Listing

It was nearly noon by the time everyone arrived at Edward's Alchemy Shop. Edward and Alice entered first, with Princess Andrea and her maid Lulu a step behind. The captain of the knights stayed outside to send the carriage driver back.

Inside, they found Harry, the shop clerk, and his girlfriend Yini, along with the silver-haired, baby-faced pastor, who was sitting on the sofa in the lounge, leisurely sipping a cup of hot tea. His calm, smiling expression was just like that of some old officials from Edward's Previous Life. Edward couldn't help thinking, Dude, you're only seventeen. Why are you acting like an old official? You're not a Sage—you're an idle Sage.

When Alice saw Pastor Elwin, she happily went over and patted him on the shoulder in greeting.

"Elwin, you're here too! Great, now everyone's here."

"Oh, Alice, you're here. I was waiting for sir. Has something happened, with everyone coming here?"

Pastor Elwin asked the beautiful girl beside him as the others arrived. He calmly set his teacup on the glass coffee table, then rose to greet the princess as she entered.

After returning his greeting, the princess said to Pastor Elwin:

"Edward is now the president of the Alchemist Association White Hawk Duchy Branch. We came to attend the Hanging Ceremony together."

"Oh, congratulations! That's wonderful." Pastor Elwin turned to congratulate Edward, then asked, "But how does the Hanging Ceremony work?"

"It's nothing complicated. We just hang the sign by the door. I'll put it up now, then we can go to the Backyard for lunch. It's a little late today, so we'll keep it simple and have Hot Pot!" Edward took off his Mage's robe, leaving himself in a shirt and trousers. He rolled up his sleeves, pulled a ladder from his Spatial Ring, and headed outside to put up the sign.

"Hot Pot? Is that the dish you made when Andrea and I first came here, boss? I've never had it!" Alice nearly wiped the drool from her mouth.

Everyone followed Edward outside, joining the captain of the knights, who had just sent the carriage away. They gathered by the shop entrance and watched Edward set up the ladder and climb it, ready to put up the sign.

"By the way, boss, how big is your Spatial Ring? You even fit a ladder in there." Alice sounded curious, ignoring Princess Andrea, who was tugging at her sleeve.

"About thirty cubic meters. That's about the size of a little room three meters long, four meters wide, and two and a half meters high."

Edward answered as he climbed. They knew one another well by now, so he no longer bothered to keep things under wraps.

"Wow, you're really rich, boss! Do you know how much a medium-sized Spatial Ring like that costs? It's worth more than the one you sold to my cousin—mmph!"

Before she could finish, Princess Andrea covered Alice's mouth with a smile.

Edward didn't mind. He turned back and exchanged a knowing smile with the Knight Princess, then nailed the sign beside the Alchemy Shop's signboard.

The smiling pastor glanced from Edward to the princess, then at the handsome captain of the knights, whose face was dark enough to drip water. He shrank back a little, ready to slip into Spectator Mode as usual.

After hanging the sign, Edward rummaged through his Spatial Ring and pulled out a flower-shaped ornament made of red cloth. He hung it on the Alchemist Association's golden signboard, letting its red ribbons fall naturally on either side. He nodded in satisfaction. Now this looked like a proper business opening from his Previous Life.

Once Edward climbed down the ladder, everyone applauded. He clasped his hands in thanks, put the ladder away, and prepared to invite everyone inside for lunch.

Alice suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Hey, boss, do you still have those crackling things from your shop's opening? Do you use them whenever something important happens?"

"I do!" Edward slapped his thigh. The ceremony had felt like it was missing something. Even if they weren't going to cut a ribbon, setting off a couple of strings of firecrackers seemed only right. He immediately pulled two coils of ten-thousand-shot Earth Red firecrackers from his Spatial Ring.

"These are firecrackers. I found the recipe in an unknown old book. It's the same formula the dwarves used for their muskets back in the day. Supposedly, some tribes used them to scare off and drive away magical beasts before the Great Cataclysm." Edward made up an explanation.

"Later, they became festive items for celebrating holidays. Just imagine: if every household set off firecrackers at New Year, ordinary magical beasts wouldn't dare attack the city. I'm planning to release these as a new Alchemist product for the New Year."

