The most shameless alchemist in history

He didn't have much ill will towards Tama; in fact, he admired him somewhat. In Tama's eyes, he saw no desire, no hatred, only tranquility. He was curious as to why such a selfless person would stir up this storm.

"Do you really think the existence of this world is correct?" Tamma posed a question that resembled a philosophical reflection.

"This question seems too broad for me, and I'm afraid I can't answer it," Du Lei said after a moment's thought, shaking his head slightly.

“Is that so? Everyone’s identity is determined from birth. A farmer’s son will still be a farmer when he grows up, a worker’s son will still be a worker when he grows up, a baker’s son will run his father’s bakery when he grows up, and a nobleman’s son will inherit the family’s glory and become a new generation of nobles. Even though the Mountain Kingdom has changed its system to a parliamentary system, look at the members of parliament, which one of them doesn’t come from a noble family? Commoners don’t even have the qualifications to become members of parliament,” Tama said calmly.

“Perhaps the current situation is indeed as you say, but the world is always changing, and times are changing.” Dure did not deny what he said, and in some respects, he deeply agreed with it.

“That’s right, times will always change, but they need an opportunity for change, and they need someone to push them forward,” Tama said confidently.

"So you're the one you think is capable of changing the world and driving the course of history?" Dure thought carefully for a moment, then followed Tama's train of thought and asked him.

"Perhaps I am insignificant, perhaps my strength is weak, perhaps I still cannot change this world, but at least I can try." Tamma's words revealed an unparalleled confidence.

"So your approach is to deploy a large army on the northern border of the Mountain Kingdom and wage war against our northern neighbor?" Durei seized on the crux of the problem and asked.

“Yes, this continent has spent too long in division, and the long period of division has left it in a state of turmoil. This situation must end, and a war of unification is a necessary means!” Tama said with certainty.

"That does sound like a remarkable feat, but even though I'm just a layman, an ordinary person, I know that once war breaks out, it will inevitably cause immense suffering for the people. So even if countless people die because of this war, do you still insist that this is a necessary measure for your so-called era?" Dure continued to ask rhetorically.

“War is cruel, and I know that all too well. I myself am an orphan of war. But I also know that only through the baptism of war can people’s hearts become stronger. Those who are weak will be eliminated by the times. So Mr. Du Lei, you are right. War is indeed an essential means to cleanse this evil continent,” Tama said with certainty.

“No, you’ve misunderstood. I think your thinking has been wrong from the start,” Du Lei shook his head and denied.

“Wrong? Where is the mistake?” Tama frowned.

"Your initial intention was to promote this era in this way, right?" Dure asked.

“That’s right, that’s exactly it. This era has lasted too long. The people have no right to choose their own destiny and live in misery. This situation must change, and someone must stand up to save them,” Tama said affirmatively.

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637 Necessary Sacrifice

"Don't you find this contradictory? You keep saying that you made this cruel choice to save their lives, but the way you're trying to save them is through a war of blood and fire, which will devour their homes and take their lives. If they don't even have lives, how can they choose their fate?" Dure shook his head, pointing out the paradox in the finance minister's words.

"Propelling this era forward is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it is a long process. Moreover, to achieve a certain goal, an equal price must be paid. Therefore, necessary sacrifices are unavoidable, but all of this is for the sake of making the world a better place!" Tamma said earnestly.

"Better? What you call better is just what you think is better, isn't it? You are forcibly imposing your will on innocent people. You think you are choosing their fate, but all they want is an ordinary life, a safe life, a peaceful life. They don't want much, and they don't have such lofty ideals as you. Are you sure you want to forcibly bind innocent people to your war chariot with your absurd ideas?" Du Lei sternly accused.

“The people are not enlightened, and their vision is too short-sighted. If they were allowed to choose their own destiny, they would only live a mediocre life,” Tama said, shaking his head.

"So you're going to take it upon yourself to choose a fate for them that they've never even considered?" Dure said forcefully.

“Yes, I think they will understand one day.” Tamma nodded heavily.

