The most shameless alchemist in history

“It’s okay.” Wenli bit her lip and thought for a moment before giving an affirmative response.

"It's alright?" Dure was not surprised by her answer, because he knew that Winry wouldn't have come here if she had objections.

“Isn’t Mr. Durley here? I think as long as Mr. Durley is here, there will definitely be no problem!” Winry said confidently.

"This is truly blind trust," Du Lei chuckled, as no one had ever trusted him so completely before.

“Yes, yes, is it not allowed?” Wen Li put her hands behind her back and winked at Du Lei with a smile.

“Of course you can, so come on, the gates to the underworld are now open!” Dure stepped forward and pulled open the gate!

Meanwhile, in a mansion in Rock City, a man named Valan had prepared a lavish feast to welcome his guests from afar.

The banquet was very lavish, with exquisite plates filled with the specialties of Rock City. In the center of the table was even a whole wild boar, which was marinated and then smoked, giving it a golden color and making it look quite delicious under the lights.

At the head of the banquet, a man who looked to be around forty years old was holding a roasted pig leg and eating it with great relish. There were already more than a dozen empty plates around him, and four maids were serving him his meal.

The reason he needed four people to serve him was because he was so big. He was nearly two meters tall, which was already quite tall, but he weighed over 400 kilograms. His enormous size made him look like a small mountain, and oil kept dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Even though Leopard Tail had seen a lot of the world, he had never seen anyone who could eat so much. If he were just an ordinary fat man, it wouldn't be a problem, but this guy held a high position of power in the Mountain Kingdom and was not someone to be easily offended.

"Hey, Kotetsu, are you kidding me? This guy is actually the Speaker's younger brother? Him?" Leopard Tail asked Kotetsu in a low voice. It was really hard to associate this fat man with the "third most important person" in the Mountain Country.

“That’s right. I’ve seen him before when I came to Rock City. He’s Varo’s younger brother, Varan.” Kotetsu nodded in confirmation.

"Goodness, if even his own brother looks like this, then the Speaker of the Council must not be much better," Leopard Tail muttered.

"Now is not the time for you to judge other people's appearances!" Kotetsu glared fiercely at Leopard Tail.

"Of course I understand that, but all this guy does right now is eat. He's already eaten a whole wild boar and he's still eating. Who knows when he'll be full and start talking business with us?" Leopard Tail was also somewhat helpless about this.

He spent half a day trying to get information out of Colonel Ruff, but to no avail. Now that the banquet had begun, Lord Varan was eating and drinking without saying a word. He still couldn't understand what the other party's purpose was in bringing them here.

m.

587 Did you bring any money?

For someone like Winry, she always lived in the most glamorous and dazzling places. The underground world, filled with the stench of alcohol and the shouts of revelry, was destined to be a foreign concept to her. If it were any other time, she probably would never have come to such a smoky and chaotic place in her entire life.

But under Dure's guidance, she finally saw what the underground world was like. After pushing open the door, a huge square appeared. Originally, Wenli thought that such a hidden underground place with such a small door could at most be a casino or something similar.

It's true that there are casinos in the underground world, but the area of ​​just one casino is more than twenty times that of that little-known tavern on the surface! Many people gathered in the square, chatting in twos and threes.

Winry also saw them secretly stuffing something back and forth, seemingly making some kind of deal. Because it was underground, there was no moonlight; the lighting was provided by the "Cold Flames" around the square. Cold Flames are a type of magic stone that has the function of illumination.

At the four corners of the square are numerous buildings, including taverns where mercenaries gather, casinos where gamblers flock, and blacksmith shops where the clanging of metal can be heard. It's practically a huge underground market!

"Is this the underground world? It seems quite different from what I imagined," Winry exclaimed in amazement.

"And what is your vision of the underground world, Miss Winry?" Dure asked her slowly and deliberately.

"The underground world I imagined? I don't know, but at least... it's not this big, is it?" Winry blinked as she answered.

The underground plaza was over ten meters high and stretched as far as the eye could see. She saw hundreds of people coming and going, and it was even more bustling than the ground. It truly broadened her horizons.

“The underworld deals in things that are forbidden on the surface. Look at those people over there, they’re trading illegal drugs. And over there, those people are trading alchemical materials, if I’m not mistaken,” Du Lei said quietly, pointing ahead.

