and Fee. They seem to think they have new prey, with lazy blood pouring from their mouths. Then they all come at us at once, but I swoop in and cleave my right hand. !!!!! It''s already a fireball as it rolls along with a scream. And the flames gain momentum, bringing everything to nothing. I set fire to the wreckage of the predator as well, and I meditate. Please, be at peace. While praying for that, I decided to put the current situation in perspective for now. ''Do you know where we are, Fee?'' ''''.........The flow of the First Pledge, Primamateria, is pretty bad. It''s like it''s being deliberately jammed. ''''Well I feel the same way. But maybe with my eyes I can get a little more accurate. Are you sure?¡¡If you use it. ''I knew the day would come when I would come to terms with this eye. That''s what it means now. Don''t worry, as long as you don''t spend a lot of time with it, you''ll manage. I make up my mind and remove the eye patch from my right eye in one fell swoop. ''.........Elemental Eye [Decoding Site]. It is the structure of this world that we see through. The elemental eye, the decoding site, is the ability to visualize the First Quality, the prima donor material. And the First Material, the prima donna, is the foundation of everything. Strictly speaking, the Akashic Materia is the foundation of the world, but I can even perceive it now. The structure of this floor is what you''ll see as you stare at it. You can also see the presence or absence of living creatures and even the structure of the floor below. But now, instead of conquering this maze, we have to figure out how many layers it consists of. There are two, three, four...ten, twenty, thirty, forty-nine layers.... That''s where the access is suddenly cut off with a mumble. At the same time, I suppress the activation of my right eye''s ability and put on the eye patch. "Elle, there''s blood... The blood pouring out of his right eye creates a ragged puddle on the ice. But now is not the time to worry about it. ''The fifth labyrinth consists of a total of fifty layers. The creature''s reaction is that the only demons and humans are us, Marie and Leif. But we didn''t have time to figure out the exact location of those guys. At best, we know that they are still on the same floor, that''s all we know. ''You can see that much... it''s really amazing, your eyes...'' "But excessive use is still quite taxing, apparently. The pain in my eyes and brain is uncommon... haha... haha... It''s not just the blood, it''s also the fat sweat that won''t stop. It''s a gut feeling. This is an ability that humans have gone too far. How it manifested itself in me I don''t know, but I''m going to take advantage of it at best. I might even get used to it one day. Right now I''m rewriting my own code, which increases my aptitude for alchemy. If I need to, I''ll just rewrite it again. Even if it takes me farther away from the humans I have some work to do. If it''s possible that a tragedy like that sixth labyrinth could be happening in other labyrinths, I''m not cold enough to ignore it. Talents, abilities, are surely best used for situations like this. Of course, my ultimate goal is to make my way in the world as a farmer. But there''s nothing I can do if that world is gone. What I have to do, I have to do. That''s all that made up who I am today. "Elle don''t be rash. Yeah, I''m sorry. But we''re running out of time. We have food, and water can be managed by melting the ice and boiling it. Even if we think we''re seriously going to survive in this labyrinth, we can manage for a month. But from that point onwards, you''ll be facing death in the truest sense of the word. It''s a scene where you have to be this reckless. Well....of course. I''m by no means optimistic about the situation we''re in. Rather, I think we''re in a pretty bad situation. There''s probably only one way out. The only way out is to capture this labyrinth. There is no other way. And that means capturing this labyrinth all at once, without any outside support or replenishment. ''''Fee, let''s go. We''re running out of time. Yeah. Me and Fee lined up and moved on. 67-Episode 67 Sense of Vision Hmm.... What''s going on? I know you''ve been using that thing on Elle. The eye? "Mm. Me and Marie had been jumped to another location. I didn''t notice the transfer''s alchemy team at all, but the one of Elle and Marie was the first to notice it and succeeded in splitting us up as a pair like this. It was good to have a skilled alchemist in my group. At this time, I sincerely appreciated my choice of people. After all, beings like Elle and Marie are essential to the labyrinth. As I was thinking about this, Marie and I were moving forward, when suddenly she stopped and said the same thing I just said. I decided to ask her what I was wondering about without hesitation. ''How do you know that eye was used?'' I have similar sentient abilities. ''So you won''t have any trouble moving on? That''s great, Marie. Well, don''t worry, Mr. Leif. As long as this Marie is here, you won''t get lost in this labyrinth. But the problem is... Those two over there? The fact that Elle is with you is not a reason for concern. That genius is so outstanding that even I can''t figure it out. That''s the problem. Thumping and tapping the ground with my shoe. I watch the action, and I gain insight. ''A labyrinth.'' Hmm. It seems that the fifth labyrinth is not an ice maze, but just a maze. But mazes are a tricky thing, you never know what kind of traps there might be. We don''t know what kind of traps they''ll have in the future. In that sense, the third labyrinth is probably easier to navigate. Well, maybe. So, are the traps from earlier okay?¡¡I don''t have any perceptual system abilities, so I''ll have to deal with it later... "I can deal with alchemy as much as I want, but when it comes to magic I still have a long way to go. Well, we can only hope. Hopefully, there will be no magic. "...Huh. Looks like this is not going to be a simple matter again. That''s what the maze is all about, isn''t it? ''''Why is Marie cooperating with you?'''' Hmm?¡¡I''ve always told you. The search for truth. Some alchemists are really in search of it. Well, some are eccentrics and freaks, but I guess the word "madman" is more appropriate. You''re a madman. You know what you are? No. But I know people are looking at me like that. And besides... What''s going on? ''Elwyd Willis. When I look at that genius, it makes my existence seem dwarfed. Really?¡¡I think we''re about the same. And you know better than I do, given your age. ''''Hmm. You''d have to be the same alchemist to get this feeling... anyway, he''s in danger. Is it safe? ''Hmm. It''s not a matter of thought or character. It''s just that the way he is, I would say that the composition of his body as an alchemist is somewhat questionable... I don''t see the point. Well, I hope it''s only a matter of time before it''s all over. Come on, I''ll go on. Yeah. And so we proceeded deeper and deeper into the labyrinth. ¡ó ''Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡¡What''s that!¡¡Scorpions!¡¡A spider! "It''s probably a scorpion with a tail. Probably a subspecies from the colder regions. It''s interesting, though. I''d like to take one home as a sample. ''Stop talking like that and do something about it! Currently, me and Fee were being attacked by a large group of scorpions. Their outer shells were pale and white, and the tips of their tails glowed bright white. This is a demon that I''ve never seen in any literature before. ''''Ugh.........Elle is quite an outrageous thing to do. No, it''s just an experiment. An experiment? The question is, can the personal field be adapted to any creature? A personal field?¡¡What''s that. I''ve never heard of it. Well, that''s a term I made up for myself. In short, there is a special region of living things that we should call our "personal field". For example. There she is!¡¡What the hell are you doing! I generate a little phenomenon called electricity in Fee''s body, but it quickly disappears and is gone. The phenomenon itself is shattered. Doesn''t it make you wonder? What? In other words, living things have an alchemy-reducing property by nature. It''s like a thin film on the surface of the body, which I called the ''personal field''. And the Personal Field is also affecting the inside. We still don''t know where it comes from, but alchemy doesn''t pass so well for living things. Our brains have taken the liberty of assuming that the alchemy is triggered as we imagine it to be, and that the effect is occurring, but there is a slight margin of error. ''Yeah yeah yeah how do you know that?'' It''s just a side effect of this eye. I''m having some sort of heightened sensory sensitivity. You just keep getting more and more dehumanized, don''t you? Yeah. But that''s okay. It must come in handy. Dehumanizing. Those words, in no small part, stuck in my chest. I pretended not to feel anything, but I was still beginning to wonder what my roots were. Perhaps I''m not a decent person. That is already obvious. An unusual aptitude for alchemy and possession of multiple unique abilities ¡¶Dunamis¡·, which no one else in the world would have expressed. I''m not dull enough to be able to sum this up in one word, just because I''m a genius. The words I heard in that daydream-like world. I am a descendant of a wizard. That word is surely........true. ''''Hey, didn''t we pass this place just now?'''' ...See it''s marked. ''Huh my mapping doesn''t work at all. Is there some kind of cognitive inhibition going on? ''''I suppose you''re right. If we proceed so cautiously and still come back to the same place, the chances of that are strong. So I have to resist to move on? ''Yes, but...'' Do you use your eye? No, you don''t have to... Out of the corner of my eye, I found the carcass of a demon. It was left there because it was too much trouble to burn it. Could it be......... ''''What''s wrong?¡¡Don''t you have to burn it? No, you''ll see... Oh! The moment we burned it, we could see the path we hadn''t seen earlier. Perhaps there is a staircase to the third level beyond that one. ''''This labyrinth, including the demons, seems to constitute a grand maze. Really? That''s a real testament to what we''ve seen. Isn''t this a problem? Oh, shit. Hey I don''t really care about anything, but can I tell you something important? Hmm?¡¡What''s the matter, are you feeling ill? Well I''m just going to go and pick some flowers... Yeah. I''ll go on ahead and wait for you. Whoa, don''t you dare come back!¡¡I''ll kill you if you come here! Okay. To be honest, I''ve already seen enough of Fee''s demeanor to be appalled. I''m confident I won''t be swayed by anything I see now, but that''s just my perspective. Fee is still a woman, though. I''m sure she has a lot on her mind. There''s a certain amount of decorum that goes along with intimacy, you know. And after waiting for a while, Fee''s guy caught up with me. "Are you feeling better? Shit!¡¡Don''t be ridiculous! And then, slightly pissed off, he activated the alchemy. As for the structure of this labyrinth, as I tried earlier, the ice walls are not good for alchemy to pass through, or rather.......the entire structure is resisted. That''s why I can''t use the rough technique of advancing by breaking the wall incessantly. But the alchemy that Fee unleashed was either a coincidence or it destroyed the wall. But that was never a good thing. ''''....Ah. The voice hums. And a lot of scorpions appear in front of us again, straw by straw. This scene makes even me feel a little uncomfortable. That means Fee''s one is......... ''Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡¡Let''s get you home! Acting somewhat deja vu, I followed Fee. 68-Episode 68: The Fifth Labyrinth: The Tenth Floor We could rest here for the day. Yeah. We are now on the eighth layer. I''m descending at a pretty good pace. About 30 minutes per layer. But I''m just talking about the current pace. I don''t know what''s going to happen next. "Fee, come on down here. But.... ''It''s warmer if we both sleep cuddled together. Of course, we''ve used alchemy to some extent to create wards around you, and we''ve taken into account that your body temperature won''t drop too low, but you''d still be better off with human skin. Yeah!¡¡Isn''t that right!¡¡I don''t blame you for this one! Well, I''ve been sleeping with Fee a lot, so it''s not like it''s a new thing. That''s me being drunk! "?¡¡Well, yes. Fee mumbles and complains, "This is why Elle........" and snuggles up to me. Then we both pulled the blanket over us and let ourselves sleep for a while. ''Hey, I''ve been waiting for you,'' It''s a dream... I was in a dream. No doubt I had slept in the fifth labyrinth just now. But now, however, I was in a completely white space and as usual, that man was smiling at me, smiling at me. ''Sit down, Elle,'' ''Oh...'' So, how''s the Fifth Labyrinth? ''It''s tricky. Like the maze structure, but most of all, the low temperature is a bad thing. I can use alchemy to maintain my own body temperature to some extent, but that''s not infinite either. Fatigue gradually builds up. Quite frankly, it''s a race against time. ''I see. Well, whoever built that labyrinth has a twisted personality. ''You know about this?¡¡You know the makers of the labyrinth? Of course. All of them. I mean... You can''t tell me what to do again? Yeah. I can only advise you on what to do. Now, the only thing to do in this labyrinth is to keep an open mind. Preconceptions? Oh, time to go. Bye, Elle. I''ll see you later. ''Anh!'' ...It was a dream, wasn''t it? Hey, hey, Elle where are you holding me? ''Oh?¡¡Oh I''m sorry. ''What''s your reaction?¡¡You grabbed me by the chest and said, oh I''m sorry!¡¡There would have been a more appropriate response! Um, I''m sorry, sir? Watch your language!¡¡I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make your life easier and more fun. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work. I didn''t know that.... What?¡¡What a misleading reaction!¡¡But it''s not a misunderstanding... no, but... And while I was goggling something, I was already getting ready to go. Then I suddenly realize something. ''My right eye ... is it healing?'' Until now, there had been a faint but sharp pain. But now there was no sign of it. I tried to remove the eye patch with all my might, and nothing changed. Then I tried to activate the Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Sight¡·, but........ ''''Geez........d*mn, does that mean the runaway has been cured for now? For now, I won''t have to wear the eye patch from now on. However, the problem is that I don''t have the elemental eye, the decoding site, under my complete control yet. ''''Alright. So, are we moving on now? ''Yeah, well...'' Looking ahead, we see a maze that stretches on forever and ever, and it''s right in front of us. A maze, yes ... a maze. But I couldn''t stop thinking about what that man said. "Don''t let your preconceptions get in the way of your success. So, does that mean that this labyrinth is not just a maze made up of ice? But then, what exactly is the Fifth Maze? With that question in mind, we move on. ''''Well there are fewer and fewer demons, aren''t there? ''Indeed. You''re just walking all the way. We''ve come down to the ninth layer since then. However, this layer is obviously not full of demons. And most importantly, I can feel the First Quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· rushing in from the layer below. I''m sure it''s true to think that there are special demons at each of the ten layers, just like in other labyrinths. And while going around the maze, we found a staircase leading to the lower level. Let''s go. I''m sure there''s more ahead... I know. It''s just like the Sixth Labyrinth. There will be some very special individuals. ''Oh...'' Or a chimera mixing with people. I''d kill myself if I had to. I hadn''t yet decided on a definite resolution, even though I''d said so.... ¡ó Same thing. Yeah. A door expands in front of you. And it has the pattern of an ouroboros painted on it. Let''s go. Yes. Geeeeeeeeeeee, we both open the door with a sound. Then, in front of us, we saw an icy area that was crystal clear to all intents and purposes. But we didn''t pay attention to it. Because.........there was a powerful object sitting in the middle of it. That''s......... "Oh. It''s a golem. Golem. It is a type of artificial human being born from the same concept as the Homunculus. But it is very different from a homunculus. A homunculus is a chemical manipulation of alchemy. Just like when I created the prototypes. Golems, on the other hand, are created by the "alchemy of words". The idea is that letters, words, and numbers have mystical powers that can be used to create creatures like gods. In fact, many of them have ended in failure, but there are a few success stories as well. It''s hard to understand why that rare golem is in this place, but if it''s a labyrinth, that''s just as well, I guess. The six-meter tall golem rises from its spot while generating a strange sound. In its hands, it holds something like a mighty axe. And what should be noted is that all of its components are ice. At first glance, it''s just a beautiful object. But we could sense it. This golem''s mission is to take care of the creatures that enter this room. When we looked at the ground, we saw countless human bones lying on the ground. There are some humans who have made it this far. However, that was also hindered by this golem. ''''Fee, leave the vanguard to me. Cover me from the rear guard with a fire attribute attack.'''' Yes, sir. And I pull the thin-winged dragonfly from my waist. ''Attribute granting [Enchantment]: flames [Flame]'' Fire is effective against ice. That''s why I chose the attribute granting "Enchantment": fire "Flame" this time. I don''t expect to be able to cut off a single sword, but I''m sure I can deal effective damage. ''''.........'''' He exhaled the air from his lungs in one go, closing the distance in just one step. ''Gigagaagaagaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Slow. Sluggish. Because of its massive body, it moves too slowly. And then a flash. I swung that sword at the brain, but........ Hey.........! I was completely played. My thin-winged dragonfly can''t even put a scratch on it, and my body flies through the air as fast as it can. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no! Oh no! Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Yuck. This is very, very bad........ The axe wielded by Goreem will swing at my body. If this continues, my body will be split in half. Even so, I won''t give up. Rather, I believed that Fee must have the same vision as me on what to do about this situation. ''''Fee!!!!! I''m already doing it! And I prepare for the impact to come. ''''Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! And I''m blown backwards by the ice pillar that suddenly appeared in front of me. It''s not just a matter of time before you are able to get your hands on a new one. ''Huh.........Thank you, Fee. But hey, isn''t that a little too powerful?¡¡It really hurts. ''I don''t have a choice!¡¡Would you rather have your body cut in half or be blown up by my alchemy?! The latter.... oh, but it really hurts... Sorry about that. But that golem is hard. Isn''t this diamond-level altitude? Really? ''''If you can play my thin-winged dragonfly this perfectly, that thing is now as hard as a diamond. I don''t know what to expect. Well yes. We were dented by that fact and resumed the battle again. 69-Episode 69: Unleashed Genius "Fee, I need that. Was it the Elements Eye, the decoding site?¡¡Are you okay? Yeah I can do it now. Although I said that, I haven''t been able to bring it under complete control yet. Even so, I can''t break through this golem without the Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡·. I lightly put power into both eyes and converged the First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡· flowing inside.......and released the ability. ''''.........Elemental Eye [Decoding Site]'''' In an instant, the world changes colorfully. In this world, he can perceive the First Quality, Primamateria, as a golden particle. In addition to that, he can even see into the internal composition of all things. Right shoulder........you''re concentrating on that spot. There''s probably some kind of code written in that place. He charged at me with an explosive sound, but I avoided it by flying above it and ran the anti-matter "anti-material" code toward the target on my right shoulder. Antimatter "Anti-Material" Code: "Reverse Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. Now, wipe out... As I hovered in the air, I imagined the golem shattering away. But perhaps a strong indigenous area, the Personal Field, had been strung up. My attack could only get rid of it. ''''Fee!¡¡Stop the motion! ''''f*ck it!¡¡That''s a lot of orders! With that said, Fee runs the ice off the ground in one go.................as it is, the golem stops moving, albeit slightly. Time wise, it would only hold for five seconds. But that much time would be enough. First Pledge "Primamateria" = Encoding = Material Code "Material, Material Code = Decoding. Substance "material" code = processing = large-scale chain smelting Embodiment = Material. ...massive chain-smithing, extensive chain-smithing, purgatory, the Casaltiliosphere. At the same time, an enormous size of formation appeared at the foot of the golem. At the same time, an enormous size formation appeared at the feet of the golem. And then it envelops the entire area in the flames of purgatory. It blazes up, even if it''s pale, and builds up its momentum even more, and eventually it expands to an enormous one that envelops the entire golem. Aaaaaaahhhhhh! The golem lets out a sort of scream as it is engulfed by the flames of purgatory. It doesn''t seem to feel any pain, but you can hear its body crumbling away from all over the place from the injuries to its body. And it tries to get out of that wrought formation, but it''s impossible. ''''El ... what did you do?'''' "We''ve created an enormous size of alchemy camp by joining the alchemy camp together like a chain. And once you''re in this area, the last thing you need to do is to escape unless you can use the Anti-Materials Code....... "...Yeah. That''s amazing.... The way Fee looked at me was not the way he already looked at people. It''s the eyes of a monster. But that''s good, because I''d rather be a monster than let someone else die. I''d rather become a monster than let someone else die. Thanks to the Elemental Eye Decoding Site, I was able to use the operations that I used to do unconsciously in the past more consciously. The manipulation of the First Quality Prima Materia is also quite familiar, and in this way it is easier to create new training teams. ''''Are your eyes good?'''' Yeah, I''m used to it. It''s over. Let''s check it out a bit. According to the crumbling golem, there was some sort of mysterious language written on it that seemed to have maintained this golem. ''''This is........the same strain of writing that was in that book. Its grammatical meaning is unknown, but it has the same form of words in a row.'''' Then this is.... It''s still a work of magic, isn''t it? It was just like the scene I saw in that Sixth Labyrinth, where snow was flying in the sky. ''''Well, the door is........'''' We wait for the door to open and close as we enter, and then we wait for the door to open and close as we exit...but something is wrong. I''ve succeeded in destroying the golem, the guardian deity of this place, and yet there is no sign of the door opening at all. ''''Hey, it''s not opening. It won''t open. Are you locked in? ''In that sense, though, it''s like being trapped in a labyrinth when you enter it. Shit!¡¡That''s not what I''m talking about! Well, I don''t know... Although I checked the perimeter of the elemental eyes ¡¶Decoding Site¡·, it seems that the rooms on each of the ten layers are still special and are completely cut off from the outside world. This area itself is definitely a type of warding, but if even this ability of mine can''t tell, I''ll just have to deal with it by force? As I was thinking this, the door suddenly opened with a giggling sound. ''I wonder if it''s a time difference?'' ''That''s a long time for that. Was there another gimmick in there or something? ''Maybe so. But it''s good that it''s open. Let''s go. .... I was lost in contemplation. I couldn''t for the life of me believe that this phenomenon was just a delay. The labyrinth is a type of lost technology and is composed of magic. Magic is a technology that goes beyond alchemy and is not outlined. That''s why I believe everything makes sense to me. There was no such thing as a delay in the Sixth Maze. The moment I defeated it, the door was open. And even in the fifth labyrinth, I found out that the maze was structured by demons. A labyrinth that has such a style is just a delay? Can we use those words? Elle, what are you waiting for? Yeah, I''m sorry. Fee rushed me and I decided to put the question to the side for now. ''We''ll find out eventually...'' With that muttered, we descended to the tenth layer. ¡ó ''Huh ... I can''t think of anything to do with my head from going around in circles like this all the time...'' Don''t say that. I can''t help it. Can''t you see anything in your eyes?¡¡You knew that when you were in the first layer. ''After ten layers, the jamming is too much. You can''t even see what''s downstairs. Perhaps the lower you go, the more turbulent the First Pledge [Primamateria] becomes. And as the two of us are going on talking about things...........I hear something crying. ''''Ugh ... ugh ... ugh.'''' Are you crying...? Hey, Elle. You can hear me, right? She''s crying. Let''s go. Hey, hey! Ignoring Fee''s stillness, I made my way to the place. Then there was a prison of sorts within the walls and a woman in it. ''Yeah, it''s a trap,'' It''s a trap. Shall we go? Yeah. It''s too obvious. It''s probably a demon that has disguised itself as a person. In this world, there are demons called mimics who change into various creatures and prey on people. This time it''s the same kind of thing. You can''t get away from them.¡¡Just talk to me!¡¡Just the story alone is oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! Glancing back, I say the question I''ve been wondering. ''I told you,'' Yeah. Do you speak Mimic? No, it can turn into a person, but it doesn''t speak any language. At best, he''ll pretend to cry. "Hmmm........a special mimic unique to the labyrinth?¡¡But if you think about it that way, it''s a demon with intelligence. I''ve always thought that there are demons with intelligence in them for a long time. Now, let''s hear what they have to say. Yeah I''m kind of annoyed at how unnecessarily beautiful she is, but... ''I suppose that''s another mimic ability. Flirting with men ... a totally nice ability. Well, let''s at least talk about it. We both trotted back and spoke to Mimic who was there. ''Hey, Mimic. Can you have a conversation? And I can do it!¡¡But I''m not a mimic!¡¡I''m human! Really? It''s true! Hey, Elle. Let''s hurt him a little. Torture?¡¡I don''t like to tease you, even when I''m dealing with monsters. ''It''s okay, it''s okay. It''s just going to chatter a little bit of blitz. Well, then... Hey, hey, hey!¡¡What do you think you''re doing!¡¡The blitz is broadcast!¡¡Isn''t that torture! ''Well, it just hurts a bit. I''m not jealous of your good looks, not in the least. ''What?¡¡Wait!¡¡The word is unheard of!¡¡Oh, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! The next moment, the woman makes a strange sound as if her body is being electrified. But if it''s only this degree, it''s probably just a little tingling. And after a while, the woman puts her hands on the ground and lets out a breath, "Huh....huh..... ''''Yeah, you sound like a human.'''' I told you so! To be frank, it was pretty obvious to my eyes. Yeah, I knew that. But I think it''s important to instill fear in them. I''m still suspicious. ''''........Gusu, it really made me cry.......'''' So who are you? I''m.... Then the woman began to tell her identity. 70-Episode 70 Who are you? Blonde hair and blue eyes. Her beauty is so well-built that it''s not easy to describe. What is notable is the balance. There is a certain amount of discrepancy between all people. But this woman is completely different. Both eyes are wide open, and there is no gap between the nose and lips. She is like a doll. It was a request worthy of making people think so from the clothing that has come. Frilled clothing. As I recall, is this kind of dress called gothic loli?¡¡I think my sister said something about the enthusiasm among some women. ''My name is Aria...'' Any other information? I mean... ? I don''t remember. All right, let''s leave it at that. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Me and Fee turned our backs to Aria and the others and tried to leave, but she desperately begged us to stop, so we listened to her anyway. ''Actually, I don''t really understand it either...'' Amnesia? ''Well...'' Did you find yourself here? "Yeah it was really cold and I almost died... Do you know where you are? Well, is it somewhere in the north?¡¡I''m not from the north, so I don''t know much about it... The fifth labyrinth, the tenth level. That is this place. What?¡¡Labyrinth. ''Ah, the labyrinth. Do you have the knowledge? ''''Well, I''ve heard that it has recently started to be attacked. But a labyrinth is not such a... "...and... What, really? Seeing the look on me and Fee''s face, Aria must have realized it was true. The blood drains even more from my face. ''''What should I do.......the labyrinth is such a.......I''m going to die! Hey, do we take this guy with us? You don''t have a choice. I know it''s a burden, no doubt, but we''ll have to take him with us. Seriously, no, seriously, seriously, isn''t this awful? But you don''t want to leave her behind. Hmm. No, no, no!¡¡You won''t be confused!¡¡Please take me there. Shut up, woman... What?¡¡You''re being honest!¡¡Just because you''re a little handsome doesn''t mean I''m going to tolerate that word! What, are you making eyes at Elle? He''s a bad guy over here too! And after a lot of discussion we ended up taking Aria with us. Its nice to meet you. Yeah. Nice to meet you. That was a surprise. I never thought I''d see that Elweed Willis. So that''s what you remember. Yes.... I doubt it. Should we just chop up some curses? ''Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi!¡¡Please don''t let it hurt! ''Oh, well, Elle. If it comes down to it, I''ll take care of it. What are you going to do? Well, like falling apart from the chattering? ''Disjointed!¡¡Is it going to fall apart? It depends on how Aria behaves. I''ll keep it in order! Good. What a ... reactionary person. That was my impression. She looks glamorous like some princess, but she''s quite frank or something. Honestly, it''s kind of fun to tease him. ''Whoa, you''re a demon. Fee, can I take care of it? Yeah. Since I was tired from the earlier battle, I decided to leave it to Fee this time. But my opponent is the White Wolf. It won''t take long. ''''Okay, it''s over.'''' Well I kind of goofed up and popped... The ten or so White Wolves were taken into a state of vaporization all at once, and the water in their bodies exploded and exploded. Fee''s blood flow manipulation has gone up quite a bit lately. As I''m marveling at that, Aria''s guy starts to buzz and shake. ''''Could it be.......dismemberment from biliousness?'''' .... ''Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi!¡¡Oh, Mr. Elle!¡¡Mr. Fee is in trouble!¡¡He''s a psychopath!¡¡It will fall apart!¡¡Please help! ''By the way, I can erase more than pieces, though I can erase my very existence. See......... With a light wave of my hand, I activate the anti-matter "anti-material" code. Not only the dismembered wreckage, but also the blood is returned to the First Plasmateria. And in that place, there was literally no trace of existence itself. ''''Eh!¡¡Huh! What''s going on? Could it be the same for humans? Well, it''s the same creature. I''m sure we can do it. But the personal field is stronger in humans than in other creatures, so this isn''t very practical. Because it''s a corpse, it was able to do it so easily. What, you think people can do that if they take the time? In theory, ''No!¡¡Gone.... ugh!¡¡Not in a metaphorical sense, but physically erased ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Here we go. Stupid aria. ''Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I just carried Aria in my arms and continued on my way. ''I hope Marie and Rafe are okay. They''ll be fine. In fact, we''re the ones in trouble now. Is that about me? Yes. Gus.....................I hate myself for getting used to the messy treatment. Are you ready to walk on your own? ''Oh!¡¡Thank you very much. Thank you for your time. I release Aria from the tank and toss her to the ground with a pop. ''''Wait!¡¡It''s a girl!¡¡How dare you treat such a beautiful girl like that! I called myself a pretty girl. ''It''s just the facts that piss me off. I hate youth.... ''Eh, maybe Mr. Fee is quite old............'' "Shut up, girl. I''m going to blitz you. It''s already running! Oh, I''m sorry. ''''Uuuuuuuu........I have no allies? Give it up. Wow! And while I was frolicking with them, a group of white wolves appeared again. But this time their numbers were on a different scale. When I turned right in the maze, there were more than 100 white wolves there, as if they were waiting for me. ''''Eh!¡¡Wait!¡¡Isn''t that a lot! "...Fee, can I try it for a moment? Okay, but what are you doing? It was an experiment. Antimatter Anti-Materials Code: Reverse. Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. I activated the Anti-Materials ¡¶Anti-Material¡· code on the white wolf at the front. And from there, I further run another alchemy. Antimatter "Anti-Materials" Code: "Reverse Substance "material" = anti-matter "anti-material" code = chain smelting "chain Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. This time, the alchemy team is composed of a chain of individuals from the front to the back. I''ve already figured out the code for White Woolf. If that''s the case, there''s no need to run the code through each one of them..... In an instant, the First Quality Primamateria dances in the air to the extent that it can be perceived without using the Elemental Eye, the Decoding Site. Glittering with a golden glow, it was, at first glance, a fantastic sight. ''''Huh!?'''' Fee and Aria''s voices overlap. And that''s as it should be. This is because this kind of phenomenon is not something that can be seen very often. I see........if we can decipher the race-specific code, we can just run the same code. This is a good harvest. Oh ... could that light be the wolf from earlier? Hmm?¡¡Oh, Aria doesn''t quite understand, does she? Well, yeah, it seems like a hundred of them would be easy to do. Not all alchemists can do this kind of trick. Rather, I''m the only one who can do it for now.......I wanted to say that, but Aria didn''t seem to listen to me anymore, so I left it at that. 71-Chapter 71: Intricate I know it''s a little late for that, but... What''s going on? How do I get out of here? He was currently making progress on the fifteenth layer. The maze isn''t that complicated at the moment, so I''m advancing at a good pace. Just then, Aria asks me something like that. ''Well, if we go to the lowest level and defeat something there, it will be the end. We used to have a transition smelting camp until we got to the ground. ''What?¡¡I knew you couldn''t go back in the middle of the day! I would have thrown you out if I could. ''Wow!¡¡Mr. Fee, Mr. Elle says terrible things! Don''t get out here. You''re giving me crazy ideas. You''ll get stupid! And that''s it for us to proceed today, we decided to rest for now. ''Well, are the three of you going to cuddle up and sleep together?'' It''s cold. Nah, I see... "Don''t worry. You''re right next to me. Not next to Elle. ........And, right? I knew what it was... And I dreamed again. But it''s not that strange phenomenon I''ve always seen. It''s a dream from the past, when I was still a student at the academy, and I was still playing around. I''ve been doing a lot of things under the guise of research back then. It''s not just a matter of time before you get your hands dirty. Looking back on it now........while I was being scolded by Fee, I think I was having a good time. But now....we''ve all graduated and are going our separate ways. ''''.........'''' Wake up. I seem to be the first to wake up, and Fee and Aria are still asleep. Aria''s one seems to be sleeping disheveled with her mouth hanging open, and I can''t help but laugh. ''Hmm?