Last Gun Alchemist

Luke glanced toward one of the senior club members standing beside the large glass board at the front of the meeting room.

She clicked the switch.

With a faint hum, the glass surface lit up as a holographic screen materialized above it, causing several club members to straighten in their seats and direct their attention toward the front.

Latisha then took out the club’s Zphone tablet from her space bag. Then she tapped the screen a few times before sending over the complete financial record of the money the club had gained through the selling and auctioning of their various goods.

The screen loaded for only a moment before the document appeared.

***

Six Hundred Thousand Silver Coins.

Conversion to Gold Coins...

One Thousand and Two Hundred Gold Coins.

***

”Oh, wow!”

”That’s really crazy!”

”We actually smashed the one-thousand Gold Coin range!”

”That’s so cool!”

”We really made so much money.”

”Every single person in this club could even get one Gold Coin.”

”We should be among the highest, right?”

”I mean, with that much?”

Pleased, excited, and satisfied voices immediately rose throughout the meeting room, overlapping as club members looked at the numbers displayed on the holographic screen.

Some leaned toward their friends to talk, while others stared directly at the total as though they wanted to make sure they had read it correctly.

”So many Gold Coins.”

Maxwell said in amazement.

”Yes, it is.”

Cherry replied as she looked at Maxwell with a soft smile.

However, not every club member appeared particularly shocked by the amount.

Some simply looked at the number plainly, as though there was nothing especially unbelievable about it.

That was understandable.

Although the members of the club were mostly Non-Nobles and didn’t come from the extremely wealthy families of Britannia, Gold Coins were not commonly used in their daily lives. Most Non-Noble citizens, even Noble citizens, use Silver Coins for their regular transactions, while Gold Coins are usually saved, exchanged in larger dealings, or held by those with enough wealth to comfortably deal with them.

One could easily guess who among them didn’t look particularly shocked by the amount displayed on the screen.

”This is a new record for our club.”

Latisha said calmly while holding the Zphone tablet in her hand and looking over the gathered club members.

”So, first...”

She swiped across the screen of the tablet.

The holographic display changed, replacing the total amount they had earned with a chart showing how the money would be distributed.

”Five Hundred Gold Coins will go into the club’s finance storage so we can continue developing the club further.”

She spoke calmly to the crowd of club members.

”That means more Ironstride Walkers for the butchering room!”

One of the senior club members immediately said excitedly.

”Yes!”

Many members from the research unit celebrated with pleased expressions.

With additional Ironstride Walkers, moving the bodies of the dead monsters they caught would become much easier.

”Yes, we will buy a few more Ironstride Walkers, but there are still other important things we need to purchase.”

Latisha said as she lazily waved one hand toward the excited group.

”The remaining Seven Hundred Gold Coins will be distributed among the club members. Lucky for us, Professor Nine only cares about the club funds being used to further the club and support the progress of his research, so he won’t be taking a share from this.”

She paused briefly before adding,

”Although his assistant will receive a slightly larger share than the rest of us.”

With that, she concluded her briefing on the financial distribution.

No one openly argued.

Although some of the first-years did feel that Professor Nine’s assistant shouldn’t receive a larger share.

After all, from their point of view, he had not done much to help during the preparation for the Club Tournament.

So why should someone who was merely an assistant teacher receive a larger share?

It wasn’t as though he even needed the money.

But that had been a tradition for a long time.

Arguing over it now seemed pointless.

Besides, all of the students didn’t particularly need their share either, since they received allowances from their parents.

”Alright, guys...”

Luke said excitedly.

”It’s time to watch the results.”

The time already hit twelve o’clock.

Latisha immediately tapped the Zphone tablet several times, and the holographic screen switched to the live ranking display of the Royal Academy’s Club Tournament.

A loading bar appeared on the screen.

The entire meeting room suddenly became tense with anticipation.

”We should get first, right?”

A first-year asked as he looked toward the upperclassman seated beside him.

”I really don’t know.”

The upperclassman shook his head before slowly exhaling.

The pressure was real.

And it was visible throughout the room.

Latisha had her hands tightly held together.

Ezra, Vera, and Diane simply looked at the screen.

The three of them did want to win.

Since the Academy Points were too important to ignore.

The first position for every club member will receive a whopping fifteen thousand Academy Points.

While the second position will gain ten thousand academy points.

And the third will gain five thousand academy points.

The clubs ranked from fourth to tenth would each receive one thousand points, while the remaining clubs from rank eleven to fifty-two would receive one hundred points.

So, the battle was real.

Club members held their breaths as they patiently waited for the results.

The loading bar finally finished.

Silence settled over the meeting room instantly.

Latisha’s eyes moved across the information that appeared on the screen.

”The feat of students all below the Arcanist Alchemist rank taking on an Elder Ghost Crawler was so impressive that it couldn’t go without recognition. Along with the presentation and quality of the hard-copy written report, the depth of the research was very useful, there was even new information about the Elder Ghost Crawler that hadn’t been discovered until now.”

Latisha continued reading with widening eyes.

”The video presentation was also wonderful. And with all of this in mind... and considering the accumulation of the club’s overall performance during the tournament...”

For a brief moment, the entire meeting room waited.

”Craft & Research Seekers, NUMBER ONE! LET’S FREAKING GO!!”

Latisha suddenly shouted happily.

”YEAHHHHH!!”

The meeting room instantly exploded with loud cheers.

”NUMBER ONE!”

Maxwell immediately turned and hugged Cherry in excitement.

Cherry’s mind nearly blew a short fuse from Maxwell suddenly touching her.

Her body stiffened for a brief moment, but the chaotic happiness filling the room left her with no time to properly react.

”Yes!”

Kane Casper proudly tightened his fist.

”Number one, guys!”

One of the upperclassmen stood up and threw both his hands into the air.

”Fifteen points in the bag... My parents would be so proud.”

Hugh nodded happily.

”Latisha, I’m now solidly among the top one hundred and fifty with this. I’m no longer struggling to keep my rank safe.”

Agnes said as she looked at Latisha with tears gathering in her eyes.

”I also smashed into the top thirty, Agnes.”

Latisha replied emotionally.

”President Luke, doesn’t that mean you are now among the top twenty-five in the third-year ranking?”

One of the senior members looked at Luke excitedly.

”I guess so.”

Luke replied, still finding the victory difficult to believe.

”Damn, number one, guys.”

Cyrus said happily looking at Ezra.

The entire meeting room was filled with cheerful noise and smiling faces.

Club members hugged their friends, while some even ran out of the meeting room while shouting joyfully, already wanting to call their parents and tell them the good news.

Vera watched the happy commotion inside the meeting room with her dull black eyes.

”We did good, my fellow members.”

She said casually.

”Yes, we did.”

Diane replied in her usual tired tone.

Her half-closed Light-blue eyes watched the moving club members’ joyful reaction.

Ezra simply looked at the reactions around him.

Even if this was a joyful time for them all, the ones who benefited the most from this victory were the upperclassmen, especially the third-years.

Of course, accumulating points was also important for a first-year, especially since they still had two more years to spend in the academy.

However, the real battle for the higher rankings went beyond winning the Club Tournament.

The Combat Festival was approaching.

And it was very close.

Every first-year who believes they have the strength to break into the higher ranks will have their chance.

This will be the time to show everyone what they can do.

Among the brilliant young Alchemists of the new golden age of Alchemists...

Who is going to be crowned the strongest first-year?

”The Grand First-Year Combat Festival is next.”

Ezra muttered to himself as his eyes rested on the celebrations around him.

One goal had been achieved.

Now, the next one was waiting.