The marble mansion, which was sparkling even from afar, looked even more splendid up close. The mansion's garden was also well-maintained, and every corner of the mansion was well-maintained and very clean.
However, compared to this high level of management, there were certainly no employees as Shan had said. The only employee was the butler who came out to guide Elze and her party to the banquet hall when they entered the mansion.
As she entered the banquet hall, guided by the butler, her mouth dropped open. In the banquet hall, there was a long table, and a chandelier full of crystals sparkled. The table was filled with delicious food, all served on gold utensils.
The food all looked delicious. It was supposed to come out in course order, but since there were no waiters, it seemed like they just put everything on the table like this.
While looking around, the innermost door opened and the owner of the house finally appeared. As soon as the owner of the house appeared, Elze couldn't take her eyes off him.
Shan's simple explanation of the mask he was wearing was that it was probably a small mask like those worn at balls. However, the mask he was wearing was large enough to cover his entire face without any gaps.
The mask was made of metal, with small holes for the eyes and clear stained glass covering them. There was a flat, cylindrical object attached to the mouth, and a hissing sound was coming out from between them.
It was a strange mask that looked exactly like a gas mask. The landlord greeted them politely even while wearing such a strange mask.
“Hello. This is Teslaon.”
His voice sounded strangely distorted due to the mask. He didn't say his last name, so he didn't seem to be a noble. She had assumed he was a noble since he was the owner of a large mansion.
She didn't think that a wealthy person or a merchant would stay in a remote village like this and that it was a nobleman who received land and built a mansion and lived there, but a commoner...
Elze stared at Teslaon without realizing it, her doubts growing ever more intense. Teslaon greeted Shan and Ilwooz and reached out to Elze. When Elxe gently reached out, he lightly kissed the back of her hand and whispered in a small voice.
“I have a serious scar, so I am covering my face. Please forgive me.”
It seemed that he also felt Elze's gaze. When she said that, she felt a little embarrassed that she had stared at him, so Elze told him that it was okay.
At that moment, Ivanna appeared out of the corner of her eye. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Teslaon. However, even after tilting her head for a long time, she seemed unconvinced and ended up saying nothing.
Teslaon glanced at Ivanna, then looked around the crowd and said.
“We are happy to have you after such a long time, so we have prepared a lot of food. Please enjoy it without any pressure. Please take a seat.”
At Teslaon's words, everyone took a chair in front of the long table and sat down. Elze glanced at Teslaon again.
The mask covered his entire face, leaving no opening for his mouth. She thought he would take it off once they started eating. Sure enough, Teslaon slowly took it off.
But it was strange. No matter how much she looked at the face revealed under the mask, there was no scar. Rather, he was a young and handsome man who could be called handsome. Shan’s eyes narrowed at the shape of his smooth face.
At that moment, a loud noise was suddenly heard. Ivanna, who had been watching Teslaon for a while, jumped up from her seat.
"You...!!"
Ivanna pointed her finger at Teslaon with her eyes wide open. Elze looked at her in surprise at her behavior. Ivanna was not the type to act like that, even though she knew it was against manners. There was clearly a reason why she was acting like that.
Ivanna bit her lower lip hard, then opened her mouth, trembling.
“Theron...?”
A name came out of Ivanna's mouth. And the owner of the mansion, Teslaon, who was looking at Ivanna, answered with a slow smile.
“Long time no see, Ivanna.”
Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected encounter. Then Ivanna clenched her fists and shouted with fierce eyes.
“Everyone, don’t touch the food!!”
As soon as Ivanna finished speaking, Elze and Elijah threw the dishes they were holding onto the table. Shan and Ilwooz didn't throw their dishes either, but quietly placed them down on the table. Teslaon laughed out loud at the sight. He ran his hand through his hair and spoke to Ivanna.
“Haha, you’re always one step behind.”
Teslaon's eyes sparkled cheerfully. He stretched out his fingers and shook them gently from side to side as he spoke.
“Think about it. It’s not food, Ivanna.”
“!!”
Ivanna's face turned pale, and she uttered one word.
"Air...?"
But that was the end of it. Ivanna’s body collapsed and fell to the floor. Elze tried to jump up from her seat and hug Ivanna, but soon her vision went dark.
...I knew this would happen.
That was the first thought that came to Elze's mind the moment she came to her senses. Elze sighed deeply inwardly.
They had come knowing it would be dangerous, but it was a different kind of danger than Elze and Shan had imagined. They would much rather have an open hand-to-hand fight, and they absolutely hated chemical warfare.
Elze slowly opened her eyes, trying to make as little noise as possible. When she pulled her hand, she found that she was tied to a rope connected to the ceiling.
Although she was standing, her toes were touching the floor, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. Still, the situation of being hung in the middle of the room wasn't pleasant. Elze shook her wrist to check how tightly the rope was tied and began to calmly look around.
It was a strange laboratory. The bookshelves were packed tightly together, the desks were tangled, and there were large glass tubes and complicated tubes tangled between them. In one corner, there was a large birdcage hanging, but there was only a perch and no bird.
In the middle of the room, a small cauldron was visible, bubbling with an unidentifiable liquid. It was a thick, red liquid as if it had been made from blood. However, contrary to its disgusting appearance, it had a surprisingly pleasant smell.
There was a sofa a little way from Elze, and Ivanna was lying on it, her hands tied tightly in front of her. She didn't move at all as if she hadn't woken up yet.
It seemed that Ivanna was the only one here, as no other party was visible. When she looked for the coat that Ivanna always wore, she found it lying open on a desk far away.
The glass bottles that were tightly packed into the inside of the coat were clearly visible. Some of them had been taken out without permission and were rolling around on the desk.
Then Ivanna began to cough. She gasped and jumped up from her seat, but her hands were tied, so she fell back down on the sofa. Ivanna called Elze in a tearful voice.
"Captain!"
As soon as she opened her eyes, Ivanna started calling Elze out loud.
“Ivanna, shhh!”
Elze quickly calmed Ivanna down. She don’t know what the situation is, but it seems best not to let the enemy know that she has regained consciousness. When Ivanna calmed down a little, Elze began to ask questions one by one.
“What’s going on? How do you know Teslaon? I see he’s an alchemist too...”
Judging by his skill with chemicals, it seemed clear that Teslaon was an alchemist. However, his relationship with Ivanna did not seem to be very good.
“So, Captain...”
Ivanna hesitated for a while before finally opening her mouth.
“Do you remember when we first met?”
“Of course I remember.”
“The captain must also know very well that there is no reason for an alchemist, especially a young girl, to go to war.”
“...”
The alchemist was a rare talent. They was a talent who would be treated well wherever they went, so there was no reason for them to be at the forefront. From the moment they first met, Elze suspected that Ivanna had some kind of secret.
