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Chapter 509: Result

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Duke James, Count Henson, and the other liberals looked at each other and saw objection in each other's eyes. While Natasha had been in Holm, she was still too young to have a political view. Also, it was an unchangeable fact that her teacher Beliel, 'God's Glory,' was a member of the Grand Cardinals. According to sources, she had been raised by the Church since six. She was a devout believer, only slightly better than Gordon as a candidate.

"According to bloodline, Natasha, Countess of Violet, is the heir only next to His Highness. She is a radiant knight and a devout believer. So, she is the most reasonable heir to the throne." Rex looked rather tough.

Duke Russell stood and said while shaking his quill pen. "President Rex, we are both aware of it, but why are we discussing other candidates? Because Her Highness Meredith, Countess Natasha's mother, automatically abandoned her right to the throne when she became a sorcerer. That is to say; her children are no longer entitled to it."

Count Henson and Viscount Harrison looked at each other with a bitter smile, in that they had to offer objections using sorcerers as an excuse when they were inclined to the Congress of Magic.

Duke Solomon said solemnly, "If the logic stands, David will not be entitled to the throne, either. A noble's right comes from their bloodline. Unless it is deprived according to the law, they will always enjoy it. What Countess Natasha activated is the purest bloodline of the Sword of Truth. Her right of inheritance comes directly from His Majesty."

Rex seemed more or less relieved. Duke Solomon seemed able to live with that. So, he went on, "I discussed candidates in the meeting just now, instead of asking Princess Natasha to inherit the throne directly, because she is now the only heir of Duchy Violet. According to Entry Three, Clause Five of the inheritance law, if the inheritor has the rights to other countries and families and such rights cannot be combined, their position will be lowered by one level on the hierarchy, which makes her on the same level as David and Gordon."

Duchy Violet played an important role in the Church's defense in the northwest. The Church would never give it to Holm.

"Since the previous two candidates are not unanimously approved, it is definitely not a problem to propose Princess Natasha." He began to call Natasha princess, acknowledging her position in the royal family.

"Duke James, Count Russell, do you have any objections? If not, we will have a vote." Rex looked at the few leaders of the liberals.

Duke James and the rest of them were caught unprepared. They had thought that the conservatives would ignore Natasha as they did. After all, everybody knew the relation between Meredith and Hathaway. She was an excellent sorcerer herself. Who could have seen this coming?

Gender? No, females' right of inheritance was specified in the law.

Strength? Worse. As a genius who became a radiant knight in her twenties and who was likely to become legendary, she was more distinguished than any of them.

Too close to the Church? Won't work. Other than being a pious believer, Natasha did not have any behavior to be criticized. She had never flattered the Church by jeopardizing the interests of the nobles of Duchy Violet.

As for her suppression of the Congress of Magic on the surface and her ban on magic recorders and phones, such things could not be discussed openly. They could not publicize that they were cooperating with sorcerers, in which case Rex might change his attitude and ask Sard to come in and purge the nobles who had been corrupted by sorcerers. Those things could be done but never be talked about.

For a moment, the liberals couldn't find a good excuse.

Duke Solomon, on the other hand, cleaned his black cape and asked, "President Rex, I heard a rumor about Princess Natasha, and I hope you can explain it. It is said that she and Lucien Evans, the Fallen Angel, are a couple deeply in love with each other. Will she betray the nobles, indulge the Congress of Magic, and infuriate the Church because of that?"

After Louise came to Holm, Lucien's identity was no longer a secret. Every noble knew that he was that great musician. After he made it to the top twenty of the Cleansing List, the history of the great musician had been dug out, too.

Hearing Duke Solomon's question, James suddenly breathed heavily. If that were the case, it would not be unacceptable that Natasha became the queen.

Rex replied unhurriedly, "Regarding that, I learned the answer from His Excellency Saint Sard, who was the Grand Cardinal of the parish of Violet and knew everything. Princess Natasha is attracted to females. Lucien Evans is just an excuse and a disguise for her. They are not as close as rumors have it to be. Also, the princess is a very devout believer. Sylvia, her partner in the past, was killed by her without any hesitation after she learned that Sylvia was a magic apprentice."

"What?"

"Was the most beautiful musician killed because of that?"

"No wonder 'Ode To Sylvia' was rewarded with a manor by Princess Natasha."

It was the first time that the nobles heard the gossip, which was from Grand Cardinal Sard, who couldn't have lied about such things. They immediately whispered to each other.

Count Henson now found it impossible to accept Natasha as the queen. He coughed and said, "Homosexual love is in violation of the Lord's tutelage. Also, there will be no offspring. Such an inheritance will be meaningless."

"That's just the idea of some preachers. The Lord only taught us not to be obsessed with lust. As for the offspring, I believe we can make it clear to Princess when we invite her to inherit the throne that she must give birth to a child as soon as possible. As for her relationship with her spouse in private, that's not our concern. I believe that it is not a great compromise for her. If she doesn't accept it, we will discuss other candidates." Rex looked at the members of the Parliament of Nobles. "If there are no other questions, let's vote."

Duke Solomon, one of the leaders of the conservatives, raised his hand first. He was not as extreme as Rex and preferred a candidate that was acceptable for the Church, the parliament, and the nobles in case of a great conflict within the country, which would only result in the decline of Holm. In such a case, even the winning nobles would not earn much. Natasha was undoubtedly a suitable candidate.

Duke Solomon's father was 'Night Walker' Winston. His influence on the conservatives was as great as Rex's. Many people followed him to raise their hands, and so did the nobles who supported Rex. Soon, two-thirds of the participants had raised their hands. Duke James and Duke Russell, on the other hand, were gloomy and prepared to use the dukes' veto right.

Suddenly, Viscount Harrison thought of something. He wrote on a piece of paper, before he passed it on to Duke James in secret.

Knowing that he was scared that the gold knights such as Duke Rex could overhear them, Duke James did not blame his redundant move. Instead, he opened the paper that read, "Princess Natasha is closer to Her Excellency Hathaway than we imagine."

Duke James had a complicated look on his face. After discussing with Duke Russell, he suddenly raised his hand, which was quite a shock for most of the liberals. But they still chose to believe in him and followed his lead.

Rex put on a smile. "Very good. The Parliament of Nobles has unanimously passed the motion that Natasha Violet, Countess of Violet, is to be invited to Holm to inherit the throne."

He knocked the mallet gable and declared, "This meeting is now concluded."

...

Watching the conservatives leave, Duke James said to Viscount Harrison solemnly, "I hope you're right."

"We can only take our chances. Rex seemed well prepared. I'll report the result to the Highest Council. They will decide whether or not assassination is necessary." Viscount Harrison left in a hurry.

In a secret chamber inside the Nekso Palace, Rex spoke to two seniors respectfully, "Your Excellency Saint Sard, Your Excellency Kritonia, Natasha has achieved the right to the throne as per your instruction."

"Very good." Sard smiled peacefully, his dangling eyelids blocking his dirty eyeballs.

...

On the 35th floor of the magic tower in Allyn, in the meeting room of the Highest Council, one of the twenty-four chairs was gone.

"We discussed the problem before. I don't think it's the best choice to let Beliel's student be the queen of Holm. I suggest we eliminate her in advance." Said Vicente, the Lord of the Undead, coldly, without looking at Hathaway at all."

Vicente, who was well prepared, proved his innocence in Congus' incident, and provided sufficient evidence that Congus' students were unaware of Demigod-lich's actions, protecting them from being punished.

