When Falma realizes the horrifying facts about the sacred treasure, he departs from Salomon and tries to enter Hugo’s pharmacology waiting room at the palace to confirm the truth, while a pharmacologist and a courtier who know nothing just converse about the reputed alchemist in the imperial capital as they’re becoming excited. Falma can hear them from inside the room.
(Oh, the discussion comes out at the perfect timing.)
It appears that Falma doesn’t have to cut them off from the topic.
“… That’s why, the demonstration for alchemy was successful.“
“The other day, a demonstration was held somewhere in the Imperial City, and it seems that it was a great success. But it was difficult to request afterward, such as the showing of the homunculus again.“
The rumors of the alchemist Hermès have finally begun spread in the royal court.
“Just one time, I wan’t to go see it.“
“It appears that only an alchemist or their disciple can enter the venue. The aristocratic alchemists are paying in advance, however it wasn’t so when it comes to alchemists among the commoners, so there must be based on some kind of connection …“
Hermès is successful by shutting out all well-educated aristocratic alchemists from the venue, perhaps for fear of exposing his fraud.
(If that’s so, then Pierre was able to get in because he was a commoner alchemist.)
“Everyone, good day to you.“
Falma enters the pharmacology waiting room in the midst of their conversation with a grinning face, so the two face him.
“Oh, Falma. Hello. You’re here on your day off.“
“I have a bit of work to take care of. I’ll leave once I’m done.“
Falma makes up a good excuse. Then, just as if it’s the right timing, one of the first-class pharmacologists speaks to Falma and Hugo.
“Thank you for all your hard work. So, do the Count and Falma know the story about the alchemist?“
Hugo has just completed the examination on the courtier, records the medical entry while preparing to head home, and suddenly becomes surprised.
“Ah, well, I’ve heard a little about it, but I couldn’t see the divine art, and I’m not interested in scams.“
Falma denies Hermès’s alchemy so that he cannot be suspected for being involved (recently).
“Peh so it’s just a scam, and just a fantasy. Does Falma think that his alchemy is theoretically possible?“
A savvy pharmacologist asks Falma with more in-depth questions while is the focus of attention.
“Gold is an element, so it can’t be synthesized and be newly created. Unless you use some special magic, it’s definitely a scam.“
When Falma gives a brief explanation of the (scientific) essence, Hugo’s movement ceases. Hugo suspiciously stares at Falma.
“Did I wrongly insinuate something? Your lordship?“
Then, Falma returns his gaze.
“Er …“
It’s perhaps because Falma was dressed as a girl that night, Hugo didn’t seem to realize that Falma was attending that alchemy rally.
“If that’s so, the scammer needs to be found. The empire must track him down.“
Disappointed by the fraud, the savvy pharmacologist sighs and (suggests) the scamming alchemist must be disciplined quickly.
“I can’t afford that kind of money (to see the real demonstration).“
Falma jests as the pharmacologist and courtier are laughing.
“You just need to show me a bit of money, and you can see it.“
“Eh eh, is that true ?!“
The pharmacologist is delighted.
“Please keep your eyes closely on your money.“
Falma holds the money lightly with his right hand, closes his eyes and chants a spell-like incantation. When he believes he finishes with the certain chanting, he opens his eyes.
“Now it’s gone.“
After saying so, Falma confidently opens his hand. The pharmacologist laughs at Falma, who is good at copying Hermès, as if he is teasing Hermès. Hugo also sighs while believing Falma is able to perform the alchemy feat.
“And there’s nothing to it.“
“Wa wa, it was enough to fill a container (full of laughter). Falma comes to make fun of us.“
Falma laughs with them and then suddenly turns his fingers around.
“It’s right behind here.“
Gold powder flutters softly, as the gold enters the corner of their field of vision.
“Eh !?“
Glancing backward as if they are repelled from where they stand, there is a pile of gold dust that fills the room. Gold springs up from the surface of the golden mountain on the floor and scatters down along the surface. It is an indescribable amount of gold, as if this mountain is an accumulative amount of gold from all over the empire. The savvy pharmacologist snaps to her senses, and involuntarily thrusts her hands into the pile of gold dust to check the texture.
