In Canute's absence, Cornelius, with Akari's assistance, assumed control of the Alchemist Tower. Before Canute's departure with the dark troops and the alchemists, Cornelius and Akari had seen them off.
Cornelius had accompanied him to the underworld, where chambers containing confined life forms had been constructed over a century ago as part of the dark arts' secretive practices. Their great-grandfather had pioneered the fusion of alchemy with these forbidden arts, safeguarding the knowledge with utmost secrecy. The Keeper of the Underworld had made a pact to guard these secrets in exchange for intelligence from the surface world.
Canute had deliberately left behind his pendant—a crucial artifact unique to each alchemist. These pendants contained the very essence of their life force, encoded with a distinct key pattern. This was the one truth that had been kept from Hades, the one element the grandmasters of the past had never disclosed to the Keeper of the Underworld. It was the one secret he coveted most, for with it, he could have seized control of the dark troops. Yet, that knowledge remained beyond his grasp.
When Canute unsealed the eight thousand mechanical life forms, Hades demanded his pendant. But upon realizing that Canute was without it, he had no choice but to abandon his pursuit.
Cornelius exhaled in quiet relief—Hades had not turned his attention to him. After all, his own pendant had remained with Aria to this day, safeguarded before his departure on his mission to retrieve Luciana.
"Neli… Neli!"
Akari's voice snapped him from his thoughts. He sat motionless, staring at the document before him—Luciana's latest treatment proposal.
"Yes, my lady," he responded hastily as he met Akari's glare.
"Do you even realize how many times I called you?" she chided before delivering a swift strike to his head.
"Ouch!" Cornelius winced, rubbing the sore spot.
"As always, your fists are deadly," he muttered in complaint.
"Would you like another?" Akari raised her balled fist, making him flinch.
"Forgive me!" He bowed abruptly, smacking his forehead against the desk in his rush to show submission. "Ow!" he yelped again.
Akari crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Serves you right for dawdling."
Cornelius sniffled dramatically. "Go easy on me, sis."
She ignored his theatrics and pointed at the document. "Have you gone through it? Her Highness is doing everything in her power to save the Grandmaster. Despite her overwhelming responsibilities, she has taken it upon herself to help. The least we can do is ensure her efforts don't go to waste."
Cornelius groaned but turned his attention back to the proposal. His expression darkened. Many of the necessary ingredients were nearly impossible to procure due to the ongoing war.
Before he could voice his concerns, Akari placed another document in front of him. "There is another mission assigned to the Alchemist Tower. We have one month to develop an explosive device."
Cornelius's brow furrowed. "An explosive device?"
Akari nodded. "The Crowned Princess mentioned in her letter that you once proposed a weapon capable of leveling an entire mountain range in a single detonation. Is that true?"
Cornelius shifted uneasily. Akari had long since left the tower after her marriage, yet she remained well-informed about the research conducted within its walls. She personally reviewed every proposal submitted by the alchemists, whether individual or collaborative.
"Ah… well, yes. I may have brought it up to the Emperor once," he admitted hesitantly. "We even started preliminary research in secret, but he ultimately rejected the idea, declaring it too dangerous for the realm. The project was abandoned before we could complete it." He averted his gaze, guilt creeping into his expression.
Akari sighed. "Look at me when you speak."
Cornelius hesitated but obeyed.
She tapped a section of the letter. "Now the Princess herself is requesting such a destructive weapon. Do you have any idea why?"
Cornelius frowned. "How would I know?"
Akari re-examined the letter. "She states that it is a countermeasure in case we face the Three Entities."
Cornelius's lips curled into a grin. "Well then, I suppose I have no choice but to resume the project."
Just as he turned to leave, Akari grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back into his seat.
"Your father is still fighting for his life. Do I need to remind you of that?" She punctuated her words by jabbing a firm finger into his forehead.
"But I don't even recognize half of these plants! Why do I have to deal with all this 'herbal remedy' nonsense? I specialize in machines, not botany." Cornelius pouted.
Akari exhaled in exasperation. "You never change, do you? Fine. I'll handle the medical preparations. But listen carefully—don't cause a disaster that I'll have to clean up. You know exactly what will happen if I catch you up to no good."
Her warning was enough to make him raise his hands in surrender.
Wasting no time, he gathered the remaining senior alchemists who had originally worked on the explosive project. Unfortunately, three of their team members had perished, but their loss did not significantly hinder the research.
The project aimed to harness and store pure energy on a massive scale, converting it into both ammunition and fuel for an advanced explosive device. However, the greatest challenge lay in transforming that raw energy into a detonable form. It was at this stage that Helios had previously intervened, shutting the project down due to its extreme risk.
Yet, fortune had been on their side—despite the destruction wrought by demonic beasts, the foundational research remained intact. Now, with imperial approval granted by the Crowned Princess herself, they had the opportunity to revive it.
For the first time in years, Cornelius felt a surge of exhilaration. He was returning to what he did best—pushing the boundaries of alchemy to create something truly unprecedented.