Princess Andrea pictured the whole city setting off these firecrackers, and decided the sight would be too beautiful to look at. Then an idea struck her. What if they took these to the border walls, where they defended against magical beasts?

Princess Andrea glanced back at the captain of the knights. Even Reinhardt, his face still dark as a raincloud, gave her a knowing nod.

By then, Edward had arranged the two coils of firecrackers in semicircles around the shop entrance. He looked at Alice and asked, "Would the Mage like to set them off?"

"How do I do it? I just light the fuse, right?" Alice nodded excitedly.

Edward took two sticks made from wood shavings out of his Spatial Ring, lit them with his homemade Lighter, and handed one to Alice and one to Elwin.

The young Mage eagerly took hers. The baby-faced pastor, still in Spectator Mode, accepted his with a puzzled look, wondering if he had a part in this after all.

"See those two green fuse ends on either side? Touch the burning tips to them, then run back as soon as they catch. Remember to cover your ears," Edward instructed them.

The two of them went to light the firecrackers on opposite sides of the semicircle. Elwin lit the far end and ran back, covering his ears.

Alice was still hesitating. She covered one ear and shakily reached out with the other hand to light the fuse, but as soon as the firecrackers on Elwin's side began to catch, she was so startled she couldn't get hers lit.

Seeing her panic, Elwin hurried over to help her light it. Then he covered the young Mage's ears and ran back to the shop entrance with her.

The firecrackers began to crackle and pop in front of the Alchemy Shop, flashing bright red and green.

The noise soon stopped, and the smoke cleared. Everyone found themselves smiling, as if the firecrackers had some kind of magic. Alice was still eager for more and begged Edward to set off another round, but her cousin pulled her back.

Edward hurried to usher everyone inside and prepare to close the shop. He planned to invite Harry and his girlfriend to join the princess and her party for the Hot Pot feast.

Just as he was about to lower the rolling shutter, three people suddenly pushed open the shop door and walked in.

All three looked like mercenaries. Their leader was a giant of a man, around thirty years old and nearly two meters tall. He had brown hair and a thick beard, and wore a dusty canvas shirt, mottled with what looked like stains of oil and blood that had never quite washed out. The sleeves had been cut off, leaving him in a vest that exposed his hairy arms. The muscles in his upper arms bulged, each thicker than Edward's thigh. His forearms were tattooed with gaudy designs. He carried an enormous canvas pack on his back, much like the military backpacks used by the US Army in Edward's Previous Life.

The other two were tall as well, but looked small beside the giant. They were also much younger. Their clothes were similar in style and color to his: one had black hair, the other blond. One carried a long sword, while the other seemed to have a Heavy Crossbow strapped to his back and a short knife at his waist. They both had luggage, and looked travel-worn.

The giant had a Cigar from the Southern Archipelago dangling from his mouth, its tip glowing red. In a muffled voice, he asked, "Boss, are you an Alchemist?"

Edward turned to face them from behind the counter and smiled. "Yes, sir. I'm an Alchemist. Before I ask what you need, please put out your cigar. Smoking isn't allowed in the shop."

"Smoking? Only sissies smoke that stuff. Real men smoke cigars!" the giant said disdainfully.

"Sir, cigars aren't allowed either," Edward insisted.

"All right." The giant wasn't as stubborn as Edward had expected. He pressed the cigar out on the lid of a small metal case, carefully tucked the half-smoked cigar inside, and put the case in his breast pocket. His clothes were a little like a stagehand's utility vest from Edward's Previous Life, with pockets all over.

Edward had planned to ask Harry to lead everyone to the Backyard to rest, but Alice and Andrea had already made their way to the lounge sofa and sat down to watch, looking in no hurry. Elwin and the captain of the knights had no choice but to follow them and take seats. Harry hurried off with his girlfriend to the Water Bar in the corner to fetch water, make tea, and bring out some snacks.

Seeing that they didn't need anything from him, Edward turned to the giant.

"Sir, you don't look like you're here to buy anything. Is there something I can help you with?"

