The most shameless alchemist in history

"You untrustworthy bastards, how dare you criticize us? I'm warning you..." Lance was furious. He had been provoked by Celia time and time again, and he was already extremely angry.

“Alright, we can talk about your dispute later. But Celia, it’s true that I went to Rock City eight years ago, but I don’t remember seeing you.” Dure gestured for Lance to calm down. Their intermittent arguing made it difficult for him to figure out what was going on.

“I was only this small eight years ago, so it’s understandable that you don’t remember me, Mr. Dure. But back then, you solved a big problem for our Mountain Kingdom and were a hero in the hearts of our people. I witnessed your heroic figure when I was with my brother,” Celia said longingly.

That had always been a beautiful memory in the young girl's heart. Over the years, she had inquired about Du Lei's whereabouts, but all her efforts were in vain, which made her very frustrated. But in the end, she finally met Du Lei, which made her very gratified.

"Your brother? Who is your brother?" Dure caught the key word. He didn't remember Celia eight years ago, but if he was her brother, then things would be different.

“My brother, my idiot brother is named Zoren, Mr. Dure, do you remember him?” Celia said with a smile.

"Zoren? Your brother is that Zoren from the Mountain Kingdom?" Lance was taken aback. He looked at Celia in surprise, scrutinizing her from head to toe, finding it hard to associate her with the name "Zoren".

"What, is there a problem? Is it not allowed? Besides, am I talking to you? Why are you responding?" Celia retorted to Lance in an annoyed tone. She had disliked this simple-minded, muscle-bound guy from the very beginning.

"You..." Lance was speechless for a moment. He had never felt so frustrated in a long time. He was shut down by her as soon as he said a few words, and the person in question was a girl who was only seventeen or eighteen years old. If word got out, how could he ever face anyone again?

"Alright, Lance, let's wait until Dure figured out the previous question before moving on to the next one. Don't rush things," Kelly said, stopping Lance.

“This auntie is so sensible, isn’t she?” Celia’s fondness for Kelly grew, and she said with a smile.

"Who are you calling 'auntie'..." Kelly was speechless. She was already very unhappy that Celia had called her an "old woman," but now that she had been called "auntie," it was like touching a raw nerve. She glared at Celia fiercely.

"Um... Kelly, calm down, calm down, please calm down." Lance, who was furious just now, was now trying to persuade Kelly. He was just a straightforward person, and even if he was angry, it would dissipate in a moment. But Kelly was different. Kelly was very vengeful. Seeing Kelly's eyes, Lance knew things were not going well, so he quickly tried to persuade her.

"Alright, let's get down to business." Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Du Lei waved his hand and tried to persuade him.

"Alright, little sister, let's get down to business first," Kelly said with a reserved smile, but it was a typical forced smile that made people feel uneasy.

“Okay, Auntie.” Celia responded in kind, making Lance and Dure nervous, fearing that the powder keg between the two women might suddenly explode at any moment.

Dure realized that neither Celia nor Kelly were easy targets. Knowing his own limitations, he cautiously asked them questions.

Since Lance, Kelly, and Celia all appeared in Winter City, they certainly weren't there for a vacation; they were there to do something clandestine, which must be related to the current situation.

From some of the words they used, Dure deduced that they represented different factions. Celia had just mentioned that she was Zoren's sister, but who exactly was Zoren?

Zoren comes from a noble family in the Mountain Kingdom. His grandfather was a political figure in the Mountain Kingdom, whose political status was equivalent to that of General Tidus in the military. Eight years ago, when Dure visited the Mountain Kingdom, he had quite a bit of interaction with Zoren, who was then serving as the warden.

When they were imprisoned, it was Zoren who released them. Dure remembered this clearly. Later, after the pacification of the Mountain Kingdom, General Teda also told Dure that Zoren would be groomed as the next Speaker of the Mountain Kingdom.

This is not just because of his grandfather or his family, but because he truly has the talent and ability to be a leading figure among the younger generation in the political world of the Mountain Kingdom. Together with General Rogge, a rising star in the military, they are like two pillars of strength. Their combination will jointly support the future of the Mountain Kingdom.

