The group from the Witch Workshop didn't have to wait long; shortly after they finished reading the basics of chemical theory presented by Perfikot, officials from the Northern Territory came to inform them of a summons from the Lord of the North.

The alchemists who called themselves witches quickly changed into formal attire and headed to the lord's mansion, awaiting Perfikot's summons.

Among the group, even the most mature and composed Heine appeared tense, her restless hands clenching and releasing, unsure of where to place them.

Though born of commoner stock, they had gained fame in the Empire after the sunshade glass incident, receiving invitations from some nobles and attending relatively upscale banquets, giving them some worldly experience, but the gap between those nobles and the Lord of the North was immeasurable.

Put simply, Perfikot's lord mansion was guarded by Steam Knights.

These heavy, customized steam knight armors by Perfikot were more robust than ever, their weaponry more powerful, and merely by looking, one could feel their strength and murderous aura.

Especially since these steam knights remained motionless unless changing shifts, leading Heine and other witches to nearly mistake them for statues.

However, Weir saw through them; these steam knights weren't living beings at all, they were Perfikot's Alchemy Puppets clad in steam armor.

But this only heightened the oppressive sensation they brought.

Because if they were living beings, one could plead or negotiate otherwise, but these Alchemy Puppets? They were machines, merely command-following killing machines.

Realizing this, Weir genuinely felt the technological prowess exhibited by Perfikot, and the significance represented by the identity of a genius Alchemist + Lord of the North.

This compelled Weir to reconsider her initial impression of Perfikot and pay closer attention to the various rumors surrounding Perfikot.

The Scarlet Count's name was synonymous with slaughter across the Empire, yet for most people, it lacked tangible impact.

After all, Perfikot had almost never committed any massacres against commoners, nor did she exploit them; nearly all her deeds were related to those capitalists who never hesitated to devour others.

The remaining tales revolved around suppressing rebellious factions or razing enemy capitals, leading many to feel disconnected from the Lord of the North's infamous reputation.

She was indeed ruthless, but the distance between her actions and the lives of ordinary people was vast.

Even if Perfikot indirectly or directly killed millions, what impact does that have on the lives of ordinary citizens? If anything, it's positive; at least they aren't required to go to war and fill trenches.

Thus even Weir, who had access to more information, didn't have a substantial feeling about Perfikot's notorious reputation, merely sensing that her temperament might be problematic, a capricious and reckless noble.

For this reason, when she observed the chemical basic theory announced by Perfikot, her primary response was to amend her impression, believing Perfikot to be incredibly altruistic, willing to share precious knowledge with many.

But upon witnessing the Alchemy Puppets adorned in steam armor throughout Perfikot's mansion, she gradually realized this genius alchemist with such infamy wielded power sufficient to obliterate a nation.

This induced a bit of anxiety in Weir, questioning whether this young Count was as eccentric as rumors suggested.

Weir herself had endured personality shifts due to her body's regression to a juvenile state, paired with years of life experience, providing her a deep understanding of the lengths to which Empire nobles could indulge their whims.

Common folk generally cause limited destruction even if acting out.

But for Perfikot, a highly influential Empire minister holding substantial military power as a territorial noble, indulgence could literally mean a nation's destruction.

This abruptly made Weir concerned whether meeting Perfikot like this was somewhat reckless.

Nevertheless, her favorable impression of Perfikot's selfless sharing of knowledge prevailed, and Weir decided to meet Perfikot.

Moreover, having come this far, she couldn't just abandon her beloved disciples and sneak away; should Perfikot truly have a bad temper, or if Heine and the others offend her, she could at least use her knowledge and status to salvage the situation.

With this in mind, Weir, alongside the other witches, entered the mansion's reception room guided by a maid, waiting for Perfikot's arrival.

"Surprisingly, the lord mansion has human maids; I thought the Count would be surrounded by Alchemy Puppets!" Pitlai remarked to the others after the maid exited the reception room.

Others were similarly surprised by this, given that one of Perfikot's most famous creations was the Alchemy Puppet; in their minds, Perfikot should be surrounded by Alchemy Puppets.

But evidently, this was not the case.

Conversely, Weir didn't find it notable; possessing the Alchemy Puppet technology and having Alchemy Puppets around are not necessarily linked.

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