The most shameless alchemist in history

“That’s true. If the Southern faction were to lead the Snow Country, the old forces of the Northern faction would definitely not agree. This would be an endless war. Similarly, if the Northern faction continues its current dominant position, the Southern faction, which is in a state of rapid rise, would also rise up in resistance. It’s a vicious cycle. But if it were Princess Wenli… she could probably resolve the conflict between the North and the South.” The steward thought for a moment and said.

“Some things have to be done by someone. If I don’t use strong measures, then civil war will break out in Winry’s hands. She is too young and can’t suppress the old stubbornness of the Northern faction. So the result of her leadership is very likely to be the disintegration of the Snow Kingdom and a complete break.”

She has a clear understanding of the future of the Snow Country. Even though she hasn't left this city for many years, she still maintains a firm grip on the country, a feat unmatched by anyone else.

"So Your Majesty deliberately increased taxes on the South, forcing them to rise up in rebellion and bringing forward the inevitable war?" the steward asked.

"There's nothing we can do about it. The conflict between the Southern and Northern factions has lasted for over a century. Both sides are extremely hostile to each other. This hatred runs deep in their bones and can only be resolved through war. So, it's better for me to resolve this inevitable war than for Wenli to do it," he nodded and said.

"What I didn't expect was that Wenli's growth rate was faster than I imagined. She has already firmly controlled the army, which has saved me a lot of trouble and put my mind at ease." She felt gratified when she thought of her proud daughter.

"Princess Winry's growth is indeed astonishing. She has reached an agreement with Liana, the leader of the Southern Front." Although the content of Winry and Liana's meeting was very secretive, it did not escape the eyes of the steward.

“Isn’t Grant the leader of the Southern Front?” she asked.

“Grant has been placed under house arrest, and all the old-school members within the Southern Front who supported him have been purged. Now, the Southern Front is in power with a younger generation, and Liana has a unique voice,” the steward replied truthfully.

"As expected of Hanks' daughter, she's actually managed to do this." She nodded gently, and at this moment, the image of those carefree boys and girls who used to hang out together many years ago flashed through her mind.

It's not a good thing that people become nostalgic as they get older.

If only time could slow down or last longer.

Unfortunately, her time is running out.

819 Warm Early Spring

When the last snowfall stops, it marks the end of the long winter. Even in a country like the Land of Snow, where snow covers the land year-round and the snow never melts, people always yearn for a little warmth in early spring.

In a courtyard, children were building a snowman. If it were this time last year, building a snowman would have been no problem at all. They could have built the snowman into all sorts of strange shapes based on their wildest imaginations.

But not today. It's not because their imaginations have run dry, but because the snow is gradually melting, making it difficult to build a snowman in a specific shape. The elders say that spring this year is a little different from usual.

They've lived to such an old age and have never seen such a warm spring. The children probably don't quite understand what that means, since they've only experienced a few winters.

"I can't build a snowman anymore. Does that mean we can't build a snowman together anymore?" A cute little girl tried again and again to mold the snowman into the adorable shape she imagined, but each time she tried, the snowman crumbled and fell apart, and she couldn't form a concrete shape at all. This made her a little disappointed, and she said regretfully.

"I guess we won't be able to let you choose for a long time. We can definitely do it next winter when it snows," a little boy next to him said after thinking for a while. Although he didn't really understand, he had been hearing the old people in the neighborhood say that this spring was warmer. He didn't quite understand, but that was enough for him to appear knowledgeable in front of the little girl.

"So, does that mean Mr. Snowman will come back next winter?" the little girl asked earnestly, tilting her head.

“Yes, it will definitely come back next winter, but… what is this?” The little boy’s mother waved her hand in reply, but at that moment she suddenly noticed a small flower branch sprouting not far from her, which made her feel curious and intrigued.

"Huh, this? This is... a cherry blossom?" The little girl followed his gaze, examined it carefully, and quickly recognized what the flower branch was.

"Cherry blossoms? What are cherry blossoms?" the little boy continued to ask. This was the first time he had heard the word, and he was very curious.

"Cherry blossoms are very, very beautiful flowers. Although I don't know much about them, my grandma once told me that when cherry blossoms bloom, the ground is covered with fallen petals, like walking on a sea of ​​flowers. It's so beautiful," the little girl answered earnestly.

"Cherry blossoms? But I've never seen you before in all my life. Are you kidding me?" The little boy was skeptical. He looked at the little girl with a questioning gaze, harboring great doubt about what she was saying.