As Zoren's sister, Celia's status in the Mountain Kingdom is extremely noble. Her appearance in Winter City, not in her public identity but masked and dressed in black, following Lance and Kelly, is truly intriguing.

As for Kelly's background, Dure knew a little about it. Kelly was from the Rain Kingdom. She and her brother Keita went to Maple Leaf Academy to study, which was actually to avoid trouble to some extent. Kelly's father was the Minister of State Affairs of the Rain Kingdom. Because the Rain Kingdom was facing a dispute over the succession to the throne, Kelly and her brother's family supported the third prince, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the second prince.

As for the situation in the Land of Rain eight years later, Dure had no idea. Now was a good opportunity to ask Kelly for a clear answer.

()

767 Ancient Country

It took Dure a long time to finally understand what had happened through the accounts of Lance, Kelly, and others. It turned out that they and Celia were originally allies when the northern part of the Snow Kingdom launched a large-scale southward invasion.

They surrounded Maple City, poised to annihilate the Southern Kingdom's front. But at that moment, an alliance of four nations—Rain Kingdom, Swamp Kingdom, Wind Kingdom, and Mountain Kingdom—pressurized Snow Kingdom, forcing it to withdraw from Maple City.

Initially, the Northern Kingdom resolutely refused, but unexpectedly, the four-nation alliance directly led its troops into the southern border of the Snow Kingdom to help the Southern Kingdom defend Maple City. Faced with the threat from the four countries, the Northern Kingdom was forced to retreat.

This gave the Southern Front a chance to catch their breath, and they seized the opportunity to recapture the surrounding areas in one fell swoop.

Faced with the threat of the four-nation alliance, the Northern army was forced to retreat again and again. Otherwise, with their formidable military strength, they would have taken Maple City in one fell swoop long ago, and none of this would have happened.

As for why the Four Nations Alliance would help the Southern Front, there are actually two reasons. First, the Snow Country, as a traditional military power in the Northern Continent, has historically possessed formidable military strength and frequently clashed with other countries on the border.

In fact, before the civil war broke out in the Snow Country, there were border frictions with the Mountain Country. Every country prefers a weak neighbor rather than a strong one.

Therefore, when they had the opportunity to weaken the Snow Country, several neighboring countries took the initiative to contact the Southern Front to provide them with assistance. As for the second reason, it is the most direct and realistic one.

The Southern Front promised the Four Nations Alliance that once they defeated the Northern Army and gained control of the Snow Country, they would cede a rich province to each of the four countries. This was an invitation that the Four Nations Alliance could not refuse.

Therefore, they all exerted their efforts to put pressure on the Northern Kingdom, which allowed the Southern Kingdom's front to gradually turn the tide.

Otherwise, the Southern Front alone would not have been able to fight against the Northern Front, let alone hold out for eight years. It would have been a big question mark if it could even hold out for eight months.

Lance is from the Swamp Country, but he doesn't have the amazing background of Kelly and Celia. He comes from an ordinary family, but through his own efforts, he has made a name for himself.

As for Kelly, her family is a prominent family in the Land of Rain, wielding considerable influence. As for Celia, she is the younger sister of the future Grand Councilor of the Land of Mountains, making her extremely noble.

The three of them are representatives of the Swamp Country, the Rain Country, and the Mountain Country, respectively, representing the interests of their respective countries. Lance and Kelly are very close, both in public and private matters. The Swamp Country and the Rain Country have always been on very good terms.

Lance and Kelly's personal relationship is beyond question. Their presence in Winter City is naturally related to the impending final battle between the Southern Front and the Northern Army. Celia's appearance in Winter City at this time is also for the same reason.

However, although the four-nation alliance is united for common interests, they are not monolithic. The most convincing example is that the Mountain Kingdom withdrew from the alliance, turning the four-nation alliance into a three-nation alliance.

Within the Three Kingdoms Alliance, although the Land of Rain and the Land of Swamp are on good terms, the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind recently clashed, and their relationship is tense and on the verge of exploding.

Dure had seen this in the newspaper not long ago, and because the Land of Wind was where Dr. Sara's Sena University was located, it left a particularly deep impression on him.