"Alchemy materials? But why are these things sold underground and not in legitimate stores?" Winry still didn't quite understand.

“Because anything sold in a legitimate store can be recorded by the merchant, and their whereabouts can be traced. Furthermore, some sellers are afraid of being targeted, so they don’t like to publicize what they have. Of course, there’s another issue.” Du Lei paused here.

"What's the problem?" Wenli asked curiously, following closely beside Durei, looking somewhat nervous.

“The point is that all the sales revenue of shops on the surface is subject to taxation. If you sell in the underground world, you can avoid a huge amount of taxation. Okay, put this on.” Dure handed Winry a mask.

“This is…” Winnie hesitated.

"This is to avoid unnecessary trouble. Apart from the locals who have been around here for a long time, almost all outsiders wear masks," Dure pointed to several masked people not far away and reminded them.

"I see, Mr. Dure, you know so much!" Wen Li took the mask and put it on, her words filled with admiration.

“To survive in this world, you have to follow its rules. By the way, Miss Winry, do you have any money on you?” Dure asked.

“Money? This…” Wenli hesitated for a moment, looking a little embarrassed.

"To get intelligence here, you have to spend money. You can buy almost anything you want with money, but if you don't have money, it might be a bit troublesome," Dure said with some distress.

“I’m so sorry, I’ve never carried any money with me, but… this should be able to be exchanged for some money, right?” Wenli thought for a moment, then took a ring off her hand and handed it to Dure. Dure had seen this ring a long time ago and had always carried it with her.

"This should be worth some money. Did you buy it?" Du Lei took the ring and weighed it in his hand. A ruby ​​was set on the ring face.

“I didn’t buy it, it was… left to me by my mother,” Wenli replied softly.

"Stay?" Du Lei grasped the meaning implied in that word.

“Yes, my mother left when I was very young, so I’ve always carried her with me.” Winry nodded gently.

"Then doesn't it have extraordinary significance for you? Why sell it?" Du Lei asked her in return.

“But Mr. Dure, didn’t you just say that you have to spend money to get information? I haven’t been able to help you much along the way, so…” Wenli hesitated before continuing.

"So you want to help me this way?" Dure said what she hadn't said aloud.

“Yes.” Winry lowered her head, unwilling to look at the ring again, lest it bring back painful memories.

"Since it's such an important thing, you should keep it safe." Du Lei returned the ring to her.

“Huh? But…” Onew hesitated.

"There's no 'but' about it. You don't have any money on you, but I do," Du Lei replied with a smile.

"Is that so? That's wonderful." Winnie finally breathed a sigh of relief and took the ring back.

"I was just bored being alone, so I asked casually. You follow behind me, but be careful and don't cause any unnecessary trouble," Du Lei cautiously reminded Wen Li. His words were more than just a reminder.

Ever since he and Winry entered the underground world, he had noticed several pairs of eyes fixed on them.

If he hadn't desperately needed intelligence, he wouldn't have risked bringing Winry here.

“Understood! I certainly won’t hold you back, Mr. Dure!” Winry nodded emphatically.

She quickened her pace to catch up with Du Lei, and the two soon headed towards the square ahead.

Just as the two disappeared, a figure flickered in the dark corner.

"Hehehehe, what delicious prey! It's been so long since I've smelled such delicious prey..." His voice was hoarse.

"Hey, I had my eye on this first, so don't try to take it from me." Another figure appeared nearby.

"Damn it, who's fighting with whom? Do you want to taste how sharp my claws are?" Shadow was furious.

"You two stop arguing. Now that they're in the underworld, they can't escape. It's just that kid next to her..."

“That kid exudes a repulsive aura. I don’t like his flesh, so you can have him.”

A hoarse voice filled the darkness; the shadow of death always seemed to follow.

588 Lord Varan

Leopard Tail thought he was a big eater, but after witnessing Lord Valan feasting, he realized that he was far inferior to him. Valan not only had a full plate of food in front of him, but he had also eaten at least half of a roasted wild boar on the table!

This was a live wild boar being roasted, not a suckling pig. The portion was enormous. He glanced at Valan's stomach several times, very curious about how this guy could eat so much food all at once. Was his stomach a bottomless pit?

