The most shameless alchemist in history

"What? Declaring General Titus a rebel? Back then, General Titus held military power in both countries." The staff officer was taken aback. As a graduate of a military academy, he found such a decision unbelievable.

"Yes, if General Iron were willing, he could have led his army back to the Iron Kingdom to seize the throne, but he gave up. He abandoned his own country and accepted the investiture from Speaker Varo's father to guard the western border of our Mountain Kingdom," Colonel Luffy continued.

"No wonder the northern and southern borders have been unstable for so many years, with wars raging everywhere, while the western border remains unbroken. It turns out it's because General Tidus is in charge. But... I really hadn't heard of General Tidus before." The staff officer suddenly realized.

"This is because General Teda has been retired for a long time. The current king of the Iron Kingdom is practically his grandson. And when Speaker Varo sees General Teda, he has to call him uncle. In the entire Mountain Kingdom, the only one who can be compared to General Teda is General Shanlong."

Ruff sighed, saying that he had never expected General Titus to appear.

“Since General Titus has retired, he no longer has any troops under his command. Why should we hand over the prisoners to him?” The staff officer still didn’t understand.

Based on his understanding of Luffy, Luffy wasn't the type to give up a piece of easy money just out of respect for his senior.

“It’s true that General Tiida doesn’t have an army under his command, but the soldiers he leads are all powerful figures in the Mountain Kingdom. Kai, you’ve seen it yourself. He can be considered an elite of the younger generation. His father was General Tiida’s subordinate, and half of the six major guards in the capital listened to him.”

"Then what about us here..."

"There's no other way. We'd better go back and report." Luffy shook his head and could only leave with his men.

Meanwhile, Dure and his group, escorted by the Lava Guard, quickly left Rock City.

At first, Leopard Tail had some doubts. He didn't understand what these people were up to, let alone where they were headed.

However, on the way, both Dure and Kotetsu signaled him to keep quiet, because they could tell that Kai, especially the old man who came later, was not one of Luffy's people. Although even Dure couldn't guess their purpose for the time being, one thing was certain: they were safe.

The place they eventually arrived at was a military camp outside Rock Castle.

The military camp was heavily guarded, with sentries every five steps and guards every ten steps on the outer perimeter.

This actually gives people a sense of security.

“I know you have many questions, let’s talk about them over there.” The old man glanced at Du Lei and his group.

Du Lei could guess that this old man held a very important position in the Mountain Kingdom, at least on par with Shan Long.

But he couldn't understand why an elderly person of such status would personally come to rescue them.

This doesn't make any sense at all!

"This old man looks frail, but he seems unusually robust," Leopard Tail muttered to himself.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase. Is it going to rain again?" Du Lei looked up at the sky, where lightning churned in the dark clouds.

"The weather here is really not good. Hey, Tiger Chetsu, you didn't say that before." Leopard Tail had a lot of complaints about the weather, and he complained in a low voice.

"It wasn't like this when I came here before, how would I know?" Kotetsu refused to take the blame.

"Alright, young people, please sit down here. You must all be hungry. I'll have someone make you some food and bring it over. But before that, we need to have a serious talk." After they entered the tent, the old man said solemnly, his hands behind his back.

m.

617 Talkative

Originally, due to Pam's betrayal, Dure and his group were wiped out by Colonel Luffy. In fact, when they were being taken away, Dure had already given Kotetsu and the others a look, preparing to find a place to make their move again. They were not going to surrender easily; after all, these few of them still had some fighting ability.

Once you reach a secluded section of the road, dealing with Luffy's men shouldn't be too difficult. However, with Kai's appearance, and especially with General Tidus personally taking action, a lot of trouble was avoided. At the same time, Dure couldn't understand why someone of General Tidus's status would take action.

His doubts were quickly explained when he saw someone in the military camp, someone who shouldn't be there and seemed out of place: Gru, the old blacksmith from the blacksmith shop that Dure had visited before, and the father of Grufi who had helped them.

"Uncle Gru? What are you doing here?" Dure frowned. He had a brief conversation with Gru when he went to look for him before. At that time, Gru did not reveal much information, only telling him to go back and wait. Sure enough, the next day, Kotetsu and the others were released.

This incident alone is enough to show that Gru has a considerable influence in Rock City, and is definitely not as simple as the blacksmith he appears to be. Now Gru has reappeared in the military camp and is sitting next to General Tidus, although not in the main seat.

However, there were many officers in the military camp, several of whom were generals. Even Kai, a powerful officer in Rock City, was only sitting at the end of the table. But Gru was sitting in the second seat. This status startled Dure, who couldn't help but re-evaluate Gru.

"Gru, didn't you tell these young people who you really are?" Hearing Dure's question, the old man followed Dure's suspicious gaze to the blacksmith. He chuckled. Judging from his attitude, he and Gru were old acquaintances, even though he was more than ten years older than Gru.