But she never asked her during the time they were together, because she believed Ivanna would tell her someday if she needed to.
And now, it was time for Ivanna to be honest.
Philosopher's Stone.
The dream and lifelong goal of every alchemist, the essence of the truth that any metal can be turned into shining gold.
Kings and nobles coveted the philosopher's stone and secretly supported alchemists from the religious order. Under their support and protection, alchemists continued to experiment to create the philosopher's stone and made great contributions to the development of chemistry.
Ivanna, who had been considered a genius since childhood, was arrogant. When she heard about the philosopher's stone, which was considered an eternal puzzle for a long time, Ivanna thought she would make it herself. And she jumped into the world of alchemy.
But there was no teacher to teach Ivanna. She visited many teachers, but it took at most a month. Most of them were amazed by Ivanna's knowledge and genius in less than a month. They sent Ivanna to a higher teacher.
And the teacher she met at the top of the mountain after continuing to climb was a great sage. He had lived for an unfathomable amount of time, and he was a person that even Ivanna could not surpass. However, the teacher already had a beloved disciple, namely, Teslaon.
"Ivanna? She's cute. She looks a little stupid though."
Teslaon was an alchemist with a great brain. Even though they learned the same things from the same teacher, he always achieved more than Ivanna.
Ivanna was shocked to meet two people who were smarter than her as if the world had turned upside down. She used the shock as an opportunity to make a new leap forward, gritted her teeth, and devoted herself to her studies.
The Master was very pleased to see Ivanna like that. He said to Ivanna as if it were a habit.
"You really might be able to create the philosopher's stone."
But that was not said to Teslaon. Teslaon felt insulted that the Master had said such things to Ivanna and not to him.
Despite his brilliant mind, his personality was trash, and he began to interfere with Ivanna's ability to study properly. It was a daily routine to tear Ivanna's heart apart with all sorts of insults. Teslaon exaggerated Ivanna's small mistakes and squashed her great achievements.
The constant sarcastic and degrading remarks gnawed at Ivanna. Ivanna began to doubt whether she was really as inferior as Teslaon had said.
Amid the repetitive daily routine, a dark shadow gradually began to form in Ivanna's heart. She wanted to defeat Teslaon by any means necessary. She wanted to defeat the man who made her suffer and suffer.
But no matter how hard she tried, she could never surpass Teslaon, and she always had to stand one step behind and watch him move forward.
Then one day, the teacher suddenly passed away. It was a separation that did not even give her a short time to prepare her heart. Ivanna was shaken by the sudden absence of her teacher, who was the only one who supported her. And as if he had been waiting, Teslaon chased Ivanna away.
"The Master has entrusted me with the great undertaking of Magnum Opus (Magnum opus, making the Philosopher's Stone). There is no room for a lowly creature like you to interfere with the journey of this shining undertaking."
Ivanna was kicked out with nothing, not even being able to properly pack her luggage. She tried to get the materials she had been studying, let alone the relics of her teacher, but there was no way for a young girl to respond. Instead of shedding tears, Ivanna clenched her fists.
"I am a genius."
And Ivanna promised herself again and again.
"The Philosopher's Stone... I will definitely make it!'
Ivanna bit her lips for a moment after finishing her story about her past with Teslaon. She looked at Elze, but her expression did not allow her to guess what she was thinking. Elze did not say anything and just listened.
She wouldn't open her mouth until the whole story was over. Realizing this, Ivanna let out a short breath and continued speaking.
“At that time, I was ready to do anything... I went to the Hundred Years’ War to get the materials to make the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Ivanna's voice wavered slightly.
“The method of making a philosopher’s stone is vague. Raw materials with different properties, such as male and female, are dissolved in mercury, and then the four stages of blackening, whitening, yellowing, and reddening (making it black, white, yellow, and red) are completed. That’s all there is to the method of making a philosopher’s stone.”
Ivanna sighed as she recited the method that had been memorized so many times that it was stuck in her head.
“The interpretation of this method is so varied that each alchemist has studied dozens, hundreds, even thousands of different methods for making the philosopher’s stone. I thought that perhaps the answer could be found on the battlefield, where human emotions are pushed to their limits...”
Ivanna bit her lip as she spoke. Her face flushed with embarrassment. Elze must know why she was embarrassed.
The answer that could be found on the battlefield was obvious. It was an answer obtained by human life. Even if Ivanna did not kill directly, conducting experiments with life could not be moral. Moreover, Elze, who had experienced the horrors of war, could easily guess what Ivanna had done.
“I thought that someone’s sacrifice during the experiment was inevitable for the greater good. Rather, I thought it would be easier to conduct experiments on a battlefield because it was a place where killing was justified.”
Ivanna felt relieved after revealing the secret she had kept hidden all this time. However, after a brief moment of catharsis, a huge fear surged up like a tidal wave. It was the fear that Elze might be disappointed in her. Ivanna added an excuse one by one.
“But not now! I’ve changed a lot since meeting the captain. I know it was wrong... I also know that the Philosopher’s Stone isn’t everything in life, and I like spending time with Elijah and the others much more than that...”
Ivanna, who had been making excuses, looked at Elze's expression. Elze remained expressionless without saying anything.
"Ah..."
Ivanna's eyes quickly warmed at the sight of that cold look. Tears welled up in her eyes. Ivanna muttered softly as if holding on to the last straw.
“The chief is more important than the philosopher’s stone.”
“...”
But Elze did not answer. In the heavy silence, tears finally flowed down. Ivanna tried to force a smile, but the corners of her mouth trembled.
“Are you really disappointed in me...? Me like this...”
Ivanna asked Elze, sobbing.
“The captain will hate me, right...?”
Elze blinked quietly. And just as she was about to say something to Ivanna, she heard footsteps and the door that had been tightly shut opened wide. A cheerful voice was heard.
“Oh, you’re up already? You’re so resilient.”
“Teslaon!”
He was Teslaon. Ivanna called his name by gnashing her teeth, but Teslaon spoke dryly without even giving Ivanna a glance.
“Noisy Ivanna. Be quiet.”
He walked towards Elze, who was tied up in the middle of the room, with both hands in the pockets of his long white gown.
“Isn’t it very uncomfortable?”
Teslaon leaned in towards Elze and asked her a very affectionate question. Then he stared at Elze for a moment and held out his hand.
“Hmm...”
A large hand cupped Elze's chin. He looked at Elze's face from side to side and spoke happily.
“It’s prettier up close.”
Ivanna's eyes lit up at the sight of him carelessly touching the captain's face. However, she couldn't do anything while tied up tightly.
“Captain! Captain!!”
Even though Ivanna called out desperately, Elze just looked at Teslaon with her head bowed obediently. Teslaon smiled happily at the sight of her blue eyes staring intently.