“Just now, did you see that?“
Falma snaps his finger when he sees their expressions of disbelief in their eyes, the gold disappears without a trace.
“Wha … where the heck is gold just now … … !?“
Both the pharmacologist and Hugo are taken aback, but the pharmacologist then applauds Falma.
“Did you think it was real?“
Falma jokingly asks while glancing at Hugo’s reaction.
“Just now, what did you do !?“
“It’s a trick the mind. It’s a magic trick.“
Falma answers with a cool face.
“Magic? Is that so? No, this is wonderful. Please tell me how you did it.“
“This is great for entertainment. I heard that the alchemists are all paying a handful of money (for the entertainment), but Falma’s demonstration is different!“
“As long as you don’t reveal the hidden secrets of magic tricks, it will be entertaining.“
Falma refuses to reveal the hidden secrets as a plausible excuse. The mechanism in the creation of his gold is through [Substance Creation] and [Erase] it cleanly. He shows off true alchemy with no hidden tricks or gimmicks, and he calls it a magic trick, contrary to Hermès’s deceptions. This makes Hermès’s alchemy show worthless.
“It’s (Hermès’s demonstration of gold creation) not like Falma.“
The pharmacologist is delighted to see a good demonstration but contrary to Hugo’s expression that shows withdrawal and doesn’t display his laughter. He (Falma) doesn’t have time to prepare the hidden secrets, and no matter what existing tricks he’s (Hugo) able to use, the same demonstration is impossible. He knows it wasn’t a magic trick.
“If the person (referring to the masked alchemist) continues to scam, he’ll be exposed of all his tricks and he will be judged.“
Falma will tell everyone there (at the next show), and he alone will nail the real Hugo.
“Oh, that will be heartbreaking. Please beat him at his game.“
The pharmacologist admits that it will be an interesting event.
“It’s only a matter of time before bad things happen.“
Falma’s statement is a direct threat to Hugo. Hugo then spots Falma’s finger fitted with a familiar ring. (T/N: when Falma dressed as a girl at the rally and wore the same ring)
On his way back to the De Medicis family’s residence, Falma discovers he’s being followed, after leaving Hugo’s pharmacology room at the palace. Instead of returning home, he rides his horse to the wasteland on the outskirts of the Imperial City. When Falma turns around, he spots a masked man following closely on his horse. Falma already knows the masked man’s true identity.
“Why don’t you just remove your mask, your lordship. I already know who you are even when you’re hiding.“
In a hurry, Falma shouts out to the masked man.
“You are the alchemist Hermès. Why don’t you just stop your scamming?“
Hugo’s expression changes and his mouth let out an evil smile to Falma’s statement as if Falma has seen through everything.
“Good grief. If I don’t break your neck tonight … you won’t be alive to tell anyone.“
Hugo pulls out a golden staff with three crystal stones. Hugo’s skill as a divine art user is exemplary. In response to his actions, Falma also pulls out the Medicine God’s staff. In Falma’s hand, he holds a beautiful and transparent slender staff. Hugo spots the staff and pulls back. Falma always carries his Medicine God’s staff, but retains it in a scabbard and never pulls it out at the royal court.
“What, that staff is …! The Medicine God’s staff … Why is it here !? It’s a staff that humans can’t touch.“
“Oh, do you know about it?“
Falma twirls it around and shows it off. Hugo knows the Medicine God since the god is the guardian deity of the court pharmacologist, and probably because of that knowledge, he also knows of the Medicine God’s staff. If Falma displays the holy crest of the Medicine God on his arm, Hugo may scream and bow down, realizing what it means.
“I have something I like to know.“
Falma takes in a breath.
“The souls of the dead are contained in the stones at the bottom of the lake, which is the same as the stone of this staff. When you discovered it, you allowed the monkey to hold the soul stone of the dead and created the merger, lied about it being the homunculus, and deceived many people. You also abused your abundant knowledge to scam against the alchemists among the commoners … … Am I wrong?“
There is no objection from Hugo. He lightly bites his lips, but he recognizes it’s the truth to some extent.
