Chapter 569

"Huh huh... I wonder what everyone is thinking about me...." Lucinil made an impression while watching Antirianus, who was showing signs of being upset. "Antirianus, it's more intimidating to me that you might know something more cruel and terrible than the empire is doing." Even before hearing anything, Eleris was already pale. Harryot was starting to think that it might be better not to listen to what strange and terrible possibilities were being presented from that abyssal mouth. "Um, maybe it's better if the Grand Mage of Saturday doesn't say anything...." Harryot became afraid again as he thought that more hellish stories might come out than reality. "Alchemy... The previous Grand Mage pursued the effort to create the Philosopher's Stone." The expressions of the other four Grand Mages changed at those words. "The Philosopher's Stone?" Antirianus nodded at Harryot's words. "I thought it was a legend similar to dragons." A legend on the level of dragons. It meant a vague and empty story. "Actually, that's right. The previous Grand Mage failed to create the Philosopher's Stone." It was difficult to guess the truth about the previous Grand Mage from Antirianus's vague expression. But the important story now is not about the Philosopher's Stone. "Of course, I was researching something a little different from the previous Grand Mage." "What kind of research?" "For example, research on convergent evolution of species...." "....Convergent evolution?" "Yes, Secretary." Harryot wanted to cover his ears. "There are quite a few cases where different species have similar functions. For example, like humans and demons, who have discovered their own ways of handling mana, although their methods are different." "Ah, yes...." "That's the research. What kind of existence will humans become if they continue to evolve like this? What kind of existence will demons become if they continue to evolve like this? Research on the assumption that they will evolve and gradually acquire similar functions, becoming different but completely identical beings." "....So, what did you do?" "I failed." The conclusion was too empty, and not only Harryot, but also the other Grand Mages were amazed. But the next words were enough to shock everyone. "So, in order to do that, we had to increase the growth rate of humans and demons much faster than now, so that frequent generational changes would occur, but we failed to improve the two species, so we couldn't see the end, could we?" Translation:

Others may not understand what Antirianus is talking about, but everyone present is a mage. They understand the meaning of Antirianus's words. Lucinil stares at Antirianus with a troubled expression and asks if he was trying to improve the species itself. Antirianus confirms this and explains that he wanted to observe the evolution of the species by improving the generational turnover of humans and demons, but failed. He then conducted biological experiments, which everyone knows involved living humans and demons. Harryot is horrified by Antirianus's revelation. Even Eleris is slightly shaken, but not surprised. Everyone present is an old and experienced mage. Harryot shudders at the thought of her father, who despises and rejects dark powers, being associated with such beings. She asks why Antirianus conducted such experiments in the first place, wondering if he wanted to become such a being himself. Antirianus replies that he was curious and had nothing else to do. He tried it out, but stopped because he realized that even if he could improve the species himself, it would be unnatural and meaningless. He also explains that evolution does not necessarily flow in the direction of progress, so the experiment was ultimately meaningless. In the end, the Grand Vampires are immortal mages who become curious about useless things and conduct strange experiments without any great reason. Antirianus also reveals other strange experiments he conducted, such as trying to create winged humans by synthesizing harpies and humans, or trying to make animals use magic by artificially engraving magic circuits into them. He even conducted experiments transplanting the brains of one species into another. Some experiments failed, but some were successful. Antirianus was ultimately a crazy mage who dabbled in strange and terrible things. "And that was not surprising to anyone. Everyone nodded their heads as if they expected Antirianus to do such things, and while Harryot was shocked by the story itself, he was not an exception. He had done countless things that were worthy of being burned at the stake. Antirianus' words that alchemy and black magic were inseparable were true. The experiment itself was nothing but black magic, and he almost always used black magic to make the experiment successful. 'Of course, I've also experimented to create a demand for a lord.' Antirianus looked at Lucinil with a sly smile. '...plague.' 'You're not surprised?' 'I thought you would do such things. No, it's strange if you don't.' 'You understand that I like the demand for a lord that much...' 'Shut up.' Lucinil even stuck out his tongue, as if he didn't think he wouldn't do it. Harryot knows. Lucinil was originally one of the alchemists, a product of the Homunculus experiment. When Harryot learned that Lucinil was Homunculus, he was shocked. Not only that, he was also a vampire. The fact that he could be both Homunculus and vampire was already a miracle. 'In the end, what I want to say is that alchemy is a magic that deals with potions and reagents, which is a misunderstanding and prejudice of the world from the beginning.' '...' 'Alchemy that alchemists deal with is a powerful magic.' Harryot could only guess what he was trying to say after hearing Antirianus' explanation. Reagents and potions. Alchemy was not such magic from the beginning. Only alchemy that could be tolerated by the world was allowed, so alchemy was excessively reduced and discolored from its original meaning. 'Originally, the Homunculus was the mainstream of alchemy that dealt with life.' Even the word alchemy itself excessively limits the essence of that magic called alchemy. Life experiment. That is Chimera. And Homunculus. That is close to the essence of alchemy. So according to Antirianus, it is natural that alchemists are included in magic that deals with the dead. * * * Alchemy is actually magic that deals with life. 'You're saying your method is common because you approach alchemy in that way, aren't you? Antirianus' words are true.' Lucinil also nodded his head as if agreeing. 'Alchemy is a magic system that is closer to black magic than black magic itself.' Alchemy is closer to the essence of the alchemist. Because the work of dealing with potions and reagents is very limited and limited in the magic system called alchemy, alchemy has been excessively reduced. "Is it possible that the Empire's current actions are related to chimeras and homunculi, among other alchemical creations?"

