Listing

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

Inside, besides the clerk Harry and his girlfriend Yini, the silver-haired baby-faced pastor was sitting on the sofa in the rest area, holding a cup of hot tea and sipping it leisurely. His calm, slit-eyed expression was eerily reminiscent of certain old cadres from Edward's previous life. Edward couldn't help but grumble inwardly, Big Bro, you're only 17, acting like an old-timer already—if you're not a Sage, you're at least an "idle one."

Alice spotted Pastor Elvin and cheerfully walked over, patting him on the shoulder in greeting:

"Elvin, you're here too. Perfect, everyone's together now."

"Ah, Alice, you've arrived. I was waiting for Mr. Edward. Is something going on with all of you showing up?"

Seeing the group, Pastor Elvin asked the beautiful girl beside him while calmly setting his teacup down on the glass coffee table, then stood to bow to the princess who entered behind.

The princess returned the bow and said to Pastor Elvin:

"Edward is now the president of the Alchemist Association White Hawk Duchy Branch. We're here to attend the hanging ceremony together."

"Oh, that's truly cause for celebration." Pastor Elvin turned to congratulate Edward, then asked:

"But how is the hanging ceremony conducted?"

"Nothing fancy—just hang the plaque by the door. I'll do it now, and then we'll head to the backyard for a meal. It's a bit late today, so we'll keep it simple: hot pot!" Edward took off his mage robe, leaving only his shirt and trousers, rolled up his sleeves, and pulled a ladder out of his Spatial Ring to head out and hang the plaque.

"Hot pot! Is that the dish you were eating when Andrea and I first came here, boss? I've never tried it!" Alice was practically drooling.

Everyone followed Edward back outside, joining the captain of the knights who had just sent off the carriage, and gathered around the shop entrance to watch Edward set up the ladder and climb up to hang the plaque.

"Hey boss, how big is your Spatial Ring? You even fit a ladder in there?" Alice asked curiously, ignoring Princess Andrea tugging at her sleeve.

"About 30 cubic meters—roughly the size of a small room, 3 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high," Edward said as he climbed.

Now that they were familiar with each other, he no longer bothered to hide things.

"Wow, boss, you're loaded! Do you know how much a mid-tier Spatial Ring like that costs? More than the one you sold my cousin—"

Before she could finish, the smiling Princess Andrea covered her mouth.

Edward didn't mind. He turned back and exchanged a knowing glance with the Knight Princess, then faced forward to nail the plaque next to the Alchemy Shop's signboard.

The slit-eyed pastor glanced at Edward, then at the princess, and finally at the handsome captain of the knights, whose face was dark enough to drip water. He instinctively shrank back, ready to slip into his usual "Spectator Mode."

After hanging the plaque, Edward rummaged through his Spatial Ring and pulled out a red cloth flower ball. He hung it on the golden plaque of the Alchemist Association, letting the red ribbons on either side dangle naturally. Satisfied, he nodded—Now this looks like a proper corporate hanging ceremony from my previous life.

Climbing down the ladder, everyone applauded in unison. Edward cupped his hands in thanks, put the ladder away, and prepared to invite everyone inside for the meal.

Alice suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Hey boss, wait. Do you still have those crackling things from your opening day? Shouldn't we use them for something important like this?"

"I do," Edward said, slapping his thigh. He'd felt something was missing from the hanging ceremony—even without a ribbon-cutting, setting off a couple of firecrackers was only fitting. He pulled two rolls of ten-thousand-bang "Earth Red" from his Spatial Ring.

"These are firecrackers. I found the recipe in some unknown ancient book—same formula as the old dwarf flintlocks. Legend says they were used by certain tribes before the Great Cataclysm to scare off magical beasts," Edward fabricated on the spot.

"They later evolved into festive celebratory items. Imagine if every household set these off during the New Year—no ordinary magical beast would dare assault the city then. I plan to launch this as a new alchemy product for the New Year."

Princess Andrea imagined the whole city setting off such firecrackers. The image was too beautiful to behold. But then her eyes lit up—what if they were transported to the border walls defending against magical beasts?

She glanced back at the captain of the knights, and even the grim-faced Reinhardt gave her a knowing nod.

By then, Edward had arranged the two rolls of firecrackers in two semicircles around the shop entrance. He asked Alice:

"Care to light them, Lady Mage?"

"How do I do it? I need to ignite them, right?" Alice nodded excitedly.

Edward pulled out two "incense sticks" made from wood shavings from his Spatial Ring, lit them with his homemade lighter, and handed one each to Alice and Elvin.

The young mage girl took one eagerly, while the baby-faced pastor, still in "Spectator Mode," accepted his with confusion, thinking, So I'm involved too.

"See those two green string ends? Touch them with the lit tips, then run back immediately. And cover your ears," Edward instructed.

The two began lighting their respective ends of the semicircles. Elvin lit the far one first and ran back, covering his ears.

Alice was still hesitating, one hand over her ears while the other trembled as she tried to light the firecracker. But as Elvin's side started popping, she got so startled she couldn't get hers lit.