"So, you were originally allies, but for some reason, you couldn't reach an agreement, which eventually led to the breakdown of the alliance and a state of hostility. Am I right to understand it this way?" Dure clarified his thoughts and asked Lance, Kelly, and the others.

"That's pretty much it. Originally, our four nations were allied to help the people of the Southern Front fight for their legitimate rights. What we did was just. But the Mountain Kingdom withdrew halfway and started flirting with the Northern Kingdom. Isn't that betraying the alliance?" Lance said righteously, though he harbored deep resentment about it.

"Flirting? What flirting? You don't know the truth at all, yet you're spouting nonsense. You're a guy with zero IQ, being used without even realizing it." Celia sneered and mocked Lance.

"Who are you calling an idiot with zero IQ?" Lance was furious with her and immediately questioned her.

"Who's being used is someone with zero IQ, they know it themselves, why ask when they already know the answer?" Celia said sarcastically.

"Alright, Celia, the Mountain Kingdom has withdrawn from the alliance. What exactly happened?" Dure knew that the Mountain Kingdom wouldn't withdraw voluntarily without a reason, giving up such great benefits. There must be some reason behind it.

“Because we discovered that we’ve been used.” When faced with Dure’s question, Celia no longer spoke coldly to Lance as she had before; she responded calmly.

"Use? What use?" Du Lei frowned and continued to press, knowing that this must involve very complex issues, not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

“Originally, we thought that helping the Southern Front would achieve two goals. The first goal was to suppress the power of the Snow Kingdom, because historically the Snow Kingdom has been a country with a strong military. The strength of the Snow Kingdom is not conducive to the stability of our border.” Celia had no need to hide anything from Dure, because Dure was a very important person to her.

Not only for her personally, but also for the entire Mountain Kingdom, Dure was very popular and trusted.

"And what about the other purpose?" Dure nodded and continued to ask. Lance, who was next to him, wanted to say something, but Kelly pulled him back. Kelly was obviously telling him to wait for Celia to finish her story and to find out the whole story.

“Another reason is that someone told us that the Northern Kingdom is colluding with a force that is trying to revive an ancient nation. So our Mountain Kingdom cannot stand idly by and has stepped forward to join the Four Nations Alliance,” Celia continued.

“An ancient country? What does that mean?” Dure gradually realized that this was the key to the problem, and it gave him a sense of déjà vu. He vaguely remembered that when he was in the Mountain Kingdom, there was a similar force.

()

768 Restoration Forces

“Mr. Dure, have you forgotten what our former Finance Minister, Tama, did back in our Mountain Kingdom?” Celia reminded Dure, which suddenly made his mind clear, as he had already been thinking about some things.

"Tama? You mean... the Azure Thunder Empire?" Dure was taken aback. He quickly said the name of the ancient empire because he remembered that Tama had been stirring up trouble in the Mountain Kingdom, and he had been actively working to revive the Azure Thunder Empire.

"What Azure Thunder Empire? What are you talking about?" Lance couldn't help but ask. He had never heard of the name "Azure Thunder Empire" before. He frowned and couldn't understand why another country had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. This was far too complicated.

"The Azure Thunder Empire was a powerful nation that existed more than two hundred years ago. At its peak, it occupied two-thirds of the continent's territory. With its formidable strength and oppressive policies, it hung over the continent like a dark cloud," Kelly explained. Compared to Lance, who wasn't interested in academic subjects, Kelly was a top student in history.

"What? There's actually such a country? But I've never heard of it before." Lance scratched his head. Although he wasn't good at studying, he still knew the basics of history, but in his memory, there was no such country.

"Because the Azure Thunder Empire collapsed at its peak, no one knows why it fell. Some say the emperor was assassinated, causing the empire to disintegrate from within. Others say the emperor, in his quest for immortality, violated the taboos of alchemy, bringing misfortune upon himself. No one knows what really happened. When people came to their senses, the dark clouds that had shrouded the continent suddenly dissipated, and people were suddenly free. The various countries occupied by the Azure Thunder Empire re-established their kingdoms. At the same time, for some reason, the countries united to delete records about the Azure Thunder Empire and ordered a ban on discussion. This made the Azure Thunder Empire a mystery in the dust of history, so it's not surprising that you don't know about it," Kelly continued to explain. She was quite familiar with that lost history.

