Kemoshtier walked through the town toward the Chishui River.
Border Town has now blossomed into a bustling metropolis, a far cry from its former role as a mere outpost for tracking sinister creatures. The ground beneath your feet is a solid black-gray, while rows of bungalows line the streets. Unlike residential buildings, these structures are not meant for living—instead, they offer much more spacious areas, resembling miniature warehouses.
As Your Highness has instructed, these houses will be put up for sale in the future.
In front of the bungalows lies a deep drainage ditch, its surface paved with stone slabs that serve as two boundary lines for the blackened street. Along the roadside, large trees are planted at regular intervals between the bungalows, their branches extending toward the road center. These trees not only provide shade and shelter from rain but also offer a visually pleasing landscape.
It has to be said that the most striking impression this place leaves on him is its neatness.
Every element—houses, roads, ditches, and trees—is meticulously positioned, with a level of refinement rivaling Noble's garden estates. Strolling through Border Town offers a experience comparable to the main urban area of Chishui City. While the latter boasts denser and more expansive architecture, the harmonious arrangement of these unassuming dwellings creates a distinctive aesthetic. This harmony transcends individual grandeur, revealing a higher echelon of magnificence in its entirety.
Like those perfectly aligned chemical formulas, he thought, this is the beauty of order.
Kaimo has now gained considerable renown in the small town, where passersby would bow in respect and address him as 'The Sage.' Yet he prefers the title 'Master of Chemistry,' though unfortunately, Roland Your Highness decreed that one must master 'Intermediate Chemistry' to earn this honor.
Beyond the central zone, the Chishui River flows across the western border. Four laboratories have been established along its banks, though the last two remain idle due to insufficient staffing.
As Kamo was about to summon a few apprentices to carry out Your Highness's order, a soldier in the First Army uniform approached.
"Lord Stuir, a sailboat has arrived at the docks, carrying over fifty... civilians," he said after a bow. "The garrison stopped them due to their large numbers and suspicious behavior. One of them claimed to want to see you and introduced himself as an alchemist from Chishui City named—" "Chames!" Kaimo exclaimed, grabbing the soldier by the shoulder. "Take me to see him now!"
He led the soldiers to the dock area, where a familiar figure caught his eye—indeed, it was Chamis.
"Master Mentor!" The other party immediately spotted Kaimo and waved at him.
"These are the alchemists and alchemy apprentices I summoned," he approached the garrison commander. "Let them all in—I'll take them to the town hall for registration." "Yes, Your Highness. But allow me to dispatch a security detail to escort them." "No objection." Though the escort was nominally for protection, it served as surveillance to prevent any members from straying into the town center. These were Your Royal Highness's established protocols, and Kaimo had no intention of interfering.
"Sir Mentor, what's going on with them? Why does a remote town have someone specifically guarding the docks?" Chamis, who had been released, hurried over and grumbled irritably. "And they're even stricter than the city guards in big cities—asking about names and backgrounds. I even used Silver Wolf, but they didn't change their minds." "Silver Wolf?" Kaimo asked with interest. "How many?" "One, of course," Chamis said, slightly taken aback.
"Ha ha ha," he chuckled, stroking his beard, "that's clearly out of the question. Their monthly pay is about fifteen silver wolves." "Fifteen...?" "Well, compared to city patrols that survive by extorting merchants and travelers, the First Army lives in far greater comfort. But that very comfort means extortion, plundering, or accepting bribes are strictly forbidden. Any violation results in immediate dismissal and imprisonment for trial." Though not an official city council member, Kaimo had gained some insight into these high-level policies after attending a few meetings as acting Minister of Industry.
"Can they really keep their hands off it?" Chamis asked, slightly skeptical.
"There are some who can't be controlled, but they've all been exiled to the mines," he said with a pout. "Didn't you notice the unique features of this town when you arrived?" "Well... there are quite a few," the young alchemist scratched his head. "For instance, along the riverbank, there seem to be many people cutting trees to build roads. They've moved so far from Border Town—where do they think they're going? And what are those iron towers by the riverbank for? Storing drinking water?" He paused. "Oh right! Before reaching the dock... I actually saw an iron bridge under construction! Not made of wood or stone, but confirmed to be iron!" "And it's much longer than any bridge I've ever seen, isn't it?" The chief alchemist smiled faintly. "So don't bring your experience from Redwater City here. This is a completely different city. Of course... it's still just a town now, but it's surprising enough. Just like those contents in Elementary Chemistry—you wouldn't imagine such possibilities exist until you see them with your own eyes." For some reason, he felt inexplicably relieved and delighted when telling his former apprentice these words. Upon reflection, he realized he had already embraced Border Town as his own, much like boasting about his new home to guests.
...
After completing the registration, the apprentices were handed over to the town hall officials for accommodation arrangements, while Kemoshtier took Chamis back to his own residence.
"Though I knew you'd eventually accept my invitation, I never expected your arrival to be so sudden." "I..." Chamis lowered his head, slightly embarrassed. "I should have agreed to your request earlier." The Chief Alchemist smiled. Though wholly devoted to alchemy, he wasn't ignorant of worldly affairs. Chamis had initially refused to leave, likely hoping to secure the Chief's position through the Two-Sour Technique. His lingering resentment toward Lord Capora—until the latter became the new Chief—ultimately drove him to leave Chishui City.
Yet Kaimo paid no heed to such petty schemes—the crowning ambition of every alchemist was to ascend to the position of Chief of the Aspiration Workshop.
"Let the past be forgotten. Alchemy holds no meaning here, nor does the alchemist's glory. Here, only one thing deserves your pursuit: chemistry." "I understand," Chamis sighed deeply.
"Though you'll surely get a detached house, sleep here tonight as you always have... We haven't had a proper talk in ages." When teaching Chames the alchemical techniques, he would hold the young disciple up all night, and when tired, they'd huddle together on a single bed.
The other clearly understood his meaning and exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, mentor!" After dinner, the two went to the study, where Kemoschuir carefully retrieved the book *Elementary Chemistry*.
"Is this the ancient book you so highly value?" Chamis turned the first page with solemnity and began reading intently. Kaimo stood beside him, offering explanations for the perplexing passages. The scene felt like a return to years past, when the other had once again become his disciple.
With the addition of Chamis and over fifty new apprentices, he now had sufficient manpower to test large-scale sulfuric acid production methods, while the other two chemical laboratories could also operate. Kaimo thought to himself with pride, most importantly, Your Highness should fulfill his promise by handing over *Intermediate Chemistry* to him.