Last Gun Alchemist

The two Guards of Ash standing outside the hall pushed the heavy doors open for them.

The moment the doors moved; the polished metal hinges released a low sound that echoed through the entrance.

Ezra and Vera stepped forward side by side.

The awkward atmosphere that had followed them through the hallway still lingered faintly around them.

Even the two guards who had escorted them here could feel it.

Neither of them understood what had happened between the two young nobles.

Yet somehow, they felt as though they had just witnessed a conversation that ordinary people weren’t meant to understand.

As the doors fully opened...

A round of applause erupted throughout the entire Council Hall.

The sound rolled across the massive chamber like waves crashing against a shoreline.

Ezra lifted his eyes.

The familiar sight of the Council Hall entered his vision.

The circular arrangement of polished brown wooden seats spread outward from the center stage where he and Vera now stood.

It felt almost like standing in the center of an arena.

Rows upon rows of nobles surrounded them.

Highline Nobles.

Lowline Nobles.

Family retainers.

Craftsmen.

Gun Alchemists.

Researchers.

All seated around the presentation stage.

The higher-ranking figures of the Family occupied the elevated seating areas above everyone else.

The Mainline Nobles sat together.

The Elders remained in their traditional Council positions.

The wives and children of the Duke sat in a separate section slightly away from the Council seats.

Although their area was still positioned high above the others, it carried a more private atmosphere.

At the very center...

Valentine Ashenlocke sat amongst the Elders.

His expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever.

As though nothing in the world could truly surprise him.

For today’s presentation, many important figures had gathered.

Top-ranked Gun Alchemists.

Renowned Craftsmen, Craft-Based Alchemist and Weapon Researchers of the family.

Even retired veterans who had contributed greatly to the Family’s firearm development.

Everyone had come for the same reason.

Curiosity.

Ever since Vera boldly announced that she and Ezra had developed a firearm innovation capable of changing the current state of Gun Alchemy, anticipation had continued growing inside the Family.

Many wanted to see whether her words were real.

Others wanted to expose flaws in their claims.

Some simply wanted entertainment.

Of course...

Not everyone could attend.

Figures such as Bianca, Astraea, and Val were absent from today’s gathering.

Yet despite their absence, the hall remained packed.

Even most of the rankers of the trial of steel were present, except Felix, Gareth and Page.

Every seat was occupied.

The host who had spent the earlier portion of the event introducing the purpose of today’s gathering stepped forward.

A smile rested on his face.

"Let me hand the main event over to its stars."

He extended his arm toward the two standing in the center.

The applause gradually calmed.

The crowd’s attention completely settled on Ezra and Vera.

The two exchanged a brief glance.

Then Ezra stepped forward first.

"Good morning to the Duke of this great Family, the Elders, members of the High Board, and all members of the Ashenlocke Family."

He bowed politely.

His voice remained calm and flat.

Yet, there was a subtle confidence in the way he carried himself.

The result of countless presentations, practices, and countless corrections from Lara.

"Today, we are only focused on one thing and one thing alone."

Vera raised a single finger.

The simple gesture immediately drew everyone’s attention more to the center stage.

At the same time, Ezra took out Vera’s tablet version of the Zphone from his space bag and calmly activated the prepared presentation.

A faint blue light spread across the stage.

Then...

A large holographic screen materialized above them.

The projection floated steadily in the air, high enough for every member of the Council Hall to see without obstruction.

Whether seated on the lower levels or among the elevated seats reserved for the Family’s most important figures, everyone had a perfect view of the presentation.

The screen automatically adjusted its angle and brightness depending on the viewer’s position.

The first slide appeared.

Large bold words dominated the holographic display.

Breaking the Old Gun Tradition.

The moment those words appeared...

Whispers immediately spread throughout the hall.

Many Gun Alchemists exchanged glances.

Several craftsmen frowned.

Even some Elders narrowed their eyes thoughtfully.

The title alone was enough to capture everyone’s curiosity.

Breaking tradition?

Within the Ashenlocke Family?

Such words were not spoken lightly.

"Our Ashenlocke Family has stood as one of the founding fathers of firearms within Britannia."