"Most likely, yes."

Undead creatures, strictly speaking, fall under the category of living things. Therefore, it is highly likely that the field of alchemy is being applied.

"So, do you know what the Empire is doing right now?"

Antirianus shrugged and smiled at Lucinil's question. "Do you think I know what they're doing without seeing it with my own eyes? I simply said that it's not strange for alchemists to be involved."

The question of why alchemists are involved is already flawed. There's nothing strange about them being involved. But in the end, it's back to square one. There's nothing strange about them being involved, but we still don't know what they're doing.

"But it seems certain that the Empire is doing something."

"Lord Harryot... that's obvious."

No one in this room is unaware that the Empire is doing something. So when Antirianus returned to the starting point, Harryot couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark despite his fear of Antirianus.

"Secretary, didn't you hear what I said?"

"The Lord of Saturday... has done a lot of scary things..."

He had imagined it roughly, but actually hearing about the experiments that were so cruel and insane that he couldn't even count them made his blood run cold and his stomach churn.

"Secretary, what I wanted to say was not that I did so many experiments. It was just to tell you that I 'failed' so many experiments."

Antirianus didn't go into detail about his cruelty and madness to show off. The other vampire lords reacted with a response like "I guess they're just a bunch of idle creatures," but Harryot was the only one who was surprised by Antirianus' experiment story.

"Chimera and homunculus experiments usually fail. It's because life is such a precise and sophisticated system that it's difficult to approach even with magic."

Antirianus had told the story of many failures not to show off, but to tell the story of many failures.

"Yeah. Like Antirianus said, I've been researching and experimenting with creating a homunculus similar to myself for longer than that guy. Of course, they all failed."

Lucinil nodded in agreement.

Harryot wondered who had created Lucinil and what had become of that existence, but that wasn't the important topic here.

Chimeras and homunculi. It is a very difficult magical system even before becoming a gold drinker. Because it involves life.

Harryot thought quietly. Antirianus had lived for a very long time, and Lucinil had lived even longer. Both of them may have succeeded in researching chimeras and homunculi on certain topics, but most of them failed. Currently, there is a war going on. There is no reason to invest resources and manpower into uncertain things. The Titan Project was somewhat of an adventure, but there was clear evidence. This time, it will be the same. "It's not research or experimentation. They are doing some clear 'work'... Is that what you mean?" "Yes, that's right." There is some clear 'method' and the Empire is doing that work. It is doing something that can be a certain power enhancement. But that is already a repetition of words. Of course, there is a way, so the project is underway. "But it's strange. The Empire, of course, is very strict about gold drinkers related to black magic on human land." "Yes... that's right." Is gold drinking just for the sake of gold drinking? Individual deviations of magicians cannot be completely ruled out, but magicians who research prohibited magic are naturally subjected to extreme measures. "In addition, the Empire did not even conduct gold drink research on its own. It was a country that had a fairly desirable perception of magic and applied it to itself." It is a ridiculous situation to discuss the desirability of someone who did gold drink research and experiments as if it were eating rice, but the Empire was not a country that touched gold drinking as a backdoor. "Some knowledge that is clearly related to gold drinking." Antirianus laughs bitterly. The Empire, which had never deeply touched black magic and alchemy, is touching it in magical work that requires advanced knowledge of gold drinking. Of course, they are touching it because they can succeed. "Where did that knowledge come from? Isn't that more important?" The research itself is important, but more important than that is the source of the research. Harryott looks at Antirianus with a blank expression. Prohibited magic. Two groups had vast knowledge about it. One is the Kantus Magna. The other. "Are you saying that the Empire has joined forces with the Black Order...? Are you trying to say that?" Antirianus laughs at Harryott's question. "Otherwise, it would be strange." The suspicion related to the undead was suggesting a completely unrelated possibility beyond the truth of the suspicion itself.