The Upright and Honest Alchemist

Today, the fortress city of Sandra entered a state of emergency. The consequences of a full-scale outbreak of unusual abyssal creature activity would be unimaginable—but this was merely the official announcement.

The true situation, however, was far more intricate.

****

Within the City Lord’s Residence—

“’According to intelligence reports, the remnants of Dawn’s Light have very likely colluded with demonic forces, and their traces have recently been discovered around the Sandra Abyss.’ Tsk! Those sons of bitches!”

The City Lord of Sandra was frantically scratching his head in his office, a mountain of documents threatening to bury him alive.

Dawn’s Light, a notorious extremist organization, had for decades advocated that ‘the capable should rule over mortals with absolute dictatorial power.’ Four years prior, it had been officially designated as a terrorist organization.

Their leader, Julius Gaido, possessed the ferocious ability to instigate nuclear fission. He was incredibly powerful and fiercely ambitious, aspiring to join the ranks of the Apostles. At the time, the Apostles were still debating how to handle such a troublesome individual.

However, three years ago, during the Divine Arena finals, Corvus Archia Lupercal, after a grueling battle, struck down Julius. The cascade of problems instantly resolved itself, and leaderless, Dawn’s Light naturally dispersed like scattered birds and beasts.

Yet, even though Dawn’s Light had collapsed, its remnants persisted. Now, they had even abandoned their original ideology, simply causing trouble for trouble’s sake.

Even so, the City Lord had never imagined they would set their malicious sights on the Sandra Abyss. All signs indicated that the recent abnormal activities of the abyssal creatures were inextricably linked to them.

At this point, he would have to meet challenges as they arose, adapting to the situation.

“City Lord…?”

“How many times have I told you not to f*cking bother me?! Tell my wife I can’t pick up the kid today and to stop rushing me, damn it!”

“Uh, actually, it’s not about the City Lord’s wife…”

“Then what the hell is it?!”

“Miss Dochido has arrived.”

“Huh!?!?”

Upon hearing this, the City Lord instantly shot up from his desk, spiraling through the air, shattering his office window, executing a perfect 360-degree spin, and landing gracefully in the garden outside the City Lord’s Residence.

The towering documents, picking up his child from school—nothing mattered. Even the movements of abyssal creatures or the schemes of terrorists had to take a backseat.

He had assumed the young lady was merely jesting. Who the hell could have imagined—

“Mr. Leon Sandra, you certainly have a unique way of making an entrance.”

Before the City Lord could even reset his broken leg from the landing, a soft, melodious voice, like a nightingale’s low hum, chimed in before him.

He looked up, meeting her gaze directly.

She was a young woman, approximately twenty years of age.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like those of a model in a renowned painting, her mouth and nose sculpted to perfection, like a timeless masterpiece. Her skin was as luminous and supple as refined suet jade.

Her orange-gold eyes shone like the rising sun, conveying a detached indifference that seemed otherworldly, yet possessed a captivating softness that enchanted all who beheld her. The ears peeking playfully from her beautiful hair were a delightful touch.

Her shoulder-length silver-gray hair reflected the sunlight, its texture more akin to crystalline optical fibers than human hair, making it strikingly eye-catching.

She wore a buttercup-yellow short trench coat, its fabric and tailoring exuding an understated luxury. Beneath it, two long legs, encased in black sheer stockings, were revealed.

Her thighs were full and shapely, her calves slender and elegant. With the hem of her short trench coat just barely covering the tops of her thighs, she was a sight that made it impossible to look away.

“Y-yes, hello…”

In that instant, the City Lord’s heart rate nearly surged past 200 beats per minute. He took several deep breaths to compose himself.

Jadette Dochido.

The cherished daughter of the First Apostle, “The Great Capitalist” Waldo Dochido.

Her noble aura and impeccable demeanor were undeniable. Though she stood no more than 1.65 meters tall, her presence alone seemed to elevate her height to well over 2.8 meters.