“Why did you do that? You lost one important subordinate because of your fraud.“
“Subordinate? That was just a living corpse. It was already dead, so it didn’t matter.“
Hugo points his staff at Falma.
(A living corpse? What does that mean?)
That female alchemist had a body temperature and was breathing. Her body was neither a corpse nor an evil spirit. Falma wonders about the meaning of Hugo’s statement.
“Nobility sublimation plan, do you understand what the collective is … (?)“
Hugo retorts with a voice full of malice and grudge.
“Do you know what it is (?)! Falma ! And what of you (?) !!“
His eyes peel wide, and screams while frothing bubbles from his mouth. There is no former shadow of the court pharmacologist who was a gentle and elegant gentleman. There is only a pitiful and ugly man who is obsessed with hatred and insanity.
(I completely misunderstood this person.)
Falma floats gently into the air with his Medicine God’s staff in his hand. At the same time, the staff releases about half of its divine power that is normally suppressed. A pool of the staff’s divine power instantly gets generated in the open area, forming a vortex of divinity. The thunder roars, the storm rages, and the atmosphere trembles.
“Water spear …“
In this instance, Hugo knows the differences between them, turns into a state of panic, tries to release his divine art, but is crushed by Falma’s divine power before he can even collect his own divine power into his staff to activate it. Hugo is a water-base divine art user, and by using the same type of technique, Falma’s power overtakes him. Falma intentionally swings the Medicine God’s staff with large movements. When he twirls his staff, the pillars of ice quickly tower towards the sky, as if they are grabbing Hugo while being right next to him. However, the ice pillars did not touch Hugo. Hugo’s staff shatters by Falma’s indirectly divine power’s pressure that impacts upon it.
“What’s wrong? Can’t you cast?“
Falma looks down at Hugo from above and calls out to Hugo, who collapses onto his knees while his body is rattling in fear. Hugo realizes that Falma is the one that shouldn’t be touched. In his panicked state, Hugo pulls out a revolver-type pistol that isn’t widely available in the empire, and fires multiple bullets at Falma.
(Is it a state-of-the-art pistol? Can’t be overwhelmed by the great aristocrats)
The trajectory of the bullets appears very slow to Falma’s vision. Falma’s nerve conduction velocity is accelerating at a high speed.
(Did he receive it?)
Aristocrats fight with a staff. There are swords and guns, but they never use them, even if they are dying. Falma asked Ellen about it, but Hugo is not part of that group.
“I did it …!“
The shooting is so accurate that Hugo shouts involuntarily. He suspects that the three shots have hit Falma’s chest, but only a hole is made in his clothes, and the (one?) bullet that pierced Falma’s body is intact. Falma receives all the bullets towards his body without any guards or (casted) magic. Falma recognizes the things that collide with speed and mass can be avoided by using semi-materialisation. He understands the characteristics of his body (with the use of the Medicine God’s divine power).
“You are … … What are you ?! Mon-monster … ?!“
The bullet hits Falma. Although he is hit, he doesn’t fall. The bullet doesn’t even make him twitch. Hugo collects himself and able to speak a non-abusive sentence with his quivering lips.
“So, what are you?“
Even Falma doesn’t know what he is.
“Let’s go.“
When Falma lightly flicks his fingertips, a thick layer of ice covers Hugo’s lower body, the soil freezes him in place to the point of unable to move. Falma floats down and slowly approaches Hugo, as Hugo struggles and screams, so Falma twirls his Medicine God’s staff in his other hand then swiftly swing it at Hugo to cause him to become agitated in fear. Hugo senses that he will be stabbed … he guards himself by stiffening his body up and closes his eyes as the staff reaches half way. However, there is no death blow, but the Medicinal God’s staff pierces Hugo’s skull.
“Decline of the Divine Spring.“
Falma’s voice echoes in Hugo’s brain, with a sensation as if his head has been stirred by the staff, follows by a clicking sound that signifies something in Hugo’s body has been closed up. The divine vein can be closed without chanting, but Falma dares to pronounce the chanting phrase to engrave it (the everlasting emotional scar) into his ears so that he can recall what has been done. Falma whispers to him.
