The most shameless alchemist in history

"It's precisely because they don't know who our people are that they deliberately lured us out. All they need to do is spread the message. Our people are spying on the warehouse district every day, so if any information leaks out, they'll definitely find out!" Liana said anxiously, explaining the other side's methods.

"But what about the warehouse explosion? That idiot Boca wouldn't dare blow up a warehouse; that's a serious crime!" Doma still couldn't understand this. They had a lot of confidence in Colonel Boca's command abilities; Boca was simply the kind of person who lacked ability but loved to give reckless orders.

This was once a topic of casual conversation among them, who believed that as long as Colonel Boca remained the commander of the Northern Army in Wintertown, it was only a matter of time before they took control of the area.

"Because we believed that Colonel Boca, the person in charge here, would not blow up his own warehouse, we naturally assumed that the explosion was caused by our own people. This was the code to start the operation. But don't forget, didn't Princess Winry, who was high and mighty in Frost City, come to Wintertown today? If it were her, perhaps she would have the same courage."

Liana quickly analyzed the situation, pinpointing the problem and identifying who might have initiated the entire conspiracy.

“But didn’t Boca fail to pick up Princess Winry today? Our men saw it with their own eyes, the carriage was empty. Boca was so anxious he didn’t go back to his office all day, he was looking for her.” Doma said blankly, feeling that his brain wasn’t working properly and he couldn’t keep up with Liana’s train of thought at all.

"Just because he didn't receive the call doesn't mean Princess Wenli didn't come to Winterhold. Perhaps she arrived in Winterhold secretly beforehand and orchestrated this conspiracy. In any case, immediately notify our people to cease operations and return home. No one is allowed to move around freely tonight!"

Liana acted decisively, urging Doma to take action. She realized that if this matter was not handled properly, it would inevitably deal a very heavy blow to the Southern Front's influence in Winter Town.

"Understood, I'll get right away!" Although Doma was still a little confused about what was going on, since it was Miss Liana's order, it couldn't be wrong, and he just needed to carry it out!

This night was exceptionally long for both Colonel Boca and Thompson. For Colonel Boca, it was long because he had been busy all night; he had been in charge of Winterhold for eight months.

However, in the past eight months, he had captured far more rebels than he had in just half an hour tonight. In just two hours, he arrested more than a hundred suspects. Colonel Boca immediately began interrogating these suspects, extracting more information from them. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to drink a sip of water.

Although Colonel Boca was exhausted, the capture of such a large number of suspects was a good thing no matter what, and it was worth it even if it kept him busy. Thompson was indeed very busy, but in the opposite way to Colonel Boca.

He was in a terrible state all night because hundreds of people associated with the organization had been arrested, and many of them were key members! Thompson, as the head of the Southern Front in Wintertown, had put in a lot of effort to develop so many excellent members, but now all his hard work had been destroyed!

“Mr. Thompson, Miss Liana, the count is in. A total of 124 people were arrested last night, 68 of whom are our people. But rest assured, our people are tight-lipped and will not betray us.”

After compiling the statistics, Doma told Thompson and Liana the results of the large-scale arrest operation the previous night. He had a friend who worked in the police department, and he had gotten firsthand information early in the morning.

"So many people were arrested in one go? Such boldness is probably something only Princess Wenli could do." Liana nodded slightly. She had only been in Winter Town for less than two days, and she hadn't expected such a serious incident to occur. This cast a shadow over the prospects of her mission, and she, who was always full of confidence, was no longer sure if she could complete the mission as well as before.

She had to admit that she had met a formidable opponent!

()

714 Preparing a Big Gift

“That’s right, it was Princess Winry who was in charge of the overall plan yesterday. She hadn’t shown up until today, but she’s already at the town’s headquarters building. And not only her, but the Griffin Legion has also sent a unit, led by Legion Commander Restia, to guard Winter Town.” Doma told Liana everything he knew. He looked unwell and tired, but that was understandable. He had been busy all night investigating and verifying the situation.

"Even the Griffin Legion has come? That's a really troublesome problem. How many people do we have left?" Liana calculated the losses from last night's events, which were far more severe than she had initially estimated.

“We only have less than forty people left now. Fortunately, Miss Liana, you discovered it early last night, and we were able to stop some of them from going out. Otherwise, our losses would probably have been even greater.” Doma recalled the experience of last night with lingering fear.

