The most shameless alchemist in history

"Huh? Master? Aren't you leaving? Master, Master..." The steward was completely bewildered by Zanpu's reaction. He had originally wanted to call Zanpu back, but by then Zanpu had already vanished in a flash. All he could think about was going to greet Princess Wenli, so he couldn't hear anything else.

News of the Northern army's great victory in the Battle of Winter City quickly spread throughout Frost City, surprising the nobles who were preparing to pack their belongings and flee. Upon hearing that Princess Winry had returned victorious, they all flocked to the city gate to welcome the triumphant army from afar.

Even the nobles who had already fled a long distance, upon receiving the news, abandoned their entire families and hurriedly returned, traveling light. This was their chance to demonstrate their loyalty, and no one wanted to fall behind.

Compared to the nobles who were racing against time, the commoners of Frost City reacted much more normally. Originally hiding in the cellars, they gradually came out into the streets after learning about the news, looking at each other in disbelief.

"Have you heard? Princess Winry defeated those rebels! Soon she will return in triumph with her army. We've won! Frost City won't be at war, and those fierce enemies won't attack us anymore." Someone asked a neighbor, still somewhat skeptical of the news.

"I heard about it, but weren't we in a very disadvantageous position before? Everyone was saying that Frost City was about to fall, and some people even said they saw the Rain Kingdom's airship fleet heading towards us. I thought we were all doomed, but then suddenly they said we won..."

"It's true, it's true! Barn's son, Barton, just returned. He's a scout in the army, and when he rode past, I heard him shout 'We won!' with my own ears!" Someone excitedly said while everyone else was confused and unsure whether the information was true or false.

"What? We really won? That's fantastic! I thought we were all doomed, but we actually won!"

"It was Princess Winry who led the army to victory. She's so young, yet she's truly an extraordinary person!"

"Princess Winry? I knew Princess Winry was extraordinary. She has handled several incidents beautifully in the past few years, and she resolved this matter perfectly as well. She is truly someone we can trust and rely on!" The people of Frost City discussed among themselves.

For a time, praise for Princess Wenli was endless, and more and more news came that Princess Wenli would soon lead her army back in triumph. People spontaneously went outside the city to welcome the army, and the snow was still falling.

()

812 Farewell

While the people and nobles of Frost City eagerly awaited the triumphant return of the army, Winter City was also filled with jubilation. In contrast to Frost City, which remained safe and in the rear, the people of Winter City had spent a considerable period in tension.

Because they were on the front lines, when the Northern army and the Southern army were in a stalemate, no one knew when the war would break out or who would win. Those who had the means left Winter City early on, while those who didn't could only stay in the city and wait for their fate to decide their destiny.

During this long wait, some thrilling events also occurred. One of them was the bone dragon that broke out not long ago. When the bone dragon destroyed the entire city with overwhelming force, people felt despair. This made them subconsciously believe that destruction was only a matter of time and that the Northern Army was doomed to lose!

They had no idea what those Southerners would do to them, but it certainly wouldn't be anything good. When fear brewed into a cup of poison that could destroy people's confidence, victory came without warning. Compared to the people of Frost City, the people of Winter City received the news of victory much sooner.

Although they had an advantage in information channels, even with victory flags hanging in every corner of Winter City, the people still couldn't figure out how they had won the war.

Despite being at a disadvantage, the Southern Front army, which was supposed to advance on Winter City, suddenly mutinied and was incorporated into Princess Wenli's army. This happened so suddenly that no one was able to react and they found it unbelievable.

Throughout the entire Winter City, very few people truly know why things have escalated to this point; there are only a handful.

"Well then, Brother Du Lei, we must part ways here. Although we haven't spent much time together, I'm so grateful for your care during this time. Otherwise, I don't know what would have happened to us." At the train station in Winter City, a train bound for the Land of Wind was stopped on the platform, making its final preparations before departure. Many passengers began to board the train. Not far from the boarding gate, an old man held the hand of a young man and said gratefully.

“Dr. Sarah, you flatter me. It is thanks to you that you found me in the Abyss of Winter that I was able to survive. Otherwise, I don’t know how long I would have been frozen there. I should be the one thanking you. But... Dr. Sarah, and Rhodes and Tanya, are you really going to refuse Winry’s invitation?” The young man, who was actually Dure, asked softly.

