Chapter 138: The Tin Knight and The Golden Alchemist (8)
“First is intellect. Second is wealth. Mana is merely third.”
This was one of the maxims passed down among alchemists.
Half of it was a joke, but the other half was also a serious reflection.
This stemmed from the characteristics of alchemists.
The two main specialties of alchemists were material reconstruction and homunculi production.
To skillfully handle the former, various engineering and physical knowledge was essential.
To avoid mishaps like making a ship out of heavy rocks or creating a sword out of soft rubber, one had to accurately understand the properties of materials. The same was true for engineering knowledge to create more efficient and precise mechanisms.
The latter was no less challenging. Homunculi production was unthinkable without considerable knowledge and understanding of biology. The higher the level of the homunculus, the more this was true.
The wealth aspect was relatively simple. Creating and maintaining homunculi consumed considerable funds.
Preparing laboratories, collecting relevant books, gathering materials—it all came down to money.