After receiving Liana's orders, he rushed off to other places to stop his companions who planned to participate in the previous night's operation. He did manage to stop some, but when he arrived there, he witnessed the arrest of many others.

Doma wanted to rescue all these people, but he knew his own limitations and knew he couldn't do it. He could only go back to the next house. Several times, he had just arrived at his companion's house when guards came to check him. He was almost taken away by the slightest bit of danger.

"There are less than forty people left? This Princess Wenli is even more powerful than rumored, and now she also has the Griffin Legion in command. Miss Liana, in terms of the current strength of our Southern Front against the Northern Army in Winter Town, we are far too weak."

After careful consideration, Thompson said bitterly that he had worked hard for many years to build up the town of Winter Town to its current state, but in the blink of an eye, the heir to the throne of the Snow King had destroyed most of it. It would be impossible for Thompson not to feel bad.

"It's alright." Liana hadn't had a moment's rest since arriving in Winter Town. Combining the old map of Winter Town with her own, she drew another map. She carefully sketched on the map, accurately marking the deployment of guards in each area and the specific data for each patrol time period. This was the result of her hard work over the past two days.

"What?" Thompson didn't quite understand what Liana meant by that, because how could she say "it's okay" after suffering such a heavy setback? Doma was equally confused as she looked at her.

“What we need to do is not to completely conquer Wintertown, so we don’t need to have a numerical advantage. We just need to find a specific place at a specific time and do a specific thing. Sometimes, too many people can become an obstacle.” After carefully examining the map, Liana slowly withdrew her gaze.

“So, Miss Liana, you mean…” Thompson agreed with Liana’s words to some extent, and from Liana’s confident eyes, Thompson knew that she must have a plan.

“Since Princess Winry gave us such a generous gift on her very first day in Winter Town, wouldn’t it be impolite of us not to reciprocate? Miss Winry, just you wait and see, I won’t let you down!” Liana’s finger quickly stopped at a point on the map, and she said in a deep voice.

The seemingly peaceful town of Winterfall could no longer maintain its facade of tranquility after the explosion last night. As the guards were mobilized, arresting people in the streets all night, the town was filled with panic and all sorts of rumors. However, for Dr. Sarah and her group, they were just passing by as bystanders, and no matter what happened in Winterfall, it had little to do with them.

Of course, there might be a connection, because what happened in Winter Town could, to some extent, affect the final outcome of the civil war in the Land of Snow, and the result of the civil war would affect the distribution of interests in several countries, which would also have varying degrees of impact on the situation on the continent. As a professor at Sena University, Dr. Sarah naturally understood what the turmoil of the times meant.

"Good morning, Doctor. You look a little tired. Did you not sleep well?" During breakfast, Dure asked Dr. Sarah, who looked worried.

"Durey, didn't you read the newspaper this morning?" Rhodes asked, sitting next to him. Apart from Tanya resting in her room, the three of them were having breakfast downstairs at the hotel. A newspaper was placed in front of Rhodes.

"Today's newspaper? I haven't read it yet. What's wrong? Is there any special news?" Dure frowned. It seemed that Dr. Sarah's worries were related to the contents of today's newspaper. Back when he was still at Maple Leaf Academy, he had a habit of reading the newspaper every day.

The newspaper would be delivered to the academy every day, but after sleeping in the Abyss of Winter for eight years, he didn't immediately resume this habit due to the change in environment.

"The Land of Wind has gone to war with the Land of Swamp." Rhodes handed the newspaper to Dure, gesturing for him to read the contents himself. Dure hesitated for a moment, then immediately took the newspaper.

"The Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp? If I remember correctly, isn't the Land of Wind the location of Sena University? And the Land of Swamp is..." Dure frowned. He had been with Dr. Sara and her group for some time, so he knew about their background.

“That’s right, the Swamp Country is my homeland.” Rhodes nodded, saying what Dure hadn’t said, and his expression was equally grim.

"How could this be? The relationship between the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp has always been amicable. Why would they suddenly go to war?" Dure felt puzzled. He carefully read the contents of the newspaper, which mentioned that both the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp had deployed troops on their borders, resulting in small-scale skirmishes and a very tense atmosphere.

