Trailblazer Freya

Freya's eyes shone with an incomparably bright and dazzling golden light.

That unquestionable, absolute confidence, that effortless languor that needs no explanation, is a trust in oneself.

Iver was immediately moved. "Could it be... the Fifth Level?"

"—Naturally, I am a ' Trailblazer ' of the Fifth Level."

Freya smiled gently, reaching out to lightly tap Iver's brow, her domineering aggression softening somewhat. "Otherwise, how could he be called a genius?"

The advanced profession of alchemist: Trailblazer.

This is the most difficult group among all the advanced professions in the Equilibrium Path, and even among all the Paths.

Its numbers are overwhelmingly scarce, and many alchemists have had to switch to other professions.

Simply put, this is a job exclusively for NPCs; players cannot change jobs to this class.

It requires that extraordinary individuals possess at least one "incredible and world-changing invention" before advancing to the Fourth Level. Among all mainstream professions, this is also one of the few that leads directly to the Pillar God... Just as the Torchbearer and the Candlekeeper are related, the Trailblazer and the Hourglass are inextricably linked.

Every Trailblazer is a world-renowned inventor. Taking it upon themselves to "open up the possibilities of the world," they act as the visible hand that drives the development of the Hourglass and controls the orderly evolution of the world, and can even be called the spokesperson and apostles of the Hourglass.

"To be honest, I've made considerable and encouraging progress in treating Ningpo," Freya said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yanis's eyes lit up. "Oh? You didn't tell me this."

"Because I originally planned to announce it when I achieved a bigger breakthrough."

Freya crossed her arms and nodded happily, saying, "But since Iver is interested... it wouldn't hurt to show it to you. After all, this is just two sides of the same coin when it comes to the study of the Elixir of Immortality."

After Freya finished speaking, she put on the somewhat ugly iron helmet and walked towards a machine that was running automatically.

Iver's expression was somewhat strange. He exchanged a glance with Sherlock and gave him a reassuring look.

He understood perfectly— Freya's words meant something like, "If Iver weren't here, I would never have shown it to you."

Although Freya did not make any overly intimate moves toward Iver, she tried her best to keep her distance.

Even so, Freya kept emphasizing "Iver's uniqueness" in her words, frantically implying that as Freya's family member, he had some special significance for her.

Iver wasn't oblivious to this somewhat clumsy attempt at goodwill. But it even felt strangely unfamiliar to Iver—

So, it turns out the Moriarty Family has this kind of goofy personality? The professor and Iver, of course, are an exception. Now Iver is also gradually realizing that Yulia seems to only be putting on a gentle act in front of him; in reality, she is quite independent, competitive, and self-centered.

Edward, the eldest brother, may seem quiet, but he actually thinks a lot. He just never voices his thoughts; he keeps them all inside—he's a solitary person who tends to suppress his feelings, but he's never a fool.

However, Freya, who is already thirty-one years old, is clearly not good at socializing.

It wasn't that she lacked social skills, but rather that she couldn't hide her thoughts. Whether it was her coldness towards Sherlock or her overtures to Iver, she expressed them so obviously... She just wanted to chat with Iver, so when Sherlock came up and said the first sentence, she could still be a little good-natured, but the second sentence made her glare back.

—It conveys a very clear sense of "Did I talk to you?"

Although she didn't say it aloud, the meaning was perfectly conveyed.

But she couldn't find any topics to talk about, so she could only start introducing her own research—even though she knew Iver wouldn't understand, she was just trying her best to show how amazing she was.

... Perhaps geniuses have this kind of personality problem.

It's unbelievable that the professor's biological daughter has this kind of personality.

So when Freya returned, Iver immediately asked, "Sister Freya, what's this helmet for?"

"Oh, are you interested in this?"

Freya removed the helmet with one hand, and as her hair fell down, she casually chuckled, "This is a good thing... It can hide the hair on your head to prevent it from being burned, and it can also filter out some harmful gases that you might inhale. Dwarves used to wear it when they approached various furnaces. I traded a dozen Holy Tree No. 3 for it. Do you like it? If you do, it's yours."

"Oh, no need."