Ivanna's heart tightened. Could it be that Elze had heard the whole story and thought that Teslaon was better than her? Teslaon was better than the cruel alchemist who used people as experimental tools...
Ivanna's lips, which had been calling Elze, closed. The moment she thought that Elze might hate her and like Teslaon, her nose started to sting. It was a time when Ivanna held back tears, not wanting to show them in front of Teslaon.
"So..."
Elze's voice was heard. Ivanna raised her head and looked at Elze. Elze was smiling. She smiled and said to Teslaon.
“You’re the one who made our Ivanna cry, right?”
Teslan froze at Elze's harsh words. A brief flash of fear crossed his eyes.
But soon, Teslaon burst out laughing. There was nothing Elze could do while tied up tightly with rope, so he laughed for a while before barely able to continue speaking.
“Ah... Haha, ha... What, you and Ivanna are close?”
“We’re not that close.”
Teslaon frowned at Elze's indifferent answer. He spoke as if he couldn't understand.
“You seem to be a noble, don’t you? But you’re close with Ivanna.”
From what Teslaon said, it seemed like he didn't know Targayel or Elijah. If he had known, he wouldn't have acted like this.
In fact, if he didn't know about Targayel, he wasn't just ignorant; he was like a fossil. He was stuck in the countryside, doing nothing but research, so he was completely ignorant of the outside world.
At this point, she was starting to wonder how he could afford to invest so much money in a village and devote himself solely to research.
Teslaon smiled as he looked at Elze, who was silently observing her, then opened both his arms wide, spun around, and said.
“This village is my kingdom. Everyone obeys my words and bows their heads.”
He said, pointing at Elze with his finger.
“Since you’re here, you’re no exception.”
Teslaon raised his chin from that position and spoke arrogantly.
“You would be a worthy Queen of my beautiful kingdom. I like you very much.”
If I leave him alone, he will cause quite a stir on his own. Elze clicked her tongue and muttered at his arrogant appearance.
“You know who my husband is...”
Teslaon asked back with a puzzled look on his face.
“Who is it?”
Devil, devil. Elze thought to herself. Teslaon shouted with a slightly hurt face.
“I am an alchemist who has attained the ultimate truth! I don’t know who your husband is, but he cannot be greater than me.”
And Ivanna, who had been just listening until now, finally couldn't hold it in any longer and screamed.
“Teslaon, you crazy bastard!!”
At Ivanna's shout, Teslaon sighed. He turned to Ivanna with a face that seemed to have lost interest and said,
“What’s wrong, Ivanna? Do you want to greet me affectionately even though we haven’t seen each other in a long time?”
Teslaon spoke leisurely, watching Ivanna struggle to get up from her slumped position on the sofa.
“Call me Theron, please? Like the Master said.”
Ivanna, who barely managed to sit up, sat down on the sofa and glared at Theron.
“Captain, I’ll take care of this guy.”
“Oh my, it’s scary!”
As soon as Teslaon heard Ivanna's words, he chuckled and said.
“Your whole body was tied up, but your mouth was the only thing that survived.”
"Shut up!"
Ivanna screamed sharply. Now that she was sure that Elze would not abandon her, Ivanna was no longer afraid of anything.
But she couldn't leave Teslaon to Elze. He was a wall that Ivanna had to overcome. Because he was in front of Elze, Ivanna wanted to overcome Teslaon with her own hands even more. Teslaon smiled and said to Ivanna.
“But maybe you forgot because you were so used to the nickname Theron? I thought you would recognize me right away when I said my name.”
“Forgetting, you? Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ivanna said, her teeth chattering busily.
“I just thought you were namesakes. I never thought you’d be in the Baluar Empire.”
Ivanna shouted at Teslaon in a blood-curdling voice.
“I’m telling you that I’m going to abandon the laboratory that the Master left behind and come to Baluar!”
Teslaon stared at Ivanna like that. Then he muttered.
“It’s a lab...”
He soon smiled and said.
“I disposed of it. And I came over to Baluar.”
"What?"
Ivanna was taken aback by the way he so casually mentioned that he had disposed of the lab. However, only Ivanna was like that, while Teslaon remained completely calm.
“I have found a good patron. He is a noble of Baluar. He has given me such a wonderful home, so it is only natural that I should come to the Empire.”
Ivanna's face turned pale and then bright red.
“You, you...!”
The memories of her teacher and the laboratory where all her efforts were put into were gone so vainly. Ivanna felt like fainting. Teslaon chuckled as he watched Ivanna's expression.
“What’s the point of a lab? If you can achieve something more important, then a lab is irrelevant.”
Teslaon let out a short “hmm” sound and then said.
“I guess I’ll have to show it to you in person.”
As Teslaon clapped his hands, a small door in the corner of the wall opened and the driver came running in. The driver groaned and pulled away the heavy curtain that had been hanging in a corner of the room.
“...!!”
Elze and Ivanna opened their eyes wide at the brilliant golden light revealed behind the curtain.
There was a huge pile of stones that glittered yellow. It was a huge amount of gold. Teslaon stretched out one finger and wiggled it, asking a riddle.
“Where did all this gold come from?”
"Lie!!"
Ivanna shouted sharply. Ivanna muttered in a trembling voice.
“You achieved Magnum Opus...?”
"Yes."
Teslaon said with a very happy face.
“I created the philosopher’s stone.”
Ivanna closed and opened her eyes several times to examine the gold. There was a huge pile of gold in its raw, unprocessed state.
The value of the gold, which was as if it had been piled up as if it had been picked up from the roadside, was indescribable. Considering that it was raw ore, and even considering the amount that would be cut away during smelting, she never wanted to believe it, but there was no way that Teslaon could have had such a huge amount of gold without actually creating the Philosopher's Stone. This amount of gold was something that even the wealthiest nobles and merchants could not easily afford.
Ivanna felt all the strength drain from her body. A feeling of emptiness surged through her like a strong wave, crashing down on her entire body. Was it after all that the Philosopher's Stone was created by Teslaon first?
Teslaon rolled the gold with his feet as if he were handling a rock rolling on the side of the road, giggling.
“What do you think, Ivanna? Is this enough to throw away the lab? I’ve created the Philosopher’s Stone, so what’s the point of having a lab?”
Teslaon looked at Ivanna's expression of despair with eyes filled with joy and drove the wedge in.
“Isn’t that so?”
Ivanna glanced at Elze. Elze was still tied up with rope and was looking at Ivanna. Elze shook her wrist slightly so as not to show off.
“...!”
The loose rope was visible. Elze could have released the rope and grabbed Teslaon by the collar at any time, but she waited until Ivanna made a decision. Ivanna's heart was touched by Elze's trust, but on the other hand, she thought about it furiously.
Let's think, Ivanna. Let's think. She couldn't just show her this pathetic, broken appearance in front of the captain.