The giant took the enormous pack off his back and thumped it onto the counter in front of Edward.

The corner of Edward's mouth twitched. His counter was made of fine Redwood and was very sturdy, but it had probably just been dented by the impact.

The giant opened the pack, revealing a Steampunk contraption. A cylindrical metal Water Tank sat on top, with a glass tube to show the water level. It looked like a smaller version of the water cooler bottles from Edward's Previous Life. Beneath it was a flat metal box attached to shoulder straps, like the high-pressure sprayers used to apply pesticides in the countryside back then. A long tube extended from the right side, with a handle attached at the end.

"Personal Steam Crossbow, Hill 268 Model! The Magic Array inside is broken, and the Dwarf Guild can't fix it. Can you?"

"You mean the Mechanical Bureau office of the Church of Steam and Mechanical Gods? They don't repair Magic Arrays, but they should have spare parts for a common model like this. They can just replace it." Edward wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible, so he said this.

"Ugh, who can remember such a long name? Calling it the Dwarf Guild is so much easier. Anyway, those guys said it'd be too much trouble to fix mine and I'd be better off buying a new one. The new ones cost five Gold Pound. What a damn rip-off!"

The blond young man tugged at the giant's sleeve and whispered, "Vincent, didn't Big Sister tell you not to mention the price? She'll do the bargaining when she gets here."

The giant shook off the young man's hand and turned to scold him. "Jimmy, what are you blabbering about? I'll smack you if you don't shut up."

Then he turned back to Edward and asked, "Boss, just tell me if you can fix it. Give me a straight answer!"

"I can fix it. If you're not in a hurry, leave it here and I'll write up a repair order. You can pick it up in a couple of days."

Edward thought, I could fix it—or make you a new one—for less than one Gold Pound. One Golden Eagle Coin would be more like it.

"Then fix it. We'll wait here. Big Sister will be here soon, and she can talk price with you. We're in a hurry to catch a fast ship to the Rainforest Country," Vincent said.

Edward helplessly shrugged at Princess Andrea. The princess smiled and said, "It's fine. We're not in a hurry. Take care of your business first. It is the first sale since the Association's sign went up, after all."

"Of course. Just a moment; I'll be done soon," Edward said to the princess and the three men in front of him.

He easily set the Steam Crossbow down and removed its pack. He found a large bucket at the back, then pulled over a red metal filing cabinet. It had four wheels and a handle on the side, making it easy to roll.

Edward put the bucket beneath the counter, then pressed a button on the red cabinet. Its five drawers sprang open in sequence like a flight of stairs, revealing neatly arranged tools. The tools gleamed silver, packed closely into drawers lined with black velvet.

Alice and the three mercenaries, who had crowded around to watch, all let out a collective "Oh!"

Edward picked up a wrench and removed a screw on top of the Steam Crossbow. Water poured out, filthy and full of rusty sediment.

"Customer, how often do you maintain this Steam Crossbow?" Edward asked casually as he waited for the water to drain.

"Maintain it? I do that every day! I oil the parts and wipe it down all the time. Look, there's not a speck of rust on it. I take good care of it!" the giant said earnestly.

"You do a thorough job of wiping it down, but you've misunderstood what I mean. I'm asking how often you clean the Inner Hall."

"Does the Inner Hall need cleaning?" The giant looked confused.

"What kind of water do you put in it?"

"Clean water. River water, well water. When we're out on a mission, I'm very careful. I only put in water that's safe for people to drink!"

Edward rolled his eyes wordlessly. The man reminded him of the "car enthusiasts" from his Previous Life who came to the shop for car maintenance.

"You've read the Steam Crossbow's instructions, right? It's best to use Distilled Water. If you can't get that, at least use boiled water that's been left to settle!"

"When we're out there, we can't even get hot water to drink. Who'd care about that stuff?" the giant said, rubbing the back of his head.

"This Steam Crossbow's Water Tank is clogged with too much limescale. It must have blocked the inlet to the Heating Chamber below, causing the Magic Array to burn out. The Dwarf Guild didn't lie to you. It'd be better to replace this thing than repair it," Edward said helplessly.