"Is that so? But Kelly, since this history has been lost, how did you know about it?" Lance asked, somewhat puzzled. In his opinion, if no one knew about it, it shouldn't have been passed down to later generations.

“Idiot, even if the authorities erase all the data and forbid people from discussing it, there will always be scholars who record this history, and there are many traces left by the Azure Thunder Empire on the continent. So as long as you study hard, it won’t be difficult to figure out that hidden history.” Kelly rolled her eyes at Lance and said seriously.

"I see. But how come I didn't know that the Snow Kingdom and the Azure Thunder Empire were related?" Lance nodded and continued to ask. In his opinion, the Snow Kingdom and the Azure Thunder Empire were two completely unrelated countries, and he really couldn't understand how they could be connected.

“Because your Rain Country and Swamp Country did not suffer from the poison of the Azure Thunder Empire, we have been paying close attention to the Azure Thunder Empire ever since our Mountain Country was almost overthrown eight years ago, because we have discovered that the empire is showing signs of restoration,” Celia continued to explain.

"And then what happened?" Du Lei pressed for details. Since one reason the Mountain Kingdom participated in the Four Kingdoms Alliance was because it suspected the Northern Kingdom and the Azure Thunder Empire's restoration forces of colluding, but later the Four Kingdoms Alliance became a Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Mountain Kingdom withdrew midway, there must have been a reason.

“We received information that the Northern Kingdom was colluding with the restoration forces of the Azure Thunder Empire, which is why we joined the Four Kingdoms Alliance. Our aim was to strike at the restoration forces of the empire and prevent what happened in our Mountain Kingdom from repeating itself in the Snow Kingdom. However, we later discovered that we had been deceived and manipulated. The forces that were truly trying to restore the Azure Thunder Empire were not from the Northern Kingdom, but from the Southern Kingdom’s side,” Celia continued to explain, her expression very serious, not at all like she was joking.

"What? The Southern Front is trying to restore the Azure Thunder Empire?" Even Kelly was surprised this time, because she had never heard of such a thing before. As a top student, she knew very well about the history of the Azure Thunder Empire. The Azure Thunder Empire's powerful national strength was built on the heavy exploitation and oppression of its people. If the empire were to be restored, it would not be a good thing for the entire continent.

"What, are you surprised? That's the truth. We did report this to the other three countries of the Four Kingdoms Alliance, hoping you would be aware of it. But you knew that the Southern Front was colluding with the restoration forces of the Empire, yet you still insisted on helping the Southern Front. So you traitors, you actually accuse our Mountain Kingdom of being untrustworthy. What a joke!" Celia sneered, mocking the situation.

"You told us about the Land of Rain? But how come I didn't know about this?" Kelly was full of doubts. Logically, she should have known about this, but she had been completely kept in the dark, which gave her a bad feeling.

"I don't know either. This is the first time I've ever heard of it." Lance scratched his head and said. As the representative of the Swamp Country, he should know about this, but he had never heard of it either, which made him very strange.

“Whether you know it or not is your own business. Anyway, this is what happened. Our Mountain Kingdom was unwilling to be used by the restoration forces of the Azure Thunder Empire, so we withdrew from the Four Kingdoms Alliance. My brother suspected that there were people with ulterior motives stirring up trouble, so even though we withdrew from the Four Kingdoms Alliance, we were still paying attention to the progress of the whole matter.” Celia continued to explain, recounting the whole story.

"I understand. The Mountain Kingdom knew that the restoration forces of the Azure Thunder Empire were using various countries to achieve their ulterior motives, so they chose to withdraw. However, the other three countries in the Four Kingdoms Alliance, even knowing this, still kept it from their representatives and continued to wage war against the Snow Kingdom. Moreover, they went from offering diplomatic support at the beginning to now deploying heavy troops on the border and imposing a complete blockade..."

Dure's expression turned solemn as he spoke. He had been involved in the turmoil that occurred in the Mountain Country eight years ago, but now, eight years later, a similar scene was happening in the Snow Country, which made him very uneasy.