"I'm not too sure about that either. I'll have to wait until I get back to find out." Rhodes shook his head. He only got the news when he received the newspaper that morning. He was much more surprised than Dure. In addition, the fact that one of the two countries at war was the country where his university was located, and the other was his hometown, made him particularly conflicted.

715 Three explosions

"The situation is really unstable right now. Even peace-loving countries like the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp have started a war. I wonder what will become of the continent." Dr. Sarah sighed deeply. As a scholar, she hoped that the Miracle Continent could develop in a peaceful direction, rather than fall into a chaotic war.

"Doctor, you don't need to worry. The current conflict between the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp is just a small-scale skirmish. I think a peace agreement will be signed soon. Eight years ago, the Land of Snow and the Land of Mountains were also locked in a border standoff, and the situation was much more serious, but it was resolved peacefully in the end, wasn't it?"

Dure recalled the conflict between the Mountain Kingdom and the Snow Kingdom, and used this example to comfort Dr. Sara and Rhodes. After all, he was a direct witness and even a participant in the signing of the peace agreement between the two countries, and he knew the inside story very well. However, he did not tell Dr. Sara this.

"It's true that the conflict between the Snow Kingdom and the Mountain Kingdom was resolved peacefully back then, but Brother Dure, that peace didn't last long. Soon, the Snow Kingdom faced a civil war between the North and the South, and the Mountain Kingdom joined in a few years later, supporting the South's front. In the end, peace between the two countries was never truly close," Dr. Sarah said, shaking her head. She had a very clear understanding of the issues and could see the cause and effect at a glance.

"Does the Mountain Kingdom support the Southern Front? That's a bit strange..." Dure frowned. His approach might seem odd to Dr. Sarah and Rhodes, but Dure himself knew that the Mountain Kingdom had also been in a difficult situation, and it was he and Winry who turned the tide and saved the Mountain Kingdom.

Logically speaking, the Mountain Kingdom owes the Snow Kingdom a favor. When the Snow Kingdom faces a civil war, the Mountain Kingdom should either not participate or help the Snow Kingdom quell the situation, instead of adding fuel to the fire and escalating the civil war in the Snow Kingdom.

"What's wrong, Mr. Dure? Is there a problem?" Dr. Sarah couldn't help but ask when she saw Dure's puzzled expression.

"No, nothing. Is Tanya feeling any better?" Dure waved his hand. He didn't intend to tell Dr. Sara and the others about the Mountain Kingdom, because there was no need. He immediately changed the subject and asked about Tanya's condition. The reason they stayed in Winter Town was to let Tanya rest and recuperate. As soon as her condition improved slightly, they would leave Winter Town and head to Winter City.

Of course, Winter City was just a stop on the train where Dure got off, not Dr. Sara's destination. They were going to take the train to leave the Land of Snow and return to Sena University in the Land of Wind.

According to their plan, after returning to Sena University, they will take a short rest before starting their new graduation project. However, the conflict between the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp has caused Dr. Sara and her team great concern, as they are unsure whether their graduation project can proceed smoothly.

"Tanya's condition has improved a lot. It's all thanks to you, Dure, for stabilizing her condition in time back in the Abyss of Winter. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Even the town's doctor said it's a miracle that Tanya has survived until now and is recovering so well!"

When Tanya was mentioned, Rhodes ignored the previous topic and spoke excitedly. It was because of this trip to the Abyss of Winter that he finally realized Tanya's place in his heart.

"It's good that Tanya is alright. So, Dr. Sarah and Rhodes, what are your plans next?" Dure asked softly. They had been in Wintertown for two days, and during those two days he had noticed subtle changes in the situation there. He had a feeling that something big was about to happen.

"I went to the station earlier today to inquire. Due to the recent war between the Land of Wind and the Land of Swamp, the train lines have been affected. The earliest train to the Land of Wind won't be running for another three days. Given Tanya's recovery speed, I think she should be able to set off in about three days."

Rod thought for a moment and said, "He's a very cautious person. He always manages to do things properly, especially when it comes to details, which he handles exceptionally well."

"Three days? I really hope these three days will pass quickly and peacefully." Dure nodded slightly. He hoped that his previous worries were completely unnecessary. He just wanted to arrive in Winter City safely and didn't want any unexpected trouble.

