The most shameless alchemist in history

The ever-changing passage of time is enough to alter many things in them, such as their personality, physique, and appearance.

Whether it's external or internal, no matter how time changes things, it hasn't changed the familiar and long-lost feeling in their memories of each other. Even though they've become unrecognizable, they can still recognize each other instantly in a crowd.

“That’s right, it’s me. I’m the representative of the Wind Kingdom. I never expected to see you here! By the way, Du Lei, which country are you representing?” Black Wind asked in a half-joking tone after nodding heavily.

()

788 Fengguo Advisor

He had not returned to the Land of Snow for more than eight years. When he set foot on this land again, he thought about many things, including memories and fears. The memories were about the lawless and unruly things he did in his childhood and adolescence.

Looking back now, he can't help but laugh. Those things were both foolish and nostalgic. He was apprehensive because he didn't know what those familiar people in his memory had become, or if they were still alive. Time is enough to take away many things.

Having been away from his hometown for more than eight years, has he become the person he expected to be? Has he done his best to reach the heights he envisioned? He has no idea, which is why he is fearful, uneasy, and anxious.

It wasn't until he saw the young man in front of him that he realized all his emotions were unnecessary. Whether it was fear, trepidation, or unease, as long as he could see familiar old friends and the youthful days of running barefoot in the snow, all those emotions vanished.

"Me? I'm not a representative of any country. If I had to assign me a title, I'd probably be... an advisor?" Dure thought carefully. The people participating in this meeting were all representatives of various countries, but he alone seemed to be an outsider to them.

However, no one can ignore his significance, because he is the link between countries. Without him, at the very least, Lance and Celia would not be able to sit together peacefully.

He had some connection with the representatives of every country, and he originally thought that the Wind Kingdom would be the only exception, since he had never been to the Wind Kingdom and did not know any friends from the Wind Kingdom. However, the person standing openly on the opposite side of him now was none other than his childhood best friend. This surprised him greatly, but he also began to feel fortunate. Since Black Wind was the representative of the Wind Kingdom, the problem seemed to have become simpler.

While the representatives of the five countries were secretly holding their meeting, guards patrolled the perimeter of the Winter Tower. After all, the Winter Tower was a crucial location, as it was the headquarters of the Northern Army, and no mistakes could be tolerated.

The security here is personally overseen by General Restia, a renowned female general from the Snow Kingdom. Normally, there are no problems with the Winter Tower. For the past few months, there have been many people lurking around the Winter Tower, trying to gather intelligence, but no one has dared to attack it. This is because the Winter Tower is heavily fortified, and attacking it would be a foolish act that is no different from suicide.

But on this very night of heavy snowfall, something happened at the Winter Tower. Upon hearing the news, General Restia rushed over. In the vast expanse of white snow, she clearly saw mottled bloodstains on the ground, and six soldiers lay dead in the snow.

Judging from the bloodstains nearby, they had only been dead for a short time. She went over to check their wounds and found that all of them had been killed instantly by having their throats slit by a sharp weapon. In fact, such a way of dying was not surprising to her.

But what bothered her most was that these six people died at the same time, from the same wave of the hand. She closed her eyes and simulated the scene: a man wielding a sharp weapon, perhaps a short knife or dagger.

He waved his hand lightly, and the sharp blade sliced ​​through the throats of six people in an instant. It sounded incredible, but Restia knew that although it was difficult to do, there were still people who could accomplish it.

"Is this the fourth time already? In just one night, in four different places, as many as nineteen guards have died from the same move. The same goes for these six people. They didn't even have time to react before they were killed..."

Restia frowned, realizing the seriousness of the situation. The residual magical energy at the scene was enough for her to determine that the attacker of the guards was a magical user, and a rather high one at that.

"How dare they provoke us! Was it those guys from the Southern Front again? They're despicable! General Restia, let's go and teach them a lesson, let them know we're not to be trifled with!" A trainee female officer gritted her teeth in hatred next to Restia.

Although she didn't say it explicitly, her implication was clear: they could take advantage of the Griffin Legion's high mobility to rush to the outskirts of the Southern Front's camp overnight and assassinate several important figures as retaliation for what the Southern Front had done that night.

"No, this doesn't seem like something the Southern Front would do. To slit six people's throats in an instant, only a magic user at the Battle Rank or higher could do that. Although the Southern Front does have magic users at the Battle Rank or higher, I know those few people; they're not good at assassination. This doesn't seem like something they would do; it must be someone else." After careful examination, Restia frowned and shook her head.

She had fought against the Southern Front several times and knew the experts within the Southern Front quite well.

