Chapter 474
‘I need help from both of them.’
The project Davey was contemplating was so massive that having more people who could comprehend the blueprints and contribute to the work would be advantageous. He felt somewhat uneasy with only Edison, but with a brilliant girl like her, things could easily take a positive turn.
Bang bang bang bang!!!
Just then, a loud knocking sound came from the workshop door. A visitor had come to the workshop where none were expected.
"Edison! It's me! Francis!"
At the man’s shout, both Tiara and Edison turned their heads.
"Is that voice... Francis?" Tiara asked.
"Why is he here...?"
Edison waddled over to the workshop door with his short legs and flung it open immediately.
Slam!!
"Ouch! My nose!" Francis screamed as the door hit his face and he rolled on the floor in pain.
‘Is this some kind of joke?’ Davey failed to hide his astonished expression as he looked outside.
Soon after, he saw Edison nodding vigorously in conversation, and a newcomer entering the workshop. The new face looked familiar to Davey.
Davey had met him after the war when an epidemic had struck. The man was well-known as a doll maker and as an elder of the alchemical faction, who had come looking for Penicillin, the chief researcher of biotechnology.
At first glance, the visitor seemed very stern and cold. As soon as he entered the workshop, he looked around and, upon spotting Davey, approached with a determined look.
Davey watched him cautiously. "What brings you here?"
"Are you Prince Davey?"
"Yes, that's me."
"I've been wanting to meet you! I couldn't set up a proper meeting and have been restless. What good luck to run into you here! Please, may I shake your hand?"
As Francis suddenly reached out his hand to Davey and bowed his head, the color drained from Davey’s face.
‘What is he talking about?’ Davey thought.
* * *
Davey wasn't the only one taken aback by the doll maker Francis' peculiar behavior.
"My goodness, why is he acting like that?" Tiara muttered in disbelief, prompting an immediate response from Francis.
"Why? Tiara! Do you not recognize who he is? Any aspiring alchemist should acknowledge his talent!"
Tiara frowned deeply and sarcastically twirled her index finger near her temple. "Have you lost your mind?"
"How can a young lady of nobility speak so rudely!"
"But..." Tiara appeared overwhelmed.
Nevertheless, Francis continued to fix his gaze on Davey, his eyes radiating an almost unbearable reverence.
"I believe there might be a misunderstanding."
"No! I've been searching for you! I was summoned here by the dean, who informed me of your presence, so I rushed over."
He gingerly produced a piece of paper from his pocket. Though the paper was worn, he handled it with such care that his hands trembled. "This! Is this your work?"
Davey's eyes narrowed as he examined the content.
‘My doodles have been exposed.’
It was an academic paper on living golems and their initial designs. Although it was a rudimentary design compared to well-developed living golems like Anabelle and Meramong, the issue was the feedback and suggestions Davey had scribbled in jest. Additional sketches were also visible.
"That day, I saw a new world! Thanks to you, I saw a completely new world!"
At his shout, Tiara hugged her own arms and trembled violently. “Grandfather, that guy is weird…”
“You know that fella's strange.”
‘Considering the topic at hand, it's a bit off to assume you two are normal, isn't it?’ Davey did not voice that thought.
“This is…”
“It's alright. I’ve already heard everything through Penicillin!”
At his words, Davey realized that the small prank he had played had unintentionally triggered a butterfly effect. If he already knew everything, there was no reason to decline.
“Well, it's like that.”
“Indeed! You’re truly remarkable! I hadn’t even considered such a novel approach!”
He was an exceptional alchemist. Yet, even with the technological advancements of the Yurigian continent and knowledge from his master alchemist Eva, such a simple jest was enough to astonish him.
“Hey! If you’re going to blabber on about nonsense, just leave! Master is quite busy right now!”
‘Since when did I become your master?’ Davey thought.
“Tsk tsk, this old eccentric. Sometimes he talks as if he's so young, and now suddenly he's a sage?” Reflecting Davey’s sentiments, Elder Golgouda clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“If he is an entity that has brought new insight, he deserves respect!”
Upon Edison’s shout, Francis’s eyes lit up. “Sir! So, you’ve finally figured it out too?! This person is extraordinary! I had a feeling! Even if our fields differ, someone with this much knowledge deserves utmost respect!”