Seeing her panic, Elvin quickly stepped over to help, lit it for her, and covered the young mage's ears as they both ran back to the shop entrance.

The front of the Alchemy Shop erupted in a cacophony of crackling bangs, red and green flashes dazzling to behold.

When the noise died down and the smoke cleared, everyone couldn't help but smile, as if the firecrackers held some kind of magic. Alice, still craving more, pestered Edward for another round until her cousin pulled her back.

Edward quickly ushered everyone inside, ready to close up shop. Today, he planned to invite Harry and his girlfriend to join the hot pot feast in honor of the princess's party.

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

All three were dressed like mercenaries. The leader was a giant of a man, around 30 years old, nearly two meters tall, with brown hair and a full, bushy beard. He wore a dusty canvas outfit, mottled with what looked like unwashed oil stains and blood. The sleeves of his top had been torn off, turning it into a vest that revealed his hairy arms, with biceps knotted and thicker than Edward's thighs. His forearms were covered in garish tattoos. On his back was a massive canvas pack resembling a military backpack from Edward's previous life.

The other two were also tall but seemed smaller next to the giant, and much younger. Their clothes were similar in color and style to the giant's—one with black hair, the other blond. One carried a longsword, while the other had what looked like a heavy crossbow on his back and a short blade at his waist. All bore travel gear, looking travel-worn.

The giant had a cigar, a specialty of the Southern Archipelago, clamped between his teeth, its tip glowing red. He asked in a muffled voice:

"Boss, you're an alchemist, right?"

Edward turned and faced the newcomers from behind the counter, smiling:

"Yes, sir, I am an alchemist. Before I ask what you need, please put out your cigar. Smoking is prohibited in this shop."

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

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

"Alright." The giant wasn't as tough as he'd seemed. He stubbed out his cigar on the lid of a small iron box, carefully stored the half-smoked stub inside, and tucked the box into his chest pocket. The style of his clothes, with pockets all over, reminded Edward of the stagehand vests from his previous life.

Edward had intended to ask Harry to lead everyone into the backyard to rest first, but Alice and Princess Andrea were intrigued and walked over to sit on the sofas in the lounge area, watching the commotion without any sign of hurry. Elwin and the captain of the knights had no choice but to follow and take seats. Harry quickly scurried off with his girlfriend to the "Water Bar" in the corner to fetch water, brew tea, and bring out snacks.

Seeing they didn't need his attention, Edward turned to the giant.

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

The giant unstrapped the massive backpack from his back and set it down on the counter in front of Edward with a heavy thud.

Edward's mouth twitched. His counter was made of fine redwood, very sturdy, but it had definitely just been dented.

The giant opened the backpack, revealing a steampunk-style creation inside. At the top was a cylindrical iron water tank with a glass tube showing the water level, like a smaller version of the water dispensers from Edward's previous life. Below was a flat iron box connected to shoulder straps, resembling the high-pressure sprayers used for pesticide spraying in the countryside of his old world. A long tube extended from the right side, fitted with a handle at the end.

"Personal Steam Crossbow, Hill 268 Model! The magic array inside is broken. The Dwarf Guild couldn't fix it. Can you?"

"You mean the Church of Steam and Mechanical Gods' Mechanical Bureau office, right? They don't repair magic arrays there, but they'd have spare parts for this common model. Just swap one out." Edward wanted to get rid of them quickly, so he said this.

"Ah, who can remember that long name? Calling it the Dwarf Guild is way easier. Anyway, those guys said fixing this is too much trouble, better to buy a new one. A new one costs 5 gold pounds. What a rip-off!"

The blond youth beside him tugged at the giant and whispered, "Vincent, Big Sister said not to mention the price. She'll handle the bargaining... She'll be here soon."

The giant shook off the youth's hand and snapped back, "Jimmy, you blabbering youngster, watch it or I'll smack you."

Then he turned back to Edward.

"Boss, just tell me—can you fix it or not? Give me a straight answer!"

"I can fix it. If you're not in a hurry, leave it here, and I'll write you a repair ticket. Come pick it up in a couple of days, okay?" Edward thought to himself, Fix it? I could make you a new one for less than 1 gold pound. 1 Golden Eagle coin, maybe.

"Then fix it. We'll wait here. Our Big Sister will be here soon to haggle with you. We're in a hurry—we've got a fast ship to catch to the Rainforest Country." The giant, Vincent, said.

Edward helplessly shrugged at Princess Andrea. She smiled and said, "It's fine. We're not in a rush. Go ahead and handle your business. After all, this is the association's first job since opening."

"Alright, please wait a moment. It'll be quick." Edward said to the princess and the three men.

He deftly laid the steam crossbow flat and removed the backpack. He grabbed a large bucket from behind and pulled over a red iron five-drawer cabinet. The cabinet had four wheels at its corners and a handle on the side. It moved easily.

Edward placed the bucket under the counter, pressed a button on the red cabinet, and the five drawers popped open like steps, revealing neatly arranged tools. The silver, gleaming tools were densely packed in black velvet-lined drawers.