Certainly, Teslaon's skills are outstanding. However, Ivanna did not think that he could surpass her master. The philosopher's stone is something that even the great sage master could not create.
Even when Ivanna was kicked out of the lab, Teslaon could not even approach the Philosopher's Stone. Moreover, the last research he conducted was on a completely different topic from the Philosopher's Stone.
That Teslaon had achieved Magnum Opus in just a few years? It was something that would make countless alchemists in their graves cry and open their eyes wide. A small word escaped Ivanna's mouth.
"Lie..."
Ivanna raised her head and looked straight at Teslaon.
“Are you lying? I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes. Show me the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Teslaon flinched for a moment at Ivanna's attitude. But soon he laughed and said.
“Why me?”
“...”
That's a lie. Ivanna bit her lower lip to hide the smile that came to her mind. If Teslaon really had created the Philosopher's Stone, he would have already bragged about it in front of Ivanna.
But the fact that it was removed like that meant that the creation of the Philosopher's Stone was a lie or that it was not yet complete. However, there was still an unsolved problem. It was still unknown where all that gold came from.
“You ended up standing behind me again. When will you be ahead of me?”
Teslaon, not knowing what Ivanna was thinking, taunted her to his heart's content.
“If you forgive me even now, I am willing to take you on as an assistant.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re a bastard who’s drunk on the idea of taking over a village and becoming King.”
Teslaon got angry at Ivanna's response and said.
“There was no compulsion whatsoever for the villagers to follow me! It was all voluntary. Even offering up a young child as a starter..."
Teslaon looked back at the boy for a moment. The little boy blinked with a blank expression. Ivanna studied the boy’s face and realized that the boy was the boy who had begged Elze.
“It is the philosopher’s stone that Kings and nobles covet, but how would it look to the poor villagers in the remote countryside? Everyone is desperate to have it. They all know it and are telling me to get it.”
He added with a shrug.
“Ah, of course, at first I had to be patient with him because he tried to take the stone from me by force. Anyway, that’s why...”
Teslaon put both hands into the pockets of his coat and asked with a seemingly relaxed posture.
“What are you going to do, Ivanna?”
“How can you do that!”
Ivanna shouted at Teslaon.
“I’m going to make it clear that you’re lying about the non-existent Philosopher’s Stone!”
At Ivanna's words, Teslaon's face hardened. He had strong pride and could not bear having his weaknesses stabbed. He spoke with a very angry face.
“...Yes. It seems like it would be difficult to do it peacefully.”
Teslaon looked back at Elze. Elze, who had been quietly watching the fight between the two, raised her eyebrows at the sudden gaze. Teslaon pointed at Elze and said.
“I don’t know for sure, but it seems like she’s someone quite precious to you?”
At Teslion's gesture, the driver in the corner pulled a large lever. Then, with a rattling sound, the floor opened beneath Elze's feet, revealing a huge hole. The rope that bound Elze's wrists was pulled taut. Elze was left hanging precariously on a single rope above the vast hole.
“Now, now, Ivanna. If you don’t listen, something bad will happen to the lady. Do you know what we have here?”
The hole was filled with pitch-black darkness, and its depth was unknown. The howling of a strange beast flowed out from within, carried by the wind.
“Of all the beasts I’ve experimented with so far, this one is the most ferocious and uncontrollable. It’s the kind of thing that would easily eat the limbs of a delicate young lady.”
Tesla said so and then turned to Elze and added.
“Oh, don’t worry too much. I still have the same intention of making you my Queen. Even if you don’t have one arm, I can give you something decent.”
Teslaon, who thought that Elze was frightened by her stiff face, spoke proudly.
“Of course, Ivanna will save you before you die. Right, Ivanna? It would be better to quickly admit to me that you were wrong...”
Teslaon stopped talking. It was because Ivanna burst into laughter. While she was laughing so hard, Elze called Teslaon in a dreary voice.
"You."
Teslaon looked back at Elze. Elze spoke softly.
“Just wait right there.”
“...?”
“I’ll be up in 5 minutes.”
And Elze pulled hard at the rope that bound her hands. The startled Teslaon shouted.
“What, what are you doing!!”
But before he could take any action, the ropes binding Elze's wrists suddenly came undone, and Elze fell.
“What, what is this...”
Teslaon couldn't hide his bewilderment. The things he had been thinking about since a while ago kept going wrong. He couldn't understand his unpredictable behavior.
This was especially true when she untied the rope and jumped off herself. No matter how you looked at it, it was a suicide act, but there was no hesitation in her jumping. It seemed like she had been waiting for that moment.
“Why? Why?”
Teslaon, who was bewildered by the incomprehensible variables, asked himself questions over and over again. However, there was no way to get an answer. Ivanna, who had been laughing beside Teslaon for a long time, giggled and said.
“That’s what happens when you stay stuck in a remote place like this and just do research.”
The corners of her mouth still had the same laughter that had burst out so excitedly earlier. Ivanna's eyes sparkled.
“You will be defeated miserably.”
"Defeat?"
Teslaon looked at Ivanna and asked back.
“The reason for defeat is ignorance. You, more than anyone else, know how great a sin ignorance is.”
Teslaon clenched his teeth. He spoke in a suppressed voice.
“How dare you use the word ignorance against me...”
In the face of Teslaon's wrath, Ivanna continued speaking brightly.
“You had to know what Elijah was. And what kind of person Elijah’s Elze was.”
Teslaon finally couldn't hold it in any longer and lost his temper.
“Whether it’s Elijah or Nabal, what does it matter?”
Ivanna became infinitely calm in front of him who was running wild. Ivanna asked calmly.
“Yes, then, Teslaon. Should we continue the conversation?”
Ivanna was still tied up tightly, but she was no longer cowering.
“The philosopher’s stone is merely a symbolic expression, and no one knows what material it is.”
“...”
“Assuming you have achieved Magnum Opus, you have correctly gone through Nigredo (Blackening), Albedo (Whitening), Citrinitas (Yellowening), and Rubedo (Redening).”
Ivanna raised her head and spoke in a rather arrogant voice.
“Then, is the Philosopher’s Stone created by our great Teslaon a solid, a liquid, or a gas? Answer this first.”
Tesla hesitated. When there was no answer, Ivanna asked the question again.
“As a catalyst, how does the philosopher’s stone react when it causes elemental transmutation? Does it react with all metals? Or does it only react with certain metals, such as lead, and transform them into gold?”
Amid the barrage of questions, Teslaon couldn't answer anything. He let out a rasping breath. His eyes were bloodshot and red as if he was really angry. Ivanna smiled at Teslaon's appearance and said,
“If you can’t answer all these questions, at least make some gold for me.”
“...Ivanna, you.”
“Then me!”
Ivanna cut off Teslaon's words and coldly rebuked him.