Several members of the Highest Council nodded, agreeing that Natasha and Gordon should be killed to ensure David's right to the throne.

Hathaway looked at them, coldly, "This is the Hoffenberg family's business. Whoever meddles with it will be my sworn enemy. Also, I believe that Natasha will be a just queen who will not be biased towards the Church."

Due to her lack of eloquence, she simply threated her enemy.

"But how many people support you? Vicente challenged Hathaway.

Davey, the Innovator, said lightheartedly, "I believe in Hathaway's judgment."

"What's wrong with you?" Without a sign, the Lord of Storm began to roar, "Kill Natasha and Gordon? Are you planning to terrify all the nobles in Holm, Brianne, Colette, and Calais? Sard will smile in his dreams! The nobles will be completely inclined to him! Seven legendary knights in four countries, plus the Grand Cardinals in their parishes, that will be twelve legendary warriors, two of whom are level-three! It's enough to suffocate us!"

The other members of the Highest Council couldn't help but shift their heads under the roar, but most of them secretly agreed with him. While Fernando was short-tempered, unamiable and even slightly freakish, he had always considered the development of the Congress.

"Fernando, what's your opinion?" Douglas asked in a smile. He was least influenced by the roar.

Fernando looked around with his red eyes, and most members did not dare to look back at him. "At the very least, Natasha is not a bad choice."

"Not a bad choice. Yes, I agree with that." Douglas was more willing to trust Hathaway and Fernando.

Vicente meant to object, but his influence was diminished by the Demigod-lich's incident. His allies were unwilling to support him at such a moment. Therefore, the Highest Council reached a conclusion very soon. Natasha would not be stopped, but her tendencies would be observed so that she could be destroyed or controlled when necessary.

...

After he returned to his library from the meeting room, Fernando saw Lucien who was wearing a black, double-breasted tuxedo pacing back and forth.

"Master, what's the situation?" Sensing that his teacher came in, Lucien hurried to ask.

Fernando chuckled. "Natasha will not be stopped from inheriting the throne, but it's mostly up to herself. Violet is far away from Holm, and she still has her father to take care of."

Then, he said solemnly, "Lucien, this is the best I can do for you. It depends on yourself whether or not you can trick a queen into your bed."

Lucien smiled in embarrassment, "It's very difficult. Natasha likes girls."

"That's indeed a problem…" Fernando thought for a moment. Then, his eyes shined. He opened the space gate to the demiplane, leaving Lucien in the library in confusion.

A moment later, Fernando walked back with a belt with beautiful stripes. He gloated, "It's still there. This is my most remarkable achievement in alchemy when I was young. Lucien, put it on, and you and Natasha will be a loving couple soon enough."

"What's this?" Lucien found it odd and did not dare to take it over.

Fernando grimaced and raised the belt, "A gender-transitioning belt, of course. You will become a real girl after you put it on. Natasha is close to you enough. The only obstacle between you should be gender."

Lucien did not see his face, but he guessed that it must be filled with anger and awkwardness. "Master, this is my boundaries. Please don't joke about it."

"How boring. You are unwilling to sacrifice anything for love." Fernando shook his head exaggeratedly, teasing his student.

Lucien looked back at him expressionlessly, "That's not important. The important thing is, why did you build a gender-transitioning belt when you were young, master?"

Fernando's smile was immediately frozen. Then he glared, "Somebody asked me to build it for him."

"Tsk…" Lucien shook his head, not convinced at all. "There are wrong names, but no wrong nicknames. No wonder they all call you a freak."

"What's that attitude? Life is all about trying. Lucien, I'm very worried about your life status. A man who hasn't tried anything is pathetic." Fernando sniffed and drove Lucien out.

Chapter 510: Ceremony

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the Ratacia Palace in Aalto in the City of Psalm…

Hearing the news forwarded by Philibell, the new Grand Cardinal of the Violet parish, Natasha said with apparent grief, "I didn't expect that my grandfather and my uncle would be summoned by the Lord so quickly."

Although she knew that King Feltis was unwell due to old age and Prince Patrick had always been weak, and she was braced for bad news, Natasha still couldn't stop sorrow from surging in her heart. As she grew up, she had fewer and fewer blood family members who cared for her selflessly. That was the most heartbreaking experience in life.

"Patrick didn't succeed the throne after all…" Grand Duke of Orvarit, who knew the Hoffenberg family even better than Natasha, sighed. But he did not say anything more and simply looked at Natasha, "Are you willing to go to Rentato to inherit the throne of Holm?"

Natasha thought of Holm and Lucien. She then looked at her weary father, whose violet hair had now been mixed by grey. She shook her head firmly, "Holm has many heirs, but you only have me."

"I've been taught to shoulder the responsibility of the Violet family and Duchy of Orvarit. How can I leave?"

Grand Duke of Orvarit patted Natasha's shoulder comfortingly. He smiled at his daughter, "What if I want you to go?"

Huh? Natasha was stunned.

Philibell, who had a beard, echoed peacefully, "You can still come back after you go there. While the Church forbids the Kingdom of Holm from merging with the Duchy of Orvarit, you can be the sovereign of both countries and ask different offspring to inherit them. Therefore, you can stay in Holm for one year and Orvarit for another. The transmission circle will be open to you. This is the Church's reward for your family's years of devotion."

In doing so, it would be easy to both control Natasha and direct the nobles to be used to 'autonomy.' The conflict between the royal power and the regular nobles would be greater.

"Also, I'm still in good shape, and I can be the Grand Duke for at least another twenty years," said Grand Duke of Orvarit half-jokingly, "Your mother was married far away from her family. She felt guilty when she saw her father growing old and her brother haunted by diseases. She failed to meet your grandmother for the last time when she passed away. She felt that she owed a lot to the Hoffenberg family. Therefore, I hope that you can go to Holm when it needs you the most to make up for your mother's regrets."

Natasha fell silent. Her hands were clenched in fists, and she nodded slowly, "Okay."

Philibell said half-seriously and half-jokingly, "Your Highness, the Church is aware that your favorite type is different from that of regular girls. Therefore, we have helped you remove the demand that you must be married. However, you still have to have offspring, which I believe is also the hope of the Grand Duke and the nobles of the two countries. You may consider asking the angels to arrive inside your body as your children. That's a glory only for the devout believers."

Sard blamed what happened in Aalto on Lucien, claiming that Lucien manipulated Princess Natasha when she wanted to comfort the Grand Duke. So, the Church knew that Natasha's sexual orientation was never changed. The Grand Duke learned a thing or two about it later, too.

Natasha lowered her eyes and said, "I'll try."

What she was thinking to herself, however, was something else. "Is the sexless conception that Lucien mentioned real? Can I borrow his… thing?"

Since he made up his mind, Lucien had made up various plans. In case Natasha couldn't handle the pressure and got married to a random noble for a child before he won her over, he regularly introduced the knowledge, including artificial insemination and test-tube baby to her.

Having received Natasha's confirmation, Philibell said kindly, "I will not disrupt your farewell anymore. For your safety and convenience, it would be best if a minor legion of knights comes with you. Their family may use the transmission circle with them."

The regular knight legions, due to different functions, were made of a hundred to five hundred knights of various levels, their squires were ten times more, and soldiers were even more than that. A minor knight legion was the guards for the heirs to a throne, usually made of one radiant knight, three grand knights, six knights, a hundred squires, and five hundred soldiers. However, what Philibell mentioned obviously only included the official knights and their families.