The "invitation" he was referring to was the one previously extended by Winry, inviting Dr. Sara to lecture at Frost University in Frost City. Winry hoped that Dr. Sara could become the president of Frost University, while Rhodes and Tanya would become lecturers at the university, and she offered generous compensation. Furthermore, Winry's attitude was very sincere.

“Although Miss Winry’s offer is very generous and hard to resist, we still have unfinished business. I still have to supervise these two unpromising students and help them complete their graduation theses. Besides, Rhodes and Tanya are too young and inexperienced. How can they be lecturers?” Dr. Sarah shook her head gently. Her reasons for refusing were quite valid.

"Whether it's Rhodes or Tania, you are both very talented people. I know you have things to do, so I won't try to keep you. However, if you complete your graduation research, Rhodes, you can consider teaching at Frost University. Winry's determination... I think you have all seen it, Doctor." Dure turned to look in the direction of Frost City.

Earlier, Winry had already returned to Frost City with her people. He did not choose to go with Winry, but stayed behind to handle some aftermath. With the end of the war, the border blockade of the Snow Kingdom was also lifted. Many merchants stranded in Winter City hoped to take the train to various countries, including the Wind Kingdom. Dr. Sara and her two friends were studying at Sena University, which was located in the Wind Kingdom. They were eager to return to the school to take a look.

“Miss Winry’s determination is truly admirable. If given the opportunity, we would consider going to Frost University.” Rhodes nodded seriously and said. Although Frost University is not as famous as Sena University, they had met with Winry before and talked about the future of the Snow Kingdom. After the meeting, Rhodes had seriously analyzed that Frost University would definitely develop rapidly in the future and catch up with, or even surpass, Sena University.

"But compared to going to Frost University, what I'm really looking forward to is seeing you again, Dure. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again after this parting," Tania said with some regret. In her eyes, Dure was a very important partner on their journey.

If it weren't for Dure's help, she probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the Abyss of Winter. Moreover, it was because of meeting Dure that so many things happened along the way, which made Tanya feel very fulfilled. Of course, the only regret was that she hadn't completed her graduation research project.

“I think we’ll definitely meet again if we have the chance. So, Dr. Sarah, Rhodes, Tanya, let’s say goodbye here.” Dure looked at the train, where the conductor was already urging them to hurry up, as the train was about to depart.

“Alright, Mr. Dure, farewell then, and I look forward to seeing you again!” Dr. Sarah nodded and boarded the train carriage, with Rhodes and Tanya following closely behind. Soon, the train slowly started moving, emitting a long whistle.

"Goodbye, Dr. Sarah, goodbye, Rhodes, and Tanya..." Dure stood still, watching the train until it disappeared into the distance, vanishing into the vast snow-covered mountains.

"They've already left? Everything that's happened so far... It's been quite an ordeal. Only a little over a week has passed, yet so much has already happened?"

Dure recalled his experiences during this period, the time since he awoke from the Abyss of Winter. It felt like an eternity, because so many things had happened, one after another, leaving him overwhelmed and exhausted.

It was as if God wanted him to make up for the lost time all at once.

()

813 disappeared

Fortunately, everything was eventually resolved. When he was in the thick of it, he didn't feel tired at all. Now that the problems are solved, looking back, he realizes that everything was fraught with danger and he was completely exhausted. He doesn't know how he managed to hold on until now.

"I hope you have a safe journey. I don't know when I'll see you again. Wind Kingdom... Black Wind... I tricked him this time. I wonder if he will resent me..." Du Lei recalled his previous meeting with Black Wind.

This was their long-awaited reunion after nearly nine years. However, their reunion was uneventful. They only talked about official matters during their brief time together and did not have any private conversations. They even had a contest over official business. The Land of Wind, represented by Black Wind, attempted to take over the Land of Snow in one fell swoop, but Dure joined forces with the Land of Swamp and the Land of Rain to launch a sniping attack. As a result, the Land of Wind not only failed to achieve its expansion ambitions, but also suffered heavy losses under the combined attack of the two countries' allied forces.

