The most shameless alchemist in history

"After the train stopped, we took another train back to the train station and got off smoothly, arriving at Rock City. This seems to be all right. But Miss Winry, haven't you overlooked one thing? Some people are treated differently from us."

Dure went on to point out the crux of the problem: clues need to be compared side-by-side to arrive at a definitive conclusion.

“Someone’s treatment… Mr. Du Lei, are you referring to… Miss Bai Ling and the others?” Wen Li thought carefully, and the only ones she could think of who were different from them were Bai Ling and the other four.

“To be precise, it’s you, Miss Winry,” Dure corrected her.

"Me? But wasn't I with you, Mr. Dure?" Winry was completely confused.

“No, that’s not right. The one with me is the Miss Winry we know, while the one with Uncle Kotetsu and the others is the ‘Miss Winry’ they think she is,” Dure pointed out the difference between the two.

"So their purpose in causing the explosion was to force the train to stop and then send someone to pick up 'me,' is that right?" Wenli wasn't stupid. With Du Lei's prompting, she figured out the clues and was surprised to come to this conclusion.

If this speculation is true, it would prove that this was a premeditated bombing attack targeting her!

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584 split up

If we rewind to the moment when the train derailed after the explosion and passengers were scrambling to escape, we would see that Dure and his group immediately protected Winry and took her to a safe and open area, while Dure went to check the location of the explosion.

After he finished his inspection, the Lava Guard arrived. They explained their purpose: to find the whereabouts of Miss Winry, the special envoy from the Land of Snow. Even Leopard Tail found these people suspicious and thought they had arrived at the perfect time. He signaled to Dure and the others to ignore the man.

"What did you say? You want us to step out? Hey, Dure, aren't you usually a pretty smart guy? Why are you acting like a fool today? You don't actually believe they're here to protect Miss Winry, do you? I bet they have ulterior motives!" Leopard Tail was very uneasy about the guards.

In his opinion, they should just stay far away. As long as they didn't admit it, the other side wouldn't be able to find them. Leopard Tail was secretly proud of his ability to see through the other side's trick. However, he didn't expect that Dure would ask him to stand up and admit that he was a member of Winry's guard.

Leopard Tail thought Du Lei must have gone mad. Wasn't he just walking into a trap? In his memory, Du Lei wasn't the kind of person who would do something so stupid!

“They’re looking for ‘Miss Winry.’ If they knew what Miss Winry looked like, they would have come right over. Their behavior clearly shows they don’t know who the real Miss Winry is, so…” Dure paused here and looked to the side.

“I understand, you mean you want me to impersonate Miss Winry?” Bee Sting thought for a moment and understood Durei’s intention.

“No, you can’t do it, only you can, Bailing.” Du Lei shook his head and pointed at Bailing.

After all, Bee Sting was too aggressive. Although she was a beautiful woman, her long-term exposure to danger had made her particularly ruthless, which Du Lei thought was inappropriate. But Bai Ling was different. Not only was she of similar age, but she also had an outstanding temperament.

"But...do we really need to do this?" Kotetsu thought for a moment, then hesitated.

"In order to force us to stop, they did not hesitate to plant bombs on the train. Even if we remain silent, we can't guarantee what other methods they will use. We might as well split into two groups. One of you will pretend to be Miss Winry and go with them, under their surveillance, while the other group will be escorted by me to the Rock City. You will be in the open, and we will be in the dark. This way, we can see everything and seize the initiative."

Dure had already gone through the whole thing in his mind beforehand; it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision without any basis.

“Well… I think it’s feasible!” Leopard Tail thought for a moment, and he unusually agreed with Du Lei’s opinion, reaching a consensus with him.

"But are you sure you can protect Miss Winry's safety?" Bee Sting was still somewhat worried.

Because Du Lei himself doesn't have much combat power—as far as magic users are concerned, he has only just crossed the threshold and only has high-level strength, which is really not worth mentioning—she is worried that if something happens, it will definitely be beyond Du Lei's ability to handle.

