In the end, Ambrose managed to convince Heki Stone. Even though Ambrose hadn't yet built a single alchemy factory, and his talk of reviving Alkhemia sounded utterly absurd, Heki was willing to take the gamble.1

For one thing, he had recently made a tidy profit excavating underground ruins. This was an investment he could afford to lose.0

For another, Ambrose had always struck him as someone capable of the impossible.0

He had even made paladins kneel before him. Reviving Alkhemia… might not be entirely out of reach.0

Heki Stone had lived long enough to witness the rise and fall of nations. He knew that the decline of alchemy was only temporary. A new age of alchemy would come sooner or later.0

If he invested in Ambrose early, he might make a windfall.0

But just as...0