Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

Upon seeing such a sensual scene, Isaac's first thought was:

'As expected of my future adjutant, he's swift and decisive in dealing with the enemy, without any hesitation. The effectiveness of that grappling move is simply...'

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" The female shop assistant on the ground patted the floor and begged Isaac for help.

Isaac holstered his pistol and looked at Violet, asking, "What happened? Why did they suddenly start fighting?"

"This woman wants to take off my clothes," Violet said calmly.

"Changing clothes, taking off clothes is a normal thing, isn't it?"

“This is… a dress that Mr. Isaac made for me,” Violet said, her voice trembling slightly as she clutched the dress in her hands.

“…I understand. If you like this dress, keep it. Now try on some other clothes.” Isaac said to Violet with a sigh, pulling the saleswoman up with him.

Twenty-two: The clothes should be more normal.

For Violet, the dress Isaac made for her was the first gift she had ever received, so it's understandable that she cherished it so much.

“I’m sorry, this child is a little shy, so…” Isaac explained for Violet first.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Violet said, bowing appropriately in apology.

"Haha, no, that's not true. The girl is very lively." The saleswoman was quite easygoing and didn't hold a grudge at all. "Then, if that's alright, please let me continue to help this lovely lady try on some clothes."

I have to say, this female shop assistant is really carefree.

"Thank you for your help." Isaac finished speaking and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Violet, saying, "Don't use violence."

Violet nodded, and Isaac left with peace of mind.

He walked to a seat in the lobby and picked up a newspaper to read.

A newspaper headline that caught Isaac's attention was 'Gadarik Army Withdraws from Border Line, Army's Desperate Counterattack!'

The entire text recounts how the army of the Kingdom of Ledinsheftrishi, under the wise leadership of its generals, used superb tactics to drive the Gadaric army out of the border. During wartime, such news easily boosted the morale of the people and enhanced the army's prestige.

"Are you so smug about driving them out of the border? What if they come back? What a bunch of cowards." Isaac glanced at the newspaper and curled his lip. "What's the difference between a war that doesn't aim for annihilation and child's play?"

Putting down the newspaper, Isaac, who had been with the Union Army in Amestris since childhood, was influenced by the Union Army's unique strategic thinking. He looked down on battle reports that said "wait for the enemy to surrender" or "repel the enemy." If you didn't annihilate the entire enemy force, you were a rookie, even if only one person was alive.

Isaac guessed that after the enemy retreated this time, the army realized that they would not be able to break through the defense line. Hearing that Isaac could make thermobaric bombs, they naturally started to have ulterior motives.

Isaac had no objection to providing weapons to the army, just like he said before.

Pay up!

With money, you can have anything you want. Not to mention thermobaric bombs, Isaac can also forge biological and viral weapons. After all, the name 'Catastrophe' is not as simple as it seems.

After some time.

"It's done! Sir, how does your lady look dressed?" the saleswoman's voice came from inside.

Following closely behind was Violet, who had already changed her clothes.

Isaac's eyes lit up when he saw Violet in front of him.

Black stockings encased her slender, long legs, paired with a black and white long-sleeved dress with lace trim at the hem. Her originally disheveled long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon. Combined with Violet's delicate face and indifferent expression, the overall look gave off a rebellious yet mysterious vibe.

"Um... Miss clerk," Isaac said cautiously to the clerk.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" the shop assistant asked with a smile.

"This style of outfit... I've never seen it before?"

"Are you referring to this young lady's outfit? It's a popular style among young women these days!"

"..." Am I out of touch with the times?

Although Isaac felt the outfit was great, he couldn't help but wonder if anyone would actually wear it on the street.

"I don't think this is right, give me a normal one."

"Eh~~" The shop assistant's face instantly fell. She had worked so hard to put together this outfit, and it felt perfect for this delicate, doll-like little girl.

But there was nothing he could do; he had to comply with the customer's demands. Disappointed, he dragged Violet to change her clothes again.

"Wait a moment," Isaac suddenly called out to the shop assistant.

"Does the sir require anything else?" the shop assistant replied listlessly.

"Please wrap up that piece of clothing for me."

"!" The shop assistant instantly perked up, gave Isaac a look that said, "Oh, he's one of us," and led Violet into the dressing room.

Who the hell is on your side?

The two came out again shortly afterward.

This time, the outfit is relatively normal: a beige belted long-sleeved dress. The entire skirt is beige, while the sleeves are yellow and white, giving it an elegant feel.

"Hmm, this one's alright." Isaac nodded as he looked at Violet.

"Tch~ You clearly preferred the previous one." The sales clerk pouted and whispered.

"Shut up!"

After buying the clothes, Isaac left with Violet.

"Mr. Isaac, did you like that dress from before?" Violet asked Isaac, recalling what the shop assistant had said earlier.

"It's alright, but it'll easily attract attention if you wear it on the street," Isaac said honestly. After all, the overall outfit was indeed stunning. But it's not mainstream clothing in this country, and people aren't so quick to accept this style. I guess those who like this style are mostly rebellious teenage girls.