“I think there shouldn’t be any problems. At least… I’ll make sure Miss Winry is safe before I fall to the ground.” Dure knew that Bee Sting’s words weren’t out of distrust, but because the matter was of great importance; they had finally managed to reach Rock City.

They had already encountered enough crises along the way, but the dangers in Rock City were probably even greater than all the dangers they had faced so far. Under these circumstances, any negligence would be extremely fatal. Even if they were not responsible for themselves, they would be responsible for Miss Winry.

"And what is your opinion, Miss Winry?" Kotetsu asked Winry, the person involved.

“I trust Mr. Dure. As long as he believes it’s right, then there’s definitely no problem.” Winry nodded heavily. She stood by Dure’s side almost without reservation, a trust that transcended status and position.

“In that case, let’s do it this way. We’ll stay in the open, and you’ll stay in the shadows. We’ll meet up again when we get to Rock City.” Kotetsu saw that Winry had no objections, and he also approved of Durei’s approach. After all, Durei had solved too many problems along the way; otherwise, they would never have made it this far.

"Then be careful." Dure nodded. At this moment, the Lava Guards had already walked over.

"You too, protect Miss Winry well. If anything happens to her, you'll be held responsible." Kotetsu patted Durei on the shoulder and gave him a final word of advice.

The group of seven also began to separate discreetly to avoid attracting attention.

"Hey, who are you? What do you want with Miss Winry?" Leopard Tail greeted them loudly.

After speaking with Kai for a while, he led Kai to Bailing, and soon the group left.

After leaving, Kotetsu and his group of five were indeed closely escorted by the Lava Guard, and they arrived at Rock Castle in no time on horseback.

"Is this Rock City? It really is a big city built among the mountains." After entering Rock City, Leopard Tail marveled at the city. The main structure of Rock City was supported by the mountains on three sides, and most of the houses were built of rocks.

"Is this your first time arriving in Rock City?" Kai asked from beside him.

"Pretty much. By the way, I saw your War Bear Legion heading north on the road. What were they doing there?" Leopard Tail asked casually.

“The War Bear Legion?” Kai paused here, not continuing.

"What? Is there something you can't say?" Leopard Tail asked in a half-joking tone.

They need intelligence now, even if he doesn't know Kai's stance yet, as long as they can get the information from him, that's fine.

"No, that's not it. There's been a slight issue in the north, but our Lava Guard's job is to protect the capital, so we don't know much about what's happening on the border." Kai shook his head, glossing over the issue of the War Bear Legion.

"I see, it's a border issue. But with war imminent, it's the perfect time for an outstanding soldier like you, Kai, to make your mark, yet you're stuck guarding the capital. It's a bit disheartening to think about it," Leopard Tail asked, squinting at Kai.

He had never been a meticulous person, but this journey made him truly realize how inadequate his previous approach of solving problems by brute force was. He had to make a change. Furthermore, there were the events that happened in Spring Breeze Town, and that photograph.

He knew he needed to solve the problem in a different way so he could find the answer he was looking for.

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585 Colonel Ruff

Following Durei's plan, Kotetsu, Hyo-o, and the others entered Rock City in two batches. The first batch, Hyo-o and the other five, entered Rock City under Kai's escort, while the second batch, Durei and Winry, entered Rock City by train.

If this had happened half a month ago, Leopard Tail would never have been able to fathom Dure's intentions, but now he was beginning to understand. The timing of the train derailment and Kai's appearance was just too coincidental. On the way, he kept subtly trying to get information from Kai.

"To achieve great deeds? If achieving great deeds is based on a meaningless war, then I would rather not have such achievements." After hearing Leopard Tail's words, Kai shook his head slightly, clearly disagreeing with Leopard Tail's opinion and holding a negative attitude towards the upcoming war.

"Huh? That's quite an unexpected answer. I thought you were a fanatical war advocate, but it turns out you're a conservative." Leopard Tail was indeed surprised by Kai's reaction. He carefully observed Kai's expression in an attempt to figure out whether the guy was telling the truth or lying.

