“You want me to wipe out all the criminal organizations in the city?” Tommy asked.
“That’s right, is there a problem?” Erden asked with a smirk.
“That depends.” Tommy replied before asking.
“You do realize it’s impossible to eliminate every single member of the organizations right?.”
“The best I can guarantee is the elimination of the former Breral’s lieutenants and the collapse of the criminal organizations.”
“Though given time, new ones will appear to replace those that I eliminate.”
Erden gaped at Tommy as he heard the young man's words.
Instead of the false bravado or the refusal to accept the task he expected.
This young man was claiming he would be able to eliminate the lieutenants and cause the collapse of all the criminal organizations in the city.
It had to be noted that each of the lieutenants were known to be some of the strongest individuals in the city, it was unknown how a fat pig like Berel Shag had made them work for him.
As for the organizations themselves, they had been around for years and their roots ran deep in the city, there were even rumors that they had some sort of connection with the royal family.
“You do realize what you're saying, right?” Erden couldn't help but ask.
Tommy chuckled before replying.
“You're the one who gave the task, or are you now backing out?”
“Not at all, I would just hate for you to die before you teach me how to make these bullets.” Erden replied before pointing at the bullet on the counter.
“Do you agree that the lieutenants' deaths and the collapse of the criminal organizations is a satisfactory outcome?” Tommy asked.
“I do.” Erden replied in a bewildered tone.
“Very good.” Tommy said, as he picked the bullet up and turned to leave.
Just before he reached the door he said.
“I will return when the job is complete for my reward, I trust you won't go back on your word.”
After which he left the forge, closing the door behind him.
Erden looked at the door to his forge with a bewildered look before he shook his head and huffed.
“Die well kid, it's a shame you didn’t tell me the manufacturing process before you left.”
“Though if by some miracle you do succeed, I will keep my word, after all who would be stupid enough to go back on a deal made with someone who could cause entire criminal organizations to collapse.
***
Tommy left the forge and made his way back towards the red light district when he heard another explosion coming from the Nele Alchemy.
“I wonder what they are trying to produce?” Tommy mumbled with interest before deciding to go take a look.
He arrived outside the building and carefully pushed the door open in case something was likely to explode again.
Taking a peek inside the building he noticed nothing immediately dangerous so he pushed the door open further before entering inside.
Upon entering and looking around Toomy was amazed to see the entire room was filled with row after row of shelves containing different boxes, vials containing liquids, what looked like animal parts and more.
As he moved further into the building looking around he suddenly heard someone cursing.
“Fuck, why cant I get it right.”
After rounding a corner Tommy found a middle aged woman bending over some sort of laboratory table that was covered in all sorts of different lab equipment.
She seemed so absorbed in her work that she didn’t even notice Tommy was there.
Tommy gave a small cough to get her attention causing her to look up in surprise and say.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Eh!”
“Are you in the wrong place?” She asked in surprise.
Tommy raised an eyebrow in surprise before asking.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Well nobody comes here.” She replied.
“Why?” Tommy asked.
“I have the tendency to blow stuff up.” She replied with slight embarrassment.
“So I heard.” Tommy replied, before adding.
“I also heard you're trying to create something new.”
The woman gave him a frown before asking suspiciously.
“Why are you so interested?”
“Well, I’m going to need some supplies soon that might be a bit hard to get for a normal person, so I figured if I can help you with your problem you might help me with mine.” Tommy replied.
The woman stared at him for a moment before asking.
“What sort of supplies are you after?”
“To begin with.” Tommy started before listing a few things.
“Nitric acid”
“Concentrated sulfuric acid”
“Cotton balls”
The women showed a surprised look before asking.
“I have heard of sulfuric acid, and even have some, but what is Concentrated sulfuric acid?”
“Cotton balls are easy, though I don’t know why you would want them with acid.”
“As for the first thing you listed, I have never heard of that.”
Tommy nodded before saying.
“Concentrated sulfuric acid does not dissociate completely in the aqueous solution to give ions and does not conduct electrical conductivity while dilute sulfuric acid dissociates 100% to give hydronium ions in the solution and has more acidity.”
I’m not surprised you don’t know about nitric acid since its manufacturing production can be tedious, though it is possible to make with the correct materials.”
The woman nodded as she thought about what Tommy said before asking.
“And what do you want to create with these components?” The woman asked curiously.
“I’m trying to create a highly flammable compound.” Tommy replied simply.
The woman showed a shocked expression which soon turned to excitement before she asked.
“How flammable?”
“If not treated carefully it can be exceedingly dangerous, it can be ignited very easily and in large quantities the fumes it releases can be toxic.”
The woman's eyes brightened even more before she said.
“Deal”
Tommy raised an eyebrow in surprise before saying.
“Excuse me.”
“It just so happens that what I was trying to create was also a highly flammable substance, the explosions you no doubt hear are my failed attempts because my creations lost stability.” The woman explained.
“By the way my name is Nele Grov, it's a pleasure to meet a fellow alchemist.”
“I’m Tommy Smith, it's a pleasure to meet you Nele, however I’m not an alchemist, I just know a few things.” Tommy replied.
“So Tommy, if I help you produce this product will you let me watch and learn its production method?” Nele asked excitedly.
Tommy nodded before saying.
“That’s agreeable, though I will need you to acquire the items needed since I am new in the city, though I don’t mind paying for them.”
Nele seemed to bounce up and down happily before she grabbed paper and quill and asked.
“What do we need apart from the cotton balls and sulfuric acid?”
“Concentrated sulfuric acid is simple with the equipment you have here, we just need sulfuric acid.” Tommy began to say.
“As for nitric acid there are two possible ways we can produce that depending on magic.”
“Magic?” Nele replied curiously.
“Yes you see, nitric acid is actually present in nature in very minute amounts.” Tommy began to explain.
“Severe thunderstorms can produce temperatures high enough to generate nitrogen dioxide which combines with water to form nitric acid”
“I see.” Nele said with a thoughtful expression before asking.
“You're suggesting we use lightning magic on a body of water to try and create this nitric acid?”
“Yes, is it possible? If not we can use the other way, however like I said before it's tedious.”
Nele thought for a moment before saying.
“Unfortunately the ability to use lightning magic is very rare and there is only one person in the city that can use it.”
“However, enlisting her help might be difficult considering her identity.”
“Who is it?” Tommy asked curiously.
“Guild Master Kele Gledz of the Adventurer’s Guild.” Nele replied before explaining.
“Being able to use lightning magic is one of the things that makes her the strongest in the city.”
“Along with being one of the rarest forms of magic, it is also one of the most powerful.”
Tommy grinned before saying.
“That shouldn't be too difficult”
Nele’s eyes widened before asking.
“Do you realize what you're saying?”
“Guild Master Gledz is a legendary figure in the city if not the nation, even the city's royal family has to make an appointment to meet her.”
Tommy smirked before turning around and heading for the door while saying.
“Just leave that to me, I was on my way to the adventurer’s guild anyway, I will return tomorrow with Kele.”
“What! Kele?” Nele asked in surprise.
But the only response she got was the closing of her building's door.
***
After Tommy stepped outside he smiled and began heading back towards the adventurer’s guild while saying.
“Maybe this will be easier than I thought.”
“I figured the manufacturing of bullets would be a hassle considering this basically being the medieval era from earth.”
“However it is a different world and different rules apply such as the existence of magic.”
“I’m glad I thought of it, if this works it will make producing the bullets primer way easier and quicker.”