Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

Isaac immediately rushed over and closed the laptop.

"Brigadier General, that just now..."

"Oh, what world's fighting technique is this? It's called wrestling." Isaac was sweating profusely.

Why aren't they wearing clothes?

“Alex doesn’t like taking his clothes off during duels either; some people are just like that.” Isaac’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.

This was a meme video he saw on a certain video-sharing website. He thought it was so catchy that he downloaded it, but he never expected that Violet would click on it.

Chapter 341: Heading to Tep City

"You're interested in muscular men?" Violet looked at Isaac with concern.

"Don't talk nonsense, my sexual orientation is perfectly normal!" Isaac quickly explained.

"Is that so..." I finally believed it.

"Well... anyway, we got a mission from Central City." Isaac changed the subject. "The prison there was destroyed, and the commander wants us to go back and investigate."

"Yes, approximately when do we depart?" Violet quickly got into work mode as well.

“Let’s wait until our replacements arrive,” Isaac said. “This time it’s Gran and Alex.”

“Brigadier General Gran and Major Alex…” Violet pondered for a few seconds before looking back at Isaac, “They seem to be…”

"I've already said I'm not interested in muscular men!"

------

At the train station in the northern city, two people dressed in thick military uniforms stepped off the train.

Glen, with his 'W'-shaped mustache, and Alex, with only a tuft of hair on his head, always attract attention wherever they go.

"Your Excellency the President, are you suggesting we wait here?"

"My sister really told us to just wait at the train station. It seems someone is coming back to take over for us."

As they were talking, Isaac approached them with Violet.

"Hey you two, it's been a long time," Isaac greeted them.

The two turned around and were both surprised to see Isaac.

“Brigadier General Isaac…you…you’re still alive?” Grant asked uncertainly.

“Of course, I’m back now,” Isaac laughed.

Alex was even more exaggerated when he saw Isaac.

He took off his clothes, revealing his well-developed muscles in the freezing cold.

"Oh!!! Brigadier General Isaac!! It's so touching that you're back, please accept my warm embrace!!" With that, she lunged at Isaac.

However, just as he was about to step forward, he found that he couldn't take a step at all. Looking down, he discovered that his feet were frozen.

Violet was watching Alex warily.

"Major Armstrong, please put your clothes on and move away from the brigadier general."

"Huh? It was just a normal greeting..."

"Please greet them normally."

"Hahaha, well done!" Isaac laughed from the side.

Because time was tight and Isaac didn't want to delay things in Central City, the group completed the handover of their mission at the train station.

"Oh, right, Gran, here you go." Isaac handed Gran a thermos.

"This is?"

“Bombs have a very large kill radius, use them with caution,” Isaac said. “If the Drakma launches a large-scale invasion, use this.”

“Okay.” Grant put the bottle in his bag, then patted Isaac on the shoulder. “Anyway, it’s great that you’re back alive.”

"I think so too."

After completing the handover, Gran and Alex headed to Brix Fortress, while Isaac and Violet boarded a train to Central City.

----------

The ruins of the Central City Prison were cordoned off by a large number of soldiers.

Inside the cell where a hole had been blown in, several soldiers were organizing the contents.

"Have you made any discoveries?"

Upon returning to Central City, Isaac took Violet straight to the scene and asked her questions.

"That's right, Brigadier General. According to our investigation, the prisoner was reading a newspaper before he escaped, and the newspaper is right here." A soldier handed over a newspaper with a tear in it.

Was this notch cut out?

“Yes, this newspaper was originally from the third edition of the Central City Evening News. The original newspaper is here.” The soldier said, handing Isaac a brand new newspaper.

Isaac took it and laughed, "I see, you guys investigated quite thoroughly."

"You flatter me. Actually, all of this was discovered by Lord Elric," the soldier quickly replied.

Elric? Looks like it's definitely Edward.

Where are the two brothers?

"I bought a train ticket to Tep city early this morning and left."

"Teppei City?"

After listening, Isaac looked at the original newspaper, where a section had been cut out; it contained a photograph.

It's a photo of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl being arrested. The caption reads, 'Our forces apprehended an illegal immigrant from Cleta in Tep.'

Located at the border of Amestolis and Cleta, Tep City occasionally sees one or two illegal immigrants, but they are usually caught. This young girl was no exception.

