Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Ok?"

When Isaac turned to this point, he suddenly realized that the next few pages were completely blank.

Several pages had markings made with a pen, indicating that something had been drawn on them, and there were also signs that the paper had been forcefully torn. Some pages also had dried bloodstains.

As I scrolled down further, I finally saw the content.

……

1920 2 Month 14 Day.

I never imagined that one day a Zeppelin airship would be flying over the outskirts of London, and the thing I least wanted to see finally happened. The airship, marked with a black iron cross, kept dropping bombs, turning the once bustling streets into a sea of ​​fire. Because of the explosion of one bomb, I lost my right hand and right leg, and shrapnel blinded my left eye as well.

As someone who is used to writing with my right hand, I was no longer able to lift a pen to write in my diary. Fortunately, Uncle Hohenheim somehow managed to get me mechanical hands and feet instead. Although I don't understand the principles behind them, I am very grateful to Uncle Hohenheim for his help. My rehabilitation training officially ended today. However, writing with the mechanical hand is still quite troublesome. Before rehabilitation, I would tear the paper and bleed from the joints whenever I tried to write something because I couldn't control the pressure.

On November 11, 11, Germany finally announced its surrender and signed the Treaty of Versailles. Peace had finally arrived, which should have been good news, but I couldn't be happy at all. My life had been ruined by these German invaders. All my property was burned, and it was even difficult to buy a ticket back home. Fortunately, my family still sent me money. Last year, I asked Edward to write a few letters home for me to inform them of my new address. However, it was really difficult to teach an Englishman to write Chinese characters.

1920 7 Month 3 Day.

A letter arrived from home. I thought it was to give me living expenses, but it turned out to be bad news.

My father was killed. He was killed by Japanese people in Hongkou District when he was doing business in Shanghai.

I must get my revenge, no matter the cost!!

……

When Isaac saw this, he could clearly feel the resentment and anger he had felt at the time, because of the very obvious cracks and distorted handwriting on the paper.

"What a tragic life I have in this world."

Isaac smiled and continued reading his diary.

……

1921 4 Month 20 Day.

Uncle Hohenheim, Edward, and I moved to Germany. Leaving aside why we came to this defeated country, Edward has recently been calling Hohenheim "father," and I don't know why. When I asked them, they were vague about the reason. However, given Uncle Hohenheim's advanced age and lack of marriage, adopting a child is probably a normal occurrence.

1921 4 Month 29 Day.

The Allied powers' demand for war reparations from Germany was already exacerbated by the post-war financial crisis and resulting inflation; this latest development only compounded the problem. I'm glad the country that ruined my life is suffering, but it's only ordinary German citizens... and me, a worker in Germany, who are truly hurt.

1921 7 Month 6 Day.

Prices are rising so fast! A bag of apples costs several hundred marks. The money I saved up to buy a ship ticket home has all become worthless due to hyperinflation. I don't know when this will end.

……

Isaac sighed as he continued reading his diary.

There wasn't much particularly useful information throughout the entire text, and the only mentions of Hohenheim and Edward were brief, appearing only briefly on a few pages.

However, one piece of information can still be gleaned from this: in 1921, Edward of Amestris passed through the Gate of Truth and reunited with Hohenheim.

Hohenheim has no idea where he is now, but perhaps having his help would make finding the teaching materials easier. Besides, Hohenheim himself came here back in 1917 or even earlier, so his understanding of this world is definitely more comprehensive than his own and Edward's.

Maybe he knows about the Phantom Book.

Thinking this, he opened his diary again and quickly read about the things that had happened to him in this world.

The later entries in his diary mostly describe his days working in Germany. During the toughest times, he worked four jobs a day, and the wages were pitifully low. Yet, he refused to borrow money from Edward and Hohenheim, who lived with him.

By the time Edward decided to start researching rockets and travel, only Hohenheim and Isaac remained to live together.

One of the diary entries records what happened at that time.

……

1921 11 Month 15 Day.

Recently, Uncle Hohenheim seems to enjoy lecturing at the University of Munich. He also apparently joined a secret society called the "Northernmost Workers' Union," which seems to be related to the Socialist Workers' Party that has recently emerged in Germany. According to him, he gets along quite well with a man named Haushofer there.

……

“University of Munich… Haushofer… ‘The Guild of the Far North’,” Isaac murmured to himself. “So that’s it. Has Hohenheim gone to study ‘occultism’?”

After identifying a few keywords, Isaac put the diary aside, put on his trench coat, and prepared to go out.

Chapter 969: Familiar Faces

Isaac put on his coat, opened the door, left the room, and quickly went downstairs.

Perhaps asking at the University of Munich might help find Hohenheim's whereabouts; I don't have much hope, but at least I can look for him.