He left after that. The Grand Duke said to Natasha with a smile, "Just now, I said that I could be the Grand Duke for another twenty years, but you'd better not keep me waiting for that long. I want to see my grandchild and the future of the Violet family sooner."

"I'll try." Natasha prayed that Lucien's 'technology' wouldn't go wrong.

The Grand Duke looked at Natasha and said, "I want you to go to Holm, not only because I want you to make up for your mother's regrets, but also because he is there. You won't be separated anymore. So, you need to hurry up on the grandchild thing."

"Father, what are you talking about? Who is he?" Embarrassed, Natasha pretended to be ignorant. Where was her father's misunderstanding from?

The Grand Duke said in a smile, "Who else? Lucien Evans, of course. While you were a pretend couple years ago, my intuitions tell me that you are not a fake one now. I'm very happy about it."

Father, you are overthinking… Natasha thought to herself. However, she hated to hurt the Grand Duke's feelings when they were about to depart and therefore did not explain. In the meantime, she made up her mind to conceive with Lucien's bloodline.

"Don't think I know nothing. To whom have you been talking to for more than one hour every day over the past years?" Grand Duke of Orvarit suddenly felt that his daughter was not as emotionally keen as she claimed.

Natasha tried not to laugh. "That's because we are good friends. I never intended to hide it from you, or you wouldn't have known it at all."

"Alright, go pick your knights. Camil will go to Holm with you." Grand Duke of Orvarit decided to ask Camil to find an opportunity to 'remind' Natasha.

Natasha nodded his head. "Alright, I'll talk to you regularly after I reach Holm."

She began to make plans. "I'll bring John's family and give Lucien a surprise…"

...

The transmission magic circle was opened in the Radiance Church and glowing.

It was one of the largest magic circles to provide reinforcements when the Congress of Magic attacked. Fifty knights could be teleported at once. Despite the fortune of the South Church, such magic circles were only deployed in Lance, Antiffler, Aalto, Rentato, and Hem.

In ivory light, Natasha, Camil, nine knights and their family, about forty people in total, appeared in the transmission magic circle. The ordinary people such as Joel were dizzy and gagging.

Of the nine knights, only John, a level-three grand knight, brought his whole family. The other knights thought that such trouble was unnecessary since they would return to Aalto in one year, and they only brought their wives and children.

"John, you can't go anywhere without your parents? Are you not grown yet?" Fenge, another grand knight, joked with him. He was John's friend and knew that John wouldn't be pissed by a few teasing words.

After weathering through the dizziness, John was in a hurry to take care of Joel, Elsa, and Elvin. He replied with a smile, "It's a rare opportunity to go abroad. Shouldn't we bring our parents and brothers to appreciate a different view? Also, wasn't it, Her Highness' notice that we must bring all family members?"

"I don't think so. Did you hear it right?" Fenge looked at Natasha in confusion.

At this moment, the maids from the Nekso Palace came over. They cleansed Natasha's hair, eyebrows, and other facial parts and donned a cape with the emblem of the Hoffenberg family outside of her ivory armor. That was a purple sigil enshrouded in clouds, with a sacred crown at the center that was next to a gold scepter and a blue longsword on two sides.

"Your Highness, please go to the Nekso Palace with your knights and return to the Radiance Church according to the marked route, where you will be crowned." Rex, president of the Parliament of Nobles, bowed respectfully.

Natasha said solemnly, "Please lead the way, Duke of Frenburg."

John and the other knights hurried to settle their families and leave the Radiance Church with Natasha, arriving at Nekso Palace.

It was late at night after a storm, damp and dark.

"Start!" Rex, who was leading the way, waved his arms.

A knight raised his horn and blew it hard.

Wu!

With the horns, four knights including John rushed out on their horses, followed by Natasha who rode on her horse majestically.

Wu!

The magic crystal lights in the manors were turned on, embracing the new sovereign like the stars in the sky.

"This is…" None of the knights had ever seen such splendor. They were rather shocked.

Wu!

Candles were lit by the houses next to the street. Countless people peeped at their new lord through their windows and door gaps.

Natasha suddenly grew nervous, because crowning required the illumination of the holy light. Could her faith pass the test?

She suddenly felt something. Tilting her head, she saw a black-haired man standing behind a window. His face and his unique monocle were so familiar.

She couldn't help but smile when she saw Lucien. What was there to be scared of if she had weathered through the hunting of legendary experts?

Did she not have sympathy, loyalty or bravery in her heart?

Therefore, Natasha pressed forward with her head held high, leaving a deep impression on the nobles and citizens of Holm.

As they passed through the streets, it was dawn when Natasha and her knights reached the Radiance Church. She was bathed by the first light of morning.

Getting off the horse and stepping into the Church, Natasha walked into the hall unhurriedly to the front of Grand Cardinal Sard, kneeling before the saint cross.

After questions and answers, she laid her left hand on the Cannon and raised her right hand, pointing at the sky with three fingers: "I, Natasha Violet, swear solemnly before the Lord.

"I am a devout believer of the Saint Truth, I will abide by the Cannon and the law of Holm and defend them with my life, and I shall always be ready to fight for the glory of the Lord and the interests of Holm until I die!"

Sard examined her faith with the book of Cannon in front of her.

With a peaceful mind, Natasha was interrogated by the holy light if she had ever broken her knight vow. When given a negative answer, the holy light glowed as if an angel had arrived.

Sard said gently, "You are a devout and determined believer; you are a brave and stubborn knight; you are qualified to be the sovereign of Holm."

While he talked, he took up the gold crown on the red velvet cushion nearby and put it on Natasha's head.

"I hereby announced that under the grace of the Lord, Natasha Violet is to become the Queen of the Kingdom of Holm and all the lands affiliated to it, the Protector of Faith, the Violet Countess, the Lord of Billbis Islands, the Lord of Soloho and Baltimore, the Duchess of Emden, the Lord of the Most Glorious Sword of Truth's Knights, the Most Magnificent Verdict Knights, and the Most Ancient and Honorable Saint Cross Knights."

Natasha raised her head with the crown and took over the symbolic 'Sword of Truth' that was glittering sacredly, allowing it to emit sharp brilliance.

Duke Rex, Duke Solefen, Duke James, Duke Russel, and all the other nobles fell to one of their knees: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Chapter 511: Discovery

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The morning after the rain was particularly refreshing. The sun was not high yet but was warm and gentle.

The selected Dragon Scale horses, emitting silver grey brilliance, accommodated the proud knights to go to the Nekso Palace, galloping as gracefully as if dancing.

Behind them, Natasha accepted the tributes of her subjects with a gold crown and the 'Sword of Truth', followed by the nine dukes and other lower nobles.

After they reached the Nekso Palace, the nobles dispersed and went to the hall where the Parliament of Nobles was located, waiting for the queen to host her first meeting.

Natasha returned to the queen's house calmly and turned on a divine power circle, blocking the center of the Nekso Palace. Then, she took off her armor and changed into a black court dress under the help of Camil and two maids.

Hinting to the two maids to leave, Natasha finally revealed slight exhaustion. "That's a lot of pressure. I don't know who are my enemies, who are my friends, and who are supporters that I can win over. This place is too strange and depressing compared to Orvarit. I didn't even dare to speak when the divine power circle was not activated. Kritonia, 'Heart of Time', is the one responsible for the safety of the Nekso Palace and the entire Rentato."

It was obvious that she did not trust Kritonia.

