Through Bob, Richard gained a rough understanding of the war's current state.
At the moment, the war was not progressing as smoothly as expected. While the situation remained in a state of equilibrium, the wizards were actually at a slight disadvantage. However, none of the major underlying problems had fully erupted yet.
Of course, Richard was neither an Archwizard nor a contracted mercenary. As a mere technical consultant, he neither had to risk his life on the battlefield nor worried about war earnings.
The situation didn't affect him much.
Thus, their conversation soon shifted from war strategy to the resources of the Scarlet Sun World.
"Richard, take a look at this."
Bob pulled out a somewhat damaged black-gold scimitar from his magical pouch, adjusting the monocle on his face.
"You're an Alchemical Wizard—can you see anything unique about this blade?"
A scimitar?
Richard suddenly recalled that he had collected several high-quality scimitars himself.
Could there be a hidden secret in these weapons?
He accepted the weapon from Bob.
Fire Lizard scimitars were forged with fire-element minerals, causing them to naturally emit heat. The more refined and ornate the blade, the hotter it became.
Richard had to use his magic to isolate the heat from the scimitars he had acquired.
Though his fire resistance was high, it didn't mean he couldn't feel the heat. He preferred not to get burned unnecessarily.
He used his mana to inspect the weapon's structure, then examined the fracture at the broken edge.
"This blade… is interesting." Richard finally spoke.
Bob's eyes lit up. "What's so interesting about it?"
Richard returned the scimitar to Bob, a trace of puzzlement flashing across his brow.
"This blade is made of an alloy—its structure is flawless, with no microfractures or air pockets. For a world's native civilization, this isn't exactly surprising."
"But…"
Richard hesitated before continuing, "I detect something similar to our alchemy, a type of enchantment embedded within."
Bob chuckled and placed the scimitar back into his pouch.
"You're spot on. Our guild's alchemists noticed the same thing. We suspect these natives have their own version of alchemy—a technique similar to ours but developed independently over a long period."
"That… is a gold mine waiting to be unearthed."
But Richard thought for a moment and shook his head.
"Bob, if you're planning to hoard these scimitars and sell them to Alchemical Wizards, I suggest you abandon that idea."
Bob's smile froze. "Oh? And why is that, Richard?"
Richard simply smiled knowingly, saying nothing.
Bob immediately understood the implication. Without hesitation, he pulled out a bag of mana crystals, grinning.
"My mistake—fair trade, equal exchange."
However, Richard did not accept the mana crystals.
"Bob, I'm not in need of mana crystals right now. But since you've likely gathered quite a few scimitars, do you have any high-quality ones I could borrow for research?"
"Hmph. I do have some premium ones… but…"
Bob hesitated, clearly uncertain if Richard's information was worth the value of his finest scimitars.
Even if he didn't study their alchemical properties, these weapons were excellent materials or even combat-grade gear.
Richard tapped the counter, smiling. "I only need to observe them. No destructive tests. I'll return them before the war ends."
"No destructive tests?"
Bob narrowed his eyes. This was a broad statement.
Melting the scimitars down would definitely be destructive testing.
But even striking something to test the blade's endurance could be considered destructive.
Most alchemical inspection methods, which could alter the structure, might also count.
He couldn't see how Richard could study them without damaging them.
After a moment of contemplation, Bob extended his right hand.
A zero-risk transaction—why not hear Richard out?
Richard shook Bob's hand, sealing the deal.
Bob quickly drafted a contract, and after verifying the details, they both signed with their true names.
As the contract turned to ash, Richard finally spoke:
"The Fire Lizards' techniques aren't of much value to most Alchemical Wizards. Their enchantments might make for aesthetic collectibles, but if you try selling them as 'ancient native alchemy,' Nine-Star Merchant Guild will ruin your reputation."
Bob frowned. "Why's that?"
He was certain that this technique shared some similarities with wizardry alchemy. Even if it was cruder, it should still have some value.
"Bob, how much do you know about the origins of Alchemical Wizardry?" Richard asked.
"Not much. Enlighten me."
"The origins of wizard alchemy are largely forgotten among modern Alchemical Wizards." Richard smirked.
"The history is too old, and no longer relevant to modern alchemy. Wizard academies focus on practicality—students rarely waste resources learning outdated knowledge."
"But since I was well-funded as a student, I made it a point to research the origins of alchemy."
Richard's mind briefly wandered back to his apprentice days, buried in the depths of the library. A faint smile crept onto his lips.
Bob remained silent, waiting for Richard to get to the important part.
"In the Age of Ignorance, wizardry was still in its infancy. The dominant rulers of land and sky were the dragons.
Thus, the earliest wizards learned from the dragons."
"The first wizard alchemy was nothing more than a crude imitation of Draconic Alchemy."
"However, over countless years, Wizardry Alchemy developed its own path, diverging from Draconic Alchemy."
"These paths are like two intersecting lines—the further they develop, the farther apart they become."
"So, for modern alchemists, these scimitars hold little value."
Bob furrowed his brow. "So, the Fire Lizards' technique is… Draconic Alchemy?"
He hesitated. "But Richard, these Fire Lizards resemble dragonkin, yet their biology is significantly different…"
His voice trailed off as he suddenly noticed Richard's golden dragon eyes staring back at him.
A wizard who had grafted dragon eyes onto himself was definitely well-versed in dragonkin biology.
"These Fire Lizards are dragonkin. I can confirm that."
"I'm not sure what mutations occurred in their lineage, but from the Imperial Dragon Guards, I found obvious signs of dragonification."
Richard paused.
"Some wizards do study Draconic Alchemy. Old, well-learned alchemists have researched it."
"You could consult an elder alchemist—or simply observe how the established merchant guilds treat this."
Bob suddenly realized—none of the longstanding wizard guilds had shown any interest in these scimitars.
Only newer, smaller guilds had been buying them up.
At first, Bob assumed the old guilds simply didn't care about minor profits.
Now, he realized—they had already recognized what these weapons were.
Cold sweat formed on Bob's forehead.
Thankfully, the war was still ongoing, and most wizards were still at the front lines.
If he had stockpiled too many, he'd be bankrupt by the war's end.
Bob exhaled sharply.
"Richard, you just saved me from disaster."
Richard shrugged. "Equal exchange. Mutual benefit."
Bob went to the back room and handed Richard a magic pouch.
"These are all the scimitars I've gathered so far. Take whatever you need for research—do whatever you want with them."
Richard took the pouch, casually tying it to his belt.
"Relax, Bob. Some Alchemical Wizards do study Draconic Alchemy. As long as you don't hoard too many, you won't lose money."
Bob chuckled nervously and moved on from the topic.
---
That night, Richard examined the scimitars one by one.
[Extractable Technique: Draconic Alchemy (Moderate Incompleteness)]
Richard grinned.
"Good thing I touched them first. I almost overlooked a treasure."
Gathering the finest scimitars, he began the extraction process.
After finishing, Richard held up a black-gold scimitar, his palm glowing faintly.
The blade melted and reshaped—golden veins grew like vines, forming intricate, ancient patterns.
He had recreated Draconic Alchemy.
"Dragons truly had a different approach to metallurgy," Richard mused.
"They melt metal... kill metal... and then evolve it."
"This is what true alchemy should be."
(End of Chapter 220)