“There’s no need for that.” Gru shook his head slightly. He was a man of few words and did indeed seem rather dull, rarely speaking.

"Are you Mr. Gru? My friends were rescued thanks to your help. I am so grateful to you!" Winry bowed slightly to Gru. She had learned about Gru from Dure, and of course, she also knew that Gru was the Snow Country's liaison in the Mountain Country.

“Miss Winry, you really need to thank him properly,” the old man said, patting Gru on the shoulder.

Older people generally have more experience than younger people, especially those in his position who know many little-known secrets.

"Is your...mother alright?" Gru originally wanted to avoid Winry's gaze, but he clenched his fists, and his movements looked very unnatural.

After hesitating for a while, he finally asked the question, and such an expression was extremely rare for him.

“Mother? Mr. Gru, do you... know your mother?” Winry was taken aback, as her mother held a very high position in the Land of Snow.

Very few people knew that her mother was that woman, and judging from Gru's reaction, he seemed to be very familiar with her mother.

"I suppose you could say I know?" Gru was not good with words, and he spoke vaguely, unsure how to explain the matter.

“Mother is well.” Although Winry wasn’t quite sure what Gru’s identity was, she nodded gently and said.

"Really? Then I'm relieved." Gru's tense mood, which had been clenching his hands, immediately relaxed.

"Alright, so let's discuss the current situation of Rock Castle properly. Generals, what are your thoughts?" The old man promptly changed the subject. He waved his hand, and a dozen or so high-ranking officers sat down, while Kotetsu and the others went outside to eat.

Inside the tent were only three people without military ranks: Dure, Winry, and the blacksmith Gru.

"That guy Tamar colluded with outsiders to imprison Speaker Varo, which is simply unforgivable. We have gathered the strength of eight legions and currently have the advantage in terms of troop strength against the capital. I think we should strike first and immediately attack the capital to rescue the Speaker!"

Someone made a suggestion. The speaker was a burly, middle-aged general. He was tall and had a particularly rough voice. His hair, which resembled steel needles, exuded a wildness. It was obvious that he was a staunch advocate of war.

“General House, as things stand, there are four legions stationed in the capital. Although we have the advantage, we haven’t received orders to enter the capital rashly. What if they close the city gates and hold out?” someone raised a different opinion.

“Yes, it’s best not to go to war unless it’s absolutely necessary. Once war breaks out, it will inevitably affect the citizens of Rock City. Furthermore, General Yamagawa has a strong influence in the Eastern Army. What if he mobilizes the Eastern Army to fight?”

Among the generals present, many were moderates, and they did not agree with General House's opinion, shaking their heads repeatedly.

"You are far too weak! The Art of War clearly states that speed is of the essence in war. We are currently in a superior position, but if we cannot achieve a swift victory and instead drag this out indefinitely, the situation will be very unfavorable for us!" General House criticized loudly.

Inside the tent, the generals could not reach a consensus and soon began arguing. Dure and Wenli listened for a while and then sat down in the main seat. General Titus, who had remained silent the whole time, slowly yawned. He ignored the arguing generals and slowly left the tent.

Dure, Winry, and the blacksmith Gru all went out, with Gru going alone to the rear of the military camp.

Wenli went to find Hu Che and Bai Ling, while Du Lei originally planned to go with Wenli, but he was stopped by the old man.

"That scene just now was quite embarrassing, wasn't it?" the old man suddenly said with emotion.

"What?" Du Lei didn't quite understand what the old man meant, let alone why he had called him back.

"Incessant arguments due to differing opinions would have been absolutely impossible when I was young," the old man said with a smile.

"Is it because of your great prestige when you were young, General?" Dure asked.

"When I was young, no one dared to interrupt me in meetings. Now that I'm old, it's the young people's world, and they're becoming less and less respectful." The old man sighed with emotion as he recalled the past.

"Times are always changing, but people always grow old. It's not a bad thing to have some reverence." Du Lei nodded slightly.

"Could you accompany this old man for a walk?" the old man asked, pointing ahead.

He hasn't returned to Rock City for a long time.

This has been a long time coming!

.vertex

618 Unjustified Actions

The heavy rain continued. Inside the military camp, many young soldiers were carrying logs to set up roadblocks, while others were wielding shovels to dig defensive fortifications outside the camp. The rain had been falling for two whole days, and the ground was soft from the erosion. The soldiers were covered in mud and were in a very muddy state.

The boy, holding an umbrella, accompanied the old man on his inspection of the military camp. Through the heavy rain, the outline of Rock Castle could be seen in the distance. The old man's eyes were complicated. He said nothing, and the boy asked nothing. About half an hour later, the old man waved his hand, finally succumbing to the cold and returning home.

After taking the old man back to his tent, Du Lei went to find Hu Che and the others. Hu Che and the others were eating at the time, and invited Du Lei to sit down with them. The wind was howling outside the tent, and the ground was very damp. Only the burning fire brought some warmth.