"Actually, you don't need to come to inherit the throne. Holm is much more complicated than Orvarit. As an outsider who lacks concrete support, you can be involved in schemes and riots easily." Camil said a lot of things despite her usual coldness. "Whether you are inclined to the Congress of Magic, or the Church, or try to balance them, it will all be very troublesome."

Natasha said in a bitter smile, "I know it. Even if I collaborate with the Church to strike the Congress of Magic, disregarding Granny Hathaway and the royal family of Holm, it may still not be enough to resist the Congress. They are expanding to fast. In order to contain them, we need both Holm and the help from Brianne, Colette and Calais. Also, it will raise objections and even the revolt of the liberals, which may result in the division of the kingdom, turning Holm into ruins."

"If I'm inclined to balance, the Church will definitely urge me, and I will have to consider that the Violet family and my father are at places where the Church is most powerful."

"Why did you make such an unwise choice if you knew it so clearly?" Camil blamed her.

Natasha shook her head and said ruthlessly, "What excuse did I have? If I state that I'm unwilling to assist the Church, it would be a betrayal of faith that will be punished by the Holy City, and the Violet family will be weakened openly and clandestinely. Therefore, when I heard the news, I thought that I might go to Holm someday, but not now. However, my father suggested that I come and let me know my mother's regrets."

"Since I couldn't find an excuse, and the blood of Hoffenberg runs in my body, I might as well shoulder the responsibility of Holm. I do not wish to see a civil war in Holm that transforms my mother's beloved hometown into hell. That's why I'm here."

"Besides, I am a devout believer, the leader of the Hoffenberg family and the Violet Countess. The Church should respect my will to some degree, just like before."

"Natasha, that was before. If the situation in Holm comes to a critical moment, the Church will never consider what you think but only ask you to sacrifice for the Lord." Camil found Natasha's plan too ideal.

Natasha smiled and said firmly, "If it is completely against my will, I would rather sacrifice myself. The Church cannot interfere with the power of the throne randomly. That's a deal the two parties reached before the Lord hundreds of years ago. If the Church violates it, they will be heretics and raise all nobles' hostility."

Camil looked at Natasha and helped her clean her necklace. "What are you planning to do? What do you want Holm to become? What's your future direction?"

"Well, I don't know yet. I cannot make up my mind for now." Natasha was more or less confused.

Camil looked at her solemnly, "Then, you'd better figure it out fast. Whether you are to lean towards the Congress of Magic or the Church, or to maintain balance, you have to make a decision soon. That's the only way to make preparations in advance."

She was referring to the Duchy of Orvarit.

"I understand. The principles of my administration must be settled soon in order to issue laws and eliminate opposition. However, that needs a much deeper understanding about the situation in Holm. Now, the only thing certain is that even the most liberal noble is unwilling to be eliminated by the Church and even the most conservative noble wouldn't want to return to the dominance of the royal power hundreds of years ago. That is, not considering people like Gordon who are completely devoted to the Church. So, I should try to maintain balance for the time being." Natasha nodded.

Then, she turned around and looked at the mirror. Touching the emblem of the Hoffenberg family, she said to herself, "Before that, I need to figure out my faith. What is the Lord to me in my heart? What's the relation between the Lord and the Church? Only by seeing through myself can I make future plans, advance into level eight and draw the Sword of Truth. Also, it's hard to tell what Grand Cardinal Sard thinks and wants…"

She did not tell the Grand Duke or Camil about the shaking of her faith. Besides Lucien, only Fernando and Lucien guessed a little from the projection of Mountain Paradise that Francis summoned.

"Alright, it's time to go to the Parliament of Nobles." Camil opened the gate.

Natasha looked at the mirror again. When she saw the fear and sorrow of the beautiful purple-haired girl inside, she suddenly thought of something else, "After I become the queen of Holm, I cannot go to the magic tower to visit Granny Hathaway, or check his unique magic tower and the Atom Institution that he mentioned a lot in Aalto. My every move will be interpreted by the malicious nobles. If I do those two things, it will be a sign that I'm inclined to the Congress of Magic."

"It's impossible for them to visit me under Kritonia's watch… While we are closer in distance, we are actually further from each other."

"I hope his new encryption algorithm can protect our communication…"

...

In the hall of the Parliament of Nobles, Natasha stood on the podium and accepted the nobles' tributes again. Then she said concisely: "Now, I'm going to announce two things. Firstly, the whole country will mourn for a month as my grandfather and my uncle's funeral is prepared. In the meantime, the meetings in the Parliament of Nobles will be suspended, and all the orders and policies needed will be proposed to me."

Now that the king and the prince had both been summoned by the Lord, it was reasonable of Natasha to propose such a request. Therefore, none of the nobles had any objection.

Natasha went on, "Secondly, In light that I don't know much about the affairs of the kingdom yet, and based on my confidence in the policies that my grandfather and my uncle released, unless any unexpected and unprecedented event takes place, I will not approve any motion that changes current policies or ministers in the next six months. Please contribute to the prosperity of the kingdom just like before."

"What?" The nobles exclaimed in shock.

Rex stood up and objected, "Your Majesty, there are many problems in the kingdom that need to be addressed in time. Isn't it too extreme that no motions will be approved?"

"Before my arrival, the kingdom has been growing prosperously thanks to the policies and the efforts of the ministers. Are they no longer applicable just because I am here? Will they turn from being helpful into poisonous in only six months?" Standing straight, Natasha asked back resolutely.

The nobles, who were used to the old King Feltis and the weak Prince Patrick, suddenly felt a lot of pressure.

"No, that is not what I mean. I'm only implying that they may not reflect the current situation." Rex defended himself. He did not want to be marked as someone who slandered the late king.

Count Henson, as the Minister of Finance, was relieved. His post seemed safe now. Therefore, he stood up and argued with Rex, "Her Majesty made it clear that, if anything unexpected happens, say, a certain minister proves to be guilty of a crime, then she will certainly replace him. But until then, carrying on the previous policies and personnel will help the kingdom pass the shock caused by the demise of the king and the prince. I agree with the proposal."

The winners in the past felt more or less regretful that they couldn't earn more, but they could live with it since their interests were not jeopardized. Therefore, both the conservatives and the liberals seconded it. How could anyone in the Parliament of Nobles not be a winner in the past?

"One more thing. I will bequeath estates and properties to the ten knights who came with me from the treasury of the royal family. If there are no objections, this meeting will be over. Let's prepare for the funeral." Natasha looked at the nobles.

It was not the nobles' place to comment on how the money of the royal family was spent. Therefore, they rose and bid the queen farewell.

After they went out, Camil looked at Natasha carefully. "Well done. It was redundant of the Grand Duke to ask me to watch over you."

She believed that Natasha had been well trained as the Violet Countess in the past ten years.

Natasha smiled at the garden up ahead. "There are abundant population and material resources in the new alternate dimensions. They will be the focus of the Church and the Congress. Therefore, I followed someone's advice and did things by not doing anything first."

What she did not mention was the other focus of the Congress, which was the mysteries of 'fission' and 'fusion' that Fernando and Hathaway were working on from the legendary magic models Lucien provided including 'Eternal Blaze'. Lucien couldn't explain the experiment phenomena, as it was based on the discovery and research on the particles such as neutrons. Therefore, he simply ascribed them to Alterna, claiming that he constructed the models by the power of the Silver Moon and the feedback of the world. As a result, the two grand arcanists had to completely dedicate themselves to the research. But of course, since there were magic models, it was still much easier than aimless explorations.

