Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

Perhaps it was because Fiona's actions were so unpredictable that her next move was impossible to foresee. Fiona circled behind the stiff-bodied Darian and snatched the fried bread.

"Thank you! I'll accept this delicious treat."

"Are you a dog?!"

Darian hid behind Hugh, on the verge of tears.

Hugh was quite impressed by the way he could find the bread that Darian had hidden just by its smell.

"As expected of the chief researcher at Farmania."

"Hmm? So you already knew," Fiona said with a smile. "Looks like Dad was too talkative."

She licked the sugar off her fingertips, wiped her hands under the hem of her white robe, and straightened her posture.

"My apologies for my rudeness. My name is Fiona Farmania, and you are..."

“My name is Hugh Anthony Diswald, and the one hiding behind me is Darian,” Hugh introduced with a smile. “Next to me is my friend Isaac, and then there’s Fran Chesca.”

Hello, hello~

After a brief handshake with Hugh, Fiona turned to Isaac. She wanted to shake hands with him too, but when she saw him, she suddenly frowned.

"Ok?"

With a puzzled look, she walked up to Isaac and sniffed his shoulders and collar.

"you……"

"Well!!"

For some reason, Fiona suddenly covered her nose and stepped back, looking warily at the bewildered Isaac in front of her.

Isaac: "...Hey, the way you're looking at me is like you've discovered I smell bad again. I'm very particular about personal hygiene!"

"Hahaha, you've been hated by girls, haven't you?" Fran laughed heartlessly from the side.

"Shut up!"

Fiona covered her nose and looked at Isaac, saying, "You... are you even human?"

"what?"

“The smell emanating from you doesn’t seem to come from a human at all. It’s like a monster formed from tens of thousands of bones… I’ve never smelled such a strange odor on anyone before.” Fiona was still covering her nose.

"...You have a really good nose, but can you even smell something like this?"

“Of course, I can judge a person’s character by their scent,” Fiona said. “Someone like you, I can tell you’re not a good person just by smelling you.”

"..."

Chapter 1031: I really didn't expect this

Fiona's research institute is located on a high ground some distance from the headquarters of Famania.

An old mansion with a vast area, featuring large greenhouses and gardens.

The greenhouse was packed with lush plants, and unfamiliar animals grazed around the grassy courtyard. Then, in a sunless corner of this vast expanse, stood a solitary, old building. Fiona seemed to live there alone most of the time.

Hugh and Dallian were invited inside, while Isaac was left outside, as Fiona didn't want the strange smell on Isaac to affect her laboratory.

Fran and Isaac stayed outside and did not visit the laboratory.

"How does it feel to be rejected by a girl?"

"I don't feel anything."

"Or do you like it when girls look at you with disdain, to trigger your weird fetish?"

"Please don't add any weird or strange settings to my profile."

"Really? Then why don't you try to make that girl named Fiona completely obedient to you, even by sleeping with her?"

Can you shut up?

"Besides, can't you just write anything and turn it into a magical book? Why don't you just write a book that makes people completely obedient to you?"

“That kind of thing is completely meaningless.” Isaac glanced at Fran. “Although I’m not planning to write anything now… the power of the Phantom Book in this world might be able to provide me with some convenience to complete the research I haven’t finished yet.”

"Research that's not yet finished?"

"Well, I had been dedicated to research outside of nuclear energy, trying to create or capture 'antimatter,' but when I finally left that world, my antimatter research had only progressed to the stage of producing a single-digit number of antihydrogen atoms..."

"What are you saying? I don't understand at all."

"It's a clean energy source, a new project developed to address the growing energy crisis. The energy produced by the annihilation of one gram of antimatter is approximately 20-30 kilotons of TNT equivalent, or about 200 million kilocalories..."

Isaac explained.

Fran: "...Although I don't quite understand, I have a feeling that you are creating something very dangerous."

"My research on antimatter is really just to solve the energy problem. I have no intention of using it as a weapon, such as testing the annihilation reaction of 5 grams of antimatter in Japan in this era or detecting the intensity of gamma rays in the ocean, or going back to the previous world to test 50 grams in the United States. I have never thought about these things."

"...Then I'll take it as fact."