"What if one day they are separated from their wives and children, their families destroyed, and they become piles of white bones?" Du Lei scoffed at this.

"As I just said, necessary sacrifices are normal."

"What a sacrifice! What a normal thing! What a magnificent and lofty ideal!" Durei found it increasingly absurd and laughable.

"Whether anyone understands or not, I will carry it out to the very end!" Tama's words were very firm!

“Mr. Tamer, you have no right to choose someone else’s fate, so no matter what dangerous things you do, I will be here to stop you. I just hope you can give up your crazy ideas here.” Dure’s words were undoubtedly a final notice to him.

“I originally thought you would be able to understand my ideals, to understand that bright and promising future, but unfortunately, I was wrong. You are no different from everyone else, which is truly a pity.” Tama shook his head gently, his words filled with endless sighs.

"So, our negotiations have fallen apart, right?" Du Lei said with some regret.

“Yes, our talks broke down, and there’s no point in continuing the dialogue.” Tamah nodded.

"So, is violence the only way to resolve our differences?" Dure continued to ask.

“If I had a choice, I would never want to go down this path, Mr. Dure. You are a very outstanding young man, but unfortunately, your path can only end here. However, you don’t need to worry. You will become a cornerstone for the new era,” Tama said solemnly.

"That's quite an honor, so come on!" Du Lei lowered his center of gravity, gripped the dagger at his waist, and charged forward!

Meanwhile, in the military camp outside the city, as the army moved out, Wenli and the others who were originally staying in the camp also entered the city.

"It's been raining for days. I heard people say that it rarely rains in the Land of Mountains, but judging from the intensity of this rain, it's even more than in the Land of Rain. I really don't know what's going on." Bee Sting kept complaining. The endless rain was making him feel terrible.

"If it rains, just remember to bring an umbrella. I just wonder how Mr. Dure and the others are doing." Wenli held an umbrella as she entered Rock City under the escort of guards. This kind of treatment was unprecedented, as things had changed drastically since the army entered the city.

As an envoy from the Land of Snow, she must be given special protection. If anything happens to her, the war between the two countries will be in real trouble. General Shanlong, as the pro-war faction of the Land of Mountains, had been in power, but now that General Teda has arrived, he has nothing to do.

"Miss Winry, Miss Winry, are you alright?" Just then, Leopard Tail saw them from a short distance away and rushed over.

“We’re all fine, Mr. Leopard Tail, Mr. Kotetsu, and Mr. Ape Arm, are you all here? Where’s Mr. Dure? I don’t see him. Wasn’t he with you?” Wendy immediately looked over and saw that Leopard Tail and the others were all safe and sound, but she couldn’t see Dure anywhere.

“That guy Dure split up with us; he went to the Capitol building,” Leopard Tail replied.

"The Parliament building? Is it dangerous over there?" Winry asked with some concern.

"Don't worry, the entire city is under our control now. A mere parliament building is nothing to us. Besides, I just heard that the Lava Guard guarding outside the parliament building has been dismantled, so I think there shouldn't be any problems, right?" Leopard Tail said after thinking for a moment.

"If nothing's wrong, that would be wonderful," Wenli said, slightly relieved.

"That guy Dure is so clever, even if something happens, he can turn danger into safety. Miss Wenli, you can rest assured, right, Boss Kotetsu?" Leopard Tail had a lot of confidence in Dure, after all, they had done a great job on their side, let alone the parliament building.

"Hey, look over there, isn't that the Parliament Building?" Kotetsu suddenly said, pointing into the distance.

"Over there...over there...huh? What's going on? Why are the dark clouds only concentrated over there? The whole building is surrounded by dark clouds?" Leopard Tail looked in the direction Kotetsu was pointing. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.

But after confirming it again and again, he saw it clearly: in a flash of lightning, dark clouds suddenly spread across the sky and covered the entire parliament building. Such a scene was like the end of the world, and anyone who saw it would feel their scalp tingle!

"Hey, what happened to the Capitol Building? Is it cursed?"

"I don't know either, I can't see anything, oh my god, how could it have turned out like this?"

