Chapter 12: King of Alchemy
After Morgan and Merlin stopped causing trouble, you often had Artoria mediate to stabilize their relationship.
You began delving into alchemy and soon developed alchemical tools capable of detecting curses, as well as alchemical potions to dispel them.
You discovered the curse upon you had existed since long ago—not one placed after you became king, but rather something seemingly inherent from birth. Though curious, your investigations yielded no answers.
Using alchemical potions, you lifted the curse.
With the curse removed, to further ease tensions between Merlin and Morgan, you dispatched Merlin to the Southern Six Territories.
Upon receiving the news, the Southern Six Territories immediately sent envoys to jointly discuss cooperation with you.
At the negotiation table, their opening statement was: "So long as you pledge not to deploy Merlin first, any terms can be discussed."
Deeply impressed by Merlin's diplomatic prowess, you revised his assignment. Under Merlin's resigned expression, you sent him to the Northern Six Territories, urging him to redouble his efforts.
The Southern Six Territories quickly stabilized. During Merlin's absence in the north, you devoted yourself to alchemy.
[Genius of Alchemy, activated.]
Your alchemical skills soon surpassed Morgan's, mastering even the knowledge from the books she had given you. Noticing this, Morgan departed for a few days and returned with more alchemical texts—those of the Lady of the Lake.
[Genius of Alchemy, activated.]
You rapidly mastered the Lady of the Lake's alchemy, which is notoriously difficult for humans.
Integrating this with your extensive alchemical knowledge, you soon developed a unique system of alchemy. Your creations began appearing across Britain: automated alchemical waterwheels, harmonizing alchemical dams, alchemical airships, alchemical communicators, full-body alchemical armor, alchemical weaponry... Your alchemy profoundly transformed British life.
While advancing alchemy, you never neglected the salt refinement project. Leveraging alchemy, you swiftly improved British crops and prepared for potential future disasters, pests, and diseases.
All of Britain—even the Picts—came to recognize King Arthur as the greatest and wisest ruler.
The Picts, originally driven south by the decline of the Age of Gods for survival, proactively sent envoys to seek peace upon learning of your achievements.
Seizing the opportunity to test your preparations for the post-Age of Gods era, you accepted their peace offer and used alchemy to resolve their survival challenges.
Freed from existential worries, the Picts swore fealty to you.
Henceforth, you became the sovereign of both Britain and Pictavia (also known as Caledonia, modern-day Scotland).
Vortigern had been closely monitoring your endeavors all along.
[At first, he didn't pay much attention when you revealed alchemy. Though surprised when you broke the curse, he still didn't intervene. Your decision not to expel Merlin discomforted him, yet he refrained from action. But once you became the ruler of both Britain and Pictavia, he could no longer remain idle and began to move against you.]
[The Saxon territories bordered the Southern Six Territories, so he launched a direct assault on them.]
[You immediately led reinforcements. With your alchemical equipment, the Saxons were no match for your forces.]
[Vortigern, transformed into a colossal White Dragon, commenced his attack on your army.]
[Morgan harnessed the power of the island to confront Vortigern, Merlin returned to lend his aid, and you, alongside Artoria and the Knights of the Round Table you had assembled, engaged in battle against Vortigern.]
[You were defeated.]
[In your final moments, you heard Vortigern's voice.]
["What a failed plan. It seems I was still influenced by that fool Uther. Now it's clear that I was right all along, not him or Merlin."]
[You have died.]
...
After the fourth simulation concluded, Noah's brow furrowed deeply.
He wasn't troubled over which reward to choose, but rather frowned at the outcome itself.
In this simulation, he had developed alchemical technology for so long, with Morgan present, Merlin assisting, the knightly order fully established, and even the Picts surrendering. The British forces overwhelmingly outmatched the Saxon barbarians, yet... they were still completely annihilated by Vortigern!?
Moreover, from the description, it seemed Vortigern single-handedly wiped them out!
Noah first frowned at this, but quickly composed himself.
He now wanted to understand exactly how they had lost.
Thus, for this reward, he directly chose to inherit memories and experience.
There was no hesitation—this was precisely what he intended to select this time.
Improving attributes would have been meaningless in this simulation, and as for the "Genius of Alchemy" trait... hadn't he already fully utilized that talent in this simulation?
He had mastered human alchemy, the Lady of the Lake's alchemy, developed his own system, and advanced alchemy to a highly mature stage.
Under such circumstances, if he selected "Genius of Alchemy," he would still need over a decade to retrace this path. Why not simply acquire the results directly?
As for the argument that choosing the talent offered more future potential... that was merely a possibility.
If he had to account for such possibilities, then obtaining the results now and selecting the trait in a future simulation to develop further for another decade or so was equally plausible—that would be an even more distant future.
Thus, without further deliberation, Noah made his choice.
Instantly, a flood of memories and experiences merged with him.
The vast knowledge of alchemy took him considerable time to digest.
This included comprehension of alchemical principles, hands-on experimentation, experience in developing tools, and even blueprints for alchemical devices—saving him the effort of reinvention.
Moreover, with this understanding and experience, he now directly became a master alchemist. Even without the "Genius of Alchemy" trait, he could continue to advance alchemy in the future, albeit without the same rapid pace and abundant inspiration.
But that was inconsequential.
In his memories, ever since his Alchemy had developed its own unique school, his research progress in Alchemy had always been somewhat stagnant, so the impact was minimal.
Moreover, possessing this knowledge was extremely important for the present.
Then there were other detailed memories.
Such as the events that had occurred over these years.
And the two most crucial matters—how exactly he had managed to stabilize the relationship between Morgan and Merlin, and why Vortigern had been able to completely annihilate them despite their capabilities!
Noah first recalled the former.
Because the answer was far simpler than he had imagined.
The process was not complicated at all.
The method to prevent Morgan and Merlin from continuing to quarrel was... to keep them from meeting!
From their first argument until the final battle against Vortigern, they had met fewer than five times.
And in Vortigern's presence, they naturally refrained from internal conflict.
This...
Noah was astonished by the sheer simplicity and bluntness of this approach, but after recalling the details involved, he temporarily decided to keep this solution in mind.
Then came the other issue.
How exactly had Vortigern managed to annihilate them all!