Last Gun Alchemist

”It’s good to have conviction and determination, Mr. Ravenor Burnwick.”

Professor Giggs spoke with a calm smile, genuine approval showing on his face as he looked toward Ravenor.

He truly appreciated the confidence the young noble had shown.

Ambition alone wasn’t enough to make someone extraordinary.

But without ambition...

No one would ever become extraordinary.

The classroom remained quiet for a brief moment before Professor Giggs lightly clapped his hands together.

”Alright, class.”

The crisp sound echoed through the room, naturally drawing everyone’s attention back to the front.

Students who had been whispering to one another immediately straightened in their seats, while those who had lowered their heads to write looked up again.

Professor Giggs smiled warmly before walking back toward the podium.

Leaning against its side was a thin, extendable steel pointer.

He picked it up with one hand and turned toward the holographic screen floating behind him.

”As shown on the second slide...”

The tip of the steel pointer lightly tapped the glowing display.

”Alchemy Circle Conversion... is the art of turning a formularized philosophy into circles formations. Like...”

As he spoke, the pointer slowly moved toward the list of Alchemical Philosophies displayed across the screen.

”...Fire. Water. Wind. Lightning. Steel. Iron. Combustion. Guns. Medical Pills. And many more.”

Each word appeared clearly on the holographic display.

Professor Giggs lowered the pointer slightly before placing one hand behind his back.

He slowly walked toward the opposite side of the classroom while continuing his explanation.

”There are countless philosophies in Alchemy. And In truth... Almost everything surrounding an Alchemist can become a philosophy.”

His footsteps echoed softly against the polished classroom floor.

”We Alchemists believe that nothing exists without a formula. Nothing exists without a reason, and if something can be imagined... and later proven to exist... then somewhere behind it lies a formula explaining why it exists.”

Several students quietly nodded as they listened.

Professor Giggs continued at an unhurried pace.

”The same principle applies to manufacturing.”

He gestured toward another image that appeared on the screen.

A detailed blueprint of a Steam Engine slowly rotated in three dimensions.

”The Steam Engine possesses a complete formula governing its construction. Every gear. Every pipe. Every chamber. Every movement... They all follow specific principles, even the process through which the engine operates... is simply another formula waiting to be understood.”

The holographic blueprint slowly separated into individual parts before reassembling itself.

Many students watched quietly.

Even those who already understood the basics couldn’t help admiring the demonstration.

Professor Giggs finally stopped walking, then he turned toward the class.

”Now...What do we Alchemists actually do to perform an Alchemy with Cognis?”

His gaze slowly swept across the room.

”Alchemy cannot be performed through imagination alone. If that were possible... none of us would ever need materials.”

A few students quietly chuckled.

”Our Cognis simply isn’t sufficient to randomly create objects directly from thought. So... We require a medium. A bridge that allows our intentions to become reality.”

He raised one finger.

”And that is where Alchemy Circles come in.”

With a simple swipe of his hand...

The holographic display changed.

The previous slide disappeared, replaced by another title written in bold letters.

Alchemy Symbols and Lines

The atmosphere inside the classroom became noticeably more serious.

Professor Giggs’ expression also became more focused.

”For those of you who already understand the importance of Alchemy Symbols and Lines... you’ve most likely spent countless hours memorizing them.”

He looked around the classroom.

”And not only memorizing them... but understanding why every single line must be drawn with precision.”

His gaze naturally paused on several students.

Ezra.

Ravenor.

Page.

Vera.

Then...

A non-noble boy seated in the second row on the right side.

Professor Giggs smiled faintly before continuing.

”As of this year... Britannia has officially standardized six hundred Alchemy Symbols.”

The steel pointer tapped the section of the holographic screen displaying the number.

”These six hundred symbols form the official foundation of modern Alchemy Circle Conversion. And among them... There are several groups that every Alchemist who wants to learn this field must master. No matter what Alchemy Path you follow.”

The pointer slowly moved downward.

It stopped beneath another heading.

The Categories of Alchemy Symbols

The moment the title appeared...

Pens immediately began moving across notebooks.