"Can you fix it or not? It only needs to work. We're in a hurry to catch that ship!"

"If it were anyone else, there wouldn't be much I could do. Luckily for you, you found me."

Edward produced a series of unusual screwdrivers as if by magic and opened the Dust Cover at the back of the Steam Crossbow. Using a strange tool, he lifted out a metal-plate-shaped Magic Array and took it to the Enchantment Table at the back, where it flashed once. Then he put on his Alchemist Gloves and touched the Steam Crossbow. A flash of light later, a huge pile of white limescale appeared on the counter. The whole Steam Crossbow gleamed silver now, like it had just come off the assembly line.

"Magic Array reconnected, Inner Hall descaled, whole unit cleaned, pipes repaired." As he spoke, Edward put the Magic Array back into the Steam Crossbow.

"All done. Give it a try!" Edward said confidently, even though he'd finished the whole job in less than two minutes.

"This... it's really fixed?" The giant looked incredulous.

Edward used the Water Creation Technique. The gauge on the Steam Crossbow's Water Jug began to rise. Once the water went above the red line, Edward pulled the handle. The machine started working, gurgling as it heated the water. The Pressure Chamber at the bottom began to build pressure, and the Pressure Gauge shot up to the mark.

Then he picked up the handle, which had no ammunition loaded. It was like a rifle from Edward's Previous Life, except that a tube connected its back to the machine. The "barrel" was very thick, with a bore about the same size as a Machine Cannon from Edward's Previous Life. He aimed it at the ceiling and pulled the trigger. With a sharp hiss, a jet of white Steam shot upward.

"How's that? Good as new. That'll be two Golden Eagle Coins," Edward said with a smile. Then he added, "If you don't want to carry such a large Water Tank, I can modify it to use the Water Creation Technique. Then you won't need to clean the Inner Hall anymore, and you can even drink the water in the wild. It'll be absolutely clean. That'll only cost one more Golden Eagle Coin."

"That's impressive, Warlock! You really know your stuff!" the giant exclaimed.

"I'm not a Warlock. Warlocks rely on their looks to make a living, while we Alchemists rely on our talent!" Edward made his boast without a hint of effort.

"And who's this talented person? Let big sister have a look." A sweet, flirtatious voice rang out.

Her voice arrived before she did. A beautiful woman entered the shop, wearing a Crimson Deep V-Neck Tight Jacket with a collar made of white fox fur. She was tall and slender, with a graceful figure.

What drew the eye most was her ample bust. Her low-cut jacket revealed deep cleavage. By the standards of Edward's Previous Life, she was at least an E cup, if not an F.

Moving up to her face, her dark brown hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Her skin was a little dark, a healthy wheat color. Her features were exquisite, and she wore heavy makeup.

Her long eyelashes made her sapphire-blue eyes look even larger. Her slightly full lips were painted with bright lip gloss, gleaming in the shop's bright lighting like two slices of vivid jelly. They made him want to lean in and take a bite.

The Knight Princess noticed that the woman was dragging a small suitcase with four wheels behind her. It was the same style as the large suitcase Edward had used to carry her armor. A vague sense of foreboding crept over her.

The three mercenaries turned to let the woman through, calling out together, "Big Sister!"

The beauty caught sight of the young Alchemist in the middle of the group and froze. Only Princess Andrea noticed that her eyes seemed to speak.

There was anger in them, and hatred, and hesitation. Finally, they turned into a sparkle of starlight called longing, shimmering and bursting forth.

She ignored the three mercenaries, dropped her rolling suitcase, and ran to Edward, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

Alice anxiously tugged at the Knight Princess's sleeve, as if saying, "Cousin, that woman's playing dirty! She's leading with her chest!"

A long chapter of five thousand words! Thanks to "Bookworm Nuan Nuan" for the forty recommendation tickets. I was really startled this time. It's the first time I've seen someone generous enough to send twenty tickets at once. What membership level are you?

And thanks to everyone for your support, and to "Dispower," "Fragmented V Starry Sky," "Tengyuan Ju Ye," and "Orphan" for the recommendation tickets.

Thank you, everyone!