Last Gun Alchemist

The next morning arrived with bright sunlight stretching across the Royal Academy.

Students gradually returned to school after the previous day’s Practical Test.

Many of those who had spent the night in the Royal Academy Hospital had already been discharged and were making their way back to class.

Some still had fresh bandages wrapped around their arms, heads, or shoulders.

Others walked a little slower than usual because of lingering injuries, but none of them wanted to miss another day of lessons.

The academy quickly regained its usual liveliness.

Groups of students walked through the stone pathways while conversations overlapped from every direction.

Some discussed the Practical Test.

Others argued over the final rankings.

Several students were already making plans for the next examination, convinced they would perform much better.

Inside the large general classroom...

The atmosphere wasn’t much different.

Students filled the room little by little, chatting with their classmates as they waited for the professor to arrive.

”Settle down... settle down.”

An elderly man’s voice interrupted the noisy classroom.

The conversations gradually quieted as the students looked toward the entrance.

A male professor walked inside at an unhurried pace.

Following behind him were two assistants carrying stacks of teaching materials and several neatly organized books.

The moment many students saw his face, quiet whispers immediately spread across the classroom.

”Hey...”

”Isn’t that Professor Donald Joan?”

”Yeah.”

”It really is him.”

Students glanced toward the elderly man with obvious curiosity.

Some even looked pleasantly surprised.

”Wow... I can’t believe one of Britannia’s explorers and researchers is going to teach us.”

”Well...”

Another student nodded.

”This is the Foreign Class.”

”I guess it makes sense.”

Donald calmly walked toward the front of the classroom while his assistants placed the teaching materials on the podium.

Unlike the assistants who usually remained throughout other professors’ lectures, the two politely bowed once their work was finished.

Without saying another word, they quietly left the classroom.

The door closed behind them.

Silence gradually settled over the room.

The remaining whispers quickly disappeared as everyone returned their attention to the professor.

Ezra sat in his usual section of the classroom.

As always, the Ashenlocke students naturally gathered together.

Veda occupied the seat beside him.

Nickolas sat on one side.

Nate remained on the other.

Over the past several weeks, that arrangement had quietly become routine.

Of course...

The Ashenlockes weren’t sitting by themselves anymore.

Students who had gradually become acquainted with Veda often gathered near their row.

Several students sitting closer to Nickolas frequently started conversations with both him and Veda before class began.

Likewise, students seated closer to Nate often found themselves speaking with Ezra whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Although...

Most of those conversations were surprisingly one-sided.

Ezra usually replied with only a few words before quietly returning to whatever he had been doing.

Even so, the students never seemed discouraged.

Perhaps they had simply grown used to his personality.

Professor Donald looked around the classroom before placing one hand over his chest.

”Good morning, children of Royal.”

His calm greeting echoed throughout the room.

”Good morning, Professor.”

The students replied together.

Some answered energetically.

Some sounded sleepy after the previous day’s exhausting Practical Test.

Others simply greeted him with their usual calm expressions.

Donald smiled faintly.

”Many of you probably already know my name through Skynet.”

A few students nodded.

He chuckled.

”Even so, introductions are still necessary.”

He lightly adjusted the sleeve of his coat.

”My name is Donald Joan. I’ll be the professor leading this course.”

He paused briefly.

”On the Study of the World Beyond Britannia.”

Several students immediately became more attentive.

Donald walked toward the glass teaching board mounted behind the podium.

He activated it.

A soft blue light spread across its surface before expanding into a large holographic display that hovered above the front of the classroom.

Afterward, he returned to the podium.

Taking out his Zphone Tablet, he dragged today’s prepared lesson from the device directly into the holographic display.

The document enlarged smoothly.

The first slide appeared before everyone.

Almost immediately...

Many students reached for their notebooks.

Quills scratched against paper.

Others unlocked their different tablet devices and opened digital notebooks instead.

A handful of students remained relaxed, apparently intending to listen first before deciding what was worth writing down.

Ezra quietly opened his notebook.

Among all the compulsory subjects taught at the Royal Academy...

This was one of the classes he had looked forward to the most.

Ever since he was still living in Sterling Manor...

He had spent countless hours reading every map and geography book he could find.

That curiosity had only grown stronger during his years inside the Trial of Steel base.

Whenever he had free time, he searched for books related to the world outside Britannia.

Unfortunately...

There wasn’t much information available.

Most books simply described the six continents and their rough locations.

Anything beyond that was either missing or intentionally left out.

The few detailed records Ezra managed to find mostly covered Britannia itself and several neighboring countries.

The wider world remained largely unknown.

That was precisely why today’s lesson interested him.

Donald slowly looked around the classroom.

”This course...”

He began calmly.

”...has become increasingly important.”

He clasped both hands behind his back as he slowly walked across the front of the room.

”Because one day... many of you will become the future leaders of Britannia.”

His eyes moved from one row to another.

”Some of you will govern noble territories. Some will command military forces. Others will lead companies, research institutions, or organizations that influence our kingdom.”

He paused.

