Crancia, province of Vitzi.

This place originally belonged to the Black Rock Principality, but it was incorporated into Crancia more than ten years ago.

The black peaks are long and tall, with bare dark rocks on them and no vegetation. The surface of the peaks is rugged and rugged, and it looks hard and cold when blown by the cold wind.

In geographical terms, this is an obvious ice-eroded landform. The upper layers of the mountain peaks are covered with a thin layer of snow, while there is only a little green coverage at the foot of the mountain. Scattered woods dot the huge valleys, becoming the center of this field of vision.

The only place with some life.

There are scattered wooden houses scattered beside a forest. If you don't observe carefully, you may not be able to find them among the continuous black peaks. Compared with the peaks and white snow under the sky, these wooden houses are just too small.

On the path covered with moss and grass, a figure wearing a sturdy black trench coat walked towards the wooden house. He wore a gear and book badge on his chest, and there were three stars in it, indicating that he was a high-level alchemist, and

He also specializes in mechanical construction.

There are more than thirty households in this village at the foot of the mountain. Occasionally, you can see villagers passing by and talking about recent events.

"Master Jack, Master Jack." An old voice came from behind, and then the alchemist in black trench coat stopped.

He lifted his hood, revealing his ash-blond hair and cheeks stained by wind and frost.

"I'm here, Mr. Village Chief."

After Jack stopped, an old man wearing a sheepskin jacket walked over. He had a round hat on his head and a wine bottle in his hand.

"I've delayed Mr. Jack. I have a bottle of goat's milk wine for you. You can drink some to warm yourself up at night." He said as he handed over the bottle of wine in his hand.

Looking at the enthusiastic village chief, Jack paused for a moment, then refused politely and accepted the bottle of wine.

After seeing the alchemist accept it, the village chief smiled and then asked.

"I don't know how your exploration is going these days. I heard that some exploration people will come over recently to continue the measurement."

"That's right." Jack nodded. The current situation was basically no longer a secret. Even the head of the small mountain village also got some news.

"Useful mineral deposits have been discovered at the foot of the mountain on the east side. The industrial department will send people over soon to draw up plans and prepare for mining." As he said this, he opened the cabin he lived in and invited the village chief to come in. The two of them sat down.

He continued talking by the fire.

"That means we are going to build workshops and mining sites here in the future?" The village chief became happy after hearing this, and his wrinkled face became much rosier.

"That's right, the mineral deposits here are indeed very useful." Jack nodded again.

Afterwards, the village chief asked and confirmed many questions before he walked out with satisfaction and a smile on his face.

After watching the other party leave, Jack closed the door, continued to take out the thick notes in his arms, and began to record today's exploration results and thoughts.

The topographic map of the mountain was roughly drawn on the white paper. A small area at the bottom was shaded with lines, and an arrow was marked next to it, which read 'nickel' and 'cobalt'.

After Crancia merged the original seven countries of Xuehua, its resources became abundant. After more than ten years of continuous development, there is no shortage of common metals such as copper and iron, but some rarer metals, such as 'nickel'

There are still some gaps with things like 'cobalt'.

The nickel ore and associated cobalt ore discovered here are urgently needed in the country, so after he reported it, he immediately received a response from the superior agency.

Thinking back to the years of trekking and hardship in this cold wind and mountainous area, now that it had finally paid off, Jack felt a sense of insipid satisfaction and relief.

"Huh..." He leaned back on the chair and looked at the ceiling above his head for a while, then closed his eyes and quietly felt the warm firelight coming from the fireplace beside him.

Before I knew it, I must be in my 40s.

Although this is not a very old age among extraordinary people, for ordinary people, it is already slowly aging.

Jack opened his eyes again and looked at his palms. Because he had been outside all year round, the skin on his hands was very rough. There were still traces of frostbite on his hands. They were a little thick and a little itchy under the heat of the fire.

He sat up again, took out the thick notebook, and flipped to the first page.

This page is a little dirty and wrinkled, and the writing on it is also a little dull. It seems that it has been turned over frequently, caressed and missed.

'Congratulations to Senior Jack on your graduation!'

The bold words are filled with joy and blessings, and below are the signatures of each of the classmates, many of whom are juniors of the college. In the lower right corner of the page, the date at that time is written.

‘Third Age 1687 November Winter Festival Party’

When he was studying in Emenas, he was not the kind of talented student. He was even a very clumsy student. He was unable to break through for a long time and was stuck in the third grade.

He was from an average background, and if he didn't work hard, he might not have any opportunities after leaving school, so he worked hard to learn and study.

But there was no result.

There is no shortage of geniuses in Emenas, and there is also no shortage of hard-working classmates, but he is just one of them.

Then an accident came to his world.