Alice and the three mercenaries, who had leaned in to watch, all let out an "Oh!"

Edward picked up a wrench and unscrewed a bolt from the top of the steam crossbow. Dirty water with rusty sediment flowed out.

"How often do you maintain this steam crossbow, sir?" Edward asked casually as he waited for the water to drain.

"Maintain? I maintain it every day! I oil the parts daily and wipe it down often. See, not a speck of rust on it. I take good care of it!" The giant said earnestly.

"You wipe it down carefully, but you're missing my point. I mean, how often do you clean the inner chamber?"

"You need to clean the inner chamber too?" The giant looked confused.

"Then what kind of water do you add?"

"Clear water! River water, well water. When we're out on missions, I'm very careful—I only add water that's safe for people to drink!"

"..." Edward rolled his eyes in exasperation, feeling this guy was just like the "car enthusiasts" from his previous life who came to his shop for maintenance.

"Have you read the steam crossbow manual? It's best to use distilled water. If you can't, at least use boiled water that's been left to settle!"

"We can't even get boiled water out in the field. Who cares about that stuff!" The giant said, rubbing the back of his head.

"This steam crossbow has too much scale in the water tank. It's probably clogged the heating chamber's water inlet, causing the magic array to dry-burn and melt. The Dwarf Guild wasn't lying to you—fixing this is more trouble than replacing it." Edward said helplessly.

"So can you fix it or not? As long as it works, we're good. We're in a hurry to catch that ship!"

"If it were anyone else, they'd be out of luck. Lucky for you, you ran into me."

Edward, like a magician, pulled out different screwdrivers, opened the dust cover on the back of the steam crossbow, and used a strange tool to extract a disc-shaped magic array from inside. He took it to the "Enchantment Table" in the back and gave it a "flash." Then, wearing his Alchemist Gloves, he touched the steam crossbow. With a flash of light, a pile of white, powdery scale appeared on the counter. The entire steam crossbow turned silver and shiny, as if fresh out of the factory.

"I'll reconnect the magic array, descale the inner chamber, clean the whole unit, and repair the piping." Edward said as he reinserted the magic array into the steam crossbow.

"Alright, give it a try!" Edward said confidently, even though the whole operation had taken less than two minutes.

"This... it's done?" The giant couldn't believe it.

Edward cast a Water Creation Technique with a backhanded gesture, and the water gauge needle on the steam crossbow's tank began to rise. When it passed the red line, Edward pulled the handle, and the whole machine started working. It began to gurgle as it boiled, and the pressure chamber at the bottom started building steam. The pressure gauge needle quickly reached its mark.

Then he picked up the handle, which was unloaded. The handle looked like a rifle from Edward's previous life, except a tube connected it to the machine at the back. The "gun barrel" was thick, with a caliber comparable to a machine cannon from his old world. He pulled the trigger upward, and with a "whoosh," a jet of white steam shot toward the ceiling.

"How's that? Good as new. That'll be two Golden Eagle coins!" Edward said with a smile to the giant, then added, "If you want to ditch that big water tank, I can modify it to have a built-in Water Creation Technique. Not only will you never need to clean the inner chamber again, but you can also drink the water from it in the wild—absolutely clean! Just one more Golden Eagle coin."

"Impressive, sorcerer! You've got some skills!" The giant exclaimed.

"I'm not a sorcerer. 'Sorcerers' live off their looks. We alchemists live off our talent!" Edward casually dropped a very natural flex.

"Who's so talented? Let big sister take a look." A sweet, playful voice said.

The voice arrived before the person. A beauty walked through the doorway, wearing a crimson deep V-neck tight jacket with a white fox fur collar. She had a tall, slender figure and a graceful bearing.

What caught everyone's eye were her heaving "headlights" up front. The deep neckline revealed a generous cleavage. By Edward's previous life's standards, she was definitely above an E, pushing toward an F.

Looking up at her face, her long, deep brown hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, her features delicate, and she wore heavy makeup.

Her long lashes made her sapphire-like eyes appear large. Her slightly full lips were coated in bright lip gloss, shimmering under the indoor fill light like two pieces of colorful jelly, tempting one to take a bite.

The Knight Princess noticed behind her a small leather suitcase with four wheels, the same style as the large one Edward had given her for her armor, giving her an ominous premonition.

The three mercenaries stepped aside for her, calling out, "Big Sister!"

The beauty spotted the young Alchemist at the center of the group and froze on the spot. Only Princess Andrea noticed her eyes, which seemed to speak volumes.

Her gaze held anger, hatred, hesitation, and finally transformed into a starlight of longing that flickered and burst forth.

Ignoring the three mercenaries, she dropped her suitcase and rushed into Edward's arms, giving him a big hug.

Beside them, Alice tugged anxiously at the Knight Princess's sleeve, as if to say: Cousin, that woman is cheating—she's charging with the ball!

A five-thousand-word chapter delivered, thanks to "Bookworm Nuan Nuan" for 40 recommendation tickets. This really startled me—first time seeing someone who can cast 20 tickets at once. What level member are you?

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

Thank you all!