In the Graycastle, Tefiko stood with her scepter, watching the chief alchemist Rayleigh Chennis below with a smug look.
"Have you identified the alchemical formula stolen by the defector Bole?" "Certainly, Your Majesty. This is the newest snow powder developed by the Alchemy Society. Allow me to demonstrate it to you," Rui Li bowed respectfully.
After receiving the new king's approval, he gestured backward, and immediately two disciples approached, each holding a leather bag. He spread two sheets of white paper on the ground, poured the snow powder from the bags onto them, and smoothed it into two thin lines. One line was grayish-white, while the other was much darker, approaching a grayish-black hue.
"Your Majesty, please observe. The light-colored powder here was originally used for ceremonial snow celebrations, while the dark-colored one represents the newly developed high-ignition snow powder." Rui Li took out a flint and lit the powder on the paper. The light-colored powder burned slowly, producing thick smoke, whereas the dark-colored powder was completely consumed within moments, simultaneously igniting the white paper beneath it.
"What does this signify?" Tefiko frowned. "The prize my dear sister has obtained is no mere paper burning!" "Certainly not, Your Majesty," Rui Li stroked his beard with a smile. "Have you noticed the smoke it emits when burning? The faster the snow powder burns, the more smoke it releases in a short time—this is precisely its formidable power. I shall prove this with another experiment." This time, two fist-sized parchment packages were tightly wrapped. The disciples lit the slender ropes inside, then placed two copper bowls over the packages. Sparks followed the ropes, creeping toward the bowls.
"Your Majesty, this time the sound will be louder—please cover your ears," the Chief Alchemist said. As soon as his words faded, a thunderous crash echoed: a copper bowl overturned completely, while another was hurled onto the roof. It bounced several times on the granite slabs before hitting the ground, producing a crisp metallic clatter.
Damn! Tifeke gripped the scepter that nearly slipped from his grasp, involuntarily swallowing a mouthful of saliva. How could this old man not have spoken up sooner!
The two disciples presented the shattered copper bowl to the new king. Suppressing his inner rage, he focused on the bowl—after all, the opponent was the cornerstone of the Capital Alchemy Association, and he still needed his help to study alchemical weapons.
The copper bowl now appeared deformed, as if it had been violently struck from within with an iron hammer, its rim bulging outward.
"I've verified repeatedly that the power of snow powder lies not in combustion but in its gaseous properties – this is the truth behind the formula stolen by Bole," Rui Li declared from the hall's center. "If the snow powder is concentrated into a compact mass, its destructive force can tear through armor and shatter human flesh. I'm certain this new snow powder will replace blades and bows. Even a well-trained Knight would be no match for a civilian clad in snow powder armor." The statement sent ripples through the hall. Tefiko noticed several Knights' faces darkening. Steelheart Knight Weimas, seemingly ready to challenge, quickly tapped the floor with his scepter. "Silence!" When the crowd lowered their heads, he turned to Rui Li. "Is the formula stolen by the traitor identical to yours?" "No, Your Majesty," Rui Li shook his head with a hint of disdain. "Saltpeter, though a standard alchemical ingredient, has limited reserves. He stumbled upon this formula while grinding snow powder. Even if he wanted to experiment further, the quantity wouldn't last him long. My rapid-burning snow powder, however, is the optimal formula developed through extensive testing – its power far surpasses any accidental discovery." "Very well," Tefiko breathed a sigh of relief. Though aware of the Royal Capital's pre-arranged personnel, he hadn't anticipated the Alchemy Association's loyalty. The betrayal had been orchestrated by her trusted confidant, who had taken alchemist Bole and over ten apprentices. This wasn't a big deal. Alchemists were rare in other cities, and the capital had at least twenty of them. Losing one was no big deal, but this particular alchemist had discovered a highly lethal snow powder before leaving. Without sharing the alchemy formula with the association, he vanished without a trace the next day.
The Tiefekko agents only managed to capture the loyalists who had stayed behind to create confusion, but failed to intercept Boll's group. Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered the Prime Minister to purchase all the city's saltpeter and demanded the Alchemy Association to quickly recreate Boll's snow powder formula. With the two-month period now yielding clear results, he felt quite satisfied—even this old man who had shown him less respect seemed to have warmed up considerably.
Tiefike cleared his throat. "Well done. I shall reward you with twenty-five Golden Dragons. Additionally, I will establish a snow powder workshop in the capital's inner city to mass-produce this fast-burning powder. You must not slack off—further research into its applications is imperative. If it truly works as you claim, allowing commoners to defeat the Knight, I shall grant you a title and territory." "Thank you, Your Majesty!" After the Chief Alchemist departed, Sir Waimas stepped forward. "Your Highness, though this device appears formidable, it's utterly incapable of defeating a Knight. As you've seen, it requires ignition and has a lethal range of merely half a step. Before commoners approach, I have dozens of methods to incapacitate them. Even if they draw near, I can strike while the fire is lit and then retreat unscathed. Rui Li's claims are nothing but the fantasies of those who've never seen battle." "We concur, Your Majesty," the other Knights chimed in.
"That's why I let him keep experimenting with better ways to use it," Tefiko reassured him. "Like shortening the ignition time or even throwing it. Of course, no matter what kind of weapon it is, I'm confident Knight would outperform the farmer." Though he said this, a hint of skepticism lingered in his mind. Commoners were indeed useless—cowardly, ignorant, and death-averse—but with the pill's control, snow powder could become a formidable weapon. At least when storming city gates or breaking through shield lines, a few snow-powder-clad frenzied militiamen could tear a gap in the fortified defenses.
Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed outside the door. A royal guard rushed into the palace hall, kneeling before the throne. "Your Majesty, the militia you sent to the western frontier appears to have suffered a crushing defeat. The retreating troops have now returned to the capital, and word has spread that they brought Roland Wimbledon's letter of reprimand. This has become public knowledge." "What?" Tefiko froze in shock. "Seal their mouths immediately! Bring all the survivors to the castle!"...
In the castle courtyard, a ragged group of militiamen knelt like muck, pleading, "Your Majesty, please grant us some pills. We can't take this anymore." "You worthless scum! You only waste food while draining our enemies. How dare you ask for medicine?" Tifeco glared coldly at them. "How did you lose to your opponents? Tell me the battle details. Whoever answers will receive the antidote." The crowd erupted. "We were attacked on the ship, and the fleet quickly fell into chaos. Lord Knight ordered us to land, but once ashore, they kept shooting us with arrows in such a dense barrage that we couldn't defend. Lord Knight surrendered first, and we followed..." "What about the leading Knight?" "No... I don't know. They took us back to camp, but we didn't see Lord Knight." Tifeco's voice turned icy. "Then how did you return?" "Roland Prince let us go," one man said quickly. "He gave us a letter to deliver to you." "You?" "Yes, I have one too!" "Your Majesty, I have a letter too!" The crowd shouted, pulling Roland's "letters" from their pockets.
Damn! Did he really send this to everyone? Tefiko gestured for the bodyguard to take the letter, only to find identical messages written on every sheet.
"Your folly has caused me regret, Tiffico Wimbledon. Repeated incursions into the western border were a grave mistake, and you shall pay the price. I shall attack the capital in the second month of autumn, and you shall find your position far less secure than you imagined. Then, all the citizens of the capital will see that your throne is already on the verge of collapse." — Roland Wimbledon.