Students who had only recently begun learning Alchemy Circle Conversion hurriedly copied every word displayed on the screen.

The scratching of pen tips quickly filled the classroom.

Some students even switched to another page after realizing they had underestimated how much information today’s lesson would contain.

Meanwhile...

Those already familiar with the subject remained calm.

Rather than copying every sentence...

They simply listened while comparing Professor Giggs’ explanations with the knowledge they had already learned.

Professor Giggs patiently pointed toward the first category.

”The first category... Fundamental Symbols.”

Images immediately appeared beside the title.

Fire. Water. Air. Earth. Light. Darkness. Aether...

”There are more elements within this category, but these are the most common known ones.”

He lightly tapped the final symbol.

”And Aether here, is often referred to as the Fifth Element.”

He allowed everyone enough time to finish writing before moving on.

”The second category... which is the Process Symbols.”

Another list appeared.

Heat. Compression. Separation. Conversion. Fusion.

”And countless other processing symbols.”

He continued.

”The third category... Material Symbols.”

The display shifted once more.

”Metals. Liquids. Crystals. Gases. And every other major material classification used in Alchemy.”

The students continued writing.

Several of those seeing these categories for the first time couldn’t hide their surprise.

Many had practiced Alchemy throughout childhood.

Yet...

Few had ever been taught why the circles they memorized actually worked.

Professor Giggs smiled after noticing their reactions.

”The fourth category... is the Advanced Formula Symbols.”

His tone naturally became more serious.

”This category represents the refinement of Process Symbols. It only became possible because Britannia’s understanding of Alchemy continued advancing over many generations.”

A much longer list appeared across the screen.

Conversion Formula.

Transmutation Formula.

Structural Formula.

Thermodynamic Formula.

Resonance Formula.

Spatial Formula.

Precision Formula.

”And many more.”

Each Formula Symbol branched outward into dozens of smaller lines making the complex diagram to immediately draw everyone’s attention.

Professor Giggs pointed toward one branch.

”Take the Conversion Formula as an example.”

The branch, enlarged.

Smaller categories spread outward like the branches of a tree.

Matter Conversion.

Energy Conversion.

Heat Conversion.

Pressure Conversion.

Density Conversion.

Hardness Conversion.

Conductivity Conversion.

Chemical Conversion.

Atomic Rearrangement.

Molecular Reconstruction.

”The same principle applies to every other Advanced Formula Symbol, with each one containing an entire family of related operations.”

Many students stared at the enormous branching diagram with widened eyes.

Some who had entered the class full of confidence slowly swallowed.

They were only beginning to realize how vast the study of Alchemy Circle Conversion truly was.

Professor Giggs quietly allowed the classroom to absorb everything before continuing.

”And finally...”

He pointed toward the last category displayed beneath the others.

”The Master Symbols.”

The room naturally became silent.

”Back to the talk of Process Symbols and Advanced Formulae Symbols... In recent decades... As Alchemical Science continued advancing... Advanced Formula Symbols were created to simplify the older Process Symbols.”

He slowly folded both hands behind his back again.

”So instead of filling an Alchemy Circle with dozens of individual Process Symbols... a single Advanced Formula Symbol could perform the work of many, because it represents the complete equation and the entire operational process hidden behind your chosen Philosophy.”

The explanation settled over the classroom.

Several students looked back and forth between the categories, silently trying to connect everything they had just learned.

After a few moments...

A noble student slowly raised his hand.

”Professor.”

Professor Giggs looked toward him.

”Go ahead.”

The student stood respectfully.

”So... From everything we’ve seen so far... Does that mean our main objective is simply to memorize these symbols... understand how they relate to our own Alchemy Path... and then begin creating our own Alchemy Circles like that?”

The classroom quietly waited.

Many students had been wondering exactly the same thing.

Professor Giggs didn’t answer immediately.

Instead...

He looked toward another student.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

”Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke.”

He pointed toward Ezra, who was quietly writing several important key points into his notebook without paying attention to the surrounding whispers.

Hearing his name...

Ezra stopped writing and calmly raised his head.

