Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"I didn't realize you were such a wealthy man, young nobleman."

"Just call me Hugh. These are all left to me by my grandfather. I don't have much wealth myself."

In the hall, Dalian was eating fried bread on the sofa in front of the coffee table when she turned her head slightly and saw Isaac and the others.

"You damn alchemist, you learned it so quickly! This time you even brought...brought..."

The moment she saw Fran, the bread in her mouth fell out.

"You...you...you...you bastard..."

"Hey~ it's been a long time, little one."

"What are you doing here, a junk collector?!"

Hugh was somewhat surprised by the reactions of the two reading girls.

"Dalian, do you know her?"

“Of course I know the Silver Reader, known as the ‘Destruction Reader.’ There’s a bunch of destroyed phantom books hidden in the bookshelf.” Darian turned her head. “So, why are you here?”

"Of course, it's the guardian who found the key!"

"Who would want to be the guardian of a book-reading princess whose bookshelf is filled with nothing but tattered junk, the guardian of the key...?"

Halfway through her sentence, Dallian seemed to have thought of something and looked at Isaac.

"It's not you, is it?"

"it is me."

"...We got scammed?"

"Yes."

"I knew it."

Dalian shrugged and laughed, "Well, it's no wonder a bastard alchemist like you got stuck with a reading princess. Your luck has run out."

“I’m not exactly at a loss either,” Isaac said.

Fran stood aside and smiled, then walked up to Dallian and forcefully pulled her face to the sides.

"Ah! You rude scoundrel, what do you think you're doing?!"

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other, let's get warm together."

"Who wants to get intimate with you! Let me go!! Hey! You damn alchemist! Tie up your pet right now!"

Isaac seemed oblivious to Dallian's calls, chatting with Hugh.

Have you received any news related to the Phantom Book recently?

"No, it's been quite peaceful these past two days while you were away," Hughie said with a smile. "I'm sorry, we don't have any information about your textbooks here either."

"Although I don't know where the textbook is either, I have heard about the 'Red Reader Princess' I met before and the guy who called himself 'Professor'."

"Those two bastards provided a phantom book to the hardened criminals in the prison, and this time it just so happened that the hardened criminal who escaped dug a pit for me to fall into."

Isaac pulled three illusion books out of his clothes and placed them in front of Hugh.

"Aren't you collecting magical books? Here are three of them."

"Let me see!"

Dalian broke free from Keflam's grasp and rushed to Isaac's side.

"The Final Judgment for Witches, the Shapeshifting Technique, and the Book of Another Dimension... You just went out and retrieved three illusory books?"

"Just lucky."

"Well, it seems you're not entirely useless, you bastard. You're just a bit of a jerk on the surface."

"Kid, have you never experienced a punch the size of a sandbag?"

Chapter 1009: Times Have Changed

"Hmm... Britain really is a small place. There aren't many local news sections; the rest are all about colonies and international news."

On a rare afternoon, with a warm breeze on his face, Isaac sat in a rocking chair in the garden of the Diswald mansion, reading the newspaper. He looked like he was living the life of an old man ahead of time.

Are you trying to find information about your teaching materials in the newspaper?

"Yes, it's better to try looking in the newspapers for any strange occurrences than to run around Europe like a headless fly."

"What's the latest news in the newspapers? Let me see."

Fran brought her face close to the newspaper.

"It seems that football match is planned to be held in England. People in that country seem to really like football."

“Yes, the fans here not only like watching football, they also like fighting,” Isaac said. “But they can’t beat Russians who like to fight and watch a little football.”

"Hey... let me see what other news there is. Hmm? A girls' high school murder case? I'm very interested in that."

"Speaking of Fran..."

"Ok?"

“There’s another newspaper in the house if you want to read it,” Isaac sighed. “Don’t sit on my lap to read it.”

"Oh ho, you care about that?"

“I care a lot. We’re all grown up now, don’t let us be like those kids who still need to be taken care of.”

"Does the friction of my beautiful body against your legs excite you?"

Can I throw you out?

"Don't be so rough!"

"Can I tie you up with the restraints used to control mentally ill people?"

"So you like this kind of thing? I'd be happy to oblige," Fran said with a smile.

"..."

Seeing that Fran was completely unmoved by his words, Isaac helplessly grabbed her by the back of her collar, lifted her up, and tossed her aside. He then put away his newspaper and walked back to the mansion. Fran smiled at the sight and followed him, hopping along.

Although Fran and Darian are both reading princesses, their personalities are very different.

If Dalian is the kind of elegant yet arrogant young lady who never grows up, then Fran is the kind of girl with a lively and unconventional personality.

As soon as I returned to the mansion, I saw Hughie staring blankly at a letter.

"what happened?"

“My aunt sent a letter saying there’s been a problem at her school,” Hugh said, frowning. “There might be news about the Illusionary Book there. Dalian and I might go there tomorrow.”

"Oh."

"Can you come with me?"

"Is this related to my teaching materials?"

“No, that’s not it,” Hugh said with a wry smile. “It’s just that my aunt… well, I have a hard time dealing with her.”

"Think more positively. You can tolerate even a brat like Darian with an insane temper, so why can't you tolerate an adult?"

"Not the same type..."

knock knock knock.

"It sounds like someone is knocking on the door. I'll go open it."

Hugh put down the letter he was holding and went to open the door.

"I wonder who's visiting today..."

As soon as he opened the door, his eyes widened instantly, and a person who made him gasp was standing in the doorway.

He wore a black tuxedo, a top hat, carried his signature cane, and wore a monocle.

"The magician... Count Malgar."

The person knocking on the door was none other than the magician, Malgar, whom they had met once before.

Marga removed his top hat and bowed slightly.

"Long time no see, Lord Diswald, the key guardian of the Dantalian bookshelf."

"What are you doing here?" Hugh asked warily.

"Of course, I've come to pay a visit to the great alchemist."

"Visit Isaac?"

At that moment, Isaac also walked up to Hughie.

"Oh, Marga, you've come."

"Of course, I have said before that I would visit you in person at a later date."

"Come in and talk."

"Sorry to bother you."

As he spoke, Mairga stepped into the mansion.

Hugh glanced at Malgar's retreating figure, then leaned close to Isaac's ear and whispered, "Um... if you're going to fight, could you find a more open space? There are many of my grandfather's treasures here..."

"Don't worry, there won't be a fight."

……

Margar settled down on the sofa, Isaac sat to one side, and Fran leaned lazily against him.

Hugh watched warily from the side, his hand always on the revolver in his pocket. Although he knew that guns might be useless against this magician, he still had to be vigilant, which was his instinct as a professional soldier.

"Lord Isaac, who is that beside you...?" Marga asked, pointing to Fran, who was leaning against Isaac.

"Fran, 'Silver Reader'."

"So it's 'Silver Princess', huh? So you've already..."

“Yes.” Isaac held up the back of his hand, revealing the patterns and gemstones on it.

"You've become the guardian of the key too? That's quite unexpected."