“I’ve closed your divine vein. You will compensate the victims from your fraudulent act, and if you scam others again, you don’t have to worry about your crime nor your divine vein ever again. Otherwise, you are now ruined.“
After hearing that, Hugo’s lower half body is unfrozen.
“Hi … i“
Hugo is completely overpowered by the words that contain absolute intimidation and coercion, especially coming from the mouth that doesn’t belong to a child. Falma leaves him in the wilderness, and rides his horse back to the mansion. In the end, Hugo is completely unharmed, but he suffers a serious mental trauma.
Thereafter, the alchemist study session is never held in the Imperial City again, and the alchemist named Hermès disappears into the darkness. Hugo, who was struck by Falma, devastates his fortune in compensating the alchemists. Given the financial strength of the dignified family, the money which was collected from the alchemists is not a great sum. The alchemists are very pleased to receive the golden nugget from an unknown sender.
As he promised, Falma is thinking about reopening Hugo’s divine vein, but not right away, while Hugo reports to the Empress that he is declining his position as the court pharmacist, returns the badge, and flees from the palace. Hugo continues to flee from Falma and vow that they never to meet again. According to the courtiers, when Falma’s name was mentioned in the royal court, he would scream and run away. Among the courtiers, his lordship was supposedly gone mad because of his jealousy of Falma. By that time (after Hugo’s disappearance), Pierre’s burns have healed and he reopens his business energetically.
“I’ve finally recovered …“
Falma regrets that he threatened Hugo a little too much. If Hugo’s divine vein remains closed, he will be in trouble because he will not be able to use divine art immediately after he returns to his territory; he will lose his upper aristocrat’s status, and he will not be able to recover even as a commoner’s pharmacologist in his current mental state. This is what Farma believes.
“I’m sure I’ve pulled out my fangs too excessively and regretted my action, so I need to visit him to open his divine vein again.“
Falma is worried about Hugo’s true intention, since Hugo did not reveal the truth to him. Therefore, Falma decided to visit Hugo’s territory as a consolation.
When Falma realizes the horrifying facts about the sacred treasure, he departs from Salomon and tries to enter Hugo’s pharmacology waiting room at the palace to confirm the truth, while a pharmacologist and a courtier who know nothing just converse about the reputed alchemist in the imperial capital as they’re becoming excited. Falma can hear them from inside the room.
(Oh, the discussion comes out at the perfect timing.)
It appears that Falma doesn’t have to cut them off from the topic.
“… That’s why, the demonstration for alchemy was successful.“
“The other day, a demonstration was held somewhere in the Imperial City, and it seems that it was a great success. But it was difficult to request afterward, such as the showing of the homunculus again.“
The rumors of the alchemist Hermès have finally begun spread in the royal court.
“Just one time, I wan’t to go see it.“
“It appears that only an alchemist or their disciple can enter the venue. The aristocratic alchemists are paying in advance, however it wasn’t so when it comes to alchemists among the commoners, so there must be based on some kind of connection …“
Hermès is successful by shutting out all well-educated aristocratic alchemists from the venue, perhaps for fear of exposing his fraud.
(If that’s so, then Pierre was able to get in because he was a commoner alchemist.)
“Everyone, good day to you.“
Falma enters the pharmacology waiting room in the midst of their conversation with a grinning face, so the two face him.
“Oh, Falma. Hello. You’re here on your day off.“
“I have a bit of work to take care of. I’ll leave once I’m done.“
Falma makes up a good excuse. Then, just as if it’s the right timing, one of the first-class pharmacologists speaks to Falma and Hugo.
“Thank you for all your hard work. So, do the Count and Falma know the story about the alchemist?“
Hugo has just completed the examination on the courtier, records the medical entry while preparing to head home, and suddenly becomes surprised.
“Ah, well, I’ve heard a little about it, but I couldn’t see the divine art, and I’m not interested in scams.“
Falma denies Hermès’s alchemy so that he cannot be suspected for being involved (recently).
“Peh so it’s just a scam, and just a fantasy. Does Falma think that his alchemy is theoretically possible?“
A savvy pharmacologist asks Falma with more in-depth questions while is the focus of attention.