"I really hope nothing bad happens. Gods, please protect us."

Nearby residents also noticed the scene; some were panicked, while others prayed quietly.

638 Thunderclouds Rolling

After Hu Che and his men dealt with the defensive forces at the city gate, opened the gate, and let the local troops into the city, they immediately headed towards the parliament building.

The heavy rain continued to pour down, leaving many puddles on the ground. As the guards' gleaming leather boots stepped over them, raindrops splashed out, and their resolute faces were reflected in the puddles.

Colonel Luffy, his face bruised and bloodied, was escorted away by guards. Meanwhile, Leopard Tail rubbed his wrist, which was bruised. Seeing Colonel Luffy's fearful and uneasy eyes, especially as Leopard Tail passed by him, Colonel Luffy kept shrinking back. This was enough to show who was the one who had really beaten Colonel Luffy.

However, Leopard Tail did not bask in the joy of avenging his great enemy for long, because with a loud rumble of thunder, the dark clouds in the sky surged like splashed ink, and the entire parliament building was shrouded in a layer of dark clouds.

If the dark clouds were merely covering the sky, that would be one thing; it would be a normal natural phenomenon. But the dark clouds enveloped the building from its main entrance all the way to its top.

This meant that from the outside, all that could be seen were three-dimensional dark clouds and flashes of lightning that occasionally appeared within them. Outside the clouds, a large number of guards had gathered. These were the vanguard troops who had just rushed in from outside the city, and their orders were to go to the Parliament building to provide support.

"Hey, what's going on? Why is the building covered by dark clouds?" a guard asked in surprise. This strange and bizarre phenomenon was unheard of!

"What are you all standing here for? This is nothing more than going into a thick fog in the morning. Just rush in, won't you?" A young soldier, full of youthful vigor, ignored his comrades' advice and ran in.

"Wait, these are dark clouds, not fog, and don't you see lightning swirling in them? This is very dangerous, wait a minute, don't be reckless!" An experienced veteran nearby tried to stop the young man, reaching out to grab his clothes and pull him back.

But the veteran was a step too slow. By then, the young soldier had already rushed into the cloud's range. Just as his finger touched the cloud, lightning bolts suddenly descended from above and struck his finger precisely!

"I told you, this is no different from the morning fog, but you didn't believe me. Watch how I..." The young soldier didn't notice anything unusual at first, until a golden lightning bolt struck down from above his head in an instant!

"Ah!" With a sharp and heart-wrenching scream, the young soldier was struck by lightning. His bone structure could be seen through the lightning, and there was even a burnt smell in the air.

"Are you alright?" his companion exclaimed in surprise, and several people immediately tried to rush over and pull him back.

"Don't go over there, don't go over there, he's already dead." The experienced veteran felt extremely guilty for not being able to stop the young man. He immediately waved to stop the others who were about to rush forward. He sighed softly, and under the gaze of countless eyes, the young body turned into a charred piece of coal in an instant.

"Damn it, how could it have turned out like this?" A soldier took off his military cap and said, weeping bitterly.

“We had already captured Rock Castle, we were about to win, how could this happen…” The young soldiers wept bitterly for their comrades’ deaths.

"What's going on here?" General House rushed over, and the nearby guards quickly made way for him.

Kotetsu and Hyo-o followed behind House. An officer approached and whispered the situation to House. Although Kotetsu and the others couldn't hear the officer, the charred corpse on the scene spoke volumes.

"Boss Kotetsu, what exactly happened? How could such a perfectly good building be turned into this?" Leopard Tail had long lost the exhilarating feeling he had when he beat up Colonel Luffy. He looked at the parliament building shrouded in dark clouds with fear and unease.

"I'm not entirely sure either, but the parliament building seems to be protected by a barrier, making it very difficult for outsiders to break in." Although Hu Che wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, he had traveled extensively and was very experienced, so he offered a general guess.

“What about Mr. Dure? Mr. Dure is in the Parliament building right now, right? What should we do? He’s trapped inside. How can he escape?” Wenli rushed over, no longer caring about holding an umbrella. The cold raindrops soaked her hair and dripped down her strands.

