The most shameless alchemist in history

Because they had just gotten off the train and were being harassed by the guards, it was Dure who came to their rescue.

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835 Instructor

Rosell was delighted by Dure's appearance, as things had been incredibly boring lately. The sudden appearance of someone who could be considered a friend made life a little more interesting. He even asked Dure in front of him if he was the currently famous new Inspector General. Dure flatly denied it, which relieved Rosell considerably. However, Freya remained suspicious, though she didn't show it.

Over the next week, Rosell and Freya frequently encountered Dure on the Frost University campus. Rosell found Dure to be very knowledgeable, and whenever he had a problem to ask Dure for help, Dure was always able to solve it easily, which Rosell greatly admired.

A week later, Roselle and Freya went to class, which was about alchemy.

This is a rare subject, because alchemists are very rare, and alchemy, as a mysterious discipline, has maintained its mystique for a considerable period of time. Alchemy is usually passed down from alchemist to alchemist, and no one has ever publicly taught alchemy as a subject before. It is precisely because of the opening of this course that it has attracted a lot of attention.

"Hurry up, Freya, why are you dawdling? Can't you hurry up? This class is about to start, and I went to great lengths to get a spot to attend." Rosell urged Freya, sounding very excited and eager to try.

“I understand. Don’t worry, there are still ten minutes before it starts.” Freya followed Rosell as they walked down the corridor toward the classroom. Around them, many people were hurrying along; these people all shared the same goal as them.

"This is an unprecedented and magnificent course. How could I not be excited? I've been very curious about alchemy since I was a child, but I've never had the opportunity to learn it. Even though there are some records about alchemy in books, they are all very obscure and incomprehensible. Now that a teacher is willing to teach me personally, what an exciting thing this is!" Rosell said with great enthusiasm.

"Alchemy, it is indeed a very mysterious discipline, but strictly speaking, it is also a branch of science. Now that alchemy is becoming public, it is indeed a good thing. But Roselle, do you know who this teacher who explains alchemy is?" Freya asked curiously.

"Well... I'm not quite sure who it is either, but we'll find out as soon as we get there... Hey, Dure?" Just then, Rosell noticed Dure standing not far away and greeted him.

“It’s Roselle and Freya. Where are you going in such a hurry?” Dure recognized the two and stopped to ask.

“We’re going to an alchemy course, Durex, what about you?” Rosell asked excitedly.

“Then it seems we’re going to the same place,” Dure thought for a moment, then nodded and said.

“Oh, Dure, are you also going to an alchemy course? What a coincidence, we can sit together in class,” Rosell said with a smile.

"This... I'm afraid that won't work," Du Lei said hesitantly.

"How could this not work? Really, we're here. This is the classroom, right? There are too many people here. Oh, right, there are empty seats over there. Freya, and Dure, come over here." After entering the classroom, Rosell saw that there were already quite a few people sitting inside.

After all, this was a very valuable course, and many students rushed over after hearing the news. Russell noticed that there were still a few empty seats in the corner, so he quickly went over and called his two companions to sit down as well. The podium was empty, and the teacher had not yet appeared.

“Roselle, you’re so kind.” Dure couldn’t refuse Rosell’s offer, so he sat down next to him.

“Because we’re friends, hehe. I’ve dreamed of becoming an alchemist since I was a child, but I don’t have the talent. Now that alchemy is about to unveil its mysteries, although I know I can’t become an alchemist, I still want to learn a little bit about it. This is not only to fulfill my childhood wish, but also to have more references when I do scientific research in the future.” Rosell took out his notebook, intending to take notes.

“However, alchemy is indeed a very powerful discipline. Most alchemists don’t make it public, so it’s quite unexpected to see such a discipline today,” Freya said softly beside her.

"In fact, alchemy is also a kind of science. It is an ancient science that emerged in ancient times when science was not fully established and there were no systematic theories to support it. Studying alchemy can provide a reference for current research and can also help students understand the world better."

Du Lei, standing beside him, said earnestly.

“Now that you mention it, I’m getting more and more excited. But… why hasn’t the lecturer arrived yet? The classroom is full, and he hasn’t shown up. Could something have happened?” Rosell looked at the stage, which was still empty, making him somewhat anxious.

Meanwhile, a lot of murmurs could be heard from the surrounding area.

