Last Gun Alchemist

Cyrus’s eyes dulled the moment he heard Grace’s voice.

Lucy’s hands tightened slightly around the things she was carrying.

Both of them looked at Grace, then slowly turned their eyes toward Ezra.

They had reached the same conclusion at almost the exact same time.

This playboy.

Ezra could feel their gazes on him, but he remained as unbothered as usual. He didn’t even bother turning around to look at them.

"My schedule is always tight, so I don’t have time."

He replied plainly.

Grace’s expression immediately fell a little.

"Oh..."

She lowered her gaze.

"But what about during the free month we will have for ourselves in preparation for the Club Tournament?"

She asked with a small trace of hope in her eyes.

"Club preparation on my side is also packed."

Ezra replied flatly.

Grace’s head lowered a little more.

"Then... during the Club Tournament week?"

She asked, using what seemed to be her last chance.

Ezra paused.

He thought about it for a few seconds while looking at her.

"Hmm... If I have time."

He replied plainly.

Grace’s eyes brightened almost immediately.

"Really..."

She looked genuinely happy.

"Thank you."

Even though Ezra hadn’t actually given her a definite yes, what he had said was already enough for her.

To Grace, if I have time, is still a possibility.

That possibility seemed to be all she needed.

"I’ll see you later, then."

She gave Ezra a small wave before turning toward Cyrus.

"And you too, Sir Cyrus Burnwick."

She waved at him as well before leaving.

Lucy bowed politely as Grace walked away.

Cyrus watched her retreating figure for a few seconds.

Then he turned his head toward Ezra.

"It must be nice, having beautiful daughters of powerful Houses coming to you because of your invention."

His voice carried a hint of playful jealousy.

Ezra didn’t reply.

He simply turned around and continued walking toward the Academy parking area.

Lucy followed behind him.

She pouted slightly while staring at Ezra’s back.

Cyrus noticed her expression.

"Maybe I should also work on creating a cool Vehicle that will be sexy like the Phantom Rolls."

He said thoughtfully while stroking his chin.

His eyes moved upward as he began thinking seriously about the idea.

"I’ll call it Posh."

He opened his other hand, spreading his fingers as if the name had suddenly appeared in his mind.

"No..."

He immediately shook his head.

"Maybe Cyrix Steamrunner?"

He came up with another name.

Then he looked toward Ezra.

"What do you think, Ezra?"

Ezra didn’t answer.

Instead, he suddenly placed one hand against Cyrus’s face.

At almost the same time, he placed his other hand against Lucy’s face.

Lucy had been staring daggers at him from behind.

Both of their faces were now being pushed toward the direction they were supposed to be walking.

"Quiet down and stop staring daggers at me, Lucy."

Ezra said plainly.

He kept both of them facing forward as they continued walking toward the area where their ordered Noble Steam-Carriages were waiting.

"Humph."

Cyrus acted as if he had been deeply offended.

Lucy did the same.

Neither of them seemed willing to admit that Ezra had caught them for their playful teasing.

Ezra ignored their reactions.

His mind was already processing what had just happened with Grace.

It’s very clear that the Evergrey’s want me to betray the Ashenlocke’s, but they’re seriously using that method to try and win me over.

His eyes remained ahead as he walked.

So, the reason why that Louis guy mentioned my name during his Vehicle presentation was for this purpose, huh?

Ezra already had most of the situation figured out in his mind.

The Evergrey’s were trying to approach him through his inventions, but not only that.

Louis Evergrey had openly mentioned Ezra during his Vehicle presentation, making it seem he respected him and now Grace had approached him directly and asked to meet with him and her elder brother, while trying to use her beauty to attract him.

It wasn’t difficult to connect the two events.

But it now meant another problem was slowly building up around Ezra.

However, it wasn’t something he needed to think about too much.

The level of trouble was still manageable, and more importantly, he already had a plan prepared for when the problem eventually decided to become serious.

For now...

He had too many other things to focus on.

The day eventually came to an end with Ezra returning to his usual night studies and continuing his work on his inventions.

The next day arrived with the usual classes, assignments, and personal work.

Nothing particularly unusual happened.

Then Friday arrived.

It was finally time for the Club activities in the Mix Arena.

The large interior of the Craft & Research Seekers Clubhouse was already divided into the different working areas when the students arrived.

Professor Nine stood calmly in front of the members of the Research Unit inside the meeting room.

Meanwhile, the members of the Crafts Unit began leaving the main area so they could start working on their personal group projects.

Professor Nine’s assistant and the Club President, Luke, were among the members of that unit.

Ezra, Cyrus, Vera, and Diane sat together as usual.

The four of them settled into their usual positions as the Research Unit’s class with Professor Nine began.

Professor Nine stood before the large holographic screen.

"Small Organisms."

He pointed toward the screen.

The holographic display was completely white.

There was nothing on it.

Many of the first-years looked at it with confused expressions.