"This..." Kotetsu looked at the building with churning thunderclouds, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer her.

Lightning relentlessly tore through the night sky, casting a shadow over the city. No one knew how long the darkness would last.

Meanwhile, at the top of the parliament building, Durrell also noticed the unusual appearance of the glass windows on the exterior wall.

After all, he was a very detail-oriented person. Before this, he clearly remembered that there was torrential rain outside the window, and lightning flashed from time to time. He could clearly see the sky in the distance. But now it was shrouded in dark clouds. Although there was indeed lightning in the dark clouds, the lightning was more ferocious and closer than before. Normally, lightning is hundreds or even thousands of meters high, but Du Lei knew that the lightning outside the window was only a few meters away from him.

Even the air itself makes hissing sounds from time to time. If you look closely, you can see electric currents rushing through the air like electric snakes. The skin feels slightly numb, and even the hair seems to stand up.

But no matter what unusual situation occurred outside, Dure had no time to pay attention to it, because he knew that he was facing a greater danger at this moment, a threat from Treasurer Tamer.

After he and Tama completely broke off relations, they had already exchanged blows no less than dozens of times in just a few minutes. He originally thought he had the advantage, after all, Tama looked refined and gentle, a nobleman with a very gentlemanly demeanor, and his position in the Mountain Kingdom was Minister of Finance. Under normal circumstances, he should not have any combat ability.

However, when they actually clashed, Dure realized how wrong he was. Not only did Tama have formidable fighting abilities, but the battle was also one-sided from the start. In dozens of exchanges, he didn't gain an advantage even once and was completely dominated by one side!

639. Foolish people

"Cough cough, I really didn't expect Mr. Tamah to have such formidable combat abilities. This is quite inconsistent with your identity as a civil official." Du Lei was sent flying heavily, crashing into the wall and slowly landing on the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the glass wall behind him was completely shattered, with glass shards even embedded in his back.

Dure reached behind his back and pulled out the large shard of glass that had been embedded in his body. Blood gushed out instantly. Of course, this was only most of the shards; many more fragments remained embedded in his back. But he didn't have time to remove them one by one.

“There are many things you haven’t thought of. Or do you regret what you just said? If you regret it, maybe it’s not too late.” Tamma slowly approached Dure. Compared to Dure, who was covered in blood and in a sorry state, Tamma was still impeccably dressed.

His clothes were still neat and spotless, and his bow tie was still perfectly straight. He stopped less than five meters away from Durei.

If you look closely, you will see a huge black shadow constantly swaying above his head. The shadow looks a bit like a snake, but not quite, because snakes don't have legs.

The shadow loomed menacingly above Dure's head, as if it might break free from the ceiling at any moment and crush the boy, taking his life and even his soul.

“Regret? I don’t quite understand what you mean by regret, Mr. Tamer?” Dure’s body swayed, but he managed to keep himself from falling and stand up again.

"Is that so? It seems Mr. Dure hasn't fully realized your own foolishness yet. Let me remind you again." Tamar suddenly charged forward, easily grabbing Dure's collar and slamming him against the glass wall.

With a series of cracking sounds as glass shattered, Dure was smashed into the glass wall, and sharp shards of glass once again filled his back, making him look like a hedgehog.

The shards of glass on the ground reflected the boy's eyes, revealing anger, resentment, and even a hint of a triumphant conspiracy.

"Hehehehe..." Even though Du Lei was in an extremely unfavorable situation, he still laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny? Don’t you understand your own situation?” Tama frowned. He was very dissatisfied with the boy’s attitude, especially the grating laughter, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

“From the beginning, I’ve been wondering where this power of yours comes from. You’re just an ordinary person who hasn’t trained in magic, yet you possess strength that’s no less than that of a Flame Rank expert.” Dure’s collar was still being held by Tama, and the two were very close. Judging from the current situation, he had completely lost the ability to resist, and he didn’t even have his fate in his own hands. Yet, he still appeared very confident and composed.