¡¡Huh?¡¡What''s wrong, Mr. Elle? No I was just amused by Aria''s sleeping face. ''What?¡¡Wait!¡¡Did you see my sleeping face! Well I got it in my eyes. ''Ughhhh. I can''t believe a man saw me sleeping before I went to marry him... ''A prehistoric one, Aria,'' ''Prehistoric!¡¡I just have very normal values!¡¡You two are the ones who are crazy! Oh... we''re just the two of us... Hee ... Mr. Fee, are you awake? Well, you''ll wake up when there''s a disturbance in the neighborhood. ''Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Well, you''re forgiven for that. No, no, no, no!¡¡The output is a bit high!¡¡It was really chattering! But you''re getting used to it. Well ... it''s ... Okay, let''s get ready to go. The three of us start preparing quickly. But when I was about to face that problem I was beginning to feel it. "I''m hungry........ Be patient. But all we get is emergency rations... It''s time to make a decision... Yes, the problem is food. Water can be easily smelted with alchemy, but when it comes to food, it takes quite a bit of work, from building the building blocks to everything else. Thinking about the future, it would be better to procure food locally. ''''Does wolf meat taste good?'''' Come on, I''ve never had one. Wait, you''re going to eat a wolf? ''I don''t blame you. The smelting of food is a lot of work. If you can eat it, you might as well eat a wolf or whatever. Or even scorpions. "What?! At the mention of scorpions, the Fee''s ones also speak up. There are still some emergency rations left, but I want to save them for the future. Considering that, Fee reluctantly agreed. ''Well ... well ... it can''t be helped, can it? I absolutely hate it! Later, he hunted the scorpion and white wolf that appeared and forced Aria to eat them, calling them poisonous. The screams from that time are still in my ears. Well, this can''t be helped. Aria, forgive me......... ¡ó "Hmm. Scorpions are delicious. Wolves, on the other hand, don''t taste so good... Really?¡¡I''m pretty good at it, though. Leif has a stupid tongue. He''s not like my sensitive self. ''Yes, yes....'' Me and Marie have made it through the ten layers and are now on our way to the sixteenth layer. We still have some portable food left, but we decided to get it locally for the future. This kind of thing was an everyday occurrence in the third maze, and Marie and I are quite familiar with this kind of thing. ''''Hm........'''' What''s going on? I''ve been thinking about what happened earlier and... That golem? No, I meant after you defeated the golem. It was too late for the door to open, wasn''t it?¡¡Nothing like that would have happened in the Third Labyrinth. It''s just a whim. ...I don''t think so. In the first place, there''s something else that''s strange. What? We won''t be able to meet up with Elle and the others. I can sense their presence, but I can''t be sure of their exact location due to the strange jamming. But I know they are not far, and I know they are not near. So, for some reason, we can''t join up with them. It''s as if... Like what? It''s like you''re in control of the situation. You think they''re being kept apart on purpose? Hmm. I can''t eliminate the possibility that someone''s hand is in play. "People in the maze?¡¡But that''s.... Well, he''s not a decent man, that''s for sure. That could be a coincidence. Something is wrong with this fifth labyrinth. Come to think of it, that creepy object at the entrance. That must be the work of humans. That is to say, they may think there is someone else in here and are trying to provoke us. Provocation... ''I''m sure there are people who don''t want the labyrinth to be captured... or there are people who want to use this place as bait to do something... although personally I''d like to think it''s the former...'' Hey, I was thinking, doesn''t the mood in the kingdom seem a little weird? I wanted to point that out to you. The kingdom was in a state of strangeness. And the people who attacked us when we left the kingdom. Perhaps there was something about our presence in the kingdom that made us uncomfortable. ''Huh but, well, I guess thinking about it doesn''t get us anywhere right now. Right. I suppose we''ll just have to move on for now. And so me and Marie continued on our way. ¡ó ''Oh, yeah...'' Hey, look, it''s kind of dirty, so I''m going to move away from... ''That''s the line from the person who forced you to eat the scorpion.....oh, yeah. It''s pretty good. It''s like a prawn. It''s physiologically impossible! After catching a bunch of scorpions, we quickly roasted them over the fire and ate them. I thought it was surprisingly tasty, and Fee ate it as normal. He looked pretty uncomfortable with it, though. But the moment Aria ate it (I forced her to stuff it in her mouth), she started spitting it out. Well people''s tastes are different, but right now we shouldn''t neglect to get the nutrients. ''''Huh?¡¡Huh! I take Aria''s body free and lift the extra scorpion with a heave. ''Oi, no!¡¡Oh, I''m going to be raped! ''Fee, is this rape?'' ''It''s an emergency, you don''t have a choice. We don''t want you to fall down, so go ahead and do it. Yes, sir. ''Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! He stuffed two of them in his mouth at once (the poison was already dealt with) and forced his mouth shut as it was. Then, encouraging them to chew, Aria swallowed them with a gulp while getting teary-eyed. ''''Uuuuuuuu.......I can''t be a bride anymore. Elle-san!¡¡Take responsibility. If you lick it too much, I''ll stuff you fuller. ''Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi! So, the food problem seemed to be okay for the time being. Except for Aria''s mental aspect........ 72-第72話 Down the Rabbit-Hole Hey, what''s going on here? What''s Elle again?¡¡What''s so funny? I had a feeling that something wasn''t right. It''s not something that has a clear basis. It was just a vague unease. I thought of this labyrinth as an ice maze, and then determined that it was in fact an ice maze. But is that really the case?¡¡That question comes to mind. Beware of preconceived notions. I can''t help but think of those words. Am I missing out on something serious?¡¡Those were the words that came from that thought. And Aria''s presence also contributed to that thought. Why does she exist in the Fifth Labyrinth?¡¡Why don''t you remember?¡¡Why? Is it groundless? ''It''s just my imagination, if I do say so myself! ''It kind of pisses me off when Aria says that...'' What?¡¡As usual, isn''t your treatment of me a bit crude! Okay, okay. So...........................finally, twenty layers. ''Yes. Aria, you should stay back. It''s going to be a battle. Yes, yes I''m a little nervous... Currently, we were in the deepest part of the nineteenth layer. We had descended the stairs leading to the twenty layers and were right in front of the door. Based on the trends we''ve seen so far, there would definitely be some kind of demon''s there. I opened the door with my mind on protecting Aria. ''''It''s ... strange.'''' Well.... A strange feeling that me and Fee learned. It''s that there''s nothing in this room. ''Nothing?¡¡But the door ahead remains closed... A moment later, the ground was close to suddenly glowing. But by then, it was already too late. ''''Feeb!'''' "Elle! I had already grabbed Aria''s hand behind me, but for once, I was a little further away from her because of Fee and the formation. This is the same thing that happened when we entered this labyrinth. There was a transition smelting formation built into the ground. And then I separated from Fee. ¡ó Wow! ...oops. He throws me into the air and I manage to land and catch Aria as she falls intact. ''''Oh, thank you,'''' No, it''s not that... I look around. The scenery is similar to what I''ve seen before. An endless maze of ice. But where is this place? Thinking that, I activated the Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡·. The surrounding first quality ¡¶Prima Materia¡· was too dense for me to understand the details, but I could only understand its appearance. This place is twenty layers. In other words, it seems that that transfer was to move them down another layer. ''''........It looks like this place is the 20th layer. What, they just dropped you off at the lower level? It seems. But unlike before, I don''t feel any sign of people at all. I''m sure there are many demons in the area, but there are no people. Earlier, I vaguely sensed Leif and Marie in the distance, but suddenly I lost my presence. That means... It''s too early to assume he''s dead. When he is dead, there will be a slight disturbance in the prima materia prima facie, because the amount of material one possesses is enormous. The amount of Primateria in our possession is enormous! When you feel death, you will have a more disturbing sensation. Okay. Then your companion and Mr. Fee are. He must be alive. But that word is wishful thinking. Aside from Marie and Rafe, Fee could be dead. It''s impossible to know where they''re jumped to in that transfer. Aria and I were accidentally dropped into an empty space, but Fee might have been jumped to an area with a group of demons. And there could be a trap that could kill us instantly. Death. Fee is dead. The more I thought about that possibility, the more I thought I might be able to handle it. Fee was with me the whole time. She had been with me from the time I entered the academy until now. Yet it was beyond the limits of my mental capacity to assume that she was suddenly dead. I''m sure he''s alive. It''s okay. But I can''t even say those words of comfort to myself. No matter how much I think about it, death pops up in my brain. In the first place, the labyrinth is an alien entity that has sent numerous people to their deaths. Even if Fee was chosen as that sacrifice, it''s no wonder. ''''........Elle-san?'''' I''m sorry. It''s nothing. I shudder. Is it such a horrible thing not to feel the presence of a human being? The fact that I have the ability to do so is undeniably confronting me. There are no humans in this labyrinth. That was the conclusion I could sense right now. There''s no one here. It''s as if there''s no sign of what I''ve been feeling. The only thing that exists is demons. That was all I could see now. ''''It''s okay, it''s okay.......'''' Oh yeah, I know. Aria squeezes my hand. Feeling its warmth, I come to calm down a bit. That''s right. Let''s move on now. If we''re all alive, we''re definitely aiming for the lowest level. Then there''s only one way to go. Let''s move on. Yes.... And so me and Aria moved on. ¡ó Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... we have walked a lot. Yeah. Let''s take a break. I''m sorry, sir. I had to get them to go along with me. No, it''s fine. Currently, it''s twenty-five layers. But it wasn''t a smooth ride. The encounter with demons and the maze made our steps futile. This is not only in a physical sense, but it has definitely begun to eat away at us mentally as well. If there was a person who created this labyrinth, I would give the biggest compliment. This is the worst kind of labyrinth. It''s as if it was designed to chip away at the human psyche and then come after you. Disperse it, get lost in the maze, and engage in repeated encounters with small fry demons. What do we call this without calling it a nightmare? At first I thought it was nothing compared to the Sixth Maze. The spiders over there were much stronger demons, and the battles were all extremely fierce. But the demons here were all small fry. We can proceed without consuming them that much. But the problem is their numbers and placement. A group of demons are congregating in a place that looks as if someone has placed them there on purpose, and there are nearly a hundred of them each time. The spirit of the stone was getting to me as well. It felt as if the file was slowly chipping away at my body little by little. I''m not in despair yet, but I''m pretty sure my mood is slowly dropping. ''''Elle-san, are you okay?'''' No problem. I''ve maintained my alchemical accuracy. I can handle any demon attack. ''No, it''s not that, it''s that Mr. Fee is gone... well...'' ''What?¡¡Do you think I''m sick? ''Well, well, to put it simply, I thought you might be depressed...'' ''Yeah. To be honest, I''m pretty overwhelmed. I''m pretty tired, in a mental sense. ''''Yes........ I''m sorry. Why are you sorry? ''Because I wasn''t there to make it easier... and because I was there then... and because you put me first, Mr. Fee. You noticed. Yes..... That moment of transition. It was partly due to the distance, but I could have touched Fee''s hand if I kept in mind to abandon Aria completely. But I had less than a second of awareness to make a decision. If I left Aria alone, she would surely die. Fee, on the other hand, could manage on her own. It was because she made that decision that she was in the current situation. I thought Aria didn''t realize that, but I didn''t know that she had been found out.... ''''It''s a rational decision. You''re alone and you''ll die. It was the best choice. ''Reasonable ... yes, I know. But the truth is.... Don''t say it. Don''t tell me. Rationally, yes. But emotionally?¡¡I''ve known Fee for many years. I''ve talked to Aria about it. But Aria is a reasonably frank talker, but we''ve only just met. Who will I choose, Fee or Aria? When confronted with that choice, the one I would choose would be Fee. But right now, there is no Fee next to me. I was struggling between reason and emotion. But if I tried to articulate this in words, something important would be lost. 73-Episode 73 And Meet You Ughhhhhh.... I wake up. I was thrown onto the cold ice. And slowly my memory comes back. That''s right, I had been ... sent away ... by transference in that place of twenty layers. The hand that reached out to Elle never reached her. Elle grabbed Aria''s hand first, and from there she reached out to me. Why did I come after her? I know that. Aria would die if she was left alone. So Elle''s decision is reasonable. There''s nothing wrong with it. ''''........Huh?'''' The next thing I knew, tears were flowing. ''Oh, that... why... why... I''m not sad. Yes, I am not sad. Elle hasn''t abandoned me. It was a rational decision and this is what happened. But even if I was convinced of that, I couldn''t stop crying. At the same time, I was remembering. When I met........Elle. The old Elle was a more free-spirited and cheerful boy. No, he hasn''t changed that much even now, but the expression on his face when he reached out that hand. I''d never seen Elle''s face like that before. A look of regret, as if he were somehow unemployed and regretful. It was the first time I''d ever seen Elle like that. When I remember that, my heart also hurts. When I met Elle like that, yes ... more so, I had other feelings. And I was reminded of the past. ¡ó Nice to meet you. My name is Elweed Willis. This is the second time you''ve seen him, right? ''Yes, it was. I look forward to working with you. The first time we met was, yes, when he took the entrance exam. After that, he passed the entrance examination with an unprecedentedly perfect score and entered the institute with great joy. And he was assigned to be in charge of my seminar. When I think about it now, I thought it was impossible for me to play such a big role, but I could handle it surprisingly well...but still, there is no doubt that Elle was a person who was too blown away to make sense. ''So what are you going to research?'' I''m thinking of majoring in full-fledged artificial intelligence. Hmm?¡¡What did you say? A fully independent artificial intelligence. What was that for? It''s for farming. Okay. I know you''re from a farming family. But you use alchemy for farmers?¡¡With so much talent? "?¡¡I''m not sure I understand what you mean. I''m here to take over the farm. Well, then, don''t you have to use alchemy? You can also use alchemy to improve breeding. I have already successfully used alchemy to breed crops. ''What?¡¡Isn''t that great? Well, but we''re still in the prototype stage, so... So, why artificial intelligence?¡¡A lot of researchers have given up on that one, though. "To secure the labor force...I guess. And I think it''s useful to introduce AI instead of humans to do simple labor. After all, that''s the kind of work that goes into farming, too. ''''Nah, I see... that''s why you came to the academy, isn''t it? ''Yes. That''s right. I don''t understand. This Canovarian Alchemy Academy is difficult to enter and graduate from. And those that are enrolled in the school, without exception, are studying with a lofty purpose. And yet, using alchemy for agriculture? Alchemy has a large genetic component. Effort is of course necessary, but there is definitely a talent barrier. That''s why most of the people who enter this academy are aristocrats with a high aptitude for alchemy, and although there are people from ordinary families, there''s not a single farmer in this academy. And yet, perhaps the most gifted talent since the beginning of this academy is from a farmer''s background and studies alchemy for agriculture?¡¡The aim of our alchemists is the search for truth. That is why this academy exists and has made its name known in the world until now. And yet, you use alchemy for such a trivial thing?¡¡Is that even allowed? The emotions I had at this time were more like anger than disappointment. How could such a farmer boy have so much talent? Isn''t talent only talent if it is used properly? I was thinking this from an irreverently narrow perspective at the time. ''Elle!¡¡Elle! Ahhhhh... fee. Shit. Staying again? I''m sorry. I''ve been busy with my research. It''s been a month since Elle entered the school. Lately, Elle''s existence has begun to be recognized by those around her, and people have been making a lot of noise about a genius, but being from a farmhouse, I heard that she''s being hit pretty hard, though not to the point of being bullied. It can''t be helped because nobles care about such things, but I didn''t feel like stopping them in any way. It wasn''t from the unreasonable anger I''d felt before. This man is a hot mess. And that''s because I''ve learned that over the past month. Within the first week of enrollment, we started calling each other by our first names, and we started talking to each other in a reasonable way, but inexplicably, the only thing on his brain was the crops. We''ve been holed up in my lab (technically, the one next door that we''re not using), and lately we''ve been holed up trying to make artificial intelligence a reality. It''s something he''ll do in perpetuity if left to his own devices, so I periodically bring him in, build him a nap room, etc. And most surprising of all is his courage. I''ve seen the scene of torment. It was a noble student trying to cover Elle with water. I could have stopped it, but I decided to take a look at it for a moment and something amazing happened. Are you not getting enough power out of your pledge, Prima Terrier?¡¡The module itself is solidly built, but... Elle is walking down the corridor of the academy, mumbling. She has a paper in her right hand and is walking around with a consideration. That''s where she seems to have been targeted. And in the next moment, a large amount of water is poured on Elle. It seems that the aristocrats have a reasonably high level of alchemy skills, and a large amount of water was about to pour down from the alchemy formation that appeared above their heads.......but it was easily resisted and the alchemy formation was shattered into pieces. ''''........hmmm. Let''s see if we can take a more different approach next time. As it is, Elle walks away mumbling and mumbling. The opponents who were looking at it open their mouths with a poke. I resist almost unconsciously without checking the coordinates of the target. That alone says a lot. That Elle is a true genius. And with that in mind, Elle''s reputation was going to grow even more. ''''Elle, you''re still at it?¡¡And... Unusually, he was asleep. He usually bites and studies them, but he was tired and seemed to have fallen asleep. Seeing Elle like that, the irrational anger he had before was gone. I genuinely respected her. I thought it was amazing that someone could work so hard for something. When I was in school, I was called a genius and acted aloof, too. But I never worked as hard as I did. I was just using my talents somehow. The position I''m in now was just a flow of things. But not Elle. She learns alchemy for agriculture and uses it to her advantage. That''s what he does every day, and he works hard for it. Who can look at a person like that and make fun of him? ''''Hm?¡¡Oh, Fee. Sorry, I think I fell asleep. Are you all right?¡¡Isn''t that a bit much these days?¡¡I need to go home and get a good night''s rest. I''m almost ... almost ... I''m almost there and I''m going to make it work. Hmm. Really? ''Oh. So let me be free for a while longer. ''I hope you say so, but...'' I believe Elle''s words like that, but I didn''t understand them. That this research of his would be the greatest achievement in the history of alchemy. And that this was the first step to him becoming a Blue Star Grade [Bluesteller]. 74-Episode 74 Reason for Genius What happened to Elle? It''s just that... It''s funny. Lately I have the feeling that Elle is hiding something from me in some way. It''s only natural that I thought so, as this man has been acting strangely distant or suspicious for the past few days, in other words... something is wrong. It''s not that I don''t care about it, but I would later realize that this is just the beginning. ''Elle, please hurry up a bit! Master!¡¡As it is! No, I can do it I can do it. Lunchtime. I was just walking through the courtyard of the academy when I saw Elle, Selena and Fred. I knew they were getting along with two of the three major noblemen (apparently Elle had beaten them to it), but what were those three doing? So I called out to him and looked at him. ''Elle, what are you doing?'' ''Geez!¡¡Fee! ''I told you so!¡¡I''m going to stand out here! ''Master, I''ll hold them off here! What''s going on here? Then I peeked upwards at what the three of them were doing their best to hide. And there was a carrot and an onion with arms and legs. No, I know. I know I''m not expressing myself very well. But it''s just the way it is. ''What is this, Elle?'' Um ... toy-like? ''I think it''s moving....is it crawling?¡¡And those onions are kind of floating... are they really toys? Oh my God, the toy. Hmm. So, the toy... And in the next moment, the onion grabbed the carrot and flew high in the sky as it was. ''Well, not good!¡¡It''s still in the prototype stage! What do you want to do?¡¡Elle! Master, what do you want to do? The three of us start to get pretty upset. Yeah, there''s no way it''s just a toy. I thought so, but by that moment it was too late. After that, the vegetables made a desperate escape.......and then they stopped moving. When I talked to Elle and the others, I asked them if they wanted to try incorporating intelligence into the vegetables since they were on the verge of perfecting a fully independent artificial intelligence.......I said it half-jokingly, and they succeeded. But it was still in the prototype stage and there was still room for improvement. But I decided to have the three of them submit a written reflection as punishment for making a lot of noise in the academy for nothing. At this time, my brain was thinking, isn''t that a homunculus?¡¡But for now, he decided not to think about it. I thought it would be wise to do so. And from then on, Elle showed her true colors. No, that might not be appropriate. In the first semester of the academy, he would cram theory into the first semester and go practical in the second semester... or so he said. But the labs exploded, the vegetables revolted, and it was a real mess. Each time I struggled day and night to rub out the events. ''''Huh ... hah ... it''s morning already ...'''' The next thing I know, a pleasant morning sun was shining in my lab. I''ve been up all night for the past few days, dealing with the scandal that Elle caused, and I''ve been up all night for four days. When I look in the mirror, I''m pretty much a bear, and I''m seriously dying. Without exaggeration, I had reached my limit. Fortunately, today is a holiday and there are no classes. Therefore, I was going to go home and take a shower and go to bed. ''I have to go home ... umm, go home ... and shower.'' And I would just fall asleep at my desk. ''Fee!¡¡Fee!¡¡Hey, Fee!¡¡This is a big deal!¡¡It''s the big deal of the century! ''Hmm. A little more... ''Fee!¡¡It''s a case!¡¡It''s a big deal that''s going to rock the world! "...Yeah?¡¡Big deal? ''Oh. It''s global. ...Did Elle wake you up? Yeah. Even though I was asleep and awake, my consciousness was clearly awake. My brain was riddled with thoughts of how to deal with it. But I''m at the end of my rope. If I pushed myself any further, I would really break down. No, really, without exaggeration........ But what Elle said to me was completely different from what I had in mind. ''Fee. It''s finished. What? ''Homunculus it''s perfect this time. It won''t stop working halfway through. It''ll be up and running semi-permanently. Well, does that mean you''ve succeeded in developing a fully independent artificial intelligence? ''Oh!¡¡Finally, finally, we did it! ''Well, seriously! ''Oh!¡¡Let''s go! Hey, hey! Elle looked excited and went straight to the lab as she gave me a princess hug. As I watched Elle running, being held in my arms, I understood the radiant look on his face. All the scandals I had been through had been for this moment. He always made excuses and said, "I''ll make it through. I''ll make it through, I promise," but that was true. It wasn''t an excuse, it was a statement of intent to do what he said he was going to do. And when I went to the lab, there was ... Carrot. It was also crawling. Yeah, what''s this? What is this? It''s the proto. Because it''s a prototype? ''Yes!¡¡Look, we''ve already exceeded twenty-four hours of operation!¡¡It''s perfect!¡¡The cords in your body won''t collapse either!¡¡I''m going to activate the module too!¡¡I''ve done it! Wow, that''s amazing... That''s right. It''s amazing. This is the greatest achievement in the history of alchemists. But I kind of cried out in relief. ''Fee, what''s wrong?'' ''No I''m glad you''ve worked so hard to get to this point. Elle. Fee. You''ve been cleaning up after my reckless experiments all along, haven''t you?¡¡For me. Did you know? I''ve been at the Academy for a long time, you know. I know. Thanks, Fee. Uh, yeah... Elle grabs my hand tightly. There is nothing but pure gratitude in her eyes. Perhaps I have fallen in love with this moment. I''ve been watching him for a long time. Now it''s December and the year is coming to an end. I''ve watched and supported him in his hard work since April. There''s not much I can do, but I''ll do what I can. That''s what being a teacher is all about. When I met Elle, it was the first time I felt like I was living a decent life. A teacher is only possible when there are students. Through Elle, I may have become a real teacher. ''''Elle ... congratulations ... really congratulations ...'''' Oh thank you, Fee. And we hugged each other tightly for a while. Then, as the year drew to a close, I submitted Elle''s research findings to the association. Elle is currently a mere alchemist with no rank of any kind, but I can''t ignore her anymore when it comes to this. Until now, she has passed the exam because it''s too much trouble for her to take it, but I tried my best to convince her to take it, and she reluctantly agreed to take the exam. There are a written test and a practical test, but this time I evaluated the paper that Elle made instead of a written test. By the way, the practical test has already been completed, and the level is equivalent to a platinum level "platinum" alchemist. However, it is much higher than the standard level, and the content of the paper is also too advanced for any researcher to evaluate. But as a matter of fact, the homunculus is complete. And the Society''s decision.......was to make him a Blue Star class "Bluesteller" alchemist. The "Blue Star" class alchemist is the founder of alchemy, but it is only a matter of formality. At that time, it was believed that every rank should have at least one alchemist of each rank, so it is said that he was forced to take up the position. However, this time, he had effectively appointed the first blue star class ¡¶Bluesteller¡· alchemist. This was a big news as the country had the first ever Blue Star-level "Bluesteller" alchemist. ''''Congratulations, Elle.'''' I''m not sure how I feel about it, but it''s good to know that my research has been recognized. That said, I''d be happy to be involved in agriculture. Oh, come on, get it together!¡¡From now on, you''re going to go by the name of a Blue Star class [Bluesteller] alchemist. And so Elle went to the press conference. Elwyd Willis. I met him. A lot has changed. I can''t thank Elle enough. Our meeting was a fate ... a destiny. 75-Episode 75: Still, She Advances ''Elle, you ended up staying for another year...was that a good thing?'' The truth is, I''ve finished all the plans I had to do, but there''s still some adjustments to be made and some room for improvement. I''ll try to do some more research. Well I hope so. The next year. Elle became a Blue Star class alchemist in February of his Divine History 1993. The world was astounded by this achievement, which could be called the first of its kind in the kingdom. In the blink of an eye, his achievement spread and nowadays, there is no one who doesn''t know the name Elwydd Willis. And Elle''s popularity is growing not only because of his research achievements, but also because of his appearance. It is probably easy for the media to handle the fact that he is a genius alchemist and handsome. Day after day, he was continuously reported as an overly handsome genius. He was quite annoyed, but I told him that''s what the fame tax is all about. Elle wasn''t convinced, but I was happy nonetheless. I''ve been watching him next to me for a long time. I''ve watched him work hard, day in and day out, day in and day out. And that was appreciated by the world. I couldn''t be happier. ''Hmmm........'' What''s up, Fee? It''s nothing. Really? Yeah! And then another ... year passed. ''Elle, congratulations on your graduation.'' Fee. Thanks for your help. The graduation ceremony went off without a hitch. There was a lot going on, but the memories I have of Elle will last a lifetime. Right now we''re just talking a little bit before we go to the post-graduation party. A lot has really happened. It''s been a turbulent two years. Like rubbing Elle''s scandals out, he was truly outlandish and harder than anyone else... and the greatest genius of all time. I was also once considered to be one of the best geniuses in the kingdom. But even that gets hazy in front of Elle. And I understood. A genius is not determined by its genetic factors alone. Talent, hard work, and environment. When these three elements are properly intertwined, a genius is born. I had witnessed it with my own eyes. That''s how the existence of Elweed Willis, a Blue Star class "Bluesteller" alchemist, was born. ''''Elle, from now on, do your best as a teacher. Well, I''m new to teaching people, but I''ll try my best. But then again, I didn''t know that Elle was going to be a teacher. "Surprised? ''Well that''s only surprising coming from me, knowing how out of control you are. Haha, that''s what it is, too. Elle and I will say goodbye after graduation. That''s what I thought, but due to pressure from others, Elle decided to teach at the academy. Thanks to my persuasion it''s actually quite personal. Elle will take over the farmhouse once she graduates. Many would think that knowing that would be a shame, or even impossible. But I was against Elle taking over the farmhouse in earnest for other reasons. It was purely a desire to be with her. Once Elle retired and took over the farm, we wouldn''t see each other much anymore. I didn''t want to do that. I wanted to be with Elle. I want to be with her forever. I want to be able to talk about silly things with her, do serious research, and laugh with her. I wanted to do that, so I proceeded to get Elle to do something alchemy-related. Being a lecturer at the academy was not something I would have wished for, but my heart was filled with mixed feelings. Hadn''t I robbed him of his potential? You''re keeping him from his dreams, aren''t you? My presence is just a distraction, isn''t it? I can''t help but think about that. I just can''t help it. And then the tipping point came. It''s a labyrinthine quest. Hey, Fee. Monica," she said. I killed someone. With my own hands. I didn''t know it at ten layers. When I was on the 30th layer, I knew it wasn''t right. Forty layers I was aware of it. And at fifty layers, I knew.....and I killed it. The girl''s wish was to die. So I killed her. Hey are we right? The deepest part of the Sixth Labyrinth. We had won the fight to the death in the lowest level. But the facts were the worst. The spiders in the ten, thirty, forty, and fifty layers here were all originally human. Elle realized this and regretted it. He was lamenting. He was wailing. He was only sixteen years old, and he had put it on his back. With that, Elle took the opportunity to embark on a full-scale exploration of the labyrinth. I was struck by that. It''s my fault that this happened. I''m the one who is robbing Elle of her dreams. I''d really like to start researching crops right now and become a successful farmer, but... It was all my fault. Because of me, Elle........Elle....... It was the same before she came to the Fifth Maze. Elle has awakened to some ability again. Elle is special. A genius. But is that ability really necessary?¡¡Because of my selfish thoughts at that time, Elle has come a long way. As Elle developed her monstrous powers, I was driven by self-doubt. One day I will be punished by heaven. That''s what I had begun to think the last few days. But this is how it has become a reality. ¡ó "Elle... I blurted out. I think a day has passed since I was already alone. Fortunately, the demons aren''t that strong. I can handle them on my own. But my mind is getting worn out. Will I really be able to advance to the lowest level by myself? But this is my reward. This is retribution for making a mess of Elle''s life. Even if I die here I will accept it. Ruining a man''s life is worth dying for. It robs a man of his future potential. It''s as cruel as death. As punishment for doing so, I am wandering the fifth labyrinth alone. My body is already screaming. I''m exhausted and need to rest. But now that I''m alone, I can''t be vigilant or sleep soundly. He probably looks terrible. Her hair is shaggy and her body is not clean. Even if I wiped it off with a wet towel, it would still be uncomfortable. But I still thought it was okay. Because this is retribution. ''''...?¡¡Oh I didn''t think we''d come this far already.... A few more days passed. I kept going with a dizzy gait. And then it dawned on me. We were just in front of the thirty layers. I noticed it by the ouroboros symbol on the door. There must be demons ahead. Would he be able to fight them on his own?¡¡Until now, Elle was there. She was there. That''s why I felt safe to fight, and Elle did the important stuff. Even though you stole the future from me, I''m still relying on you. It''s really the nature of the person called me that is bad. ''''Well.......shall we go? Geeeeeeee, I opened the door and there was a snake with a bright blue body. But it was at least five meters long. I don''t know its official name, but that snake was probably a very high-level demon. And so the fight to the death by myself began. ''''Ha....'''' Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. It was done. I burned the entire body of that snake. To be precise, I sublimated all the water, the moisture that exists inside. However, the inherent domain ¡¶Personal Field¡· that Elle had mentioned was a rather thick individual, so it was difficult to get through the alchemy. Because of that, the battle lasted for six hours. Looking at the watch on his wrist, he saw that not much time had passed since the battle had just begun. I''m not a platinum-grade ¡¶Platinum¡· alchemist, and besides, I was once called a genius as well. If I put my mind to it, I can do it alone........ But my body is already in shambles. There is frostbite everywhere, and I manage to warm it up and relieve it, but it seems to have penetrated to the inside and is not a fundamental improvement. Still, I need to keep going. I don''t know where I''ll be able to meet up with Elle and the others. Then I have no choice but to proceed. For the sake of redemption, the only thing I can do is not stop this progress. That was all I could do now. 76-Episode 76 Who am I? Who am I? My consciousness became clearer when I realized that I was trapped somewhere. When I woke up, I was lying on the cold ice. ''''Ugh........where am I.......?'''' My head hurts. And where am I?¡¡There is nothing but ice around. And I can see the ice bars in front of me. Are we trapped in here? The question soon became clear. It was a physical time, but perhaps two hours had passed. I tried to get out of here, but there was no way to do it. I am helpless and cannot leave this place. But is it still a kidnapping of some sort?¡¡What would be the point of kidnapping me in the first place.......and that''s where the question arises again. Who am I? Her name is Aria. But I can''t remember my family name. The knowledge I know is the general knowledge of this world and my name. Yes, I don''t know who I am, which is the most important part. I think I was probably born in the south......... But I don''t know my parents, and I don''t know my siblings. I don''t know my friends either. Who in the world am I........ And it is slowly becoming a fear. Am I just going to die coldly in an unknown place? Cold ice seems to pierce through my body. Just then, a voice came out of nowhere. It was a man and a woman who came. They are a beautiful man and a very good match for each other. But it''s not appropriate for them to be in this place. Why on earth are these two people in this ice world? ''Yeah, it''s a trap. It''s a trap. Shall we go? Yeah. And for some reason the two of them look at me and try to walk past me, saying it''s a trap. ''Wait!¡¡Just talk to me!¡¡Just the story alone is oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! I was desperate. If they abandoned me here, I would have to die. I had to convince these two to live....and it worked. I introduced myself, and the woman was named Alsphira Medis, and I was to call her Fee-san. She was one of the nobles of the kingdom, and that was a name I knew. The Medis family is famous for their alchemy. But the man was even more amazing. Elweed Willis. There would be few people who didn''t know that name. Anyone who was involved in alchemy would know this celebrity. He was the only Blue Star-level [Bluesteller] alchemist in the world. That''s what they say he is. At first I thought it was impossible.......but seeing his alchemy skills, I was convinced. That he was the real deal. And when I heard more about it, I heard that this is the interior of the fifth labyrinth. It was also of a lower level in its own right. I didn''t understand it. The labyrinth was a taboo subject, and I couldn''t imagine myself coming to a place like this all by myself. In other words........someone brought me here.......that is a possibility. The thought of that sent a shiver down my spine again. ''''Feeb!'''' "Elle! I saw their hands stretched out and they did not reach each other. It happened in the 20th layer of the fifth labyrinth. It was that I had become separated from Fee-san. Then I realized. It was because Elle had saved me that I had become separated from Fee-san. When I think about it, I can only feel sorry. What a solid relationship of trust between the two of us. It wasn''t even as a lover, but I could tell from the little time we had known each other that we were definitely close. But it was my fault that I was such a nobody and I had grown apart. Maybe Mr. Fee is dead. Who am I? Elle is doing her best to help me like this. But I can''t repay her for that. Hey........who am I? ¡ó What''s up, Aria? Oh no, it''s not that... it''s just a little cold... ''''Just be patient a little longer. That said, if we continue at this pace, we''ll only reach the lowest level, the fifty levels.......say within a week.... Are you ready to start? ''''Unless there''s something very special about it. As far as this labyrinth tends to go so far, first of all, none of the demons are that strong. Probably the main gimmick is the maze and the transference gimmick. The problem is getting around the next transition, I suppose. Well next time.... Yeah, 30 layers. We kept going after we left Fee, and we finally came to the front of the thirty layers. If we open this door, it''s thirty layers, but it''s the transition that we need to be careful about. If we leave Aria here, she will die for sure. That''s why I squeezed Aria''s hand as I opened the door. Then, what was there was a golem that was on the tenth layer. Relieved a little bit, I activated my alchemy. Anti-matter "Anti-Material" code: reverse "Reverse Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. Well that''s the way it works. I already understand all the components of a golem. This time, I drowned out everything at once, including the unique domain ¡¶Personal Field¡·. ''''........As usual, it''s amazing. To turn that giant body into particles in an instant........ It''s partly because I''m getting used to it. Besides, once you understand the components, it''s easy. Huh........totally, geniuses are really amazing, aren''t they....... When I talk to Aria that way, a similar phenomenon occurs as before. That means the door won''t open. This labyrinth is still strange. There is definitely a gimmick that I didn''t know existed. My prediction was becoming more and more certain. What Leif told me about the third labyrinth, and the sixth labyrinth we had trudged through. In both cases, this could not have happened. In other words, is this a phenomenon unique to the Fifth Labyrinth? As I was thinking this, I heard a clatter and the door to the lower level opened by itself. ''''........still strange. What''s that? The door is slow to open. Aren''t they supposed to open at a specific time? ''No, at the tenth layer it was roughly ten minutes, but this time it was about five minutes. It''s hard to imagine a delay due to time. ''''But does it make sense to think about it?¡¡I don''t see how that''s an important factor to me. ''''That''s true but it''s a different gimmick than the labyrinths we''ve been working on. I want to figure this out somehow for the future. Are you going to continue to capture the labyrinth? Well maybe you will. I answered Aria''s question in a nutshell. Will I be able to capture all the remaining labyrinths?¡¡I couldn''t say for sure that I could do it. Even if we tried with what I thought was the best composition, like this one, we were all falling apart in the current situation. If this happens, the probability of dying will be higher. After capturing the sixth labyrinth, I had let my guard down. That I could do this unconsciously. And I was overconfident in my own talent. I certainly have talent. An unusual aptitude for alchemy. But even if it''s not meaningless in front of the labyrinth it''s still hazy. It''s inevitable due to the nature of the labyrinth, but it still takes a back seat. And I''m separated from Rafe, Marie and Fee. I''m not going to be able to help you. All three of them are already in places that are beyond my reach. They may be dead, but I have faith in them. All three of us can''t die easily I believe. And we''ll be able to join them. That''s why I didn''t stop my steps. "Let''s go, Aria, let''s go. I guess so... but it''s finally the 30th layer. I think we''re halfway there. ''I wonder if we can go back? You''ll make it back. And I hope Aria''s memory comes back soon, too. ''It''s ... yes, it is,'' And we''re going down the stairs. 77-Episode 77 Doll, Doll, Doll ''Hi, hi, hi, hi!¡¡What is that thing! ...a doll. But it''s kind of distorted, or... weird, or... weird! There have been no demons since we broke through the thirty-third layer of the fifth labyrinth. What we have in front of us now is a doll. The model is probably a woman. But what''s noteworthy is that it''s moving. It stands on its own. But it is not walking upright. It is on all fours with its arms bent in an unlikely direction and touching the ground. The fact that it moved with a crunching motion gives me an eerie feeling. The actuality is that................is it going to attack us? Do you want to get closer? About three of them are prowling in front of you, so you approach them. Then they turned their heads 180 degrees and came towards us in the opposite direction. The crawling doll looked like a cockroach. "Wait!¡¡That was a bad idea! What? Mouth!¡¡Look at your mouth! Oh wow that''s great. How does it work? ''Stop being so impressed and do something about it! As Aria says that, I first catch the doll still. There is something like a chainsaw sticking out of its mouth, and it is definitely acting hostile. ''''Antimatter [Anti-Material] code: reverse [Reverse]'''' Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. Now, go away... As usual, he cleaves his right hand to the side. ''Hey...! But my anti-matter ¡¶anti-material¡· code didn''t activate normally. ''''Eh, El-san! I know! Rather than using the anti-matter "anti-material" code, I decide to physically destroy it. How about this! I used the ice around me and smelted countless icicles from it to pierce it. And it pierced all the dolls that were coming towards us. I''m relieved that it seems to have stopped functioning. But why hasn''t the anti-matter code been triggered?¡¡My elemental eye, the Decoding Site, definitely understood the components. I thought that I could return all the matter in this world to the First Quality, the Primamateria. Theoretically, it''s possible. So far I''ve been able to work the anti-matter code and cause it to disintegrate from the inside out. But this doll was different. It didn''t go through. Displaced coordinates?¡¡If the Personal Field was thick, it might not be possible to specify the coordinates accurately. But there was no such omen. What he thought he could do normally was not possible. It was an endless question that came up. ''I mean........what do we do about this? Let''s disassemble. Yeah I don''t like it... Let''s do it. Yes, sir. Then we decided to take apart the broken doll. ''I''ll call it a doll for convenience, but I wonder what it really is...'' ''Hmm. Anyway, it''s weird! "But you''re good with your hands. You know the inner workings better than I do, Aria. ''Really?¡¡But if you say so.......I know something about it....... .... What?¡¡Do you doubt it! Yeah. ''I don''t understand!¡¡But somehow. Somehow this doll makes me feel nostalgic. I see. I don''t think he''s ... lying ... I don''t think he''s lying. If this is how he keeps lying and fooling me, this guy is a great actress. However, I''m not neophyte enough to trust Aria with my hands. After this incident, I''ve become even more cautious. This woman called Aria is still.................not just any person. There''s no doubt about that. ''It was just a mechanical doll........ There''s nothing particularly new about it.'''' Yes. It''s something that''s made up of all the parts you know. But..... Yes, sir. How it was working, I don''t know, ''It seems to be using something as energy, but that''s not exactly how that mobility works...'' Could it be... some kind of artificial intelligence? Are you intelligent? Possibly. It''s just that I can''t see the root of it. There are parts of it that even my elemental eye, the Decoding Sight, can''t read. To begin with, artificial intelligence is created by copying qualia. At least that''s how I created a fully independent artificial intelligence. ''Elle, are you........familiar with artificial intelligence?'' ''I mean, it''s an area of expertise. In the meantime, we''ve successfully applied artificial intelligence to develop a homunculus. What?¡¡Huh?¡¡You''re a real expert! Yeah. But I can''t unravel it... if you''re doing it the same way I am, there should be traces of qualia on it... What''s qualia? ...It''s hard to explain. It''s called the texture of consciousness, or sensory quality, but a person''s intelligence is made up of qualia, the aggregate of the First Quality, the Primamateria....... So you''re saying that you need to be able to sense the First Pledge, the Primamateria, to be funny...? Yeah. But there''s no trace of it on this doll. Even though it''s completely independent, it doesn''t have the First Quality [Primamateria]... that''s why the Anti-Material [Anti-Material] code didn''t work. It seems that during the battle, the doll was taking in the Primamateria around it, but unlike humans and other creatures, this doll had no part of the Primamateria stored in its brain. Basically, creatures store it in their brains, but this doll does not have it. So that means..... "Could it be some kind of Homunculus? What''s a homunculus?¡¡Something about God made man, so man can also make man artificially... ''That''s the gist of it, yes. But the problem with homunculus is that the problem with homunculus is to make artificial intelligence semi-permanent and functional... is that clear?¡¡Is this even possible in the labyrinth?¡¡Or ... was the homunculus already in the practical stage in the past? ...The labyrinth is Lost Technology, I believe, right? You''re well informed. Yes, the labyrinth has several technologies that cannot be recreated today. This doll might be one of them. Well let''s get going. Are you sure?¡¡Do I need to see more? Enough. Okay..... We proceeded deeper. And as expected, or whatever you want to call it, there was only a doll from here on out. But there were also individuals who resisted alchemy and used alchemy. ''''Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!¡¡Hey!¡¡It''s stuck to the ceiling! "A type of gravity manipulation........no, they just fix their relative positions. I didn''t know there were individuals who could use such advanced alchemy... this is quite interesting. ''Hurry up and get it done, please!¡¡Ki, it''s disgusting! I''m sure Fee will be fine. Fee is not just a platinum-class alchemist. I''m sure that he''d be able to move on. That''s why we''ve finally arrived at the door of the 40th layer. It seems like it''s been a long time, but it''s been a short one. If we break through here, there are only ten more layers to go before we reach the lowest level. Almost.........almost....... ''''Aria, are you ready?'''' What''s in it now? Like a big doll? I''m afraid of those things because they''re creepy................................and even bigger, or I''ll definitely pass out. Well, I''ll protect you. Just stay in the back. Okay. I put my hand on the door. And what I saw there was...a completely different scene than I had expected. 78-Episode 78: The Fifth Labyrinth: Forty Floors What was that... ''''I''m a little too sick to scream...'''' It wasn''t a demon that was at the end of the forty-layered door. There was nothing inside the room. But the outer wall of the room it was made of ice, but inside it was packed tightly with human beings. It was neatly divided into limbs, body and head. It''s like a piece of art. But I didn''t think this should be called art at all. A cruel object at the entrance. It must have been intended to be brought here. And it keeps a person frozen like this. But what is the meaning of it?¡¡How did this fifth labyrinth come to be.... And I arrive at one truth. At the same time, a doll comes down from the ceiling out of nowhere. "Huh?¡¡People! No, Doll. Stay back... Yes..... As I lower Aria backwards, the doll begins to wobble. This doll has long black hair and also wears clothes. It certainly looks like a person at first glance. But my elemental eye, the Decoding Sight, reveals the world. This is not a human being. I can''t feel any of the First Quality Primamateria that should exist in humans. ''''Target supplement. Target supplement. Action is now a go! When I said that in some kind of one word, that guy comes charging at me with blades out of both wrists. When I pull out the Usukane lion, I prepare for the interruption.......and prepare for the coming attack. And as their blades intersect with each other, the sound of kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin resounds through the room. But the offensive and defense doesn''t end there. My opponent holds a sword in both hands. It''s obvious that he has more hands than me. Knowing this advantage, Doll launches a series of attacks. The throat, chest, and stomach are all attacks aimed at vital points. But once you understand, it doesn''t matter. As I calmly dealt with each one of them, the next moment a blade flew out from an improbable part and landed. "Ugh...! I shifted my head slightly and ducked. Yes, in the middle of this sword fight, a sword flew from my neck. I was unconsciously turned upside down by the feats that humans couldn''t do, but I managed to react. However, that was dangerous if I didn''t have my Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡·. Dolls don''t have the First Material¡¶Prima Terrier¡·. That''s why I thought it was something that couldn''t be detected, but that''s actually not the case. The blade was covered with a sticky substance. This First Placer, the Primamateria, was probably human. I know this because I''ve dismantled dozens or hundreds of humans. The number of people who have been killed by this blade. The fact that the sacrifices of so many humans have made it easier to fight really makes me feel worthless, but I can''t say that right now. I''m not going to miss the opportunity created by the slashes we exchanged. I tried to freeze my feet in place with alchemy, but.... I can''t help but notice that it''s not a good idea. Resist, go for it. And the alchemy team I was constructing will be resisted. I see........So alchemy can''t be used in a half-hearted way? But if I try to make something more advanced, it will take time. If I do that, I might get torn apart too. I''m not very good at this, but I''ll just have to use close combat sword fights to push through.... Thinking this, we exchange fierce sword fights, but our opponents are also quite responsive. Rather than that.........I was about to be unable to keep up with them. I''ve already strengthened my body to the limit. The reaction speed has also been increased to the limit with the elemental eye ¡¶Decoding Sight¡·. And yet, this doll doesn''t just react to everything, it exceeds it. ''''........Kuu! The blade is slightly grazed on my cheek. I felt a sense of discomfort as I felt blood flowing from my cheeks. ".........poison? As soon as I could, I matched the standard to the poison that had slipped from my cheeks and activated the Anti-Materials Code. Antimatter Antimatter Code: Reverse! Substance "material" = anti-material code Matter ¡¶Materials¡·: Inverse ¡¶Reverse¡· = Primary Ingredient ¡¶Prima Materia¡·. Then the poisonous substance returns its presence to the First Quality, the Prima Terrier. But I can''t solve it. I could have made my current attack a quick-death poison. Even so, I should have managed to deal with it with my anti-matter code, but I still don''t know why I''m planting a nerve-paralyzing poison in that blade. I had a hunch that the conclusions I drew earlier from this were largely correct. A person embedded in the surrounding ice wall. And a doll that uses a paralyzing poison instead of killing it. I''ve thought about making a complete copy of a human brain. But I stopped doing that for one reason. It would require dissecting the brain while it was still alive. Once dead, the freshness of a human brain is drastically reduced and the brain is useless. That''s why dissecting a person alive is essential. I sought out other ways to achieve fully independent artificial intelligence by means of copying qualia, not brain copies. However, this approach is still far from perfect, as it only replicates some of the brain functions. But this doll is probably perfect in the truest sense of the word. A perfect homunculus. But in fact, it was now clear that the doll was using a large amount of human brain. A doll born after inhumane experiments. Perhaps it was just a doll doing its bidding, but I can''t help but feel sorry for it. How could this happen..... Thinking about it doesn''t help the situation at all. All I can do is to kill this doll.... Am I prepared to kill someone?¡¡That''s what I''ve been asking myself all along. But if we''re lost in a situation where we have to kill them, they''ll kill us. If that''s the case........we have no choice but to do it. No matter how cruel it may be.... ''At least rest in peace........'' And I cut off Doll''s head. Even though it is an artificial intelligence, it''s still not perfect. It''s fast, but its attack pattern is monotonous, and if it finds an opening, it has no intention of cutting off the head like this. The head that spun around and flew through the air rolled around on the ground and then... completely stopped functioning. The torso also collapsed away and fell to the spot. ''''Oh, are you done?'''' Oh, it''s done. Saying that, I put the thin-winged dragonfly back into its sheath. Surprisingly, I wasn''t stunned. I thought so. However, in the moment I faintly felt the first pledge ¡¶Primamateria¡· flicker. ''''Ariah!¡¡Watch out! What? The torso that had rolled over was still moving. I was completely caught off guard. Since it was a doll, cutting its head off would not be the end of it. Of course, I was going to check it out, but it was true that I had let my guard down. Aria''s right arm flying in the air. It''s not just a matter of time before it falls to the ground with a whirlwind spin through the air. I quickly freeze the torso of the doll and secure it in place, and then freeze the area in the heart that seems to be the power source as well. This should have stopped it completely. But now I have to treat Aria first. But the scene I saw beyond that it was almost unthinkable. ''''Aria you''re that........'''' How can this be happening? When they cut you off, you bleed. It''s a common thing. It''s a natural fact for humans. But.........not a single drop of blood flowed from Aria''s right arm. When I looked at the severed surface, what was there was the same wiring that I had seen many times before.........................the same wiring as Doll. ''''Oh no.......how could this be........'''' Aria trembles as she looks at the severed surface of her severed arm. ''Oi, no! Ahhhhhh! Wailing. And the next moment, something even more unbelievable happened. 79-第79話 her authentic feeling Who am I? The question became clear. When my right arm was amputated, what came was a shock - but it wasn''t supposed to be there. It was pain. I didn''t feel any pain at all. I was just cut. That''s all. Then I looked at the cut surface of my arm and I remembered who I was. I was a doll. That''s right. I was a doll created in this fifth labyrinth. I am a doll. A perfectly intelligent individual among them. But that''s why you feel uncomfortable with the distortions of this place, so you tried to escape. That''s where that woman found me, and I was trapped. But it was that place for some reason. That place of ten layers. I don''t know why, but I just wanted to get out of this ice world. And this place........was hell itself. In the first place, a perfect artificial intelligence cannot be achieved by simply copying a full human brain. So ........I''m just a substitute for a perfect replica of a human brain. In other words, I''m not an artifact, I''m a natural substitute. But that woman didn''t give up. She tried everything she could to create an artificial intelligence. And I was born in the middle of it. The other dolls never fully established their intelligence, they just became dolls that listened to commands. I can talk and think well in them. The only difference is that my body composition is different from that of a person. That''s all. But can that be called a person? If you only look at my brain function, I''m no different than a human being. But my body is just an artificial one. I was just a village girl. Then the village was attacked and I was trapped in this ice labyrinth. When I first came here, I was just terrified. And I was terrified that they would open my brain while I was still alive. But because there are no pain nerves in the brain, it doesn''t hurt to be touched while the brain is open. But some people were going crazy. I was just stunned in the midst of it all. And when I woke up, I had my doll''s body. The sensation was not so different from that of a human being. But there was a definite feeling of discomfort. The most uncomfortable feeling was that my sense of touch was dull. Then the woman said to me. ''Huh?¡¡Has he come to?¡¡I mean ... can you have a conversation? Wow, what happened to me? Wow. That''s amazing. Hundreds of people have been taken apart, and now there''s only one successful case. But this isn''t really artificial intelligence, it''s just a mind replication. It''s a failure, but we got something out of it. But you''re still very lucky to be able to match your doll''s body to mine. A doll''s body? Yeah. You''re not human. Oh, no... because we''re talking about this... Here''s the proof. Eh.... A moment later, his arm was sputtered off. And when I looked at the severed surface of the arm that fell off in a blur, I saw that it was filled with something mechanical that didn''t seem to belong to a human being. I looked at the arm that was cut into it myself, and not a drop of blood came dripping from it. ''''S........how could this be.......'''' Well, it''s a doll with human consciousness. But it''s a great thing to be able to duplicate consciousness. Wow, what am I going to do now... how could I... how could I... how could I... how could I do this...? I was just living a normal life. I was living a normal life in the village, living with my parents, having friends and having a good time. But then........how could this happen? Hmmm. Well, you''ll just have to help me for a while. Here, take care of the body over there. What? Lying there were the bodies of his parents. But their heads and bodies were detached and blood was splattered all over the place. ''''Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ''''Tut........Shut up. I''ll have to force you to do it now.... It hurts. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Pain is not supposed to exist in this body. But when this woman was giving me orders, I felt a tense pain. And from that point on, my consciousness flew away. ''Waking up...?'' U................ Oh, my. You''re really tough. ''Ummm ... I ...'' Trying to get up, I put my hands on the ground. Then my hand slips out of the sly. When I looked at my hand to see what it was, I saw a blood stained hand there. Why....why? Doesn''t he remember? ''''Oh yes I am...'''' After this woman ordered me to do so, I just kept beheading the human who had just been brought here. Using the sword that was handed to me, I continued to chop off the head as if it were a streamlined process. The woman said happily, "It''s so much easier to work, thank you.... I can remember that scene objectively, like a scene from a movie. I didn''t have a sense of ownership in it. Only the awareness that I had done it remained........ ''''The fifth labyrinth is the best, including the preservation of corpses.......and the gimmick is just right to lure people in. I wonder if I''ll be able to use it some more. Okay. Good night. Then it was almost a month. I kept doing the same thing. Beheading. Beheading. Beheading. Bump. Hrvl. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Hump. I keep chopping off heads. "No, stop! ''I don''t care what happens to me!¡¡But not this one! "I don''t want to die!¡¡I don''t want to die! I''ll do anything. I want help! Such a voice does not reach me. I''m just going to do the work. If I could stop, I would too. But it''s not going to happen. My consciousness is somewhere in the distance, and I''m just staring blankly at it. And then a turning point comes. ''....Let''s run away. That woman disappears periodically. She''s not always in this labyrinth, apparently. That''s why there is a time to run away. I usually just shudder all the time, feeling guilty for what I''ve done. But........this has to end. That''s why I escaped ... yes, I thought I could get away with it. ''Arya. Where are you going? What? You think I''ll let you go? Yeah, because I''m usually... Yeah. He''s not here. But he''ll be back here soon enough. Oh no... ''Hmm. Oh, by the way, Elle will be here soon. You, follow him. What? I know it''s a bit of a hassle to remember, so I''m going to tweak it a bit but you need to make sure you''re leading Elle through it, okay? What, what are you talking about? And I was trapped in that place. Who is Elle? But now I know. Because he was by my side the whole time. Come to think of it, now that I think of it.......that woman looks very much like Elle. No, it''s not at the level of resemblance. It''s a resemblance between them. But now I have no choice but to .......kill him. And I took the blade out of my body I was to face El-san. My body doesn''t........listen to me anymore........ 80-Episode 80: Aria-Solo- ''Aria you ... what the hell are you ...?'' Picking up the severed arm, Aria forced it back on. Although it''s unclear how it''s structured, the arm is now beautifully anchored. At first glance, you wouldn''t know what happened after it was amputated. But just as I screamed, he suddenly got a cold look in his eyes and picked up my arm. And I realize. The internal structure of this thing resembles a human being as much as possible. Even if I look at it with my elemental eyes ¡¶Decoding Site¡·, it looks like a person. But that was........different. Her body was a doll. In other words.........she was originally a human being....... I didn''t know what to say to her. As I did so, Aria opened her mouth wide and stuck her hand into it...............................and dragged out a long sword from inside her body. I could tell by looking at it. The First Quality Primamateria that filled my body was generated from that long sword. And its density became clear when I went outside. It''s unusually dense. Probably, just cutting up about ten people wouldn''t be enough to create an ah-ha moment. At a cursory glance, there are a hundred people. No, perhaps more than a thousand. Staring at it with empty eyes, Aria''s consciousness was already not the same as before. ''''Aria. Was it all a lie in the end?¡¡You''re trying to trick me.... Shut up.... "You ... how many people ... with that sword? Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Shut up!¡¡I.........................I was ordered to do this! No tears flowed. But by the look on her face, I knew she was indeed crying. When ordered........from those words I expected a third party to still be there. At the same time, I felt somewhat relieved. Aria is not in the place she is now because she wanted to be. I''m sure she was involved. Knowing that, I also make up my mind. ''''Aria.......at least sleep peacefully.......'''' ''If you can kill it, kill it!!!!!!!!!!!'' And Aria is charging towards me. The speed with which it moves through the earth is not comparable to that of the doll before. It''s probably because their body specifications are different from the original. I''m sure it''s twice as fast as the last doll, to say the least. The sword is received by the thin-winged dragonfly. But the long sword that Aria has is nearly two meters long and has quite a bit of mass. You have to be able to use your own personal computer to do this. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make your life easier. ''''Ariah!¡¡You can''t help yourself! .... There were already no words. Her last words were to kill me. Again. And again. Why do you want me to do it? Why do you want me to kill people? Why do you want me to do this? How..........how can a labyrinth be the only place like this....... But sentimentality won''t improve the situation. For now, there is no way to save Aria within my means. I wish I could do something about the orders that she''s probably being manipulated by, but I don''t see the means to do so. The orders are coming........that means we should think of them as being connected to the path of alchemy. But my elemental eye ¡¶Decoding Sight¡· can''t see anything. If it was normal alchemy, it would be easy to visualize it.......but this is probably....... Magic. It''s probably involving the Akashic Materia. It''s the same as the Sixth Labyrinth. At first I didn''t know it. In the end, I killed him knowingly. Believing that death is our salvation. It is the same this time. Again I suppose I have to do it. If that is the work of a talented man, then I shall..... Deep breath. I decide to make a decision all at once. At least, pass away in peace. ...Attribute granting Enchantment: absolute zero. I selected the trump card, Absolute Zero ¡¶Absolute Zero¡·. And I pulled Aria to the limit and.................wielded that blade. ''''..........Whaaaat?¡¡Resist, I did.........? I am astonished. That was as it should be. It was completely within range. And yet the technique I fired was neatly resisted head-on. But right now, there was no sign of alchemy from anywhere. It''s not Aria........is someone here? But this is not the time to be distracted by the surroundings. ''No....'' What? ''I don''t want to kill people I don''t want to kill them I don''t want to... no more...'' The voice belonged to Aria. She was muttering that as she exchanged sword fights with me. The tears still did not flow. But.........she is crying. In that moment, I decided to remove my own fetters. There''s no way........but I can handle it if I''m willing to help Aria. ''''........Elemental Eye [Decoding Site]'''' The Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡· was originally activated, but I knew there was more to it. Should I say that I only released a part of the Elemental Eye ¡¶Decoding Site¡·? But I didn''t fully release it because I was also worried about my body. Perhaps if I completely released it, I should be able to access the Akashic Materia, too. I had such a hunch........no, I was sure. And then I... released the area I was controlling and completely released the output of the elemental eye, the decoding site. The blood flowing out of my eyes never stops flowing. And it hurts like my head is about to split open. It was incomparable to anything I''ve ever experienced. This pain it is unbearable. But still.........not yet.......if only I had a few more seconds.... In a moment, a faint, bright red particle could be seen in the world. The First Pledge ¡¶Prima Materia¡· appears in my vision as a golden particle. And this crimson particle is definitely the First Quality, the Akashic Materia, the world''s primordial substance. And as long as I can perceive it, there''s nothing I can''t do. Antimatter Antimatter code: reverse. The Akashic Materia, the zero-grade material, is the anti-material code. Placer Zero ("Akashic Materia"): Reverse ("Reverse") = Placer One ("Primamateria") Until now, I''ve been using the anti-materials code to affect matter, but in theory, it can affect everything. With this conviction, I returned the Zero Material, the Akashic Materia, to the First Material stage. Then, the crimson particles connected to the Aria poof up and return to the first quality¡¶Prima Materia¡·. ''''Huh.......I........'''' Aria seems to have regained full consciousness and stands there stunned. The long sword she was holding falls on the ice. ''''Huh................................'''' And I put my hands on the ground when I was sure I''d succeeded. It was a close call. If one more second had passed, my eyeballs would have popped out of their sockets. There was definitely a future for that. But I succeeded just in the nick of time. That was.........the First Zero Material [Akashic Materia]. It''s the substance that is the basis of magic. But I was able to make the anti-matter "anti-material" code work well. The only thing that''s important to me is the fact that I''m not going to be able to get it right. Aria rushes over to us. She rips off the clothes she''s wearing without hesitation and wipes my blood with it. ''''So much blood from my eyes...'''' ''No I''m fine ... it will heal with time. More importantly, is Aria okay...? ''I''m fine, but...'' Yeah. Good, then. I''m going to.... I listened to her in silence. ''I''ve killed a lot of people, even if it wasn''t of my own volition. And now ... there''s no place to go back to. Do you still want to die? "...I don''t really want to die...but I''m not human anymore, and there''s no place for me to be... Come to me... ...What? "I''ll hire you. Aria''s a good looking girl. She''ll make a good seller. "...Is that about the crops?