The world’s foremost young lady of noble birth, Daughter of Destiny, Sage of Ten Thousand Ingenuities, King of Alchemists—the accolades bestowed upon her by all walks of society were countless.

Moreover, she was the wife of the Ninth Apostle, among the first to publicly announce their engagement, directly facilitating an alliance between the First and Ninth Apostles.

For such a figure to personally grace this place with her presence upon hearing of Sandra City’s predicament, coming to offer support to the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians within the city, was truly an immense honor.

“Ah, ah… *cough, cough*, hahaha, uh, esteemed Miss Dochido, I have been remiss. I had no idea you had already graced us with your esteemed presence.”

Realizing his impropriety, the City Lord immediately offered an ingratiating smile. His usual dignity before his subordinates completely vanished, for he understood how truly distinguished this visitor was.

“No need for such formalities,” the woman replied. “My eagerness simply led me to arrive a little early.”

She bowed slightly, offering only a faint, polite smile. Her voice, though melodious, lacked inflection, as if she harbored no genuine interest in the man before her.

“Then, allow me to formally introduce myself,” she continued. “Jadette Dochido, affiliated with the Alchemist Association under the Supernatural Response Committee. Identity number ALC071204. It is a pleasure to meet you, City Lord.”

“An honor, a profound honor, indeed! Come, come, your room has already been prepared. Please, come right this way—”

The City Lord frantically signaled to his subordinates, who hastily moved to help Jadette with her luggage. It was a black metal crate, one meter long, two meters wide, and four meters high, crude in design.

It looked utterly out of place for someone of Jadette’s status as the world’s foremost young lady.

“No need to trouble yourselves,” she said. “I can manage it myself.”

However, Jadette snapped her fingers. A small drone, composed of countless brass-colored metal plates, materialized from seemingly nowhere.

Two small mechanical arms extended from its underside, clamping onto the metal crate, while three propellers on its upper section spun rapidly, effortlessly lifting the heavy box into the air.

“So, shall we proceed to the room?” she asked.

She spoke in a flat tone, betraying neither annoyance nor interest, devoid of any personal emotion.

****

****

Jadette’s arrival shook the entire City Lord’s Residence.

As the eldest daughter of the First Apostle, she naturally held a revered status, second only to the Apostles themselves. Even setting aside her lineage, she was the most gifted alchemist in a century, and few could rival her accomplishments alone.

During the tour of the City Lord’s Residence, she inquired about the fortress city’s military strength and the living conditions of its residents. Her tone was imbued with a detached, businesslike indifference, yet every word she spoke was incisive and to the point.

Her temperament was extraordinary; every movement exuded impeccable upbringing, and even her gait was imbued with an innate grace. Everyone was profoundly impressed by her, yet dared not harbor any improper thoughts.

She was a lofty goddess, treating her surroundings with a cool detachment, existing in a world apart from ordinary mortals, unattainable and beyond reach.

An hour later—

“Thank you for your warm hospitality, City Lord. It is truly my honor to be a guest in Sandra City.”

“The honor is all ours for hosting you! This is your room. You must be tired from your journey, so please rest well. Should you need anything at all, you may come directly to me!”

With the tour concluded, the City Lord and a large group of attendants, as if escorting a revered Bodhisattva, ushered Jadette—who still maintained her businesslike expression (a polite way of saying ‘deadpan’)—into the guest room. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they reluctantly departed.

“Hmph…”

She instructed the drone to place the heavy metal crate on the floor, then stretched, mentally reviewing her performance for the day.

Her demeanor—perfect.

Her speech—perfect.

Her emotional control—perfect.

Just as always, she had presented her most perfect and noble self before these lesser individuals.

Frantically practicing her fake smiles on the plane had certainly not been in vain. Spending an entire evening choosing her outfit from fashion magazines had also paid off.

“Hmm, I truly am too perfect. As expected of me. *Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum, hum*.”

Alone at last, she finally allowed a triumphant smile to grace her lips, even humming the tune of ‘Shin Takarajima’.

Excellent. Just excellent.

This way, these fellows would surely be utterly captivated by her beauty and nobility, and wouldn’t question her true purpose for coming here.