“I am neither a proponent of war nor a conservative. If the country truly needs me, I will naturally rush to the battlefield without hesitation. However, starting a war on the northern border at this time will not bring much benefit to our Mountain Kingdom.” Kai frowned and shook his head.

It was clear that he was a young man with a strong sense of justice. Even though Leopard Tail's experience was insufficient for him to judge Kai's true strength, there was still Kotetsu watching nearby. He nodded slightly, agreeing with Kai's statement on this point.

"I see. That's exactly why we came to Rock City. Hopefully, we won't have made a wasted trip." Leopard Tail nodded. Kai's answer made him realize that the rumors were unreliable. The rumors said that the entire Mountain Country was in an uproar and united to go to war with the Snow Country.

"If only things could develop like 'Hope,' but unfortunately I'm just a soldier, and all I can do is obey orders." Kai sighed softly, clearly in a conflicted state. All his reactions were observed by Kotetsu, who was somewhat worried.

Kai's reaction indicates that the reality is not optimistic. His anxious expression despite opposing the war suggests that the pro-war faction still holds the upper hand within the Mountain Kingdom, and the situation may be even more serious than they imagine.

“Yes, the fate of the nation and the fate of the people are still in the hands of those in power.” Leopard Tail sighed with emotion. Although he and Kai were in different countries and on different sides, at this moment, there was a sense of mutual appreciation between them.

As they talked, they had already circled two streets. Due to the terrain, the streets of Rock City were not wide, only wide enough for four knights to pass side by side, which was almost half the width of Frost City, the capital of Snow Country.

Just as they were about to round the next street, another troop of cavalry came from the street corner. Because the road was narrow, one side of the cavalry had to give way in order to pass. However, the other side had no intention of giving way, and the leader of the cavalry took the initiative to ride over.

"Kai, have you picked them up yet?" The other person was wearing a sky-blue uniform, the same style as Kai's military uniform, but the color and badges were different. He called out Kai's name directly, obviously he knew Kai, and his appearance here was clearly aimed at Kotetsu and the others.

To be precise, they came for Winry, because Kotetsu and the others were merely Winry's guards. They played a crucial role on the way here, but once they arrived at Rock Castle, it would be Winry's time to show her true colors, and she would be the undisputed protagonist.

“Received. This is Lord Leopard Tail, Lord Kotetsu, Lord Ape Arm, Lord Bee Sting, and Miss Winry. This is Colonel Luffy of the Iron Rock Guard.” Kai introduced the newcomers to Kotetsu and the others. Kotetsu whispered to his companions that the Iron Rock Guard was one of the six major guards.

"I heard you were attacked on the way, and I am deeply sorry for that. But don't worry, you will be absolutely safe once you enter Rock Castle. Please come this way." Luffy gestured for Kotetsu and the others to follow him.

"Two captains from the six guards protecting Rock City have actually come? That's quite a show of force." Leopard Tail clicked his tongue in amazement, clearly indicating that Rock City placed great importance on them.

"Don't you find it strange?" Bee Sting whispered.

"What's strange about it?" Leopard Tail didn't quite understand her meaning.

"Even if they were to come to greet us, shouldn't it be a civil official like the Minister of the Interior or the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Instead, they sent two military officers. Although these two are powerful figures, their positions aren't that high. What does this mean? Are they trying to show off their military might?" Bee Sting pointed out.

"Well... it's a bit strange what you're saying. I remember when the envoy from the Land of Water visited Frost City, it was the Prime Minister who personally received him." Leopard Tail changed some of his views after hearing what Bee Sting said.

“There’s one more thing,” Kotetsu said slowly at this moment.

"Boss Kotetsu, what have you discovered this time?" Leopard Tail knew that Kotetsu rarely spoke, and when he did, it was definitely not a small matter.

"This road isn't the way to the Parliament Building!" Kotetsu had been to Rock City before and remembered the main road here.

In addition, on their way here, they had carefully studied the map of Rock Castle with Dure.

