251: Solid resolve always gets through, right?

Pretty much a replay.

The reading of Ryuuko's diary continues.

And the entire final entry is spoken all at once.

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From the demon conversation, it's clear that a few demons survived. This basement could be found at any moment.

They know the number of people in the village. The demons won't give up until they've killed us all.

It's only a matter of time before the hidden research facility is discovered.

We all decided on our next move right here, together.

Everyone will act as bait. Just me escapes.

I wanted to protest. I didn't want to agree.

But there's no time left.

And most importantly, this is the only chance we have to correct the demons' mistake (...).

The mistake was the number of people living in the village. My dear Craft wasn’t counted.

If everyone dies, just one person—Craft—will survive.

Sure, I’m ready to fight like a madman. But realistically, winning this fight? Impossible.

Alchemists aren’t front-line fighters. With no one in front, we can’t win.

So the goal isn’t victory. It’s buying time for me and Craft to escape. More precisely, keeping Craft alive.

If I layer a defensive spell and an invisibility spell over Craft’s cradle, maybe I can drop him down the waterfall. After that, it’s all up to luck.

Here’s the plan.

Everyone except me charges out at once, throwing every spell and alchemical potion we’ve got at the demons and monsters, breaking through for a moment—then I grab Craft and slip away in the chaos.

All that’s left is to run all the way to the waterfall, no matter the cost, and drop the basket holding Craft into the falls.

After that… I’m taking my freedom. I’ll save my companions, rescue my husband, Butt, destroy the demons, and find Craft.

Absolutely.

……

A plan—such as it is—settles in.

I’ll say it again. I wanted to stop it. I wanted to halt it. I wanted to fight alongside them.

But.

When I saw everyone in the village smiling at me… I understood their resolve.

So I could only say “yes” to the plan.

That’s how it’s been since the demons attacked the village.

What happens after we carry out the plan? I don’t know.

If someone finds this diary, then that’s probably what happened.

In the time left before execution, I’ll write down our hypothesis—briefly.

There was only my diary left with blank pages, and if someone finds it, that’s probably what happened. I’ll jot down our hypothesis—briefly—before execution.

Anyway, I’m writing this down for posterity. The alchemists’ village has uncovered a theory. I want to preserve it.

I plan to hide this diary beneath the floor of the secret lab. I’ll make space for just one book’s worth—quietly, so it won’t make noise. I can’t save any other precious documents. That’s my regret.

As a marker, I’ll carve Craft’s name in small letters.

Though by the time you’re reading this, the diary’s already been found.

◆

Long ago, the demon race ruled over humanity—cruelty without end.

But humanity broke the long reign of demons. The key? Secretly studying the innate magic the demons were born with, and manifesting it as a sigil.

Humans, having acquired the sigil, eventually crushed the demons after a long war, building a new era of great magic centered on sorcery. Yet even that great magic civilization came to an end. Most of humanity died out.

Still, a few stubborn humans survived. They slowly built the current human habitable zones over time.

The reason for the great magic civilization’s fall? The curse of the World Tree.

We thought the demons had been wiped out before the World Tree’s curse took hold. But it seems the demons may have survived after all.

The World Tree isn’t just one plant. It’s all plants across the world, linked through dragon veins.

You could say every plant in existence is the World Tree. But they aren’t physically connected, so the bond is weak.

And the research has concluded that there are probably three great trees at the core of this world. At first, only one of them must have been cursed.

Then, over a long span of time, the curse spread to the other two great trees. Because of that transmission, cursed plants began to sprout all across the world.

The three great trees now function as amplifiers for the curse.

Yeah, small curses are probably already spread nearly everywhere. That’s why monsters show such relentless hostility toward humans and half-breeds. Otherwise, magic civilization wouldn’t have collapsed. Though, that’s assuming politics weren’t already rotten.

Cleverly, the curse was designed not to affect humans or half-breeds—so they wouldn’t even notice it.