”When that day comes... it won’t be enough for you to understand Britannia alone.”

His voice remained calm.

”You must also understand the world that exists beyond our borders. And...”

He pointed toward the holographic display.

”...where our kingdom stands within that world.”

Many students quietly nodded.

Even those who hadn’t planned on taking notes eventually picked up their quills.

Donald smiled faintly after seeing their attention.

”As this is only our first lesson... today’s topic will simply serve as an introduction.”

He tapped the first line displayed on the holographic screen.

One sentence enlarged.

Different Nations. Different Cultures. Different Beliefs.

”The very first thing every student studying foreign civilizations must understand...”

Donald said while pointing toward the words.

”...is that the world doesn’t revolve around Britannia.”

He slowly looked around the classroom.

”Every kingdom. Every nation. And every civilization...Developed under different circumstances. As a result... They possess different traditions, different cultures and different beliefs governing their existence.”

As he spoke, he enlarged several sections of the holographic display with simple hand gestures, allowing every student to read them clearly.

Before he could continue...

A hand rose.

Donald immediately noticed it.

”Go ahead...”

He smiled politely.

”Young Lord of Burn.”

Ravenor slowly stood.

”Professor.”

He spoke calmly.

”You mentioned different beliefs.”

His eyes briefly moved toward the enlarged words floating behind Donald.

”Is it really true that every nation outside Britannia follows beliefs completely different from ours?”

Donald looked pleased by the question.

He nodded once.

Before he could answer...

Another hand rose.

”Professor.”

Donald shifted his gaze.

Nate stood this time.

”I’d also like to add something to the Young Lord of Brunwick’s question.”

Donald smiled.

”Go ahead.”

Nate nodded respectfully.

”Like Young Lord Ravenor said... I don’t believe the Era of Migration, which happened so many years ago and led to wars and the collapse of numerous kingdoms and nations...”

He paused briefly while organizing his thoughts.

”...could have ended without leaving lasting influences on different civilizations.”

Several students quietly listened.

Nate continued.

”So... Wouldn’t there be kingdoms or nations whose governments eventually developed systems similar to Britannia’s?”

He looked directly at Professor Donald.

”For example... nations where we Britannians also control the affairs of their government.”

Nate finished speaking before calmly taking his seat again.

Many nearby students glanced toward him with curiosity.

Donald gently stroked his long grey beard.

A smile slowly appeared.

”You know... Your question reaches much deeper into our future lessons...”

He admitted honestly.

”...but since you’ve already asked...I’ll indulge your curiosity.”

The classroom became even quieter, with everyone waiting for his answer.

”I’m sure every one of you is already familiar with the Era Records.”

Professor Donald slowly folded his hands behind his back as he spoke, giving the students enough time to recall the history they had all studied before entering the Royal Academy.

”The Era of Migration...”

He turned toward the holographic display, where an old map of the world slowly materialized.

”... As Mr. Nate Ashenlocke mentioned, this era was the period when many developed kingdoms and nations across the world decided they had seen enough of the lands within their borders and sought to discover what lay beyond them.”

The map gradually expanded, showing routes stretching across seas and continents.

”Unfortunately...”

Donald sighed faintly.

”...that curiosity wasn’t driven entirely by the desire for knowledge.”

He pointed toward several marked regions on the map.

”During that movement, many terrible events unfolded. Wars broke out. Powerful nations forcefully dominated weaker ones and entire kingdoms collapsed.”

He paused for a brief moment before adding another point.

”There was even a nation that began pursuing complete control over the entire world.”

His voice remained calm.

He wasn’t exaggerating the history.

Neither was he trying to hide any of it.

These were all recorded events.

Unlike ordinary commoners, the students sitting before him had been given access to historical records from a young age.

Whether they were Nobles or Non-Nobles of Britannia, they had all grown up studying these events.

Commoners, however...

Rarely had that privilege.

Many historical records concerning the outside world were intentionally kept away from the public.

Some commoners even lived their entire lives believing Britannia was the only true civilization that existed.

Donald let the silence settle before continuing.

”But... It wasn’t only war that came from the Era of Migration.”

His expression softened slightly.

”Nations also learned from one another.”

He gestured toward the map again.

”They discovered different methods of converting Essence. Some kingdoms found their own paths toward creating Converted Essence. Others adopted and refined methods developed by neighboring civilizations.”

He nodded faintly.

”So, although the Era of Migration brought destruction... it also accelerated the world development of countless civilizations.”

Donald slowly walked toward the center of the classroom.

”Eventually... after years of conflict that culminated in what history now records as the First World War...”

His voice became steadier.

”...the strongest kingdoms and nations finally reached a common conclusion. And established a peace agreement.”

A new document appeared on the holographic display.

Large signatures gradually filled the bottom of the page.

”The purpose of that agreement... was to end uncontrolled mass migration between nations. Which all developed kingdoms and nations of the world all signed that treaty.”

He looked toward Nate.

”So... The answer to your question is yes. There are many kingdoms whose traditions developed after learning from stronger civilizations, and there are also nations that independently created their own systems without relying on anyone else.”