"What? General Restia, are you saying that the assassination of the guard wasn't done by the Southern Front? Who else could it be besides the Southern Front?" The trainee female officer was increasingly confused.

She had initially believed it was the work of assassins from the Southern Front, but now she received a negative answer from Restia. If someone else had said it wasn't the Southern Front, she certainly wouldn't have believed it, but coming from Restia, she had no choice but to believe it.

"I'm not too sure about that either... Let's strengthen the patrols and security around the Tower of Winter, and gather more manpower. This night... absolutely cannot be a mistake!" Restia was not afraid of the opponents she encountered head-on. On the battlefield, no matter who she faced, she could confidently lead her griffon legion to charge. In this protracted war, her griffon legion played a very important role.

Several times when the Northern army was at a disadvantage, it was her Griffin Legion that turned the tide; otherwise, the Northern army would never have lasted this long! However, while she disregarded those head-on confrontations, she was particularly troubled by assassinations behind the scenes. This was because others weren't targeting her. She was powerful and invincible on the battlefield, but others might not be, especially with Winry still in the Tower of Winter. If something happened to her, the consequences would be unimaginable!

()

789 Strange People

"Understood, General Restia, I'll go and gather two squads to reinforce the defenses!" The young female officer, who looked very young, was no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

But she had been in the army for a long time and had climbed her way up from a low-ranking soldier to the position of Restia's second-in-command. She was able to do all this not because of Winry's recommendation... There are many stories about her background.

But the most plausible explanation is that she was brought back from the Land of the Mountains by Winry. The two have a very close relationship, like sisters, and she can even freely enter and leave the Winter Palace, which is incredible.

Even high-ranking officials like the Minister of Home Affairs are not allowed to freely enter and leave the Winter Palace, leading to much speculation. However, the Winter Palace has never provided a definitive explanation, which is truly perplexing.

However, Restia was not a very curious person, so she didn't care about the background of this girl named Glofi. She only cared about Glofi's abilities. Even by General Restia's strict standards, Glofi was an excellent soldier.

General Lescia was very satisfied with all of her abilities and was even considering grooming her as her successor. However, there was one problem: Grufi was too impulsive and impatient, and she needed to be patiently honed in this aspect.

"It's snowing heavily again. This kind of weather... has been going on for quite a while now, and I don't know when it will stop." General Restia looked up at the sky. Snowflakes were falling, and everything around was covered in white. Whether it was the ground or the rooftops, it was a world dressed in silver. If a southerner were to visit Winter City for the first time, they would surely be pleasantly surprised by such a snowy scene.

Because heavy snow is rare in the south, for them, a blanket of snow means purity, a pristine land. But for the northerners who are used to snow and such harsh weather, heavy snow means covering up many things, such as footprints, blood, and life itself. They are already tired of this kind of weather.

All they longed for was a sliver of clear sky, but when would that clear sky finally appear? Perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, in the military camp on the left side of Winter Valley, the soldiers of the Southern Front were making their final preparations for the battle. Today they had just received the latest equipment, all of which were high-quality items transported from the south, including newly developed gunpowder guns.

This gunpowder gun could not only fire in bursts, but also had a longer range. The soldiers, whose faces were still very young, asked the veterans for some shooting tips and studied their new buddy repeatedly.

Snowflakes fell one by one, making it feel rather cold, but the soldiers on the southern front didn't have to worry about the cold because they had received the latest cotton-padded clothes. In terms of supplies, they were far better off than the northern army.

After all, the south was originally the richest region of the Snow Country, while the land in the north was too barren. Before the outbreak of the civil war, nearly four-fifths of the Snow Country's food and wealth were concentrated in the south, which is one of the main reasons why the south demanded to fight for its own rights.

Although it was late at night, many campfires were still burning in the barracks. Most of the veterans remained silent because they knew that the stalemate that had lasted for two months was about to be broken. Meanwhile, the new recruits were still whispering among themselves, discussing how they would go back to their hometowns and marry a beautiful girl after the war ended. Whenever they mentioned this, their comrades nearby would definitely start to tease them, creating a noisy scene.

It wasn't until an officer came and reprimanded them that things calmed down a bit, and some people even received letters from their hometowns and were reading them with great joy.

Some people wrote on their letters by the light of the dim light. Every day was the day when all the letters were handed in, and someone would mail them back to their respective hometowns.

Amidst the rustling snow, a man dressed in a black robe entered the military camp. The patrolling guards stepped forward to check his information, making sure to verify the details of every outsider entering the camp. However, they were reprimanded by the officer who rushed over and could only retreat in frustration.

The officer led the man in black toward the command post inside the military camp. The darkness and snowflakes formed a double veil, making their presence particularly inconspicuous. As the two passed by, they left two lines of footprints on the ground.

