Last Gun Alchemist

The pursuit of House Orvain’s steam carriage gradually turned into a long and exhausting wait.

Nearly an hour passed as the luxurious carriage stopped several times in different parts of Velcryon.

Each stop was at one of Terenza’s fashion boutiques.

Every time the carriage came to a halt, the Baroness calmly stepped inside one of her stores, disappearing for several minutes before returning again as though she were simply checking on her businesses.

Inside House Miles’ steam carriage...

Nobody spoke much.

They simply watched and waited.

The quiet atmosphere slowly became heavier as time passed.

The guard driving the carriage finally couldn’t hold back his thoughts anymore.

"Young Lady Miles..."

He glanced back through the small opening beside the driver’s seat.

His expression carried obvious worry.

"...Is this really alright?"

He hesitated before asking.

"We’ve been following another noble family’s carriage for almost an hour. If we’re discovered... House Miles could end up in an even worse situation."

Gena didn’t immediately answer.

Instead...

She looked out the carriage window, her eyes still fixed on the entrance of the fashion boutique where Terenza had entered.

Only after a few seconds did she reply.

"You’re only asking that now?"

She smiled helplessly.

The guard awkwardly scratched his cheek.

"I’ve been thinking about it for a while... I just wasn’t sure whether I should say it."

Gena let out a small sigh.

"Don’t worry."

Her tone became much calmer.

"Sometimes... people have to make sacrifices if they truly want justice."

She continued watching the boutique.

"If we want to expose that bitch’s schemes... then following her is a risk worth taking."

As she spoke...

A faint white glow quietly appeared within her pupils.

Cognis flowed through her body before gathering around her eyes.

Her vision instantly sharpened.

The walls of the boutique no longer seemed so distant.

Every movement inside became much clearer.

She carefully observed everyone entering and leaving the building.

"Wouldn’t it be better..."

Blake suddenly spoke.

"...if we secretly entered the boutique ourselves?"

He leaned closer to the window.

"I can’t see anything from here."

His eyesight remained completely ordinary.

Unlike Gena...

He could only see people moving near the entrance.

"I agree."

Gwen quietly nodded.

"If we’re this far away...aren’t we just guessing what she’s doing inside?"

Lucy couldn’t help smiling.

"Don’t worry about that."

She leaned comfortably against her seat.

A confident smirk appeared across her face.

"We Alchemists have our own methods."

As she spoke...

Her own Cognis quietly flowed toward her eyes.

Her pupils immediately became sharper.

"We can strengthen our eyesight far beyond what ordinary people can see."

She proudly folded her arms.

Gwen narrowed her eyes.

"...That really must be convenient."

She looked out the same window again.

"You Alchemists really have advantages in almost everything."

Blake slumped backward against his seat.

His shoulders dropped helplessly.

"You really do."

He sighed.

"You people are miles ahead of ordinary people."

He began counting on his fingers.

"Looks. Intelligence. Strength. Speed. Longer lifespans."

He finished the list before letting out another defeated sigh.

"Honestly... I still wish I had the chance to awaken Cognis."

There wasn’t envy in his voice.

Only regret.

He had dreamed of becoming an Alchemist ever since he was little.

Unfortunately...

Dreams didn’t always become reality.

"Stop complaining like a child, Young Master."

Gwen lightly frowned.

She looked directly at Blake.

"Even if you can’t awaken Cognis..."

She smiled gently.

"...you’re still smarter than most people."

She folded her hands together.

"Maybe... even smarter than quite a number of Alchemists."

Her words carried complete sincerity.

Blake looked toward her.

A small smile naturally appeared.

"...Thanks."

His mood noticeably improved.

The carriage quietly fell into silence again.

Ezra had remained completely silent from the beginning.

His blank eyes stayed fixed outside the window.

He wasn’t watching the boutique.

Nor was he watching Baroness Orvain’s steam carriage.

His Cognis quietly spread throughout the surrounding streets.

Instead of relying on vision...

He listened.

Every wheel turning.

Every horse stepping across stone roads.

Every conversation.

Every steam engine.

Every whistle.

Every horn.

Every sound entered his senses before being quietly separated inside his mind.

Then...

"Driver."

Ezra suddenly spoke.

His calm voice instantly drew everyone’s attention.

"Start the engine."

The guard blinked.

He looked toward Ezra in confusion.