...

In Allyn, Lucien stepped into the Atom Institution.

After Fernando confirmed the existence of nucleus by blowing gold foil with hydrogen particles and Lucien found neutrons by blowing nitrogen with the same particles, establishing his own alchemy system, the elemental sorcerers went crazy, and so did the sorcerers of other schools. More and more arcanists began to blow weird things with particles, hoping to find something. Therefore, Lucien saw quite a few more similar magic circles and alchemical devices in the Atom Institution, like the electromagnetic cyclotron he 'invented'.

"Master, you're back? We were hoping to find you!" Katrina and Layria exclaimed in delight.

"What's up?" Judging from their faces, Lucien could tell that it was a good thing.

With a brilliant smile, Katrina said, "Master, we discovered an unusual phenomenon when we ran low-temperature experiments. When metals are lowered to a specific temperature, their electrical resistance will be gone!"

Chapter 512: Students Different Thoughts

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Superconductivity? Lucien almost blurted out.

Before, when he asked Jerome, Annick, Katrina and Layria to run experiments on the changes of nature of different materials in low temperatures, Layria was mainly meant to create a vacuum with coal. He did not expect that they would discover superconductivity at all, because helium was not found yet, and there was no way to approach absolute zero. Later, he was so busy with other things that he forgot about their task.

After Jerome advanced into middle-rank and got his Holm Crown Ring, he filed an application to Lucien and changed the focus of his studies to X rays. So, his previous projects were given to Katrina and Layria.

However, Lucien merely regarded it as a potential supplement, and he asked the two girls to focus on the new alchemy, namely the particles in the elemental field. He did not expect that he would embrace a pleasant surprise today.

Holding in his emotions, Lucien asked in surprise, "The electrical resistance is gone?"

superconductivity, what a beautiful noun. Lucien couldn't help but think of the mag-lev technology, the large particle collider, the hope to strengthen his electromagnetic gun, and magnetics-restrained controllable fusion.

"If controllable fusion is achieved, the power source of Allyn will be better improved. Similar sky cities will no longer be restrained by energy. The legendary sorcerers will have one more standard item, which is a city that floats in the blue sky. Well, should I call it 'Sun Well' or 'Eternal Furnace', or maybe 'Evans Energy Core'?"

Lucien was woken up from his fantasy by Layria's delighted voice. "Yes, it is not gradually gone, but suddenly disappears when the temperature is lowered to a certain place!"

"What materials did you use? What was the temperature?" Lucien began to ask more carefully. Annick, Heidi, Sprint, Jerome and other people also came close. The two girls had been obviously overjoyed since a few days ago, but they didn't tell anything to their partners, so the other students were already filled with curiosity.

Calming down, Katrina said, "Master, since the helium you discovered lowered the minimally possible temperature, we were interested in the experiment again and tried many materials in our spare time. Half a month ago, when we studied the mercury in low temperatures, we discovered that its electrical resistance was suddenly gone when the temperature was lowered to 4.2 degrees from absolute zero. Later, we tried other metals such as lead and reached the same result, except that the temperatures were different."

"Yes, I never knew that electrical resistance could disappear!" Layria could not believe her discovery even to this moment.

Lucien listened carefully and asked them to repeat their experiment. He was gradually freed from his previous ecstasy, too. The superconductivity right now was still based on materials in an extremely low temperature, which meant that it was highly impractical. Despite the assistance of magic, it would be difficult to be applied in reality.

For example, if Lucien were to increase the power of his electromagnetic gun magic with the ultra-powerful magnetic field caused by superconductivity, he would not only have to combine the similar structures into it but also melt the parts in Snow Goddess' Whip where a low temperature could be created. As a result, the magic would be terribly difficult to achieve. Lucien estimated that it was at least legendary level. By the same logic, in order to achieve controllable fusion, he needed to be improved to Silver Moon Alterna's level.

Also, the relevant files in his spirit library had not been unlocked yet, so there was still a long way to go in the research of superconductivity. After the substantiation of his cognitive world, Lucien was already able to read the files on the special theory of relativity in the spirit library, part of them on the general theory of relativity, and part on the quantum theory, but the more advanced and detailed files were still locked.

Lucien nodded in approval at the girls' demonstration. "Do you know the value of your research? It means that you will win a Silver Moon Medal. The sorcerers of the electromagnetics faction will crazily love you."

Jerome and others gasped, not expecting that Katrina and Layria could win a Silver Moon Medal.

Sprint, Heidi and Annick, on the other hand, were rather frustrated. They believed that Mr. Jerome deserved a Holm Crown prize, which was a reward for his devotion and persistence. When the man became a sorcerer, they hadn't even known what magic was yet, so there was nothing to be jealous about. However, now that some of their classmates were going to win the highest honor in electromagnetics, they felt rather complicated.

Katrina and Layria blushed and couldn't say anything in their excitement. It was not until a long time later that Katrina said, "Master, we knew that the research was very valuable, but we did not expect we would be awarded for it. Right, this is our paper. Could you see if there's anything wrong? If not, would you please sign your name?"

It was a project of the Atom Institution. Lucien couldn't break the rules. He browsed through the paper, checked the data, and signed his name, before he gave it back to the girls and said, "You should also sign your names. As second-circle sorcerers, you are qualified to share the honor."

Lucien smiled at Katrina and Layria whose hands were shaking. "You are waiting for me to come back before you publish it?"

"Of course. This is your research. You are undoubtedly the lead author. Also, being praised by you is more exciting for us than being given a Silver Moon Medal." Said Layria delightedly.

Lucien chuckled in a good mood. "Submit it in the Sorcerer Administrative Department later. However, you must not go easy on your following research, and you should try to find materials with superconductivity in normal temperature. Right, you need to work on particles, too. Don't stray from the path you choose."

"Understood!" The girls replied with their heads held high, apparently overjoyed.

Suddenly, Katrina thought of something else and asked, "Master, when we discovered superconductivity, a very incomplete model appeared in our cognitive world. It was even more incomplete than the feedback you described. It's absolutely impossible to complete the model. Why is that?"

"Of course it is incomplete. Have you figured out the nature of superconductivity and understood why it only appeared at a low temperature?" Lucien patted their shoulder with a smile, "If you cannot complete it for now, you can improve other electromagnetic magics based on it to improve their power or lower their difficulty."

Layria hurried to ask, "Master, can we ask you questions about improving magics? We don't have any experience in that."

Although they learnt the basics in school, they had been working in the Atom Institution since graduation and never needed to improve any magic. Therefore, they asked for their teacher's help subconsciously.

"I'm your teacher. You are free to ask me any questions." Lucien nodded. He was rather curious about their incomplete model, too, and hoped to improve the power of his electromagnetic gun with it.

Receiving an affirmative reply from their teacher, Katrina and Layria went to the Sorcerer Administrative Department joyfully. Lucien, on the other hand, looked back at Annick, Sprint, Heidi and Chelly. Sensing their complicated feelings, he asked with a smile, "Very envious and jealous?"

As if stung in the back, Sprint suddenly stood straight and raised his head, "Not at all! I will definitely earn the highest honors of different fields just like you, master."

"Well, I'm indeed a bit jealous. I'm going to teach them a lesson tonight. They kept it from me for such a long time!" Heidi admitted it rather frankly.

She tried to cover her real feelings with a joke, but her smile was still rather awkward.