¡¡You said it then. ''Oh well, how about 2,000 yen an hour?¡¡You''ll be a casualty, but if you do a good job, you''ll get a promotion, right? ''''Haha you''re an idiot Mr. Elle....'''' And then I told him an insignificant story. A story about my dreams. Then Aria smiled and listened to me, smiling. Then I heard a crackling and clapping sound. ''Elle, that''s fantastic!¡¡I knew you were the best...! I caught a glimpse of a woman walking slowly and steadily on the ice. And when I saw that face I knew intuitively that it was her. This guy........... ''Oh you''re cute, cute, Elle. It''s good to see you again. It''s your, ''''big sister.'''' Yes. I mean, he looked exactly like me. 81-第81話 The nature of truth Who are you? ''What?¡¡Elle, have you forgotten your sister''s face?¡¡Oh, but ... well, you don''t know... ''What are you talking about...'' He''s about a little shorter than me. Her hair is just below her shoulders. But the color of her hair is a light platinum like mine. And the most remarkable thing is........your face. It''s the same. It''s exactly the same. It''s exactly the same. No, it''s too similar. It''s the face I''ve seen in the mirror many times before. I''m not unsympathetic enough to say that I''m just a stranger when it appears in front of me now. There is no doubt........this woman is my sister, just like this guy says. Huh, but it''s still to be expected. It looks like Elle was able to use her eyes properly. .... ''It was worth it to use that failed one there but it''s a pain in the ass not to be able to kill it. Elle, can you break the Aria one for a moment? Do you really think I''m going to comply? What?¡¡Can''t you listen to your sister? ''''Well you certainly look like each other. We may be related by blood. But my current family is in the Kingdom. You''re not my sister. "Hmm. You could say that. "Hmm. Well, that''s okay. Then the woman spins around and starts turning something with her fingertips. When I stared at it I understood it to be a human eyeball. It''s insane this woman is crazy. ''''Was it you who was conducting outrageous experiments here...? Call her "Eve" or I won''t give you an answer. .... Don''t give me that look, Elle. I''ll teach you a lesson. A woman who smiles and smiles. Since I said Eve sister, I guess this woman''s name is Eve. And I listened to my self-proclaimed sister, Eve. ''Yes. You''re right in the sense that it''s an experiment. But it''s not outrageous, okay?¡¡And I didn''t hurt him. ''....And you can say the same thing about this ice wall? Hmm?¡¡You''re supposed to be neat and tidy, right?¡¡I hate chaos. ''Why kill people. Is it really that necessary to realize artificial intelligence...? Nothing?¡¡It''s just a personal hobby. But isn''t that what it is?¡¡A researcher just does what he wants to do, right? That''s true. But you''re not afraid of killing people?¡¡It''s a noble criminal act. The only way to get rid of it is to have a look at it. You can''t get away with it, but it''s just a side effect..........................so, to answer your question, no. It''s just like what you guys call animal testing. Those animals are just being replaced by people. Why, why, why, why are you doing this? Hmmm... hey, what''s the difference between humans and animals? What are you talking about? Why is it okay to test on animals, but not on humans? ''It''s because ... people have emotions, and when people die, some people grieve ...'' ''So it''s okay to experiment on animals that don''t have emotions ... or can''t accurately express emotions ... hmmm ... That''s just the way it is, human society.......that''s why we still can''t get to the truth. There''s too much waste anyway. ''Does that mean I can act as I please?¡¡There is nothing but chaos, chaos, and ruin in a disorderly society. ''That''s as far as humans go if that''s going to happen. Elle knows that, doesn''t she?¡¡They said it would be easier to research with humans... .... Theoretically speaking, yes. Certainly if we could experiment with human samples, we could figure out a lot more things. But that would be ... unethical. Such outrageousness is unacceptable. ''Did you do the Sixth Labyrinth too?'' Hmm?¡¡No, that''s a different one. Isn''t a spider just creepy?¡¡And a chimera of a man and a spider is just woo-woo. My hobby is dolls. Cute, cute, I like dolls. But that aria there is a failure. They''re exactly the same as humans. What I want is a doll that is stripped down to the right amount. I want a doll that''s emotional, but not too much. But it''s not going to happen. Hey, Elle. Can you help me? ''After hearing the questions and answers so far, you think I''m going to say yes? He''s gotten so cool, Elle. I don''t mind getting knocked up if it''s Elle''s child... What... what are you... what are you talking about? ''I don''t care if my brother has a sister who''s in love with him, do you?¡¡Oh I want to eat it right now.... A shiver runs down my spine. What this woman is saying is true. That look in her eyes and expression is definitely a serious one. How can such a person be my sister? And who am I, this woman''s brother...who am I? ''Huh... if that man hadn''t stopped me, I''d go get Elle right now... it''s sad that I''m within touching distance like this and I can''t take it home with me...'' ''Is it just a hobby to turn the Fifth Labyrinth into a testing ground?¡¡Did you build this labyrinth? No way. There''s no way I could make a labyrinth. Well, I used this place because it''s convenient for storing corpses. They don''t attract attention. The structure of the maze is just right. But we''re not going to use this place anymore. Besides, we did manage to get the dolls we wanted after Aria. Now all we need is Elle. Oh I want to tell you all about it but I have to be patient, patient. The fruit has to wait until it''s ripe, you know. What are you hiding? Hee-hee.... Well, I''ll be leaving now. The next time I''ll see you again soon, I''m sure. Oh, and I''ll see you and your friends soon. He''s probably still alive. It seems you''re reluctant to transfer all the way over to separate me from Elle. ''Hey!¡¡I''m not done talking! ''Oh and that toy, I''ll give it to Elle. Aria is a failure, but if you want it, do what you want. Also, I''ve already stepped through the fifth labyrinth, so there''s nothing in the final layer, okay?¡¡Ah, but.........if you want to go back to the ground, it''s faster to go to the 50th layer. And besides, we need to buy time........Elle can''t use magic yet, so she can''t use transference in the labyrinth......for now, I''m looking forward to seeing you again, Elle. See you later........ And then Eve quickly disappeared from the scene. Furthermore, I noticed that the dismembered corpse of the human being in the ice wall was also gone cleanly. ''''Elle-san, that woman is Elle-san''s sister.......is she? "Well just by looking at her face, I''m sure she''s related to me by blood. But I can''t call that thing my sister. She''s a lunatic. Crazy..... I see..... ''I don''t take the woman''s word for it, but let''s get down there. We''ll need to get to the lowest level to get back to the ground anyway. Yes..... From that point on, there was no conversation between us. And after the forty layers, there were no demons or dolls. That woman was right, this labyrinth had already been conquered. That''s why there were only weak demons left and the dolls, the result of that woman''s experiments, were wandering around. Unlike the sixth labyrinth, everything was different. What was that woman''s purpose in the first place?¡¡I''ve been there, buying time and all, but what do I need to buy time for?¡¡The questions are endless. But perhaps nothing more will come out of this fifth labyrinth. I had a hunch. ''''This is ... the final layer, isn''t it? Yeah. Aria and I arrived at the final layer. There, the door was opened haphazardly, and inside it ... there were familiar faces lined up. ''''Everyone!¡¡You''re safe! Elle! When Fee sees my face, she runs over to me at once and...squeezes and hugs me as hard as she can. I responded and hugged Fee in return. ''Fee, you''re okay!'' Yeah. I''m glad they''re okay. Mm-hmm. It''s a miraculous reunion. About that, actually... I told the three of them what had happened so far. The existence of Aria, and the story of who I thought was my sister. "I see.......that transfer was his doing. So he was responsible for the ice I couldn''t melt. When Marie and Rafe said that, we each started to discuss our opinions. But if it''s true, I should have left this labyrinth as soon as possible. The fifth labyrinth had been invaded. So there''s nothing more to do. For now, let''s relax, and then let''s go back to the kingdom. That''s what we were talking about. The transference smelting camp that is connected to the ground is also right there. But from the moment we entered this fifth labyrinth, certain things had already begun. This is not the end, this is just the beginning. And I will soon learn the meaning of what that woman said about ''buying time''. 82-Episode 82 Chapter 3: Epilogue Hmmm... you''re back. The five of us had come back to earth. When we looked back, we could see the fifth labyrinth, but it was empty. There was nothing in the lowest level, as Eve had said. The woman was crazy, but she didn''t seem to be lying. ''Hmmm. I knew it would feel good to be outside.... It''s cold............................... Hmm. She''s a doll, but she has five senses. Aria is a real wonder. Wait, Marie. Don''t stare at me like that!¡¡It''s kind of scary! Marie and Aria seemed to be totally at ease with each other and they were talking nicely. I''m glad I didn''t do anything to kill people in the labyrinth this time. I huff out in relief. ''Speaking of which, Elle. Have you noticed the structure of that labyrinth? Hmm?¡¡Yeah. In the end, it was divided vertically into two layers. And it seems that every tenth layer was designed to be opened only by destroying the demons in each other''s territory. I see... then that was a labyrinth that could not be traversed by a single person? ''Though it''s doubtful that it would have worked exactly, since someone else had actually stepped through first. All this seems to be known only to that woman. You''re Eve. You''re Elle''s sister? It was me, wasn''t it? ''Well you''re certainly neutral, so you could be a woman. ''''Well I''m not going to affirm it myself, but that woman was too much like me. There is no doubt that we are related by blood. But..... "I can''t figure out why we''re using humans as instruments of experimentation...? Well, I didn''t see it firsthand, but from what Aria there did, and the story of the corpse embedded in the ice, I''m sure it''s not a decent person. I hate to admit it. I can''t believe that''s my sister. Well, you''ll be careful next time you see him. You never know what they might do to you. ''Well...'' I was talking to Rafe and the ladies were having some fun with the three of us. But, as usual, it was just Aria being teased. But maybe Aria was just happy to be able to laugh like that. The future could easily be a future where she would kill herself like that. Still, Aria decided to live. I can''t say that I''m going to take responsibility for her and take care of her until the end, but I want to do what I can for her. And we decided to stay at an inn in the Igal Republic for one day. There was no need to rush back home and we were tired, so we decided to take a good night''s rest. That night. As I was sitting in my room organizing and writing down what had happened so far in my notebook, Fee''s guy came by himself. ''Elle, is this a good time?'' ''Oh...'' I look up from my notes and invite Fee into the room. ''Elle''s had a rough time... well...'' No, don''t worry about me. More importantly, I''m sorry. I bow my head. I''ve always wanted to apologize. It''s because I made the choice to say that I''m abandoning Fee. ''Oh, no!¡¡Don''t apologize!¡¡Because that time it was for the best... and Aria would have died alone, right? ''Yes. But Aria is actually.... It was a doll. It wasn''t like a homunculus. ''A doll with human consciousness, to be exact.'' "...Huh. I wonder what the labyrinth really is. Like the labyrinth, who the hell is that woman? Sister, what is it? ''Ah. But when I think about it, something doesn''t quite add up. What? It''s about who I am... Elle, as I recall, was said to have been taken in from an orphanage. ''Yeah. But I guess I''m not just an orphan. An unusual aptitude for alchemy. And a horrible human being to call my sister. And that was a being who used magic. So I guess I''m also something or other related to magic. I thought Elle was special, but I didn''t expect her to be magical... I''m surprised myself, but given the circumstances, I''m sure it''s true. Are you okay?¡¡That sister of yours.... There will be no reconciliation. Next time I see them, they''ll probably kill each other. That woman had an amazing ability to do what she did when she had to. And she thinks of people as lab animals. It''s only natural she''d want to kill me. There''s one piece of information I haven''t told everyone. It''s that she loves me dearly. I''ve told Aria not to tell her that. It''s not easy to say it yourself, and I''m embarrassed to say it, because I think I need to face that obsession myself rather than the thought of being embarrassed. The best way to do that is to have a look at your own personal history. And if you want me to be your real family member......... Hmm?¡¡What?¡¡I was just thinking. ''It''s nothing!¡¡You stupid hearing loss! And with a discarded line, Fee left. An utterly noisy one. The next day, early in the morning. I could feel the inn buzzing. We are astonished to hear what''s going on. ''''And we need to buy some time...'''' That was the one word Eve had said that still stuck with me. Stalling for time. In other words, there was a reason he wanted to keep us in the fifth labyrinth. I hadn''t really thought about it. But it remained in the corner of my mind as an uncomfortable feeling. And the stories I heard at the inn now, and even more so, that bleak atmosphere when I was in the kingdom before. It was here that the reason why Serena and Fred were also in a hurry was clear. We rushed back to the kingdom. But it was a long way to go. It would normally take nearly two weeks to get from the Igal Republic to the Kingdom of Canovaria. We could use the transference to travel in a day or so, but even so, that time was too short. This was no time to take it easy. So this was the reason why that woman wanted me to stay in the fifth labyrinth for so long! Swearing in your mind doesn''t change itself. This is.... The next day. We finally caught sight of the Kingdom. But it''s not the Kingdom as I know it. It''s a burning place. The kingdom is engulfed in flames like a fiery fire. And screams and shouts. Every kind of vindictiveness is resounding. The place where we are now is the royal capital. I don''t know what''s happening to the rest of the royal capital, but it''s safe to say that almost all of the royal capital has been consumed by the sea of fire without a doubt. ''''Errrr!¡¡Let''s go! Ah! Me and Fee went to the Society for now. Marie, Rafe, and Aria parted on the spot, saying that they would rescue the living. ''''U........'''' ''My God... why...'' We''re running through King''s Landing. The reason we don''t use the transfer is to make sure there are no people still alive. However, there were almost no humans alive there. The First Pledge ¡¶Prima Terrier¡· was completely missing from the fallen humans. And the peculiar smell that arises when a person is burned. A strange smell of burning proteins filled the air. What the hell is going on here? And I wondered if my family, friends, and students were all safe. Please, please. Please, please. I''m begging you. Please make sure that everyone is alive. All I could do was pray. "The.........association..... It''s completely destroyed it''s probably an explosion. There''s no doubt about it, judging by the wreckage. Alchemy Society. I reached it, but the building I had always seen there was not there. It has completely collapsed. It remains firmly in place after the explosion, and people are dead underneath it. ''''........Elle, get a grip. It''s times like these that we have to try to stay calm. ... "Oh yeah, I know. I''m sorry. Yeah. I''m not the only one who has a hard time. In fact, it''s Fee, who has been in this kingdom ten years longer than me, who has had a hard time. I''m not the only one to be overwhelmed by this reality. Just then, I find a familiar face. That''s........Selena. "Selena! ''Elle!¡¡I''m back! ''What, what the hell happened?! "It''s a coup d''etat!¡¡The ringleader is the Third Princess Alice........ "What?! I can''t believe it. There''s no way Alice would let this happen. I don''t know where to begin. What has happened to this kingdom and what has happened to Alice? Thus, on the 8th of August 1994 in the Kingdom of Canovaria, a coup d''¨¦tat occurred. At the same time, this was the beginning of a long battle. 83-Episode 83: King Yu, Moyu Serena, tell me more! Well I understand... Me and Fee follow Selena. The girls are apparently currently fighting the Mystics. Mystics. They are now calling themselves the Revolutionary Army, planning and executing a coup d''etat within this kingdom. This act started the day before yesterday and the royal capital was instantly set on fire. Currently, this is still the one that has been extinguished, and it seems that Serena was the last person to come to check if there was anyone alive. The Knights have also split internally and more than half of them are in the Revolutionary Army. The remaining people are all people who have fallen out of the main force, especially the newcomers, and almost all of the old knights belong to the Revolutionary Army. ''''So the ringleader is Alice...?'''' Yeah. They''ve released an official statement. But I don''t think that''s exactly what happened. Perhaps Prince Oscar is the real mastermind behind all this. That jerk of a prince... Prince Oscar. He''s just an idiot who tried to set me and Fee up and failed. Come to think of it, he was also a mystic and tried to do something, but I didn''t expect him to go this far.......as expected. Certainly, that a**h*le could have caused this disaster. But what did Alice do?¡¡The fact that Alice came to visit me that night was probably........related. d*mn!¡¡If I knew this would happen, I would........ But even if you think so, no one knows what the future holds. It is impossible to see the future, no matter how genius and talented a person is. And also, Dr. Alsufilla. Please listen with a clear mind.'''' .... The current heads of the three noble families are all dead. And your parents are already.... Well..... Fee tries to fall to the spot, but I''m walking with him next to him, and I hold him firmly in place. I knew that Fee''s parents were dead. The fact that my parents were dead was a heavy blow to my heart as well. I knew Fee''s parents well, and they were both very good people. They were both good people with great personalities. And now they''re dead?¡¡Also.........people are going to die around me. Fee then looked stunned and started walking again. When I left the center of the royal capital, there was no burning fire there. The burning was from the center to the northern part of the city, and the southern part of the city seemed to have already been extinguished. ''''So........you''re both dead.......'''' Yes, sir. We''ve already collected the body here. But... Is the deficit worse? There are burns and damage to her extremities. Well you shouldn''t look at it. Yeah. But I have to make sure they''re my parents. I''ll at least see their faces. Yes I understand. Serena, who was talking like that, also had a pained expression on her face. That''s right. The head of the Brew family is Serena''s father. And if the head of the three great aristocrats is dead, then Selena too.......lost her father. Serena and Fee. Both of them lost their beloved immediate family members. On the other hand, I wonder if my family is going to be okay. And besides my beloved vegetables are probably burnt to a crisp. I prepared myself for the fact that there was more to come. ¡ó Here it is. I arrived at the Knights'' dormitory. Right now, this was the headquarters of the front line, and the knights were sparsely present here. And among them were some familiar faces. ''''Fred! ''Master!¡¡Back from the labyrinth! What''s going on...! Let''s talk about it over here. There is a member of the Order of the Holy Roses, the Heilich Rosen Knights. "The Order of the Holy Roses, the Heilich Rosen Knights... The Knights of St. Rose "Heilich Rosen Knights". That''s a title given to the ten highest-ranking members of the Knights. But come to think of it, it is. How did the Holy Rose Knights Heilich Rosen Knights get to this tragedy? All of them are specialists in combat, probably better than me if you just look at their combat skills. That''s why it''s like this.......I had a bad premonition as I went along. ''''Hello. You must be Elwydd Willis. My name is Ardell Belz. I''m the seventh in the hierarchy of the Order of the Holy Roses [Heilich Rosen Knights]. You can call me Ardell if you want. I''m fine with Elle, too. And the rest of you... The rest of you are with the Revolutionary Guard. I knew it... Ardell Beltz. He looked kind to look at. A soft expression and silky black hair. I wasn''t interested in the Knights of the Holy Rose ¡¶Heilich Rosen Knights¡·, but come to think of it, I heard a rumor that a young genius had been appointed to that position this year. Perhaps it was him. But even so........nine out of ten members of the Holy Rose Knights ¡¶Heilich Rosen Knights¡· had joined the Revolutionary Army. Considering that, one can understand the current devastation. By the way, me, Fred and Ardell are talking to each other right now. Fee and Serena are in a different place. And I realized while the three of us were talking. The remaining knights are strangely young. ''''There are only young people left, though?'''' ''Master, as a matter of fact ... the older people have joined the Revolutionary Army. The younger ones, rather, have mostly stayed behind. What''s going on in the Order? ''No I was not aware of it at all. What about Ardell?¡¡Did something happen within the Order of the Holy Roses, the Heilich Rosen Knights? ''No, not even me, especially.......everyone was very nice. And yet I can''t believe that they would allow the King''s people to die so much. Well... The mystery remains. How did the revolution happen in the first place?¡¡Are you unhappy with the system?¡¡But for the most part, the kingdom was functioning peacefully. ''''Come to think of it, the ringleader was Princess Alice, wasn''t it? Is that an official announcement? ''''I don''t want to believe it, but it''s true. I know that my master and the princess are close, but I can only confirm that this is currently the case. It seems that the princess''s throne is currently occupied by Princess Alice. ''The next king, or in this case the queen... is that what the revolution is all about? Given the circumstances, it seems likely that... Well.... The more I think about it, the more unlikely it is. I certainly don''t know everything about Alice. Maybe what I do know is superficial. But I don''t think he''s had his eye on the throne all along, and I don''t think he''s the kind of man who believes in killing people. There''s always something behind it I think. ''''Elle-san seems to be thinking about it, but I also don''t think this is Princess Alice''s sole determination. I''m pretty sure there''s someone behind it. ''Does Ardell know about Alice?'' Yeah. I''ve been in the royal castle a lot because of my job. But I can''t imagine her staging a coup d''¨¦tat and taking the throne away from him. Perhaps Prince Oscar was involved. This is the current consensus of the Knights. We should ride into the royal castle and take out Prince Oscar. ...and what happened to the king, by the way? He was executed....two days ago, I believe. ''Well you''re serious...'' Yes. All they have to do is sweep us off our feet and their revolution is complete. A victory is an official army. Victory is the sum total of everything. But we cannot tolerate such inexcusable things. We shouldn''t give in to this atrocious violence, don''t you think, Elle? I agree with you fiercely. Our kingdom must not be overrun any longer. I want to be part of the front line. I''m not much of a fighter, but I''d appreciate it. No, no. ''You''re stronger than Fred, aren''t you?¡¡This still makes Fred one of the best in the Order. You are welcome, Elle. Together, we will reclaim our kingdom. This is how I''ve come to cooperate with the Order. Absolutely no revolution I can''t allow it to happen. Even if it is anyone''s will. 84-Episode 84: Academy Strategy 1 Since then, I''ve heard about the safety of my family and the safety of my students. Fortunately, no one is dead and they seem to have evacuated safely. I''m sure my family members live far away from the royal capital, so I believed they were mostly safe, but after all, just being able to confirm their safety is quite different. And it seems that Proto and his friends are also safe, thanks to the fact that they happened to be with Rita. It''s a good thing that you''re able to find a way to make your life easier. I had lost two members of my family in one fell swoop. I''m sorry to hear that, but there''s nothing I can do to help. Mere consolation is useless. Besides, Serena seems to have lost her father and is quite depressed. Fred is the same way. Everyone has lost someone important. So do the knights in this place. We''ve all lost a lot of loved ones. But we still need to move on. We need to get moving to get our kingdom back. "Fee, can we go? Yeah I can do it. No, you have to go... Yeah. After that exchange, I parted ways with Fee. Fee seems to be staying in Ops, but I''m going to join Marie, Rafe, and Aria for once. "I''m sorry, but I can''t help you. I''m not a citizen of the kingdom. You have no right to tell me what to do. ''Gahahahaha!¡¡I would be happy to lend you a hand, but Leif wants to go back to the labyrinth and so do I!¡¡The kingdom is in your hands! ''I''ve decided to follow you both. I know there is something I can do and it''s hard for me to do that, but, well... It seems that all three of us are heading to the labyrinth. Indeed, considering the labyrinth, it would be better to tackle the next labyrinth as soon as possible. Aria''s one seems to be able to fight reasonably well, and Rafe and Marie are there, so it should be fine. ''''I''ll go back to the labyrinth after I finish this matter. Until then, wait for me. Yeah. See you later, Elle. ''Ga-ha-ha-ha-ha!¡¡Goodbye! ''Mr. Elle, I mean ... thank you so much! And the three of them left the royal city. This is a matter for us, the King''s people. Then what are we going to do about it? We''ll never give in. We''ll never succumb to this atrocity.... ¡ó Fee, I heard you three are going to capture the maze. Yeah. Rational. Well, here''s what we''re going to do... There''s going to be a strategy meeting. Will Elle be there? Yeah, sure. When Fee returned, he was back to his usual self. There was no sign of crying. I guess that means she''s not much older than me. I really admire his spirit to stand up for himself even though his parents are dead. If it were me, I would definitely lose heart. Thinking about this, we joined the strategy meeting. ''Fred, tell us what''s going on. Yes! Joining us are me, Fee, Fred, Serena, Ardell, and a few knights. It seems that this is the main force right now.................but we are overwhelmingly outnumbered. Even if each of them is strong enough, there''s nothing we can do about it if we''re outnumbered. Especially with the Holy Rose Knights ¡¶Heilich Rosen Knights¡· almost going over there, it''s too painful. I don''t know the extent of their strength, but they are the strongest knights in the kingdom. That ability is not a master. I''m sure we''ll have to fight somewhere. ''''Currently, everything north of the center of the royal city has fallen into the hands of the Revolutionary Army. The royal castle at the northernmost point is probably home to the Holy Rose Knights ¡¶Heilich Rosen Knights¡·, Princess Alice and Prince Oscar. The center of the royal city has already been extinguished. However, the soldiers of the Revolutionary Army are hunting the remnants. They don''t seem to have touched the civilians, but if they rebel at all, they will shoot them instantly. It seems that the only people who are already in that place are the Revolutionary Army. Furthermore, we don''t know how long this frontline will last. As for the current objective, I think we should first regain the academy in the center of the royal capital. The academy................It''s certainly pretty big to get that place back. It''s also reasonably well-equipped, and it''s the perfect place to resupply. If we can get it back, we''ll be able to make great progress. But that wasn''t my concern. My concern was.... ''''As Fred said, I want to attack the academy first. Elle-san, Fee-san, are you sure you don''t mind? Yeah. Yeah. "So my question to you both is: the revolutionaries are going to kill us without mercy. We''ve already put the Revolutionary Guardians and their fellow countrymen at each other''s throats. Are you ready for this? Hearing those words, Fred and Serena turned away. Perhaps the two of them are also unavoidable and have killed. Killing people. I already know the weight of that. But this time I''m a citizen of the King. I need to kill people who were born and live in my country. Am I prepared to do that? As I think about it, Fee''s guy is the first to answer. ''I''ll kill you. Wars, especially civil wars, have had a lot of blood in the past. The kingdom has been at peace until now but it''s time for that to happen. We can''t stay in peace forever. I can kill you. ...Where''s Mr. Elle? I''ve already killed people before. I''m going to do it ... for the sake of the future of this kingdom. ''''I''ve certainly received your resolve. Now, let''s make our way to the academy as soon as possible. Today we will hunt down the remaining soldiers of the Revolutionary Army before nightfall. Yes, sir. With those words as the last, a notice goes to the knights. Then I take out the thin-winged dragonfly that I''m holding at my waist and start sharpening it. ''''Master, are you sure?'''' ''Fred you''ve already been through this, haven''t you?'' ''Yes I put my hand on it to protect the mother and the child. Please be careful. The Revolutionary Guards are not in their right mind. I''m sure your master would be fine, but take care. ''Oh...'' And as I continued to stare and sharpen in the corner of the room, Serena came next. ''Elle, can I have a word?'' Hmm?¡¡Uh ... fine. It''s really encouraging that Elle is here, but I''m a little concerned. What''s that?¡¡Let me tell you, I''ve gotten pretty good at melee combat from my experience of capturing the labyrinth, huh? ''Elle doesn''t have any resistance?¡¡My hands still shake... Serena''s hands were trembling as she said that. Is that why I''m going to regret it? .... ''Serena had better stay back this time. You need to get your head out of your ass. She''ll be fine. I''ll take care of Serena. Eruch...! Ignoring Selena''s voice, I went into my first battle. ¡ó "Mr. Elle, I''ll cut through the lead. Can I trust you with the foe that we missed? I''m on it. Ardell at the vanguard. Behind them, me and Fred. In addition, Fee and the others are waiting behind them. I''m sure we won''t be defeated by this lineup... and as I was thinking that, Ardell went over the earth with uncommon speed. ''''Here it comes!¡¡Traitors! With that voice of the enemy as a signal, the battle began. ''''........'''' Brilliant stuff I was impressed. Ardell bounced the heads of the Revolutionary Army guys one after another. There is no hesitation or mercy there. He was just killing them indifferently, turning his shining sword scarlet. ''''d*mn it!¡¡Die! A moment later, the enemy approaches in front of me. He swings his sword wide and tries to split my kesa. But it was too poorly done. I quickly freeze my feet and make myself unable to move. And then the rattled neck ... a flash. It shifts out of place with a zuzu, and the head falls in a blur to the spot. And I went ahead from there to cut off the head with the thin-winged dragonfly. With support from the rear, we were able to finish this battle smoothly. ''''Master, thank you for your efforts.'''' Fred, too. ''''No, I''m still not as good as my master...'''' Probably Ardell killed the most, then me, then Fred, and so on. The blood was sticky and caked on our bodies as we spoke to each other. "Good job, Elle. Fee. You did it. Well that went smoothly this time. Fee, too, had blood on his body. And it wasn''t his own. It was my opponent''s blood. And so our first battle ended in the form of victory. But the end of the hellish battlefield is not yet in sight. 85-Chapter 85: Academy Strategy 2 That night. We ended up resting in a nearby building. Originally it was a commercial facility, but now it also doubles as the operational headquarters of the Knights of the Order this way. We are now in a room of such a building. But before that, Fee and I had come to confirm something. That was to check the bodies of the heads of the three major noble families. The room was warded with alchemy. And it was to be confirmed in the presence of Ardell, whose entire body was hidden by cloth. Yeah. We''ll see soon. The three great lords have met each other. I know the proper domain, the Pardonal Field. Leave it to me. .... Fee has been silent for a long time, as usual. There were no words I could say to her like that right now. For now, what I don''t see is what I won''t start. Then I check the corpses lined up on the spot with the elemental eye ¡¶Decoding Sight¡·. ''''No........this is.......'''' What did you find out? ''It''s cleverly disguised... but only on the outside, but these aren''t the bodies of the people themselves...'' Elle, really? Fee, who had been standing behind me, comes right up to my side. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she seemed to be struggling to hold it together. ''Oh. I''m not going to lie about this. This is the body of another human being. Perhaps the three great nobles are hiding somewhere. But in this emergency situation, why would they go through all this trouble to hide?¡¡Are you looking for a moment of rebellion? I don''t know ... the current situation is not well in hand, even for us Knights. ''Well no, I can''t help but think about it now. Let us take care of the information gathering and such. Elle, you and Mr. Fee should get a good night''s rest. Oh. Thank you. Fee, let''s go. ''Yeah...'' And so me and Fee left the place. ¡ó Then me and Fee were in the same room. At first we had talked about going to separate rooms, but when I saw Fee shivering, I couldn''t help but call out to him. "Fee, are you okay? ''Yeah ... somehow ... but I''m glad. Just knowing that I''m still alive is really.... ''Yes. It''s hard to lose someone you love, isn''t it? Well thank you, Elle, for that. ''No I didn''t do anything but...'' No. If it weren''t for Elle, you wouldn''t have known.¡¡Because I''m sure I would have been grieving for everyone else to be dead. Well.... I sit down on the couch in the room and Fee leans towards me. She''s still trembling, but when I squeeze her hand, she turns to me happily and smiles, enjoying it. ''Hey Fee,'' What, Elle? When this is all over, I''m going to stop exploring the maze for a while. Why?¡¡You were willing. Yeah. I''m motivated. But now that we''re in this situation, I think we need to gain some more ground here. Besides, I''m sure Leif and the others will take care of the labyrinth search itself. Speaking of which, how''s the research going? Not much going on. That''s another reason. I want to study crops, and I still get paid to do it. I''ve got to do what I can to make sure it doesn''t go to waste. "Hmm. I wonder what Elle is going to do next? "...the plan for now is to implant a fully independent artificial intelligence and genetically engineer cold weather resistant crops. ''''Well I''m kind of surprised to hear something so amazing coming out of nowhere...'''' ''It''s something I''ve been thinking about since before we originally started exploring the labyrinth. The artificial intelligence that resides in the protos, but there are a lot of problems with vegetables. I''m hoping to be able to transcribe it into a handy doll. That way, we could secure the labor force and stuff. I''ve also been talking with my sister about this, and I''m thinking about starting to think about breeding them in earnest. The challenge now is to find a way to make crops that are resistant to cold weather. To begin with, crops are not designed to grow in cold climates. Yields are still higher in warmer climates. I''d like to offer something new to overcome this situation... And I talk to Fee about my future prospects, but he''s kind of pouting. "Hey. What''s up, Fee? ''No, I mean you''re still the same...'' ''I''ve always been like this, haven''t I?