"Where is the alchemist's teacher? It's time for class now."

"Could something have happened and the class was canceled at the last minute? I skipped other classes to come here specifically."

The students were waiting anxiously, worried that the course might not proceed as scheduled, as they were all filled with anticipation.

“Well… Rosell, I think I need to leave for a bit.” At this point, Dure couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up to say this.

"Hey, Dure, are you leaving? Wait a minute, why are you so impatient? Maybe the teacher is just delayed on the way, he'll be here soon." Rosell assumed Dure was about to leave and immediately tried to persuade him.

"Don't worry, Rosell, he didn't get delayed on the way," Dure said, waving his hand.

"Durey, how did you know?" Rosell found it increasingly strange as he listened.

"Maybe it's just a guess." Du Lei didn't say anything more, and he got up and walked towards the podium.

Under Russell's surprised gaze, he stopped on the podium.

"Dear students, I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's begin the lesson now," Du Lei said seriously, clearing his throat.

836 resigned and left

Half a year has passed since the formation of the Snow Kingdom Parliament. At the beginning, the Snow Kingdom's new system aroused doubts from many parties. Countries of the continent were waiting to see the Snow Kingdom make a fool of itself. They all believed that the Snow Kingdom would not be able to stabilize the situation and would inevitably trigger a new round of turmoil.

However, to the surprise of all countries, the Snow Country not only stabilized the situation, but also developed in a positive direction and quickly got back on track. Various factories were built one after another, and the old nobles in the country behaved themselves, with none daring to cause trouble.

Even in the royal capital, Frost City, if a child dares to cry at night, the adults will scare him, saying, "If you keep making noise, the 'Inspector General' will eat you up."

This immediately frightened the child so much that he dared not cry, demonstrating the immense power of the title "Inspector General".

However, the inspector general, who was practically a "devil" in the Snow Country, signed his last document on this day.

This document was his resignation letter, which arrived in Wenli's hands precisely at eight o'clock in the morning.

She didn't care about all the things she had to do that day and rushed to the train station, but it was too late. The train had already slowly pulled away, which made Wenli very panicked. She stood there watching the train leave, feeling very sad.

"Hey, Wenli, what are you doing here?" Just then, a voice came from behind her, and she turned around in a daze.

"Dure? You...you've already left, haven't you?" Wenli was somewhat surprised. The reason she rushed over was because she learned that Dure was leaving Frost City today, or more precisely, Snow Country.

“That’s right, I’m leaving today, but not on this train. This train is already full, and I couldn’t get a ticket. I bought a ticket for the next train, which will depart in about twenty minutes,” Du Lei explained.

"I see. But... Dure, why are you leaving all of a sudden? Wouldn't it be better to stay in Frost City?" Winry said anxiously.

“I’ve been here long enough, Winry. I remember telling you before that I was only there to help quell the situation in Frost City. Now that things have stabilized, there’s no point in me continuing as Inspector General. I should take some time to do what I’m supposed to do.”

Du Lei explained with a smile that he was never someone who liked to stay in one place and be confined.

He had spent too long in the hot spring village before, and then a long time in Maple Castle. Now, Frost Castle has become the third place he has stayed for the longest time.

"Can't you stay? It would be good to stay a little longer. I've been busy with all sorts of things lately and haven't had a chance to spend much time with you, Du Lei." Wen Li said with some disappointment. For the past six months, her schedule had been packed every day.

Every time I meet with Du Lei, it's in a public setting. The number of times we've had a private conversation like today is very limited.

“I’ve stayed long enough. I want to go see other parts of the mainland while I’m still young,” Du Lei grinned.

He had lost eight years in the Abyss of Winter, which had always been a source of deep regret for him. Now, he longed to travel to many places.

This is the only way to make up for the time he has lost.

That's what he thinks, and that's exactly what he'll do.

“Okay, Dure, I know I can’t persuade you. So… when will you be back?” Winry said dejectedly, her head down.

She knew Durei well; she knew he was the type who seemed easy to talk to, but once he made a decision, he would never change it.

"I don't know, maybe soon, maybe a long time," Dure said after thinking for a moment. He really couldn't give a definite time.

"How long is 'a long time'?" Winry asked nervously.

"It might take a few months, or it could take a few years, or even longer?" Du Lei gave a rough estimate.