Annick scratched his head. "Sort of. However, I'm quite satisfied with my research about particles. According to Mr. Lazar, Mr. Jerome and Mr. Rock, it's a world full of treasures, and whether or not I find anything depends on my efforts. I believe that I will achieve something in the future."

He was only slightly more talkative in front of Lucien and his fellows in the Atom Institution.

"I envy them, but my studies on that are still shallow. It's perfectly normal that Katrina is ahead of me." Chelly, who came one year later, was rather cool about it, but she appeared to be bothered by other problems.

Lucien saw it but did not ask. He simply said, "I have just returned from an alternate dimension. Who can tell me the latest studies on arcana and magics in the past two months?"

Jerome replied, "After your New Alchemy was published, all the sorcerers in the Congress of Magic went mad! It touched the field of the Creator! Therefore, regardless of their faction, as long as they knew part of elemental magics, they were all working on your 'new alchemy' and the particles, even including the arcanists who had distinguished achievements in their fields."

"On the other hand, the war between the particle theory and the wave theory has entered a predicament. The former cannot explain light quantum, and the latter cannot explain the classic double-slit experiment. Hehe. The sorcerers of the two factions are both conducting relevant explorations, hoping to defeat the enemy."

Heidi shook her head at the stubborn supporters of the wave theory. However, it was true that the confirmation of light quantum hypothesis could not completely invalidate the wave theory, because many phenomena were still inexplicable. Those sorcerers, living through their panic, picked up classic experiments as their weapons again.

The supporters of the particle theory, on the other hand, had made a gratifying comeback and was on par with the supporters of the wave theory now.

Annick added, "According to the journals in the past two months, many arcanists were trying to explain President Douglas' experiment from the perspective of the wave theory."

Lucien nodded at that. He planned to write a paper that copied the Lorentz transformation 1 to explain President Douglas' experience, so that his teacher could be mentally prepared for the special theory of relativity that he was going to submit to his teacher later.

"Alright, I basically get it now. There is no need for you to envy Katrina and Layria. They deserve the honor because they persisted in the experiments on the materials in the super-low temperatures. You, on the other hand, are faced with a boundless world of particles where infinite mysteries lie. What you can get is solely up to yourselves."

"Is there anything you want to ask me? If not, I'm going to Rentato."

Annick and Sprint raised their hands when other people shook their heads. "Master, I have one question."

"What is it?" Lucien raised his eyebrow.

Annick and Sprint looked at each other and asked boldly, "Our question is the same. Master, theoretically speaking, your cyclotron should improve the energy of particles infinitely as long as the space is large enough, but why were the cycles of the particles changing and breaking away from the acceleration field of the cyclotron in the end? Should the cycles only be concerned with electric charge, mass and intensity of the magnetic field? None of the factors changed, and the particles were only sped up!"

Lucien frowned. He could not tell them that it was the relativistic effect, right? The faster an object is, the greater its mass would be…

In physics, the Lorentz transformations is a one-parameter family of linear transformations from a coordinate frame in spacetime to another frame that moves at a constant velocity (the parameter) relative to the former.

Chapter 513: Inside and Outside the House

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Thinking for a moment, Lucien asked, "As the speed and energy of particles are improved, the radius of their tract will grow accordingly. However, the capacity of the cyclotron is limited. In order to break the boundary, you will have to either expand the capacity with space-related magics, or build a particularly huge cyclotron, setting a radius of ten kilometers."

If they were not clear about the problem, Lucien intended to fool them with this excuse for now.

"Master, that's not what we meant," said Sprint in a hurry, "Based on the specifications of the cyclotron in the institution, we calculated the theoretical particle energy we can reach, but it was quite different from reality. The particles deviated from the acceleration field much earlier than it was accelerated to that level. It was obvious that the orbits and the frequency of electrical field changes were in conflict, which was odd. Just like Annick said, shouldn't the orbits only be concerned with an electric charge, mass and intensity of the magnetic field?"

Annick added, "We intended to adjust the frequency of the electricl field changes to adapt to the changes in the orbits, so that the particle energy could be better improved. However, we lacked the corresponding knowledge to calculate the new orbits. So, we are hoping that master could tell us whether you discovered the phenomenon when you invented the cyclotron, and whether you could point out the source of our problem."

It seemed that they had indeed found a problem. Lucien nodded softly, "Annick is a very prudent man. Now that you dare to raise it, it means that it is a real phenomenon that has been repetitively tested. However, I was forced to enter the alternate dimension after I devised the cyclotron, and I haven't run any experiments with it. I cannot think of an explanation just yet. Therefore, we need to work on the problem together."

"The formulas regarding the movement of particles in the magnetic field and the electric field seem alright. They have been proved in the early phase, too. So, we need to find out the different conditions that caused the problem."

"The speed was fast." Heidi interrupted. She had heard a lot about the problem from Annick and Sprint.

Sprint thought and said, "The energy was improved, and the radius of the tract grew larger."

Lucien waved his hands. "The essence of the latter is the increase in speed. Considering the different conditions of the two phases of the experiment, does it suggest that the formulas are no longer applicable, or that the other specifications of the particles, such as electric charge and mass, will change, in high speed or high energy?"

Lucien already held back his surprise. He intended to raise the consideration of the arcanists, so that they would be mentally prepared for the special theory of relativity later.

"Hehe, how is it possible? The faster, and the larger the mass the more the electric charge will be?" Heidi grimaced. How could the improvement of speed change mass, the in-built nature of an object?"

Sprint and Annick looked the same. They believed that part of energy was transformed into electricity in the high energy state. For them, even if the formulas were not applicable in the high speed state, they were worth studying more than the joke that the mass had grown larger.

"There's still some time until the end of the month. You will work on the question and write a paper. I'll ask Mr. Drummond to publish it on 'Arcana'." Lucien ended the topic and asked about the studies of Jerome and the other people.

However, it had been only two months. It was already impressive of the Atom Institution to discover 'superconductivity' and 'relativistic effect'. Naturally, no significant breakthroughs were made in other experiments, although Jerome did dig into the nature and usage of X rays, discovering that it could be a chronic curse when energy was increased.

After inspecting the Atom Institution, Lucien returned to Rentato on the magic steam train, waiting for the evening.

...

Tall, strong, gold-haired, and handsome, John was well observed by the maids when he patrolled in the Nekso Palace.

"John, your time is up. Time for me to patrol." Fenge came to replace John when the night fell. Natasha had deployed the knights who followed her to Holm to different key locations in the Nekso Palace. "It will be your turn to supervise the interrogation room of the Nekso Palace. Don't be captivated by the beautiful girls of Holm and forget that."

John patted Fenge's shoulder in a smile, "Do you think I'm like you? Alright, I'll bring my family to the villa and settle them down first."

John found Joel, Elsa and Elvin in a room in the Nekso Palace. Led by a maid, the four of them went to the villa that Natasha offered to them.

"The architectural style is vintage and graceful, obviously different from Aalto." Joel observed his family's villa in a great mood, not upset by the separation from his homeland. He was too focused on appreciating the exotic landscape of the foreign land.

Not an artist as Joel was, Elsa observed the environment and said in satisfaction, "As expected of a villa granted by the royal family. It's much better than our house."

Passing through the blooming garden and reaching the gate, the maid brought out a bronze key rather shyly and opened the gate. Then, she pressed the wall skillfully. After a crack, the hall was ablaze with light. The crystals glittered brilliantly, driving away the darkness.