The school fell into a particularly strange atmosphere and situation that year, and he was one of the reasons.

That night, he met a mysterious witch.

The other party taught him a special secret technique and then asked him to do something.

Then this weird secret technique spread quickly in the academy, causing drastic changes and sensational accidents.

Although the situation calmed down in the end, he was still hostile and cursed by many classmates, and he even feared that he would be expelled from school or severely punished.

Fortunately, the new dean of the college appeased him, and afterwards the chief of Temple College also helped him mediate the problems within the college, and stability was slowly restored.

After leaving school, many workshops and factions did not accept him because of the major incident during his time at school, and he also lived a decadent life.

Alchemy requires a lot of materials, as well as craftsmanship, equipment coordination, etc. It would be very difficult for ordinary people to support it alone.

Until one day, he received an invitation letter from a large chamber of commerce in Verga, named Carites.

At first, he didn't know the background of this chamber of commerce. Because the salary promised in the letter was not low, he boarded the ship to Hopeland with hesitation.

After arriving there, he received a good reception and was then arranged to a key workshop in the chamber of commerce to participate in the development of new warships.

That period of time can be said to be the time when he grew the fastest. He greedily absorbed the fresh knowledge and skills conveyed in each manuscript, and then immediately put it into practice, constantly learning and adjusting in depth.

By the time the war broke out and the battleship was completed, he was already a qualified high-level alchemist.

After the war, the development and design of battleships came to an end, and he was sent to Crancia to support construction, and then gradually settled here.

Later, when the empire marched westward, he moved and hid in the mountains with his colleagues in the agency, designing and developing new war machinery, and then responsible for the construction and supervision of the arsenal.

By the time all this was over, he was already 35 years old and had become a high-ranking member of the Mechanical Alchemists Association under the industrial sector.

What followed was the search for many needed mineral deposits for the industrial development of Crancia, and this work lasted for more than ten years.

'Time is so ruthless.'

Jack opened the lid of the wine bottle and slowly poured a small sip into his mouth. Mixed with the fragrance of goat milk and wine, a cold liquid flowed through his throat, and then became hot again.

Facing the firelight, Jack slowly turned over the notes. Many of the pages were stained with oil and dirt, and memories full of nostalgia from the past were awakened one by one.

After leaving Emenas, he experienced the loss after graduation, the ecstasy of being accepted, the joy of concentration and absorption, the sudden realization after the war, and the loneliness of traveling around.

Looking back on my time in Emenas, I feel full of emotion about my youth and immaturity at that time.

Because I was too young and had too many expectations of quick success, I almost embarked on the wrong path.

But now...

He took the wine bottle and walked slowly to the window. The firelight in the room shone on the glass, vaguely reflecting his bearded face.

If you just look at the face reflected in the glass, Jack is probably only in his 30s. This is also the effect of the extraordinary sequence, which can delay aging.

I have come out of the wrong path.

Despite going through hardships, Jack also felt a sense of contentment and satisfaction.

Three days later, the capital of the province of Viz, the City of Swords.

Although it is winter, it is still lively here. Carriages and pedestrians can be seen everywhere on the streets, and there are lively figures everywhere. There is also a long whistle from the mountains not far away, which is the sound of the train about to arrive at the station.

"Lady Jena, there is a high-level alchemist who wants to see you. He also produced his professional certificate and documents from the Ministry of Industry."

In a tall office, a woman wearing a black and white professional dress is working. She wears glasses, a white pleated scarf on her chest, and a rare military knife hanging on the wall next to her.

"Oh, did he say his name?" Jenna quickly checked and commented on the document, and then asked the secretary in front of her.

"His name is Jack. The certificate shows that he is a senior mechanical alchemist and has also received the Silver Star Medal."

"Jack?"

Jenna thought about this name, as if she was remembering something.

"As for her appearance, does she have short ash-blond hair and wears a long black trench coat?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"Well, I probably understand." Jina finished writing the last sentence of criticism, then closed the document in her hand and put down the pen.

This intellectual beauty raised her head, revealing her emerald eyes under her black hair. She stood up and put on her coat.

"Take me to see him, this is my senior."

Jenna looked at the saber on the wall, paused for a moment, then took it off and hung it on her waist, which added an air of heroism.

Although it was strange that Lady Jena was wearing a sword today, the secretary quickly went to lead her. Clerks who walked by in the corridor from time to time nodded and said hello after seeing Jena.

As the founder and leader of the 'Sword Forging Sect', Jena has great influence in this mountainous province.

Back then, the 'Halber Faction' and the 'Hunter Bow Faction' fought, and then the 'Halber Faction' joined the Frost Alliance and dragged Black Rock into the war, bringing many disasters to the people of this land.
To be continued...