“Gold is an element, so it can’t be synthesized and be newly created. Unless you use some special magic, it’s definitely a scam.“
When Falma gives a brief explanation of the (scientific) essence, Hugo’s movement ceases. Hugo suspiciously stares at Falma.
“Did I wrongly insinuate something? Your lordship?“
Then, Falma returns his gaze.
“Er …“
It’s perhaps because Falma was dressed as a girl that night, Hugo didn’t seem to realize that Falma was attending that alchemy rally.
“If that’s so, the scammer needs to be found. The empire must track him down.“
Disappointed by the fraud, the savvy pharmacologist sighs and (suggests) the scamming alchemist must be disciplined quickly.
“I can’t afford that kind of money (to see the real demonstration).“
Falma jests as the pharmacologist and courtier are laughing.
“You just need to show me a bit of money, and you can see it.“
“Eh eh, is that true ?!“
The pharmacologist is delighted.
“Please keep your eyes closely on your money.“
Falma holds the money lightly with his right hand, closes his eyes and chants a spell-like incantation. When he believes he finishes with the certain chanting, he opens his eyes.
“Now it’s gone.“
After saying so, Falma confidently opens his hand. The pharmacologist laughs at Falma, who is good at copying Hermès, as if he is teasing Hermès. Hugo also sighs while believing Falma is able to perform the alchemy feat.
“And there’s nothing to it.“
“Wa wa, it was enough to fill a container (full of laughter). Falma comes to make fun of us.“
Falma laughs with them and then suddenly turns his fingers around.
“It’s right behind here.“
Gold powder flutters softly, as the gold enters the corner of their field of vision.
“Eh !?“
Glancing backward as if they are repelled from where they stand, there is a pile of gold dust that fills the room. Gold springs up from the surface of the golden mountain on the floor and scatters down along the surface. It is an indescribable amount of gold, as if this mountain is an accumulative amount of gold from all over the empire. The savvy pharmacologist snaps to her senses, and involuntarily thrusts her hands into the pile of gold dust to check the texture.
“Just now, did you see that?“
Falma snaps his finger when he sees their expressions of disbelief in their eyes, the gold disappears without a trace.
“Wha … where the heck is gold just now … … !?“
Both the pharmacologist and Hugo are taken aback, but the pharmacologist then applauds Falma.
“Did you think it was real?“
Falma jokingly asks while glancing at Hugo’s reaction.
“Just now, what did you do !?“
“It’s a trick the mind. It’s a magic trick.“
Falma answers with a cool face.
“Magic? Is that so? No, this is wonderful. Please tell me how you did it.“
“This is great for entertainment. I heard that the alchemists are all paying a handful of money (for the entertainment), but Falma’s demonstration is different!“
“As long as you don’t reveal the hidden secrets of magic tricks, it will be entertaining.“
Falma refuses to reveal the hidden secrets as a plausible excuse. The mechanism in the creation of his gold is through [Substance Creation] and [Erase] it cleanly. He shows off true alchemy with no hidden tricks or gimmicks, and he calls it a magic trick, contrary to Hermès’s deceptions. This makes Hermès’s alchemy show worthless.
“It’s (Hermès’s demonstration of gold creation) not like Falma.“
The pharmacologist is delighted to see a good demonstration but contrary to Hugo’s expression that shows withdrawal and doesn’t display his laughter. He (Falma) doesn’t have time to prepare the hidden secrets, and no matter what existing tricks he’s (Hugo) able to use, the same demonstration is impossible. He knows it wasn’t a magic trick.
“If the person (referring to the masked alchemist) continues to scam, he’ll be exposed of all his tricks and he will be judged.“
Falma will tell everyone there (at the next show), and he alone will nail the real Hugo.
“Oh, that will be heartbreaking. Please beat him at his game.“
The pharmacologist admits that it will be an interesting event.