“Mmm…”

She surveyed the room, her gaze sweeping over the grand canopy bed, the wardrobe crafted from high-grade wood, and the desk laden with books and the day’s newspapers, until it finally settled on the vase on the bedside table.

Her slender, willow-like brows furrowed slightly. She walked to the bedside table and, from the bouquet of flowers in the vase, fished out a soybean-sized polyhedron. It resembled nothing more than an ordinary pebble.

“Was it someone from the City Lord’s Residence? They shouldn’t have the audacity… So, Father truly doesn’t grant me any freedom.”

With a delicate squeeze of her index finger and thumb, she effortlessly crushed the listening device. She then retrieved a cylindrical object, resembling a vacuum tube, from beneath her short trench coat, and smashed it onto the floor.

The device, a bomb integrating a directional EMP and anti-magic metallic dust, detonated on the floor. An invisible wave swept through the room, and various spots in the room emitted crackling and buzzing noises.

All technologically and magically-based listening devices and pinhole cameras were instantly neutralized.

Was this Father’s overprotective nature, or a perverse need for control? Jadette couldn’t be bothered to ponder, nor was she interested.

In truth, she held little concern for the remnants of Dawn’s Light, who were preparing to stir up major trouble in the Sandra Abyss. After all, ‘assisting Sandra City’s military and civilians against potential threats’ was a mere high-sounding pretext.

“No one should be watching now… Hehehe!”

She unfastened her short trench coat. Her hand reached beneath the form-fitting leather attire that accentuated her figure and withdrew an item she kept close to her person at all times, save for bathing.

It was a dark gray towel, coarse in texture and quite old.

Neither its style nor its material was anything a young lady of Jadette’s standing would ever use.

But—

“Inhale——————————”

She buried her face in the towel, taking a deep breath—

“Exhale——————————”

She exhaled, then inhaled again—

“Inhale————”

“Exhale————”

She repeated this countless times, until she could barely detect the volatile substances stimulating the olfactory nerves within her nasal cavity. Finally, she stopped, muttering, “This won’t do, this won’t do.”

Husband energy replenished!

This way, even in this godforsaken, remote place, she could happily live her days!

However…

“The scent, it’s fading…”

Jadette put the towel away with a hint of disappointment.

She had few of Corvus’s personal items left.

A pair of briefs and a pair of boxers had completely lost their scent, the sweat scent on his undershirt was faint, and all three pairs of socks were used up. Now, Jadette only had a towel and a pair of long johns left.

If even this last stock were used up… Jadette couldn’t help but shiver. This simply wouldn’t do. Her investigation had to progress before her supply ran out.

All of this originated from a secret message Jadette had received through her intelligence network:

‘Traces of the Ninth Apostle using their abilities have appeared in the fortress city of Sandra.’

Upon hearing this news, she immediately spread false rumors that ‘the Ninth Apostle had appeared in Tianfu City’ to mislead others who might try to find him first.

She then rushed to Sandra City without delay, fearing that even a slight delay would allow someone else to get ahead of her.

What if she suddenly encountered her husband? Considering this, she specially concocted a unique hair wax with alchemy to set her hair, and a potent skin toner that would burn a layer of skin off ordinary people to remove her cuticles.

She also took diet pills to forcibly burn off a small amount of fat from her lower abdomen, temporarily gave up her nightly snacks, didn’t even drink her ‘happy fat’ soda on the way, and even switched her glasses for contact lenses.

Having invested so much, it would be a huge loss if she couldn’t find her husband.

“Corvus… Ahh… I hope you’re in this city. Otherwise, all the effort I put into spreading those false rumors will have been for nothing…

Once I find you…”

Jadette flashed a smile that was both beautiful and sinister.

She took a hollow, cylindrical metal object from a waist pouch beneath her trench coat. It was intricately wrapped with dense chains and featured dangerous-looking structures that resembled iron clamps and barbs.

“…I’ll put a lock on your d*ck first, to prevent any new women from inexplicably appearing around you again.”