¡¡You know that if you''ve known Fee for a long time, right? ''No, that''s true but once again I noticed your abnormality. No, but maybe that''s proof that you can be a genius... ''I don''t care about genius or anything like that. My goal is to be the best farmer in the world. ''Well you said the same thing when you interviewed for the entrance exam I really respect you... no really...'' ''Haha. Praise won''t get you anywhere, will it? ''No, well, it''s more of a compliment, but what can I say...'' We just chatted and fell asleep. I have to do something about the current situation as soon as possible to make the dream I just told you about come true. 86-Episode 86 Under the Moonlight Hmm..... I wake up as the morning sun comes into the room. Then I tried to get up to wake up, but I found Fee''s right hand in my left. From then on, we just went to sleep. We spent the night on the couch, holding hands. Fee had been sleeping peacefully, breathing peacefully in his sleep, probably calmed down by the confirmation that his parents weren''t dead yet. But now his mouth was slowly opening, and if he didn''t, he was going to dribble out one of his saliva. If that happens, it will be very embarrassing for Fee. "Fee. Hey, Fee. ''Uh ... um ... um ... ah ... just five more minutes ... ah ... ugh ...'' It''s drooling. ''What?¡¡What...?¡¡Huh?¡¡Why is Elle next to me?¡¡Oh, why are you even holding hands! No ... do you remember what happened yesterday? ''Oh....'' Fee''s face turns pale with a surly smile. To be honest, I''m used to this exchange, so I don''t really care about it now, but....... Fee''s seemed strangely flustered. ''''I mean, I''m not even naked! ''No, I''m used to seeing them. Besides, Fee wouldn''t have to wear makeup. "...What?¡¡What do you want!¡¡You can''t flatter me now! No, it''s true, though, isn''t it?¡¡I''m not going to tell a lie. You know that. ''Yes, but..........wait a minute!¡¡Because, as expected, I need to wash my face! Yeah, sure. Yeah, go ahead. Fee''s guy just jumped up and disappeared. Even under the current circumstances, the infrastructure is not inoperative. The electricity is running, and the water supply is fine. As you would expect from being hit by these things, there are a lot of problems, but at the very least they seemed to be in place. With that, I also followed Fee as he left the room. Most of the people in this building are from the Order, or perhaps only from the Order, but even so, I felt like they were rather numerous. ''''Elle. Are you awake? "Serena. Fluffy ah ... good morning. Totally. That''s sloppy. I''m sorry to hear that. I''ve been a little busy. But I''m a legitimate farmer''s girl. I''ve never been good at mornings. ''''Hmm.......if that''s all I can say, I hope that''s all I can say. Did you hear that story? Is this about the body? ''''Oh. As far as I''ve seen, that wasn''t the corpse of the head of one of the three great lords. It was cleverly disguised, though. That would be nice for me, but then again, it does raise the question. ''Yes. What was the purpose of doing so...? Yes.... There was no way for me and Serena to think about it. That''s how the morning meeting of the knights was going to be held, so we were going to head there. ¡ó Umm ... um ... um ... I wake up. At the same time, I thought it was cold........ Yes. The place I am in now is a dungeon. I''m being held in a cell underneath the royal castle. ''Alice, are you awake?'' ''Brother Oscar how could you do this to me...'' Why?¡¡Of course, that''s the consensus of the mystics. ''''It''s a lie I know about the mystics, but I don''t think they''d go this far with the stones. ''You''re a very smart Alice, aren''t you? Yes, I am. It''s just my choice. Is that why you spill the blood of so many of the king''s people? I don''t kill the king and his people indiscriminately. It''s more that we don''t want too many deaths in this case. And the soldiers we''re using for that........oops, no more secrets. ''....Are all the other royals killed? ''That''s not very nice of you to say. I don''t want to destroy the kingdom and I don''t want to be the new king. I told you earlier.¡¡That my goal is not murder, nor is it human blood. This is a sideshow, so to speak. A sideshow. There will be people dead, but it will be minimal. Who''s really dead in the first place is... well, it''s a secret from now on. We''ll find out someday, anyway. A sideshow...? That''s right. Well, I''ll use Alice''s name for that, but that''s okay, right?¡¡You''re not really royalty, you know. .... He whispers that from behind the bars and I can''t say anything. I know where I''m coming from. This is a well-known story among royalty. Even among the nobility, those who know it know it. Fortunately, no one close to me seems to know yet, but I''m sure the doctor will eventually find out. I, Alice Canovaria, am royalty, but that''s not right. All pure-blooded royalty has noble and royal blood running through their veins. Royal marriages are limited to nobles or those with a high aptitude for alchemy. But my mother was a maid. A maid in this royal castle. That is where I come from. I was born after my father, the king, dabbled in it on a whim. I was not pure-blooded royalty, and I was busy living in this royal castle. That''s why I didn''t have enough spirit left to rebel head-on against Brother Oscar''s words. What little moonlight was shining from outside. It illuminates my body. Then I put my hands on the food that was left behind by my brother, who was already gone. I don''t want to starve to death. I eat the bread that was thrown away in a mess and get lost in thought. How I became the person I am now........Alice Canovaria. 87-Episode 87: Alice in wonderland 1: Encounter of fate Mom!¡¡Good morning! Good morning, Alice. We''re having bread for breakfast. Yay! Although I was born in the Kingdom, I lived with my mother in a small house downtown. We were very poor, though I didn''t care much for it at the time. It was no surprise that we had no money, and there were few days when we could eat three meals a day. Even so, my mother fed me. Hey mom. Why don''t I have a dad? Well my dad is. He''s gone away. Are you coming back...? If Alice is a good girl, maybe she''ll come back. Then I''ll be good! Yes. Good for you, Alice. Yeah! My mother was kind. She was kinder and more beautiful than anyone else. I was content to live with my mother. It''s true that we didn''t have any money and we had a hard time at times. There were times when the electricity was off, and there were times when we had no water, and so on. Still, we worked together to make ends meet. My mother had a lot of wisdom. How to make a candle last, or how to filter dirty water with alchemy. Yes, my mother could use alchemy, if only for a little while. As I knew, even as a young child, alchemical abilities are essentially genetic. But my mother could use alchemy even though she wasn''t from a family of alchemists. And it was the same for me. But I was more skilled in alchemy than she was. The question I wondered at the time. Maybe my father was a person with a higher aptitude for alchemy. And so my mother and I lived our days in peace and serenity. ''Mom!¡¡What''s the matter with you! Alice this isn''t anything......... But there''s so much blood!¡¡So much! Uh..... Mom! My mother was frail. I knew that, but I didn''t expect it to go this far. So my mother went to see a doctor in town - but by this time it was already too late. A few days later, she died. ''Mum... why... why... why...?'' I was wearing mourning clothes to a funeral. I didn''t know much about relatives at the time, but there was a man who was kind to me. I didn''t know much about him at the time. But I later found out that the man was the king of this kingdom and ... my blood father. ''Alice, this is your home from today. But this is a royal castle. Yes. Alice is going to be royalty. ''Royalty?¡¡What is royalty? You''ll figure it out. .... My father, the king, was kind. He didn''t know his mother was pregnant in the first place, apparently. An overnight mistake. With that, my mother, who was working in the royal castle, left herself. Later, when she found out she was pregnant with me, she raised me by herself. And so, almost as soon as my mother died, the current king learned of my existence. Of course, what he recognized immediately was good...............................but life from that point on was not a happy one. ''''........Haha. Sigh. Nearly ten years have passed since then. I had learned the manners, etiquette, and behavior of royalty. I had to do it to survive. But I was shunned by the rest of the royal family. That''s because my mother was from a commoner''s background. Not from a noble family, just a commoner. And my aptitude for alchemy and this good looks also made me an object of envy. If I may say so myself, I am the most beautiful woman in the media, the most beautiful woman in the royal family. Too beautiful to be true, Alice Canovaglia, the third princess. Ever since I was featured in the media, my popularity has been through the roof. I''ve become the most recognizable person in the kingdom...and I''ve become that much more so. But I didn''t really want to be popular. I just wanted to live ... with my mother, in a small house, even if I couldn''t live satisfactorily, I just wanted to live purely ... happily. My life now is certainly full on the surface. Food, clothing and shelter, there is nothing to worry about. But my heart is always empty. I had no friends, no one I could trust, and I was just spending my days in a daze. Then one day, I met a person. I met the greatest genius alchemist in the history of this kingdom since it began. ''''Hm?¡¡What''s wrong with you? ''I was a bit tired...'' You don''t know me, do you? I don''t know. ''Yes it''s Alice Canovaria, isn''t it?¡¡The Third Princess'' I don''t know. I''m a farmer. I don''t know anything about royalty. Really? Yeah. I was attending an aristocratic party. At that time, I believe, I was already about to turn fourteen. I was in my second s*xual phase, and my beauty was even more refined. I''m happy with my appearance, but I get fed up with being blatantly courted at these parties. So I escaped to the garden outside. This place was like a maze, wide as a maze, and it was always just the right place to escape. On a night lit by such beautiful moonlight, I met ''The greatest alchemist of all time, Elweed Willis,'' he said. ''What?¡¡Is your name Elweed Willis? Yeah? Is that from that alchemist genius? No, I''m a genius farmer. ''''...I see. So he''s just as they say he is. Elweed Willis. The name has spread to royalty, and even among the nobility. He was the first person in history to record perfect scores on all tests at the venerable Canovarian Alchemy School. Furthermore, he is the youngest ever platinum-class "platinum" alchemist. A genius who is said to eventually become a Blue Star class alchemist. No, I''m sure it''s no exaggeration to call him the greatest genius alchemist in history. I had heard that he was coming to this party, but I never imagined that he would be such a person in my wildest dreams. I didn''t believe the rumor that he was from a farming family because I didn''t believe it. I thought that someone must be saying something random anyway, but the man himself emphasized more than being an alchemist that he was a farmer. ''Err!¡¡Where are you?¡¡I know you''re around here, you know! "Gee, that Fee guy is a little early, isn''t he? Now I''m still on the run. What about you? I''m.... I''m confused. What to do?¡¡That being said, I have to go back to that place anyway. But can I also........live my life the way he did? That thought had me reaching out to him. ''Can you let me go too?'' I''m on it. I know how to throw a fee. No, I don''t want anyone to get me. ...aha! When I said that, Elle took me in her princess hug and flew into the sky, activating her alchemy without an alchemy formation as it was. Close. That moon felt so close now. And so we moved from roof to roof as we ran away from the royal castle. ''El-u-u-u-u-u-u!¡¡I don''t want to run away, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! And that''s what it sounded like, but we were already in the air. No, not strictly speaking, but that''s how I felt. I felt like a real princess in a fairy tale...or so I thought. ''Huh?¡¡Isn''t it easy? Yeah. It''s amazing, you''re amazing. As expected of a genius alchemist since the beginning of the kingdom... ''Huh ... are you still mistaken?¡¡I''m a genius farmer since the beginning of the kingdom. Don''t make a mistake there, okay? Hmmm... yeah. It was only a few minutes before we met. Yet I was talking to him as if we had been friends for several years. I don''t remember when I felt so refreshed, but that must have been.... It was probably the last time I lived with my mother. I''ve been closed in, and I''ve decided that this world is boring. But the world is so beautiful. This magnificent world he was showing me looked so colorful. It''s as if the world, which used to be gray, is turning into vibrant colors. ''Well,'' he said. Let''s fly a little higher. I''m sure Fee will be following us. Hold on tight, okay? ...yes! And so we fly. In the midst of this wide world, illuminated by the beautiful moonlight. This is the meeting. Alice Canovalia and Elwydd Willis'' first ... fateful meeting. And I had a hunch at this moment. That I might be ..........in love with him. 88-Episode 88: Alice in wonderland 2: A world full of colors After that, I ran around the kingdom with Elle. Of course, my whereabouts were unknown, in a manner of speaking, so there was a bit of a commotion, but since Elle was by my side, I wasn''t particularly blamed. It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one. I''m sorry about today. No, it''s been a pleasure. Well, that''s good. Well, that''s good to hear. I''ll leave you to it. ...Yes. Goodbye. I got a lift to the front of the royal castle and looked off the back of it. ''''........'''' He was a strange man. To be honest, I didn''t have a very good impression of high ranking alchemists. Of course, there were some personalities, but there were also those who flaunted their abilities. There were those who told me that they were platinum-class "platinum" alchemists, and others who told me that they were from noble families. The three great aristocracies, and even royalty, have alchemy supremacy. They say that the search for truth is their duty and everything else is a trivial matter. They are all people who seem to have no regard for human dignity. I was fed up with such alchemists. That''s why I didn''t have a good impression of Elweed Willis'' name when I heard it. He is the youngest alchemist in history and a platinum-class ¡¶platinum¡· alchemist. Plus, he was admitted to the Academy''s entrance exam with an unprecedented perfect score. He was a genius among geniuses who would eventually reach the Blue Star Grade ¡¶Blue Star¡·. Whenever I heard such rumors, I assumed that he was also a supreme alchemist. But when I actually met the man himself, I knew. Elweed Willis is not steeped in such nostalgic thinking. He is a free man with wings that can flap his wings, free to go wherever he wants. I envy him. At the same time I was curious. Who he is and what he will achieve. Let''s get out of this gray world for a moment. That''s what I was feeling at the moment. ¡ó Good morning, Master Elle. Hmm?¡¡Ah, Alice. Good morning. He smiles at me. He, on the other hand, has sweat on his forehead and is digging in the ground with a hoe. This is his family''s farm, he says. He tills the ground like this early in the morning these days, preparing to grow crops. He would have been able to save himself that hassle with alchemy, but Elle said he liked the work itself. I had come to the house since then to catch a glimpse of him. I gathered rumors that he was working on the farm outside in the early morning, so I ventured to talk to him and see if I could find him. So I came to see him almost every morning these days. ''You come here a lot every morning too,'' Yes. I''m interested. Well then, go ahead and take a look. Yes, sir. He''s mistaken. I''m interested in Elwydd Willis himself. But it was still good. For some reason, just watching him work so hard at something filled me. I kept smiling and laughing as he worked hard to raise, lower and plow in the morning sun. After finishing that work to some extent, Elle begins to prepare to head to the academy. ''''Good. So this is it. Is that it? ''Ah. I''ve got plans to go to the academy afterwards to do some experiments. Okay. ''Is Alice coming too?¡¡In my lab. ''What?¡¡Are you sure? Oh. You''re interested, aren''t you?¡¡To the crops. ''Well yes. You could say that. I''m working on a new crop. And I''m working on a subject I''ve been pursuing for a while now. I think it will be interesting...! His grin was somewhat of a devious smile...or something like that. Innocence, you might say. It''s an expression you wouldn''t expect from his large frame and gallant face. But it looked very attractive to me. ''''Well, I''ll be right there, so just wait for me.'''' I understand. I stand in front of his house and wait for Elle to come out. Now he''s in disguise, wearing a straw hat and sunglasses, but... well, I think it''s suspicious even to me, but it would be a big problem if I went out normally, so this was about right. The people on the street won''t think it''s that Alice Canovaria, as expected. ''''Huh?¡¡What can I do for you at my house? "Well, you see I''m just waiting for Master Elle... Are you my brother? ''Yes. Excuse me, but what about you? ''I''m my sister Lise!¡¡But why are you wearing sunglasses anyway? As I waited, an adorable girl came to talk to me. I knew she had an older sister and a younger sister, but the younger sister was very pretty in person. ''''..... This is a secret, okay?'''' Then I take off my sunglasses and take off my straw hat too. ''What?¡¡Are you Princess Alice?! ''Yes. Yes. My name is Alice Canovaria. Then I quickly put my disguise back on. Seeing my true face like that, Liese-san seemed very surprised. ''''Oh, you don''t mean to say that you and your brother.......are getting engaged?! ''No, not that much...........................or should I say my friend now? ''Okaasan!¡¡Hey, guys!¡¡Oh, my God!¡¡It''s a big deal! Oh my........he''s gone....... Riese quickly returned to the house and reported something of a misunderstanding to her mother. I then greeted her mother as she came out of the house and told her that it was a misunderstanding. That was already a polite greeting. However, it wasn''t full of ulterior motives characteristic of the aristocracy, and she genuinely asked me to take care of her son. ''''Alright. Alice, are you ready? Yes, sir. As I do so, the important person comes out. It seems that there was a lot of commotion at home, but he doesn''t seem to have any intention of doing so and comes to talk to me that way. We did so, and then we both walked side by side to the academy. 89-Episode 89: Alice in wonderland 3: Setsuna Falling in Love Do you usually go on foot? Yeah. Well when things get bad, we do a lot of things with alchemy. What''s going on? Flying off the roof. ''Oh but if they find out about it...'' ''''The Fee guy already found out. That sermon back then sounded pretty good........ Looking back, he was good friends with Fee. Ars Feela Medis. There wouldn''t be a single alchemist who didn''t know that name. She was also a genius among geniuses, an alchemist who was in her twenties and in charge of the academy. The Medis family is famous for producing the most talented alchemists among the three great noble families, and their blood is said to be the most precious. Among such a pure-blooded family, Alsphira Medis was touted as the greatest genius in history. Of course, I have met quite a few noblemen, so I have met Fee quite often. She was a personality, even though she was a talented alchemist. She never flaunted her abilities, nor was she a delicacy. She was always humble, and besides, she was a very beautiful woman. I''ve heard her complain about missing her marriage date because she''s too good for many alchemists to even approach her. Even she hadn''t gotten a perfect score when she entered the academy, and it had taken her even longer to become a platinum grade <> alchemist. Nevertheless, her student, Elweed Willis, shattered all of that. He is not bound by the duties of nobility and noblesse oblige, nor is he conceited in his abilities. All he has his eyes on is the crops. That''s the only thing that drives Elle. I''m sure you''ve arrived. My laboratory is this way. After all this time, can I come in without permission? ''It''s fine. The school cafeteria is open to the public and there is no prohibition against it. And there''s no reason why I shouldn''t be able to invite my friends to my laboratory. But if I have any problems, I can count on Fee to help me out. Well.... For now, I believe his words and proceed through the academy. The Canovaria Alchemy Academy. It is a school where many people who want to master alchemy try to enter it. But while it is difficult to enter the academy, it is even more difficult to graduate. This is because this academy, unlike ordinary schools, does not have a clear standard of how many years you need to be enrolled in this academy to earn credits. There is only one requirement for graduation: to submit a graduation thesis. The only requirement for graduation is to submit a graduation thesis. It seems simple enough at first glance, but it''s not. Some alchemists take 10 years just to put together a senior thesis. And there were even some students who couldn''t write a thesis and dropped out of school. In such an academy, he stands out from the rest. ''''Hm?¡¡What''s going on? No, but it''s still a big place, isn''t it? Yeah. It''s a bit of a pain in the ass, but we''re here. There you are. Yeah. Come on in. Sorry to disturb you. When I opened the door and walked in, I found a large number of flasks and a mess of papers scattered about. There was nowhere to put them on the desk. But on the contrary, the rest of the space is neat and tidy. ''Take a seat on the couch over there or something. I''ll make you some coffee. Thank you. As he left the place, I looked around the room. The bookshelves were covered with a large number of books, which seemed to include some very old ones. The paper scattered over it had a lot of mathematical equations in some kind of handwritten mess, and a lot of letters on it. I wondered if this was the result of his research. ''I hope it''s palatable,'' Oh. Hi. I take a mug of coffee and drink it straight from it. ''Hmm!¡¡Delicious! Okay. Well, that''s good to know. ''''Eh........I''ve never drunk anything this good even in the King''s City, but where on earth is it from?'''' That''s just market coffee. But it can''t be... Alchemy is about using it. Did you do alchemy to change the flavor? It''s not that great. Oh, come on, man. He grinned and seemed somewhat proud of himself. ''Speaking of which, I was wondering, what''s this mess of paper?'' Oh, I''m sorry. I''m sorry. We''ll get it done now. Is it a research paper? Yeah. I finished it last night. ''What?¡¡Does that mean you''ve completed your senior thesis? No, it''s still a prototype. But we have a rough idea of what to expect. So you''re only going to be in school for one year? ''Well, it''ll be done by the end of the year. Now it''s just a matter of approving the fee and seeing if the top brass will let it pass. ''''Well you''re the greatest genius alchemist of all time... by the way, what''s the theme?'''' A fully independent artificial intelligence. "?¡¡What''s that? Well, a homunculus of sorts. ''A homunculus!¡¡Is it feasible? Theoretically. If my theory is correct, we can create artificial intelligence. And it''s going to be as good as a human being. Eeeeeee.........anything is possible now. Not really. Alchemy is a profound skill. It''s not a universal ability, it''s a technical skill based on a solid theory. It is a technical skill that is based on a solid theory. There''s still a lot that''s impossible. Okay. Yeah. Then I asked him about his vision. We talked about how he wanted to grow these crops in the future, how he wanted to expand his business around the world, how alchemy would be useful in this way for breeding, and so on. He seemed like a human being of his age. His atmosphere, and his overwhelming alchemy skills, gave me the impression that he was somewhat out of touch with the world... but that was not the case. That he was just working hard at his goal. I understood it well. ''Huh?¡¡Isn''t that funny? Yes, very much. If you''re going into business, can I help you with that? Well, if you get a chance. I felt my heart skip a beat as I saw him grinning again. I hadn''t realized it yet at this time. That I was attracted to the genius that was Elweed Willis. 90-Episode 90 Alice in wonderland 4: That person who cares Ummm... hmmm... Early morning. I bang the noisy alarm clock and try to get up out of bed anyway. ''Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...'' Normally, I''m here to sleep twice. No, I guess it''s not right to say always. This has been going on for over a week already. I look at my battered alarm clock, which has been battered by my constant beatings, and the time is before 4:00. Why am I up at this hour? That was obvious. Elle''s morning farm work starts at 5 a.m. He is notoriously punctual, but he is surprisingly punctual when it comes to farming. That''s why I had to get up at this time, including preparation and travel time. ''Alice-sama, are you awake?'' Salia ummmm.......something. ''You always try your best. I would have thought you would have given up sooner. You know, for a woman there are times when you just can''t give up. Well.... A woman stands next to the bed. It''s my maid, Saria. She is my personal maid and has been taking care of me since I was a child. And although she complains about many things, she goes along with me in this seemingly reckless act of mine. She wears her long hair in a neat bun and her maid''s uniform is spotless, and she stares at me in that way. I know it must be hard for Saria, but she wakes up before me to get ready for the day. I''m really indebted to her. It''s a good thing. I''m going to be leaving. Yes. Have a good day. Saria gives me a reverent bow and sends me on my way. And so, disguised as usual in sunglasses and a straw hat, I stepped up to reach his house just past five o''clock. ¡ó ''Good morning, Master Elle... what? I said hello and walked into the farm, but there was no one there. I looked at the watch on my left arm, but it was already past the usual time. But he was gone. When I was wondering what was going on, my sister, Liese, popped up on my face. ''''Princess!¡¡Good morning! ''Oh, Liese. Good morning. My brother wouldn''t be back here! Oh, okay. Then where are you going? ''I''m probably at the Institute. Sometimes I''m staying in and doing research. ''I see. Thank you for telling me. You''re welcome! After receiving the information from Liese, I went to the institute on my way. Having visited his laboratory several times since then, I was already familiar with the path. Without getting lost at all, I entered the institute and proceeded through the building. When I reach the front of his laboratory in this way, I knock on the door with a knock on the door. ''''........I wonder if he''s not there?'''' I put my hand on the doorknob and looked.......it opened. It didn''t seem to be locked, so maybe he''s there. ''''Oh, I''m sorry to bother you.'''' In a small voice, I slowly walk into his lab to see. And there it is......... ''''Huh?¡¡Master Elle and Fee? They are propped up on the floor with their heads rubbing against the floor. The sight of them startled me, and with a gulp, Fee wakes up. There are large dark circles in his eyes and his hair is spread out in a messy mess. ''Ha!¡¡You were unconscious!¡¡Elle, Elle! ''I am ... the ... man ... king of ... crops ... no, I''m no longer ... god ... haha ... haha ... haha ... goooo ...'' ''Don''t be ridiculous!¡¡Wake up!¡¡Wake up! ''Yeah ... ah ...?¡¡Why is Fee here...?¡¡And Alice is there and.... ''Yes, well, I mean, I wasn''t in my usual place and I thought Lise would be here.'' Oh. Well I''m sorry. I''ve been staying in and doing some research. ''That wasn''t just research, that wasn''t just a runaway. Huh....I seriously didn''t know what was going to happen... What''s going on? As a matter of fact... The summary was this. He apparently succeeded in developing a fully independent artificial intelligence. And so he tried to put that artificial intelligence in something close to hand. And what he had by his side was a vegetable. Normally, he wouldn''t take the outrageous step of inhabiting an artificial intelligence in a vegetable. That was something Elle herself knew. But days of all-nighters, and his malnourished body, no matter how much of a genius he was, had clouded his judgment. And so, almost in a dreamlike state, he put artificial intelligence into the vegetable. And it was a success. He had succeeded, it seems. A genius alchemist there, as expected of a genius alchemist. But here''s the problem. The vegetable with artificial intelligence in it immediately ran out of the room and tried to escape. Elle sensed that it was a bad idea and contacted Fee. The two of them scrambled and managed to secure the vegetable... and it seems that they were too tired to sleep here. I was stunned to hear that story, but I was strangely convinced that he would be able to do it. "By the way, my name is Proto. It''s nice to meet you. Huh........I see........ A carrot, a carrot, lying on the desk with a cologne on it. From the side, it looks like there is just a carrot on the table, but for some reason, something that looks like a limb has grown out of it. I somehow stretched out my fingertips to look at it, and Proto touched my fingers with his little hand a bit. Then, for some reason, he pecked me repeatedly. ''Oh!''¡¡Alice seems to have taken a liking to you! "I''m not going to be able to... Hmmm. I don''t really care about it... From this reaction, it seems that Fee doesn''t like it. But still, this is a homunculus........I stare at the proto with deep emotion. I didn''t think it was unheard of for a vegetable to have artificial intelligence, but it''s amazing that it actually works with a will like this. He was, after all, the greatest genius alchemist of all time. And so Elwydd Willis used the results of this research to become the second azure-star class¡¶Blue Star¡· alchemist in the kingdom. At the same time, I also had another goal in mind. That is, I wanted to be like him...............I wanted to seriously study alchemy. 91-Episode 91: Alice in wonderland 5: Love and Love Hey, Saria. ''Yes, sir? Lady Alice. Do I like him? Is this too late? ''What?¡¡What do you mean it''s too late? When I saw Lady Alice talking about Elwydd Willis, I thought I was already aware of it. Well am I that easy to understand? Yes. Very much. Well that''s true. While taking afternoon tea in my room, I decided to ask my maid, Saria, such a question... I was a little surprised to get an answer I didn''t expect. I was certainly interested. Even though he was the greatest genius alchemist of all time, his major was in the agricultural field. Everyone would turn their heads and wonder if they heard such a story. That''s why I wanted to find out who he was. That''s what I did, but lately I couldn''t help but wonder about him in a strange way. The veins on his arms that were rolled up while he was working on the farm, his collarbone, and the sweat that was dripping from them. I found them strangely attractive. And the way he talked, the way he occasionally laughed, I felt my heart skip a beat. Could this be the case? Do I, Alice Canovalia, like Elwydd Willis? ''''For that reference, though........'''' Yes, sir. What do you think I should do? Well Lady Alice is hypothetically a princess. ''No, it''s not provisional, but...'' I think it would be better if the lordship were to make him confess. Do you think so? ''''Well, if you have the courage to confess to Alice-sama, that''s a different story...............................after all, there are things like outside information. But this might be a good thing. What do you mean? ''''If it was Alice-sama''s opponent, it would have to be a high-ranking alchemist or a nobleman, but if it was him, it would be more than balanced. After all, he was the second azure-star class "Bluesteller" alchemist since the beginning of the kingdom. His talent is also described as a genius since the beginning of this kingdom. ''Well you''re right!¡¡We''ll get a balance, won''t we! Yeah. Sure. Hmm.......................... I was buoyed by that story. That''s right. He and I are well-balanced. We would make a good couple, no doubt about it. I couldn''t stop myself from starting such a fantasy. Where were the doubts I had earlier, I was completely in love with him. ''Then let''s get right to the strategy meeting! ...sluggish. What did you say, Saria? No, nothing. You''re right. Strategy is important. Okay. Let''s do it! Oh! So I decided to approach Elle after this day. ¡ó ''Hm!¡¡Who''s that?! ''Well, I mean Alice, but...'' Alice. Then it''s all right. I stumbled upon him in the city. Yes, by accident. I found him by accident and decided to talk to him. But today, for some reason, he''s wearing a robe, and the hood on it keeps his face hidden from view. I wondered for a moment what in the world was going on, but then I realized, ah........ ''Are you the media?'' That''s right. They''re hyenas. They''ve already marked my house and my lab a godd*mn dirty lot! ''It will all blow over in a while, but..... It hasn''t even been a week yet. "Shit....why is this happening to me? He''s the second Blue Star class alchemist in history. The media would love to chase him. Is that what it is? Yes. Have you any complaints about the Blue Star class? Dissatisfied?¡¡There is. A lot. It''s just that I''m not free to move around like this. It''s not that I want to improve my status as an alchemist. This is a means to an end, not an end. Hmm..... What''s the matter, Alice? No, it''s more your style. Really? Yes. Very much. And I can''t keep talking about it here. I decided to make a suggestion. ''Would you like to come to my room?'' Hm?¡¡What do you mean? You can stay in my room for a while. You are welcome to hide or do as you please. ''But Alice is royalty. That means she''s headed to the castle, right?¡¡Maybe their territory stretches that far. It''s okay. He wasn''t here when I left. Yeah. Well, you''ll be needing me for a while... No, no. When you''re in trouble, you''re in trouble. He smiled, but I was gutted with my hands behind my back. I didn''t expect him to figure it out, but I was glad to invite him to my room. Of course, the room was already cleaned. I''m always ready for any occasion. That''s what I am, Alice Canovaglia. Well, shall we go now? Yeah. And so two suspicious people proceed through the city. A man wearing a robe and his hood completely hides his face. Or a woman in sunglasses and a straw hat. I was happy to be this weird. I felt fulfilled just to be able to exchange words with him. At that time, I wasn''t afraid of anything. Or so I thought. 92-Episode 92 Alice in wonderland 6: Every day Are you sure about this, Alice? Yeah, I don''t mind. We were able to come quietly and quietly into the royal castle. I''m honestly relieved that the timing seemed to be good, as there was just no media in the area. The name of Elwydd Willis is said to have already spread throughout the world, not only in the kingdom, but all over the world. That''s how immeasurable his accomplishments are. But I was happy to hear that. The fact that he was on equal footing with me was the biggest thing in my mind, not to mention the fact that he had accomplished such a great feat. If it was Elle until now, I would end up being just a genius. I''m sure that I wouldn''t have been at the level to be balanced with royalty. But now it''s different. Right now, he was the greatest genius alchemist in history. And that''s in name only. Numerous alchemists have been striving to reach the pinnacle of their azure-star class ¡¶Blue Star¡·. But........until now, no one has been able to reach that place. With the exception of the Alchemy Ancestor, no one had literally risen to that position. But he had reached that position at the tender age of a teenager. It''s no wonder the media would want to pick up on it. ''Oh, it''s a beautiful room! Is that so? Yeah. It''s a far cry from my messy room. And so we had come to our room. Of course, we cleaned the room carefully. It''s not always true that we don''t have visitors at any time and place. However, there is no need to pay so much attention to my room, but for once I should be grateful for my character. ''Well, would you like something to drink? Are you sure? Yeah. All right, I''ll have a cup of tea. I understand. And just as I said it, the door opened and Saria had just brought tea and sweets for two people. ''''........!