()

769 divided the troops into three routes

"It must be a problem within their country, just like our Mountain Kingdom eight years ago." Celia's words carried a hint of schadenfreude. Eight years ago, she was still very young, but she remembered the panic that occurred in Rock City clearly. The same scene was playing out again eight years later, but the target was no longer the Mountain Kingdom.

"So, the restoration forces of the Azure Thunder Empire are not only causing trouble in the Snow Country, but have also extended their tentacles to several surrounding countries?" Du Lei felt deeply uneasy about this. The sky was shrouded in shadow, encompassing several countries including the Snow Country, the Wind Country, the Rain Country, and the Swamp Country.

"Then, what should we do?" Lance swallowed hard. He wasn't a good thinker, but he could tell from the serious expressions on Dure and the others that things were heading in a very bad direction.

"The crux of the matter lies with the Southern Front, but even Liana doesn't know about this, which means..." Dure quickly sorted things out in his mind. He had been with Liana the whole time, so Liana wouldn't hide anything from him. Moreover, Dure could see that Liana was completely devoted to the future of the people of the South and had no other intentions.

"Liana? Is she the number two figure in the Southern Front?" Celia knew of Liana. Although she had never met her, Liana was very famous. In recent years, she could be said to be a prominent figure in the Snow Kingdom. Among the young people, probably only Winry, the heir to the throne of the Snow Kingdom, could rival Liana in terms of fame. Even her brother Zoren had high praise for that woman, Liana.

"Is the problem with the leader of the Southern Front, Grant?" Kelly was also very familiar with the organizational structure of the Southern Front. She had met Grant before and remembered him as a very humble, easy-going, and polite person who always had a smile on his face.

“It certainly seems that way. Looks like I need to go and meet this Grant. By the way, Lance, and Kelly, there are definitely problems within your Swamp Country and Rain Country. You both need to be careful.” Dure reminded his two companions. As representatives of their respective countries, their complete ignorance of the whole matter was not a good sign.

"What are those guys doing? They made me their representative, but they kept this from me. I'm going back right now and give them a good beating." Lance was furious. He was itching to go back and beat them up. This was just too outrageous.

"Lance, can you stop being so reckless? Not everything can be solved by beating someone up. We need to be careful now and go back to investigate thoroughly." Kelly scolded Lance. She was a cautious person, and the fact that even she didn't know about this meant that the people in the shadows had extended their reach far too far.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you, alright?" Lance said with his head hanging low. He was completely speechless after being scolded by Kelly. Dure looked at Lance, then at Kelly, and felt that the relationship between them was very subtle.

“That’s more like it. So, Dure, what should we do next?” Kelly slowly withdrew her glare from Lance. It’s been so many years, but Lance still can’t shake his impulsive nature, which makes her very helpless. At the same time, she asked Dure for his advice on this matter. Compared to the reckless Lance, Dure is always very organized and well-planned in his work.

"Next... we need to split into three groups. One group will be me to meet with Mr. Grant and find out if he is really connected with the Azure Thunder Empire. The other group will be Lance and Kelly, you two, to return to the Rain Country and the Swamp Country to find out if anyone deliberately concealed the information about the Azure Thunder Empire that the Mountain Country had passed on..." Dure thought for a moment, and soon a clear plan appeared in his mind.

"Mr. Dure, is there another route?" Celia counted on her fingers. So far, she had only counted two routes. There were a total of four people here. The other three, including Dure himself, all had tasks. Celia was the only one who had not yet been assigned a task, which made her a little excited.

“There’s another route… to Celia. I’ll write you a letter. Take it back to your brother, Zoren. This is very important. Only you can do it. Any questions?” Dure asked her earnestly, his expression unusually serious.

“Of course I can do it, no problem!” Celia nodded emphatically and agreed immediately. When the turmoil broke out in the Mountain Kingdom, she was still very young and did not participate. Now that she has grown up, she can finally participate in the events in the Snow Kingdom. She will definitely complete any task that Dure gives her properly!

“Then everyone, let’s get started.” Du Lei nodded slightly. All three steps were very important and none could be omitted. Moreover, one of the routes was particularly dangerous, and that was his route.