"The wild boar was a bit burnt tonight, not ideal, and I didn't really have much of an appetite. Let's get rid of that chef. By the way, hasn't Chef Mason returned yet? It's definitely his wild boar that suits my taste." Lord Valan finally stopped.

He gently wiped the corner of his mouth, his opinion of the roasted wild boar not high; it was clear he was uninterested and even somewhat dissatisfied.

"Is this guy even a normal human being? He's eaten so much and still says he has no appetite and isn't full?" Leopard Tail was dumbfounded. He'd never seen anything like it before. At the rate Valan was eating, he must be eating two or three roasted wild boars a day.

"Keep your voice down. We're guests, after all. It's best to behave properly here. Besides, we don't know what he's planning to do by bringing us here!" Hu Che tugged at Bao Wei's tail, and Bao Wei's words were indeed somewhat rude.

Secondly, he couldn't figure out the other party's intentions. There were only a few of them at the table. Kai and Colonel Luffy, who had brought them here before, had both left. This wasn't Kotetsu's first time in Rock City, and he knew more or less about the important figures in Rock City.

But this Lord Varan has a bad reputation; he is often perceived as "foolish" and having an extraordinary appetite.

"Understood, sir. I'll go and send the chef away right away." The waiter who had been serving him left the restaurant to carry out his order.

"Mason is really something, he's been on leave for several days and hasn't come back yet after taking care of his personal matters? Oh, by the way, distinguished guests, I'm so sorry, I was so busy eating that I didn't properly entertain you." Valan seemed to only notice the presence of Kotetsu and the others at this moment.

"It's alright. It's already an honor for us to receive such hospitality from Lord Valan," Bailing replied gently.

At this time, she was playing the role of special envoy Winnie, and her gentle temperament was somewhat similar to Winnie's.

"Hahaha, Miss Wenli, you really know how to talk. It is my honor to entertain such a distinguished guest as you. If you don't mind, Miss Wenli, please stay here for a few more days. There is plenty of good food and drink. Just let me know if you need anything."

Lord Varan seemed very enthusiastic; he was all smiles and very amiable.

“Lord Valan, we are on a mission to Rock City on the orders of Her Majesty the Queen of the Snow Kingdom. We have already been delayed on the way. Now that we have finally arrived in Rock City, we should go and see your brother, Speaker Varo, as soon as possible. It is not appropriate to bother you any further.”

Kotetsu stepped forward and said that he still did not understand Valan's intention in inviting them here. Moreover, ever since they arrived in Rock City, he had a bad feeling that they were being watched. He did not want any trouble and thought it best to complete the mission as soon as possible before leaving.

"You want to see my brother? Of course, I'll take you to see him tomorrow. He'll definitely be happy to see you, hahaha. But until then, you can stay at my residence for now," Valan said cheerfully, patting his belly.

"We are already very grateful for Lord Varan's hospitality, but as for accommodation, we would still like to..." Kotetsu hesitated.

Upon entering Varan's mansion, he felt as if he had entered a den of wolves and tigers.

If you were to stay here for one night, who knows what might happen!

"What, are you worried that my home, Valan's, isn't safe?" Valan suddenly stopped smiling and asked in a cold voice.

“Well… not really…” Kotetsu was a little unaccustomed to the sudden change in Valan’s attitude.

"Since that's not the case, then you can all stay here without worry. I know you don't trust me, Valan, so I'll be frank with you. There's someone in Rock City who wants to harm you, but that person won't be me, Valan," Valan said coldly.

His attitude was completely different from his previous cheerful demeanor, and the atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became tense and silent.

"But..." Kotetsu wanted to say something more.

"It's alright. Since Lord Varan has so kindly invited us, let's stay here." Bailing stopped Hu Che.

“Miss Wenling…” Hu Che frowned as he looked at her. He had already noticed that something was wrong with this Valan.

He only knew how to eat at the beginning of the banquet and acted foolish, but now he is unusually shrewd.

Experience told him that this kind of person was very dangerous and that what he said was often unreliable, so he shouldn't believe him easily.

"Trust me, it's okay." Bailing gestured to Hu Che not to make a fuss.

Kotetsu quickly realized that Bailing was now playing the role of Wenli, so he had no choice but to swallow his words.

"Hahaha, it's wonderful that Miss Winry trusts me, Valan, so much. Well then, someone come quickly and arrange for Miss Winry and her guards to go and rest." Valan waved his hand.