The Frontier Alchemist ~ I Can't Go Back to That Job After You Made My Budget Zero

"Can you tell me more about it as we move?"

I straddle Hippopo and reach for Ary. He looks hesitant for a moment, but then he grabs my hand immediately. I pull Ahri up to Hippopo and make him sit back down.

I tap Hippopo lightly on the shoulder three times.

Hippopo starts running toward the camp. The speed is a little more than full speed. His eight legs slide smoothly, and he rides quietly, oblivious to the rough terrain and the speed at which he is moving.

"Rehalzam was a colleague of mine at the Alchemy Society. He didn't like me, he used to get into trouble with me. So I think he wanted to talk to me about something related to magic stones ......", he turns around and talks to Ary.

However, Ary's uneasy expression did not clear up.

"What is it that's bothering you?" I ask Ary.

"I don't know, I can't see the future. But I can clearly feel the signs of battle. It's not just a battle. There is a hint of a great battle, a war," he says, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"How are those one-glasses? I'm about to say.

"The magic tool you gave me is perfect. I think it's probably because of this that I can see the signs of battle that I can see now," answers Ary, anticipating my question.

A dry frontier wind blows between us on the hippopotamus.

"You mean you might get into a fight with Rehalzam?"

"It almost certainly will," said Ary.

"And that's not all."

"I don't know. I don't know. I've never done this before. I'm sorry," says Ary.

"Don't apologize. Thank you for telling me," I tell him.

Ary shakes his head and looks up. His eyes meet the evil eye that sees the future through a pair of glasses. Suddenly there is a glimmer of magical element in his eyes.

A turning point of destiny is coming. It is coming. Master Rust's choice..." He whispers quickly with his wide-open eyes. It seems that the magic eye of future vision is now being activated.

"The best choice. The worst choice. Are equally equivalent at the turning point of destiny. Ah, fate is running in fragments: ....... Wind blowing through the wilderness. Two men. The hand of the sorcerer.

The magic element in Ary's left eye blinks at high speed. The magic tool with one eye is charged with the light of the element in response to the activation of the magic eye.

A somewhat calm part of me as an alchemist carefully follows the behavior of the magical tool.

─ ─ Good, the processing speed is just at the limit, but the single spectacle is firmly corresponding to Ary's magical eye. But it's amazing. It's much faster than I thought it would be. How far ahead can Ary see?

Suddenly, the magic element in his magical eye fades away.

Suddenly, Ary's body tilts to the side.

Immediately, I twist my body to the limit and stretch out my arms. I support Ary's shoulders so that she does not fall off from Hippopo.

The hippopotamus slowly slows down.

"Ahri?　Ahri!" Call out when Hippopo stops completely.

"Master Lusto ....... Thank you. I'm okay now.

I look into Ary's face. Her expression, which had been blank a moment ago, has regained its strength. But her eyes are dark.

I gently remove my hand and turn to face forward, and speak to her without removing my hand.

"Don't worry. Whatever fate has in store for you, I will protect you all. We are family.

I said something I wouldn't normally say, and I was too embarrassed to look behind me. I cough lightly.

"Well, hold on, I'm in a hurry."

I lightly tap Hippopo on the shoulder. In response, Hippopo runs off to the encampment at full speed.