"Hehehe, Dure, don't worry, nothing will happen..." Dr. Sarah said with a smile, but before he could finish speaking, a loud "boom" suddenly came from outside, which startled him so much that he dropped the soup spoon in his hand.

At the same time, both Dure and Rod looked out the window and soon spotted a warehouse area not far away, billowing thick smoke. The explosion had obviously come from there.

"What's going on? Why is there another explosion?" Rod frowned. The explosion last night had already made them very uneasy. In order to investigate the explosion, the town's guards were all mobilized and arrested a lot of people. For a time, everyone was in a state of panic. Now, only one night has passed and another explosion has occurred, which makes him very uneasy. This is a very bad omen.

"This explosion feels a bit different from last night's... wait, is there another one over there?" Du Lei thought carefully. He had heard some rumors about the explosion that happened last night and the large-scale arrests made by the guards in the town.

He tried to connect and compare the two explosions, and soon he found some differences. Moreover, he noticed that someone was running quickly on the street outside the window, but he could only see a fleeting back view.

At the same time, two more explosions were heard. The explosions were so loud that the tables in the hotel shook. Dure and Rod immediately looked over and saw thick smoke billowing from the other two warehouse areas. Clearly, there were more than one explosion, but three!

"Two more explosions... Does that mean there have been four explosions in a short period of time?" Rhodes was astonished. Clearly, the situation in Winter Town was much more serious than he had imagined. Soon, a commotion broke out in the street as a large number of guards rushed out, some to put out fires, others to maintain order and conduct arrests and investigations.

()

716 First Arrival

“There are a total of sixteen warehouse districts in Winter Town. Four explosions... That means four warehouse districts have been destroyed, leaving twelve warehouse districts. The next few days are probably going to be very turbulent.” Du Lei witnessed these scenes. Just now he had hoped that nothing would happen during his two days in Winter Town, but now it seems that was just wishful thinking.

In fact, Dure's judgment was wrong. Only three warehouses were destroyed, not four. This is because the explosion last night was caused by Winry, who had just arrived in Winterhold. She avoided destroying supplies when she made the explosion, which was a typical case of much ado about nothing.

However, the three explosions today were different. These three explosions occurred in different warehouse areas, and the flames caused by the explosions spread rapidly, igniting all the supplies stored inside. The flames burned for half an hour and still had not been extinguished, turning a large amount of military supplies into charcoal.

"This... Your Highness, was this also an explosion you ordered to be caused, with the aim of luring out the remaining members of the Southern Front?" Colonel Boca, having heard the commotion, rushed to the scene. Seeing the large flames burning, he shrank back and asked, somewhat curious.

"Fool! Did you see any damage to the stored supplies during yesterday's explosion? And this trick only works once. Do you even understand how you're supposed to be the regional commander?" Bee Sting angrily rebuked Colonel Boca. She and Winry had rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion, arriving at the battlefield a few minutes earlier than Colonel Boca.

"Well... it seems so. I deserve to die, I am guilty!" Colonel Boca was trembling with fear. He had put in a lot of effort and bribed his way up and down the ranks to get the lucrative position of head of the Winter Town region. Now he was afraid of offending Princess Wenli and losing his official position. Where else could he find such a lucrative position?

"Your Highness, I have already sent people to search the area thoroughly, but we have not found the person who caused the explosion." At this moment, Restia walked over. She had been ordered to arrest suspicious persons in the surrounding area, but to no avail. This made her very ashamed. After all, the Griffin Legion was the elite of the Snow Kingdom, yet they could not even handle such a simple matter.

“General Restia, there’s no need to blame yourself. The Griffin Legion excels at charging into battle, but not at investigating cases. Moreover, the Griffin Legion is new here and unfamiliar with the terrain. The Southern Front has been operating in Winter Town for a long time and is familiar with the terrain. It’s not surprising that they slipped away.” Wendy did not blame Restia for this and comforted her softly.

“Yes, yes, it’s all the fault of the Southern Front for being too cunning, not General Restia.” Colonel Boca quickly chimed in from the side. Hearing Restia say this, he gradually gained some confidence, because even the Griffin Legion, which had air superiority, had failed to find any clues, so he couldn’t be blamed for being incompetent.

