For the next three or so days we chat about various topics moving from old fables to history then random stories read. She’s quite nice… no one else at the palace really appreciated the access to so much information, though some of it contradicts the information from here.

While most of Xing’s technology seemed like it was from the 11th century certain balms and salves could compete with more advanced than this era. Meanwhile, Amestris seems like the early 1900s but there doesn’t seem to be any development in anything except for the military. They have no real culture to speak of, no theaters or areas dedicated to entertainment beyond bars and brothels. They are also suffering ecologically too, their crops are poorly managed, and their entire economy is dependant on war. It’s a good thing Xing shares no borders since while we have individually stronger fighters on average our armies are comprised of common people who want to attack with a sword or grenade rather than a gun.

Some of the other neighboring countries have similar discrepancies in technology. The country to the south, Aerugo reportedly has legions of metal soldiers. Either they are all wearing full plates, or they somehow learned the same process that was used to like Al. Creta to the West focuses on Chimeras and has legions of hybrid soldiers and lacks a lot of modern military technology like Xing.

I learned all of this through rumors and the documentation that were tucked away where reports go to die, thankfully Sheska reads everything regardless of what it was for. There’s less information about any countries east of the great desert but this is enough to show that there is plenty out there to learn.

I write up a few of my own tales and even sneak in a few stories from my old worlds too. Using a mixture of ink and transmutation it’s a simple process to print a mental image of the page using the ink.

Several more days pass…

Zig is serving tea for Sheska and I like the last few days. Reading next to each other in a pile of books. “My lord… Sssshould you not leave her to work on what Edward requessssted? 5 days have passssed?”

Sheska bolts upright, clearly starting to panic as she quickly scrambles together some paper and pens and starts scribbling down words at a rapid pace. “Oh no! I’ve done it again! I can’t do anything right… Let’s see t-the were roughly 10,000 pages… I… everything could have been done by now if I’d started earlier… I can do this, it’s for mom… I’m not useless.” I can’t help but sit there stunned for a moment as she’s adjusting her glasses and furiously writing away going for speed over penmanship.

I calmly sit beside her taking the tea with me. “There’s a faster way you know?”

She doesn’t even look up as she keeps writing but responds anyways. “What do you mean? I can’t write with two hands at once… I know I wrote a few short stories and sections on reports for you but those were singular pages… this is going to take days to write out.” She seems to almost be in tears at this point… Shit… Hmmm... It's kind of my fault that she fell behind.

“How do you think I wrote all those books for you? I’ll just need to teach you a little bit of alchemy.” She just stares at me like I’m crazy.

“I don’t understand alchemy… I’ve read a lot but it just doesn’t make sense. So many books contradict each other describing various factors that are totally different.” She bites at the back of her pen a bit. Nervously glancing around at all the pages she has before her then glancing back over at me.

“Well… I’ve already lost enough time as it is… Please, please let this work.”

I just pull out a small shallow page-shaped piece of metal and fill the bottom with a thin layer of ink.

“Okay… how will this lesson work… O-one document I’d read on the desk of an important alchemist that visited the library mentioned something about small blobs that make up everything?”

I just smile and use my old ink transmutation circle as I lay a piece of paper onto it imagining the page of text, I want to transfer a short flash of lightning and the page was finished.

Most of society acts like alchemy is this impossible skill that requires intense understanding, but most of the difficulty is access to books, correct transmutation circles, and the ability to visualize your target outcome. She can skip the last step thanks to her memory.

I place it in front of her. “This… is a series of explanations about the molecular structure of this ink using terms that I define at the bottom of the page. It’s also a description of the process for you to imagine while performing it. I could explain the entire process to you or… I could give the information clearly and concisely on a page to read.” She glances at it before closing her eyes for a moment.

“Okay… I think I’ve got it all. I’m not familiar with it though… I can try it at least?” She looks around a bit trying to find something. She attempts to draw a really poor circle several times getting frustrated at not making a circle perfectly.

“Ha, relax… I had the same problem.” I pick up a piece of metal and form it into a pen-like shape engraving the transmutation circle onto it.

“Here just press this into the ink and follow the instructions.” She looks up from another failed attempt before taking the metal pen stamp.

“O-okay… Um, what should I write?”

“Just try a page from your favorite story. Something you can easily picture everything about.” She nods for a moment pressing the pen into the ink as I add a page. She works through the process I’d labeled out and it doesn’t take long before the page finishes and I quickly pull it out.

