Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Kimberly! Wake up! Someone wants to see you."

The prison guards disliked this prisoner very much.

"Oh? It's surprising that someone still remembers me." Kimberly wore a malicious smile.

"Shut up! You..."

“No need to shout, I can do it myself. You can all go out now,” Isaac said to the prison guards.

"Yes, Your Excellency Brigadier General!" The prison guard quickly saluted and left.

The other party is, after all, a brigadier general; I can't afford to offend him.

Isaac arrived at the cell door, leaned against the wall, and said, "Long time no see, Kimberly."

Upon hearing the voice, Kimberly perked up: "That voice... what a rare guest, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac."

"Looks like your news is still stuck on the Ishvalan battlefield. I'm a brigadier general now," Isaac laughed.

“Congratulations, Brigadier General Isaac,” Kimberly said with a smile.

He vaguely remembered this boy who resembled himself.

"What were you thinking, you idiot? You actually blew up your own superior."

“Just some boring reasons,” Kimberly said casually. “But you, Brigadier General Isaac, seem to be doing quite well out there.”

“Pretty good. My leg was blown off a few months ago, but I blew it back up with my newly invented weapon,” Isaac laughed.

"Oh? A new weapon?" Kimberly was very interested in the news.

"Yes, a weapon powerful enough to destroy a city. Interested in learning more about it?"

"Then you must let me know," Kimberly suddenly grabbed the iron bars and said excitedly.

A bomb that could directly destroy a city—that was something he had always dreamed of.

“I’ll tell you after you get out of prison. That thing is unstable; it might blow itself up while it’s being forged,” Isaac said. “So, how about it? Want to hang out with me after you get out?”

Kimberly chuckled after hearing Isaac's words, "You're quite confident, Brigadier General. Are you really that sure I'll get out of prison?"

His crime was killing several military officers; it was already a miracle he wasn't sentenced to death, and his chances of being released from prison were practically nonexistent.

"I think you'll come out someday."

At this point, Isaac's smile gradually turned sinister: "Dorakma, Cleta, Alrugo, you can blow up these places as you please."

“That must be a very pleasant job,” Kimberly said with a sinister grin.

"Alright, if I ever get out of prison, I'll work for you. Please take me in then, since I'm the one who once blew up my superior."

"of course."

------

After leaving the central prison, Isaac and Violet, who was waiting outside, headed towards the train station.

“Violet, when we get to Dongfang City, I’ll take you to the military academy. After you graduate there, come straight here to me,” Isaac said to Violet as they sat on the train.

Sending Violet to the military academy was an idea Isaac had from the beginning. He hoped that Violet could receive a good education there, as long as she didn't end up illiterate for several years like he had.

"Will I still be able to see Mr. Isaac after I go to the sergeant school?"

“Those are boarding students over there, so I think they can’t see…” Before Isaac could finish speaking, he noticed Violet grabbing his clothes, her light blue eyes staring straight at him.

"...I come to see you once a week."

Upon hearing Isaac's words, Violet released her hand and tightly gripped the black gem Isaac had given her.

"Don't worry, you'll definitely make friends at school," Isaac said, ruffling Violet's hair.

“Friend?” Violet looked at Isaac with a puzzled expression.

“Yes, it’s about friends. I think you really need a friend,” Isaac said.

"I have Mr. Isaac, that's enough for me."

"Well, I'm glad you said that, but I don't want my subordinate to become too withdrawn. Friends are still very important," Isaac said helplessly.

"...Okay, I will try my best."

"By the way, in Amestris, don't call me 'sir' anymore, call me 'Brigadier General'."

"Yes, Brigadier General Isaac."

While the two were chatting, the train arrived at the station.

After getting off the train, Isaac saw the people who had come to pick him up.

Lieutenant Colonel Mas Hughes, with a full beard and glasses.

"Hey! Isaac, long time no see." Hughes ran over with a big smile.

"Hughes, it's been so long..."

"Let me tell you, my wife gave birth to a very cute daughter named Alicia. Isaac, look, this is her picture. Isn't she adorable?" He then pulled a stack of photos from his breast pocket.

"So, do you carry your photos with you all the time?" Isaac looked at the person in front of him speechlessly.

