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The Mining Town (炭鉱の街 Tankō no Machi?) is the 3rd chapter of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga.

Summary[]

Arriving in the frontier town of Youswell in order to inspect the coal mines there, Ed and Al meet a young boy named Khayal who refers them to an inn owned by his father Halling, the mine foreman and village chief. While there, the Elrics are astounded to learn that, due to the village's low income, it will cost them two hundred thousand cenz to stay the night, but are able to discount the price by performing free alchemy for the grateful townspeople. But when it comes out that Edward is a State Alchemist, the people's sentiment turns against him and he is kicked out for being a "dog of the military, though Alphonse is able to stay behind due to his civilian status. Questioning Khayal and the others, Al discovers that the people of Youswell's distaste for the military comes from the fact that the land upon which the town and the mines are built belongs to Lt. Yoki, a military officer who puts caps on the miners' wages while continually raise taxes to fill his own coffers, bribing his superiors to keep from being punished. Additionally, Halling notes that his distaste for State Alchemists is in their rejection of the alchemist code to work for the people in exchange for government funding and authority. Bringing Ed some food outside, Al relates all of this to his brother just as Lt. Yoki himself arrives at the inn with a pair of soldiers, demanding back taxes. When Khayal insults the lieutenant, he orders one of his soldiers to discipline the child, but Edward intercedes, protecting the boy with his automail arm.

Edward introduces himself to Yoki as a State Alchemist and the corrupt lieutenant sycophantically escorts Fullmetal to his own mansion for the night. While there, Yoki bribes Edward in order to grease the wheels of his own promotion and raise his stock in Central City, but as he goes to bed, Edward overhears the Lieutenant ordering his men to burn down Halling's inn. He investigates in the morning to find that the inn has been destroyed, but when he suggests that the townspeople move somewhere else, Halling explains that their own personal attachments to their home will not allow them to leave, Ed decides to help. Secretly transmuting large amounts of mining waste into gold bars, Edward approaches Yoki and asks the lieutenant to sell him the deed to the town and the mines, advising him to document the purchase as a gift so as to keep their exchange of funds off the government's radar. Fullmetal returns to the wreckage of Halling's inn with the deed and exchanges it to the foreman for a night's stay, proving that - despite being a State Alchemist - he is still in service of the people. Yoki arrives shortly afterward, furious that the gold bars have turned to dust and pebbles as Edward had transmuted it all back before leaving the mansion, and demands the deed back, as it was bought fraudulently. But as Edward reminds him that the deed was given to him as a gift, Yoki is powerless. As the coal miners vent their frustrations on Yoki and his men, Edward declares that he will be reporting the lieutenant's corrupt actions to Central Command.

Chapter Notes[]

  • This chapter introduces the pocket watch as the official identification of State Alchemists.
    • In this chapter, Yoki says that the watch is gold, however it is later said to be silver.
  • In this chapter, it is made somewhat apparent that alchemists are easily capable of transmuting base materials into gold, but are forbidden to by the central government. It is later found out that it is against the law for anyone to create gold, to stop people from getting as much money as they wanted and creating economic turmoil.
  • At the beginning of the chapter, Edward looks up Youswell on the map. To the south-west of the town Mount Fuji can be seen, one of the few references to a real-life location in the series.

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Chapters and Volumes
Volume 1 1234
Volume 2 5678
Volume 3 9101112The Military Festival
Volume 4 13141516Dog of the Military?
Volume 5 1718192021
Volume 6 22232425Roy Mustang's Observation Diary
Volume 7 26272829The Second Lieutenant Goes to Battle!
Volume 8 30313233Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel
Volume 9 34353637
Volume 10 38394041
Volume 11 42434445
Volume 12 46474849
Volume 13 50515253
Volume 14 54555657Short Story
Volume 15 58596061
Volume 16 62636465
Volume 17 66676869
Volume 18 70717273
Volume 19 7475767778
Volume 20 7980818283
Volume 21 84858687
Volume 22 88899091
Volume 23 92939495Prince of the Dawn—Prologue
Volume 24 96979899Daughter of the Dusk—Prologue
Volume 25 100101102103
Volume 26 104105106
Volume 27 107108Another Journey's End
Story Arcs
City of Heresy Arc 12
Mining Town Arc 3
Battle on the Train Arc 4
Talking Chimera Arc 5
Scar Arc 67
Search for the Philosopher's Stone Arc 8910111213
Separate Ways Arc 141516
Rush Valley Arc 171819
Dublith Arc 2021141516171819202122232425262728293031
Envoy from the East Arc 313233
Hunt for the Homunculi Arc 343536373839
Philosopher from the West Arc 4041424344
Scar's Return Arc 45464748
Belly of the Beast Arc 4950515253545556
Scars of Ishval Arc 575859606162
Briggs Arc 636465666768697071727374757677787980818283
Promised Day Arc 84858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108
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