"But..."

He pointed toward the boutique.

"I don’t even see the Baroness coming out yet."

He then looked toward House Orvain’s steam carriage.

"It’s still waiting outside."

The others also looked confused.

Had Ezra made a mistake?

"That’s because..."

Ezra calmly answered.

"...she already left."

Everyone froze.

"What?"

Blake quickly leaned forward.

Ezra continued speaking without changing expression.

"She exited through another door."

His eyes never moved away from the window.

"She entered another steam carriage."

A brief pause followed.

"My senses are beginning to lose her."

His voice became slightly firmer.

"Move. Now."

The guard no longer hesitated.

He immediately turned the ignition.

HISSS...

Steam pressure surged through the engine.

He firmly stepped on the accelerator.

The carriage shot forward.

The sudden acceleration threw everyone sideways.

Gwen nearly lost her balance.

Lucy reacted instantly.

She grabbed Gwen by the arm while planting her other hand firmly against the seat to steady herself.

Gena quickly adjusted her posture before sitting properly.

Blake...

Looked as though his soul had nearly left his body.

"My stomach..."

He muttered weakly.

"...isn’t surviving today."

Ezra ignored the commotion around him.

His senses continued expanding.

"Continue straight."

He calmly instructed.

"Then make a sharp turn at the first left intersection."

The guard nodded.

Without questioning anything...

He immediately followed the instructions.

The carriage rushed through the crowded streets.

Several horse carriages quickly moved aside.

One frightened horse even raised its front legs before its coachman hurriedly calmed it.

Steam whistles echoed around them.

Pedestrians quickly stepped away from the roadside.

The pursuit continued.

Nearly another minute passed.

"Right."

Ezra calmly spoke again.

The guard sharply turned the steering mechanism.

The steam carriage smoothly swung into another road before continuing forward.

Inside...

The ride had become even rougher.

Gwen helplessly slid from one side of her seat to the other every few seconds.

Lucy continued supporting her friend while struggling to keep herself balanced.

Blake looked completely miserable.

His face had already turned pale.

He looked as though another sharp turn might cause him to faint.

Only Gena remained completely different.

She smiled.

A genuinely excited smile.

The thrill of the pursuit only made her more energetic.

Eventually...

The narrow streets disappeared behind them.

The carriage emerged from between tightly packed buildings and entered a much quieter district on the outskirts of Velcryon.

The roads gradually changed.

Stone pavement slowly gave way to compacted sand roads.

The surrounding land also became noticeably less developed.

Although people still pass by from time to time...

The crowds had become much thinner.

Several ordinary steam carriages continued moving through the area.

Horse carts carrying supplies also occasionally appeared.

The entire district felt far quieter than the city center.

"I see it!"

Gena suddenly stood.

She pointed through the front window.

"The carriage!"

Lucy quickly looked in the same direction.

Sure enough...

House Orvain’s noble crest could once again be seen several hundred meters ahead.

The carriage calmly continued along the road.

Lucy blinked.

Master really sensed that from so far away...

Even after enhancing her vision with Cognis...

She had only just managed to locate it.

Yet Ezra...

Had already guided them here minutes earlier with complete confidence.

The difference in perception made her quietly admire him once again.

"That’s not the carriage, Gena."

Ezra calmly corrected her.

His expression remained unchanged.

He continued spreading his Cognis across an enormous area.

His perception of the surrounding world had become completely different.

Inside his mind...

Everything existed within a flowing black world.

White ripples continuously spread outward from him.

Every sound wave became another source of information.

Wheel rotations.

Steam pressure.

Human footsteps.

Conversations.

Metal vibrations.

One after another...

They naturally assembled into an invisible map.

Just as he had once reconstructed the hidden Black Room during the Trial...

He was now reconstructing the surrounding roads.

Only...

Far more efficiently than before.

After advancing to Binder Rank...

His senses had evolved again.

He no longer merely perceived surfaces.

He could now distinguish the inner structures of many nearby objects through the countless sound reflections returning to him.

The Orvain carriage they currently saw...

Contained the correct crest.

The correct appearance.

But...

The wrong passengers.

It was only a decoy.

Ezra’s senses quietly pushed farther outward.

Past several ordinary steam carriages.

Past freight Trucks.

Past horse carts.

Past a steam bus filled with passengers.

Then...