“If Mr. Isaac likes it, I can change into this dress at home,” Violet said.

“I’m glad you said that, but there’s no rush. You can wear this dress whenever you want when I take you back to Amestris. People there have a more relaxed style of dress.” For some reason, he felt a little excited when Violet said this, but he decided to wait until they got back home.

Thinking about this, Isaac felt homesick and really wanted the war here to end so he could go back.

I wonder how my beastly subordinates are doing, and whether they've taken advantage of my trip to spread rumors and slander against me.

"Never mind, we'll talk about it when we get back." With that thought, Isaac and Violet returned to their apartment.

It was nearly evening when I got back to the apartment.

"By the way, Violet, you'll have all sorts of work starting every day, and then..." Isaac said to Violet as he entered the room.

"Yes! I will definitely assist Mr. Isaac in completing his mission."

"Don't be so serious. It's just some requests I took on before. There's no fighting involved," Isaac said. "Violet, you just need to come with me and be my assistant."

At this point, Isaac glanced at the schedule in his hand: "According to the plan, tomorrow's first stop is Roswell, to help that playwright named Oscar treat his daughter."

"Yes."

"Then remember to wake me up tomorrow morning," Isaac said, yawning as he returned to his room.

Violet returned to her room, closed the door, changed her clothes, washed up, and lay down on the bed.

Holding the black gemstone pendant hanging around her neck, and recalling the events that had occurred with Isaac that day, Violet gradually drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Rookie Doctor Prepares to Set Sail

The next morning.

"Mr. Isaac, are you up?" Violet knocked on Isaac's door.

It was agreed that she would wake Isaac up the next morning, so Violet got up very early. After washing up, Violet arrived at Isaac's door.

No matter how much she knocked, there was no response from inside. Somewhat puzzled, Violet noticed the door wasn't locked, so she opened it and went inside.

Instead of sleeping soundly in bed as she had expected, Isaac was sleeping quietly on his desk, surrounded by many books.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Isaac's sleeping face. His expression was unusually serene, unlike his usual demeanor.

After gazing at the sleeping boy for a moment, Violet remembered that she had come to wake him up, so she put her hand on Isaac's shoulder and gently shook him.

"Mr. Isaac, it's time to get up."

The boy groggily opened his eyes and saw Violet staring at him with her deep blue eyes.

"Oh, it's Violet. Thank you for coming to wake me up." Isaac said, standing up to wash up.

“That’s not true,” Violet said.

Just yesterday, Isaac was studying Oscar's daughter's condition until very late. Among the books scattered around him, besides some pathology books, were some notes left by the 'Crystallization Alchemist' Tim Marco. He had already drawn some preliminary conclusions, and now all that was left was to see the patient in person.

A few minutes later, Isaac finished getting ready, picked up his suitcase, and prepared to leave the house with Violet. Today, Isaac was dressed in a black suit and a bowler hat, while Violet had changed into the beige long-sleeved dress she had bought yesterday.

“Then Violet will be my assistant today,” Isaac said.

"Yes."

"Then let's go." The two walked outside.

"Do you need me to help you with your luggage?" Violet asked Isaac.

“Oh, I can do it myself. Let’s go to the train station first.” With that, the two walked toward the train platform leading to Roswell.

-------

After several hours of travel, the train arrived in Roswell.

Roswell is a beautiful, natural city surrounded by greenery.

The area is filled with high-altitude mountains and streets at their foot. However, among the wealthy, it is known as a summer resort or rather, a cluster of holiday villas.

The streets are lined with shops catering to tourists. On weekends, the bustling main street is teeming with people, filled with cheerful and lively music. The variety of goods here is extensive and complete, unlike anything you'd find in a rural area.

"The scenery is quite nice, comparable to Rissenberg," Isaac remarked as he got off the train.

“Yes,” Violet chimed in, agreeing that the environment was also very beautiful.

The two of them stood on the platform for a while.

A few minutes later, a car drove up.

The car stopped in front of the two men, and a red-haired man with black-rimmed glasses stepped out. He was Oscar Webster, the playwright whom Isaac had met at the Bougainville family banquet.

"Mr. Isaac, it's been a long time! It's so good to have you here!" Oscar said excitedly, shaking hands with Isaac. "I originally wanted to visit you in person, but my daughter's health..."

Oscar's expression darkened as he said this.

"Don't worry, I'm here now." He patted Oscar on the shoulder. "With me here, you don't need to worry."

"Haha, then I'll trouble you, Mr. Isaac." Oscar finished speaking and turned to the twelve or thirteen-year-old girl next to Isaac, "May I ask who this young lady is?"

"Hello, Mr. Webster, I am Violet, Mr. Isaac's assistant." With that, she stepped back with one foot, grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands, and bowed slightly, greeting Oscar with an impeccably ladylike manner.