Francis, like a devout believer seeing a deity, knelt and raised both hands toward Edison, who looked at him with a mix of pity and disdain.
“Deserves respect, indeed!”
Then, for some inexplicable reason, Edison mimicked Francis' behavior in front of Davey.
Tiara, who had been staring blankly at the two of them, wore a complicated expression for a while, then snuck closer to Edison and adopted the same posture. She asked, “Grandfather, like this?”
“Yes! Just like that, Tiara!”
“Wow, I've never seen my grandfather recognize and follow someone like this…”
Yet, Tiara too was behaving oddly, making Davey feel quite perplexed. ‘These alchemists really are not sane…’
* * *
Elder Francis from the School of Alchemy continued to approach Davey with various comments afterward, mostly asking if his interpretation of Davey’s comments was correct.
“You crazy fool?! Go away! What are you doing?!”
“No, wait! Just a moment! Just need to verify this!”
His passion was so pure and intense that Davey opted to answer his questions rather than shoo him away.
“Eek! Can a proton alloy be this light?!”
“There are still some heating elements left. Bring them and let Rinne have them here.”
This was in the middle of a busy workshop.
“Of course, the competition was predetermined from the start. Even though the framework isn't complete, given the speed of this approach, the outcome is obvious.”
Edison frowned at Francis’s almost fanatical faith. “What are you talking about?”
Francis looked surprised. “Oh right, I didn’t tell you.” He said calmly and sighed. “They called me. Prince Duran sought me out.”
He explained what had happened, an absurd story about being enlisted to help in the competition against Edison because of the penalty they received due to their own mistake.
“Damn them! They receive a penalty due to their own mistakes and now they’re trying to cheat behind the scenes?! So! Did you accept their offer?!”
Francis shook his head at the outburst. “At first, I was intrigued. Competing with the Master is not an everyday opportunity.”
“Darn it! You treacherous man!”
“Of course, I declined. I heard that Prince Davey was here.” He looked at Davey as if seeking approval. “It’s far more beneficial, a hundred or a thousand times over, to meet and converse with the prince than to resort to cheating due to mere rivalry. Indeed!”
Davey remembered when he first met Francis, he was a solemn figure. But now, he seemed like a mere techno-enthusiast.
“Look, is it safe to discuss this here? Openly opposing Prince Duran…”
“If my position in the Alchemy School becomes shaky, then so be it. Isn’t alchemy independent of location and rank? If I’m told to leave, I will.” With that casual remark, he took out another blueprint and offered it to Davey. “Prince Davey, if it's not too much trouble, could you give me feedback on this as well?”
"Well, I'm not sure if the results will be satisfactory," Davey commented.
"Ha! You're being overly modest! Even a little bit would be great. Please, show me a fraction of that golden knowledge."
Davey looked at the blueprint the man had handed him. Unlike Edison, who dealt with metal golems, or the general, this craftsman dedicated his life to creating golems that resembled humans but did not cross any forbidden boundaries. Certainly, thanks to the comments Davey left, there were clear improvements from before.
"At first, some things seemed nonsensical. Honestly, I thought some were impossible or wrong. But after conducting experiments, I realized," the man said, eyes alight with revelation, "You were right!"
Seeing the man praise him to an uncomfortable degree made Davey's expression wrinkle in unease. He was not used to such an atmosphere.
Feeling somewhat awkward, Davey squinted at the blueprint the man showed him. "Well, it's not like we're pressed for time. I'll take a look for a moment."
The man's eyes widened at Davey's words. "Thank you, Prince Davey! But, while I've been working on this, inspired by you..."
"No, don't touch it," Davey interjected, causing the man to look puzzled.
"Why? Of course, from your position, a lowly technician like me might not catch your eye. But I am an alchemist of elder rank. I'm confident in doing whatever is asked."
"That's not it. It will give a pretext. I am here to help based on an agreement, but Elder Francis isn't, right?"
At that, the man nodded with a grave expression. "Yes, you're right. I was shortsighted. But there are only about three days left. Are you sure it's alright? Before it's too late, maybe I should help in some way..."
"It's enough," Davey assured.
Just then, an excited shout from Rinne rang out, "Rinne highly rates the big hammer!"
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