¡¡Isn''t it too soon to be a stone''s throw away! ''I''ve already prepared a few things for Master Willis to drink...'' Oh. It''s no wonder you work for a royal city. You''re good. No. Not at all. I could see it, even though she was bowing reverently. I saw Saria grinning at Elle when she said that. Saria is an excellent maid, but she also has this side to her. To be honest, Saria is rather unreserved towards me. I don''t think it''s a matter of my origin, but rather because we''ve become somewhat distant........ But it''s not like I''m royalty to the core either, so to be honest, I''m quite satisfied with my relationship with Saria. ''''Then.........I''ll take my leave.......'''' Again, he thanked her reverently and Saria left. The two of us are currently sitting at a table in the room. In front of me there is tea and the sweets that Saria made by hand. This time it looked like she had prepared cookies and pound cake. Of course, you can put sugar in the tea, but I don''t. Because I don''t want to drink something sweet after I''ve eaten something sweet. ''Would you like some sugar, Master Elle? No, it''s straightforward. Oh, I see. Well, shall we have it? Yeah. I''m sure that maid must be a confectioner by profession, right?¡¡I''m so good at making sweets that I think I''m good at it. In fact, though working as a maid in this royal castle might be an employment with such conditions taken into account. ''''Mm!¡¡Yum, this is good! Hmm ... isn''t it? ''Yeah well the media hasn''t allowed me to settle down and get a meal these days. Then you can relax to your heart''s content today. ''Yes. Alice''s suggestion has really helped me a lot. Again, thanks. No, it''s not that...it''s fine. If you''re in trouble, it''s fine, we''re both in trouble. I smiled back. Of course, there may have been some calculating feelings in me, but I still genuinely wanted to help if I was in trouble. Until now ... especially after my mother''s death, I had never felt this kind of emotion. I had no interest in any other human being. It''s just that Alice Canovalia is the one standing there in the gray world, dumbfounded..............and I thought I''d been able to separate myself from that. Strangely enough, this world seems so colorful these days. Is this what it feels like to be in love with someone? But there''s a part of me that I''m still trying to gauge. I''ve never fallen in love. I have some knowledge from books and hearsay, but I have never really experienced it. But with him, I can be myself. I can settle down. There was no doubt about that. ''Well, what shall I do with the rest of my time...'' I mean... Hmm?¡¡What''s going on? "Will you teach me alchemy? Alchemy...? ''''Yes. I would like to enroll in the Alchemy Academy next year as well. ''I see. But don''t you have a personal tutor?¡¡That''s what you''d expect from royalty. ''Yes, but. I would like to ask Master Elle for help. Well I get it. I''ll return the favor today. I''ll take care of it. "...Yes!¡¡It''s nice to meet you, isn''t it? That''s how I was able to get him to teach me alchemy. It was a very dazzling, warm, irreplaceable time. 93-Episode 93: Alice in wonderland 7: winter, snowy night Then I began to take alchemy seriously. I had been able to use it before, but the theoretical side of it was a dead giveaway. In the first place, I had never even thought of enrolling in the Canovarian Alchemy Academy. That academy, which is difficult to enter and even more difficult to graduate, is world-renowned. Moreover, no special favors were offered to him just because he was a royal. There are only two types of exams, a paper test and a practical test, and if you don''t reach the standard score, you''ll fail the exam. It was the same even if the other party was a nobleman. ''''........Yeah, yeah. Here''s how........'''' Dear Alice, isn''t it time for you to go to sleep? A little more ... a little more ... a little more ... This may be the first time in my life that I''ve been so committed to something. Saria has told me a lot of things, but I still worked hard at it. I''ve been building on it all day, every day. It''s been a gray world so far. But I wanted to get to the same place as him. Perhaps that was the driving force behind me, but I began to work hard on my alchemy. People around me looked at me coldly. I knew. What was being talked about within the royal castle. ''''Hey, there''s no way you can do it.'''' Yeah. Absolutely not. ''Yeah, I know. Alice can''t do that, can she? I heard people saying this to each other. It''s really not in their nature to dare to say it so that I can hear them. But........still, I was able to move forward without worrying about it. Until now, whenever I was told that inside the royal castle, I was depressed and depressed. Am I going to stay like this forever? I always thought so, but now I had a clear goal in mind. Enroll in the Canovaria Alchemy Academy. ''''Alice, alright. This place is......... ''Yes ... yes ...'' He hadn''t taught me anything at King''s Castle since then. We would meet outside and he would tell me what he didn''t understand while he was working on the farm. Is this feeling just an act of love? I couldn''t help but wonder if it was just an act of love. I just wanted to.........move on, move forward. I''m not trapped in that royal castle for a long time, but I want to move forward by my own will. That''s what he was beginning to think.... ''''You''re very diligent, Alice-sama. ''Well I''m amazed at myself. I''m surprised that you''re so enthusiastic about it... ''I hear that the Alchemy School is quite a challenge. Yes. That''s quite a feather in the cap. What is it really like? I''m not so sure. It''s responsive, but... But? We won''t actually know until the day of the event. I''m rooting for you. It''s not uncommon for people to say things inside the castle, but I''m on your side. Thank you, Saria. We''ll do some more today. You can take the dishes down. Yes, sir. I looked outside and saw that it was already snowing. Winter was in full swing, and then ... my entrance exam was steadily approaching. 94-Episode 94 Alice in wonderland 8: Spring Footsteps Huh.... Goofily, I let my weight rest on the back. January. The year opened safely and the new year was a tough one with the greetings, but in the gap between the two, I managed to keep up with my studies. Elle''s teaching style is so easy to understand that I now spend most of my time studying on my own. He''s also busy writing his graduation thesis now, or something like that. And it seems that he''s doing a lot of things at the academy.....................Rumors of Fee''s struggles had reached my ears. ''''Alice-sama, today........'''' I know. Saria''s arrival meant that it was time to go out. When I looked out the window, I saw that it was snowing steadily. I wondered if it was that time of year already. Up until now, I''ve been just going with the flow of the season. It didn''t matter if it was snowing, or cherry blossoms dancing, or the summer sunshine, or the autumn leaves dancing in the autumn. But I''m very much aware of that now. To the world in general, I guess I''m a student of the exam. Every year, a large number of people make an effort to enter the Canoviria Alchemy Academy. Some of them even study for the exam for more than five years. That''s how tough the exams are. But it''s often said that the hardest part of the exam is after you''ve been admitted. Even so, many people still aim to study at the Canovarian Alchemy Institute. Their goal is probably a lot of lofty goals, such as the search for truth. But I didn''t have any of those things in mind. I just want to see the same scenery as him. That''s what I did. But strangely, I was motivated, and I''ve managed to continue studying even now. Even though I''ve been doing past exams for the written exams, there were times when I exceeded the standard score. So I will continue my studies today as usual. ''''Miss Alice. There is no more time. Let''s go. Yeah. I put down my pen and quickly get dressed and go outside without even closing my notebook as it is. Today, I''m supposed to attend a party at a certain nobleman''s house. Of course, if I had that kind of time, I''d want to study, but I''m Alice-Canovaglia. I have to perform my official duties as a royalty. ''''Huh........'''' When I stepped outside, my breath turned white. The snow has gained some momentum and it''s freezing cold. Even with my scarf wrapped tightly around me, my gloves on, and my coat on top of me, this cold is unbearable... but I could feel it. Once this snow was gone what awaited me was the entrance exam. If I passed it successfully, I would become a student in the spring. The people around me believe that there''s no way I''ll ever pass it. Although I have royal blood, I am a heretic among them. That''s why I know that I''m despised. But.........I won''t know that until the day comes. So I step forward. ''''Hey, Saria,'''' ''Yes? Lady Alice. I''m sure the entrance exams will be here after this winter. Yes, sir. I''ve already completed the formalities. It''s just that........it doesn''t matter if you are a royal or a nobleman in that academy. It''s only measured by the scores of the entrance exam. ''Yes I know, I know. That''s why, if I pass, it means I''m a force to be reckoned with, right? ''Yes, sir. I am firmly aware of Alice-sama''s efforts. I am sure.... You don''t have to tell me where it goes from there. I''m sorry. Beyond this snow, spring is surely waiting for me. And I''m walking through that row of cherry blossom trees as a student of the Canovarian Alchemy Academy. While believing in such a future©¤©¤I''m moving forward in this winter. 95-Episode 95 Alice in wonderland 9: The moment the snow melts With the New Year''s greetings safely over, I had completely gotten some time to myself. But all of that time was spent solely on the entrance exam. I had asked Elle for help with any questions I didn''t understand, and I had been studying in my own way. Now it was late February. And the entrance exam would be held in early March. There was little time left. I''m sure that in the past, I would have been satisfied that I had done so much. But now it''s different. I wanted to go through to the end, to the limit. For some reason, I''ve been thinking this. What is this feeling? Emotions that could not be explained by just being in love with him. It was certainly something I started out with in the beginning, because I wanted to get to that place where Elle was. I took the exam and hoped I would be accepted... but every time he taught me alchemy, I became more and more obsessed with learning itself. I know that people still think of me as a fool. The rumor seems to have already spread even among the nobility, and I could tell that there were voices that said there was no way I would be accepted, that I should live a life of my own, and that that academy would be impossible, even for royalty. It''s because I heard so much about it at the party at the beginning of the year. But.........it doesn''t matter. Right now, I just keep moving forward. I just have to keep going. ''''Phew.... I took a breath and took a break. I look out and see that it''s snowing again. It''s really cold now. Without a heater, it''s pretty cold indoors and I have to wear very heavy clothes when I go outside. I''m particularly cold, so that''s already causing me to mop up all over my body and go outside. ''''Alice-sama are you still awake?'''' ''Saria. Well yes I''d like to do as much as I can for now. Staying up late is a woman''s worst enemy. '' ... yes, but. But we''re almost there. Okay. Then Saria leaves. She''s a really well-made maid. She gets exactly what I''m thinking. She''s the only one who doesn''t make fun of me. No, she said some pretty harsh things, but it was love. Maybe I''m just mirroring my late mother and her. ''Good.'' Once again, aloud, I went straight to my studies... and the days flew by... and finally the day of my entrance exam arrived. ''''Huh.'''' And when I exhaled, my breath still turned white. I had asked Saria to prepare a lot of things for me, and I was heading to the Canovarian Alchemy Academy, fully warmed up as usual. It seemed to have snowed quite a bit last night, and it was completely piled up. With each step he took, he could feel the peculiar sensation of stomping on the snow. And it''s still snowing a little bit, just a little bit more crisply. I didn''t have to use an umbrella, but I thought it was very magical. The sky was blanketed with white clouds. A faint light was shining through the gaps, illuminating the world. I had arrived very early to be the first one to enter the hall anyway. And when I came to the main gate of the academy..................just as a familiar face was there. ''''Elle-sama.......why?'''' Alice. It''s been a while. There he was, standing there in his long, black coat, leaning against the gate without a scarf. But I didn''t tell him what time I was going. ''It''s finally today,'' Yes..... It''s Alice. I knew she''d be here early. We''ve been waiting an hour ago. ''What?¡¡In this cold weather, you mean...? Yeah. But I''m good in the cold. You don''t have to be lumpy like Alice to be cold. His face as he huffed and smiled was the usual Elle. I didn''t think I would ever see him today. But how could he be here for such an hour before? ''Well. Let''s do this. What''s this? It''s a good luck charm. A blue stone it''s beautiful. ''Right?¡¡I was experimenting a bit, and I happened to come up with some beautiful crystals. I wanted to give it to you. Is that all it took? "Oh. And to tell you this. Alice, I''ll be waiting for you at the Academy next year. Yes. Well, I''m graduating, but maybe you''ll get a chance to meet me here. Are you still on track? ''The fee guy is picky, but it''s not confirmed. I''ll be independent, though, and I''ll have my own workshop. ''I see. That''s very Elle-like. Really? Yeah. Then we talk about a few other things and I walk past him. ''I''ll do my best,'' Oh. Good luck. Yes, sir. And then I stepped on this snow once again as I proceeded into the academy. Believing that what''s waiting for me ahead is surely spring. 96-Episode 96 Alice in wonderland 10: When facing each other I enter the campus. Then I walk into a large classroom. There didn''t seem to be any students taking the exam yet, and I was the first to arrive. By the way, the reason I came early in the morning was also meant to dislike the media. It is already known that I am taking the exam. It''s not that this is the first time that royalty has taken the examination for this academy, but most of them have been rejected. The status of royalty or nobility doesn''t matter in this academy. They just need to be recognized as having the qualifications to enter the school as an alchemist. In order to do so, you have to pass a written and practical test. ''''........Good. I took off the clothes I had come in to keep warm, and as usual, I unfolded my notebooks and began my final review. The time until now has flown by........I suddenly thought. A move that had been repeated over and over again. The sound of turning the pages of the notebook. The texture of the paper. And the sensation of holding a pen. I''ve gotten used to it, but now, for some reason, I miss it. Whether I''m accepted or rejected, whichever way it goes, I''ll probably never be able to work as hard as I did under this kind of pressure again. Thinking about that makes me feel a little sad. Not that there was ever a time when I truly enjoyed this period of study. Of course, there are times when I enjoy it, but I can''t shake the feeling that studying is a task, no matter how far it goes. Sometimes I practiced practical skills to take my mind off things, but I still had to do the steady work of drawing a training camp. I don''t feel exhilarated or happy about it. But even so, I think the reason I''ve been able to come here safely and not give up is because of his presence. When I saw him, I admired the way he lived his life, the way he acted freely. That''s why I wanted to get closer to him. The end of that thought was now. ''''Hmph........'''' I take a breath. There were already a lot of people in the room. And I suddenly realize that their eyes are on me. But that''s as it should be. I''ve already been widely reported, and I was already famous before I took the entrance exam. He looks at me as if I''m an alien being. I''m sure I am, and so is he. We are a little bit different from the world. We are not normal. But that doesn''t mean I was going to force myself to change that way of life. I wanted to live my life the way I wanted to live..................I wanted to live freely, just like him. ''''Then ... begin. When the examiner says so, everyone turns the paper over in unison and starts the test. The paper test at this institute is simple. There are three big questions, and you have to answer all of them in writing. There is no limit to the number of words. All you have to do is give an argument in response to the questions. This was the moment that would change my life. 97-Episode 97: Alice in wonderland 11: Someday, in the Spring It wasn''t snowing anymore and I thought I could hear the footsteps of spring, even though it was still cold. My entrance exam went off without a hitch. I was able to give it my all.......I think. I think I''ve done enough to show what I''ve done so far. But after all, I was still anxious about what I was worried about. And so today was finally........the day of the announcement of my acceptance. ''Alice-sama. Are you going alone? ''Yes. I''ll give you a light disguise, but I''m going to go check it out on my own. ''I see. Okay. That was all Saria could say. She also understood. The reason I''m so anxious and insecure is because I''m insecure. Anxious but ... no, that''s why I thought I should go alone. And since it was still cold, I put on some clothes and then my coat and even a scarf to hide my mouth as much as possible before I went outside. The acceptance announcement will be made at ten o''clock. And now it was past ten o''clock. My acceptance or rejection has already been decided. It will probably be posted at the main gate of the Canovarian Alchemy Academy. My number is number fifty-seven. If that number is on there, I''ve passed the test. On the other hand, if it''s not on there it''s the end of the line. Will all the effort I''ve put in so far be in vain or will I be rewarded? I don''t believe that all my efforts will be rewarded. It''s precisely because of that situation that I had no choice but to try. Because it was the only thing I could do. ''''Hmph........'''' When I stepped outside, it was still cold, but I could feel the warmth of the day somehow. It''s a sunny day. It was clear all the way through. It was so clear and beautiful. And so I move on. How many times have I walked this way? It''s a path I''ve taken many times before, but my footsteps are strangely heavy. ''Yay!'' Congratulations! I''m in! Wow! When I came to the main gate, it was already a festive occasion. People of all sorts were rejoicing and worrying. I stitch my way through them. Normally, there would be a lot of people screaming when they see me, but right now, I don''t know if there''s any room for that or not, but I''m going to head to the bulletin board at the main gate as normal. Soon ... soon, I''ll know. There was no hesitation. I just went straight to the spot, and I looked for the number... and I found it. I found it. When I checked to see if my number was there, I started moving again, getting swept up in the wave of people. That''s how I left the place without anyone finding me. ''''Huh...'''' They come to the riverside nearby. So I sit down and watch the water flowing by. "Alice. Why is this place...? Actually, I''m following you. Next door, okay? Yeah, go ahead. With that, Elle came over and sat down next to him. Her hair was long for a man who usually wears it in a bun, but today it was down. We continue to talk, thrilled by the unusual atmosphere. ''You passed, didn''t you?'' Well, what do you think? That being said, I''ll try to be a little meaner. ''I know how hard Alice tries. So I''m just convinced that I''m passing. I see........well, yes. I passed, I did. I had my number. ''Okay. That''s all well and good, but how can you be so calm? ''........I wonder what it is. When you realize that you''ve passed the test like this...you can''t really feel it the other way around. But ... then why are you crying? What...? It wasn''t until he said that that I realized that. I was ... I was crying. I noticed the tears spilling out. There is no change in my mind. Did I pass? I see. I didn''t think it would make any difference, but the tears wouldn''t stop flowing from my eyes. They''re just pouring out, and when I realize it, they''re pouring out even more. ''Congratulations,'' U....goo...goo...goo...goo...goo... Alice. I think you''ve worked hard to get this far. So let me say that. ''''Elle........why would Elle-sama only say such things......? Yeah. That''s what I came up here to say. Okay. That was it. I understand. I am happy to be rewarded. And I feel glad to have those words spoken by him, of all people. As it was, I continued to cry quietly. And he was right next to me. Until I stopped crying, he was right next to me. 98-Episode 98: Alice in wonderland 12: When the cherry blossoms fall Hey, am I really that beautiful? ''Cause...¡¡Because I care! It''s all right. It''s beautiful, as always. My room. There, I was changing into the costume I would be attending the party. What I will be attending from now on is the graduation ceremony of the Canovaria Alchemy Academy. It''s not that I''m going to attend this time because I''ve been accepted, but for the past few years I''ve been attending because I''m royalty. But this time, my feelings are different than usual. Until now, he said he was just going to do the work, as he always did. That''s how he''d attended the graduation ceremony. I couldn''t understand the hearts of those who shed tears. But I would be enrolled in the next school year. Besides.........it''s Elweed-Willis''s graduation ceremony, so it''s a high profile event in the public eye. I''m really indebted to him. So even though I''m not a current student, I was genuinely happy to be able to meet him. I was looking forward to seeing him graduate. Then I headed to the graduation ceremony. "Elle-sama. Congratulations on your graduation. Hmm?¡¡Oh. Alice. Thank you. Not at all. That was a very nice graduation address. ''I hope so...'' What do you think? No, the mimicry is too much work. ''''Hmmm.......that''s just like you.......'''' The graduation ceremony has ended successfully, and the next venue is a party launch, but in reality it''s a gathering of royalty and upper-class nobility. Among them, the one who stands out from the rest is Elle. But she was aloof as usual, and her mood was no different than usual. Although we try not to stand out and talk in the corner of the hall, we still seem to attract a certain amount of attention. But I don''t care about that. Right now, I just wanted to talk to you. ''''Speaking of which, I hear you''re going to be a teacher at the academy. I heard that........is that true? His path was subject to much speculation, but it was not confirmed. A bright future awaits him. Everyone was hoping for that option. ''Ah. Though I''ll be working part-time and spending the rest of my time studying crops. I''m sure the other noblemen would be appalled to hear that. ''It doesn''t matter. I''ll just live my life the way I want to live it. Hmmm.... that''s so like you. Don''t worry about me. Alice will be enrolled in the next school year. That''s in a few days. Yes. Thanks to you, I''m going to be here. ''Maybe ... no, I''m sure I''ll meet you at the Academy. I know the position is teacher and student. ''Hmm. That''s very exciting. Ah!¡¡Shall we call you sir from now on? ''I don''t really care what it is but in your case it looks like you have a backstory...'' I beg your pardon? No, it''s not... Recently, I''ve started showing my true self, and I feel like I''m getting closer to him. I suddenly looked out through the window...........The flowers had already begun to lightly bloom. The buds on the trees begin their blooming. Will I also........surely I will be able to bloom from now on? Yes, I''m sure I will. Because I''m not alone anymore. 99-Episode 99 Alice in wonderland 13: Days with him Since then, I was safely living my life as a student at the academy. ''''Hey teacher,'''' What? Would you like to join us for lunch today? I don''t mind, but... I''ll see you on the usual rooftop. So I started spending time with Elle, or as I call her now, Sensei, but I started spending time with my teacher. Well I''m doing that intentionally. Actually, Sensei is quite popular. He''s not aware of this at all, but the perception is correct that he''s not aware of it because I have my hands in a lot of things behind the scenes. Because of his good looks, he is especially popular among the female students, and many of them are planning to talk to him. But I have thwarted and prevented every one of them from doing so. This is the first time I''ve been allowed to use my position as royalty. I''m so grateful to be royalty for the first time. ''''Speaking of which...'''' What''s going on, Doctor? We have lunch on the rooftop as usual. By the way, I have Saria, the maid, watch over the rooftop to make sure no one comes to the roof. ''''Alice, things have changed, haven''t they?'''' Is that so? ''Oh. I think he felt more like royalty when we first met... You don''t think so now? ''Yeah. We''re just regular friends. ''Hmm. That''s good to hear. Was it good? Yes. It makes me happy. That''s the way it is. That''s just the way it is. I am not royalty to begin with. In fact, I have a stronger sense of commoners'' consciousness, so when I was told that I was going to be a royal, I was baffled. I learned some etiquette and behavior from him, but I still think it''s easier for me to be with him and it''s more like me. ''So, what do you think?'' What do you think?¡¡What do you mean by that? It''s life at the Academy. Are you keeping up with your classes? ''Well, yes. I studied quite hard for my exams, so I''ll be fine. But writing my graduation thesis seems to be quite a challenge. Well I guess so. You''ve been here two years, right? Well, technically it''s been about six months. ''What?¡¡Six months! ''Oh. Fee has told me to keep my mouth shut, but Alice would be good. In fact, you finished it in the first six months of your enrollment. ''Yes.....you''re seriously a genius....but why is it your second year of graduation?¡¡Then you could have graduated in your first year. The thesis review took longer. Well, I wasn''t really focused on the time it took to graduate, so I just stayed for another year. ''Huh. You will. and I''ve been chatting with my teacher every day these days. Trivial everyday life. But this was surely what I was looking for. I was fine with just this trivial everyday life. But the situation changed when the teacher started to go to the labyrinth. 100-Episode 100 Alice in wonderland 14: What to aim for...! Huh.... Sigh. Ever since the doctor started going to explore the labyrinth, I''ve been meeting him much less often. And having Fee by my side all the time doesn''t sit well with me in a lot of ways. But this is an emotional issue, and I actually know how good Fee is. She was an alchemist who had always been touted as a genius before her teacher showed up. Of course, that fame has reached my ears. Alsphira Medis. Nowadays, she is completely hidden behind her teacher''s shadow, but her ability is unmistakable. Everyone is acknowledging her excellence. So it''s perfectly natural for Fee to follow her teacher''s labyrinthine search. However, I still have a lot on my mind emotionally. So that night, I decided to talk to Saria about it. ''So, what do you think?'' You''re asking me? ''Yes!¡¡I just wanted to get a reference. ''I haven''t seen too many of those two together but I could see the colour in Lady Alfira Medis'' gaze, aside from Lady Elwydd Willis. Yeah, right!¡¡But what about a teacher being a former student...? It''s not a problem. We''re colleagues now. If it was a teacher and a student, that would be a problem, but we don''t have the fetters now. Does that mean...? I suppose that''s what Lady Alice is assuming. ''Oh....'' The spoon spills out of my hand and it lands on my desk. Saria remained calm as she said, "I''ll change it to something else," but I, on the other hand, couldn''t stay calm. ''Duh, what do I do!¡¡I knew Fee was doing something, right! ''I don''t know about that but one of the approaches might be. ''Saria, I don''t know what to do,'' Well I don''t really recommend this one. Just tell me what you need! It is an established fact. A fact that has already been established? I know what it means itself. But when it comes to being aware of it, it''s easy to see how my face gets heated. I feel like I''ve smelled a lot of things to the teacher, but the thought of it happening still makes me more embarrassed. ''As long as it''s a pre-existing fact, it doesn''t matter,'' Oh, really? Yeah. Men are like that. Nothing like a woman''s tears. Okay, good... But in Miss Alice''s case, things are a little different. What do you mean? ''It is not an outward appearance to make such an ardent approach on the part of the princess. What do you mean? We''ll have to bury it in the outer moat. Nah, I see......... After that, Saria taught me a lot of things, and I decided to take action as soon as possible. 101-Episode 101: Alice in wonderland 15: The approaching princess After a careful meeting with Saria, I decided to approach the teacher in various ways as soon as possible. ''''Sensei, how is your lunch today?'''' Hmm?¡¡That''s okay. So I''ve decided to invite him to lunch almost every day that the teacher is at work. But that''s just the way it''s always been. Here''s the problem. Then I remember my meeting with Saria. ''May I, Miss Alice?'' Uh-huh! ''After all, the only way to approach it is to make them aware that Lady Alice is a woman. ''Make me feel like a woman?¡¡Ugh, what exactly? ''Yes. First of all, we need to stick together. Stick with me! And then they would casually press their breasts against each other like this. ''Pressing against my chest!'' Out of the clear sky. I''ve certainly acted like I was approaching the teacher without it before, but I''ve never been that direct. I can act in a thoughtful manner. But when you actually do that kind of thing, when you are aware of it, you can feel your face getting hotter and hotter. ©¤ ©¤ is embarrassing. However, Saria has gone to the trouble of suggesting it. We should do everything first. So I took action immediately. It''s a very good idea. Can I sit next to you? Oh. I mean, you''re always next door. What''s up with that all of a sudden? ''What?¡¡No, it''s nothing!¡¡Ah, haha! Not good. I was so nervous that he pointed out something funny to me. Heh, normalcy.......normalcy, me! ''Oh....'' I let out a fragile voice and leave my body to the doctor who is taking my food. I try to make it seem as if I''m not feeling well. My face is probably red right now, and I''m probably fine...I''ll be fine. ''Oops. What''s wrong, are you okay? I''m... well, I''m not feeling very well. What?¡¡Fever? Maybe.... Already I was casually, or as much as I could, depositing my body to the teacher. And my chest was pressed against that arm, even with this. To be honest, my heart was so tense that I felt like it was going to burst. Boom, boom, boom, boom, my heart was racing. It was getting faster and faster, and I was ready to get out of the way. But when I think about it calmly, isn''t this the kind of lasciviousness I''m talking about...? And before I could calm down for a moment, to my surprise, the doctor put his own forehead on my forehead! ''..... Stand still. ...Hi, hi. Close, close, close, close! My face!¡¡Right beside you! But he''s not aware of my nervousness, and when I speak quickly, the teacher tells Ray calmly. ''Hmm. You''re a little hot. Shall we go to the infirmary? Ji.... Hmm? I''m going by myself! I stood up with a bang on the spot and ran out of the rooftop straight to the bottom. ©¤ Oh, I''m so embarrassed! So I couldn''t bear the shame too much and went down the stairs at a terrific speed. I realize that I''m still too young to be playing with colors at the moment. Tohoho......... 102-Episode 102 Alice in wonderland 16: The princess who works hard! .... What''s the matter, Miss Alice? I put my head on the desk and stayed put. I went back to my room as soon as today''s events had happened. My actions were perfect, I thought. I had thought so in the planning stages. But when it came time to do it, the embarrassment was going to be too much for me to handle. It was something I had been doing somehow before, but to do it again with a renewed sense of awareness... it was not easy. ''''Saria ah........'''' What''s going on? I gave my maid Saria a clinging look and asked for help. ''I tried to run that...'' How did you like it? Ummm... that was a mistake... Do you know what caused it? It''s just that... I turn over. I''m too embarrassed to say the words, but I manage to say them. ''Ha, I was so embarrassed...'' What? That''s why I was so embarrassed! Well you were rather elated in the planning stages? When the time comes to do it, it''s...well...I just can''t... ''Cause...¡¡Yes!¡¡To be approached by a woman, and even by a princess, is... well... it''s just too much! ''That statement would have been credible if you''d said it before you came up with the plan. Now, I thought it was just an excuse. Uh..... When I choke on the words, he places the tea that Saria made for me on the table. I sit down in a chair at the table, drawn by the smell of the tea, and lift my cup of tea and pour it down my throat as usual. I lift the cup of tea and pour it down my throat as usual. The tea made by Saria is very good, after all. My mind naturally calms down. So what''s next? What do you think we should do about...? ''Yes, I suppose so. If direct action is difficult for you, then maybe next time you should try attacking a little more euphemistically. What do you mean by that? It''s just a subtle way of making you feel like a woman. Casually, but isn''t that hard to do? ''Yes, sir. ''The difficulty is considerable.'' I know... Gudee~ I ponder as I place my body on the desk. As I''m thinking like that, an idea comes to mind. ''''Yes!¡¡How about this...? And I''ll tell Saria what I came up with in a nutshell. ''I see. That might be a good idea.'' You bet!¡¡I''m not that embarrassed. Or, more importantly, there''s nothing embarrassing about it! ''Yes. But I thought we should always be careful about things like underwear. ''What?¡¡Why? Saria understands what she means when she whispers in my ear and her face turns red. ''''Na........na na na! ''It''s important, okay?¡¡You don''t want your first time to be a blunder, do you? ''It is!¡¡Yes, but! So I was to carry out my next strategy. 