It had just snowed, and every step left a small dent in the snow. Especially with the newly issued non-slip military boots, the marks were particularly noticeable. However, the man in black next to him did not leave any footprints. Perhaps he walked very lightly and shallowly, or perhaps there was some other reason?

"Please come this way. The leader has been waiting for a long time." The officer led the way and soon stopped at the entrance of the command post. Just then, a patrol of guards passed by, and security was heightened that night.

The officer was very curious about the person behind him who was completely shrouded in a black robe. Grant took this person very seriously. Grant, who usually hated waiting, had waited for four hours, which he found somewhat unbelievable. However, the latter had not revealed any appearance or made any sound so far, just like a ghost walking in the night, which gave him a chill down his spine.

"Grant?" After arriving at the entrance of the command post, the man in the black robe spoke in a hoarse voice, his voice extremely dull, like sharp fingernails scratching the bark of a dead old tree.

However, this finally confirmed that it was a man, a man of uncertain age. He seemed to know Grant, since ordinary people wouldn't call Grant by his first name. Although the officer hesitated, he still respectfully withdrew. As he left, he watched the ghost enter the command post. Usually, there were guards on duty at the entrance of the command post, but there were none today. Grant must have driven them away. It was clear that there was something very important to discuss, which was why he had abandoned the guards.

"What a strange person." The officer looked away. Although he was very curious, he knew it was not something he should worry about. A comrade who was cooking nearby called to him, and he put aside his concerns and went to enjoy the last moments of peace with his comrades.

()

790 Appointed Time

Inside the command room, Grant, who was examining a map, suddenly felt uneasy. The candlelight in front of him flickered, but no cold wind blew in from outside, which puzzled him. He subconsciously looked up and saw someone drift in. Because it was still snowing outside, he was enveloped in a chill. The charcoal fire burning inside the command room also tilted in the opposite direction as he entered.

"Are you... someone sent by the higher-ups to assist me?" Grant frowned. He knew someone would be visiting tonight, someone sent to help him win the upcoming war. He didn't know the person's exact identity, but he felt like he had seen this person somewhere before. Even though he couldn't see the person's face clearly yet, this long-lost feeling was undeniable.

“Yes, Grant, we meet again.” The other person said in a hoarse voice, accompanied by a strange laugh that sent chills down one’s spine. Grant was startled. He had thought that seeing this person before was a hallucination, because he couldn’t find anyone in his memory who matched him. But now that he heard him say this, it seemed that it really was true.

"We've met again? Who are you?" Grant was puzzled and uncertain. Several guesses flashed through his mind, but he rejected them all, which made him really curious.

“Who am I… Grant, you haven’t forgotten me, have you? Hehehehe…” The man in the black robe suddenly took off his hood, revealing his true appearance. From this angle, only Grant could see his face clearly. The firelight shone brightly, reflecting in his eyes. Grant, who had been relatively calm, was suddenly startled.

"How could this be? It's you?" Grant was shocked, his eyes filled with terror. He stared in disbelief at the person before him. He did recognize this person, but shouldn't he be dead? How could he reappear? Was he a ghost returned from hell?

While Grant was terrified by the sudden visitor in the dead of night, the meeting held in the basement of the Tower of Winter was drawing to a close. After a heated discussion, the parties still failed to reach an agreement.

Even though they had relatively close relationships with each other, especially with Dure, they ultimately represented the interests of their respective countries. In the face of national interests, personal friendships were insignificant, and in the end, they parted on bad terms.

"Well then, Durei, I have to take my leave now. Although I really wanted to catch up with you, now is not the time. Let's have a proper talk after this war is over." Black Wind, as the representative of the Wind Kingdom, left first. His opposition was a major reason why the meeting failed.

"Okay, then goodbye." Dure nodded and watched Black Wind leave. After Black Wind left, the others were still in the conference room. Many of them were very dissatisfied with Black Wind's decision, with Lance being the most vocal.

"This guy has such a big attitude. The Kingdom of Wind is clearly weak and has no say in anything, yet he still refuses our proposal. Hey, Dure, are you sure that guy is your childhood friend? How come he doesn't give you any face at all? This is too unreasonable!" Lance had a lot of opinions about Black Wind, and he complained unhappily.

"Black Wind made this decision out of consideration for the interests of the Wind Kingdom. The proposal we put forward was indeed not the best option for the Wind Kingdom, so it's not surprising that he refused. After all, national interests outweigh personal relationships." Du Lei was not surprised by Black Wind's decision. Even before he knew that the representative of the Wind Kingdom was Black Wind, he was already considering that the Wind Kingdom was very likely to reject their proposal. Of course, according to intelligence, he believed that the representative sent by the Wind Kingdom this time was likely Lieutenant General Marshall.

