The most shameless alchemist in history

"Rosa, I'm hungry. When are we going to eat? And what are you looking at over there?" Katherina asked curiously.

"I didn't look at anything. Breakfast is ready and will be brought to you shortly."

"By the way, Rosa, that guy from yesterday, Dure, I thought about it carefully last night. Actually, although he wasn't as tall and strong as I imagined, he's actually quite good-looking. I have to apologize for what I said yesterday," Rosa said earnestly.

“Professor Dure? He’s already left,” Rosa said softly.

"Leave? What is he doing now? When will he be back?" Katherina assumed that Dure had just gone out on business like yesterday and would be back soon.

“Professor Du Lei went to a very far place this time, and I don’t know when he will be back,” Rosa said softly, biting her lip.

"Huh? He left without even saying goodbye! That's so unfair! I'm so angry!" Katherina said angrily.

"Will I ever see him again? He's my sister's friend, right? I've heard a lot about him before, and I was hoping to ask him if those things were true." After being angry, Katherina felt a little disappointed.

"Perhaps I will be able to see him, I don't know. But Lady Catherine, if there are any questions you want to ask about the truth, perhaps I can answer them for my teacher." Rosa shook her head slightly, then quickly forced a smile and asked.

"There are so many things..."

The morning sunlight shone on Katherina's curious face.

Meanwhile, Durei had already boarded the train, heading north of the Rain Kingdom with Phantom to meet Duke Jester of the North.

"Lord Dure, what's wrong?" Inside the carriage, Ghost couldn't help but ask when he saw Dure looking deep in thought.

"It's nothing, I just have a tiny bit of anticipation for the future," Du Lei said softly, shaking his head.

"Looking forward to it? Hahaha, Lord Jester must be looking forward to meeting you too!" Ghost laughed heartily.

The scenery kept rushing past the car window; two days later, they would arrive in the north!

()

892 The Gorge of Drizzle

Compared to the perpetually rainy and gloomy south, the north of the land of rain doesn't get as much rain.

In terms of administrative divisions, the Land of Rain has a total of sixteen provinces. In terms of territory, the Land of Rain is smaller than the Land of Swamp and the Land of Snow.

Its area is about a quarter of the Land of Snow and half the size of the Land of Swamps.

The six southern provinces of the Land of Rain alone are not enough to support the entire country.

Whether it's grain production or other mineral resources, the southern part of the Rain Country is actually very barren.

However, the five northern provinces are different. The north of the Rain Kingdom is very rich. Not only is the land fertile and the main grain-producing area of ​​the Rain Kingdom, but it is also rich in mithril ore, which is a good material for forging equipment. In particular, mithril has significant resistance to magic.

It can be said that the five northern provinces of the Rain Kingdom supported the entire country. If it weren't for the existence of the five northern provinces, the Rain Kingdom would probably have been annexed long ago.

Because of the strategic importance of the five northern provinces, the kings of the Rain Kingdom throughout history have entrusted the administration of these provinces to their most trusted people, who are usually members of the royal family. After all, even if problems arise within the royal family, no matter how much trouble they cause...

These five northern provinces are still in the hands of the royal family, but if they are managed by outsiders, it is hard to say what will happen to them if something goes wrong. The previous king of the Rain Kingdom handed over the five northern provinces to his younger brother Jester and bestowed upon Jester the title of Duke of the North.

Although Jester was not a law-abiding person, he was relatively well-behaved when the late king was alive and did not do anything out of line.

However, after the death of the former king, Jester became increasingly unscrupulous. He not only frequently recruited soldiers, but also repeatedly contradicted Zeref in public. Even three-year-old children in the Land of Rain knew that Jester was about to rebel!

However, Zeref, the current king of the Rain Kingdom, has no sense of crisis whatsoever. When he first ascended the throne a few years ago, he was quite diligent in governing the country, and people saw a new look for the Rain Kingdom. They even had a little bit of hope for it. But gradually people realized that this was just a flash in the pan. Zeref soon revealed his true nature, only knowing how to eat, drink, and have fun, and spending his days in revelry. He never paid any attention to politics.

The nobles of the Rain Kingdom originally held a sliver of hope for Zeref, but that hope vanished the moment Zeref announced the arrest of the Assassin family. It should be noted that the Assassin family was arguably the most powerful clan in the Rain Kingdom, second only to the royal family.

During the two years that Zeref neglected his duties, it was only thanks to Tiger, the old patriarch of the Assassin family, that the Rain Kingdom was prevented from being devoured by the surrounding countries. However, Zeref's actions of destroying his own Great Wall have chilled the hearts of the nobles.

This caused the nobles in the capital of the Rain Kingdom to become increasingly alienated, and many began to secretly associate with Duke Jester of the North.