"What? They're not taking us to the Parliament Building? Where do they want to take us?" Leopard Tail exclaimed in surprise.

He knew that Rock City was a parliamentary system, with the main power structure located in the parliament building. As was customary, diplomatic envoys would stay near the parliament building upon arrival, and then conduct diplomatic negotiations and discussions at formal meetings.

But now they weren't being taken to the parliament building, which made Leopard Tail feel uneasy.

“It seems Dure’s worries were indeed correct. After forcing the train to stop, they immediately sent people to pick us up. They must have a purpose in doing so! Anyway, Miss Winry isn’t with us. Whatever they’re planning, we’ll find out once we follow them.” Kotetsu gestured to Hyobi to keep quiet.

Despite his doubts, Leopard Tail suppressed them and stopped in front of a mansion after traveling for more than ten minutes.

"Please come in, everyone. Lord Valan has prepared a banquet to welcome you all." Colonel Luffy pointed to the interior of the mansion and led Kotetsu and the others in with great strides.

m.

586 Underground World

After entering Rock City, Dure didn't sit idle at all. He first found an inn to stay in, ensuring he had a reliable place to stay in Rock City. Then, he went out under the cover of night to gather information. Originally, he wanted to act alone, but then he thought that if he left, no one would protect Winry.

Although he had confirmed that he had not been followed on his way here and that the hotel where he was staying was not too badly safe, he was still worried about leaving Wenli to wait for him alone at the hotel. In addition, he could not persuade Wenli to stay alone, so he had no choice but to take her out with him.

At night, the stars in the sky are clearly visible in the Rock City. Due to its high altitude, the view from the Rock City is very open. In addition, the entire city is built in the mountains, and most of the buildings are built along the mountain slopes. There are many bends, so it is difficult to see clusters of buildings.

Dure and Winry arrived at a nearby tavern. On the surface, the tavern didn't seem to be doing very well, and it wasn't very big. The tavern staff were also indifferent to customers. But when Dure handed the staff a silver coin, the staff led the two of them into the tavern.

This should have been the busiest time of day for the tavern, but it was still deserted. Wenli was initially puzzled as to why Dure would bring her to such a place, but soon the waiter pulled up a plank from the ground, revealing a dark hole.

Wenli then realized that this seemingly ordinary little tavern actually had a hidden secret. Durei entered the cave first, went down half a step down the stairs, and then reached out to pull Wenli back. Although Wenli had some doubts, as a girl, she always had a fear of the unknown.

But she quickly realized that with Durei around, what was there to be afraid of? So she followed behind Durei, and the two soon entered the area of ​​the underground entrance. Wenli's heart was pounding, wondering what kind of place this cave would lead to, but they only went around one bend.

A door appeared in front of them. They couldn't see what was behind the wooden door, but a wave of sound came through it. Wenli could clearly hear people screaming and shouting, which surprised her.

“Miss Winry is quite a handsome young man dressed as a man,” Durei said jokingly as he turned around, noticing Winry’s worry.

“Mr. Dure, you’re joking. This place is…” Wenli shook her head, her cheeks flushed under the light.

Therefore, she immediately changed the subject. There were many oil lamps hanging on both sides of the passage, and only the two of them were in the narrow passage.

“Every city has an underworld, which encompasses many things: fierce mercenaries, notorious criminals, gambling, arms dealing, contraband, and a whole host of other things,” Du Lei patiently explained from the side.

"Huh? This doesn't sound like a good place." Wenli became a little nervous; she had never been to such a place before.

“That’s right. You could say this is a gathering place for villains, but it’s also a hub for intelligence. If you have the means, you can get any information you want from here,” Du Lei said softly, clearly familiar with this kind of place.

"So, behind this door lies the underground world of Rock City?" Winry was quick-witted and soon understood Durei's intention.

"Yes, so Miss Winry, are you sure you want to come to a place like this? Otherwise, I'd better take you back to your hotel." Dure was still hesitant about whether bringing Winry here was a good thing or a bad thing, and even now, he was giving Winry the option to back out.