Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"What?"

"Um... let's wipe the scabbed area with iodine solution first."

Isaac took out a cotton swab and gently applied it to the wound on Levi's head.

"You really are a busybody."

Although she said that, Levi didn't actually stop Isaac.

"To avoid infection, there's nothing we can do," Isaac said, putting away the bottle. "Let's go outside and play now."

……

Not far from Isaac's house is a commercial street, about a half-hour walk from the slums.

This place is always packed with people, with tall buildings standing on both sides of the road, and smiles on the faces of every passerby.

This was the first time Levi had left the slums, and looking at the scenery here, she couldn't help but feel a little longing.

"The arcade is just ahead, there are lots of fun things to do there."

Isaac, holding Levi's little hand, ran all the way to a brightly lit arcade ahead.

There are many arcade games and entertainment facilities here. His parents used to bring him here to play whenever they had time on holidays. This is the first time he has come here without his parents' company.

Looking at the dazzling array of arcade games, Revy was stunned.

Soon enough, Isaac had already exchanged the tokens.

He asked his father for pocket money today so that he could go out and have fun with Revy.

Is this thing really fun?

Levi looked at the arcade machines with buttons and controllers with some uncertainty. But soon she was captivated and started playing an arcade game called Rampage.

"Damn, this game is so hard."

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it eventually." Isaac seemed to be enjoying the process.

It was a great experience to go out with friends for the first time, even though Levi was the only one using up the tokens the whole time.

When it was noon, the two went to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

In that very short time, Levi even forgot that she and Isaac were actually people living in different environments.

"I had so much fun today! How did you like it, Levi?"

"……good."

“Then I’ll take you to other places to play next time,” Isaac said with a smile.

Isaac cherished his first friend very much.

Levi hesitated for a moment, then said, "If there's an opportunity."

Chapter 472: Coco Hekmedya

After today, Isaac will be back to his daily school routine.

"We'd love to invite you to our house next time!"

“…I don’t think your parents would welcome me,” Revy said.

She knew in her heart that she was the kind of girl from the slums who had survived by stealing and robbing every day, and that she was a completely different kind of person from the carefree boy in front of her.

His parents must be successful people; they wouldn't allow their child to hang out with someone like her.

After visiting his home, we might not even be able to maintain our current relationship.

"Can I come to your house to play?"

"My family... never mind."

Thinking of her own disgusting home, she figured Isaac wouldn't be able to stand it if he went there, and might even get hurt by her bastard father.

Finally, after promising to visit Revy every weekend, Isaac returned to his original life.

Every day is just going to and from school, and at school I'm still the one who gets bullied.

This time, however, Isaac came up with a solution: he would deposit most of his daily allowance with Chika, then go to collect it at lunchtime, leaving a dollar for himself to give to the bully.

Isaac thought it was absolutely perfect.

During lunch, Chinatsu once again berated Isaac.

"You can't keep doing this every day; it's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Anyway, I'll graduate from elementary school in six months. Things will probably change a bit when I go to middle school," Isaac said nonchalantly.

"I always felt that going to middle school would be pointless." Chika covered her face.

Isaac is notoriously easy to bully. Even in middle school, he might run into acquaintances from elementary school, and if it's not due to personality issues, all of that will be for nothing.

"Don't you really like watching the Kamen Rider series? Kamen Riders never back down when facing enemies."

“Knights only fight monsters, they never lay a hand on humans,” Isaac said. “Have you ever seen them beat up humans after they transform?”

Chika was also helpless with Isaac.

"...But it doesn't matter." Chinatsu hugged Isaac tightly. "Even when we go to middle school, I will still protect you."

"Ah... yes."

"We'll always be together, Isaac."

"Ok?"

Chika pulled Isaac's cheek in dissatisfaction. "And an answer?"

“Of course, we are family.” Isaac’s face was contorted into various shapes.

Hearing his answer, Qianxia finally let him go.

"Tell me about your friend. None of us have ever met her."

“You mean Levi? I only see her on weekends,” Isaac laughed. “She’s a very strong girl.”

"So she really is a girl..."

Chika was a little annoyed, turned her face away and pouted.

Isaac didn't notice Chinatsu's expression and continued eating his lunch.

"By the way, my uncle and aunt weren't home when I went back today."

"Huh? Why?"

"It seems that Auntie is going to court because of her client, and Uncle is going to do something, it seems like he's going to have major surgery," Qianxia said after thinking for a moment. "By the way, that woman might be at our house today."

Isaac's face turned pale upon hearing this.

"No way! Didn't we agree to come over on the weekend?"

The "woman" that Chinatsu mentioned is Coco Hekmedia, the daughter of Hekmedia, the client of her mother.

Slightly older than Isaac and Chinatsu, she always had a smile on her face.

Interestingly, neither Isaac nor Chinatsu liked her very much.

Isaac felt an instinctive aversion to her, always feeling that this woman was thinking about something bad every day, while Chika said, "Seeing her always makes me feel a chill in my heart."

They were disliked for such unfounded reasons even though they had never offended them.

After afternoon classes ended, it was time to go home, and Isaac and Chinatsu boarded the school bus to go back.

As soon as I got home and opened the door, I found two people sitting inside.

A white-haired girl was sitting at the dining table eating pudding, while a voluptuous black-haired woman was sprawled on the sofa drinking alcohol.

"..."

I ended up seeing the person I least wanted to see.

"Isaac, Chika, it's been a long time." The white-haired girl smiled and waved to greet the two.

"Hello, Miss Hekmedia," Isaac greeted her politely.

"Just call me Coco, Isaac, you're being too polite~"

"You really don't consider yourself an outsider..."

The newcomer was Coco Hekmedya, and the person on the sofa was Coco's father, Freud Hekmedya's, bodyguard, Chinjita, a Soviet citizen.

However, that red empire disintegrated last year and should now be called the Russians.

Chika saw them and went upstairs without even saying hello.

"Well, you guys get some rest, I'm going upstairs now."

Isaac wanted to leave the living room and go to his room as soon as possible. But he had barely taken a step when Coco grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't walk so fast, we still have a lot to talk about~"

"No, no, no, no." Isaac shook his head like a rattle-drum.

Despite her vehement denial, she eventually sat down next to Coco.

He didn't know why he felt uncomfortable around her, even though she was quite cute and had never done anything to offend him.

"Isn't your father going to court? Is it alright if you don't go with him?"

“I don’t like him, so staying by his side is absurd,” Coco said.

Her words suggested that she did not have a good relationship with her father.

Isaac didn’t really want to talk to her, because he always felt like he was about to have his secrets revealed in the next instant.

Just as Coco and Isaac were chatting casually, the woman lying on the sofa suddenly asked:

"Where's that girl with white hair like Coco who used to live in your house? I haven't seen her."

"You mean Erica? She's still at school and hasn't come back yet," Isaac said. "Is there something you need from her?"

"No, I was just asking casually," Qianjida said with a smile. "By the way, do you know her real identity?"

"what?"

He didn't know anything about Erica's identity, only that she was a patient his father brought home one day. All Isaac knew was that she possessed extremely terrifying physical strength and combat power, and that she came from some unknown country.