He found it.

An ordinary steam carriage.

Its appearance was so plain that nobody would have bothered looking at it twice.

Inside...

Sat Baroness Terenza Orvain.

"There was always going to be a decoy."

Ezra calmly stated.

The others looked toward him.

"Does that mean..."

Gena frowned.

"...she knew someone might be following her?"

"No."

Ezra shook his head once.

"She’s simply careful."

He stood from his seat before walking beside the driver.

He pointed toward another distant road.

"The real carriage is there."

Without asking another question...

The guard immediately adjusted course.

Rather than chasing the obvious decoy...

House Miles’ steam carriage quietly began following the ordinary-looking vehicle carrying the real Baroness Orvain.

They continued making several more turns through the streets of Velcryon.

Gradually...

The lively sounds of the city began to fade behind them.

The busy roads filled with merchants, pedestrians, and steam carriages slowly disappeared, replaced by quieter roads that saw far fewer travelers.

Shops became scarce.

The buildings also became smaller until they eventually gave way to stretches of woodland surrounding the outskirts of the city.

Ezra quietly watched the ordinary steam carriage ahead.

After observing the surroundings for another minute...

He finally spoke.

"We stop here."

His flat voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

The carriage came to a smooth stop.

Ezra opened the door and stepped outside first.

"The rest of the journey will be on foot."

He calmly looked toward the road ahead.

"If we continue following with the steam carriage... there’s a high chance Baroness Orvain will notice that the same vehicle has been trailing her."

He turned toward the guard driving House Miles’ carriage.

"You stay here."

The guard immediately nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

Although he was worried about allowing several young nobles to continue alone...

He also understood Ezra’s reasoning.

Following with a large steam carriage any farther would only increase their chances of being discovered.

Like that...

The group left the carriage behind.

The worried guard remained where he was, keeping watch over the vehicle while silently praying for everyone’s safe return.

Without another word...

Ezra immediately dashed forward.

His movements were swift yet silent.

Rather than using Cognis to explosively increase his speed...

He relied almost entirely on the strength and control his body had naturally developed after months of relentless training.

His figure disappeared between the trees in only a few breaths.

Lucy smiled faintly before following after him.

Before leaving...

She effortlessly lifted Gwen into a princess carry.

"H-Huh?"

Gwen instinctively grabbed onto Lucy’s shoulder.

"Hold on."

Lucy smiled reassuringly.

Then...

She pushed off the ground.

Her body shot forward through the forest with remarkable speed.

Despite carrying another person...

Her breathing remained perfectly steady.

Not even a bead of sweat formed on her forehead.

As a Novice Alchemist...

Lucy’s physical abilities had already surpassed ordinary people by an overwhelming margin.

Carrying Gwen while running at full speed barely affected her.

Behind them...

Gena looked at Blake.

Then...

Without asking for permission...

She bent down slightly before scooping him into a princess carry as well.

"W-Wait!"

Blake’s eyes widened.

Before he could react...

He was already in Gena’s arms.

"I can walk!"

He protested with an embarrassed face.

"You’ll only slow everyone down."

Gena answered without even looking at him.

Then she immediately chased after Ezra.

Blake wanted to continue complaining...

But seeing how quickly the scenery blurred around him...

He wisely chose to keep quiet.

Although...

His expression only became even more embarrassed.

"...Ahhh."

He covered his face with both hands.

"This is so embarrassing..."

His muffled voice escaped through his fingers.

Gena didn’t even spare him a glance.

"Keep talking..."

Her tone became colder.

"...and I’m dropping your ass."

Blake immediately fell silent.

Lucy couldn’t help chuckling after hearing them.

The group continued advancing deeper into the forest.

Ahead...

The ordinary-looking steam carriage carrying Baroness Orvain continued moving along a narrow path that had clearly been cleared by human hands.

Trees lined both sides of the road.

The deeper they went...

The darker the surroundings became.

Eventually...

The carriage entered a section of forest where even moonlight struggled to pass through the thick canopy overhead.

Ezra slightly raised one hand.

Everyone immediately slowed.

Instead of continuing along the road...

They quietly climbed into the surrounding trees.

The thick branches provided excellent cover.

One after another...

They silently jumped from tree to tree.

Their movements remained careful.

Every landing was controlled to avoid shaking the branches too much.

Even the smallest unnecessary sound could alert the guards below.