"Du Lei, you're finally back! We almost ate all the food if you hadn't come back." Leopard Tail made room for Du Lei to sit next to him. This was something he would never have dared to dream of before; he wanted nothing more than to stay far away from this guy.

"Why are you eating so much lately? You might as well stay here. Our guard's food allowance isn't even enough to feed you. By the way, Du Lei, did you go out with General Ti Da just now?" After scolding Bao Wei, Hu Che turned around and asked Du Lei.

"Yes, I went for a walk with General Titus," Dure nodded, readily admitting.

"Then tell us quickly, what did General Tida say? I didn't know what that old man was capable of before, but after inquiring around, I found out that the old man's background is so great, it really startled me." Leopard Tail came over with great interest to ask.

“General Titus didn’t say anything, and he seemed rather powerless,” Dure thought for a moment and replied.

"What? You're not up to the task?" Leopard Tail was taken aback.

“That’s right. When the generals were meeting to discuss the matter, General Titus’s remarks had no effect whatsoever. The generals each held their own opinions and argued endlessly.” Dure gave a truthful account of what had happened at the previous meeting. Winry was also present at the time, and she nodded in confirmation.

"How could this be? Is it true that even the greatest heroes cannot escape the passage of time?" Leopard Tail lamented.

"By the way, Dom, what news did you find out?" Dure turned to Dom and asked.

Previously, due to Pam's betrayal, Dom was also arrested, but he and Dure were brought to the military camp by the old man.

When they first arrived at the military camp, they had no idea what was going on, so they sent Dom to gather intelligence.

"I've already found out. About a week ago, someone leaked information about Rock City, and spread the word that Speaker Varo had issued an order to summon troops from all over the country back to Rock City to rescue Speaker Varo. In addition to the Northern Army, which is preparing for battle, the Eastern and Southern Army forces have also responded." Dom was originally from Rock City, so he quickly figured out what had happened.

"What? They've already taken the lead? We were thinking of contacting Speaker Varo's old subordinates, but it seems they've taken the initiative. It's just a matter of coordination between them..." Dure was quite worried at this thought.

"Now that they've arrived at Rock City, and there are so many of them, why haven't they made any moves yet? What are they waiting for?" Leopard Tail asked curiously. In his opinion, since they've gathered such a large number of people, they should strike first.

“They still have many concerns. First, although they have Speaker Varo’s order, it can be said that the order from Rock City is forged. They are going to rescue Speaker Varo under the pretext of rescuing him, but what if they say that Speaker Varo is just sick? Furthermore, the current Minister of the Army, Shanlong, is not someone to be trifled with. Without certainty, they dare not advance rashly.” Dure shook his head.

He was well aware of these people's concerns, especially given that General Titus was old and lacked leadership, making it even more difficult to unite these proud generals.

"So what are we going to do? Just stand here in the rain and do nothing... Oh, we don't have to get wet, but I just saw them building fortifications. It looks like they're going to be here for a long time." Leopard Tail pulled back the tent flap and looked outside. The young soldiers were still building fortifications in the rain.

“Well… I think we’ll just have to wait and see. In any case, the situation in Rock City is much more complicated and dangerous than we imagined, especially since General Teda swaggered out of Rock City and brought us out. It’s impossible that Rock City didn’t react. They should take countermeasures soon,” Du Lei said after thinking for a moment.

"Countermeasures? What countermeasures?" Leopard Tail was completely baffled.

“If I were Lord Tama, I think I would definitely prepare for the worst, and then formulate a strategy to deal with it, provided that I can fully defend against the worst-case scenario,” Dure said thoughtfully, putting himself in the other’s shoes.

"Worst-case scenario? Dure, at least explain clearly what the worst-case scenario is. I'm completely baffled by what you're saying." Leopard Tail was utterly confused.

“For Rock City right now, the worst-case scenario is undoubtedly that the army gathered outside the city will suddenly launch an attack and storm Rock City, which is the last thing they want to see,” Dure explained.

"Yeah, I don't know what these guys are hesitating about. Why don't they just charge in and finish it off? Instead, they're dragging their feet. And they're all generals, yet they're not as decisive as me!" Leopard Tail had a lot of complaints about those generals.

“As I just said, they have no legitimate reason for their actions, and each of them has their own agenda. They are not united as one. Judging from the current reaction of Rock City, there are only two reasons why they let General Teda and us leave Rock City,” Du Lei continued.

"What two reasons?" Leopard Tail immediately pressed.

“The first reason is General Titus’s enormous personal prestige; you all saw Colonel Ruff’s reaction at the time,” Dure said.

"I saw it, I saw it! That Colonel Luffy was like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw the old man. I never thought that the old man, who looked so ordinary, would be so powerful!" Leopard Tail was still a little excited when he recalled the scene when General Titus appeared.

Because that's the perfect image of a great hero in his mind!