“I’ll lick the soles of your feet, Theron.”
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However, compared to this high level of management, there were certainly no employees as Shan had said. The only employee was the butler who came out to guide Elze and her party to the banquet hall when they entered the mansion.
As she entered the banquet hall, guided by the butler, her mouth dropped open. In the banquet hall, there was a long table, and a chandelier full of crystals sparkled. The table was filled with delicious food, all served on gold utensils.
The food all looked delicious. It was supposed to come out in course order, but since there were no waiters, it seemed like they just put everything on the table like this.
While looking around, the innermost door opened and the owner of the house finally appeared. As soon as the owner of the house appeared, Elze couldn't take her eyes off him.
Shan's simple explanation of the mask he was wearing was that it was probably a small mask like those worn at balls. However, the mask he was wearing was large enough to cover his entire face without any gaps.
The mask was made of metal, with small holes for the eyes and clear stained glass covering them. There was a flat, cylindrical object attached to the mouth, and a hissing sound was coming out from between them.
It was a strange mask that looked exactly like a gas mask. The landlord greeted them politely even while wearing such a strange mask.
“Hello. This is Teslaon.”
His voice sounded strangely distorted due to the mask. He didn't say his last name, so he didn't seem to be a noble. She had assumed he was a noble since he was the owner of a large mansion.
She didn't think that a wealthy person or a merchant would stay in a remote village like this and that it was a nobleman who received land and built a mansion and lived there, but a commoner...
Elze stared at Teslaon without realizing it, her doubts growing ever more intense. Teslaon greeted Shan and Ilwooz and reached out to Elze. When Elxe gently reached out, he lightly kissed the back of her hand and whispered in a small voice.
“I have a serious scar, so I am covering my face. Please forgive me.”
It seemed that he also felt Elze's gaze. When she said that, she felt a little embarrassed that she had stared at him, so Elze told him that it was okay.
At that moment, Ivanna appeared out of the corner of her eye. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Teslaon. However, even after tilting her head for a long time, she seemed unconvinced and ended up saying nothing.
Teslaon glanced at Ivanna, then looked around the crowd and said.
“We are happy to have you after such a long time, so we have prepared a lot of food. Please enjoy it without any pressure. Please take a seat.”
At Teslaon's words, everyone took a chair in front of the long table and sat down. Elze glanced at Teslaon again.
The mask covered his entire face, leaving no opening for his mouth. She thought he would take it off once they started eating. Sure enough, Teslaon slowly took it off.
But it was strange. No matter how much she looked at the face revealed under the mask, there was no scar. Rather, he was a young and handsome man who could be called handsome. Shan’s eyes narrowed at the shape of his smooth face.
At that moment, a loud noise was suddenly heard. Ivanna, who had been watching Teslaon for a while, jumped up from her seat.
"You...!!"
Ivanna pointed her finger at Teslaon with her eyes wide open. Elze looked at her in surprise at her behavior. Ivanna was not the type to act like that, even though she knew it was against manners. There was clearly a reason why she was acting like that.
Ivanna bit her lower lip hard, then opened her mouth, trembling.
“Theron...?”
A name came out of Ivanna's mouth. And the owner of the mansion, Teslaon, who was looking at Ivanna, answered with a slow smile.
“Long time no see, Ivanna.”
Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected encounter. Then Ivanna clenched her fists and shouted with fierce eyes.
“Everyone, don’t touch the food!!”
As soon as Ivanna finished speaking, Elze and Elijah threw the dishes they were holding onto the table. Shan and Ilwooz didn't throw their dishes either, but quietly placed them down on the table. Teslaon laughed out loud at the sight. He ran his hand through his hair and spoke to Ivanna.
“Haha, you’re always one step behind.”
Teslaon's eyes sparkled cheerfully. He stretched out his fingers and shook them gently from side to side as he spoke.
“Think about it. It’s not food, Ivanna.”
“!!”
Ivanna's face turned pale, and she uttered one word.
"Air...?"
But that was the end of it. Ivanna’s body collapsed and fell to the floor. Elze tried to jump up from her seat and hug Ivanna, but soon her vision went dark.
***
...I knew this would happen.
That was the first thought that came to Elze's mind the moment she came to her senses. Elze sighed deeply inwardly.
They had come knowing it would be dangerous, but it was a different kind of danger than Elze and Shan had imagined. They would much rather have an open hand-to-hand fight, and they absolutely hated chemical warfare.
Elze slowly opened her eyes, trying to make as little noise as possible. When she pulled her hand, she found that she was tied to a rope connected to the ceiling.
Although she was standing, her toes were touching the floor, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. Still, the situation of being hung in the middle of the room wasn't pleasant. Elze shook her wrist to check how tightly the rope was tied and began to calmly look around.
It was a strange laboratory. The bookshelves were packed tightly together, the desks were tangled, and there were large glass tubes and complicated tubes tangled between them. In one corner, there was a large birdcage hanging, but there was only a perch and no bird.
In the middle of the room, a small cauldron was visible, bubbling with an unidentifiable liquid. It was a thick, red liquid as if it had been made from blood. However, contrary to its disgusting appearance, it had a surprisingly pleasant smell.
There was a sofa a little way from Elze, and Ivanna was lying on it, her hands tied tightly in front of her. She didn't move at all as if she hadn't woken up yet.
It seemed that Ivanna was the only one here, as no other party was visible. When she looked for the coat that Ivanna always wore, she found it lying open on a desk far away.
The glass bottles that were tightly packed into the inside of the coat were clearly visible. Some of them had been taken out without permission and were rolling around on the desk.
Then Ivanna began to cough. She gasped and jumped up from her seat, but her hands were tied, so she fell back down on the sofa. Ivanna called Elze in a tearful voice.
"Captain!"
As soon as she opened her eyes, Ivanna started calling Elze out loud.
“Ivanna, shhh!”
Elze quickly calmed Ivanna down. She don’t know what the situation is, but it seems best not to let the enemy know that she has regained consciousness. When Ivanna calmed down a little, Elze began to ask questions one by one.
“What’s going on? How do you know Teslaon? I see he’s an alchemist too...”
Judging by his skill with chemicals, it seemed clear that Teslaon was an alchemist. However, his relationship with Ivanna did not seem to be very good.
“So, Captain...”
Ivanna hesitated for a while before finally opening her mouth.
“Do you remember when we first met?”
“Of course I remember.”
“The captain must also know very well that there is no reason for an alchemist, especially a young girl, to go to war.”
“...”
The alchemist was a rare talent. They was a talent who would be treated well wherever they went, so there was no reason for them to be at the forefront. From the moment they first met, Elze suspected that Ivanna had some kind of secret.
But she never asked her during the time they were together, because she believed Ivanna would tell her someday if she needed to.