Blake, however...

Had an entirely different problem.

Being carried through the trees by Gena meant his line of sight naturally drifted downward.

His eyes accidentally landed near the slightly opened collar of Gena’s shirt.

His face instantly turned bright red.

This...

This isn’t the time to be thinking about things like this!

He desperately scolded himself.

He quickly forced his eyes elsewhere.

Only for them to accidentally drift back again.

Focus!

Focus, Blake!

He shut his eyes tightly.

Unfortunately...

That only made him notice something else.

She smells... really nice.

His ears slowly turned red.

And...

How does someone our age already have a figure like this...?

His thoughts completely betrayed him.

Even Gwen is older than Gena...

Yet...

His embarrassment only grew stronger.

He immediately covered his face again.

Who would’ve thought...?

The daughter of House Miles was this beautiful...

Completely unaware of Blake’s internal struggle...

Gena simply continued leaping across the trees with perfect concentration.

Her attention never left the steam carriage below.

After following the vehicle for several more minutes...

The dense forest finally opened up.

A massive clearing appeared ahead.

The group immediately slowed.

Several hundred meters away...

A brightly illuminated camp stood hidden deep inside the forest.

Rows of towering torch pillars burned brightly.

Their flames danced in the night breeze while casting long shadows across the enormous wooden walls surrounding the compound.

The entire area was far larger than any ordinary campsite.

At the front entrance...

Armed guards stood watch beside a reinforced gate.

The ordinary steam carriage slowly rolled toward them.

One guard stepped forward.

After carefully confirming the passenger’s identity...

He respectfully saluted.

The heavy gates immediately began opening.

The steam carriage entered without delay.

Moments later...

The gates closed once again.

Ezra landed silently upon one of the tallest trees overlooking the compound.

The thick branch beneath his feet barely moved.

His blank black eyes calmly rested upon the hidden base.

Then...

His Cognis quietly spread outward once more.

Countless sounds returned to him.

Footsteps.

Steam engines.

Metal striking metal.

Workers speaking.

Machines operating.

One after another...

The information naturally assembled inside his mind.

Invisible outlines gradually formed.

Buildings.

Roads.

Storage facilities.

Guard posts.

Watchtowers.

The positions of workers.

The patrol routes of guards.

Everything slowly became clearer.

After several moments...

Ezra finally spoke.

"This..."

He looked thoughtfully toward the enormous compound.

"...is a construction base."

Lucy quietly landed beside him.

The branch gently bent beneath her weight before becoming still again.

She carefully lowered Gwen onto the thick branch.

The moment Gwen’s feet touched the wood...

She immediately hugged the branch with both arms.

Her face had already turned pale.

The height alone was enough to make her legs tremble.

One careless step...

And she would fall dozens of meters to the forest floor.

"A construction base?"

Lucy looked toward the camp.

"You mean...They’re manufacturing something here?"

Ezra gave a small nod.

"I can’t determine what it is yet."

His gaze never left the compound.

"But...It isn’t a normal construction site."

Gena soon landed on another large branch close by.

She gently placed Blake down.

The instant his feet touched the branch...

Blake practically threw himself around it.

Both arms and legs wrapped tightly around the thick wood.

His entire body trembled.

He was doing everything possible not to scream.

"I-I..."

His voice shook.

"I absolutely hate heights..."

Lucy secretly smiled.

She had never imagined Blake would be this terrified.

"So..."

Gena narrowed her eyes toward the camp.

"She really is hiding something illegal."

Her voice became colder.

She immediately reached into her pocket.

Taking out her Starlix 13 Model—currently the highest version of the Starlix phone franchise... she activated the camera function.

"We should start taking pictures."

She quietly adjusted the zoom.

"If we’re caught later... at least we’ll already have some evidence."

Ezra nodded once.

"That’s the correct first step."

He calmly agreed.

"But..."

His blank eyes continued scanning every corner of the hidden base.

"We’ll still need stronger evidence."

He pointed toward the buildings inside.

"We have to sneak inside."

His voice remained steady.

"We need proof of exactly what illegal production is taking place within this construction base."

The night had completely settled over the forest by then.

Only the countless torches inside the hidden compound illuminated the darkness.

From high above...

The young group silently overlooked the mysterious facility.

Each of them understood...

Their real mission...

Was only just beginning.