“It’s only a matter of time before bad things happen.“
Falma’s statement is a direct threat to Hugo. Hugo then spots Falma’s finger fitted with a familiar ring. (T/N: when Falma dressed as a girl at the rally and wore the same ring)
On his way back to the De Medicis family’s residence, Falma discovers he’s being followed, after leaving Hugo’s pharmacology room at the palace. Instead of returning home, he rides his horse to the wasteland on the outskirts of the Imperial City. When Falma turns around, he spots a masked man following closely on his horse. Falma already knows the masked man’s true identity.
“Why don’t you just remove your mask, your lordship. I already know who you are even when you’re hiding.“
In a hurry, Falma shouts out to the masked man.
“You are the alchemist Hermès. Why don’t you just stop your scamming?“
Hugo’s expression changes and his mouth let out an evil smile to Falma’s statement as if Falma has seen through everything.
“Good grief. If I don’t break your neck tonight … you won’t be alive to tell anyone.“
Hugo pulls out a golden staff with three crystal stones. Hugo’s skill as a divine art user is exemplary. In response to his actions, Falma also pulls out the Medicine God’s staff. In Falma’s hand, he holds a beautiful and transparent slender staff. Hugo spots the staff and pulls back. Falma always carries his Medicine God’s staff, but retains it in a scabbard and never pulls it out at the royal court.
“What, that staff is …! The Medicine God’s staff … Why is it here !? It’s a staff that humans can’t touch.“
“Oh, do you know about it?“
Falma twirls it around and shows it off. Hugo knows the Medicine God since the god is the guardian deity of the court pharmacologist, and probably because of that knowledge, he also knows of the Medicine God’s staff. If Falma displays the holy crest of the Medicine God on his arm, Hugo may scream and bow down, realizing what it means.
“I have something I like to know.“
Falma takes in a breath.
“The souls of the dead are contained in the stones at the bottom of the lake, which is the same as the stone of this staff. When you discovered it, you allowed the monkey to hold the soul stone of the dead and created the merger, lied about it being the homunculus, and deceived many people. You also abused your abundant knowledge to scam against the alchemists among the commoners … … Am I wrong?“
There is no objection from Hugo. He lightly bites his lips, but he recognizes it’s the truth to some extent.
“Why did you do that? You lost one important subordinate because of your fraud.“
“Subordinate? That was just a living corpse. It was already dead, so it didn’t matter.“
Hugo points his staff at Falma.
(A living corpse? What does that mean?)
That female alchemist had a body temperature and was breathing. Her body was neither a corpse nor an evil spirit. Falma wonders about the meaning of Hugo’s statement.
“Nobility sublimation plan, do you understand what the collective is … (?)“
Hugo retorts with a voice full of malice and grudge.
“Do you know what it is (?)! Falma ! And what of you (?) !!“
His eyes peel wide, and screams while frothing bubbles from his mouth. There is no former shadow of the court pharmacologist who was a gentle and elegant gentleman. There is only a pitiful and ugly man who is obsessed with hatred and insanity.
(I completely misunderstood this person.)
Falma floats gently into the air with his Medicine God’s staff in his hand. At the same time, the staff releases about half of its divine power that is normally suppressed. A pool of the staff’s divine power instantly gets generated in the open area, forming a vortex of divinity. The thunder roars, the storm rages, and the atmosphere trembles.
“Water spear …“
In this instance, Hugo knows the differences between them, turns into a state of panic, tries to release his divine art, but is crushed by Falma’s divine power before he can even collect his own divine power into his staff to activate it. Hugo is a water-base divine art user, and by using the same type of technique, Falma’s power overtakes him. Falma intentionally swings the Medicine God’s staff with large movements. When he twirls his staff, the pillars of ice quickly tower towards the sky, as if they are grabbing Hugo while being right next to him. However, the ice pillars did not touch Hugo. Hugo’s staff shatters by Falma’s indirectly divine power’s pressure that impacts upon it.
“What’s wrong? Can’t you cast?“
Falma looks down at Hugo from above and calls out to Hugo, who collapses onto his knees while his body is rattling in fear. Hugo realizes that Falma is the one that shouldn’t be touched. In his panicked state, Hugo pulls out a revolver-type pistol that isn’t widely available in the empire, and fires multiple bullets at Falma.