Iver quickly waved his hand, politely declining.

This helmet... it might be somewhat useful, but it looks awful.

It looked like a dark blue motorcycle helmet with a metal underpants welded onto it. Iver was just curious why Freya would wear such an ugly helmet.

Now that he has heard its origin, all he can say is... this is truly dwarven aesthetics; this thing can even be used as a miner's hat and a battle helmet.

Ugly is fine, as long as it works.

"Iver clearly thinks this thing is ugly."

Yanis, standing to the side with her arms crossed, retorted, "You don't really think anyone would like this, do you?"

"As long as it works, that's fine."

Freya scoffed, "With hair this long, I would have cut it long ago if I didn't have it. Wearing it hides everything instantly. It's such a good thing, so even if it's ugly... Oh, by the way, Iver! Do you want some shampoo?"

As she spoke, she casually placed the helmet on the table. She ran her fingers through her hair, letting Iver watch as it flowed like water between her fingers.

"Look at this smoothness! It also prevents static and frizz, and even if you wear a hat or helmet, it will immediately return to its original state after you take it off. This is the shampoo I invented, it's not in production yet... Do you like it?"

"... This is quite good."

Iver could only admit it.

Although Iver's hair is now back to the length he had when he was interviewed at the Pelican Bar —the same length he had when he was still in his God of War — Isabel seems to like his long hair and will probably grow it back later.

Long hair does look good, but it's hard to manage.

Upon hearing this, Freya immediately beamed with joy. "I have some samples here, you can take them and use them first. I'll contact some antimony factories later to start production..."

Yanis coughed twice, interrupting, "Star Antimony is currently at war with Avalon, so the goods may not be able to be transported over."

"What? How could this be?"

Freya frowned. "Don't be afraid—I will immediately write a letter condemning Valentine VII and stop this war in the name of the Trailblazer."

"... It was Avalon who instigated it."

Yanis added.

Upon hearing this, Freya's eyes widened immediately.

This was the first time Iver had ever seen an expression of disbelief on her face.

"... Oh my God."

After a long while, Freya coughed and sighed somewhat dryly.

In that instant, she didn't know what to say.

"Then... should I contact Avalon?"

Freya tentatively asked, "But does Avalon have factories that produce this kind of craftsmanship? Or... should we pause the war for now? In any case, war is not a good thing... Is the current Queen still Sofia?"

"Didn't I tell you that Isabel would succeed to the throne?"

Yanis couldn't help but complain, "What have you remembered? Why would I be here Sofia is still alive?"

"... Who is Isabel again? When did you tell me?"

Freya for a moment, then decisively shifted the blame. "I told you, don't come over and talk while I'm doing experiments. I didn't hear you."

"You..."

"Alright, let's stop discussing this. We'll talk about it later."

Freya interrupted Yanis and carefully took the liquid from the sealed container in her hand, "This is my major breakthrough in treating Amberization Disease."

"... Where are we at?"

Yanis was the first to come over and asked in a low voice.

As an elf born in the Theocracy and who had wandered abroad for two hundred years, she was very concerned about this issue.

"I can now forcefully induce Amberization Disease attack."

Freya said with great pride, pressing the sealing mechanism on top before unscrewing the bottle. "I call it the Tears of Time. Anyone who comes into contact with this concentrated potion, even the Pope, will immediately freeze."

Upon hearing this, Yanis recoiled several steps as if she had been electrocuted.

For the first time, Iver saw a clear look of fear on Yanis's face.

The Amberization Disease is indeed a lingering fear etched deep within the hearts of all elves.

Yanis's pupils trembled, and her voice seemed to tremble as well. "Then don't bring it closer—you call this a major breakthrough?"

"What do you know? Someone like you who just paints can't possibly understand my great talent."

Freya said dismissively, "Being able to induce a seizure with 100% success means we're only one step away from a cure—"

"And what's the final step?"

"That's why I'm researching it!"

Freya, embarrassed and angry, said, "I already said, I'm going to... huh?"

She paused for a moment, looked at the bottle carefully, and fell into deep thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Iver asked."

"... one-third less."

Freya's expression turned grave. "This is bad."