Ch.152Chapter 152 – Secret Workshop (2)

Taking the book from the Core wasn’t particularly difficult.

When Beatrice reached out her hand, it entered the Core without any issue.

After easily retrieving the book, she immediately passed it to Sera, who carefully turned each page.

“…That’s right.”

Sera said, her eyes widening slightly.

“This is Grandmother’s handwriting.”

Sera was always familiar with her grandmother’s journals.

There was no way she wouldn’t recognize her grandmother’s handwriting.

“Sera, let’s look at it together.”

“Ah, me too.”

Beatrice peered over Sera’s shoulder, and Christina pressed against Sera’s arm as they began examining the journal together.

They seemed to be trying to figure out what this book was.

However, their expressions quickly turned to bewilderment.

“There’s nothing written in it?”

Hearing this, Eve and I also approached to take a look.

Sera quietly opened the book to show us.

“It’s blank.”

Eve said, unable to hide her confusion.

Then Sera carefully opened the last page.

There, a very familiar phrase was written.

“Alchemy requires continuously challenging oneself to discover, think, and find answers independently.”

“That’s definitely your grandmother’s journal.”

“Yes.”

This was what Sera’s grandmother had taught her.

Looking at Sera’s bright expression, I asked:

“Have you figured something out?”

“I’m not sure yet, hmm…”

Just as Sera was speaking, Beatrice suddenly stepped forward.

“Sera, it looks like there’s something inside the cover.”

“Really?”

Sera carefully closed the journal and examined the cover.

The cover came loose, revealing a note inside.

“This is…”

Beatrice stepped forward and unfolded the note.

Her eyebrows raised slightly, and her expression soon began to harden.

“Beatrice?”

“…Togu, read this.”

Saying that, Beatrice handed me the note, and soon people gathered around me to read it.

“To whoever sees this note.

If someone who doesn’t know me has obtained this book, please burn it.

If someone who could be called my friend has obtained this book, please deliver it to my granddaughter.

If my granddaughter is reading this note, keep it safe. It will help you someday.

If the one who has obtained this book is Somnus of the Emiris Order, you have wasted your effort.

You will gain nothing from this book.

Despite lacking so much, you continue to discard rather than acknowledge, and thus you will obtain nothing.

I will not willingly give you anything.

Give up and quietly prepare for your end.

This is the final advice an old human can give you, so do not take it lightly.

-Maria Medimaker-“

Reading the note, I felt my eyes widen.

“Somnus.”

His name appeared here again.

‘But what does this mean?’

I read the note once more.

However, I couldn’t understand the meaning of the part addressed to Somnus.

‘Not willingly giving anything means…’

I recalled our purpose for coming here.

The Philosopher’s Stone.

If there was something Sera’s grandmother would refuse to give up, it could only be that.

But I couldn’t guess the meaning of the rest.

‘Is this a dead end?’

The book we thought was a clue was full of blank pages, and the note contained requests to those who found the book and incomprehensible words to Somnus.

‘It’s as if she knew Somnus was plotting something.’

Looking again, she specifically singled out Somnus rather than the entire Emiris Order.

Did she fear him more than the entire order?

“So we’re just left with more mysteries.”

I muttered, watching Beatrice who was trying to calm herself after seeing Somnus’s name.

+

After Sera carefully packed the book, we searched deeper inside and found more alchemical items and several golem cores.

After discussing with Sera, we decided to take everything.

Why did I discuss it with Sera?

“Since these are Sera’s grandmother’s belongings, Sera should have ownership rights.”

“Thank you, Kay.”

Sera said with a smile.

“But is the cart okay?”

“It pulls better than I expected.”

There were more items inside than we thought, making it difficult to move everything individually.

So Sera and Beatrice combined their efforts to make a makeshift cart from the house’s furniture, which I was now pulling.

Considering strength alone, Sera should have been pulling it, but out of conscience, I volunteered since I had teased her earlier when she tore off the door.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Thanks to Sera’s medicine and monstrous recovery ability, the pain from the fall had already disappeared.

