Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

“Well, there are some who look older than they are.” Isaac didn’t think much about it; the documents and certificates in his hand were indeed genuine. “Anyway, welcome to Amestris.”

Isaac extended his hand, and Dorothy generously shook it, saying, "Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant our unreasonable request."

At that moment, Isaac looked at another girl's file.

“Ange Lucario, from… Movalani?” Isaac wasn’t sure if he had read it correctly.

He had no idea what this place, Movarani, was.

Violet, who was standing nearby, seemed to have noticed something and whispered in Isaac's ear, "Movarani is one of Albion's colonies."

"Oh! From the colonies, huh?" Isaac clapped his hands, giving me a knowing look. "You're here for an interview too?"

"Yes...yes! Please take care of me!"

The white-haired girl quickly bowed, so much so that her glasses fell to the ground. She hurriedly picked them up and put them back on, giving an apologetic smile.

“You’re too nervous,” Isaac said helplessly, handing the documents back to the two of them. “Your identities are clear, so when do you two plan to begin the interview?”

Dorothy said, "Are you free tomorrow? We're a bit tired from just arriving here today and would like to find a place to rest."

"No problem, I'll arrange accommodation for you."

“Thank you so much,” Dorothy smiled, then suddenly leaned closer to Isaac. “He’s surprisingly a gentle man.”

"Your imagination." Isaac gently pushed the person in front of him away.

"Oh ho~ Surprisingly innocent," Dorothy laughed, pulling Ange's hand and leading her towards the door. "So, is it alright if we come for the interview at nine o'clock tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, no problem."

Thump! The door was closed.

After stepping outside, Dorothy remained the same, while the previously shy Ange suddenly adopted an indifferent expression.

"Angie, is it really okay to pretend to be a reporter?" Dorothy asked.

“Other disguises will definitely be seen through. This lieutenant general named Isaac is very cautious.” Ange said expressionlessly, completely different from her rash and shy demeanor just now. “Fortunately, the reporter’s credentials and school certificate are genuine. This is thanks to the organization’s connections at the newspaper.”

"Well, in any case, we've successfully infiltrated the area," Dorothy said with a smile.

“Now is not the time to let our guard down. Don’t we have a clear plan yet?” Ange said.

As one of the organization's best spies, she was extremely cautious in all aspects.

“Let’s start by understanding the target.” Dorothy had a meaningful smile on her face. “I didn’t expect that lieutenant general to be so young.”

Chapter 399: Interview

“I’m very busy right now. I’ve just taken over Allugo and there are a lot of issues to deal with,” Isaac said helplessly. “Besides making plans for the next step, I also have to deal with the high school girls from the Kingdom of Albion. I don’t have any free time for that.”

Isaac grumbled under his breath, but his hands were busy, quickly reviewing the documents in his hands.

It's already evening.

Violet brewed a cup of tea and brought it to Isaac: "If the lieutenant general is tired, let me finish the rest of the documents."

"Never mind, it's not much anyway." Isaac waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. "Their interviews won't take much time anyway."

Meanwhile, inside a hotel.

No listening devices were detected.

Anjie searched the room but found nothing suspicious.

Dorothy, meanwhile, was already lying on the bed completely naked except for her underwear, her sexy figure exposed.

"Anjie, do you currently have any information on the target?" she asked casually.

“Hmm.” Ange nodded gently. “Isaac Yao, 20 years old, Lieutenant General Amestoris, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and also a state-qualified alchemist. He lost his left eye, right arm and right leg in the war, all of which were replaced by machines.”

"That's really tragic... But to hold military power in this country at the age of twenty... that's quite an impressive figure," Dorothy exclaimed. "And he seems to be the same age as me."

Dorothy's real age is twenty, but she changed her age to sixteen in her records to disguise herself as a student.

"Moreover, our organization's records show that his true identity seems to be related to the royal family of the new country, and he is likely one of their direct relatives." Ange recalled the information in her mind.

"He's a prince?" Dorothy was slightly surprised.

“It’s just a possibility,” Ange said. “He ‘died unexpectedly’ six months ago, and then unexpectedly reappeared a few months ago. After that, Amestoris was given a lot of high-tech weapons and equipment. The organization judges that this is inseparable from Isaac.”

For now, most of Isaac's information seems like a complete mystery to her.

After thinking for a moment, Dorothy suddenly asked, "Then who is the little girl next to her?"

“Violet Evergarden, fifteen years old, Major and State Alchemist of Amestris. She is also Isaac’s adjutant,” Angela replied. “Aside from knowing that Isaac brought her to Amestris when she was twelve, everything else is a mystery.”

"Another State Alchemist... Have we encountered two of these terrifying beings in one day?" Dorothy said, still shaken.

The term "State Alchemist" is familiar to high-ranking officials in various countries. It was a crucial factor in Amestris's dominance on the battlefield; a powerful State Alchemist could influence the course of a war. They were figures feared by all nations.

“Dorothy, our goal this time is to get close to and investigate Isaac,” Angela said calmly. “So now we need to think of a strategy.”

"After all, this lieutenant general is still a young man." Dorothy licked her lips. "I'm quite adept at dealing with boys this age."