Ezra began speaking again.

His voice remained calm and flat as usual.

However, after his experience at the Auction Event, there was now a smooth rhythm to the way he presented his words.

"We developed the revolver."

A holographic image appeared beside him.

A polished revolver slowly rotated for everyone to see.

"We expanded into shotguns."

The image shifted.

A shotgun appeared.

"Rifles."

Another firearm materialized.

"And assault rifles."

More images followed.

The weapons floated beside one another, creating a visual timeline of Ashenlocke firearm development.

Vera stood beside him.

With a simple swipe of her hand, the presentation continued moving forward.

Various firearm models appeared one after another.

Some had been developed entirely by the Family.

Others were weapons whose production rights had been purchased from inventors and industries in foreign nations.

Every major contribution connected to the Ashenlocke Family was displayed proudly before the audience.

"And then we integrated firearms into Alchemy."

Ezra continued.

The next slide appeared.

Images of Gun Alchemists materialized.

"Creating our own unique Path."

The holographic images shifted again.

Scenes of Gun Alchemists fighting appeared.

"We stood ahead of many other Alchemy Paths and established ourselves as one of the strongest Alchemist Duke Families in the Kingdom."

Many members of the audience nodded.

Several Highline Nobles showed expressions of satisfaction.

Even some Elders looked pleased.

After all...

Everything Ezra had just said was true.

The Ashenlocke Family had earned their reputation through centuries of innovation and military strength.

The atmosphere in the hall became noticeably warmer.

Many listeners found themselves enjoying the introduction.

Then...

Vera stepped forward.

Without any signal between them, the transition happened naturally.

She took over the presentation.

"But after all these years..."

Her voice remained calm.

Yet somehow it felt heavier than before.

"We have entered a crisis."

The warmth in the hall immediately cooled.

Many people straightened in their seats.

Several Gun Alchemists frowned.

A crisis?

"A wall."

Vera’s blank black eyes swept across the audience.

"A wall that is preventing us from solving the problems hidden within our Alchemy Path."

Silence spread throughout the hall.

The confidence and pride from earlier slowly faded.

Replacing it was curiosity.

And concern.

Vera didn’t raise her voice.

She didn’t try to sound dramatic.

Yet because of that, her words felt even heavier.

Many people could feel the pressure she was deliberately creating.

She swiped her hand.

The next slide appeared.

"To properly show everyone what I mean..."

She paused briefly.

"We had to investigate the root cause behind this gradual decline."

The words immediately attracted the attention of many senior Gun Alchemists.

Some of them had already begun suspecting what the presentation was leading toward.

Small conversations began again amongst the crowd.

Vera turned her head slightly.

Her gaze shifted toward Ezra.

The transition happened once again.

Ezra stepped forward.

"We conducted research."

Numerous data filled the screen.

"On the combat effectiveness and accuracy of average Novice Gun Alchemists when fighting opponents from different Alchemy Paths."

Several Gun Alchemists immediately became interested.

Some even leaned forward slightly.

This was a topic directly connected to their daily combat performance.

"We also created a statistical comparison involving ordinary non-Alchemist soldiers using Novice-Rank firearms."

Ezra pointed toward the holographic screen.

The slide displayed the performance ratings that Vera and Ezra had compiled for Novice Gun Alchemists using Novice-Rank firearms.

The analysis considered every major factor.

The Cognis required to create the weapon.

The time needed to complete the Alchemical creation process.

The Cognis cost of producing ammunition.

The time required to create bullets.

The efficiency of ammunition creation.

And perhaps most importantly...

The time lost during reloads.

Every category had been carefully calculated and organized.

***

Novice Gun Alchemist Performance Statistics

Classification: Novice Alchemist

Cognis Capacity: 26%–30%

Cognis Star Pool: 260 - 300

Basic Revolver

A standard six-shot revolver and the most common firearm among novice Gun Alchemists.

Gun Creation Cost: 24 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 4 seconds

Bullet Cost: 1.5 Cognis per bullet

Full Cylinder Cost: 9 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.25 seconds per bullet

Full Cylinder Creation Time: 1.5 seconds

Reload Time: 3.2 seconds

The Basic Revolver is valued for its balance between Cognis consumption and combat effectiveness. Most novice Gun Alchemists can comfortably sustain repeated usage without severely straining their reserves.