According to the latest information Du Lei received, it was fortunate that Black Wind led his army to withdraw in time, which forced the allied forces of the two countries to retreat. Otherwise, the allied forces of the two countries would have definitely captured Qingfeng City. Of course, Qingfeng City also paid a considerable price to get the two countries, Swamp Country and Rain Country, to stop fighting.

"So next..." Du Lei watched the train disappear into the vast snow-covered mountains before turning his gaze away. At that moment, another train slowly pulled into the station, ready to depart.

However, unlike the train that Rhodes and Dr. Sara had taken before, this train was heading to Frost City, not Breeze City.

Winry had already returned to Frost City ahead of him. Dure was still staying in Winter City because he had some things to take care of. He would take the train to Frost City to meet her after he finished dealing with them. As for the things he was dealing with, they were related to the bone dragon that had previously wreaked havoc in Winter City.

"I wonder if Winry has successfully taken Frost City. This civil war that has lasted for so long should be coming to an end by now, right?" Dure looked at the distant sky, where the blizzard was showing signs of gradually dissipating.

He remembered when he first went to Maple City from the hot spring village. It was also early spring, the snow was beginning to melt, and the long-awaited sunshine appeared in the sky. Everything was going to move in a good direction.

After waiting for a while, Dure finally boarded the train to Frost City. The blizzard was still falling heavily, and the whole earth was covered in silver and white. After all, Frost City was geographically closer to the north.

Even in the sweltering summer, the snow would not melt. The train bound for Frost City slowly departed, and Durei also left the city of Winter City. However, shortly after he left, the guards patrolling Winter City discovered something very strange.

The cause of this strange event is the skeleton of a bone dragon. Just a few days ago, a bone dragon summoned by an unknown summoner wreaked havoc in Winter City. That day was also the day of the decisive battle between the Northern Army and the Southern Front Army. If things had gone according to plan, the bone dragon would have cooperated with the Southern Front Army to completely destroy Winter City.

However, just when the Bone Dragon was unstoppable, it suddenly collapsed and scattered all over the ground. At the same time, the army of the Southern Kingdom suddenly mutinied and accepted the reorganization of the Northern Kingdom army. Both of these events came very suddenly, and people were unable to recover for a long time.

By the time the residents of Winter City realized what was happening, the eight-year-long war seemed to have come to an end, leaving them somewhat bewildered by the way it ended.

Regardless, this is a good thing for them. Now, Princess Winry, as the nominal supreme commander of the Winter City army, has led the army back in triumph. The troops left to guard Winter City must handle the aftermath, which includes the restoration of Winter City. After all, Winter City suffered extensive damage in the previous war, with many houses collapsing.

Moreover, the massive skeleton of the Bone Dragon is still in Winter City, attracting many onlookers every day who point at it and whisper among themselves.

“Let me tell you, that bone dragon is this big. I saw it wreaking havoc in the city a few days ago. Many houses collapsed. See? These ruins were all destroyed by the bone dragon. It was only this close to me at the time…” A young man was boasting.

Beside him were his friends. Because of the end of the war, many people who had fled outside rushed back upon hearing the news. Many of them had not witnessed the Bone Dragon attacking Winter City. They listened to their companions talking about it with great enthusiasm.

"Where is that bone dragon? I must go and take a good look." Tarot was eager to try. He had never seen what a bone dragon looked like before, but at the same time, he was also a little uneasy. This bone dragon shouldn't attack people, right? After all, his friend said that it was all broken apart.

"It's not far ahead, come with me." The young man led Tarot forward, looking quite smug, as if he were the hero who had defeated the bone dragon. Under his guidance, Tarot indeed saw a large, sunken pit not far ahead.

"Is it over there?" Taro's eyes lit up. Besides wanting to see what the bone dragon looked like, he was also a reporter. He had his camera ready and was determined to take pictures of the bone dragon. He believed that most people, like him, had never seen a bone dragon but were very curious about it. Once the pictures of the bone dragon were published in the newspaper and made public, that issue of the newspaper would definitely sell out!