“I’m not lying to you. Grandma said the last time she saw cherry blossoms was a long, long time ago, I think it was when she was about my age.” The little girl thought for a moment and answered. She was an honest person. Her grandmother had taught her not to lie since she was little, and she always remembered her grandmother’s words.

"When your grandma was about your age... that must have been decades ago!" The little boy paused for a moment, counting on his fingers for a while, but soon realized he didn't have enough fingers.

"I don't know either, maybe. Anyway, cherry blossoms are really beautiful when they bloom. But it's still so small. I wonder when it will grow into a flower as beautiful as Grandma described." The little girl said with a mixture of anticipation and doubt.

According to her grandmother, cherry blossoms would bloom into a magnificent sea of ​​color, but all they had in front of them was a small, tender branch from an old, nearly dead tree. This made her doubt whether it could bloom into the beautiful sight she had envisioned.

"It should grow back, right? Your grandma never lies, I believe her," the little boy said after thinking for a moment.

“Of course! Grandma is the best person in the world, she would never lie!” the little girl nodded emphatically.

"Then let's look forward to it, and be sure to see it grow into a riot of flowers."

"Yes, we'll definitely see it!"

The two children's eyes lit up with anticipation, just as a train passed by on the distant railway, making a "whoosh whoosh" sound.

Along with the train came a strong wind, which blew snowflakes all over the ground, forming a snow fog.

The railway tracks, which were usually covered by a thick layer of snow, were mostly swept away by the speeding train, revealing the wooden planks underneath.

Inside one of the train carriages, someone could see through the carriage a patch of new green that was faintly visible on this land.

"Oh my, I've been to Frost City many times, but this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful spring in Frost City. It's really unexpected."

A young man who looked to be in his early twenties, still a student, spoke with a refreshed expression.

Sitting next to him was a woman of similar age, with two steaming cups of black tea in front of them.

On their opposite side sat a black-haired man who was about two or three years older than them.

The man remained silent throughout the journey, and aside from knowing his name was "Dure," Rosell knew nothing else about him.

“Spring in Frost City this year is indeed warmer than usual. Many withered trees have sprouted new buds, and it’s truly full of life,” Freya said with a sigh. She and Rosell were both university students. They had just received news that Frost City had established Ice University and was recruiting students, so they went to study at Ice University together.

"The Snow Country has indeed changed quite a bit. Not only has it abolished the traditional cabinet system and established a parliamentary system, giving ordinary people the right to vote, easing tensions between the South and the North, and strengthening ties between the two, but even the weather has been completely transformed. It seems that coming to the Snow Country was definitely the right choice." Roselle began to feel somewhat fortunate about her decision.

Because they chose to come to the Land of Snow from the south, where conditions were better, to study, they faced a lot of opposition.

Many people think they've gone mad. Although the Snow Kingdom has undergone comprehensive reforms, this is only the beginning.

Who knows what the Land of Snow will become in the future?

()

820 Snow Country Transformation

Everyone knows that coming to the Snow Country at this time is extremely risky!

Even though Frost City extended an olive branch, offering very generous benefits to students going to Ice University and hiring many outstanding professors and doctors as mentors.

However, the vast majority of people are still taking a wait-and-see approach, and not many are willing to be the first to try something new.

At first, Rosell hesitated a bit.

But he soon realized that his development in the south was facing a bottleneck, and if he did not make a breakthrough, the future would probably be very difficult.

Because the southern countries are all nearing saturation, it is extremely difficult to enter officialdom and have a promising future.

However, this may not be the case in the Land of Snow, because the reforms there have only just begun on a large scale, creating a great demand for talent.

This means that many possibilities exist here.

This is also the biggest reason that attracted Russell to come here; he was willing to give it a try.

"However, I've also heard some bad news. Although the Frost Queen has abdicated and Princess Winry has successfully replaced her mother, completing the power transfer, and together with Liana, the representative from the South, she has formed a joint council, electing members from both the North and South according to proportions, and appointing a governor to handle daily affairs, these measures have not been recognized by the traditional forces in the North, and quite a few fierce conflicts have broken out in the last two months." Freya was not as optimistic as Roselle; on the contrary, she was very rational.

She held reservations about the trip to the Land of Snow and did not rush to conclusions, because she knew it was a long-term plan.

Only time will tell whether this transformation in the Land of Snow will be successful.

"Freya, are you referring to the rebellions launched by the old nobles of the North? But weren't they all suppressed by General Restia and General Serena? Besides, even General Tyrone, the biggest backer of the diehards, declared that he would obey the Frost Queen's dying wish and pledge allegiance to Princess Winry... Oh no, she can no longer be called Princess Winry, but Councilor Winry, so these events can be completely ignored."