Short Revolver

A compact revolver designed for close-range engagements and rapid deployment.

Gun Creation Cost: 20 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 3 seconds

Bullet Cost: 1.3 Cognis per bullet

Full Cylinder Cost: 7.8 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.2 seconds per bullet

Full Cylinder Creation Time: 1.2 seconds

Reload Time: 2.5 seconds

The Short Revolver boasts the lowest Cognis consumption among all novice firearms, making it highly favored by beginners who lack large Cognis reserves.

Long Revolver

A precision-focused revolver with an extended barrel for improved accuracy.

Gun Creation Cost: 28 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 4.8 seconds

Bullet Cost: 1.8 Cognis per bullet

Full Cylinder Cost: 10.8 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.3 seconds per bullet

Full Cylinder Creation Time: 1.8 seconds

Reload Time: 3.5 seconds

Although more demanding on Cognis, the Long Revolver offers superior stability and accuracy, making it a preferred weapon for talented novice gun alchemists and not for the average alchemists.

Big-4Barrel Revolver

A heavy revolver equipped with four oversized chambers capable of firing high-impact rounds.

Gun Creation Cost: 38 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 6 seconds

Bullet Cost: 3.2 Cognis per bullet

Full Cylinder Cost: 12.8 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.4 seconds per bullet

Full Cylinder Creation Time: 1.6 seconds

Reload Time: 4.5 seconds

The Big-4Barrel Revolver delivers tremendous stopping power at the expense of increased Cognis consumption. Its use is generally limited to elite novice practitioners.

Horned Pistol

A specialized firearm designed to maximize penetration and armor-breaking capabilities.

Gun Creation Cost: 30 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 5 seconds

Bullet Cost: 2.2 Cognis per bullet

Full Ammunition Cost: 11 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.35 seconds per bullet

Full Ammunition Creation Time: 1.75 seconds

Reload Time: 3 seconds

The Horned Pistol is particularly effective against heavily protected targets, though maintaining a steady supply of ammunition places considerable strain on novice Cognis reserves.

Acu-Vector Mk.I.

The pinnacle of novice firearm craftsmanship and the most advanced weapon available within the Novice Rank.

Gun Creation Cost: 45 Cognis

Gun Creation Time: 8 seconds

Bullet Cost: 1.8 Cognis per bullet

Magazine Capacity: 12 Rounds

Full Magazine Cost: 21.6 Cognis

Bullet Creation Time: 0.2 seconds per bullet

Full Magazine Creation Time: 2.4 seconds

Reload Time: 2.2 seconds

The Acu-Vector Mk.I. demands exceptional Cognis control and efficiency. Despite its high creation cost, its accuracy, firing stability, and rapid reload speed due to its one round reloading makes it the most used firearm among gifted novice Gun Alchemists, leaving out the averages.

***

Many of the craftsmen, Craft-Based Alchemists, researchers, and Gun Alchemists throughout the Council Hall immediately paid closer attention to the information displayed on the holographic screen.

The earlier whispers gradually died down.

More and more eyes focused on the statistics.

Several people who had originally come expecting a simple firearm presentation found themselves unconsciously leaning forward in their seats.

Especially the Gun Alchemists.

Among them, the Novice-ranked Gun Alchemists reacted the most.

Many nodded instinctively as they read through the displayed data.

Because they understood.

They understood these numbers better than anyone else.

The Cognis consumption.

The creation speed.

The reload times.

The ammunition costs.

These weren’t just statistics on a screen.

They were problems they dealt with every single day.

A few even exchanged surprised glances.

Not because the information was wrong.

But because it was accurate.

Remarkably accurate.

Of course, everyone present also understood that these figures represented the average performance of ordinary Novice Gun Alchemists.

They didn’t account for exceptional talents.

Nor did they account for rare geniuses capable of achieving results beyond the standard limitations of the rank.

Even so...

The statistics still represented the majority.

And that was exactly what made them important.

"As you can see."

Ezra continued speaking.

