The Demoted Alchemist's Border Life ~A Former Elite Failed Twice, So I Decided to Start Over in the Countryside~

In his past life, Zeke, a resident of the capital, was a salaryman who had followed the path of an elite. However, he was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife and died, hated by a rival he lost to in the struggle for promotion. For some reason, Zeke was reborn as an orphan in another world. He learned alchemy from his adoptive master and, with his intelligence and knowledge from his past life, obtained the qualifications of a national alchemist at a young age, once again advancing along the elite path. However, he was hated by a nobleman with whom he had been competing for promotion, and his position was taken away by the use of power. To add insult to injury, his master and superior, who was also his parent, ordered him to be transferred to a remote border region. This meant demotion, and his desired path to success was completely cut off. After two failures, Zeke finally realized that while he was capable at his job, his personality was not good. Although he felt regret and dissatisfaction, with the advice of his familiar, a black cat, he decided to make this second life a success. He decided to find a different life in the border region, away from the pursuit of success. However, his new workplace was a branch office in a critical situation, with only two alchemists. Zeke used his alchemy skills to revitalize the branch office and found happiness different from success. What is happiness and what is important in life? A man obsessed with success finds true happiness in a remote border region. *Chapters marked with ★ include other perspectives.