"The Griffin Legion is new here and unfamiliar with Winterhold, but Colonel Boca, you have been here for a long time. Are you also unfamiliar with Winterhold?" Bee Sting rebuked again, glaring angrily at the middle-aged officer. This man was simply too incompetent!

"Yes, yes, you are right. I am truly ashamed!" Colonel Boca's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He spoke in trembling silence, afraid that he would lose his job if he said the wrong word.

“We arrested members of the Southern Front yesterday, and today, instead of showing any restraint, they've carried out three bombings in quick succession. This is clearly a show of force against us, and their style of doing things is quite different from before. This means that a powerful new figure has joined the Southern Front and is in charge of directing these bombings... Bee Sting, and General Restia, do you see any similarities between these bombings and the ones we've encountered before?”

Wenli didn't pursue Boca's guilt, because that was all he was capable of; he was a mediocre person. It was a blessing if he could do his job well and not make any mistakes. She focused more on investigating the bombing incident. Although she hadn't been in Winter Town for long, she had already obtained several clues.

"The explosion we encountered before?" Bee Sting was taken aback. Since returning from the Mountain Kingdom eight years ago, she had been Winry's personal bodyguard. So, in the past eight years, she had come into contact with many secrets. She knew a lot about any explosion that Winry had encountered. Hearing Winry say this, she immediately recalled and tried to find a corresponding clue in her mind.

"By the way, Your Highness, I have heard many times that in recent years, a large number of explosions have occurred in several cities, including Frost City. These explosions were clean and efficient, with the same method, and were all carried out by one person. However, for several years, this person has not been caught, and who did it has remained a mystery. Until three months ago, an unexpected arrest of a peripheral member of the Southern Front led to the confession that the criminals who carried out the series of explosions were all a person named Liana. As a result, she has become the second most wanted criminal in the Snow Kingdom, second only to Grant, the leader of the Southern Front."

Restia, who was standing next to her, thought for a moment and said, "After all, the arrest warrant for Liana was issued nationwide, so it's not surprising that she knew about it."

“Liana? But all we know about her is her name, no, maybe not even her name, just a code name. We don’t know her age, what she looks like. We have absolutely nothing about her.” Bee Sting thought carefully. Although they had been investigating Liana for the past few months, the results had been futile.

The Northern Kingdom tried a lot of effort but still couldn't get any specific information about Liana. Even though they arrested many members of the Southern Kingdom's front, they were either peripheral members who didn't know much intelligence, or they would rather die than talk. They were all tough nuts to crack.

“We don’t know anything about her, but she doesn’t know that we don’t know anything about her either. We can use this to our advantage,” Wenli said after thinking for a moment.

"Huh? Your Highness, what do you mean?" Colonel Boca was completely baffled and couldn't understand what he meant at all; it sounded too convoluted.

“Your Highness means that we can use this to announce that we have information about Liana, which will throw them into disarray,” Restia quickly understood and explained.

"I see, Your Highness, you are truly brilliant." Colonel Boca suddenly realized, and he was not about to miss this opportunity to flatter him.

717 Whose Orders?

“The three explosions that occurred today are highly similar to the explosions that Liana carried out before. It’s likely that she herself has arrived in Wintertown. This actually simplifies the problem a lot. Immediately investigate the identity records of everyone who has entered Wintertown in the past three days. Arrest and interrogate anyone who has entered Wintertown in the past three days… no, anyone who has entered Wintertown in the past week!” Wen Li quickly found a breakthrough and calmly gave the order.

"Huh? Are we going to arrest everyone?" Colonel Boca was taken aback. He didn't have the guts to do that, and arresting so many people at once was a major event. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be severe.

"Didn't you hear His Highness's words? Why aren't you doing it immediately? Or is there some oversight at the checkpoint in Winter Town, letting in many suspicious people without your knowledge?" Bee Sting urged Colonel Boca again, extremely dissatisfied with such an official; his efficiency was simply too low!

"Your Highness, I understand. I will take care of it immediately. Please rest assured, we have detailed records of everyone who has arrived in Winter Town in the past week. There will be absolutely no mistakes!" Colonel Boca saluted and immediately led his men to arrest the people.

“Then my Griffin Legion will cooperate as well.” General Restia also stepped down, after all, this matter was very important and could not afford any mistakes.