103-Episode 103 Alice in wonderland 17: Days of One Person Since then, I thought about approaching the teacher further, but that''s not going to happen anymore, because the teacher started to explore the maze. The reason for this is because the teacher has started to go exploring the labyrinth. Saria and I had talked about it together, but no one was willing to deal with us, so to be honest, I was bored or... lonely. Without Fee, who was always arguing with me, I really didn''t have any time on hand, or what can I say? ''''Huh...'''' I was in the library alone. Alone. I was reading in the corner of the library. I''ve been collecting books that my teacher says I should read at random. As I pile them up, I get lost in my reading. And now I take a breath and lean back with a giggle. ''Oh no. I can''t wait for you to come home...'' I blurt out to myself. But I know it''s pointless to say that. I didn''t ask for details about when the teachers would be returning. That''s exactly what I found out, they had left. I am really upset. I''ve been with him almost all day, almost every day, and he doesn''t say anything to me, and when he comes back, he''s lecturing me. ''I think I''ll go home,'' And I am heading home alone today, lonely as ever. Just gone. Welcome home. Miss Alice. ''Yeah...'' I dive into it as hard as I can, taking off my clothes in a messy manner and tossing them onto the bed. ''It''s no big deal,'' It''s fine. It''s nothing. I''m all about Saria. Well more like a princess, I suppose. Isn''t that an expression of strength? Well, that''s true, Saria has taught me a lot. She''s also my educator, and she''s taught the nobility and royalty until now. She is surprisingly spartan, or rather, she teaches them well until they are able to do so. But when she''s able to do so, she''ll praise you and never use violence. She''s just a strict and kind person. I loved her so much. Sensei isn''t coming back. Is that so? What about Saria? How could a maid know? Yeah. As I roll around in bed, Saria collects my undressed clothes. Meanwhile, I still lie in bed. And I stare at its canopy. ''Huh ... I can''t wait for you to come home. ''I think Lady Alice needs to learn to be a little more patient. Because you know... you were with me every day, right? You''re not going to be with us on weekends. Shit!¡¡Don''t be such a prick!¡¡We were always together when we went to the academy, so it''s synonymous! Huh.... ''I thought we''d be together forever, but then I realized that everyday life can change in such a staggering way...'' We''ll just have to wait and see. And I would meet my teacher a few days later. But that was definitely the first turning point for me. 104-Episode 104 Alice in wonderland 18: Your Weakness Well, a lot of things have happened since then, and I''ve gotten to know the doctor''s family well enough to get a copy of the key. I''m elated, but today I''m more than happy to see it. It''s that the teacher is finally coming back from the labyrinth! So I am already waiting at the doctor''s house. And after a while, that door was opened.........! ''Firstborn!¡¡Welcome home!¡¡Congrats on the labyrinth! What needed to be said had been decided from the beginning. What a surprise, Sensei had become the second person to tread the labyrinth in this world. He is touted as the greatest genius alchemist of all time, but he has once again created an achievement that lives up to that name. So of course I send words of support to my teacher. As I was waiting for my teacher''s words, I was suddenly hugged with all my might. ''''What!¡¡Huh!¡¡What''s the matter with you?¡¡Did you hit your head in the labyrinth! ''No I''m ... I''m feeling very blessed ... thank you, Alice ...'' ''No that''s fine but, well yes...'' There was no doubt that something had happened in the labyrinth. But I wasn''t about to step into it with my feet of clay. I thought at that moment. The teacher is a human being just like us and has weaknesses too. The greatest genius alchemist of all time. From his title, he is a genius and seems to have no weaknesses. But no one is that perfect. People have always been creatures that cannot exist without someone else. It''s impossible to live a solitary life. I now understand that this is a matter of course. So I didn''t ask any questions. "Sir, the bath is boiling again today. Oh thank you. After the doctor took a bath, we had dinner together. We really talked about other things at that time. I tried to talk as cheerfully as I could about how I had gotten to know Rita, what I had noticed in taking care of Proto and the others. Then the teacher suddenly looked prepared and said ''Hey ... Alice, will you listen to me?'' What do you mean? It''s about the great adventure in the Sixth Labyrinth. Yes! Of course I listened to the story in silence. The teacher told the whole story with an occasional painful look on his face. At the same time, I stood up from the spot and stood in front of the teacher. ''Sir,'' Alice... There are days when it''s okay to cry. .... I''ll give you my tits. I''m sorry... The doctor hugged me tightly and just cried quietly. It wasn''t a sobbing, wailing cry. He was just crying.......quietly. I knew. That the teacher is also a weak person. But at the same time, I loved him more. I was once again aware that I loved him. 105-Episode 105: Alice in wonderland 20: Fleeting Days Hey, Doc. What''s going on? Are you going somewhere else? ''Well we may have to go back to another labyrinth for a bit. Okay. When the teacher returned from the Sixth Labyrinth, I discovered his weakness. The greatest genius alchemist of all time. I know that that name is not an honorable one. Still, the teacher is also a human being. Weaknesses exist just like us. I was somewhat happy to know that. Because I felt as if the teacher, who always felt so far away, was near me. ''''........Is the doctor okay now?'''' I ask him in a slightly different tone of voice. I always have a habit of joking around, but this time I was serious. I stare into the teacher''s eyes. Then I see the teacher smiling. Oh. It''s all right now. Alice has really taken care of me, hasn''t she? No, no, I''m not. The doctor gently pats me on the head. I''m sure that my presence is still like a sister to him. I knew that very well from our previous relationship. But it was still good. In fact, I was afraid that this relationship was going to change dramatically. I hoped that this kind of life would continue forever. ''Then I''m going to go,'' ''Yes. We''ll have lunch together again, won''t we? Yeah. The teacher dashing away. His back was indeed the same as usual. It doesn''t mean I''m completely fine, but I''ve come to terms with it.......or so I thought. And I was also leaving this rooftop. As I walked down the stairs from the rooftop, I bumped into her. ''It''s not Fee,'' ''Princess Alice?¡¡Do you have any idea where Elle has gone? He just got off the train. Huh.....misunderstanding.... Alsphira-Medis. Currently, I would say that he is the closest thing to a teacher. She is my rival. Although he himself doesn''t show any such pretense, I already know that there is color in the gaze that looks at my teacher. Honestly, I would never go exploring the labyrinth with you! But it can''t be helped. Fee is a genius alchemist, second only to his teacher. She''s in the shadows now, but I''ve been hearing about her talent since I was a little girl. And most of all.......she''s beautiful. I''m certainly aware that I''m on the pretty side too, but I still sense that there''s something different about an adult''s charm. In this case, I should describe it as bewitching......... That''s why I don''t like that kind of Fee. I''m sure we might have gotten along better if the teacher wasn''t involved, but that''s it. This is the thing. ''''Then I''ll leave you with that. "Fee. "?¡¡What is it? Fee turns and looks up at me. Her beautiful blonde hair swayed slightly. And she had a somewhat strange expression on her face. ''Are you going to the labyrinth again?'' ...that''s a possibility. Okay. Well, take care of the teacher. ...Yes. Okay. I bowed my head and Fee went downstairs. Thus, I would not be able to see the doctor again for a while. At the same time, I was completely oblivious to the looming threat to this kingdom. 106-Episode 106 Alice in wonderland 21: Strange Gaze The teacher had gone into the labyrinth again and I was bored. Of course, a student''s main purpose is to study. I come to the academy every day without fail, and I work hard on my studies even after I get home late at night. I''m not a genius by any means. Compared to my teachers, I''m just an ordinary genius. It was because I was aware of such a fact that I was able to work hard every day. ''''........'''' I''m the only one in the library. In the back corner, I unfold my notebook and read my textbook. The textbook written by the teacher is written in a way that is easy to understand, even for a beginning student. But the more I turn that page, the more advanced it gets, the more difficult it gets, really. And I remember a conversation I had with my teacher. ''How do you study, teacher?'' ''I am. If you read it, you can generally understand it in one sitting. What ... one time? Yeah. Is this what you mean by not being helpful? I knew the teacher had a genius mind. But I didn''t think it was unfair that I could understand it after reading it just once and even retain it as knowledge. I think it''s really unfair. How much do you think I''ve learned! And well it''s no use complaining about it. That''s the kind of person he is with the teacher. But he wasn''t sarcastic like that at all. He was just telling the truth in a matter-of-fact way. That''s how I felt. That''s how I spent my days without my teacher. I felt lonely, but I guess I''d gotten used to it now, and I was rather okay with being alone. Besides, I have friends now, so I''m not that lonely. But still.........the days without the teacher were somehow insufficient. ''''Huh........'''' Lady Alice. Welcome home. Yes. When I return to my room, Saria brings me a cup of tea. ''How was your day?'' Well that''s pretty normal. Okay. I don''t have a teacher, so I don''t really have much to do. Aren''t students supposed to be studying? ''That''s ... yes, but ... That''s why I''m trying so hard! I can''t help but raise my voice a little bit as he says the right thing. ''''Huh. I was just kidding. Saria smiles inappropriately. She occasionally smiles, as if to say, play a prank on him or something. But that''s a sign of trust, so I''m very happy. But even if she just indifferently takes care of your personal affairs, it''s still just empty. In such a situation, Saria is the only one who stays close to me like this. Even if the teacher wasn''t there, I was happy just to have her there. ''''Speaking of which...'''' What''s going on? I hear Prince Oscar has been relieved of his house arrest. Okay. It''s cold. After what he did to you, you know? That''s what I was thinking at the time. But I didn''t know. I didn''t know that something big was about to happen. 107-Episode 107: Alice in wonderland 22: Adult correspondence Huh.... Sigh. I''ve gotten used to the days without my teacher. But I can''t help but feel ... well ... lonely. ''How can I help you?'' Holiday. As usual, Saria makes tea for me. The tea she makes is really good. And since we''ve known each other for many years, she really knows what I like. ''''It''s kind of............. She said it''s kind of lonely without her teacher. Didn''t you say before this that you''re used to it? That''s not what I''m talking about! Protest. Yes. It''s different. Even though I understand it in theory, my emotions still inevitably reject it. A maiden''s heart is a complicated thing. ''''Ah ... come to think of it ...'''' What''s going on? ''I understand Master Oscar wishes to apologize to Lady Alice as well. Yes.... You look blatantly uncomfortable. Because, you know... That''s what they say, but it''s not surprising. There is no such thing as a good impression after doing all that to the teacher. To begin with, I don''t get along with the other royalty very well, but among them, I can say that Oscar-sama is the least compatible with them. Most of all, I don''t like that superior attitude........ Besides, what he did to the teacher, my reputation is the worst. It''s honestly a bother to meet someone like that now. ''''But I''m on my way, so by all means..................... I heard that you are currently going around apologizing to the other royals as well. I''ve heard from the other maids that they''re showing sincerity in everything they do. If you show a less than sincere response here, though, that would be awesome... Well, if you really don''t want to, I''ll let you know... .... Think about it. I could refuse here, but I don''t see why I should be so stubborn.... Should I also be an adult here? It''s not that they are going to do anything to you, but it''s not that they are going to do anything to you. There is nothing wrong with receiving an apology. ''''I can''t help it, though. I can meet with you. Oh, dear. How''s that for a windbreaker? Saria said with a look of pride on her face. I am also growing up. You can''t live on emotions alone forever. It''s not that I can''t see my teacher........I''m sure it has nothing to do with that. Yeah......... ''Well, I thought it would be nice if I just received an apology. I''m an adult myself, you know? Saria looks at me like that with white eyes. ''''Real adults don''t say things like that, but.......I understand. I will tell you. Wait a minute. There''s something I can''t hear you say right now... No, sir. I didn''t say anything. It''s really a bad disposition........ This is how I met with Oscar-sama again. 108-Episode 108: Alice in wonderland 23: The turning point I was to meet with Brother Oscar. I don''t want to invite him to my room, so I head to the reception room inside the royal castle. Saria is waiting behind me. I''m afraid to meet her alone, or perhaps I should say no, but I asked her to accompany me anyway. And when I entered the room..................Oscar-sama was there. ''Alice. It''s been a while. ''It''s been a while brother Oscar.... He was haggard. His cheeks were slightly furrowed. The stubble also stood out. I thought that was unusual for a man who cared so much about his appearance. Did this case resonate with him more than he thought? ''''Excuse me.'''' When we are seated, I face him across the table. ''I''m so sorry for what happened...'' When I see him bowing his head honestly, I accept it. It''s not that I can''t start refusing to do that here. As for my emotions, I have my thoughts......I''ll show you a firm response. ''''No. I haven''t suffered any direct damage. Rather, I thought it would be better to apologize firmly to the person who caused you trouble. ''It''s already done, of course. But I don''t think that''s enough to absolve me of this crime, but... Surprisingly, I thought it was an auspicious thing to say. The man has always been somewhat enthusiastic or blindly trusting, so I''m a bit impressed with his remorse this time around. ''Well then, my apology is accepted, so I''ll take it from here. Oh. Thank you for taking the time to make time for me. I stare at my brother Oscar, who bows his head on the spot, and I break my gaze and go straight back to my room. ''That was kind of anticlimactic,'' Is that so? Yeah. He speaks of such things as he and Saria are on their way back. ''But you certainly seem to have changed a bit,'' Right?¡¡I don''t know if it''s a lack of supremacy or what, but the apology was proper, so it doesn''t matter. It was, but... What''s going on? She pretends to think about it for a bit. Then I stop and ask her how Saria is doing. ''''Well on the contrary, she''s changed too much and there''s something wrong with her...'''' What do you mean by that? You don''t think so? It''s just that I''m a little different now, I guess. Is that right? Yeah. ''Well I suppose you''re right. It''s just my imagination. ''Saria always says thoughtful things. Oh, God, no. ''Hmm. I''m sorry. At this time, I had no interest in that person at all, so I was just playing along. It was more important now to know when the doctor would return. But for sure, there was no doubt that a great will had begun to move without my knowledge. 109-Episode 109: Alice in wonderland 24: Aura .... As usual I was in the library working hard on my studies. Even though I have the academic ability to enter the school, I still lack knowledge. And my alchemy skills are also poor. That''s all because I think that''s based on my teacher, but I really want to get as close to him as possible. That''s why I don''t miss my daily studies. Even if he isn''t there, I''ll still spend my days the same as always. ''''........hmm?'''' Suddenly, I turn around. Lately, I''ve been thinking about it, but I feel eyes on me. At first I thought it was just my imagination. But that gaze is definitely staring at me...I have the feeling that it''s staring at me. ''''Huh?¡¡Alice? Rita. Hi.... Pecori bows his head. Rita Medis. She is Fee''s cousin, who belongs to Elzemi. She has a very bright personality, and we''ve been good friends lately. It''s a rare person I recognize as a friend, someone I should call a friend. ''What are you doing here?'' I''m learning. As usual. ''What!¡¡You do it all the time! Well, yeah. ''That''s great!¡¡I knew you were amazing, Alice! She said with a smile on her face. At first she spoke in a distant way because I was a princess, but when I asked her to be normal, Rita began to speak to me in this way, even if she was a princess, she didn''t hesitate to talk to me. As for me, I''m more comfortable with being treated as a friend rather than being seen as a princess. Because of my origins, I don''t feel uncomfortable about being seen in the same light. Other royalty people say that their duties as royalty are ~ or something like that, but that didn''t matter. ''''Well. I''d better go home now, but........ ''Oh!¡¡Okay, well can I join you? She was still smiling and smiling. Seeing her like that, it was impossible for me to refuse her unreservedly. ''''Fine, though,'''' Yay! Rita jumps up to me while saying that. Maybe this is what it means to be a friend in the true sense of the word. Thinking about this, I walk out of the academy with Rita. ''''NeNe. What do you think about your teacher, Alice? No matter how much I admire you. Yeah. Is that really all you''ve got? Is this what is commonly called a love story? It seems that Rita could see through this. I''m going to reveal my feelings honestly. I''m sure you''re not the only one. I love you, but.... Oh. I knew it!¡¡I was wondering if that was true........but I see. I like your sister Fee too, so it might be a bit complicated... Rita looks down at her face as she shudders. It seems that Rita knows that Fee is attracted to the teacher. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it''s not a problem. But you can''t fall in love with the teacher. I''m fine!¡¡I respect you, but I don''t see you as a man. Okay. Good for you. Oh. I''ll go this way then. Bye, Alice. Yeah. Goodbye. With a big, energetic wave, Rita just runs off. In doing so, she turns around. After all, someone was watching me........that much was for sure. 110-Episode 110: Alice in wonderland 25: The day when movement begins The days went on as usual. Then I heard a rumor from Saria. ''What?¡¡Is that true? No, it''s just a rumor. It''s just a rumor. It''s a hot topic of conversation among the maids. No, no. That''s not going to happen. The story was that there were people who were trying to stage a coup in this kingdom. Although the kingdom has shed blood several times in the past over royal rights, there have been no major wars in the past few hundred years. The status of the royal family is also unshakable, and it can be said that this kingdom, which is world-famous for its alchemy, has entered a period of complete stability. This kind of gossip is a common occurrence. As expected, this is the first time I''ve heard of this kingdom being turned upside down, but I kick that story to the curb. ''''I''ve heard the stories from the maids too, and I said it''s impossible. Some of them seem to enjoy the rumor. ''Well I like the rumors. Especially women. ''That''s true. There are numerous stories among the maids about who''s dating who, and so on. This one is probably just that much of a rumor anyway. Yeah. Now I''m coming home from school and having tea and sweets. I loved this time more than anything else. Today I only had classes in the morning and nothing in the afternoon. I could have gone home after studying at the academy, but today I was just coming back like this because I really wanted to drink the tea that Saria was brewing. ''Alice-sama. How do you like the academy? He asks, and I answer my feelings honestly. ''Well it''s fun. I still miss my teacher.'''' They''re coming home soon, I hear. Really? Leaning forward. Just hearing that story made me feel like my heart was dancing. ''Yes. As I recall, the Witchcraft Society received such information. ''I see... finally coming home...'' It''s not that long a period of time. But for me, not seeing the teacher for weeks is the equivalent of not seeing him for a year. Finally. Finally, the teacher is coming back. What will I talk about when he comes back? I let such a thought run through my brain. "Hmm........ You have a big grin on your face. ''No!¡¡Because the teacher is coming back! Saria points out to me, but I can''t help but grin. So I stand up and start spinning around on the spot. ''Alice-sama. I thought it was a bit trivial. Dah-rah!¡¡That''s what I can do without dancing! Well, I''m sorry to hear that, but... You know!¡¡Aww. I can''t wait to meet the doctor.... I look forward to it. But I hadn''t yet noticed at this time the anomaly that was surely imminent. 111-Episode 111 Alice in wonderland 26: Beginning Hmmm......... I turned over. By that time, I was somewhat awake and conscious. But I''m not a good sleeper. I usually stick around a bit longer, trying to coax myself to sleep. Since it''s a holiday, no one complains if I sleep until about noon or so. So. Except for Saria. She always wakes me up at the same time, whether it''s a weekday or a holiday. That habit has never changed. Ever since I came to Saria''s care, it has continued every day. ''''Ummm........what?'''' Suddenly, I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was past nine o''clock now. That''s strange. Saria will definitely come to wake you up at exactly 7am. If she doesn''t wake up even though I call out to her, she will also take the bedding from me. Fighting Saria like that is the start of my day. And yet........for the first time Saria did not come. ''''........What''s going on? The sheer discomfort of it all wakes me up. ''Salyer?¡¡Sallya! Walking around in the castle. It''s strange. There are usually a lot of people, but today there''s no one there. ''Why...?¡¡Why isn''t anyone here? I am stunned. Even though the royal castle is usually full of people, right now there is no one there. It''s completely deserted. After that, I continued to run inside the royal castle. I looked for signs of people, wondering if anyone was there. But no matter how much I looked for someone, I couldn''t find it. ''''Saria?''''¡¡Saria! Look hard. Salia. I couldn''t wait to see her. I wanted to spend the morning talking shit like I always did. But no matter how far I looked, this royal castle was deserted. It was as if this place was the only one that felt cut off from the world. ''''If you go outside...'''' He blurts out. Yes. I''m sure he''ll be fine once he gets outside. I should just ask someone to talk to. With that thought in mind, I start to walk out of the royal castle.... ''''Warding?'''' Yes. What was strung up there was a ward. I''ve never actually seen one, but it was definitely a type of warding. It''s something I''ve heard about in my teacher''s class. So that means I can''t leave this royal castle? Why, why, why is this happening? Even if you say so, no one will answer that question. Just one person. I was now trapped in the royal castle in solitude. ''''Yes ... if you go underground. As I recall, there was an underground space in this royal castle as an emergency exit. My memory isn''t clear, but right now I have no choice but to go there. So I tried to run out of there but................................but he appeared in front of me. ''Hi. Alice. What''s up?¡¡So fast. Brother Oscar? Normally, I should be happy to have met someone here. But I did not approach them. It was because I sensed that Brother Oscar''s mood was too foreign to me. ''Alice. I have a place for you to go. I would do so, and I would confront him. 112-Episode 112 Alice in wonderland 27: The End Hmm..... I wake up. The first sensation I felt was cold........ "Is this...? I looked around at the hit, stunned. And I immediately understood. This is a prison in the basement of the royal castle. It''s not used now, but I had heard that it was often used in the past. In front of me was an iron grate. Moonlight pouring down from overhead. My clothes were the same as they were before I lost consciousness. But why am I here? I don''t know. As I recall, I met Brother Oscar and all the memories from that encounter had fallen clean off. And then I heard a distant ... a knocking sound of shoes. ''Hi. Alice. I thought it was about time you woke up. "...Brother Oscar. What is this........ I shoot him a sharp look. But he smiles, as if he doesn''t care about my gaze. ''Just in time. Elwydd Ulysses is gone. And there were infinitely fewer people to interfere with in the current kingdom. You''re not going to rebel, are you? The last time I saw him, it was all an act. Gili, I grit my teeth. I wasn''t particularly aware of it at the time, being someone I wasn''t interested in to begin with. Perhaps the fact that he was going around apologizing was part of the investigation. ''''Huh.......I''m receiving a revelation from God. What are you talking about? You don''t. It''s not something you can understand. Do you really think there''s a God...? I raise my voice in protest and he glares at me with a snap. ''You better be careful what you say. There is a God. I''ve witnessed it with my own eyes. .... I did not say another word. And so Brother Oscar left. The days after that were just spent in a daze. The food and minimal grooming was already prepared for me. I was relieved to know that I wasn''t going to let him starve to death here, but I was still concerned about the current situation in the kingdom. How much time had already passed? Even that is already scarce. I just spent my days and spent more and more time in a daze. In those moments, he still remembered his teacher. What is he doing now? He couldn''t help but think about such things. And then the time came. ''''Hmm........hmm?¡¡What''s that noise? I wake up. That''s because there was some kind of explosion sound in the castle. It was not something that could be ignored, as it was a stone. After a while, many footsteps could be heard. And so it was none other than the one who came. It was him. ''''Alice!¡¡I wish you were safe! Doctor...? I was truly relieved to see him for the first time in a long time. 113-Episode 113: Time to proceed We knew it was going to be quite a battle, and after careful preparation we were finally going to raid the royal castle. But something was wrong with that. ''Fee. What do you think? ''Well maybe there''s something special going on? What do you mean by that? ''No, I don''t know about that but...'' The two of us stepped up to the rear of the squad. Fee and I are fighting mainly to support them with alchemy. Our main method of attack is also ice, and we try to avoid hurting them as much as possible. It turns out that this is what we found out later, but it seems that the soldiers who betrayed us are missing the memory of that time. None of them remembered it clearly, they were just stunned...it was like a dream. That''s what they all said. I''m sure the doctors will take care of that side of things, and we will finally come to the royal castle. However, we didn''t come face to face with any members of the Rosenkreuz. We would have to fight somewhere sooner or later. That''s what we discussed at the meeting, and I had prepared myself to a certain extent, but.......for some reason, I didn''t come out. In the first place, we already know that the mastermind of this case is not Alice, but Prince Oscar. And yet, there''s no sign of him showing up at all. In fact, I wonder if he''s really behind this whole mess. I''m not sure he''s even behind it. ''''I heard Princess Alice is in the basement, but...'''' Well, that''s just a guess. It''s just a guess based on the story of a prison underneath the castle... and I guess we''re here. As the two of us were talking like that, an enemy came from out of nowhere, zoned in. But it was the same as before...........and it looked completely insane. ''''Let''s go!'''' Yeah! After that, it was over in no time at all, as usual. Me and Fee froze our feet, and then it was just a matter of letting the knight humans in front of us take care of the rest. Again, especially this time, we were able to finish the battle without any casualties on both sides. While watching the post-event processing like that, Fee and I sort out this situation again. ''''........It''s still strange.'''' Ah. It''s definitely safe to assume that there is some kind of curse on him. A kind of curse. The reason I describe it that way is because there are no clear traces of the curse, not that there are traces of the curse. I was also present at the witnessing, but certainly no traces remain. But without a doubt, I''m thinking that there is some alchemy.......or magical element to it. ''Well. Elle. I think it''s time to go. .... What''s going on? He stared at me with concern in his face, but I replied, not particularly concerned about the question that had arisen in my mind. ''Nope. It''s nothing. Let''s go, Fee. Yeah. And so we made our way through the castle. 114-Episode 114 You Can Hear Your Voice You run through the castle. But there is no sign of Alice at all. It is said that Alice is the mastermind behind this incident, but few on our side believe it. Especially us, we know very well what happened to Alice. We know that she is not a person who has any thoughts of revolting against the kingdom. At first glance, she appears innocent and ladylike, but in fact, she''s a prankster and a black-hearted person. Fee and I know that Alice is such a person well. That''s why I''m absolutely convinced that Alice is not the mastermind behind what''s going on here. I''ve been going around the castle with Fee, but there''s no sign of him. I suspect that she is in the basement. But the problem is that we can''t find the entrance to the basement. ''''What do we do about Fee?'''' "I can''t find the entrance to the basement. Hmmm. What should I do? Shall we open up? By force...? Gulping and clearing her throat, Fee looks at me. She''s probably thinking a lot of things, seeing as she doesn''t immediately deny it. I don''t just say that recklessly either. The body itself is in a moment. Therefore, I''m only presenting it as a means to pry it open by force. And at that moment........I can hear a familiar voice in my brain. ''''Teacher........help me. Sensei......... I stare down at the bottom of where I am. ''Elle?¡¡What''s wrong? I heard a voice. It''s Alice''s. Yeah but I didn''t hear it. I heard it. I heard it. He must be down here. It''s a hunch. Only I would understand that fact. But I was certain of it. "Fee. We''re going to break through this. What... wait! Without listening to Fee''s opinion, I used my alchemy to smash through the floor as hard as I could. Then, what spread out below this.......was an underground space. As it landed below, I urged Fee, who was above me, to come down as well. ''Fee!¡¡Get down here! ''It''s deep!¡¡You''re scaring me! I''ll catch it. I''ll be fine! Ugh....I should have lost weight if this was going to happen... I''ll be fine!¡¡I can handle the heaviness! Shut up! Feeling ready, Fee jumps straight down to me. Of course, I''m doing some physical strengthening, so I take her in a firm side hug. ''''Wow!'''' Okay. It''s a little heavy. Shit!¡¡Shut up!¡¡Hurry up and put me down! Okay. I jittered in my arms, so I let Fee down gently to the spot as it was. Looking around, I saw that the expanse was a passageway. It was dimly lit, with only a faint glow up ahead. But Alice must be up ahead. There was no doubt about it. ''Fee!¡¡Let''s go! Hey!¡¡Wait! And so we ran through the underground space. 115-Episode 115 Blue Light "Teacher... help... I can definitely hear Alice''s voice. And we''ve been wandering around in this underground space. "Elle. You said you could hear me, where are you? I don''t know. What ... what does that mean? Fee gives me a pouting look. But how to explain this I don''t know the details either. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry, I don''t understand it either. But I hear Alice calling for help.... ..... I have no idea what the phenomenon is. Nevertheless, Fee has never pursued it any further. We''ve known each other for a rather long time, but this kind of part of Fee''s life is really helpful. ''''More importantly, I''ve been holding onto my sleeve for a long time, but...'''' ''Cause...¡¡It''s dimly lit!¡¡There are spiders and cockroaches and...! Yes. In this underground space, there are only dim lights. Therefore, we are in the process of creating lights at hand and managing to progress. And Fee is holding onto my sleeve tightly. No, it''s now in the form of a form that is now completely nestled in my arms. It''s very difficult to move around but........it can''t be helped. Nevertheless, this space feels strangely alien to me. It''s not because it''s dimly lit, but rather that my senses are becoming more acute.........................I can feel something. And the back and forth sensation is quite suspicious. We seem to be moving forward, but where are we actually walking? The only clue is Alice''s voice that occasionally echoes in this brain. But now it''s all but inaudible. I could hear it clearly when I was up there, but now there was nothing. I was going to rely on that voice again to move on.......but I was usually lost. That''s right. This place is similar. The labyrinth and its structure are very similar to each other. ''Fee. Isn''t this place similar to the maze? ''''Ah ... if you ask me, it''s true that we''re similar in terms of sense...'''' After all, Fee seemed to feel the same way. The basement of the royal castle resembled a labyrinth. No, perhaps this place is something close to a labyrinth. Considering that, is it quite difficult to capture it...? Hey. Elle. What''s going on? What''s that...? It''s a light. But it''s blue. Yeah. It''s kind of spooky. At the end of the dim space, there was something that glowed blue. It was not clearly visible. The only recognition is that there is a blue light in front of it. ''''Let''s go...?'''' We''ll have to go. Hey, walk a little slower! And so we went deeper. 116-Episode 116 Seeking Her The blue light we found in the basement. In search of it, Fee and I have been making progress but we haven''t been able to get to that light at all. ''Hey, Elle. I can''t reach that light, but... Yeah. Why are you so calm? No, I''m thinking about it. Okay. I quickly turn my thoughts back to the consideration of that light again. I never get to the blue light I found. We''ve been walking all the way, but where we are now we don''t even know where we are.... This place is like a labyrinth. That''s the intuition of me and Fee, who have experienced the labyrinth before. And I''m pretty sure it''s the right thing to do. To begin with, the size of the space is alien to us. We''ve walked a few kilometers for sure. And that''s probably more than this royal castle. And yet we''re still underneath the royal castle. We know that because Fee has an alchemy of our position, but it seems that we haven''t moved much at all. Now, what should we do from here on out........ As I was thinking about this, suddenly the presence of a person disappears from behind me. ''''Fee?'''' I turned around. Then there was no one there. Just a dark space. It''s impossible to be away from them in the short time that we have now. So how could this be so...? As I was thinking this, Poof, Fee appeared in front of me. ''Oh, that?¡¡Didn''t you just go somewhere Elle? ''That''s what I''m saying, but...'' What do you mean by that? We both realize that something is wrong with our current situation. Maybe me and Fee weren''t going somewhere with each other, we were originally in the front... but we couldn''t perceive it? There was no sign of that at all for the instantaneous kind of movement. The next thing I knew, Fee was gone, and then he appeared in front of me. Then, as we were dumbfounded by each other, I felt that light suddenly become closer. ''Look, Elle. Isn''t it getting closer? Well you''re certainly getting close. What does that have to do with what just happened? ''It would be reasonable to think so. But..... It seemed inexplicably dangerous to go on from here. This underground space was definitely not normal. Unlike the labyrinth, we don''t go down further underground, but there might be some mystery in this vast expanse of space. No, can we really define this place as a vast space in the first place? Such a question suddenly passed through my brain. Come to think of it, we''re cruising the same place. And I''d always assumed that that light was far away. In the first place, that idea itself is probably wrong. ''Fee. I don''t know what''s going to happen from here. But it''s a little late for that, isn''t it?