The name of the illegal immigrant was also written down: Julia Clayton.

"Although the situation is tense, it's strange that something as simple as illegal entry has made it into the Central City Evening News and occupied such a large section." Isaac felt that this matter was not simple.

It seems to have been deliberately published in the newspaper to lure someone or some force.

The fact that the prisoner cut out this photo before escaping proves that the girl in the newspaper is indeed connected to the perpetrator in this incident, and may also involve the country of Cleta.

After four years of lying low in prison, a photo of a young girl broke the cage, and the clues have been confirmed to be focused on the arrested girl.

"Looks like I'll have to buy train tickets to Tepp again. I've been on the train for several days in a row now," Isaac said helplessly.

Every time I finish taking the train and arrive at a place, before I can even settle in, I'm moved to the next place.

“The Brigadier General can rest in Central City for a while. I can go and handle things in Tep City first,” Violet suggested from the side.

"No need for that. It's a very important matter, so I'll go there myself."

Isaac's tone was very serious.

Alchemy, as the core technology of Amestris and a symbol of the nation's prosperity, is practiced by many alchemists outside of Amestris, but they only possess superficial knowledge. They are similar to the alchemist Isaac encountered two years ago at Princess Charlotte's birthday banquet.

If Isaac discovers a talented alchemist abroad, he will try to recruit him to Amestoris. This would be considered talent scouting.

These people are completely irrelevant, but this one is clearly different.

Isaac looked at the large hole in the cell wall and realized that this was definitely not something a novice alchemist could have done.

The basics and superficial aspects of alchemy can be shared, but the core content must never be revealed.

Especially enemy countries.

Isaac looked westward toward Cleta, his eyes flashing with a menacing light.

“Even if we destroy your country of Clayta, we must prevent this from happening again.”

"So, Brigadier General, when shall we depart?" Violet asked.

"Now!"

Chapter 342: Violet’s knee pillow

The city of Tepu is located at the westernmost part of Amestoris and at the border with Uccletta.

Along the way, layer upon layer of mountain peaks could be seen through the train windows. This is largely the landscape of the western part of the country. Deep canyons and steep mountains are characteristic of the western city of Amestrel.

Violet admired the scenery outside the train window, while Isaac looked at the newspaper in his hand.

"Although Cleta has declared war on Amestolis, shouldn't the spies they sent out at least forge their identities?"

The newspaper was the third page of the Central Evening News, which was one of the clues. A girl named Julia Goodington was arrested for illegal entry, and it seemed unlikely that she was a spy.

But the guy who escaped from Central City was definitely not a simple illegal immigrant. His target was most likely the girl in the newspaper.

In other words, the fugitive can be temporarily classified as a spy, but the girl cannot.

Violet then added, "Could it be that this girl in the newspaper has no necessary connection to the prison escapee? Maybe she just entered the country illegally. But there's something on her that the escapee is eyeing."

“I’ve thought about that before, but these are sensitive times. It would be best to go to the jail and investigate the girl myself.” Isaac rubbed his forehead.

Investigating spies wasn't exactly his forte, and it would have been better to leave it to Hughes in the intelligence department. However, since it involved alchemists, he was the only one who could handle it.

"Perhaps when we get to Tep City we can ask the Elric brothers. They are the only eyewitnesses who fought with the fugitive. Maybe they can give us some useful clues."

“That’s true.” Isaac said, putting down his newspaper. “Speaking of which, I’ve been on the train for three days straight since I got back to Amestris. I’m bound to get tired.”

This was just something Isaac said casually; having become a humanoid Philosopher's Stone, he basically wouldn't experience fatigue unless he ran out of Philosopher's Stones.

Upon hearing Isaac's words, Violet stood up from her seat and sat down next to Isaac.

"We're still quite a distance from our destination. How about the Brigadier General take a rest while we have this opportunity?"

"Ok?"

Before Isaac could react, Violet put an arm around his shoulder and gently placed Isaac's head on her lap.

Feeling the warmth on his cheek, Isaac paused for a moment.

Violet stroked Isaac's hair and smiled softly, "We'll wake you up when we get there."

“That’s reassuring, Violet,” Isaac said with a smile, then closed his eyes.

He also needs to enjoy this moment of peace.