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Primogenitor…
Nina felt a phantom toothache. She didn't even have a body anymore, yet the ache was vivid and unmistakable.
She had known the man standing beside the two legendary witches wouldn't be ordinary, but a Primogenitor was a bit much.
There were only four of them in the entire world.
So why did one just pop up right in front of her?
She fell into near silence for a full minute, then forced herself to speak in a calm, measured tone.
『I once had the fortune of meeting the First Primogenitor, but your aura is completely different. The Second Primogenitor rarely appears, but records indicate she is female. The Third is also female. Which leaves only the Fourth Primogenitor…』
Nina deliberately paused there, clearly trying to bait Ryo into responding.
But he didn't. He only smiled, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth.
Seeing that Ryo hadn't taken the bait, she sighed.
『The Fourth Primogenitor is still dormant, but judging by the vessel, she should also be female.』
She let out a probing little chuckle.
『Other than that, I've never heard of a Fifth Primogenitor.』
"So after all that, do you want me to prove whether I'm really a Primogenitor?" Ryo said with a light laugh.
As the words fell, the finger he had resting against the Wiseman's blood began to glow faintly.
A pale violet light, eerie and unnatural.
Feeling the fear creep directly into her soul, Nina Adelard immediately played along.
『You think this is enough to threaten me?』
Before the words even settled, she continued quickly.
『Whether you are a Primogenitor or not has nothing to do with me.』
『Young man, you deliberately awakened my soul without activating the Wiseman's spirit blood. Clearly, you have a specific purpose, and that purpose requires a powerful alchemist, doesn't it?』
"Seems you've figured things out," Ryo said.
"I want to study the structure of mechanical lifeforms. And you, Nina Adelard, are exactly the person I need to work with me."
He didn't refute her reasoning at all. He knew very little about alchemy, and having a great alchemist assist him would dramatically improve his efficiency.
『Then you truly have come to the right person.』
A trace of laughter entered Nina Adelard's voice.
『The Hermes lineage I belong to is devoted to elevating humanity into metal lifeforms, freeing us from the limits of flesh to gain long life and immense magical power.』
『The successful manifestation of that ideal is the liquid-metal lifeform called the "Wiseman."』
『Infinite lifespan, vast magical reserves, and the immortality granted by metalization. This is the Hermes Trismegistus school's alchemical ideal of the "Perfect Life."』
She gave a brief introduction to her faction, then smiled.
『But what can you offer in return?』
『Equivalent exchange is the first commandment of alchemy, after all.』
"How about solving the Wiseman problem for you?" Ryo said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as his eyes narrowed.
"I can see that the Wiseman's simulated soul has already begun eroding your own. In that state, the only way you can suppress it is by remaining sealed in gem form forever."
As he spoke, he raised his index finger. A vivid purple flame ignited at the tip.
"If I handle it, I can erase the Wiseman's consciousness without harming your soul."
"And once the Wiseman is gone, you won't need to suppress it anymore. Using the Wiseman's spirit blood, you'll be able to reconstruct your own body. A perfect body."
Hearing this, Nina Adelard spoke with a hint of teasing interest.
『So the bargaining chip is freedom? That's certainly a tempting offer.』
"No, no," Ryo said, shaking his head with a smile. "The bargaining chip isn't just freedom. It's your 'life.'"
"Don't forget, what I want to study is the Wiseman. Once the Wiseman's consciousness is destroyed, the one who becomes the Wiseman next will be you."
"So in the end, the subject of my research is actually you."
『…』
Nina fell silent for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh.
『Men who speak so bluntly tend to be disliked, you know.』
Ryo smiled easily, "I'd rather call it 'cooperation.'"
Cooperating with you to research… myself? Nina muttered inwardly.
But realistically speaking, she couldn't think of any way to refuse him.
There were two souls left inside the spirit blood. Whether Ryo chose her or the Wiseman made little difference to him.
The real difference was that the Wiseman would resist and refuse to cooperate, while she possessed human values and alchemical knowledge and could actively assist his research.
And judging from the purple flame that had made her soul ache just moments ago, he clearly had the power to kill her outright.
As for alchemy…
With the Witch of the Notaria assisting him, extracting her memories before her death would be trivial. At that point, even if Nina refused to cooperate, it would be the same as agreeing.
'Checkmate, huh…' Nina sighed inwardly.
After three or four seconds of silence, she finally spoke aloud,
『Before we cooperate, I want to clarify a few things.』
"Go ahead," Ryo said, giving a small nod. He already knew she had made her choice.
『What technology do you truly intend to research?』
Ryo frowned slightly, then said, "I want to study a secret technique that converts god-type beings into mechanical lifeforms."
『Converting god-type beings into mechanical life?』
Nina's pitch rose sharply, her interest instantly piqued.
『Fascinating. You have a god in your hands? No… you captured a god?』
『Who is it? Which one?』
Ryo's expression shifted for a moment, then returned to normal.
"It's Hermes. I captured Hermes of the Twelve Olympians."
『So it's Hermes!』
Nina Adelard let out a satisfied sigh.
『If it's him, then our cooperation is—』
『HERMES?』
Her tone suddenly changed.
『Pardon the intrusion, but… is the test subject the one known as the Hermes Trismegistus?』
"Yes," Ryo replied without hesitation.
Nina's voice vanished.
In ancient alchemical texts, alchemists often altered Hermes' name.
They changed the story from alchemy being taught by a god to it being passed down by a human, emphasizing that alchemy was knowledge refined and systematized by humanity itself. It was meant to show that alchemy wasn't born of delusion, but was a rigorous, legitimate discipline.
Thus, the god of alchemy known as "Hermes Trismegistus" was recast as a human.
That human's name was Hermes.
The ancestor of Nina Adelard.
Hermes Adelard.
And Hermes himself had written that there was no god of alchemy, that it was all just rumor. Humanity was the true creator of the miraculous power called alchemy.
But the man standing before her was asking her to dissect her own ancestor—someone who might have been a god—and turn him into a machine god.
Nina Adelard's thoughts came to a dead halt.
.
.
.