How the hell did it come to this?
Letters were piled up like a mountain.
Evan fell into serious contemplation.
What exactly did I say yesterday?
He briefly racked his memory.
Right.
It was definitely…
***
Evan Alkart.
There were scarcely any students who didn’t know that name.
Nobles obviously knew of the Alkart family, and even exceptionally talented commoners were aware of just how much power the Alkart house wielded.
It was the one family name that even the most arrogant noble heirs never dared utter aloud; no further explanation was needed.
The young master of that very family.
Though he was the second son, not the first, recent rumors all agreed he was all but confirmed as the next heir.
When word spread that this very person would personally give a lecture, the news traveled like wildfire.
There had been plenty of promotion as well.
Young Master of the Alkart family has graciously come to bestow his teachings, so all students are expected to attend.
The Chancellor—who rarely showed himself unless it was important—personally advertised.
A lofty mage with bleached-white hair and a long beard, impressive even in his prime.
The Chancellor’s direct involvement drew eyes first.
I announce to everyone: Young Master Evan Alkart will personally grant teachings, so every student with time must attend.
Professor Moriarty stepped up as well.
This will be a lecture that goes down in history. Everyone must listen.
Even the former Tower Master and current worst professor, Adium, promoted it personally.
Naturally, attention was astronomical.
Their marketing skills were undeniably top-tier.
But excessive promotion always came with inevitable side effects.
Evan Alkart, is he really that great?
He’s about the same age as us.
Of course, over-the-top hype only bred resentment.
The fact that even the arrogant Adium had come out to promote it made it worse.
It was the kind of feeling some would call “jealous spite.”
He’s around our age and already giving lectures?
No, he’s actually younger, isn’t he?
Even Adium… did he buy him with money?
There were even a few who were still trapped in the old negative rumors.
Regardless, an enormous crowd gathered.
The grand lecture hall—which was so vast that even the greatest professors could never fill it completely—was packed to the brim.
Evan felt his body stiffen the moment he stood before them.
How many times in his life had Evan, a perfectly ordinary citizen, ever been the center of attention in front of so many people?
He could count them on one hand.
No, practically zero.
At most, school presentations in front of a few dozen classmates.
He had never given a large public speech.
Even when participating in clubs or school projects, he had only done research or made slides; he had never stood up front and opened his mouth…
Maybe I shouldn’t have done this?
Evan regretted it deeply.
Yet, separate from that, his tense body maintained a perfect poker face.
A completely expressionless face.
Black hair reflecting the soft sunlight streaming through the windows, and beneath it, golden eyes brimming with nobility.
Wow.
Insane.
Some were reminded of Duke Cabaro.
Others imagined him standing in the future as a duke himself.
Still others felt pure jealousy; his appearance and aura were the closest to “perfect” any of them had ever seen.
“Silence.”
The moment Evan spoke, the already quiet hall became deathly still.
Evan placed a single book on the desk and slowly scanned the students.
Some shrank back, unable to meet the calmly shining golden eyes.
Fuck.
In truth, Evan was desperately trying to buy time and calm his nerves.
Dragging it out any longer would look weird.
“Ahem.”
After a small fake cough, he opened his mouth.
“My name is Evan Alkart. Today I will briefly lecture you on alchemy. Before we begin, do you know what alchemy is?”
“Isn’t it the art of making potions?”
One student raised a hand and asked.
It was Lapis, who had somehow blended in among the students.
A few were startled by the unfamiliar face, then startled again by her appearance, and hurriedly looked down the moment their eyes met hers.
“That is partially correct.”
I’m saved!
Relieved that an answer had come, Evan continued.
“Long ago, our ancestors began alchemy in an attempt to turn stone into gold. So they thoroughly analyzed the components of stone and researched ways to transform it into gold.”
Evan raised his hand.
A stone he had prepared in advance.
He drew up a tiny amount of mana, [Understood] the stone, [Decomposed] it, then [Reconstructed] it.
Shrrrk!
“!”
“!”
“Like this.”
In an instant, an ordinary stone became a beautifully decorated “Buddha statue.”
It was a Buddha statue simply because, among large stone ornaments, that was the first thing that came to mind.
Honestly, it did look cool. The feeling he got when seeing a massive Buddha statue had lingered in his memory.
…Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.
Evan licked his parched lips and continued.
“Thus, alchemy begins with perfectly [Understanding] the components. Then [Decomposing] them into fine pieces, and through [Reconstruction], reshaping them according to the alchemist’s will.”
In short.
“It is turning existence into another existence. In simple terms, we call it reconstruction.”
Clap!
Evan set the stone statue down and lightly clapped.
The desk he had been touching melted away with a shrrrk and transformed into a new model.
A chair.
A throne-like chair appeared, and gasps of admiration erupted everywhere.
They were people with pride and talent in magic and mana, so they could recognize the change.
Changing form without using a single spell.
To them, it was an entirely unknown world.
Damn it.
Evan inwardly cursed as he looked at the chair.
Why did that image have to come to mind…!