After all, with Zeref unable to take control of the situation and the Land of Rain destined to change, they had no choice but to plan for their future.

People with such thoughts sent representatives to the north. On the train to Stormy City, where Duke Jester was located, there were more than a dozen such messengers. Of course, the most important people on this train were not these messengers, but two people.

One is Mr. Ghost, who is ostensibly Zeref's confidant but is actually Jester's spy planted in the capital. He has considerable influence in the capital, and even the heads of various families have to give him some face.

He was also responsible for leading people to the City of Drizzle to deal with the Assassin family's affairs.

The other is a distinguished guest who has recently gained considerable fame in the northern continent, and who has traveled north to meet Jester at the invitation of Mr. Ghost.

Du Lei.

Even the Ghost hadn't expected that this young man would accept his invitation so readily.

He originally thought that Dure had come to Rain City to help the Assassin family, which would be a big problem for him.

After all, Dure has a great influence in the Land of Snow, the Land of Mountains, and the Land of Swamps. If he were to interfere in the affairs of the Land of Rain, he would inevitably become an insurmountable obstacle, even if he had thought of secretly getting rid of Dure.

As long as he is assassinated, even if there are suspicions from all sides, as long as there is no evidence, no one can do anything to him.

But he was surprised to find that this young man was incredibly strong, possessing the strength of a king at such a young age.

I had to cultivate diligently for many years before I could barely reach the King level.

However, if it were a life-or-death struggle, he would be no match for this young man.

Under such circumstances, his joining Jester's side surprised and delighted Phantomhive, but also left him with a slight sense of unease.

He wasn't sure what the young man was up to, and if he had ulterior motives, things could get very bad.

"How much longer until we reach Stormy City?" Sitting in his seat, Du Lei closed the last page of the book in front of him and shut it.

This is the third book he has finished reading on this trip.

“Um… we’ll arrive in Stormy City in two hours,” Mr. Ghost quickly replied. Although he had some doubts, he dared not offend the young man before him.

"Two hours? By the way, Mr. Ghost, I heard that the position of King of the Rain Kingdom should have originally belonged to Duke Jester, right?" Dure put the book aside, asked a glass of water from a passing train conductor, and asked calmly.

“That’s right, that’s what happened. Before the previous king passed away, he left a will that Lord Jester should inherit the throne. However, the previous king altered the will, ascended the throne himself, and exiled Lord Jester to the north.” Ghost nodded and said.

"Exile? The North is the most prosperous region of the Rain Kingdom. If you are deliberately trying to make things difficult for Lord Jester, why not exile him to the Western Territory to confront the Iron Kingdom? The Iron Kingdom is very warlike; it's a harsh and cold region, isn't it?" Dure shook his head, disagreeing with the answer.

"Mr. Dure, you truly understand. The reason is that Lord Jester has always possessed incriminating evidence of the late king's alteration of the edict. That's why the late king dared not make things difficult for Lord Jester and entrusted him with the most prosperous region. For many years, Lord Jester has diligently governed the north, and the people of the north live in peace and prosperity, praising Lord Jester's effective governance. Originally, Lord Jester had no ambition for power; he only wished for the peace and happiness of the people of the Rain Kingdom. But who knew that the current king, Lord Jester's nephew, Zeref, is a pleasure-seeking fellow who indulges in revelry all day long and has increased taxes. This has left the people angry but unable to speak out. Lord Jester couldn't stand it any longer and wrote two letters to Zeref, urging him to restrain himself. However, Zeref not only ignored the advice but also intensified his actions. Lord Jester had no choice but to take some drastic measures to save the Rain Kingdom," Ghost sighed softly.

"So, what Jester is doing now is actually to save the Rain Kingdom, right?" Dure asked rhetorically.

“Of course. In response to Lord Jester, all the nobles in the Rain Kingdom have sent messengers to Storm City to discuss matters with Lord Jester. There are twenty-six messengers on our train alone.” Ghost did not hide anything and stated the specific number.

"It seems that Jester has indeed received a lot of support. But I heard that Jerph used to be a very hardworking person, but overnight he suddenly changed and became greedy. Is that true?" Dure asked curiously.

"That's true. It's possible that Zeref suffered an emotional setback, which is why he changed so much. In any case, under his rule, the Rain Kingdom has been getting worse day by day for the past two years. The surrounding neighboring countries are eyeing the Rain Kingdom with covetous eyes. If it weren't for Lord Jester's deterrence, the consequences would probably be unimaginable," Ghost said with deep doubt.

"Emotional setbacks? What happened?" Du Lei became increasingly interested.