From Isaac's own diary in this world, the keywords he retrieved, besides Haushofer mentioned by Hohenheim, included the 'Far North Guild', a Western mystical organization.

The 'Far North Workers' Union' is an organization associated with the National Socialist Workers' Party, which is Nazi Germany, and it's definitely not a friendly organization.

Just as he stepped downstairs, a woman from the flower shop across the street suddenly called out to him.

"Isaac?"

"what?"

Isaac turned around and saw a familiar face.

In his own world, Hughes' wife, Gracia, is a florist and one of the few people in Munich willing to hire Isaac to work for her.

"Miss Gracia."

That's all Isaac can call him, because she's not married yet.

"It's been a day since I last saw you. How are you? I was so scared when you fainted."

"Thank you for your concern, I'm almost fully recovered," Isaac said with a smile. "How's business, Miss Gracia?"

“You used to work here, don’t you know how business is?” Gracia said with a smile.

Germany's current economic situation can only be described as hell.

The rampant inflation after the war turned the marks in people's hands into worthless paper. Isaac in this world also clearly wrote this in his diary. A few years ago, the price of a first-generation apple was a few hundred marks, but now the price of a loaf of bread is as high as tens of thousands of marks, and it may break the 100,000 mark next month.

The reason why Gracia was able to hire Isaac from this world to work for her at this time was largely to help him. After all, a flower shop doesn't need much labor, and hiring someone would be a loss.

“Miss Gracia, I recently found a job elsewhere, earning francs, so I probably won’t be working here for a while.”

Isaac bowed slightly to Gracia.

"Thank you for taking care of me during this time."

“No, no, Isaac, it must have been tough for you to come all the way from a foreign country to live in Germany,” Gracia quickly waved her hand and said, “I always try to help those in need.”

Although most Germans today discriminate against and dislike outsiders, there are also many kind-hearted people among them, and Gracia is one of them.

"If you encounter any difficulties, please come to me, and I will do everything in my power to help you."

"It's enough that you have the intention."

"Speaking of which, has Miss Gracia seen Edward?" Isaac suddenly asked.

He remembered that there were some things he needed to confirm with Edward.

“Edward, I just saw him and even said hello to him,” Gracia said with a smile. “He was with a pretty little Gypsy girl.”

Where did they go?

"there."

Gracia pointed in a direction, and Isaac thanked her and headed in that direction.

The streets of Munich are not particularly bustling, especially during the post-war period when the economy was on the verge of collapse, which gives the impression of a state of decline.

Some homeless people and drunkards sat idly by the roadside, holding cheap beer they had gotten from who-knows-where, complaining about the injustices society had done to them.

"Have you heard? Next time you need to pay taxes, you'll have to use gold."

"Anyway, the Mark is worthless now. Bringing so much cash out won't even buy a beer."

"I wouldn't even take this kind of waste paper if it were given to me."

"It's all because of those Jews who took it upon themselves to seek peace, which has led to us living this kind of life every day."

Ordinary Germans after the defeat in the war could only live a life where money was practically worthless.

At that moment, they saw Isaac walking towards them, and their brows furrowed instantly.

They exchanged a glance, then stood up and walked toward Isaac.

Isaac was walking along peacefully when suddenly several figures blocked his path. When he looked up, he saw several people in somewhat tattered clothes staring at him with unfriendly expressions.

"Hey kid, you seem to be doing pretty well as an outsider."

Isaac: "Thank you for the compliment."

"I wasn't praising you!" the drunkard roared. "It was you outsiders who stole our..."

"Alright, I know what you're going to say." Isaac raised his hand to stop them. "You're trying to say that I stole your jobs, took over your resources, and that you're all in this mess because of me, right?"

"...That's it."

"I'm impressed by you guys."

Isaac reached into his pocket, and a few specks of gold appeared in his hand amidst a flash of red electricity.

"I'm in a hurry and don't have time to argue with you. Here you go."

"Oh, I didn't realize you were so wealthy..."

Just as one of the drunkards reached out to take the broken gold from Isaac's hand, a large hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Are you trying to cause trouble again?"

"Officer Hughes? Just kidding, we're just kidding."

Upon seeing the people in police uniforms, the drunkards instantly cowered and slunk away to the side.

"If I see you causing trouble again, you're going to jail."

After the officer finished speaking, he looked at Isaac in front of him and frowned slightly.

Isaac also saw this person.

He looks just like his colleague and daughter-obsessed dad, Mas Hughes, and he's a police officer in this world.

He was also mentioned in Isaac's diary in this world. When he first started working at Gracia's flower shop, Hughes had caused him trouble, but he was scolded by Gracia.

Over time, they became quite familiar with each other.