Ch. 68.1 - Item (3)
In the center of the continent, the first world tree called 'the heart of the world' was proudly located, and various major cities were located around it.
Notably, there was Arcaneum and twelve satellite cities.
On either side, there were the mighty Fire Kingdom of Adolveit and the Magic Empire of Scalben. A little further down, one would come across the "Alchemy City."
What did the name Alchemy City mean? It was a city made up of castles, hence the name "Alchemy City," although it might not be particularly interesting or impressive.
Later, the alchemists might not have liked such a boring meaning, but they tearfully gave meaning to it, saying, “I can create stars with alchemy,” but it seemed like a pointless endeavor.
Anyway, Alchemy City started with the famous alchemist brothers, Leo and Galil, building small huts. As their fame spread, talented alchemists flocked to the city, and after hundreds of years, it had become an impregnable fortress that repelled foreign invasions.
Alchemy City was an international organization of alchemists that was not affiliated with any specific country.
That was why people of different races and nationalities gathered there. Although they had become accustomed to different races, it was still a bit strange.
As Baek Yu-Seol walked by, he saw a giant with blue skin towering over 3 meters, while a dwarf, barely reaching his waist, was causing a commotion on the street.
And there was an elf with pointed ears, dressed in work clothes, busy hammering away. He resembled a human but was still distinctly different.
The streets of Alchemy City typically looked like this.
Most of the people there were alchemists, but there were also artisans from other fields.
In the center of Alchemy City, there was a paradise for the greatest alchemists on Earth, known as the "International Alchemy Organization of Alchemy City."
"Welcome, this is the 13th Branch of the Alchemy City Oak Star Association."
The interior of the organization was not in a medieval fantasy style but had a very modern appearance. The walls were all made of glass, with holographic letters and images swiftly moving across them.
In the lobby, a giant water wheel rotated, filling the space with a sense of visual and auditory splendor.
Well-dressed businessmen hurriedly walked around.
"I came to meet an alchemist."
"Sure, whom are you here to meet?"
"Her name is Alterisha..."
As soon as the receptionist heard the name, her expression stiffened. "You can't meet her right now."
Baek Yu-Seol expected as much. If it were any other alchemist, they would have asked if he had made an appointment.
But, since Alterisha had many people wanting to meet her, it seemed she had preemptively blocked them.
It didn't work on him…
He was even a co-author, and if he had just relied on his charm, he could have become an alchemy apprentice here.
Well, he would have been kicked out soon since he had no magic power in his body.
"Here, this is a personal invitation from Assistant Professor Alterisha."
"Oh, my."
The receptionist's eyes widened as she read the invitation, and then she lowered her head.
"I apologize. I will guide you right away."
The place he followed her to was an alchemy research laboratory located underground, where doctors in white robes were bustling around.
There were no businessmen there; it seemed that only genuine researchers were allowed to enter.
Even if one weren't affiliated with Alchemy City, as long as he had the status of a "collaborative researcher," anyone could come and go.
Due to the special alchemical apparatus in Alchemy City, many people came seeking it.
Occasionally, alchemists from Stella Academy, including Alterisha, could be seen. They wore white robes with the Stella emblem on their chests.
No one had a mask.
He could count on one hand how many Stella alchemists he knew, and it was only about three.
"This way."
They arrived at a temporary office with the nameplate "Alterisha Department" hanging on it.
It goes without saying, but not all alchemists in Alchemy City were collaborative researchers.
Alchemists were divided into numerous departments based on their beliefs and directions they pursued, and Alterisha founded her own department.
£‘Smart!’*
"We're going in."
Even though he knocked, there was no response.
Perhaps it was a familiar occurrence, as the receptionist grabbed the door and pulled it open, causing a loud explosion sound to echo from inside.
£Boom!!*
"Ah?!"
Baek Yu-Seol quickly pulled the receptionist's body back and defended the front, but fortunately, it didn't seem to be a major accident as only a bit of smoke was seeping out.
"That was a surprise..."
It would be great if he could use wind control magic at times like this.
As he waved away the smoke with his hands and entered, the alchemists inside were coughing.
They were all alchemists affiliated with the Altesia Department, and he was surprised to see that their number was quite large.
