Chapter 178 - Despair.

On the breakfast table,

Ed stood up after finishing his portion, "Finally, we can go to the Central Library!" They had reached here in the evening, they were late because of Major Armstrong. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that Major especially made them late.

"We will be coming as well," Miyuki told him. Even if they knew that the library had been burned to the ground. They already thought of the countermeasures.

But they would have to act in a small play to make sure that thing doesn't notice.

Al looked at them bewildered, "are you coming as well?"

"We are also curious about Philosopher's Stone, if possible, I would like to use it to cure Onii-sama's eyes."

Ed was startled, nodded, "Alright."

As they walked outside, Maria Ross and Denny Brosh saluted them.

Both of them looked awkwardly at Ed.

"Let me guess, you mistook Al for the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Tatsuya could easily guess with their gaze.

"?!"

"?!"

Maria and Denny became even more startled after hearing that. They awkwardly gazed at a downcast Ed and looked away.

Miyuki chuckled, watching their reaction, "that's why you should drink more Milk!"

A vein appeared on Ed's forehead, "that has nothing to do with it!!"

After a trip through the city in their car, they finally reached the Central Library.

"Ah, Yes, Central Library houses more books than any other library in the nation. They say it would take more than a hundred lifetimes to read all the books inside. The First Branch that you want is just west of here. It has Research Data, Historical Records, Lists of names, and much more." Maria said with worry visible all over her face.

When Ed and Al got out of the car, they watched the place with visible horror.

"Just yesterday, the entire collection was incinerated. We haven't completed our investigation, but it appears to be arson."

"Damn it!! What do we do now!" Ed shouted in anger and distress.

"Ed..." Al softly called out his brother's name. It wasn't like he didn't understand Ed's feeling. They were so close too.

"Don't panic...there is always another way."

Ed calmed down..." what way? We have no other lead?"

Maria suggested, "we can always try at Main Branch?"

Ed slumped, "ok..."

Miyuki smiled, "lucky for you...we know someone, we should meet her first?"

Ed glanced up at Miyuki with hope; this idea seemed more plausible.

"Who?" Al asked.

"A very undervalued young woman," Miyuki said, smiling.

Soon, they knocked on the house.

Miyuki last night send a drone to find her house. She was buried under the books. If she hadn't discovered her on time, the woman might be dead.

Thankfully, she was able to save her.

Shortly, the door to the room opened. A timid woman with square glasses on her nose opened the door.

The smell of books rushed out the moment she opened the door.

"Hello..." She said timidly. Her eyes looked at Tatsuya and Miyuki, who waved at her, "It's you!" She remembered them because of her extraordinary memories. Moreover, it was hard to forget Miyuki's beauty.

She opened the door after recognizing them.

"Sheska, we needed some of your help."

"My help?" Sheska pointed at herself in doubt. She found it hard to believe that someone could need her help.

"What's with all these books?!!" Ed shouted as they saw the mountain of books filling the room.

Sheska explained, "as you can see...I love books, so when I got the job at the library, I was ecstatic! But, I read books too much and forgot to do my work. So, they fired me."

She became downcast, almost on the verge of tears as she continued, "I need money to put my sick mother in a better hospital. I am not good at anything, so no matter where I go, no one hires me!"

She put her hands on her face, crying, "I am the most useless person in the world! The scum of the world!"

Miyuki's mouth twitched as Ed asked, "Is this girl alright?"

Miyuki sighed, "Sheska do you anything about Tim Marcoh's research document?"

Sheska calmed down in a moment, pondering with blank eyes, "Tim Marcoh...Tim Marcoh..." She put her hands together as if a bulb had lit up in her head, "Yes! I remember his notes were the only handwritten notes in all the printed books. That's why I remember it quite clearly."

Ed became slumped down on the floor, "So they really were there...and that means they are burned."

Tatsuya glanced at him before looking at Sheska, "do you still remember? the notes?"

Ed was startled hearing that, while Sheska nodded after a moment of pondering, "Yes, I do. If you want, I can write them down?"

Ed, Al, Maria, and Denny looked at Sheska in astonishment, "you remember?"

Sheska nodded like it wasn't a big thing.

"We met Sheska some time ago. She has a great memory; she never forgets what she read. We were just hoping she had read Tim Marcoh's research." Miyuki explained.

Sheska tilted her head, "You want me to transcribe it for you?"