“That’s right, it’s right there. I’m telling you, the bone dragon… Hey? Brother, what’s going on here? What are you doing? Where’s the bone dragon’s skeleton? I saw it yesterday.” The young man stopped near the pit. At this time, there were many guards filling the pit and whispering among themselves. They all looked serious and had strange expressions.

"I don't know what happened either. I came here early this morning and the skeleton of the Bone Dragon has disappeared. This is really strange. There were people patrolling and keeping watch last night, and we didn't see anyone come here. The skeleton is so big, it's impossible to steal it. What happened?" The guards were also puzzled. They had prepared transport vehicles and gathered manpower today to remove the skeleton of the Bone Dragon.

()

814 Triumphant Return

After all, the bone dragon's bones are so large that displaying them here isn't a big deal. Besides, the war is over, and Winter City needs to be restored. According to the higher-ups, the bone dragon's skeleton needs to be removed, and an exhibition hall or something similar needs to be built to commemorate this protracted war.

But when they came to check early this morning, they found that the skeleton of the bone dragon had disappeared. All that was left in the pit was a pool of dark, black water. This puzzled them greatly. The bone dragon had already fallen apart, so it couldn't have flown away on its own. Even if it had flown away, with so many people in Winter City in such a large area, it was impossible for it not to have been seen.

"What? The skeleton of the bone dragon is gone? Luo Song, what happened?" Taro asked his friend, completely baffled.

"I don't know either. I saw it yesterday. It's really strange." Luo Song scratched his head, not knowing what the problem was.

"You can all leave now, you can all leave now. We don't even know how to explain this to our superiors yet." The guard waved his hand, shooing away the onlookers. He was still wondering how to report that the skeleton of the bone dragon had disappeared. Would the higher-ups believe him?

"This is really weird." The guard heard a long whistle, and the train parked at the train station slowly started moving and headed away into the distance...

When news of Princess Winry's triumphant return reached Frost City, the people of Frost City had already warmly welcomed her. As the brightly dressed guards slowly walked down Queen's Road, cheering crowds surrounded them. Children ran around in the streets, and young girls let out bursts of screams as they scattered flowers, creating a vast sea of ​​blossoms. Colorful ribbons were everywhere in the city, and the military band played triumphant music. It was an ocean of cheers and jubilation.

For the people of Frost City, this is a day of great historical significance that needs to be remembered, because the end of the war means that they no longer have to live in fear, no longer have to worry about the safety of their brothers, sisters or children in the army. These past few years have been very difficult for them.

Every minute and every second was an agonizing ordeal, but thankfully they persevered and it was all over. They had every reason to believe that after the war, they would be able to live a peaceful and prosperous life, and that they would usher in stability and prosperity. What an exciting thing that was!

Among the army that was being greeted with cheers from the people, there were two key figures. One of them was Princess Winry, who was the nominal supreme commander of the army. As the heir to the throne, she personally supervised the battle on the front lines, participated in the entire war, and brought back victory.

The other is General Restia of the Griffin Legion. Although many legions participated in the war, including several elite legions from the Snow Kingdom, the one that contributed the most, appeared the most frequently, and was also the most well-known was indeed General Restia's Griffin Legion.

Furthermore, as the strongest female general in the Snow Kingdom, General Restia has demonstrated outstanding abilities on numerous occasions during the war. If it weren't for the exceptional performance of her Griffin Legion, the Northern Kingdom's army would likely have collapsed completely before even reaching victory.

"General Restia, is what we're doing okay? Won't it start a new war?" Although Wenli was greeted by cheers, she couldn't be happy at all. Her return to Frost City wasn't just for a triumphant return; she had another matter to attend to—a major event that would shock the entire Snow Kingdom, or more precisely, the entire continent.

“Your Highness, I am just a soldier. I cannot understand those complicated matters, but I do know one thing: whether it is soldiers or civilians, everyone is tired of war and tired of their current lives. They desperately hope to live a good life, a peaceful and prosperous one. Your Highness, do you think you can bring them such a life?” General Restia asked Winry in return.

“Of course I hope that all the people of the Snow Kingdom can live a peaceful life, but under the current system, it is difficult to achieve this. This protracted war is a good example of this. If we cannot solve the problem at its root, then even if we win this war, it will not be long before a new war breaks out.” Wenli sighed and said. She was well aware of the situation the Snow Kingdom was facing.

