Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

Fran: "So you little brat, you don't understand at all. Restraint is also a way of expressing love."

Isaac: "So shut up!"

I've decided, next time I take Fran out, I'll just leave her in the trunk.

"As expected of Isaac," Hugh chuckled, sitting on a nearby bench. "He can still stay calm even here."

"what happened to you?"

"It's really hard to stay calm in a boarding school for girls."

Darian scoffed, “To be seduced by those immature girls, what a shameful, calloused brat. Just think of them as carrots walking around in uniforms.”

Fran: "That's not necessarily true. Some people just like that kind of thing."

Hugh: "..."

Just as the group was chatting idly, a voice rang out behind them.

Who are you? What are you doing in a place like this?

"Ok?"

It was a young woman's voice. Because the voice carried an inexplicable hint of reproach, Hugh, who slowly turned around, instinctively adopted a wary expression.

However, his expression quickly changed from wary to confused.

A girl they had never met before was standing behind them with a serious expression.

A female student wearing a knitted vest and plaid skirt, the school uniform. She has strikingly large eyes and a slightly mature appearance.

"Ah... um... we are not suspicious people."

"This school should prohibit outsiders from entering, right? Who exactly are you people?" The girl's tone was very stern.

Fran smiled slightly when she saw this seemingly strong-willed girl.

"Hey Isaac, this girl seems pretty arrogant, but she's not bad looking. Why don't you 'take her right here and now'?"

"Shut the fuck up."

The girl seemed to have already decided that the group was trespassing. She used one hand to support herself on the railing next to her and stepped over, holding a hockey stick in her hand.

"You've barged in without permission, haven't you!?"

"Could you please stop swinging the baseball bat around when you're asking us questions? It's dangerous."

"Answer my question quickly!"

Watching the girl roughly swing the baseball bat, Hughie's face showed a helpless expression.

Isaac sighed slightly, took a small knife from his pocket, and casually swung it.

Click!

The baseball bat in the girl's hand was split in two.

Hugh: "..."

The schoolgirl stared in horror at her broken baseball bat, backing away as she stammered, "You...you really did..."

"No, no, no, miss, you misunderstand. We are not intruders. Miss Rodin invited us here."

"Huh?"

"This is the invitation. Please take a look."

Hugh took a letter out of his jacket pocket; the stamp on it was indeed his aunt's.

"Were they invited by the principal?"

The girl gradually lowered her guard.

"I asked her to let us in because I was looking for something. My friend is involved with this school... She is Darian, and next to her are Isaac and Fran. I am Hugh Anson Deswat—just call me Hugh."

“My name is Jessica, Jessica Elfenston, a fifth-year student in the middle school (that is, a second-year student in high school).

After revealing her name, the girl threw the broken baseball bat aside, her expression turning serious once again.

"Are you looking for something? Are you police officers?"

"We are not police officers."

"I don't think so either. Then... are they a detective or something? Here to investigate rumors?"

"rumor?"

Hugh seemed to remember that his aunt had mentioned in a letter that a murder had occurred here.

The girl named Jessica's next words confirmed his guess.

"It's just a rumor that an escaped serial killer is hiding somewhere in this school. A few days ago, one teacher and one student went missing. Everyone's saying they might have been kidnapped by the killer. You're here to investigate, right?"

"A serial killer... Benjamin Duvren...?"

Hugh lowered his eyes slightly and shook his head.

"We've heard about their disappearance. But unfortunately, we're not here to arrest Devren."

"Then why have you come?"

Jessica slumped her shoulders, looking utterly dejected.

“We’re here to find books,” Dallian said.

Chapter 1002: The Murderer

Looking for a book?

“Yes, what else can you do at the library besides looking for books?” Dalian said.

"That's...that makes sense."

“Speaking of which,” Hugh said, looking at the somewhat flustered Jessica, “students shouldn’t be allowed on this floor, right?”

That's what they say...

"That hockey stick you were holding just now, you weren't going to use it to arrest that murderer, were you?" Hughie chuckled. "That's dangerous, you know."

"Well……"

Although Hughie maintained a smile, his slightly narrowed eyes left Jessica speechless.

"A young girl like you wandering around this deserted place with a baseball bat is like a duck carrying a carrot to a murderer. Is it recklessness or idiocy... or are you out of your mind?" Dalian added insult to injury.

"Stop being so long-winded!"

Jessica said angrily.

"I don't want to do these things either, but..."

"what----"

"!"

A mournful cry from somewhere on campus interrupted her. It was a near-mad scream, as if someone had encountered a murderer.

"This is……"

"It looks like someone has been murdered."

Isaac was the first to stand up and run towards the direction from which the screams were coming.

"Wait for me."

Hugh quickly put on his trench coat and followed. Darian and Fran exchanged a glance and also left their seats.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Jessica shouted from behind, looked around, gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and followed them.

……

The screams did not stop during this time.

The person who screamed was a female student in the garden near the library.

Her voice was hoarse, more like a growl than a scream. Her entire body was stained crimson with blood, and from a distance, it was clear that something was amiss.

Hugh quickly arrived at the scene, steadied the swaying girl, and noticed the scene in front of the girl who was covered in blood.

Ahead lay a leather handbag stained with blood and scattered books. Then, as if covered by those items, a half-naked woman lay there.

A tall woman around thirty years old, who appears to be a teacher.

"A corpse..."

As he spoke, Hugh looked at the girl he was supporting, who was pale with fright.

"No...it wasn't me, I don't know anything."

She said in a hoarse voice.

"I just wanted to see who dropped their bag there, but who knew that as I got closer..."

"This……"

At this moment, Isaac stepped forward, bypassed Hugh, and went directly to the corpse. He put on white gloves and opened the corpse's eyelids to confirm its presence.

"How about it?"

"The corneas were so cloudy that the pupils could not be seen through them. The estimated time of death was more than 48 hours ago, and judging from the relief of rigor mortis, it may have been more than three days ago."

After Isaac finished speaking, he took off his gloves.

At this moment, the girl in Hugh's arms had already fainted.

Jessica, panting as she ran over, saw the corpse over Hugh's shoulder.

“…Nicona…Teacher…”

She gasped as she witnessed the bloody scene before her.

"You know him?" Hugh asked.

“Our school’s dorm supervisor… one of the two missing people. She suddenly disappeared last weekend, and everyone’s saying she might have been kidnapped by a murderer…” Jessica nodded blankly.

"The cause of death was a huge incision in the abdomen. Judging from the incision, the perpetrator probably didn't use a large cleaver, but rather a very simple fruit knife," Isaac said.