"So long?" Wenli lowered her head, feeling even more disappointed. She was still young and in the prime of her life.

But what will she look like a few years later, or decades later?

Will she become like her mother, no different from a cold, lifeless block of ice?

“But I promise you, no matter how long I’m gone, I will come back,” Du Lei said softly.

“I understand. Well then, Dure, you may go. Please take care.” Wenli nodded, knowing she couldn’t delay Dure’s journey.

"I should probably go get my ticket checked by now. Well then, Winry, goodbye." Dure waved to her and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Wenli suddenly remembered something and called out to him.

"Is there anything else?" Du Lei turned around and asked in surprise.

"Um... it's nothing, let's talk about it when you come back next time." Wen Li hesitated, but didn't say anything.

“Next time? But I’m not sure when I’ll be back next,” Dure said, frowning.

"It's alright. No matter how long it takes for you to come back, whether it's a few months, a few years, or even decades, I will be here waiting for you." Wenli clasped her hands together, clutching the hem of her skirt, and said with a gentle smile.

"Then take care of yourself." Du Lei nodded, and then walked forward.

Just then, a train slowly pulled up, and the nearby passengers were all ready to board. Du Lei's figure was immediately swallowed up by the large number of passengers.

Wenli stood there for a long time, watching the train until it disappeared into the distance before she looked away. As she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed a person standing not far away with their back to the wall. The person was about the same age as her, wearing work clothes and a hat.

If Dureh saw her, she would certainly not be unfamiliar, because she was dressed like this when he first met her.

“Liana? What are you doing here?” Winry recognized her immediately and asked curiously.

"What? You can be here, but I can't?" Liana adjusted her hat brim and asked her in return.

“That’s not what I meant, but… are you here to see him off too?” Wenli thought for a moment and quickly guessed this possibility.

“Who said I came to see him off? I just happened to be passing by.” Liana refused to admit it.

“Okay, we’re just passing by, so let’s go back. We still have a lot of work to do today. Or are you planning to slack off and dump all the work on me?” Wenli asked her in return.

"Oh dear, I thought I could slack off today, but you still caught me. Let's go, let's go back to work." Liana said helplessly.

837 The Upheaval in the Swamp Country

Dure still remembers the first time he took the train to the Land of Snow. He was just an ordinary boy. At that time, he had nothing but longing for the new world and a heart full of enthusiasm. Now, nine years have passed.

He had grown from a fourteen-year-old boy into a vibrant young man. When he boarded the train again to leave the country, he was now a lecturer at Frost University who had just resigned, and the Inspector General of the Snow Kingdom—a position of great power and influence.

But he was neither a schemer nor a politician. His pursuit was never about the struggle for power. He sought a broader and more expansive existence. In his view, he was always an adventurer at heart, with an insatiable thirst for exploration and knowledge!

"Have we already left the Snow Country?" Dure looked out the window at the receding scenery; he was now outside the Snow Country's territory.

This train is heading towards the Land of Swamps, the country where Lance lives, and his next stop.

"Newspaper, newspaper, today's freshly printed newspaper! Come and check out the hot news! Sir, would you like a newspaper?" The train stopped at a small station, and outside the train window, a newsboy was waving a newspaper and enthusiastically promoting it.

Du Lei glanced outside. This should be River City, a small border town in the northern part of the Land of Swamp, near the Land of Snow.

"Is this a newspaper that just came out today? Can I have a copy?" Sitting in front of Du Lei was a middle-aged man who was a bit overweight. He was wearing a brown coat and a black bowler hat. He handed money out the window and bought a newspaper from the newsboy.

"Thank you, sir. Here's today's newspaper." The newsboy immediately handed the letter onto the train.

He quickly jogged off to sell newspapers elsewhere, while the chubby uncle in the front row read them with great interest.

"Let me see today's news. The mainland has been calm for quite some time now. At first, the Snow Kingdom was undergoing a vigorous transformation, occasionally making headlines, but now everything is quiet... Wait, this is... The Swamp Kingdom is in turmoil, the capital city of Swamp is under martial law, and Duchess Messiah is missing. What's going on?" The chubby uncle in the front row read carefully for a moment before suddenly exclaiming in surprise.

This caught Dure's attention, because he remembered the name Messiah.

Isn't that the lively and cheerful girl who was very close to Kelly back in Maple Leaf Academy?