”Yes, Professor.”

Professor Giggs nodded.

”Would you please answer his question for the class?”

Ezra gave a small nod before placing his pen neatly on top of his notebook.

The classroom naturally became quiet.

Many students turned in their seats to look at him.

Some were curious because of Professor Giggs’ confidence in Ezra.

Others simply wanted to know whether the answer differed from their own new understanding.

Ezra slowly stood from his seat.

He first looked toward the noble student who had asked the question before speaking in his usual calm tone.

”Although what you said is correct...Alchemy Circle Conversion is much more complicated than that.”

His voice wasn’t loud.

Yet the classroom remained quiet enough for every word to be heard clearly.

The noble student blinked.

His confident expression immediately stiffened.

”There’s... more to it?”

Several students who were only beginning to study Alchemy Circle Conversion couldn’t hide their surprise either.

They had already felt overwhelmed after seeing the different categories of symbols.

Now they were being told that memorizing those symbols wasn’t even enough.

Ezra calmly continued.

”Professor Giggs hasn’t even explained the importance of Lines yet.”

As he finished speaking, he glanced toward Professor Giggs.

The professor smiled before giving him a small nod, signaling that he could continue the explanation.

Receiving permission...

Ezra looked back at the class.

”You see... There are still gauge calculations involved in Alchemy Circle Conversion.”

He paused briefly, organizing his explanation so the newer students could follow more easily.

”For example... Let’s use Flame Alchemy.”

Several students immediately focused harder.

”You already know that Fire Symbols become the primary anchor of a Flame Alchemy Circle. However... That’s only just the beginning, because... It isn’t as simple as placing Fire Symbols inside a circle.”

His words made several students slowly lower their pens, with many of them being afraid of missing even a single sentence.

”Every Alchemist has a different amount of Cognis and every rank possesses a different output. So before constructing an Alchemy Circle... You first have to calculate how much fire your current Cognis can safely sustain. If those calculations are wrong... your Alchemy Circle won’t function properly.”

The classroom became even quieter.

Ezra continued naturally.

”A single Fire Symbol also contains different heat values depending on how it is drawn.”

He lifted one finger.

”If the Fire Symbol is drawn with a thin line... it produces approximately ten degree Celsius.”

He raised a second finger.

”If it’s drawn thicker... the value increases to fifteen.”

Finally...

He raised a third finger.

”And if the line is made bold... it reaches twenty.”

Several students immediately widened their eyes as they listened and jotted what Ezra was saying.

Ezra continued at the same steady pace.

”And then... You must use both Control Formula Symbols and Precision Formula Symbols. To help determine how many Fire Symbols your Alchemy Circle requires... like which symbols should remain thin... which should become thick... and which must be drawn bold.”

He lightly tapped the table beside him.

”Only after balancing all those calculations... can your Alchemy Circle operate efficiently. Otherwise... You’ll simply waste Cognis for no reason.”

His explanation finally came to an end.

The noble student who had originally asked the question stared blankly at Ezra.

His expression was one of complete disbelief.

He had assumed creating Alchemy Circles was already difficult.

Now...

It sounded several times more complicated than he had imagined.

Around the classroom...

Similar expressions appeared on many faces.

Some quietly looked toward the complicated branching diagrams still displayed on the holographic screen.

Others subconsciously wondered whether they had underestimated the difficulty of this course.

A calm voice suddenly broke the silence.

”The interesting part is...”

Ravenor folded his arms while looking toward Ezra.

”We Alchemists who follow the Nature Paths actually have an easier time creating Alchemy Circles.”

His voice remained composed.

”Since our circles generally involve only our main natural elements and processing systems. But Combat Paths...”

He shook his head slightly.

”They require far more elemental interactions, Scientific principles, Additional processing methods. And much more complicated calculations. The amount of work needed to build those Alchemy Circles is on a completely different level.”

Several students instinctively looked toward Ezra again.

He simply nodded once.

”His right... That’s just how complicated Alchemy Circle Conversion really is.”

There wasn’t any pride in his voice.

He merely stated a fact.