"Well... this is actually Zeref's personal matter, and I wasn't originally in a position to talk about it, but since Mr. Dure asked... well, it's like this: Zeref fell in love with a commoner woman, but their social statuses were too different, and their relationship was opposed by the ministers. This incident greatly affected Zeref, and he gradually became addicted to sensual pleasures and neglected his duties, which is why he is the way he is now."

Phantom explained helplessly that as Zeref's confidant and advisor, he was very familiar with Zeref's situation.

"Is there really such a thing? Then it seems understandable why Zeref has become like this."

"But no matter what the reason, he is the king of a country, not an ordinary person. Just because of an ordinary woman, the affairs of state have been put on hold, and the whole country has become chaotic and disorderly. Is this the awareness that a king should have? This is simply irresponsible!" Ghost was very dissatisfied with this, and he denounced Zeref's crimes in a loud and stern voice.

“What you said makes a lot of sense, so in your opinion, is Jester the best choice to replace Jelf?” Dure nodded and asked again.

"This is not my choice. I am old, and my only wish is to see the Land of Rain develop on the right track, and for all its people to live and work in peace and happiness. Lord Jester shares the same thought. If we could, we would rather remain anonymous and contribute our insignificant strength to this country. But the current situation makes it impossible for us to remain silent. This is the choice of the country, the common choice of the four million people of the Land of Rain. We are merely acting in accordance with the people's voice," Ghost said softly.

"Mr. Ghost and Lord Jester's patriotism is truly admirable."

“Mr. Dure, you flatter me. Your choice to help Lord Jester is the best one, and it is also the best way to help your classmate, Miss Kelly,” Ghost said solemnly.

"Oh? To help Kelly?" Durley asked, intrigued.

"Yes, the Assassin family, to which Miss Kelly belongs, is currently being persecuted by Zeref. However, if we help Lord Jester and enable him to successfully enter the capital, then Lord Jester will surely restore the Assassin family's reputation. Not only that, but he will also allow Lord Tiger to continue serving as the Prime Minister. Miss Kelly and Lord Keita will both hold important positions in the new Rain Kingdom. In addition to them, we will also hire Mr. Dure as an advisor to our Rain Kingdom, so that the lifeless Rain Kingdom can be revitalized and regain its vitality."

The ghost spoke with unwavering conviction, and began to dream of a wonderful new life in the Land of Rain.

"Hearing you say that, it really sounds quite good. I am also honored to be able to serve Lord Jester, and I am increasingly looking forward to meeting Lord Jester soon," Dure nodded and said.

"We will arrive in Storm City in just over an hour. Lord Jester will surely be delighted by your visit, Mr. Dure."

The ghost looked out the train window as the train began to enter a tunnel.

This is the famous "Narrow Pass of Drizzle" in the Land of Rain. To some extent, this long tunnel is the watershed between the north and south of the Land of Rain.

To the north of the narrow drizzle, rainfall is plentiful, but there is a distinct rainy season. The land is fertile, and grain yields are high.

In the narrow south, where it rains all year round, crops struggle to grow under the onslaught of heavy rains.

As for Jester, the Duke of the Northern Land of Rain, his territory is located to the north of the Narrow Pass of Drizzle.

After passing through the narrow passage of drizzle, you will enter the territory of Rainstorm City.

"I hope this trip goes smoothly... Huh?" Du Lei looked out the window at the now pitch-black scene.

Having entered a tunnel, the train was deprived of light, so it turned on its headlights and slowly continued along its predetermined track.

Since the tunnel opened more than a decade ago, trains have run through it hundreds of times without ever encountering any problems.

However, now...

"Mr. Dure, what's wrong?" Ghost noticed something was wrong and looked at Dure with surprise.

"It seems like someone doesn't want us to get through here," Dure said, looking out the car window.

Although it was pitch black outside and you couldn't see anything.

But Dure keenly sensed something rapidly approaching them in the darkness.

"Someone's here?" Ghost was taken aback, because he hadn't noticed anything unusual.

I just noticed that Du Lei's condition was a bit unusual.

Just as he was feeling confused, the train, which was moving smoothly, suddenly braked.

Due to inertia, the ghost's body leaned forward, staggered, and almost fell to the ground.

"What's going on? What happened?" Ghost immediately looked out the car window and asked the staff next to him.

He has driven this route more than ten times and has never had an accident.

()

893 Cyclops

The train, which had been traveling at high speed, came to a slow stop after the explosion. The screeching sound of the brakes was particularly jarring in the darkness. The guards on the train immediately turned on their lights and quickly opened the doors to carry out their duties.

However, at the same moment the lights came on, a huge shadow could be clearly seen rushing towards them in the darkness, illuminated by the light.

"What is that?" A guard saw the shadow's true form and was shocked. At that moment, he was holding a gunpowder gun.