The Fiona Institute feels more like a zoo or botanical garden than a research institute.

There were no servants in sight; it seemed that she managed all the household affairs on her own.

Although the garden and greenhouse look like wilderness at first glance, once you step inside, you'll find a nostalgic and relaxing atmosphere.

"Why must I take this primitive path...?"

Pushing aside the weeds blocking her path, Dahlian muttered complaints as she walked.

Just then, a small dark figure darted past her feet.

"what?"

Dalian screamed, her face turning pale.

She was completely stiff and unable to move, and the strange little animal climbed onto her black clothes without hesitation. Hughie gave a helpless smile and picked up the animal. It was a strange creature with dark fur, neither a bear nor a cat.

"Is this your pet?" he asked Fiona, who was standing in front of him.

"A pet? Oh, it's already been delivered."

Fiona happily took the kitten from Hugh's hands.

"This child is a civet cat. Its secretions can be used as a perfume ingredient. Moreover, the coffee beans extracted from the feces of these children have an exceptional aroma."

"I do know about that."

Hugh smiled, as if he had remembered something.

"By the way, Miss Fiona, may I ask you a question?"

"Excuse me."

"When you asked me for help before, you must have run away from home, right?" Hugh asked. "The two men I injured before were your servants. They came out to find you."

"Yes, I did run away from home back then."

"Can I ask why? Are you tired of blending perfumes?"

Fiona, who was walking ahead, shook her head and replied, "It's not like that. I was just a little annoyed by Father's actions, so I rebelled a little. I hope that will make him reflect on his actions."

Is there anything wrong with Farmania's practices?

“Lately, all Father has on his mind is the company’s profits. I didn’t become a perfumer for that reason. I don’t like ‘Azure’ either. Actually, it was originally a failure, but Father took it upon himself to commercialize it.”

“‘Azure’? That perfume is a hot seller here, especially in the capital.”

"But I wasn't satisfied with that product; it wasn't even a semi-finished product."

"I didn't realize you were an artist," Hugh said with a smile.

In Fiona, Hugh seemed to see that kind of fanaticism that belongs to artists.

"Hmm, maybe so. I just like pleasant scents. It's not about whether the company makes money or not, I just want to create a fragrance that I'm satisfied with."

As she said this, Fiona squinted her eyes with pleasure.

"Just as I thought, you really are a good person, Mr. Hughie."

Why would you think that?

"That's how it smells. Hmm... like sweat?"

"So effective?"

"Of course~ I can sense that you seem quite used to the chaos of war, and I can also smell the dangerous items you've placed in your coat. You're not a policeman, are you? Are you a soldier?"

“He’s not a soldier, just a pilot. He did fight in a war a few years ago,” Hugh said.

He had to admire the girl in front of him; she was truly capable.

"That nose is even more sensitive than a dog's." Dalian was still sulking about having a loaf of bread stolen earlier. "What did you kiss on that bastard alchemist? What made you react so strongly?"

Hugh was also somewhat curious about this.

Although Isaac has presented himself as an alchemist since he came to their place, they seem to know nothing about his past, and he remains a mystery in their eyes.

“Mr. Isaac? Well… he reeked of blood, an unmistakable odor, and there was also the smell of gunpowder and gunpowder, and in astonishing quantities… I guess he was a soldier, probably a general.”

"Huh? That damned alchemist is a general of a country?"

"It's just a guess. His situation is special, so I can't really make a judgment."

Chapter 1032: Perfume

"Speaking of which, you mentioned before that you wanted to find the book left by your grandfather, right?"

“Yes, we’ve come for the Incense Manual,” Dallian said.

“I see… But my great-grandfather said that book should not be shown to anyone.”

"Huh? Didn't you just eat my fried bread?" Dalian said angrily.

Fiona tapped her chin lightly with her finger and suddenly laughed: "It seems so. Then let me take you there to see."

Hugh: "...You're really carefree."

As soon as the laboratory door was opened, a fragrant aroma wafted out. Inside, there were various glass containers and a large pile of spices that looked extremely expensive.

"Wait a moment, I'll go find that book."

After Fiona entered the room, she opened a drawer in a cabinet filled with various spices and took out a book.