Lieutenant General Marshall is an indecisive person, so it can be said that the outcome of this meeting took into account his personality. Marshall was very likely to choose to compromise. However, when the representative of the Wind Kingdom appeared, it was discovered that the representative was not General Marshall, but Black Wind. Given Dure's understanding of Black Wind, his refusal was actually quite reasonable.

"So, Durei, what should we do now? He rejected the proposal, so we can only exclude the Wind Kingdom, right?" Kelly asked, frowning. Although the meeting broke down, it didn't affect their overall plan. They could simply exclude the Wind Kingdom, since it didn't have a military advantage. In addition, there was friction between the Swamp Kingdom and the Wind Kingdom, so it wasn't impossible for the Five Nations Conference to exclude the Wind Kingdom.

"Should we exclude the Land of Wind? This question..." Dure hesitated, still pondering some details. But at that moment, someone knocked on the door of the conference room and came in. Dure recognized the person who came in; it was Bee Sting, Winry's personal bodyguard. Bee Sting whispered something in Winry's ear.

"What did you say?" After hearing what Bee Sting said, Wenli frowned and her expression became very serious, which immediately attracted everyone's attention, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Wenli.

“That’s right, this is a letter we just received.” Bee Sting handed a letter to Winry, who immediately opened it and began reading. Her brows furrowed more and more. Lance wanted to ask Winry about the contents of the letter several times, but Kelly stopped him each time.

"Three days later? At that time?" Wen Li put the letter down after reading it.

"What happened?" Dure asked first. He could tell from Winry's expression that something serious must have happened.

“It was sent from the Southern Front. They agreed to a decisive battle in three days,” Wenli solemnly stated the contents of the letter.

"What? Three days later?" Lance was stunned.

"Is the timeframe so tight? It feels a bit rushed," Kelly said worriedly.

"Tch, this stalemate has lasted for months. Isn't it time to break it? Now that they've started their attack, we can't back down either!" Compared to Winry and the others' worries, Celia spoke with eagerness.

()

791 Spread out quickly!

For the Northern army and the Southern front, who had been locked in a stalemate for three months, three days passed quickly. Three days later, the soldiers received a summons to assemble in the square of Winter City. The soldiers, who had already anticipated this, were not surprised.

They, who usually greet each other with smiles, were all silent today. When they met, they simply nodded slightly without saying much. The cold wind was biting, and snowflakes fell, landing on the soldiers' hair and their thin clothes.

They were still wearing the cotton-padded coats issued last year. The young soldiers' lips were blue and purple from the cold, but they remained motionless. They all knew that since joining the army, this was the moment they had been waiting for.

"Your Highness Winry, everything is ready, and we can depart at any time." General Restia walked up to Winry and said softly. This war will determine the future of the Snow Kingdom. If the Northern army wins, they will continue their rule over the Snow Kingdom.

But once they lose this war, the South Front will take their place, they will become part of history, and the victors will write extensively about their victory and spare no effort to smear them in the history books. These things are entirely predictable.

"Is this final battle finally unstoppable and about to erupt?" As for Winry, she did not want the Snow Kingdom to come to this point, because it meant that the Snow Kingdom would decline, but they had no other choice.

So even though she was unwilling, she could only watch helplessly as the war began, and she had to announce its start. It was a cruel choice, but one she had no choice but to make.

“Yes, this is an inevitable war, so…” Although Restia was only in her thirties, she was already a veteran of many battles and was quite accustomed to the cruelty of the battlefield.

Just as she was about to say something to comfort Wenli, she suddenly noticed the ground starting to shake, and this sudden movement made her frown.

"What's going on? Is it just my imagination? Why does it feel like the ground is shaking?" A guard looked at his companion and asked curiously. He noticed that the snowflakes on the ground were starting to tremble.

"It's not an illusion, the ground is really shaking. It's really strange, it feels like... something is about to pop up from underground." The veteran confirmed the tremor was real immediately. He stared blankly around, completely baffled.

"Something's popping up from underground? What could it be? But... this commotion is getting more and more obvious, could it be..." The guards looked at each other, all with a bad feeling.

"Not good, scatter quickly!" General Restia was a very calm type. After checking repeatedly, she confirmed that something was indeed breaking out of the ground, and she immediately shouted a warning.

At this moment, snowflakes began to fall from the ground and drifted into the air, creating a large white mist that temporarily obscured people's vision.

"This is... a magical energy fluctuation? Coming from underground? Winry, quickly step aside, something is rushing out!"