All three great trees… when the World Tree is fully cursed, they’ll act as boosters, accelerating the curse’s power until it’s complete—every living thing except humans wiped out. Monsters will go into a frenzy the moment they spot a human.

That’s it. Humans are done for. But right now, the World Tree isn’t fully cursed yet. We still have time. We have to stop the curse—no matter what.

The alchemist ancestor who realized the World Tree was cursed went searching for the great trees. Found them here.

At the base of the World Tree, there was a small spring. And inside it, a large creature still untouched by the curse.

The ancestor decided to settle here.

Since it’s on a mountain peak, there’s barely any good land around the World Tree. So the village was built higher up—on the ledge above the waterfall.

The ancestral records listed all sorts of reasons, but I reckon we picked this spot because of the naturally warm hot springs.

Anyway, the small spring at the base of the World Tree—where hot water gushes from the ground—was named "Fvælgermir’s Spring." And the giant creature that lived there before becoming a monster? We called it "Nidhöggr."

At first, Nidhöggr was gentle enough. But as the World Tree’s curse grew stronger, it slowly turned more violent. Watching it happen… it hurt. We needed to break the curse—for the world’s sake, and for Nidhöggr’s sake. But our alchemist sigil? It wouldn’t whisper the answer.

That’s why we waited so long for the "Alchemist of the Dusk." If anyone could hear it, it’d be the Dusk. The sigil would surely speak the way to break the curse.

Of course, I wasn’t just sitting back, counting on some unknown chance to show up and letting life slide. I was buried in research every single day.

Result? I figured out that almost every creature called a monster in this world was cursed.

Turns out the difference between animals and monsters is the presence of a gemstone. The curse was acting on those gems.

The curse doesn’t touch humans—especially not those without gemstones or half-breeds—so we never noticed at first. It’s a sneaky, clever system. Damn right the demon folk are a pain.

We’ve tried everything to keep the World Tree’s great trunk from being cursed.

But we only managed to slow it down. Couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t break the curse either.

The demons must’ve noticed this village because we slowed down the curse’s progress. That’s why I think one of the three roots leading to their stronghold is buried here.

If we could figure out the World Tree’s communication system, we’d know where their base is too. But we haven’t gotten that far. Frustrating.

◆

Now, let’s talk about the “Twilight Alchemist.”

This seal—it was the only thing completed in the great magical civilization. Theory, yes. But no actual manifestation. We don’t know what was missing. Some condition never met. Still, the name “Twilight” stuck.

The title “Twilight Alchemist” passed down in this village isn’t just a name. It’s quietly spread through the lower world—the human realm. We’re not completely cut off from them, after all.

If “Twilight” can appear anywhere else, we made sure the Seal Officer got the right information.

｜Who’s there? .

Originally, it was a phrase asking who you were, since the light was fading and the other’s face was hard to make out.

They’d deliberately chosen a word that evoked the melancholy of sunset, and there was a reason for that.

“Humanity is doomed to fade. But we place our hope in ending that fate—like a golden sunset, shining bright. Becoming the one who ends the twilight.”

That’s the legend passed down through the villages.

On the lower plane, “golden” had spread to mean something entirely different. Probably got tangled up with the rumors about alchemists making gold.

The Great Magic Civilization remains a mystery. How they created their sigils, for example—still unknown.

And the timing of when they foresaw “twilight”? That part never quite adds up.

Was it during the war with the demons? Or after the age of prosperity? The interpretation changes depending on that.

But no matter the age, the Alchemist of the Dusk was always something people longed for.

You reading this diary.

Go find the Dusk.

Destroy the demon kind.

Save the world.

And... if you can, find Craft Walker, and give this diary to them.

It’s the only thing I can leave behind.

Craft.

I love you.

Yensha Walker.

Menbuaat Walker.

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Released August 30th

Got fired from being an adventurer, so I’m starting over as an alchemist! "Volume 8"

Release Date: 2024.08.30

Pre-order Price: ¥1,595 (¥1,450 base)

Size: B6

ISBN: 9784575247619