As he spoke, Rosell took out a newspaper and pointed to a small section of it for Freya to see.

The newspaper contained detailed reports about General Restia leading her troops to quell the rebellion, as well as discussions by various experts on the current situation in the Snow Kingdom.

"Miss Winry's ability to give up the throne and go to such lengths is truly remarkable. If it were me, I certainly couldn't have done what she did." Freya sincerely admired Winry.

"However, no one expected that the Snow Country, a traditional military power in the northern continent, would complete such a transformation in just a few months. This is something that has stunned the entire continent. Moreover, the driving force behind this transformation is actually two young women: Miss Winry and Miss Liana, who is also a councilor. They are only about twenty-three or twenty-four years old this year, not much older than us. Yet, they have accomplished such a remarkable feat!" Rosell exclaimed in amazement.

The reason he chose to come to the Land of Snow was largely due to the influence of Winry and Liana.

They accomplished great changes at a young age, which is of great encouragement to the many young people on the mainland who have new ideas.

“However, I’ve heard that one person deserves a lot of credit for the Snow Country’s current prosperity,” Freya said after thinking for a moment.

"There's another person? Who is it?" Rosell asked curiously.

"He is the person who was able to bring Miss Winry and Miss Liana together for peace negotiations, and also the person who pushed for the end of the civil war in the Land of Snow. Look here, the newspaper said that multiple analyses have found that such a person exists, and he has greatly influenced the course of the Land of Snow."

Freya pointed to an analysis in the newspaper and handed it to Russell.

"Huh, is there another part here? I completely missed it. Let me take a look... This person not only helped the Snow Country quell its civil war, but also greatly eased the Snow Country's diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. It is understood that this person has close ties with the Mountain Country, the Rain Country, the Swamp Country, and other countries..."

Russell found this passage fascinating as he read it.

"Unfortunately, despite our extensive inquiries, we have been unable to ascertain the exact identity of this person. However, we can confirm that he truly exists. Let's tentatively call him 'Lord Shadow.' It is his existence that has brought such vibrant life to the Land of Snow... Lord Shadow?"

Russell quickly finished reading the newspaper and exclaimed in surprise.

"That's what the newspapers call him, Rosell. Do you think such a person really exists?" Freya asked curiously.

“Well… I don’t know either, but those newspapers always like to create a mystery to increase sales. Maybe it’s just made up. What about you, Freya? Do you believe this person exists?” Rosell shook his head, gave a negative answer, and then asked Freya.

"Well... I won't tell you." Freya smiled slyly, without giving a clear answer.

"How cunning! I've already told you, but you're unwilling to tell me. That's not fair!" Rosell was somewhat dissatisfied with this.

This made him feel like he had been tricked.

“Rossel, how can you argue with a girl like that? Discussing fairness with a girl is pointless,” Freya said with a smile.

"Freya, how could you do this... Huh, outside... Have we already arrived at Frost City?" Roselle originally wanted to complain a bit more.

But at this moment he noticed that the train was slowly moving forward, and the surroundings were no longer a vast wilderness, but rather bustling buildings.

“Yes, yes, we’ve arrived. Let’s go register at Ice University first,” Freya nodded and said.

"Um... Mr. Dure, right? Could you please help me pass my suitcase down?" Rosell was preparing for their upcoming arrival at the station. He and Freya had a lot of luggage, which was all on the upper shelf. It was inconvenient for him to carry it by himself, so he sought help from the young man who had been sitting opposite him the whole way, always silent and reading a book.

"Is this the box?" The young man named Du Lei put down the book he was holding and asked, pointing to a box.

“Yes, this is it, and the one next to it too, please take care of them together,” Rosell said with a smile.

He is a lively and outgoing type, you could say he's very sociable.

“It’s alright, I’d be happy to help you, and… welcome to Frost City,” Dure replied with a smile.

He quickly carried the box down.

()

821 Senior Du Lei

"Durey, you're too kind. But speaking of which, are you a native of the Snow Country? You don't seem to be." With Durey's help, Roselle successfully got the box. At this moment, the train arrived at the station and slowly came to a stop.

While feeling grateful, Rosell asked curiously, since the young man named Dure in front of him did not have the face of a traditional Snow Country citizen; he looked more like an Easterner.

"I suppose I'd say I'm half from the Land of Snow. I grew up in a small village in the northeast of the Land of Snow, a village called Hot Spring Village, famous for its hot springs," Dure patiently explained. He didn't have any luggage with him and got off the train with Roselle and Freya.