Miyuki took out a note and her state alchemist clock, "I will give you some advance for that. So, you don't have to worry about your mother and focus on work." She said while giving the note and clock to Maria.

"Wait, are you sure she can do that?" Maria asked in worry. After all, it seemed humanly impossible to her.

Miyuki glanced back with a smile, "don't believe, I trust her ability." After all, Tatsuya had the same talent because of Artificial Circulation Area.

Maria opened the note and shouted, "!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't that too much?!!!"

Sheska was a bit blank, she walked towards Maria peeking at the note before shouting, "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Her eyes started rolling around, "So...much..."

And so, five days passed,

"Here, this is everything on Tim Marcoh and by Time Marcoh!!!" Sheska looked at them eagerly; it seemed as if a tail had appeared on her back, moving, showing her excitement.

"She really did it???"

"There really are amazing people in the world...Huh...Al."

Not only Ed and Al, Maria, and Denny stood there with their mouth agape.

"No wonder Marcoh couldn't take it; the sheer volume of this thing is huge!" Ed seemed to have realized why Marcoh left it here.

"Are you sure this is all?" Ed asked her.

Sheska smiled brightly, "Yes, Tim Marcoh's recipe book! One thousand meals for daily living!"

Tatsuya, who had been flipping the notes, understood why there were recipes, "It's written in code...well, that should be expected, since it is about Philosopher stone." No one would just leave such powerful research uncoded.

Ed took the notes that she had written, "that's it! A code!"

"Sheska! This is a flawless reproduction of notes, right?"

"Yes, there are no mistakes!"

"Thank's you are amazing!"

"Let's take these notes to the library." Tatsuya picked up the notes. So, did Ed and Al while Miyuki paid Sheska's other half.

Ed stopped in the middle, he wrote a note and gave his clock to Maria too, "this is from my side."

"Wait! I can't take that!" Sheska refused it without thinking.

Ed waved his hand, "Just take it."

And so, another week passed after they started deciphering it.

Hughe's came for a bit and talked to them. He was worried since his paperwork increased since the first branch burned down.

Ed told him about Sheska, he went running after hearing about her.

But at the end of the week, their hard work finally got the result. Solving the riddle gave Tatsuya all the answer he needed. His doubt became clear... he finally understood everything that he needed to understand.

"This can't be!!" Ed shouted in anger after finding the answer.

Hearing his shout, Maria and Denny opened the door and were about to walk in when Miyuki hit the table, "Don't come in, stay out, and don't even try to listen! This is an order!" Miyuki sternly warned them.

If they were anywhere else, she wouldn't mind letting them hearing about it. But, this was Central, and that thing checked on them at intervals.

Their lives might be in danger if they heard too much.

Maria's eyes turned serious as she saluted and closed the door.

The four people inside never showed off their rank. They treated her and Denny as equals. For Miyuki to use her authority, it must be something grave.

Maybe, something that might even put their life in danger.

Ed held his hand, while Al had an expression that the world had come to an end. This was their last hope.

The only way to get their bodies back, they had even thought about Alkahestry after they head it from Tatsuya. But, Tatsuya mastered what could be called the peak of Alkahestry.

Without Philosopher's stone...there was no way.

They could never use it...a philosopher stone needed living human beings...they could never use it. Even if it was to get their body back.

In East City,

Mustang stood in front of a destroyed area. His soldiers were standing; some were searching in the rubbles.

Scar had escaped into sewers, and it seemed he got into a fight with someone there, creating such destruction.

Riza whispered as they found Scar bloody jacked, "It must be one of them?"

None of the state alchemist other than Mustang could fight Scar. That only left one group. The people with Oroborus Tattoo that Tatsuya recently sent the information about.

For now, they knew there were four people in the group, five if they counted their Fuhrer.

If they could cause such destruction, then every one of them must be as strong as Mustang.

She understood why Tatsuya didn't kill Scar; those people were the chief culprit of Ishval tragedy. There was a chance to have Scar work with them.

Even with him, they would have five strong Alchemists on their side, barely equalling the other party's peak power.

Mustang narrowed his eyes, "Have you men hurry with their excavation, work day and night. If he is dead, I want to find his body." He couldn't believe he was wishing for his enemy to be alive.

Although, he wanted to catch Scar and get in the good points to reach the top. But, recently, a thought bothered him.

It made him wonder about how many high levels were on it. How many of them knew the truth and supported Fuhrer, or were these group of people manipulating everyone.