Although they won the war, the problems between the North and the South remained unresolved. Furthermore, while the Southern Front army still existed, it suddenly mutinied in Winter Valley. This was not because they suddenly grew tired of the war and surrendered when they had the upper hand. There were two main reasons for this. The first reason was that there were internal problems within the Southern Front, with serious disagreements between the new and old factions.

In particular, Grant, as the leader of the old faction, openly ordered the arrest of Liana, the leader of the new faction. This caused a strong reaction among the new faction. A considerable number of the new faction soldiers, who were the main force of the Southern Front army, joined the Southern Front army at Liana's call. However, the fact that Liana was to be arrested without any reason made them very dissatisfied. This had already created a great deal of uncertainty for the Southern Front army.

Moreover, as rumors about Grant spread, the morale of the army became even more unstable. Then, at the opportune moment, Liana suddenly appeared and rallied the troops, causing a mutiny in the Southern army and delivering a fatal blow to Grant.

As for the other reason, although the Southern Front army had stopped the conflict with the Northern army, they had not completely disarmed and laid down their weapons. They were still in a wait-and-see state. It can be said that the war ended peacefully as a result of the agreement and compromise reached between Liana and Winry. The truce was only temporary.

When Winry left Winter City, Liana made it clear to her that if the conflict between the North and South could not be properly resolved, even she would not be able to suppress the dissenting voices of her subordinates.

Therefore, Winry had to carefully resolve the problem. Her return to Frost City was not to celebrate victory, but to solve the issue.

“If it were a last resort, I would fight for Your Highness Winry, but if there were other options, the soldiers are too exhausted,” General Restia said to her subordinates.

()

815 Walking side by side

This protracted war, which has lasted for eight years, has turned the young men who had just joined the army into taciturn adults in their thirties. Many of them are still unmarried, and many of them never got up again after falling on the battlefield.

“General Restia, you’re right. Both the soldiers and the people are exhausted and yearn for peace after this war. We absolutely cannot afford to have another unnecessary war. This problem must be resolved!” Winry nodded gently. She had been aware of this from the moment she embarked on her journey back to Frost City.

“I believe that Your Highness Winry can do all this, and my men and I will follow you to the death.” General Restia knew very well what Winry was about to do, yet she still stood by her side, which spoke volumes.

"Then let's move on. I hope General Restia will take good care of us on the road ahead." Winry gazed ahead, her eyes not on the flowers and ribbons, nor on the cheering crowd, but on the cold, impersonal palace!

Inside the Winter Palace, everyone was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, awaiting the princess's triumphant return. All the ministers had gathered at the palace, waiting for the upcoming banquet. Even though these ministers had fled hundreds of miles away not long ago, they had all rushed back overnight, eager to prove their loyalty. Indeed, they had not run away; they had all been holding their positions.

"Oh, isn't this Your Majesty the Zanpu? I heard you arrived at Port Sessions yesterday, didn't you? How come you're here again today? Such speed is truly admirable." Among the waiting ministers, someone recognized the old acquaintance Zanpu and said teasingly. The speaker was the Finance Minister Pope. He and Zanpu didn't usually get along well, even though they were once classmates.

However, the Zanpu felt extremely unbalanced about his arduous job as Foreign Minister, while Pope, whom he considered far inferior, was thriving in the lucrative position of Finance Minister. For many years, he had been striving to overthrow Pope and replace him, but the results of his efforts... seemed to be less than smooth.

“What Sessions Port? That’s nonsense, Pope. You’ve gone a bit too far with that joke.” Zamp said with a stiff smile, waving his hands repeatedly, refusing to admit that he had fled to Sessions Port.

"Are you kidding? But I heard that someone saw you in the port of Sessions, and even bought a ticket to a southern country." Pope was wearing a black tuxedo, although the expensive silk tuxedo made his bulky figure look like a ball.

But he walked with his head held high and chest out, exuding confidence. He held his wine glass and looked at Zanpu with a smile. Since their student days, the two had been rivals, and he had always been one step ahead of Zanpu. Over the years, Pope had thoroughly enjoyed this feeling.