His voice remained calm.

Neither fast nor slow.

Just enough to ensure every word settled into the minds of the audience.

"There isn’t much of a negative showcase visible within these statistics."

His black eyes swept across the crowd.

Many nodded.

At first glance, the numbers appeared perfectly normal.

Nothing seemed particularly alarming.

Nothing immediately suggested a major weakness.

Then Ezra continued.

"But that is exactly where the real problem begins."

The hall gradually became quieter.

Many craftsmen frowned.

Several Elders narrowed their eyes, because they knew the important part was coming.

"There is a consistent increase in both Cognis consumption and the time required for firearm creation and reloading."

Ezra pointed toward several sections of the displayed statistics.

The highlighted values immediately glowed brighter.

The audience followed his gesture.

He allowed a brief silence to settle.

Not for dramatic effect.

But to ensure everyone had enough time to properly examine the information.

Then he continued.

"And the problem becomes even more apparent when we examine the Novice-Rank firearms that are most effective against specific Alchemy Paths during combat."

The moment those words left his mouth...

Many experienced Gun Alchemists immediately understood where he was going.

Several craftsmen also began connecting the dots.

A few people exchanged thoughtful looks.

Then...

Vera moved.

With a simple swipe of her hand, another holographic screen materialized beside the first one.

The transition was smooth.

A new slide appeared before the audience.

This time...

It wasn’t a table of statistics.

It was a ranking.

A ranking specifically comparing the most effective Novice-Rank firearms based on overall combat performance and efficiency.

***

Novice Firearm Efficiency Ranking

Cognis Efficiency

Short Revolver.

Basic Revolver.

Long Revolver

Horned Pistol.

Big-4Barrel Revolver.

Acu-Vector Mk.I.

Combat Performance

Acu-Vector Mk.I.

Long Revolver.

Big-4Barrel Revolver.

Horned Pistol.

Basic Revolver.

Short Revolver.

***

Elder Portia leaned slightly forward in her seat.

Her arms folded beneath her chest as her eyes remained fixed on the holographic screens floating above the stage.

The interest on her face was no longer hidden.

She already had her expectations for the presentation, especially when it was led by Vera and the creator of the biggest/newest Invention that opened the Steam carriage companies into a new ideology of exteriors.

But...

The further the presentation progressed, the more she realized that Ezra and Vera were not just presenting a firearm.

They were also presenting a problem.

A problem that had existed within the Ashenlocke Family for years.

A problem that many people had become so accustomed to seeing that they no longer questioned it.

The amount of detail placed into the presentation was astonishing.

Every statistic.

Every comparison.

Every explanation.

None of it felt rushed.

Nor did it feel like information gathered over a few weeks.

It felt as though the two had carefully dissected the entire Novice Gun Alchemist system and laid every hidden flaw on the table for everyone to examine.

Slowly and methodically.

One piece at a time.

Portia’s fingers lightly tapped against her arm.

Her gaze sharpened.

Because the deeper she looked, the more she could see the hidden chains that had quietly wrapped themselves around the Family’s traditions.

Chains nobody had noticed.

Or perhaps...

Chains that everyone had simply accepted as normal.

Traditions that once pushed the Family forward had gradually become limitations.

And now those limitations were finally being exposed beneath the light.

Below her, many of the higher-ranked Gun Alchemists had also fallen silent.

The casual expressions they initially wore were gone.

Some had narrowed eyes.

Some were frowning.

Others stared at the rankings and statistics with thoughtful looks.

The experienced ones especially had already begun seeing what Ezra and Vera were trying to reveal.

The issue wasn’t simply the firearms.

It wasn’t simply Cognis consumption.

Nor was it merely creation speed.

It was something deeper.

A flaw rooted in the very development path of Novice firearms themselves.

A flaw that had continued growing with each new generation of Gun Alchemists.

And as that realization slowly spread through the crowd, more and more people began focusing on the stage with complete attention.

The presentation had reached the point where nobody wanted to miss a single word.

Because everyone could feel it.

Ezra and Vera were leading them toward an answer.

And that answer was likely going to challenge years of accepted beliefs within the Ashenlocke Family.