¡¡Let''s go, Elle. There was a definite will in those eyes. Apparently, my fears were unfounded. And so we continued on through this space. 117-Episode 117: Beyond Apparently, you could say this place is synonymous with the labyrinth. ''Yes. It''s definitely different here. We''re wandering around in search of blue light, but the fact that too much time has passed in quicksilver means that we''re beginning to realize that this place is not normal. No matter how much we walked, we never felt like we were moving forward. That light would never get any closer. When I got here, I decided to take a break for now because there was no point in walking in the dark. ''''Huh ... you''ve walked quite a bit. Yes. But I don''t know what to do about it. For now, we both sit in place. We stop here, next to each other, leaning against the wall. Then, I discuss with Fee about the future prospects. ''Elle, what are we going to do? We can''t go back now after we''ve come this far, but...'''' I don''t think we''re going back. I suppose we''d better focus on finding Alice. But didn''t Fee know that the basement of the royal castle was like this? ''I don''t know. In the first place, they may come to the royal castle, but they never come underground. Okay. Well. How do we proceed from here on out... Think about it. Apparently we were going to rescue Alice, but we''ve gone completely astray. However, assuming that this place is synonymous with the labyrinth, there must be some kind of gimmick. However, I haven''t found a clue yet. If there is one, it is that blue light. I''ve been thinking about this for a while now, and then I feel strange about the light in the corner of my eye. Fee. Is that thing getting closer? ''Eh ... no way ... it''s true. You''re kind of closer than you were before. Yes. We''re not moving, but that blue light is closer than it was earlier. So we both stand up and try to walk towards it. Without fail, the more we walk, the closer we get to it. What could this mean? Could it be that there is a time cycle? The reasoning is still unclear, but as I continued on, the light stopped coming closer and closer from a certain distance. I''m close, but I can''t seem to get any closer. ''Yes. Maybe there is a time cycle. You mean ... there are certain times of the day when you can get close? ''Hypothetically, though. This could possibly be a race against time. Ugh ... are you going to be here forever? You''re used to it in the maze. I''m used to it, but I''m not really good in the dark... He squeezes my sleeve, but I don''t say anything at the moment. Fee is definitely not good in the dark, and he''s still forcing himself to follow me. We would then take another break. 118-Episode 118: Beyond the Light "Teacher... help me, teacher... Buck wakes up. Right now I''m taking turns with Fee to get some light sleep. And now it was just my turn.......I heard Alice''s voice. No, maybe hearing is not the right way to describe it. It was as if it echoed directly into my head........such a feeling. Of course, I immediately check with Fee. ''Fee, did you hear that?'' What... what?¡¡What happened to you when you suddenly woke up? I knew it... Then he decided to explain to Fee what had just happened. Not that this is the first time this has happened. Just before I descended into this underground space, I heard Alice''s voice. I was the only one who could hear that voice. Fee''s, on the other hand, didn''t hear it. It''s reasonable to assume that this is something. ''I see. I see. Could it be that Princess Alice is calling out to Elle directly?¡¡I''m not sure of the means. ''Yes. The voice was also calling out to me for help. It might be reasonable to think so. It''s hard to believe that he''s just picking up the words he''s muttering, though. Yeah. Well, I''ll go to bed next. Yeah. Here, use my knee. Well, I''ll leave you to it. There''s no bedding here for a nap, though. I used to borrow Fee''s lap to take a nap, too. So we''re going to take turns, and I honestly encourage Fee to put her head in my lap. After a while, you can hear Fee''s sleep. She is breathing in her sleep, but she must have been really tired. This is the situation. I decided to take a nap. I had to take a nap, too, and I went right back to sleep. And then I''ll sort out this situation again by myself. First of all, I need to know where Alice is. I''m pretty sure she''s in this underground space. That''s because I have the sense that those voices are getting closer. The spacing between the voices is getting closer, too. It was the same with that blue light. When I get close to that light, I can hear Alice''s voice. No, if you think about it.......could that light be Alice herself.......? And at such a moment, that light suddenly begins to shine like a blink of an eye. ''''The light........'''' That blinding light gains more momentum. I panic and shake Fee''s body. "Fee, hey. ''Fee.'' Hmm... is it that time already...?¡¡Not fast. Look at that. ''What...?¡¡There''s something really shiny about it. Let''s go. What?¡¡Elle! I was running towards that light as if spurred on by something. 119-Episode 119: The Place That Arrived Since then, we''ve been on our way, taking several breaks. In the midst of it all, that blue light was still getting closer and closer. And at the same time, Alice''s voice was becoming more and more audible. But it was still apparently not heard by Fee. ''''Hiiiiiiii!¡¡There''s a big rat right now! They''re nothing more than rats. Let''s go. Elle is fine, but I can''t do it! And then he grabs my arm firmly, shivering. Right now, that blue light is helping me to move forward firmly, but it''s still dim. There are not only rats on the ground, but other insects and other things crawling around as well. Fee, who seems to be afraid of that, is thus walking along in fright. For me, it''s a bit of a hassle, but Fee is helping me in many ways. And since it''s too late to see how scared she is, for now, we both continue to walk forward without worrying about it. ''''Ugh........I''m kind of hungry too.......'''' You complain a lot. ''Cause...¡¡And I wasn''t expecting it to take this long! ''Well that''s true. This underground space was too unexpected. You know!¡¡Huh I can''t wait to get back and have a clean room to eat in. ''I agree with you on that. Besides, I can''t wait to get back to my normal routine. Yeah. But I''m sure it will be over soon. It was a fact that the rebellion in the royal capital was almost settled. It''s a good thing that the opposition''s progress has lost all momentum since the middle of the game. It''s still a mystery, but the fact that we''ve been able to progress to the castle is proof of that. I''m sure that by the time they are rescuing Alice, all of this will be over outside. ''''M........Fee. Look at that. Hmm?¡¡What''s that? Finally, we reached the blue light. And it was a prison. We found a young girl lying down on the spot. She had blue hair and a slightly slender body. There''s no doubt about it, she is........ ''''Alice!¡¡You wanted to be safe! Doctor...? I raised my voice and turned my head to look at him. It was definitely Alice''s. Her face seemed to be a bit muffled, but her sanity was firmly in place. I force my way through that prison and quickly lean in close to her. ''We''ve finally made it.'' What, sir...?¡¡Not a hallucination? Oh. I''m not hallucinating. And there''s Fee. Hi. Princess Alice. ''Well I see....'' Relieved, Alice hugged me and shed tears quietly. After many twists and turns, we succeeded in rescuing Alice. However, it seems that there is still a lot of mystery to be solved. 120-Episode 120: the end of everything Doctor, how did you find this place? ''I saw a blue light, and I followed it. Blue light...? Yeah. Any idea? No. Not really, but... Okay. Let''s rest for now, for now. Alice has been here all the time and it must have been hard for her. Then her eyes gradually moisten. She takes Alice''s hand in hers and slowly pulls her to her own chest. ''You''ve done well on your own. You''re all right now.'''' Sir. Then she pressed her head against my shoulder and quietly wept as she pressed her head against my shoulder. Me and Fee silently accept her appearance. I wonder how long I''ve been stuck here alone. When you think about it, it''s only natural to shed a tear or two. And so, perhaps tired from all sorts of things, Alice falls asleep. ''''I''m asleep, but are you okay?'''' ''Oh. I guess I was just tired. I see. But I don''t blame you. I''ve been alone in a place like this for so long. Yeah. Well, I gently take the sleeping Alice in my arms and put her on my back. We just have to go back from here. Perhaps the commotion in this kingdom may already be over by now. That''s what it means to have reached this royal castle and to have arrived here. When Fee and I left the prison, the lights were well lit, unlike the road we had been on before. Besides, the road was also a straight road, and from the corner of my eye I could see the stairs to climb to the upper floor. ''Hey, Elle. Hasn''t the structure changed since you came here? That''s odd. It couldn''t have been this simple. Well I don''t know what''s going on. ''There''s no point in thinking about it now. For now, let''s get Alice to safety. Okay. We both step forward. Nothing like that. We just walked straight and climbed the stairs to reach the landing of the royal castle as normal. There, apparently, our people had taken control of this castle, and I was relieved that the end had really come. The main culprit of the coup that took place in this kingdom was believed to be Alice. However, that wouldn''t be possible when he was held in prison. We were originally convinced that Prince Oscar was the main culprit. We are looking for him, but it seems that there is no trace of him inside the royal castle. ''''Umm..........'''' Alice. Are you awake? Was I asleep? Yeah. You must be tired. I''m afraid I''ve shown you how embarrassing that is. Should I put him down? Then, in a slightly quieter voice, she said ''''No. I mean ... it would be helpful if you kept this up a bit longer. Okay. This is how we succeeded in rescuing Alice safely. 121-Episode 121: New Days Well.... Inside the academy. I was organizing my lab in it. Two weeks had just passed since I rescued Alice. The kingdom was beginning to regain its original form. However, it had only been two weeks, so it wasn''t going to recover immediately. Fortunately, the academy has not been affected by the commotion to that extent. The homunculus that had been evacuated are safe, but as expected, they have not been brought here yet. Currently, they were in the middle of reconstructing the academy with Fee and the other staff members, as they were in the process of reconstructing the academy, as various things had been rebuilt. The bookshelves had collapsed and books were scattered in pieces on the floor. And the files that had been used to compile the papers have been unraveled. Gathering them together, I put them together in one place. The bookshelves were alchemy, and I put them up in their place. As far as this reconstruction is concerned, the help of alchemists is needed, and as a matter of fact, high-ranking alchemists have been driven out quite a bit. In fact, I wanted to come to the academy as soon as possible, but I was occupied with the reconstruction of the city rather than that, which was the priority. And as for Alice, she seems to have completely recovered from her physical condition. She''s still in the middle of her hospital stay, but they say she''ll be able to leave soon. Lately, she''s been saying things like, "I''ll miss you and die if you don''t come here every day..." so I try to visit her often. He said that in a slightly playful way, but I guess he really misses me. He was caught up in a lot of things without knowing what was going on, and he was being set up as the ringleader. He, of course, had no idea of such things, so the interview was soon over. Among other things, it seems that Prince Oscar is still missing. ''''Ellew!¡¡What do you think?¡¡Are you done? Hmm?¡¡Well ... it''s blah blah blah. Surprisingly enough, I thought I''d never get anywhere with it, but you''re getting there. I''m not a kid anymore, you know. Well, I''m not quite old enough for that. ''Hmm. Knowing the old Elle, it''s really impressive... After that, Fee and I organized my lab. As expected of the two of us, it didn''t take long for the two of us to get things done. We were told that in a little while, the institute would be able to reopen safely. ''''Good. I hope this is enough. Yeah. Thank God. You done with the Fee? ''I''m pretty good at cleaning up and stuff. That didn''t take long. Well, I''m here. Of course. So, are you going again today? He stared up at me with half-lidded eyes. It was obvious that it contained a protest. Fee complains about something and follows me to Alice''s place, where we always get into a fight. I can''t help it now, though, since I''ve decided to go again today. Well, don''t go. Are you following me? ''....Huh. I don''t want to go, but I don''t want to be left alone with that princess. We left the academy and headed for the hospital. 122-Episode 122 Visit Fee and I head to the hospital. The hospital where Alice is admitted is not far from the institute. So, I walked along with Fee in line. ''''And yet........'''' She broached the subject. ''I wonder what this whole thing was about. ''Yes, we did. Especially in the second half, we didn''t feel their momentum at all. The soldiers who were on the enemy''s side, but when I asked them about it in detail, they seemed to have lost their memories of that time. It was also reported that a large number of people had died, but that was just a lie that they were pretending to believe. In fact, most of them were injured, but most of them were still alive. Although this case looked flashy at first glance, the reality was that the kingdom hadn''t suffered much damage. That''s why we were able to save Alice early as well. ''''They haven''t found Prince Oscar yet. Well.... Yes. It was clear that Alice was not the mastermind and that Prince Oscar was the one causing this internal turmoil. It was clear from Alice''s testimony and the testimony of other people. How and why he caused this in the first place............it remains a mystery. ''We should be getting there soon,'' Oh. But still, don''t fight with Alice, okay?¡¡It''s always a mess between us, and I can''t handle it either. But that''s because they''re gonna come at you first! And he ends up making excuses for his age. Fee is basically a solid adult, but she and Alice don''t get along, and they are always fighting. So when we arrive at the hospital, we head to her hospital room. I knocked lightly and entered the room, where I found Alice reading. I wondered if she was opening a window to change the air. A pleasant breeze was entering the room from outside. Her blue hair was flowing smoothly. I''m not going to be able to get rid of it. I''m not going to be able to get it right. I''m here again today. ''Oh!¡¡Doctor!¡¡You''re here again today!¡¡Thank you. His face breaks out, and he closes the book with a slam and a smile on his face. On the other hand, he also calls out to Fee. ''''........Fee came too, in case you were wondering. Yes. I wouldn''t want anything to happen to you. Hmm. I can handle it on my own, though? No. You don''t know what you might do if you''re alone, Elle. It''s a terrible thing to say. But this is the only thing I can''t do about it because I''ve been bothering Fee since I was a student. ''''I brought fruit again this time. Alice will eat it right away.'''' ''Ah!¡¡Yes!¡¡I was just out of it. So we sat down in our chairs and faced Alice. 123-Episode 123 What is the Truth? Just as I''m about to peel the fruit off with a knife, Fee thumps me on the shoulder from behind. ''Elle. I''ll do it. Are you sure? Yeah. Elle, you''re not feeling so hot yet, are you? Yeah. I''ll let you handle this one. Yeah. I''ve got it. With that, I hand her a small knife. I''m not in the right state of mind, but it doesn''t mean that there was any major injury. I have no major problems, but I used quite a bit of force in this commotion. It''s just that I''m not in the best shape right now, partly because of the reaction to that. It''s not as bad as being in the hospital. "You''re not feeling well, doctor? Alice looks up at me with concern. ''I just used a little too much power. It''s nothing to worry about. Well.... She usually acts cheerful, but her face gets a little cloudy. This time, Alice is not responsible for this case. She had been imprisoned in the basement ever since the disturbance began. However, from time to time, her expression becomes cloudy like this. ''''Speaking of which, what''s going on in the city?'''' The reconstruction is pretty good. I''d say that in another month you''ll be almost back to normal. ''I see. That''s good to hear. Alice smiles. The city''s reconstruction is progressing steadily. The alchemists have also been borrowed and are wielding their power to the fullest. As I predicted, the city will be mostly back to normal in a month''s time. ''''Yes. I have peeled an apple for Princess Alice. Here you go. From behind me, Fee gently hands me a piece of apple on a plate. ''Thank you. Fee. The two usually fought a lot, but there was no particular mood for it now. Alice took it with a word of thanks and took the apple in her hand and chewed it with a delicious smile. ''''Mmm~!¡¡It''s still delicious. That''s good. Hey doctor... What''s going on? This case, you know, I''m.......... He tries to speak gloomily, so I clank him on the head as he tries to speak gloomily. ''It''s okay. It''s not Alice''s fault. ''But.....¡¡If only I had been able to stop Brother Oscar........! ''I can''t blame you for saying that, what''s done is done. Just the fact that Alice is safe is enough for me. ''I see. But I''m glad to hear you say that. There is a shade. But she stares into my eyes, as if she''s trying to switch it up a bit. ''Yes, yes. That''s it. I''m here too, you know? ''Oh. I''d forgotten all about it. Fee, do you feel like you''ve lost your touch? Oh my. Alice-sama is very healthy, isn''t she? Uh-huh. "Hmm. Apparently it was going to be disconcerting again, but I suppose it was also a kind of real pleasure. In fact, even the fact that the two of them were arguing with each other as usual was somewhat of a relief. 124-Episode 124: Return Way After a successful visit to Alice, we headed home. Alice, you look good. Oh, come on!¡¡You''re going to pick a fight with me in a heartbeat! ''No, I think Fee''s on the other side of the fence too, but...'' What?¡¡Do you have a problem with that? Fee glared at me with a half-face, but I decided not to pursue the matter further as I felt it would be troublesome to say anything more. ''Nevertheless, it looks like the recovery is progressing. Yeah. I look around. Reconstruction seems to be already quite advanced, and I''m told that in another month it will be enough to get back to normal. ''You''ve been through a lot so far. ''Well...'' The events that took place in this kingdom. The situation was safely settled, but there were still some questions left to be answered. In the first place, the opponent''s attack itself was not as radical as I had initially thought. Rather, at the end of the game, they were able to easily subdue the opponent''s leadership as if they had completely lost control. Furthermore, the ringleader was said to be Alice, but in the end it was said to be Prince Oscar. That too remains a mystery after all........ ''''Aww. What are we going to do for dinner tonight? The conversation turns to dinner tonight. ''Of course Elle will eat with us, right?'' Yeah. That would help. Hmmm. There isn''t much left over at home either....and there aren''t many shops that are empty to begin with... He put his hand to his chin and seemed to be thinking about a lot of things. He had been eating a lot of canned food and emergency rations lately, so he didn''t have a particular desire to eat anything. ''''Well, let''s just decide on the Texans there. Elle wouldn''t mind anyway, would she?'' Oh. No problem. They continued to walk together in silence. Then suddenly Fee stopped in place. ''What''s the matter?'' No, I just thought, well, it''s really over... Seems a little quicker in the end, don''t you think? ''Yes. But I''m still glad to have Elle around. Really? Yeah. This whole thing just made me realize even more that Elle is a genius. Her voice sounded more serious than ever. Her eyes were also staring at me. ".........Genius, huh? But there were a lot of things I couldn''t save. And yet, there were certainly things I could have done to help. ''Well it would be nice to hear you say that. I stare into the void. I look back at the many things I''ve done on the road to this point. Thinking back, it''s really been a lot of things. "Hey Elle. I think I need to take it easy for a while. Yeah. And so we went on, with the sunset lighting us up. 125-Episode 125: Go Home Since then, the two of us have been on our way home with Fee, and we''re finally coming back to our home. I hadn''t been back home for a while. Fee and I live in the same building, but this place hasn''t suffered any major damage from the riots. But since he hadn''t been home for a long time, I wondered what was going on inside. No, it must be the same. When I unlocked the door and entered the room, as I expected, I found my room as I had last seen it. Hmmm. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you. ''Fee. You come in as a matter of course, but do you have to go to your room first? Yeah. I have a change of clothes and stuff over here. .... When did you do that?¡¡I think, but it''s too much trouble to say anything now, so I''ll just keep quiet for now. It''s good to ask questions when you still have time and heart to spare. ''Huh. There''s a lot going on, and it''s finally time to relax. After changing in the open room, Fee quickly dives into the big couch. There, he lies down on the raggedy floor and says something like that. But their words are well understood by each other. Just when you think you''ve returned from the labyrinth, you''re caught up in a sudden commotion. Probably since the beginning of this kingdom. So, after the twists and turns, this incident is finally being settled safely. I''m still not completely sure what the truth is, but for now, I''m really happy to be able to enjoy our usual routine again. "Fee. Can I have curry today? What? You''re making it for me? Oh. That was the original plan. Rather, Fee in his current state is in full relaxation mode, so it''s probably better for me to make the meal. I''m usually the one making the food, too. Then I head to the kitchen by myself and start cooking immediately with the ingredients I''ve prepared. It''s been a really long time since I''ve cooked like this, as I''ve been eating a lot of portable food. There was a lot going on, but it generally converged successfully. However, thinking about it again, numerous things have really happened since I graduated from the institute....... I''ve already told Fee, but I''m thinking of taking it easy for a while while while I help the kingdom recover. The search for the labyrinth is surely being carried out by Leif and the others, so we''ll have a little time. ''''Good. It''s done. ''Wow!¡¡Smells great!¡¡Elle''s a great cook, so that really helps! We both put our hands together and start eating our curry. ''Yes!¡¡It''s so good! ''Well. That''s really good to hear. I smile. I''ve learned something new. The beauty of this small, everyday life. 126-Episode 126: The moment of calming down After having dinner with Fee, we decided to go indoors and relax.... ''Fee. Aren''t you going back to your room? Oh, I''m not allowed to stay the night? Well, no, I don''t mind. So Fee will be staying in my room. We''re always together so it doesn''t feel too different, but then again, this is a problem for a lot of reasons...?¡¡But I guess that''s really a new thing. "Elle. Can I borrow your shower first? Yeah. With that, Fee headed to her bedroom to take a shower. Fee is a clean person and often takes a bath. I''ve heard that she takes a bath three times a day when she''s not busy. Until now, there was no time to properly relax because of the kingdom''s civil war, but the fact that I had some time to relax for the first time in a long time made me feel better. ''''Hmm........'''' I let myself fall back into the couch. Then I suddenly think back on what I''ve been through. This whole thing has really been a lot of work. But as I said to Fee before, I''m going to take it easy in the kingdom for a while from now on. As for the labyrinth, Leif and the others said that they would proceed with it. I''ve been busy with the labyrinth and the civil war in the kingdom, but I finally have time to do something about it. From now on, I''ll work on my vegetable research, as well as other agricultural research. Plus we should take good care of the prototypes and Nos. 1 through 4. Well.... yeah. Yeah, but.........I''m really tired....... And while thinking that, I found myself falling asleep on the sofa as it was. "Elle..........¡¡What''s the matter with you, Elle?¡¡Why don''t you stop sleeping in here and go to your bedroom? Hmm?¡¡Oh I''m sorry. I must have fallen asleep. It was only for a few moments, but apparently I had fallen asleep. I''ve never been able to sleep so relaxed before. It seems that she had fallen asleep on the sofa, partly because she had settled down for the night. A closer look revealed that Fee''s hair was slightly damp. It''s always a good idea to take a bath for about 30 minutes to an hour, so maybe the time has passed. Then he checked the time on the clock again and stretched out gingerly. ''What do we do now?¡¡Are you going to sleep like this? No. I''m gonna take a bath. Yeah. Well, I''ll just stay a little slower. Yeah. And so I headed to take a shower. The hot water wakes me up, but my body is still tired. I can still feel a faint sense of drowsiness lingering in my body. ''I''m up,'' You''re still early. Really? Yeah. And I wanted to sleep right away, so I headed for my bedroom. ''Then I''m going to bed.'' Yeah. Good night. You better get some sleep, Fee. I know. I said a few light words to Fee, and he slowly fell into a slow slumber. 127-Episode 127: The End of the Uproar Umm......... Morning. I wake up feeling a weight on my body. It''s not a good awakening. When I opened my eyes, I found Alice. The time is now morning, but it was already before ten o''clock. That means......... ''Sir!¡¡I''m here! She smiles at me and zips her face up to mine, smiling. I dismissed Alice on top of me for now and decided to get out of bed. ''Huh ... you''re out of the hospital?'' ''Yes!¡¡Actually, it''s been in the works for a while, but I wanted to surprise you! Well, I''m surprised. The tension is higher than usual, so I can''t get angry at her. Rather, Alice is acting so cheerful even though she has been through a lot with Alice, so I guess I should be happy about that. And I gently stroke Alice''s head. ''''....................Ugh!¡¡How, what''s going on? No. I just did it because I wanted to. Is that bad? ''No, no ... it''s not...'' And while she was usually full of supremacy, she was now turning her face downward and turning a little red. ''''Jeez........'''' As we were having this exchange in my room, I saw Fee''s guy staring at me through the door of my room. ''Fee. What''s going on in there? ''Not really... just thought it was obvious that Princess Alice was here. ''Humph!¡¡I''m trusted by my teacher, you know! It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one who can do this. I''m sure it was said that a family member gave it to her and she accepted it, but she acted as if it was given to her by me. I''m going to correct that and try to get the words out, but.... Apparently, the two of them ended up arguing for the first time as usual. ''''Hmph!¡¡I won''t let Fee beat me! ''Teachers definitely like it when you''re close to their age. Not to an older person like Fee~. I''m an old lady now! Whoa!¡¡Hey!¡¡No matter how much of a princess you are, there are things you can and can''t say! Hm!¡¡I don''t mind! Then they both turn to me and suddenly ask me if I want to be older or younger. I sighed, "Huh..." and smiled bitterly as I thought somewhat nostalgically of their argument. 128-Episode 128 To New Research ...in the morning. I woke up today feeling really good. Basically, I''m a farmer, so I''m a strong morning person. But with everything that''s been going on lately, I haven''t had much time to relax and get to bed. So I guess that''s why I should be grateful for the routine that allows me to wake up feeling good like this. ''Proto. Good morning. We were able to meet up with Proto safely. All of my family members are safe. And now, a month has passed since then, and many things are going on with the reconstruction. The academy will start next week, and I''ve been busy preparing for it. Once the kingdom has settled down, I''ll sit down here again and work on my research. That''s what I''ve been thinking about since the uproar broke out. The search for the labyrinth is also important, but for now, we thought we should focus on this one. Besides, it shouldn''t be impossible for Leif and the others to explore the labyrinth on their own. In the first place, he was able to capture the labyrinth without our help. ''''........! Proto raises his hand in a goof. Seeing that, I lightly stroke his head. Then Proto raises his hand more vigorously, and he looks very healthy. And so I get ready for what I''m going to do today alone. And before that, I head to the bathroom to take a shower as usual. When I did so, I opened the door and in front of me.....................for some reason, Fee was standing there naked. It looked like she was just in the middle of changing her clothes. ''''........eh. Oh. They let out dumb noises to each other. Come to think of it, Fee was staying at the house yesterday, too. I had completely forgotten about it. I mean, isn''t this a cohabitation anymore?¡¡But it''s useful in many ways, and there''s nothing wrong with being with Fee all the time, so I always agree with him. I''m sorry. I''m sorry about that. ''Oh ... no ... no ... no ... no ...'' It was already a loud voice that rang out. ''I''m sorry. It''s like this. Head down. Breakfast was ready and we were seated across the desk. There I was apologizing. I understand that it''s not a good idea to see a woman naked in a stone, so I lower my head so low that my head is almost on the desk. ''''Be-........not that. It''s rather late, and I''m not going to get angry, but...!¡¡I mean, you have to be careful about all that stuff, right? Yeah. We''ll take it into consideration from now on. Well, it''s not so bad. Not bad?¡¡What does that mean? I seem to have mumbled a blur, but I asked back because I could hear him firmly. Then Fee''s face turns red and she turns her head to the side with a pui. ''''.............it''s nothing!¡¡Come on, let''s get some breakfast! Yeah. Apparently, they didn''t want to expand the conversation any further, so the conversation was discontinued there. Well, after this, I guess I''ll go out and work on my crops for the first time in a while! 129-Episode 129 To the Lab I was on my way to the academy''s laboratory. Since the commotion, the academy also had to rebuild, but that was already almost over. I also made a lot of efforts, and the academy was about to start soon. I''ve been heading to the labyrinth until now, so I haven''t been able to do that many classes, but from now on I''m going to be in the kingdom for a while. Therefore, I need to make preparations in advance, so this is why I came alone like this. ''''...?¡¡Are you free? For some reason, the lock that was supposed to be closed was unlocked, so I wondered why I went inside and found Fee there. And he was rolling around in a way that showed us his underwear. ''I heard you were going first, but was your goal to show me your underwear in my lab? No, of course not!¡¡I just came to get a book that Elle''s lab had lent me!¡¡So it''s a little high up, and I tried to get it taller and taller, but I fell down... Fee quickly regained her position and stared at me. ''''By the way, Elle, you''ve only been looking at my embarrassing appearance lately...'''' ''No, as far as I''m concerned, I''m just stumbling upon the scene on my own. Well, it''s a little late for that now. So, give me that book back. Oh. An overview of alchemy, as I recall? Yeah, yeah. I take the book to the top of the shelf and hand it to Fee. ''I''m going to go. You can come home with me today. I need to pick up some groceries and stuff. Okay. Fee said that and left the place briskly. Hmm. Let''s do some light cleaning first. What is it about human beings that makes us want to clean up when we know exactly what needs to be done? We know exactly what needs to be done, but we feel the urge to clean only at such times. I feel that this is now a part of human nature. And I clean the room, which is a bit cluttered. In particular, the bookshelves are cluttered with books shoved vertically and horizontally, so I organize them. In the process, a book falls out. ''Oops ... that''s dangerous.'' The book I accepted. It was a textbook I had studied in my school days. Oh well. I wondered inwardly if I had even plugged this stuff in. To be honest, I already have this level of knowledge in my head. Even at that time as a student, I remembered all the contents of the textbook only by reading it once. But I don''t know why. After graduating and working as a teacher at this academy, I felt somewhat attached to this as well. ''''Oops we need to do a quick cleaning first. With a bit of reminiscing about the past, I would work on cleaning up first. 130-Episode 130: The Day Before Class Finally, it was the day before class. I was all alone in the lab preparing for the class. Due to the commotion, the class curriculum had been delayed significantly, but that didn''t change what I was going to do. And while I was alone in my lab, a knock sounded out of the corner of my eye. ''Sir. Are you here now? Is that Alice? Yes!¡¡I''m here! When I opened the door, the person in front of me was Alice. She smiled at me while wearing her uniform and dominating her beautiful blue hair, smiling at me. ''''Are you all right now?'''' Yes. I''m all better! I look at Alice, who deliberately poses for a power hump, and smile a little bit. ''I see. That''s good to hear. Do you want to come inside? Yes! Then Alice came into the lab and I decided to make coffee. I asked her if she wanted black, or if she wanted to add sugar and milk as well, and she gave me a surprising answer. I''m fine with black. ''Sir,'' "...What?¡¡I''ve got some sugar and milk, though? I prefer the black one. Aren''t you a bit taller? ''''f*ck it!¡¡Are you by any chance treating me like a child? ... no. I''m sorry, my friend. I''ll get you the black. Yes. Please. I decided to make my coffee black as she was waiting for me to take a seat. Of course, I don''t add sugar or milk because I don''t like it either. The reason why they are fully equipped is because Fee''s guy prefers sweet coffee. You''d think he''d come into someone''s lab without permission, but that guy makes coffee and goes on to complain about all sorts of things. Well, I''m just listening to him complain while I do my research. ''So, you''re starting class tomorrow, right?¡¡Are you ready? Oh. It''s about over. It''s been a lot of work with that debacle, but it''s generally over. I see. That''s what I''m talking about, sir. I smile at Nikoli. After all, being a princess of a country, I think Alice is really beautiful. I wouldn''t say it directly to her, but.......that''s because it''s obvious that this guy would get carried away if I said it. ''''Come to think of it, it''s been a long time since I''ve listened to a teacher''s class. ''Yeah. I haven''t been able to get much done in my classes because of the labyrinth-related stuff. ''I''m really looking forward to it!¡¡Of course, I''ll be in the front row of the class! I squeezed his hand in front of my chest and it made me smile like crazy already... but I knew it was clearly made up. ''That''s a beautiful smile,'' Ha-ha, you know what I mean? ''Yeah. We''ve known each other for a fair amount of time now. ''Hmm. Right. Well, I''ll leave you with that. Are you leaving? ''Yes. I just wanted to see the doctor''s face. With that, Alice bowed politely and left. She seemed to drink all the coffee, but it was short. I just stared at her back as she left.