The view deeply astounded Joel, Elsa and the rest of them. Their own hall was as bright as day, splendid and dazzling, like nightless Mountain Paradise in the Cannon.

Noticing their shock, the maid said proudly, "Lord Baron, they are the crystal electric lamps that can only be seen in Holm. They are powered by the electric current transmitted from the river far away. It's very easy to use them. All you need to do is to press the switch."

As a maid of the royal family, she represented the queen. So, she could not call them magic lights, like the ordinary people did, but have to call them by their official name.

Pointing at the row of switches next to the gate, the maid showed the newcomers how to use them.

As the crystal lamps were lit one after another, stars seemed to be glittering in the villa splendidly. John, Joel, Elsa and Elvin were so dazzled that they thought they were in a dream.

"Unbelievable. I'm already falling in love with this place." Elvin, who had been an adult for a while, had the curiosity of a young person. He was thinking how to brag about this to his friends after he went back.

The maid led the few of them into the hall. Pointing at the bar near the dining room, she said, "The orange wall there can be opened. The lower part is to store wine and food, while the upper floor creates ice. If you put the ice into wine, you will enjoy a unique flavor and forget the heat of summer."

While talking, she opened the magic refrigerator that had been built into a wall. "There's also a wine cellar in the basement of the villa. They are both powered by electricity. Ordinary people are free to use them, too."

She was talking to Joel and Elsa.

"Oh, so cool! The ice cellar is a bumpkin compared to this!" Elvin praised and took out a bottle of wine with ice, feeling the heat of summer dispersing.

"What's this?" John calmed down and asked, deep in thought.

The maid smiled, "The inventor has named it 'refrigerator'. They are expensive and cannot be manufactured yet. For now, you are the only ones who can enjoy them besides Her Majesty and a few great nobles."

"By 'you', do you mean all the knights who come with the queen?" John asked, pretending to be casual.

The maid smiled but didn't reply. She continued to show them the villa and introduced the novel objects here, showing, the silver boxes hanging in every corner of the house.

What surprised Joel and Elsa was that those boxes would blow out wind of different temperatures and create coolness as long as the buttons on the wall were pressed.

Before they finished their tour, something began to ring loudly.

"What's this? John and Elvin asked the maid while they looked at the iron 'monster' on the table that was marked with numbers.

The maid hinted for him to pick up the bar-shaped object with a smile. "It should be for you, Lord Baron."

John picked up the object in confusion and heard Fenge's laughter before it reached his ear. "John, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Fenge, what's this about?" John asked in ignorance.

Fenge replied with great satisfaction. "This is Holm's unique wire phone that supports remote, direct communication. What a marvelous object! If anything goes wrong, I'll be able to inform you immediately."

He seemed to be receiving the same introduction on the other side of the line.

"Most of the nobles and merchants in Rentato have such phones. The contact list is over there. You can dial and call them if you need anything." The maid pointed at a notebook next to the 'phone' in a smile.

"Alright." John needed to sort through his mind after seeing so many inventions at once.

After introducing the servants, the maid of the royal family left. The house became quiet again.

They should all be simplified magic objects. Were they made by him? John considered. When he raised his head, he saw suspicion in Joel's eyes, too.

Suddenly, Elsa said in a low voice, "This is Holm. Do you think Evans is around?"

"What if he is? Can we even meet him? The queen has just been crowned by the Church. Besides, we sold him out once before…" Joel said somewhat bitterly.

Hearing his words, Elsa's eyes turned red, and she couldn't say anything.

John, on the other hand, fell silent and sighed.

Elvin, who hadn't activated his bloodline, was not bothered. "We were doing what Brother Evans told us to do. Besides, magic items are everywhere in Holm. The sorcerers must be very close to the nobles."

While saying, he adjusted the frequency of the radio he found.

"Don't care about what other nobles do. As outsiders, we do not have support. We need to consider Her Majesty's reputation." John said thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a voice as refreshing as that of a lark echoed from the radio. "… Mr. Lucien Evans, a member of the Arcana Review Board, has returned from the alternate dimension safe and sound. He condemned certain extremists of the Hand of Paleness for their stubbornness and the rumors that they instigated the Necromancy sorcerers who were unaware of the truth to spread out. Such rumors, as twisted facts, are a slander for himself and the Congress. He calls for everyone to be united around the Highest Council that is centered at President Douglas."

"What happened exactly? Allow us to replay the story for you…"

"A member of the Arcana Review Board…" John repeated the title.

Joel and Elsa murmured, "Lucien Evans…"

Outside the villa, the lamps went on one after another. In their shadow, Lucien stared at the bright window with his hands in his pockets, wondering if he should go in and meet Uncle Joel in such a situation.

Hu. After a soft sigh, Lucien turned around and slowly walked to the royal magic tower of Holm.

Chapter 514: Anomaly at Night

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The royal magic tower of Holm was in the district of the nobles. It didn't take long for Lucien to arrive at the gate. He took off his mask and entered the tower after passing the examination.

The night was getting dark, but the magic tower was more lively than any of Lucien previous visits. Since the queen was from the City of Psalm, it remained to be seen whether the attitude towards sorcerers would be changed. Therefore, for their safety, some of the sorcerers living in Rentato brought their family to Allyn, and some hid in the royal magic tower of Holm.

It was right after dinner. Sorcerers in groups of twos or threes were roaming or discussing in the hall. The merry laughter of children could be heard now and then.

Rebeca was talking with a few sorcerers of the Will of Elements about the most popular 'new alchemy system', when she saw a young man in a high hat walking in through the gate. Her eyes were suddenly frozen, and she exclaimed in both panic and shock, "Good evening, Mr. Evans."

All the sound in the hall was gone. Everybody shifted their eyes to Lucien and greeted him one after another, Good evening, Mr. Evans."

They were so respectful that they did not seem to be facing a young sorcerer no older than 25, but one of the legendary bigshots.

Lucien keenly sensed the attitude change of the sorcerers of the Will of Elements and the branch of Holm. Those sorcerers respected and envied him in the past, but they revered and worshiped him right now, as if he were a grand arcanist or a legendary sorcerer.

Was it because of the new alchemy?

Looking at the lady who greeted him first, Lucien nodded and said, "It's been a while, Rebeca."

Her 'mistake' allowed Lucien to take part in the annual meeting of elements and alchemy, where his paper on the periodic table was approved by Raventi. Therefore, Lucien remembered her very well. Besides, she was very close to Lazar, who talked about her all the time. Chances were that she would become Mrs. Lazar soon.

"You—You still remember me, Mr. Evans?" Rebeca asked in surprise and delight.

Lucien pointed at his head with a smile, "I always have a good memory. Besides, Lazar mentions you all the time."

"I wonder when he is coming back." Rebeca said with some worry.

After the small talk, Lucien bid her farewell with a smile and went to the upper floor.

The other sorcerers crowded after he disappeared into the lift and quacked: "Rebeca, you know Mr. Evans so well?"

"I have many questions and considerations regarding the new alchemy. Could you forward them to Mr. Evans for me?"

"Can you ask Mr. Evans whether more sorcerers are needed in the Atom Institution?"

Rebeca suddenly felt that time was really flying. She first heard Lucien Evans' name because her love for the Symphony of Fate and the great musician. Then, she learnt from Lazar that a genius arcanist had appeared whose very first paper had been highly praised. After only eight years, the quiet young man had created one record after another and was about to reach the summit of arcana to appreciate the landscape of the height with the few grand arcanists.