They weren’t sure why Professor Nine had brought up the topic when there was apparently nothing to see.

Then...

"Latisha!"

Professor Nine suddenly pointed dramatically toward Latisha.

"Zooom in!"

Nine said in an overly dramatic voice.

Latisha nodded.

She walked closer to the holographic screen and raised her hand.

She brought her thumb and index finger apart.

Then she moved them outward.

The image on the screen responded to the movement.

The students watched as the display began zooming in.

At first, there was still nothing.

The white screen remained almost completely empty.

Latisha continued.

She spread her fingers farther apart.

The image enlarged again.

Then a tiny black dot appeared.

The students leaned forward slightly.

Latisha continued zooming in.

The black dot became larger.

Its shape slowly became clearer.

Then, finally...

A small, cell-like creature appeared on the holographic screen.

Several of the first-years immediately looked amazed.

Others had already seen it because they had increased their eyesight using Cognis.

A few students naturally possessed good enough eyesight to notice the organism without any enhancement.

Professor Nine pointed toward the image.

"This is a type of bacteria, and your typical bacterium is usually around two microns long and 0.5 to 1 micron wide."

He explained the information while swiping his hand toward the next slide.

The new slide displayed a list describing the size of bacteria.

Professor Nine continued.

"And this particular small organism can be found in soil, water, decaying matter, the bodies of monsters, and..."

He paused.

A small smirk appeared on his face.

"...we humans."

The moment he said that, many of the first-years immediately looked down at their own bodies.

Some looked at their arms.

Others looked at their hands.

A few even rubbed their skin as though they had suddenly become uncomfortable with the thought.

"How is that possible?"

One student stared at his arm.

He increased the flow of Cognis toward his eyes, enhancing his vision as he looked closely at his skin.

Several students did the same.

They examined their arms.

Their hands.

The exposed parts of their bodies.

Yet they saw nothing.

"I don’t see anything, though?"

A female Non-Noble first-year student said loudly.

Professor Nine looked toward her.

"That’s because of the Cognis flowing inside your body."

He replied.

"Do you think those small organisms would survive there?"

He shook his head.

"No."

He continued speaking while walking slowly in front of the holographic screen.

"And that’s one of the reasons why we Alchemists look younger and healthier for a longer span of time compared to non-Alchemists."

The students listened.

Professor Nine raised one finger.

"Also, Non-Nobles who are non-Alchemists don’t always look unhealthy or old because Britannia’s level of skincare medicine, as well as its nutritional medicine, helps protect the body."

He paused briefly.

"They help kill and prevent harmful small organisms from damaging the body while allowing the ones that are beneficial to remain on the human body."

The students became more interested.

"So, there are small organisms that are useful to the body, huh?"

A first-year student said with realization.

Professor Nine nodded slightly.

"Yes."

Another student raised his hand.

"But where are they, Professor?"

It was Maxwell.

He raised his hand while looking toward the holographic screen.

He still couldn’t see them.

Even after enhancing his eyesight with Cognis and trying to look through the surface of his own skin, he couldn’t identify the organisms Professor Nine was talking about.

Professor Nine narrowed his eyes at him.

"You’re looking in the wrong place, boy."

He said, then he swiped his hand.

The holographic screen changed.

The image of the single bacterium disappeared.

A new slide appeared, displaying several types of useful microorganisms and the places where they could be found.

The students immediately turned their attention toward the information.

***

Beneficial Microorganisms

Lactobacillus — Found mainly in the intestines, mouth, and reproductive tract. It helps maintain a healthy microbial balance and supports digestion.

Bifidobacterium — Commonly found in the large intestine. It helps break down certain carbohydrates and supports a healthy gut environment.

Bacteroides — Found primarily in the intestines. It helps break down complex food components that the human body cannot easily digest on its own.

Faecalibacterium — Found in the large intestine. It produces butyrate, a substance that helps nourish and maintain intestinal cells.

Saccharomyces — A beneficial yeast found in some foods and used in certain probiotic preparations. Some strains can support the balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.

Skin Bacteria — Various harmless bacteria live naturally on the surface of the skin. They occupy the skin’s environment and can help prevent harmful microorganisms from becoming established.

Oral Bacteria — Many harmless species live in the mouth and on the tongue. They form part of the normal oral microbiome and interact with other microorganisms in the mouth.

***

The students stared at the list.

For some, it was the first time they had ever considered that something so small could have such an important role inside the human body.

Maxwell looked at the holographic screen for a long moment.

His expression slowly became thoughtful.

The subject had started with something as simple as a tiny organism that couldn’t be seen with normal eyes.

But now, it had already opened an entirely different field of knowledge.

Professor Nine looked across the class.

His earlier dramatic expression had disappeared.

This time, his face carried the calm look of a teacher who was about to explain something important.

The Research Unit became quiet.

Even the students who had initially found the topic strange were now paying attention.

The lesson on small organisms had only just begun.

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