And now, it was time for Ivanna to be honest.
***
Philosopher's Stone.
The dream and lifelong goal of every alchemist, the essence of the truth that any metal can be turned into shining gold.
Kings and nobles coveted the philosopher's stone and secretly supported alchemists from the religious order. Under their support and protection, alchemists continued to experiment to create the philosopher's stone and made great contributions to the development of chemistry.
Ivanna, who had been considered a genius since childhood, was arrogant. When she heard about the philosopher's stone, which was considered an eternal puzzle for a long time, Ivanna thought she would make it herself. And she jumped into the world of alchemy.
But there was no teacher to teach Ivanna. She visited many teachers, but it took at most a month. Most of them were amazed by Ivanna's knowledge and genius in less than a month. They sent Ivanna to a higher teacher.
And the teacher she met at the top of the mountain after continuing to climb was a great sage. He had lived for an unfathomable amount of time, and he was a person that even Ivanna could not surpass. However, the teacher already had a beloved disciple, namely, Teslaon.
"Ivanna? She's cute. She looks a little stupid though."
Teslaon was an alchemist with a great brain. Even though they learned the same things from the same teacher, he always achieved more than Ivanna.
Ivanna was shocked to meet two people who were smarter than her as if the world had turned upside down. She used the shock as an opportunity to make a new leap forward, gritted her teeth, and devoted herself to her studies.
The Master was very pleased to see Ivanna like that. He said to Ivanna as if it were a habit.
"You really might be able to create the philosopher's stone."
But that was not said to Teslaon. Teslaon felt insulted that the Master had said such things to Ivanna and not to him.
Despite his brilliant mind, his personality was trash, and he began to interfere with Ivanna's ability to study properly. It was a daily routine to tear Ivanna's heart apart with all sorts of insults. Teslaon exaggerated Ivanna's small mistakes and squashed her great achievements.
The constant sarcastic and degrading remarks gnawed at Ivanna. Ivanna began to doubt whether she was really as inferior as Teslaon had said.
Amid the repetitive daily routine, a dark shadow gradually began to form in Ivanna's heart. She wanted to defeat Teslaon by any means necessary. She wanted to defeat the man who made her suffer and suffer.
But no matter how hard she tried, she could never surpass Teslaon, and she always had to stand one step behind and watch him move forward.
Then one day, the teacher suddenly passed away. It was a separation that did not even give her a short time to prepare her heart. Ivanna was shaken by the sudden absence of her teacher, who was the only one who supported her. And as if he had been waiting, Teslaon chased Ivanna away.
"The Master has entrusted me with the great undertaking of Magnum Opus (Magnum opus, making the Philosopher's Stone). There is no room for a lowly creature like you to interfere with the journey of this shining undertaking."
Ivanna was kicked out with nothing, not even being able to properly pack her luggage. She tried to get the materials she had been studying, let alone the relics of her teacher, but there was no way for a young girl to respond. Instead of shedding tears, Ivanna clenched her fists.
"I am a genius."
And Ivanna promised herself again and again.
"The Philosopher's Stone... I will definitely make it!'
***
Ivanna bit her lips for a moment after finishing her story about her past with Teslaon. She looked at Elze, but her expression did not allow her to guess what she was thinking. Elze did not say anything and just listened.
She wouldn't open her mouth until the whole story was over. Realizing this, Ivanna let out a short breath and continued speaking.
“At that time, I was ready to do anything... I went to the Hundred Years’ War to get the materials to make the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Ivanna's voice wavered slightly.
“The method of making a philosopher’s stone is vague. Raw materials with different properties, such as male and female, are dissolved in mercury, and then the four stages of blackening, whitening, yellowing, and reddening (making it black, white, yellow, and red) are completed. That’s all there is to the method of making a philosopher’s stone.”
Ivanna sighed as she recited the method that had been memorized so many times that it was stuck in her head.
“The interpretation of this method is so varied that each alchemist has studied dozens, hundreds, even thousands of different methods for making the philosopher’s stone. I thought that perhaps the answer could be found on the battlefield, where human emotions are pushed to their limits...”
Ivanna bit her lip as she spoke. Her face flushed with embarrassment. Elze must know why she was embarrassed.
The answer that could be found on the battlefield was obvious. It was an answer obtained by human life. Even if Ivanna did not kill directly, conducting experiments with life could not be moral. Moreover, Elze, who had experienced the horrors of war, could easily guess what Ivanna had done.
“I thought that someone’s sacrifice during the experiment was inevitable for the greater good. Rather, I thought it would be easier to conduct experiments on a battlefield because it was a place where killing was justified.”
Ivanna felt relieved after revealing the secret she had kept hidden all this time. However, after a brief moment of catharsis, a huge fear surged up like a tidal wave. It was the fear that Elze might be disappointed in her. Ivanna added an excuse one by one.
“But not now! I’ve changed a lot since meeting the captain. I know it was wrong... I also know that the Philosopher’s Stone isn’t everything in life, and I like spending time with Elijah and the others much more than that...”
Ivanna, who had been making excuses, looked at Elze's expression. Elze remained expressionless without saying anything.
"Ah..."
Ivanna's eyes quickly warmed at the sight of that cold look. Tears welled up in her eyes. Ivanna muttered softly as if holding on to the last straw.
“The chief is more important than the philosopher’s stone.”
“...”
But Elze did not answer. In the heavy silence, tears finally flowed down. Ivanna tried to force a smile, but the corners of her mouth trembled.
“Are you really disappointed in me...? Me like this...”
Ivanna asked Elze, sobbing.
“The captain will hate me, right...?”
Elze blinked quietly. And just as she was about to say something to Ivanna, she heard footsteps and the door that had been tightly shut opened wide. A cheerful voice was heard.
“Oh, you’re up already? You’re so resilient.”
“Teslaon!”
He was Teslaon. Ivanna called his name by gnashing her teeth, but Teslaon spoke dryly without even giving Ivanna a glance.
“Noisy Ivanna. Be quiet.”
He walked towards Elze, who was tied up in the middle of the room, with both hands in the pockets of his long white gown.
“Isn’t it very uncomfortable?”
Teslaon leaned in towards Elze and asked her a very affectionate question. Then he stared at Elze for a moment and held out his hand.
“Hmm...”
A large hand cupped Elze's chin. He looked at Elze's face from side to side and spoke happily.
“It’s prettier up close.”
Ivanna's eyes lit up at the sight of him carelessly touching the captain's face. However, she couldn't do anything while tied up tightly.
“Captain! Captain!!”
Even though Ivanna called out desperately, Elze just looked at Teslaon with her head bowed obediently. Teslaon smiled happily at the sight of her blue eyes staring intently.
Ivanna's heart tightened. Could it be that Elze had heard the whole story and thought that Teslaon was better than her? Teslaon was better than the cruel alchemist who used people as experimental tools...