(Is it a state-of-the-art pistol? Can’t be overwhelmed by the great aristocrats)
The trajectory of the bullets appears very slow to Falma’s vision. Falma’s nerve conduction velocity is accelerating at a high speed.
(Did he receive it?)
Aristocrats fight with a staff. There are swords and guns, but they never use them, even if they are dying. Falma asked Ellen about it, but Hugo is not part of that group.
“I did it …!“
The shooting is so accurate that Hugo shouts involuntarily. He suspects that the three shots have hit Falma’s chest, but only a hole is made in his clothes, and the (one?) bullet that pierced Falma’s body is intact. Falma receives all the bullets towards his body without any guards or (casted) magic. Falma recognizes the things that collide with speed and mass can be avoided by using semi-materialisation. He understands the characteristics of his body (with the use of the Medicine God’s divine power).
“You are … … What are you ?! Mon-monster … ?!“
The bullet hits Falma. Although he is hit, he doesn’t fall. The bullet doesn’t even make him twitch. Hugo collects himself and able to speak a non-abusive sentence with his quivering lips.
“So, what are you?“
Even Falma doesn’t know what he is.
“Let’s go.“
When Falma lightly flicks his fingertips, a thick layer of ice covers Hugo’s lower body, the soil freezes him in place to the point of unable to move. Falma floats down and slowly approaches Hugo, as Hugo struggles and screams, so Falma twirls his Medicine God’s staff in his other hand then swiftly swing it at Hugo to cause him to become agitated in fear. Hugo senses that he will be stabbed … he guards himself by stiffening his body up and closes his eyes as the staff reaches half way. However, there is no death blow, but the Medicinal God’s staff pierces Hugo’s skull.
“Decline of the Divine Spring.“
Falma’s voice echoes in Hugo’s brain, with a sensation as if his head has been stirred by the staff, follows by a clicking sound that signifies something in Hugo’s body has been closed up. The divine vein can be closed without chanting, but Falma dares to pronounce the chanting phrase to engrave it (the everlasting emotional scar) into his ears so that he can recall what has been done. Falma whispers to him.
“I’ve closed your divine vein. You will compensate the victims from your fraudulent act, and if you scam others again, you don’t have to worry about your crime nor your divine vein ever again. Otherwise, you are now ruined.“
After hearing that, Hugo’s lower half body is unfrozen.
“Hi … i“
Hugo is completely overpowered by the words that contain absolute intimidation and coercion, especially coming from the mouth that doesn’t belong to a child. Falma leaves him in the wilderness, and rides his horse back to the mansion. In the end, Hugo is completely unharmed, but he suffers a serious mental trauma.
Thereafter, the alchemist study session is never held in the Imperial City again, and the alchemist named Hermès disappears into the darkness. Hugo, who was struck by Falma, devastates his fortune in compensating the alchemists. Given the financial strength of the dignified family, the money which was collected from the alchemists is not a great sum. The alchemists are very pleased to receive the golden nugget from an unknown sender.
As he promised, Falma is thinking about reopening Hugo’s divine vein, but not right away, while Hugo reports to the Empress that he is declining his position as the court pharmacist, returns the badge, and flees from the palace. Hugo continues to flee from Falma and vow that they never to meet again. According to the courtiers, when Falma’s name was mentioned in the royal court, he would scream and run away. Among the courtiers, his lordship was supposedly gone mad because of his jealousy of Falma. By that time (after Hugo’s disappearance), Pierre’s burns have healed and he reopens his business energetically.
“I’ve finally recovered …“
Falma regrets that he threatened Hugo a little too much. If Hugo’s divine vein remains closed, he will be in trouble because he will not be able to use divine art immediately after he returns to his territory; he will lose his upper aristocrat’s status, and he will not be able to recover even as a commoner’s pharmacologist in his current mental state. This is what Farma believes.
“I’m sure I’ve pulled out my fangs too excessively and regretted my action, so I need to visit him to open his divine vein again.“
Falma is worried about Hugo’s true intention, since Hugo did not reveal the truth to him. Therefore, Falma decided to visit Hugo’s territory as a consolation.