In daily life, I could almost forget I was terminally ill.

Though I had to be careful during extended intense fights, as my heart would eventually start hurting.

“Don’t overdo it. I’ll take over.”

“That’s reassuring. Alright.”

Sera kept looking at me, seemingly concerned.

Watching Sera, Beatrice casually remarked:

“Say, would you consider donating one of those golem cores? The Magic Tower would be thrilled to see such advanced technology.”

“No.”

Sera immediately answered.

Then, narrowing her eyes, she said:

“I’m going to examine them first.”

“Examine them?”

“Yes.”

Sera smiled at me.

“Since these are cores made by my grandmother, I want to thoroughly study their structure.”

To me, the golem cores just looked like jewels.

Could she really learn anything by examining them?

More importantly, could they even be taken apart?

‘…She must be saying that because it’s possible.’

Magic and alchemy aren’t my areas of expertise anyway.

I told myself that thinking too deeply about it would only confuse me.

“I plan to sell them after I’ve examined everything.”

“If I may ask, is it really okay to sell them?”

At Eve’s question, Sera nodded.

“There are multiple golem cores anyway, and carrying them around would just be extra baggage. Once I finish analyzing them, I’d like to sell them to the Magic Tower for travel funds.”

Sera looked at Eve as she spoke.

“I don’t want to keep being a burden to you, Eve.”

Eve was essentially responsible for all our group’s finances.

Eve smiled brightly at Sera’s statement about wanting to contribute to reduce her burden.

“I see, Miss Beatrice.”

“Hmm, well, let me know after you’ve learned everything you want to know. I’ll make sure you get a good price.”

Beatrice then began offering various suggestions on how to get a better price.

Judging by Eve’s expression, these suggestions probably wouldn’t be very effective.

“So this matter is settled for now.”

“Indeed.”

“Ah, have some water.”

“Thanks.”

I answered Christina, who had somehow appeared beside me, and drank the water she offered.

It was quite refreshing, perhaps kept cool by some holy magic.

As it went down my throat, a refreshing coolness spread through me.

‘She’s quite close, though.’

Christina was walking so close beside me that someone might think we were pulling the cart together.

“Distance… always close… best right beside…”

She was muttering quietly, thinking I couldn’t hear, and clenching her fist with a “I did it!” kind of feeling, which was somewhat cute.

‘I should pretend I didn’t notice.’

Thinking that, I kept my eyes forward and continued pulling the cart silently. The three people who had been chatting happily soon quieted down and began moving forward cautiously, watching for any golems that might appear.

After a brief period of silence as we looked around, I noticed Sera had taken out the book and seemed lost in thought.

“Sera?”

“Ah, yes.”

Sera looked at me.

She was holding the journal very preciously.

“What are you thinking about?”

“About my grandmother.”

Sera seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

Meanwhile, Christina glanced at Sera and quietly moved away from me, joining the others in keeping watch.

While I was watching Christina’s actions from the corner of my eye, Sera, having organized her thoughts, carefully spoke:

“I was thinking about what Grandmother might have hidden in this book.”

“I see.”

I had been distracted by Somnus’s name in the note, but there was also a message for Sera.

That it would help her someday.

“Is there some kind of secret technique written in that book?”

“That’s the thing—it’s all blank pages. I’m not sure what kind of mechanism is hidden there.”

Sera said with a troubled expression.

Does she have no idea?

“‘Continuously challenging oneself to discover, think, and find answers independently,’ right?”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

Sera nodded as I recited her grandmother’s teaching.

“Since it’s blank, maybe the meaning is to freely experiment and write in it yourself. Blank pages can be filled with anything, after all.”

“Hmm…”

At my words, Sera looked at the book for a moment.

Then she closed it and said:

“As you said, Kay, I’ll have to keep trying.”

“That’s right.”

Looking at Sera, I saw she was smiling.

“Along with that large golem core we found earlier, I’ll have to work hard on this.”

“That core was incomplete, right?”

“Yes.”

She was talking about the core where we found the book.