Ivanna's lips, which had been calling Elze, closed. The moment she thought that Elze might hate her and like Teslaon, her nose started to sting. It was a time when Ivanna held back tears, not wanting to show them in front of Teslaon.
"So..."
Elze's voice was heard. Ivanna raised her head and looked at Elze. Elze was smiling. She smiled and said to Teslaon.
“You’re the one who made our Ivanna cry, right?”
Teslan froze at Elze's harsh words. A brief flash of fear crossed his eyes.
But soon, Teslaon burst out laughing. There was nothing Elze could do while tied up tightly with rope, so he laughed for a while before barely able to continue speaking.
“Ah... Haha, ha... What, you and Ivanna are close?”
“We’re not that close.”
Teslaon frowned at Elze's indifferent answer. He spoke as if he couldn't understand.
“You seem to be a noble, don’t you? But you’re close with Ivanna.”
From what Teslaon said, it seemed like he didn't know Targayel or Elijah. If he had known, he wouldn't have acted like this.
In fact, if he didn't know about Targayel, he wasn't just ignorant; he was like a fossil. He was stuck in the countryside, doing nothing but research, so he was completely ignorant of the outside world.
At this point, she was starting to wonder how he could afford to invest so much money in a village and devote himself solely to research.
Teslaon smiled as he looked at Elze, who was silently observing her, then opened both his arms wide, spun around, and said.
“This village is my kingdom. Everyone obeys my words and bows their heads.”
He said, pointing at Elze with his finger.
“Since you’re here, you’re no exception.”
Teslaon raised his chin from that position and spoke arrogantly.
“You would be a worthy Queen of my beautiful kingdom. I like you very much.”
If I leave him alone, he will cause quite a stir on his own. Elze clicked her tongue and muttered at his arrogant appearance.
“You know who my husband is...”
Teslaon asked back with a puzzled look on his face.
“Who is it?”
Devil, devil. Elze thought to herself. Teslaon shouted with a slightly hurt face.
“I am an alchemist who has attained the ultimate truth! I don’t know who your husband is, but he cannot be greater than me.”
And Ivanna, who had been just listening until now, finally couldn't hold it in any longer and screamed.
“Teslaon, you crazy bastard!!”
At Ivanna's shout, Teslaon sighed. He turned to Ivanna with a face that seemed to have lost interest and said,
“What’s wrong, Ivanna? Do you want to greet me affectionately even though we haven’t seen each other in a long time?”
Teslaon spoke leisurely, watching Ivanna struggle to get up from her slumped position on the sofa.
“Call me Theron, please? Like the Master said.”
Ivanna, who barely managed to sit up, sat down on the sofa and glared at Theron.
“Captain, I’ll take care of this guy.”
“Oh my, it’s scary!”
As soon as Teslaon heard Ivanna's words, he chuckled and said.
“Your whole body was tied up, but your mouth was the only thing that survived.”
"Shut up!"
Ivanna screamed sharply. Now that she was sure that Elze would not abandon her, Ivanna was no longer afraid of anything.
But she couldn't leave Teslaon to Elze. He was a wall that Ivanna had to overcome. Because he was in front of Elze, Ivanna wanted to overcome Teslaon with her own hands even more. Teslaon smiled and said to Ivanna.
“But maybe you forgot because you were so used to the nickname Theron? I thought you would recognize me right away when I said my name.”
“Forgetting, you? Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ivanna said, her teeth chattering busily.
“I just thought you were namesakes. I never thought you’d be in the Baluar Empire.”
Ivanna shouted at Teslaon in a blood-curdling voice.
“I’m telling you that I’m going to abandon the laboratory that the Master left behind and come to Baluar!”
Teslaon stared at Ivanna like that. Then he muttered.
“It’s a lab...”
He soon smiled and said.
“I disposed of it. And I came over to Baluar.”
"What?"
Ivanna was taken aback by the way he so casually mentioned that he had disposed of the lab. However, only Ivanna was like that, while Teslaon remained completely calm.
“I have found a good patron. He is a noble of Baluar. He has given me such a wonderful home, so it is only natural that I should come to the Empire.”
Ivanna's face turned pale and then bright red.
“You, you...!”
The memories of her teacher and the laboratory where all her efforts were put into were gone so vainly. Ivanna felt like fainting. Teslaon chuckled as he watched Ivanna's expression.
“What’s the point of a lab? If you can achieve something more important, then a lab is irrelevant.”
Teslaon let out a short “hmm” sound and then said.
“I guess I’ll have to show it to you in person.”
As Teslaon clapped his hands, a small door in the corner of the wall opened and the driver came running in. The driver groaned and pulled away the heavy curtain that had been hanging in a corner of the room.
“...!!”
Elze and Ivanna opened their eyes wide at the brilliant golden light revealed behind the curtain.
There was a huge pile of stones that glittered yellow. It was a huge amount of gold. Teslaon stretched out one finger and wiggled it, asking a riddle.
“Where did all this gold come from?”
"Lie!!"
Ivanna shouted sharply. Ivanna muttered in a trembling voice.
“You achieved Magnum Opus...?”
"Yes."
Teslaon said with a very happy face.
“I created the philosopher’s stone.”
Ivanna closed and opened her eyes several times to examine the gold. There was a huge pile of gold in its raw, unprocessed state.
The value of the gold, which was as if it had been piled up as if it had been picked up from the roadside, was indescribable. Considering that it was raw ore, and even considering the amount that would be cut away during smelting, she never wanted to believe it, but there was no way that Teslaon could have had such a huge amount of gold without actually creating the Philosopher's Stone. This amount of gold was something that even the wealthiest nobles and merchants could not easily afford.
Ivanna felt all the strength drain from her body. A feeling of emptiness surged through her like a strong wave, crashing down on her entire body. Was it after all that the Philosopher's Stone was created by Teslaon first?
Teslaon rolled the gold with his feet as if he were handling a rock rolling on the side of the road, giggling.
“What do you think, Ivanna? Is this enough to throw away the lab? I’ve created the Philosopher’s Stone, so what’s the point of having a lab?”
Teslaon looked at Ivanna's expression of despair with eyes filled with joy and drove the wedge in.
“Isn’t that so?”
Ivanna glanced at Elze. Elze was still tied up with rope and was looking at Ivanna. Elze shook her wrist slightly so as not to show off.
“...!”
The loose rope was visible. Elze could have released the rope and grabbed Teslaon by the collar at any time, but she waited until Ivanna made a decision. Ivanna's heart was touched by Elze's trust, but on the other hand, she thought about it furiously.
Let's think, Ivanna. Let's think. She couldn't just show her this pathetic, broken appearance in front of the captain.