“d-did I do it?” She looks at the page nervously. It’s a perfect rendition of the introductory page of an old children's book. The problem is there’s a bit of overlap in some places and it looks like her memory included a small hand pointing at a word since there is a perfect rendition of a hand blocking some of the text.

“Well… you sort of did it. You need to focus more on the page rather than the memory of when you looked at the page though.” She nods… She has a great memory but can’t visualize some things outside of how the memory originally played out. It’s interesting to see the difference.

She gives me a tight hug. “Thank you so much! I can copy as many books as I can from the library now!” She starts rapidly copying page after page. I just go back to reading by pressing various books to my forehead.

After a couple of hours, Edward comes in with Al. The little room in this place that wasn’t taken up by books is slowly being taken over by paper bundles of fresh copied books.

Edward looks around at all the paper with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. “Are these all the notes?” He has a bit of difficulty moving through without stepping on any or knocking over any delicately stacked piles.

I turn his way and shake myself awake. “Hmm? No yours is on the table. We’ve been a little… busy. The last couple of days.” He slowly nods and moves over to the table but looks around for a moment.

“Where’s Sheska anyways?” I point towards a pile of papers.

“I taught her some alchemy this morning and she may have gone a bit overboard with it. She’s taking a nap.” Edward tiptoes over that way and sure enough, Sheska is sprawled out cuddling with a bundle of paper.

Edward slowly nods moving as quietly as he could back over to me and the table. “Where did you get all of this paper anyways?”

I mentally stop my reading for a moment… where did all of this paper come from? “I actually don’t know. Zig was the one that got all of it.” We both turn his way, but he dips out the window.

I just shrug and go back to reading but Edward stares at the window for a bit. “Well… not my problem.” He moves over to the table and starts looking at the notes.

“1000 recipes for today's menu by Tim Marcoh?” He looks at me questioningly.

I just shrug. “It’s what she says was written there. It all seems to be various food-related topics.” He nods before looking through a couple of the pages. “You’re sure this is exactly what all the notes said? You mentioned that she only learned alchemy this morning… It must have taken her a couple of days to write all of this then that on top of it.” He looks around.

I can’t help but rub the back of my head slightly embarrassed. “Y-yeah a couple of days. Seriously though she has a perfect memory when it comes to written information. We’ve had a bit of fun testing it the last couple of days trading stories. The only issue that may arise is if a page was missing when she read it. They were loose leaf and tucked in with other books after all when she found them.” He nods seriously then looks back outside the room where Al and the two military people are waiting not wanting to risk an avalanche of paper.

“Well… are you going to help me and Al break the cipher? I’m sure if the three of us put our heads together we can come up with something.” Hmm… Do I help them or do I stay here and read… They will find the answer eventually anyway, right?

“I believe in you, besides I’m not that good at ciphers so I’d only be a hindrance really.” I end that with a smile and just cozy back into my seat.

He stares at me for a moment longer. “haaa whatever… when Sheska wakes up can you just help her withdraw some funds from my research account.” He takes out a check and writes on it for a moment.

He looks around for somewhere to set it but with all the paper around it’d easily get lost.

“I’m… just going to leave this with lieutenant Ross out there.” He points out to the woman of the pair waiting outside.

“Alrighty then, good luck!” He nods stiffly before taking several trips in and out to carefully carry out the notes. I hear a commotion out in the halls before the woman, lieutenant Ross apparently storms inside and slams the door shut behind her. She looks like she’s about to say something but the sound of a small shift is deafening. One small pile starts to lean and she quickly moves to catch it. Meanwhile, I’m already grabbing Sheska and heading towards the window.

“Good luck lieutenant Ross! We’ll be sure to get the check later!” I jump out the window not failing to notice that Zig was clutching onto the edge still and only pretended to leave before.

Right as I leave the room I hear a scream followed by the sound of thousands of sheets of paper falling.

Sheska lets out a small whimper ‘Nu my books~’ as I land outside with her carried over my shoulder.

I just set her down still half asleep she staggers for a moment as I start looking over my belongings and making sure I have everything. “It’ll be fine… hopefully.” The sound of a few more thumps and a pained groan come from the window above.

“Hear that? She’s still alive. So we’ll just need to dig her out.” She just nods solemnly before resting her head on a nearby wall. She must have a pounding headache still after so much alchemy. I’m sure the lieutenant won’t mind if I get Sheska some water and help her out first right?