“…Creating potions by decomposing and mixing various materials to produce completely different effects is only a part of alchemy. It is not everything.”
“Then what can you actually do with it?”
Another question flew in from somewhere.
This time the target was Acela.
Some students grew anxious upon seeing Acela’s face; nothing good ever came from that wicked woman speaking.
“I understand changing appearances. But that can be handled with magic too, right? We can make potions ourselves as much as we want. Unless it’s a potion from the Tower of Alchemists, and… I believe the instructor is not even affiliated with the Tower of Alchemists.”
Acela deliberately added “instructor” to make it clear this was not a question directed at the “Young Master.”
Evan nodded.
“Good question.”
“?”
“I am not a potion specialist. Nor am I a researcher who delves deeply into any particular field.”
“Then with what qualifications did you come to lecture?”
“My specialty is golems.”
“Golems?”
Evan clapped again.
At that moment, the staff hanging ornament-like at his waist floated into the air.
Chrrrrrrrrk!
It instantly disassembled.
Evan’s staff was no ordinary stick.
It was an assembly of numerous golems.
He normally kept thin, small golems gathered together in the shape of a staff.
Meaning he could produce golems at any time depending on the situation.
“Wh-what the—?”
Small golems lined up clap, clap, clap in perfect formation above the lecture hall.
Evan almost brought out Number 2 but changed his mind at the last second.
He didn’t want to see Adium have another fit.
“With golems like these, many things become possible. For example—”
What Evan prioritized here was not the lecture content, but the performance.
It wasn’t about leaving behind profound teachings.
It was about making sure his immediate reputation didn’t suffer…!
“Like this.”
BOOM!
The small golems swarmed to one spot and transformed into another golem.
Not enough golems?
He instantly crafted more, then immediately synthesized.
Flash flash flash!
After several bursts of light, the result appeared in an instant.
A mass larger than the average human.
A hodgepodge of various materials that could feel excessive, yet strangely harmonious.
A combined golem.
The newly born golem struck a pose like an Olympian athlete.
“I can have golems carry objects, fight in my place, or even conduct research for me.”
“Wooooooaaahhh!”
The male students cheered.
Evan sneakily checked the time.
Thanks to talking non-stop, not much remained.
Good.
Before anyone else could ask questions…
“You there, student. Could you stand up for a moment?”
“Yes? Yes.”
Evan lightly flicked his finger.
A part of the combined golem detached and chrrrrrk! flew toward the student, wrapping around their body.
Automatic armor!
It transformed not into ordinary iron plate armor, but into a cutting-edge suit form that Evan alone knew from Earth.
If anything, it was a transforming suit.
“W-w-wow!”
“It looks like clothes…! No, should I call it a suit…?”
“As you can see, things like this are possible with alchemical golems. Any more questions?”
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the sight they were witnessing for the first time in their lives.
The information was so novel that no one could think of a question.
What the hell. Why is no one asking anything? Was it that bad?
Evan gave up thinking.
Either way, his face remained perfectly expressionless.
Insane.
Professor Moriarty, who was watching, lost the composure he always maintained just for today.
That was not ordinary golem creation skill.
At that level, he had surely reached a realm.
By alchemical standards, at least level 7.
A realm comparable to Sword Master or Archmage.
Proof of having risen above the 7th circle.
…With that level of skill, he must have created it.
An artificial body closest to human.
A homunculus.
He must have made one.
If that were true, it made sense that he refused resurrection of the dead.
There was no need to commit taboo.
He could achieve a “bypass” that others would never notice as wrong.
…As expected, he is different.
Professor Moriarty could not even begin to guess what kind of evil lay hidden behind that cold face.
A lost method of golem creation. To pull that off in mere seconds… a monster.
The Chancellor, quietly watching the lecture, slowly closed his eyes.
So that is why he came…
Evan—who did not know him, or rather, did not realize he was regarded so highly—spoke with a calm face and tone.
“It is not difficult. If any of you are interested in alchemy, I hope you will try researching it at least once. It is not particularly hard.”
“?!!”
“?”
Not particularly hard?
What did he just say?
At Evan’s outrageous remark, everyone stared with faces asking what nonsense that was.
“Time is up.”
Instead of answering, Evan turned around.
Exactly the end time.
Now it was time to leave.
He had to escape quickly.
“That concludes the lecture.”
“Huh?!”
“Thank you all for your hard work.”
Evan left immediately.
Not a shred of lingering attachment in his steps.
It was outright fleeing, yet to others it looked like movement that wasted not even a single second.
“Wow.”
“That was insanely cool…”
“That’s what it takes to be a great noble…”
“Acela just asked a question and ended up embarrassed for nothing.”
Tremble.
Acela clenched her fists so hard her knees shook.
…Later, the special lecture evaluation results.
A lecture that normally struggled to exceed 5 out of 10.
Male students: 10 points, female students: 10 points.
Perfect scores across the board.
…Evan, upon hearing this additional news, quietly clutched his head.
No.
It was that big a deal?