Certainly, Teslaon's skills are outstanding. However, Ivanna did not think that he could surpass her master. The philosopher's stone is something that even the great sage master could not create.
Even when Ivanna was kicked out of the lab, Teslaon could not even approach the Philosopher's Stone. Moreover, the last research he conducted was on a completely different topic from the Philosopher's Stone.
That Teslaon had achieved Magnum Opus in just a few years? It was something that would make countless alchemists in their graves cry and open their eyes wide. A small word escaped Ivanna's mouth.
"Lie..."
Ivanna raised her head and looked straight at Teslaon.
“Are you lying? I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes. Show me the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Teslaon flinched for a moment at Ivanna's attitude. But soon he laughed and said.
“Why me?”
“...”
That's a lie. Ivanna bit her lower lip to hide the smile that came to her mind. If Teslaon really had created the Philosopher's Stone, he would have already bragged about it in front of Ivanna.
But the fact that it was removed like that meant that the creation of the Philosopher's Stone was a lie or that it was not yet complete. However, there was still an unsolved problem. It was still unknown where all that gold came from.
“You ended up standing behind me again. When will you be ahead of me?”
Teslaon, not knowing what Ivanna was thinking, taunted her to his heart's content.
“If you forgive me even now, I am willing to take you on as an assistant.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re a bastard who’s drunk on the idea of taking over a village and becoming King.”
Teslaon got angry at Ivanna's response and said.
“There was no compulsion whatsoever for the villagers to follow me! It was all voluntary. Even offering up a young child as a starter..."
Teslaon looked back at the boy for a moment. The little boy blinked with a blank expression. Ivanna studied the boy’s face and realized that the boy was the boy who had begged Elze.
“It is the philosopher’s stone that Kings and nobles covet, but how would it look to the poor villagers in the remote countryside? Everyone is desperate to have it. They all know it and are telling me to get it.”
He added with a shrug.
“Ah, of course, at first I had to be patient with him because he tried to take the stone from me by force. Anyway, that’s why...”
Teslaon put both hands into the pockets of his coat and asked with a seemingly relaxed posture.
“What are you going to do, Ivanna?”
“How can you do that!”
Ivanna shouted at Teslaon.
“I’m going to make it clear that you’re lying about the non-existent Philosopher’s Stone!”
At Ivanna's words, Teslaon's face hardened. He had strong pride and could not bear having his weaknesses stabbed. He spoke with a very angry face.
“...Yes. It seems like it would be difficult to do it peacefully.”
Teslaon looked back at Elze. Elze, who had been quietly watching the fight between the two, raised her eyebrows at the sudden gaze. Teslaon pointed at Elze and said.
“I don’t know for sure, but it seems like she’s someone quite precious to you?”
At Teslion's gesture, the driver in the corner pulled a large lever. Then, with a rattling sound, the floor opened beneath Elze's feet, revealing a huge hole. The rope that bound Elze's wrists was pulled taut. Elze was left hanging precariously on a single rope above the vast hole.
“Now, now, Ivanna. If you don’t listen, something bad will happen to the lady. Do you know what we have here?”
The hole was filled with pitch-black darkness, and its depth was unknown. The howling of a strange beast flowed out from within, carried by the wind.
“Of all the beasts I’ve experimented with so far, this one is the most ferocious and uncontrollable. It’s the kind of thing that would easily eat the limbs of a delicate young lady.”
Tesla said so and then turned to Elze and added.
“Oh, don’t worry too much. I still have the same intention of making you my Queen. Even if you don’t have one arm, I can give you something decent.”
Teslaon, who thought that Elze was frightened by her stiff face, spoke proudly.
“Of course, Ivanna will save you before you die. Right, Ivanna? It would be better to quickly admit to me that you were wrong...”
Teslaon stopped talking. It was because Ivanna burst into laughter. While she was laughing so hard, Elze called Teslaon in a dreary voice.
"You."
Teslaon looked back at Elze. Elze spoke softly.
“Just wait right there.”
“...?”
“I’ll be up in 5 minutes.”
And Elze pulled hard at the rope that bound her hands. The startled Teslaon shouted.
“What, what are you doing!!”
But before he could take any action, the ropes binding Elze's wrists suddenly came undone, and Elze fell.
“What, what is this...”
Teslaon couldn't hide his bewilderment. The things he had been thinking about since a while ago kept going wrong. He couldn't understand his unpredictable behavior.
This was especially true when she untied the rope and jumped off herself. No matter how you looked at it, it was a suicide act, but there was no hesitation in her jumping. It seemed like she had been waiting for that moment.
“Why? Why?”
Teslaon, who was bewildered by the incomprehensible variables, asked himself questions over and over again. However, there was no way to get an answer. Ivanna, who had been laughing beside Teslaon for a long time, giggled and said.
“That’s what happens when you stay stuck in a remote place like this and just do research.”
The corners of her mouth still had the same laughter that had burst out so excitedly earlier. Ivanna's eyes sparkled.
“You will be defeated miserably.”
"Defeat?"
Teslaon looked at Ivanna and asked back.
“The reason for defeat is ignorance. You, more than anyone else, know how great a sin ignorance is.”
Teslaon clenched his teeth. He spoke in a suppressed voice.
“How dare you use the word ignorance against me...”
In the face of Teslaon's wrath, Ivanna continued speaking brightly.
“You had to know what Elijah was. And what kind of person Elijah’s Elze was.”
Teslaon finally couldn't hold it in any longer and lost his temper.
“Whether it’s Elijah or Nabal, what does it matter?”
Ivanna became infinitely calm in front of him who was running wild. Ivanna asked calmly.
“Yes, then, Teslaon. Should we continue the conversation?”
Ivanna was still tied up tightly, but she was no longer cowering.
“The philosopher’s stone is merely a symbolic expression, and no one knows what material it is.”
“...”
“Assuming you have achieved Magnum Opus, you have correctly gone through Nigredo (Blackening), Albedo (Whitening), Citrinitas (Yellowening), and Rubedo (Redening).”
Ivanna raised her head and spoke in a rather arrogant voice.
“Then, is the Philosopher’s Stone created by our great Teslaon a solid, a liquid, or a gas? Answer this first.”
Tesla hesitated. When there was no answer, Ivanna asked the question again.
“As a catalyst, how does the philosopher’s stone react when it causes elemental transmutation? Does it react with all metals? Or does it only react with certain metals, such as lead, and transform them into gold?”
Amid the barrage of questions, Teslaon couldn't answer anything. He let out a rasping breath. His eyes were bloodshot and red as if he was really angry. Ivanna smiled at Teslaon's appearance and said,
“If you can’t answer all these questions, at least make some gold for me.”
“...Ivanna, you.”
“Then me!”
Ivanna cut off Teslaon's words and coldly rebuked him.
“I’ll lick the soles of your feet, Theron.”
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