Ange looked at her with suspicion, "Hey, Dorothy is clearly an innocent girl..."

"Shut up! I'll do my best during the mission!" Dorothy threw the pillow away in embarrassment and annoyance.

"Don't be careless. My intuition tells me that person is not as simple as I think," Anjie said calmly.

------

The next morning.

After washing up, Isaac tidied his hair and held a pair of black-rimmed glasses that Violet had prepared for him. She said they made him look more approachable.

Isaac, wearing glasses, arrived at his office, and soon after, Angela and Dorothy were also brought to the office by Violet.

Dorothy held a small notebook to record what Isaac was saying, while Ange held a camera.

"Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed despite your busy schedule," Dorothy said with a smile.

"Um... thank you so much!" Anjie said shyly, and after saying that, she didn't forget to use the camera in her hand to cover her face.

When she was with Isaac, she once again played the role of that clumsy and shy little girl.

"Not at all, just ask me anything," Isaac said with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll begin my questions.” Dorothy opened her notebook and began taking notes. “My first question is, what were the reasons for Lieutenant General’s decision to wage war against Allugo?”

Isaac replied, "Alrugo had repeatedly deployed troops along the border, which was a provocation against América. Then, the president of Alrugo openly questioned our spokesperson at an international conference. The two countries had a long history of grievances, so the war broke out."

Of course, this was just a pre-prepared answer. Isaac's real reasons were only two: first, to intimidate other countries; second, the land was quite large.

"Thank you for your answer." Dorothy took notes carefully. "Next question, could you briefly evaluate your work?"

"Since I became Commander-in-Chief of the entire army not long ago, I've only done three things. First, I provided Amestris with advanced technology. Second, I started commercial cooperation with several countries. Third, I focused on strengthening the military through science and technology and established a roadmap for the informatization of the armed forces," Isaac said. "I'm ashamed to say that I've only done a small part of the work."

Isaac answered in a very formal and methodical manner, and he felt, perhaps mistakenly, that his knowledge level had improved considerably since he put on his glasses today.

"As expected of Lieutenant General Isaac," Dorothy exclaimed, then her eyes darted around.

"Can I ask a more personal question?"

"Well, if it's too personal..."

"Lieutenant General, do you have a girlfriend?" Dorothy asked.

Violet, who was grading documents nearby, suddenly stopped writing.

"Oh, not yet..."

“Well…” Dorothy smiled, deliberately pulling down her collar to reveal her fair skin. She leaned close to Isaac’s ear and whispered:

Can we go on a date this afternoon?

Click!

The pen in Violet's hand was snapped in two.

“Oh, no,” Isaac said. “I have a lot of things to take care of this afternoon. If you want to go out and have fun, I can help you find some tour guides.”

"Huh? That's not what I meant..."

Before Dorothy could finish speaking, her shoulder was grabbed.

She turned around and saw that Violet had somehow gotten behind her.

"Miss reporter, that concludes our morning interviews. Lieutenant General Isaac still has work to do." Although his expression remained indifferent, his tone was utterly authoritative.

Chapter 400: I Hate Spies the Most (Congratulations to IG on winning the championship!!)

Dorothy and Angelina were thus kicked out by Violet.

After closing the door, Violet turned around and said, "I apologize, Lieutenant General, for making this decision on your behalf."

She herself didn't know why, but she reacted instinctively after hearing Dorothy's invitation to a date, something that had never happened before.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Dealing with those high school girls was indeed a bit of a hassle.” Isaac said, taking off his black-rimmed glasses. “Did the intelligence department check their identities?”

“I checked last night. Dorothy is a second-year student at Queen Mayfair College, and Ange is an outstanding student from the colony who transferred to Queen Mayfair College due to her excellent grades. She enrolled this year as a transfer student,” Violet said. “Dorothy has indeed obtained her internship reporter qualification from the London Evening News.”

"I see. It seems there aren't any major issues with his identity," Isaac murmured.

"The lieutenant general suspects they are spies?"

“I’ve had similar doubts, but it’s still somewhat inappropriate to send a student to a place that has just been through war to conduct interviews,” Isaac said. “We still need to observe further.”

If the spy was sent by the Kingdom of Albion, then forging an identity would indeed be a very simple matter.

"As of now, there seems to be no problem with their identities, but we should still remain vigilant."

"I understand."

……

"Damn it, I miscalculated." Dorothy walked down the street, looking annoyed. "I forgot his adjutant was still there."

Ange said calmly from the side, "Why won't Dorothy admit that you're not attractive anymore?"

"Huh!? How could that be? I was just being harassed and causing a scene," Dorothy protested loudly. "Try it next time when that lieutenant isn't around."

“I advise you to give up,” Ange said, pulling out a notebook from her pocket. “According to the investigation, this Lieutenant General Isaac has not had any romantic relationships with any women so far; he’s the workaholic type.”

"Tsk, is this the type? It seems a bit difficult to handle."

"Let's go back and discuss our strategy first." Ange was always very cautious about the mission. "The organization needs us to get enough results. Let's get something and go back to report as soon as possible."