Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Yes."

Everyone took off their masks, revealing faces filled with hatred to Isaac.

“We did as you said, Your Excellency, soldier of Amestoris.” The leading woman also removed her mask, revealing her face.

"So you're the ones who attacked Tep City? And the train too?" Isaac asked.

"That place originally belonged to us..."

Just as one of them was about to speak, the woman in the lead stopped him. She looked at Isaac and said, "You're right. We received information that our Milos people were being held captive on the train bound for Tep, so we went to rescue them."

Isaac was unaware of this news, and since the train to Tep City departed from Central City, he could have known in advance if anything happened.

It seems they received false information.

“It seems you all have a clear understanding of your crimes,” Isaac laughed. “Now things are simple: you will all be locked up in jail, and the inhabitants of the valley must be investigated.”

"Wait!" the woman suddenly said urgently, "This has nothing to do with those people; they know nothing about our work."

"You're kidding me. You're saying they didn't know anything about flying around in the valley like that?" Isaac looked at the woman as if she were an idiot. "Besides, don't you understand what you've done? Whether it's attacking the train or Tep City, these are acts of terrorism that seriously undermine national security."

“Moreover, our soldiers have lost their lives in your attack. In my previous practice, I would have dropped a large number of poison gas bombs directly into the valley to eliminate any future threats. A simple investigation is already quite reasonable. Don’t push your luck.” Isaac’s gaze was fixed on the woman.

She gritted her teeth, her face filled with resentment.

The Black Bats were founded to bring benefits to the Milos people who lived at the bottom of the valley.

Milos is an underground canyon town nestled between the two great powers of Amestolis and Cleta, surrounded by the massive cliffs of "Death Canyon." The people here survive by scavenging the garbage dumped into the canyon by both countries.

Neither Amestoris nor Cleta acknowledges their existence, so they are unable to enter any country.

Many people become illegal immigrants in order to make a living, but they are all thrown back to the bottom of the valley when they are discovered.

At this time, the Black Bats were established. They wanted Milos to become an independent nation, instead of its generals continuing to live without dignity and await death in the valley.

They set their sights on the legends left behind by the Milos, namely the Great Power, the Holy Star.

And the clue to all of this lies in the city of Tep.

In the previous attacks on Tep City, Amestolis basically only resisted within the city limits and did not venture deep into the valley to wipe them out. This was because there was no path from Tep City to the valley floor, and also to prevent the Cletta, who were eyeing the city from the opposite side, from taking advantage of the situation.

They initially thought nothing would happen, but Isaac's arrival made them realize that things had escalated significantly.

"If there's nothing else, then we'll..."

Isaac was about to say something when he suddenly turned his head behind them and shouted:

"Who's there! Come out!"

A young girl and a suit of armor slowly emerged from behind the garbage heap.

Chapter 347: Arresting People

“Um… Mr. Isaac, it’s been a long time.”

After realizing they had been discovered, Alphonse and Julia emerged from behind the garbage heap.

"Yes, it's been a long time," Isaac said with a smile when he saw Alphonse. "I'm relieved to see you looking so energetic."

"Hehe..." Alphonse scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"So, how did you end up with this group of terrorists?" Isaac suddenly asked.

"This……"

Alphonse was speechless for a moment.

He originally fell from Tep City to the bottom of the valley while trying to save Julia, and was then captured by the black bats that arrived, although that was partly why he didn't resist.

He was originally in the dungeon, but the explosion made all the guards run out to check the situation, including Julia. He escaped using alchemy during this time, and happened to see Julia hiding behind a pile of garbage.

"Never mind, I guess you were captured by them too." Isaac knew what had happened after a moment's thought. "Now that you're here, do you know this person?"

As Isaac spoke, he placed a photograph in front of them. The person in the photograph was a fugitive using the alias Melbin Boja.

"This is……"

What do you want with my brother?

Julia, who was standing nearby, suddenly looked at Isaac warily.

“He sabotaged the Central City prison while incarcerated, which had a significant impact, and then he also sabotaged the Tep City prison. This can’t be resolved with just a few days in jail,” Isaac said. “Furthermore, I suspect he’s a Cletta spy and we need to arrest him and bring him back for investigation.”

“My brother is not a spy!” Julia shouted.

"Whether someone is a spy or not is not up to you to decide. I just need to arrest them and take them to the intelligence department for interrogation, and then we will draw our own conclusions."