The noble student slowly recovered from his shock, then he respectfully bowed toward Ezra.

”Thank you for the explanation.”

Ezra returned a small nod before quietly taking his seat once again.

Professor Giggs smiled with obvious satisfaction.

”Now... Do you all understand why it’s very important for all of you to take notes?”

He slowly walked across the front of the classroom.

”And also, why it is important to read this course relentlessly?”

His gaze swept across every student.

”If your goal is simply to copy the Alchemy Circle Manuals passed down by your families... then perhaps memorization alone is enough.”

He paused.

”But if one day... you wish to improve those manuals... or even create entirely new Alchemy Circles of your own... then every detail matters. You must understand not only how an Alchemy Circle works... but why it works.”

Many students quietly nodded.

The weight behind his words was much clearer after Ezra’s explanation.

Beside Ezra...

Vera leaned over just enough for only him to hear.

”Nice explanation, Inventor.”

Her voice remained calm.

”I don’t think I could’ve explained it any better if Professor Giggs had asked me instead.”

Her expression barely changed.

Only the faint curve hidden at the corner of her lips suggested she might be teasing him.

Ezra slowly narrowed his eyes.

”Are you being sarcastic?”

Vera didn’t immediately answer.

Instead...

She calmly turned back toward her desk before crossing one leg over the other.

She picked up her Zphone Tablet.

The pair of glasses she had placed on earlier rested neatly across her nose, giving her an even more scholarly appearance.

”Who knows.”

She answered without looking at him.

The dry reply sounded so natural that Ezra couldn’t tell whether she genuinely meant it or not.

He silently looked at her for another second before giving up.

Unlike most students...

Vera wasn’t using paper.

Her fingers moved quickly across the holographic keyboard projected above her tablet.

Each note was arranged with remarkable precision.

Every topic was separated into its own section.

Headings.

Subheadings.

Examples.

References.

Everything was organized neatly enough that she could easily find any information later without searching through dozens of pages.

Ezra glanced at the screen for a brief moment before looking back toward Professor Giggs.

”Using a tablet version does seem convenient.”

He spoke quietly enough that only Vera could hear.

Without lifting her eyes from the screen...

She replied immediately.

”I’m surprised you haven’t bought one. Especially with how much money you have.”

Her fingers never stopped typing.

Even while talking...

She continued organizing today’s lesson.

Her expression remained completely serious, as though every sentence Professor Giggs spoke deserved to be filed perfectly.

Not far away...

Willow was also using a Zphone Tablet.

Unlike Vera’s rapid typing...

Willow entered only the most important key points, carefully selecting which information deserved to be preserved.

Her pace was slower and more deliberate.

Every note she had written down reflected her disciplined personality.

Beside them...

Diane hadn’t moved at all.

At least...

That was what most people in the classroom would think after glancing at her.

She sat quietly with both hands resting on her lap.

Her sleepy eyes remained half-closed.

She looked completely detached from the lesson.

Yet those who truly knew Diane understood the truth.

She wasn’t sleeping.

She was listening to every explanation...

Every example...

And every sentence spoken inside the classroom quietly settled into her memory.

Her ability to remember information rivaled students like Ezra, Vera, Ravenor, and the other outstanding minds of their year.

The difference was simply their methods.

Ezra and Vera continued writing despite already possessing excellent memories.

Since taking notes had long become a habit, they had no intention of abandoning.

Diane was the exact opposite.

She almost never wrote anything down.

Instead...

She stored everything inside her mind.

The lesson continued in this manner for several more hours.

Professor Giggs patiently answered questions whenever students raised their hands, occasionally adding practical examples that helped the newer students understand the theory more easily.

Only after the final topic had been covered did he close the extendable steel pointer with a soft click.

”That concludes today’s lesson.”

His warm smile returned.

”In our next class... we’ll begin studying the Fundamental Symbols themselves. You’ll learn how each one is properly drawn... along with the role and function every symbol serves within an Alchemy Circle.”

Several students immediately wrote down the reminder before Professor Giggs dismissed the class, bringing the afternoon lesson to a close.