Donald smiled faintly.

”As for Britannia and other powerful Nations around the world...”

He slowly shook his head.

”No. We cannot control the governing body of another kingdom or nation. Doing so would violate the international treaty.”

He finished his explanation.

Nate nodded once.

”Thank you, Professor.”

His curiosity had been satisfied.

Ravenor also gave a small nod before quietly writing several notes into his notebook.

Professor Donald smiled before turning back toward the holographic display.

”Alright. Let’s return to today’s introduction.”

With a smooth swipe of his hand, the previous slide disappeared.

A new title appeared.

Converted Essence

Donald allowed the words to remain on the screen for several seconds.

”I’m sure many of you have wondered about this topic the moment you heard you would be studying the world beyond Britannia.”

His eyes swept across the classroom.

”The first question that usually comes to mind is...”

He pointed toward the students.

”’Do people in other nations also use Cognis?’”

He paused.

”’Or are they all Alchemists like us?’”

Several students quietly nodded.

That had indeed been the question lingering in their minds.

Donald smiled.

”The answer... was already hidden inside my earlier explanation.”

He turned back toward the holographic display.

”Because every civilization possesses different traditions... and different beliefs... they also developed different forms of Converted Essence.”

He slowly folded his hands behind his back again.

”Many of those systems function completely differently from the way we Alchemists use Cognis.”

The classroom became noticeably quieter yet again, with everyone focused on what he was explaining.

Donald continued speaking in a calm, steady tone, making sure every student could easily follow the lesson.

”There are civilizations whose Converted Essence is generated from the stomach. There are even others whose Converted Essence originates from the heart itself.”

The classroom immediately became restless.

Several students widened their eyes.

”What?”

”That’s actually possible?”

A few whispers spread throughout the room.

Maxwell blinked in confusion.

He turned toward Cherry, who was sitting beside him as usual.

”Wouldn’t their hearts be destroyed?”

His voice wasn’t particularly loud.

”Considering how violent our own Converted Essence is...”

Donald heard the question.

Although Maxwell hadn’t directed it toward him, the professor answered anyway.

”That...”

He smiled gently.

”...depends entirely on the nature of the Essence their Converted Essence focuses on.”

The whispers gradually died down.

Dozens of confused faces looked toward the front of the classroom.

”The nature... of Essence?”

Someone quietly repeated.

More students blinked in confusion.

Donald looked around the room.

Then he sighed.

Not an annoyed sigh.

But a disappointing one.

”Haven’t any of you started reading the research articles on Essence?”

Several students awkwardly looked away.

Others scratched their cheeks.

Donald quickly noticed something encouraging.

Not everyone looked confused.

A handful of students...including Ezra, Ravenor, Nate, Vera, Willow, and several others...remained calm, clearly recognizing what he was referring to.

That eased his disappointment slightly.

”You may think... because Cognis is what makes you an Alchemist... that understanding Cognis alone is enough.”

He slowly shook his head.

”It isn’t.”

His tone became firmer.

”At the very least... you should spend some time studying Essence itself. The existence of Cognis only became possible because Essence exists.”

He tapped the holographic display with one finger.

”If you understand Essence... this course will become much easier to follow. And when you advance into your second and third years... you’ll understand the more advanced courses relating to this course far more easily.”

Many students immediately began writing that advice into their notebooks.

Donald patiently waited until the scratching of quills slowed.

”So...”

He resumed.

”Unlike Cognis, whose nature is wild... there are forms of Converted Essence that possess much gentler characteristics.”

He stepped away from the podium and walked closer to the front row.

”One example... is the Converted Essence used by one of Britannia’s neighboring Alley Nations.”

He paused.

”Avalon.”

The unfamiliar name immediately caught some of the students’ attention.

Donald looked around the classroom before smiling.

”Truthfully... this isn’t something I should be discussing in your very first lesson.”

A few students exchanged curious glances.

”But... since you are students of the Royal Academy... you’ve earned the privilege of hearing information that many other academies aren’t permitted to teach at this stage.”

There was unmistakable pride in his voice.

The Royal Academy wasn’t simply another school.

Its students were expected to become future leaders of Britannia.

Naturally, their education reached further than that of ordinary academies.

Donald folded his hands behind his back once more.

”Although the Treaty of Non-Immigration remains active... it only prohibits mass migration and movement beyond one’s own continent.”

His gaze slowly moved across the classroom.

”That does not prevent diplomacy. It does not prevent trade, and it certainly does not prevent communication.”

He nodded.

”For many years now... Britannia and Avalon have maintained friendly diplomatic relations. Trade serves as the foundation of that relationship.”

He smiled faintly.

”And Avalon isn’t our only neighboring Alley Nation.”

Another map appeared on the holographic screen.

Several nearby nations gradually lit up.

”We also maintain relations with nations such as Damguard...Scot...and Germany.”

Many students quietly stared at the map.

For some of them...

It was the first time the world beyond Britannia had begun to feel truly real, than just reading them from books.