Among them, there was a particularly noticeable person with pink hair.
Her hair, matted with grease, was closer to gray. She coughed while loosely tying up her disheveled hair, but her face was filled with a smile.
Other alchemists were also in the same condition.
"Haha, you did it at last!"
Boom!
"Oops...!"
As a dwarf patted her unreachable back, Alterisha’s body convulsed. She struggled to touch the patted area and laughed.
"It's thanks to you all."
Now that he thought about it, the alchemist who was conducting research with Alterisha was none other than the "Golden Alchemist" Beaurock Stoneforge.
As expected.
It seemed that they were conducting research together with the greatest alchemist, just as in the original work.
"Assistant, I'm here."
"Oh, Student Yu-Seol? Ah, didn't see you..."
"Could you turn on the ventilation?"
"Y-Yes, I'll do it right away!"
At Baek Yu-Seol’s request, another alchemist quickly reacted and rushed out. Even so, it was quite daunting to be surrounded by alchemists who were likely to have considerable experience in research in this place.
After the smoke cleared for a moment, he was finally able to face her properly.
Alterisha pulled over a makeshift table and sat down, proudly showcasing the item she had just successfully created.
Well, to be precise, it was Beaurock Stonforge who was boasting on her behalf.
"Hehe, student, see this? Can you see it?"
"I see it well."
"This is the Shield Bracelet, look, after wearing it like this."
Beaurock Stonforge wore a silver-colored ring on his
arm.
"When you press it like this."
And when he pressed a button to activate it, astonishingly, the bracelet extended and covered his entire forearm in the form of a shield.
‘In this state alone, it already boasts the defensive power of a Class 3. But if I activate it once more from here…’
Zzzing!!
Suddenly, a shield of about three times the size of his face appeared from the bracelet. The difference from other shields was that there were no magical runes drawn on it.
"How is it? Amazing, right? Even if you have low mana or you're an ordinary person who can't use magic, you can unfold shield magic at least once! Although the defense power is only 500, it can be a great help in desperate situations."
"Ohhh..."
He couldn't help but be sincerely amazed. To develop an item of Class 3 level in such a short time.
"It's all thanks to this little genius!"
Crack!
"Ha!"
Once again, Alterisha received a smack on the back, and she spilled coffee from her mouth.
Beaurock Stonforge giggled as he fiddled with the bracelet.
"These days, every day feels so enjoyable that I feel like I'm going crazy. In the past, I used to do one research after another, continue with ongoing research, and be satisfied with finding something small. Do you see over there?"
Following his finger, Baek Yu-Seol looked around and saw dozens of researchers manipulating complex machinery, hologram charts, and mixing reagents.
"In the past, even those guys were not full of enthusiasm. But ever since this little genius joined us, everything has changed!"
"Hahaha..."
Alterisha laughed awkwardly, but Beaurock Stonforge wasn't wrong.
The first Alchemist-Enchanter.
The world's greatest genius engineer who combined alchemy and enchantment.
Blessed by the gods.
An alchemist who changed the world.
A woman who shattered the limits of impossibility.
A pioneer of a new era.
And so on and so forth,
There were numerous adjectives that revered Alterisha, and not a single one of them was an exaggeration.
"Now, when we announce this, the world will be turned upside down."
He agreed with those words.
When Alterisha announced the interpretation of the Delta Augmentation Formula in the past, the academic world went into complete chaos.
However, that was only limited to intellectuals.
Ordinary people still didn’t know how amazing it was. They just thought it was great because the problem was solved.
But, what if a 'miracle technology' suddenly appeared which turned the world upside down?
Now even young children would know about it. They would know how great an alchemist named Alterisha had made such a great invention.
"By the way, aren't you a co-author too? It's good to walk the path of a magic warrior, but if you entered alchemy, you could have gained more wealth and honor. Why didn't you do that?"
Baek Yu-Seol pondered for a moment. ‘Should I just make an excuse or tell the truth?’
Beaurock Stonforge was a good and wise person. He had long been the person Alterisha relied on the most.
He thought he should reveal it to people around him someday, so it wouldn't be bad to tell a smart person first.