Julia was extremely unwilling. Her brother had finally reunited with her after being separated for many years, which should have been a very happy occasion, but now he was about to be captured by Amestoris again. How could she accept this?

We clearly promised we'd never break up again!

"I won't allow you to take my brother away!" Julia stood in front of Isaac, her stubborn eyes fixed on him.

"What good is your permission? Do you think you can stop me from arresting the person I want to capture?" Isaac slowly raised his hand. "Or do you need me to step over your corpse to find them?"

If she really wanted to stop him from arresting people, Isaac would not hesitate to blow her to ashes; national security was a matter that could not be compromised.

Julia and the Black Bat's men tensed up instantly, and the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.

“Um… Mr. Isaac.” Alphonse raised his hand at this moment.

"Alphonse, wait a moment. Your brother Edward asked me to look for you before. I'll take you upstairs after I've dealt with things here."

"Mr. Isaac, I feel this is somewhat inappropriate..."

"..."

Everyone stared in astonishment at the armor.

Julia was also surprised. They had just locked him up in the dungeon, and now he was helping them.

“Alphonse…” Isaac’s deep voice.

"that……"

"Come here for a moment."

Without waiting for Alphonse's refusal, Isaac put his arm around Alphonse's shoulder and walked to the side.

The Black Bats looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what was going on.

In a corner to the side, Isaac and Alphonse looked at each other.

"What's wrong with you? Why did you get involved in this?"

"It's a long story. My brother and I were resting in a hotel in Central City when we suddenly heard an explosion. When we looked out the window, we saw that the Central City prison was on fire. On our way there, we happened to see the escaped criminals."

"I see, so you found this place, right?"

“Hmm…” Alphonse nodded, then continued, “I heard Julia say that they were being hunted by the military in Clayton, and her brother Ashley fled to Amestris to escape the pursuit. His deliberate crime was a desperate measure in the hope that the prison would protect him.”

How credible do you think this statement is?

"I don't think she was lying... right?" Alphonse said, sounding somewhat unsure.

Isaac sighed and patted Alphonse on the shoulder: "You shouldn't get involved in this mess."

"what?"

“I encountered Cleta’s spies on my way here. There is no doubt that Amestoris is full of such people. These black bats are of unknown origin and we must investigate them.”

"but……"

"Alphonse, how old are you now?" Isaac suddenly asked.

"Huh? He's fifteen now." Alphonse didn't know why Isaac suddenly asked this question, but he still answered.

“You’re fifteen now, and your brother is sixteen,” Isaac said casually. “After the incident with the little man in the bottle is over, you should spend more time at home with your father. It’s fine to go out for a stroll now and then, just think of it as a trip, but please be careful.”

“Oh? Oh, thank you,” Alphonse said.

“This matter involves a dispute between two countries, which is not something you and Edward can get involved in, so leave it to the professionals.”

Alphonse remained silent.

He was genuinely happy for Julia and his brother when he saw them reunite, and he didn't want the siblings, who had finally managed to meet, to be separated again.

He also understood that Isaac was doing this for national security reasons. This caused him to feel very conflicted at this moment.

After all, he was too kind. In that respect, he was quite like his brother Edward.

"Anyway, don't worry about this, I'll handle it."

This shows that Isaac appreciated the two brothers, which is why he was patient. If it were anyone else, he would have taken strong measures long ago.

Returning to the group, Isaac spoke:

"Where is Melbin Boja? I need to see him."

Julia naturally kept quiet, while the black bats hesitated.

They didn't really trust this newcomer to begin with, and they wouldn't have agreed to keep him in the canyon if it weren't for Julia. Now it seems he's indeed a troublesome person.

Just as everyone was hesitating, a man wearing a white trench coat and with a scar around his chin walked over.

"You're looking for me, aren't you, Amestoris's lackey?"

Isaac looked up at the sound and saw that it was the person he was looking for.

"You are Melbin Boja?"

“That’s just an alias. My real name is Ashley Clayton, Julia’s brother,” the man who called himself Ashley said.

“I don’t care who you are. Come back with me now for questioning.”

"What if I disagree?" Ashley squinted.

"That's not up to you."

Chapter 348: Edward's Attempt to Escape

"You'll have to see how capable you are to catch me."

Ashley stretched out his palms, and Isaac could clearly see that both of his palms were engraved with transmutation circles.

呲——

Lightning flashed and roared as it hurtled toward Isaac.