Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Alchemist, thank you very much for your help this time."

Viola walked up to Isaac and bowed in gratitude.

"There's nothing to thank me for. Fighting with this old man wasn't too boring; it was a good way to stretch my muscles."

Although he still couldn't be called a worthy opponent, Isaac finally felt a sense of fighting again, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Your Mightiness……"

The five betrothed individuals also got up from the ground and handed the illusion book to Isaac.

"Thank you very much. If it weren't for your help, Viola wouldn't be here any longer."

"Your strength is beyond our reach."

They also knew that if Isaac continued to stand by and watch, Viola would most likely be taken away.

Of course, what they didn't know was that Marga had originally planned to let them go in order to force Isaac to take action.

"The Phantom Book is useless to us, so we'll return it to you."

"Ah."

Isaac casually agreed and placed the phantom books in Hugh's hands.

"We should probably head out soon."

“Yes, it’s awful to be with a bunch of men who are seduced by beautiful women,” Darian agreed.

"Then let's go back."

After putting the illusion book away, Hugh took out the car keys from his pocket.

Ignoring the other people in the mansion, the three walked straight toward the gate.

Viola watched all this with satisfaction, a relieved smile appearing on her face. Perhaps because she was finally free from her troubles, she now looked even more beautiful than before.

The mansion was one of the few remaining damaged properties, and moonlight shone down from the sky, illuminating everyone's faces.

"Thank you all so much. I really don't know how to thank you enough."

Aruman shook his head.

"No need for thanks, Viola."

The other suitors smiled in agreement.

"Because protecting the woman you deeply love is a gentleman's most basic responsibility. That way, you can confidently walk up to the man you like, right?"

"……Yes."

A blush crept across Viola's face.

It's hard to imagine how this artificial human, whose blood is made of mercury, can blush.

"So, of the five people here, who will you choose? Have you made a decision now? Or are you considering some new conditions?"

Aruman said confidently, feeling that he had definitely won her heart.

Indeed, although all five of them received fake grimoires, he still managed to summon Isaac, the powerful alchemist (in his own opinion). He was the only one among the five who met the requirements.

"It's no longer necessary, because my heart already belongs to someone else..."

Viola's emotional smile left the five of them speechless.

"That is……"

"Naturally, he exudes gentlemanly manners..."

"Ah."

"And he's quite handsome."

"Ok!"

The five men all felt that Viola was definitely talking about him, and each of them wore a confident smile.

"And extremely powerful..."

"Um!!"

"That alchemist."

"Hmm... Ah!?"

-

"Ah sneeze!"

"What's wrong? Can powerful alchemy catch a cold?"

Hugh, who was driving, teased Isaac, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Of course I won't catch a cold, it's just that this whole thing was incredibly boring, except for that magician who was somewhat interesting." Isaac rubbed his nose. "I'll avoid these kinds of 'The Quintessential Quintuplets' nonsense things in the future. Honestly, we still couldn't find the textbook this time."

"Haha, we'll find it eventually."

"Forget it, the textbooks aren't going to fly over by themselves if I just sit at home all the time."

Isaac sighed.

"I'll go find it myself tomorrow."

Chapter 999: Out on an Investigation

The wind rises and the clouds surge, leaving the vegetation barren.

When the crimson moon rose in the sky, he descended to earth.

The earth burned, steel melted, and rivers stopped evaporating.

If you are willing, then pray.

If you have ears, listen.

If you have a throat, then roar!

His name is Isaac, and his name is the spokesperson for the end times.

He was an alchemist at the beginning of the century, and he was a calamity that descended upon the world!

……

"I didn't do anything wrong, so why has my reputation turned out like this?"

Many of the upper-class elites were present during the battle with the magician at Viola's mansion.

So, naturally, Isaac's fame spread far and wide, and now it's estimated that villagers in some small European village all know the story of the 'alchemist of the early century'.

“Indeed… those nobles spread the word that you’re some kind of legendary dragon,” Hugh said with a wry smile.

"I'm starting to suspect that those high-society elites are trying to get revenge on me in some roundabout way?"

"I don't think so. You saved so many of them, and there's no one who dares to offend a powerful alchemist right now."

After resting for two days at Hugh's old house, Isaac decided to go out and find the textbook on his own. Hearing that there had been mysterious events in Yorkshire in the north, Isaac decided to go and see for himself.

After the car arrived at the port, it pulled over to the side of the road.

"Is this all you need to do?"

"Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome. How long do you expect to be gone? Dalian and I might be out retrieving the Illusion Book by the time you return, and you might not be able to get back in then..."

“It’s alright, I have my own way,” Isaac said. “I’ll be back in about three days.”

"Ok."

------------

Britain is a small place after all; its territory, excluding its colonies, is smaller than Japan's, so it's not a long journey to other places.

The boat trip across the river took less than two hours.

Their destination was a small town in Yorkshire, which was more populated than the suburban manor where Hughie and his friends lived. At least the street vendors, shops, and pedestrians showed that the town was quite lively.

There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the town; the only thing that could be considered special is a seemingly magnificent old clock tower in the northwest.

Unlike London, where many foreigners study or work, it's rare to see foreigners here, so Isaac's Asian face drew surprised glances from many people.

Ignoring the stares, Isaac headed straight for the place he was looking for.

A detached villa was located in the very center of the town. Isaac went inside and knocked on the door.

After standing at the door for a short while, a maid came out to open it.

"Hello, sir, who are you?"

"Hello, I'm here to visit the mayor. My name is Isaac. Please inform him of my presence."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

The maid bowed slightly and turned to walk towards the door.

A short while later, she came to Isaac again.

"Sir, the mayor is waiting in his study. Let me take you in."

"Good work."

Passing through the spacious hall filled with collectibles, Isaac, led by a maid, arrived at the study on the second floor of the villa.

Inside sat a middle-aged man, around forty years old, who immediately went to greet Isaac when he arrived.

"Oh, Lord Isaac, I didn't expect you to actually come?"

“I heard something happened here, so I came over.” Isaac pulled out a chair and sat down in front of him. “What I’m more curious about is whether my identity has spread from the outskirts of London to Yorkshire?”

"Of course, I was fortunate enough to hear the legends about the great alchemist," the mayor said with a smile. "However, your name only circulates among the upper-class nobles, after all, there are some things that cannot be made public, such as... the Book of Illusions."

"You seem to know quite a lot. It looks like this matter is quite tricky."

"Yes."

A shadow fell over the mayor's face.

"Several incidents have occurred in the town. First, a house suddenly caught fire a year and a half ago, and then several people suddenly disappeared three months ago."