Violet, who was standing nearby, saw the photo in Hughes' hand and said, "It's cute."

Although he spoke with a blank expression, Hughes immediately became as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood: "Right, right? My daughter is so cute, little girl, you have great taste."

However, he quickly realized what was happening, looking at the exquisitely beautiful girl in front of him, who resembled a doll, and then at Isaac.

"Isaac, who is this lovely little girl?"

Judging from how she always stayed by Isaac's side, their relationship must be quite special.

Violet spoke before Isaac could: "Hello, I am Violet Evergarden, a subordinate of Brigadier General Isaac."

Chapter 121: Should we call the police?

"Subordinates? Isaac's?"

Hughes glanced at Violet, then at Isaac.

“Isaac, even if you’ve been promoted now… the matter of abducting underage girls is still…”

"Believe it or not, I'll tie you up right now and throw you onto the train tracks?"

Hughes quickly waved his hand: "You're kidding, Isaac, how could you do such a thing?"

He then said to Violet, "Hello, I am Mas Hughes from the Eastern Army's intelligence department. My rank is lieutenant colonel. You can call me Hughes, just like Isaac does."

"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."

Hughes invited the two men into his car and drove towards the Eastern Command.

Looking out the window at the bustling crowds, Isaac asked Hughes, "I received a letter from Roy a few months ago. What's the whereabouts of that guy named Scar?"

Hughes's joking expression turned serious: "This wanted criminal seems to have vanished without a trace after that, and hasn't been seen since, but he's probably somewhere waiting for his next prey."

"So, they haven't caught him yet?" Isaac pondered.

"In short, there's no need to worry about the safety of Oriental City. Roy has been in charge of the city's security ever since he became a colonel. It seems he's waiting for you to come back so he can have a power struggle with you," Hughes laughed.

"That bastard's gotten cocky, but too bad for me, I'm already a brigadier general," Isaac laughed.

"What?!" Hughes was shocked by the news, but then he understood. "I thought so too. He'll definitely get a promotion after returning from such a big mission abroad."

“Speaking of which, what about Elric and his brother?” Isaac asked.

This is a question he is currently quite concerned about.

"Edward and the others? Those two brothers left a few days ago after getting news of the Philosopher's Stone from Roy. I guess they're traveling somewhere now."

Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric had known Isaac before and had even taught him for a time. They were then taken on a human transmutation project; one lost his right hand and left leg, and the other lost his entire body.

In their quest to find their lost bodies, the two brothers pinned their hopes on the Philosopher's Stone. They traveled throughout the country in search of its whereabouts.

"These two are really never idle."

Isaac leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.

If they knew the truth about the Philosopher's Stone, they would probably find it hard to accept.

"arrive."

Just as Isaac was thinking, Hughes' voice came through.

We have arrived at the Eastern Command Headquarters.

The car was parked by the roadside, and several people got out and walked towards the headquarters.

Inside the office of the Eastern Command.

A group of people were sitting in the office, and a black-haired soldier was sitting at the desk in the middle.

"Colonel Mustang, I heard that Colonel Isaac is coming back today," a female officer with neat blonde hair said to the dark-haired man who was dozing off beside her.

"I'd heard about it before. I heard that kid went to support other countries' wars, but I didn't expect him to be back in less than a year," Roy Mustang laughed. "But it's good that he's back, at least he helps me with some of the work. Hahaha..."

The other subordinates around him looked speechless at the man laughing so hard.

"Colonel Isaac was your superior before he left."

"Colonel Mustang is getting cocky again."

"How many times has this happened already?"

His men were already used to it.

“I wrote to him a long time ago that we’re now equals,” Mustang laughed. “By the way, Lieutenant Hawkeye, when is he expected to arrive?”

This blonde woman is Lisa Hawkeye, a lieutenant in the Eastern Army and Colonel Roy Mustang's adjutant.

Hawkeye glanced at his watch: "Logically, they should have arrived by now."

Just then.

Bang!

Isaac kicked the door open.

"Comrades, I'm back!" Isaac shouted as he entered the room.

Of course, this was met with angry shouts from the subordinates who were still working.