Beatrice had assured us it was a golem core, though something was missing that prevented it from working.

She didn’t seem to know what was missing, though.

“I’m going to try to complete it, like a final homework assignment from Grandmother.”

Looking into Sera’s eyes, I could see they were full of interest.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter—something about it seemed to stimulate her spirit of challenge.

All I could offer was a small encouragement.

“You can do it.”

“Do what?”

“Whatever it is. Whether completing the core or solving the book’s secret.”

Sera looked at me.

Looking back at her, I quietly said:

“Or becoming a great alchemist like your grandmother, whom you admire.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Sera’s face turned slightly red.

Looking at her, I quietly added:

“After all, you’re your grandmother’s last and greatest disciple.”

“That’s true.”

Sera smiled brightly.

“I’ll definitely succeed.”

“I know you will.”

With Sera smiling brightly behind me, I continued pulling the cart.

Before long, we reached our carriage and drove away from the village.

+

In a room somewhere in the Trigiena New Kingdom.

In the center of a very luxurious room, two men were facing each other, engaged in conversation.

“This has become troublesome.”

Somnus spoke, not hiding his displeasure.

“That test subject has disappeared without a trace, and the Regent is interfering in his own way…”

Somnus tapped his fingers in irritation as he fell into thought.

Watching him, Idea quietly spoke:

“The Regent simply wants to hold power for himself.”

“…He doesn’t even know who put him in that position.”

Does he want to be a proper king rather than just a regent?

Somnus quietly added:

“Recently, it seems he’s been trying to persuade those who participated in our Red Holy Knight Order’s research to create something of his own… what a nuisance.”

“Are you displeased that your technology is being leaked?”

At Idea’s words, Somnus smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t care if they take that technology.”

“I see.”

Idea quietly nodded.

Indeed, whether the Regent used that technology to create monsters or not was beyond Idea’s concern.

“I’ve obtained almost everything I wanted anyway.”

After saying this, Somnus added as if he just remembered:

“Except for one problem.”

“The Philosopher’s Stone?”

Somnus nodded.

Idea pondered for a moment before asking:

“If it hasn’t been found until now, perhaps it no longer exists in this world.”

“That’s not the case.”

Somnus spoke with certainty.

Idea quietly looked at him, waiting to hear more.

“Have you actually seen it?”

“I haven’t seen it directly, but I know for certain it exists.”

Somnus spoke with conviction, and Idea quietly asked:

“Is there a possibility it was destroyed?”

“No.”

Again, Somnus answered with certainty.

“Moreover, it might not even be something that can be destroyed.”

“Impossible to destroy?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone, for some reason, is said to repair itself even if destroyed.”

Somnus smiled at Idea’s question and said:

“According to the records, that is.”

Somnus pulled out a small book from thin air.

As he opened it, he continued:

“But I believe the credibility is high.”

Idea looked steadily at him.

“Is that the Hero’s journal?”

Idea asked, looking at the book Somnus was holding.

Somehow, he had obtained the Hero’s journal.

“I was fortunate.”

Somnus said with a smile.

“Well, even such a stone apparently disappears when used for certain purposes.”

Somnus didn’t answer.

Idea, knowing the answer, spoke:

“The Hero’s awakening.”

The Philosopher’s Stone had been used and ultimately disappeared—that was the Hero’s awakening.

Somnus rose from his seat and bowed to Idea.

“…For the sake of the true Hero, I will definitely find that stone.”

“Is it possible?”

“That’s what the test subjects, the experiments, and the sacrifices are for.”

Saying this, Somnus pulled out a piece of paper from the air.

He quickly scanned the paper that had suddenly appeared.

Then he spoke:

“It seems one experiment has just succeeded.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Idea responded impassively as Somnus showed him the paper containing news of a successful experiment.

Then Somnus spoke again with a respectful attitude, like a servant attending to a king:

“This Somnus will whip this old body as much as needed for the will of the great god Emiris.”

“I look forward to it.”

Idea quietly nodded.

And Somnus, watching Idea, quietly smiled.