However, she was not jealous of him, because the gap between her and the terrifying arcanist who had been coming up with revolutionary theories was too large for any jealousy. She could only feel helplessness and admiration.

Also, the new alchemy was different from Lucien's previous achievements, which were only confirmed and accepted after suspicion and disputes. It had been regarded as the spark of wisdom that would illuminate the new world since it was born. Most of the sorcerers were crazy about it.

They all understood that 'new alchemy' was essentially different from the previous 'alchemy', in that it was more of an internal model of atoms and a system that was built on such a model and depicted the changes of elements. 'Alchemy' was just additional knowledge; the mysteries of the microworld were its main content.

It was very important for the sorcerers who explored arduously in the depths and darkness of the microworld. From this moment on, the exploration in the field was no longer blind. It's like stars shining in a dark night, or a lighthouse that the ships in a storm finally saw.

Of course, they knew that a lot of problems regarding 'new alchemy' were yet to be addressed, but it had undoubtedly opened the gate of creation. Lucien would become a grand arcanist because of it someday!

"Perhaps one day, we will be able to change matter freely." A sorcerer said with sincere delight.

Another sorcerer looked at the lift and remarked with admiration, "When that day comes, Mr. Evans will definitely be one of the most dazzling names in the history of magic."

…

The new alternate dimensions were still being developed. The archmages and senior-rank sorcerers including Raventi mostly hadn't come back. Lucien entered his office and looked at the Nekso Palace that looked like a galaxy on earth through the window. Then, he turned on his 'communication glass'.

"… Hello, Lucien?" Natasha sounded exhausted.

Her earrings had been modified by Lucien, allowing her to hear the encrypted voice.

Lucien said with a smile, "Good evening, Your Majesty. Are you reading the files of the intelligence department and the secret library?"

The reason why he spoke to Natasha from the royal magic tower of Holm was because he did not want to expose himself.

While there was no way that Sard or Kritonia could've cracked his encryption algorithm, they could detect the source of electromagnetic waves that they perceived. If he were to contact Natasha from Allyn, it would raise suspicion about his real relationship with her, but if he was in the royal magic tower of Holm, it would mislead people into thinking that he was Hathaway, as it was perfectly normal for a senior to care for a junior.

"Yes, although you told me a lot about Holm in the past years, it was broken and unsystematic. I need to grasp it more deeply and comprehensively." Natasha then chuckled and said, "As the queen's loyal knight, Count Lucien Evans, what do you suggest?"

Radiant knights were usually given titles of viscount or count. So, senior-rank sorcerers could enjoy the same privilege.

Lucien said with a smile, "Meet the great nobles, the powerful nobles and the nobles in charge of critical positions one by one. Talk to them and find people whom you can trust and depend on. As the queen, you have the natural right to command them. There's nothing to worry about. Right. After the funeral, start to inspect the Sword of Truth's Knights, the Verdict Knights and the Saint Cross Knights. Regroup part of the squads. Of course, most importantly of all, you need to improve yourself. The sooner you reach level eight and pick up the level-three Sword of Truth, the easier it will be for you to take initiative of the situation."

"But who can I trust and depend on?" Natasha said in a self-mocking smile.

Lucien comforted her, "You need to know your heart and your faith first. If you don't know what you want, you can never tell enemies from friends. Although you can intensify the conflict between the liberals and the conservatives and maintain the balance, it will not last. After all, the conservatives are backed by the Church, and the liberals are supported by the Congress."

Instead of waiting for Natasha to reply, Lucien decided to stimulate her faith. "According to the news from the Congress, the prince may have been murdered."

"What? By whom?" While Natasha thought that the deaths of her grandfather and her uncle were coincidental, they had been on the verge of death in the first place, and it was still acceptable. But hearing what Lucien said, she was more than shocked and infuriated.

"We suspect that Kritonia, 'Heart of Time', did it. Only his abilities to control time could've make the prince die of grief flawlessly. At that time, Sard and Rex were both in the Nekso Palace." Lucien was sorry for Natasha but still finished brutally.

Natasha took deep breaths. "Are you saying that the Church and part of the conservatives planned it? What proof do you have?"

"There is no direct proof. What can be confirmed is as follows: Sard, Rex and Kritonia were all in the Nekso Palace back then, which can be proved by many nobles and maids; also, Her Excellency Hathaway examined Prince Patrick before the new year and believed that he could live for another five to six years; the liberals including Duke James proved that the prince and the king were as indifferent with each other as enemies. How could he have been grieving? You must know a thing or two about them." Lucien introduced the intelligence he collected in the past day.

After a long silence, Natasha said hoarsely, "I'll bid farewell to my uncle's body in the funeral. I wonder if I can find anything…"

Her voice sounded lost and overwhelmed, which pained Lucien. Knowing that he went too far, he hurried to rectify it, "Even though it was done by the Church, it does not mean anything. The God of Truth lies in everyone's heart, and everyone can pray to Him directly. The Church, on the other hand, is just an organization that tries to separate the believers from the Lord. It may be righteous, and it may be evil."

"Just review your path as a knight and consider what is it that you have been persisting in. Are you going to defend the glory of the God of Truth, or that of the Church?"

"Of course I'm defending the Lord. But if the Church is abandoned, how can we organize the rituals and praise the Lord?" Natasha was trapped by the details.

Lucien said with a smile, "The Church is a tool between the believers and God. If it is no longer necessary, just throw it away. If it is still useful, you can modify and make it suit you. There's no need to cling to the South Church."

"Wait, wait, wait. I need to sort through my faith." The fact that Prince Patrick could've been murdered by the Church was quite a shock to Natasha.

…

Under the night sky, Juliana, who was summoned from Aalto, spoke to a few night watchers next to her in an enchanting tone, "The Church is weak, the nobles are arrogant, and the glory of the Lord has been severely tarnished. Therefore, we will purge the unqualified believers as per the will of the Lord."

She pointed at a villa not far away. "Baron Austin is a corrupt man who is inclined to the sorcerers. According to his servants, he listens to 'Arcana Voice' every day. Our purpose is to clean him and defend the glory of the Lord, but we will probably be punished by the Church. Are you willing to do that?"

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins…"

Chapter 515: Sard's Apology

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the living room on the second floor of the villa, Baron Austin was listening to the sweet voice of Ms. Nightingale attentively in his pajamas.

Since it was inappropriate to go to his mistress during the time of a national funeral, he could only kill time by listening to 'Arcana Voice'. Also, he found many programs in the channel very interesting, sometimes even more interesting than spending time with his mistress.

In Holm, except for the most conservative nobles and believers, it was a fashion to listen to the forbidden music radio station. The content in it was the topic in many parties of the liberals. Whoever did not listen to it would be considered outdated and rejected by their circle.

"… From today on, the program will change slightly. Next, you will hear 'Holm Observation' that is hosted by me. It will inform you of the major events in the kingdom."

"… I believe our dear audience have learnt that the beloved, respected Prince Patrick followed King Feltis due to grief after the king passed away. However, what about the process and the details? This program will direct you towards the truth behind the case."

Austin had been leaning against the sofa casually, but he sat straight and became solemn after hearing the introduction.

Holm Observation's exploration on the matter was still in the phase of unproven speculations. It interviewed random eyewitnesses to prove that Prince Patrick was in good health during the few days prior and couldn't have collapsed all of a sudden.

Although Nightingale did not say it outright, she was clearly insinuating that the Church did not like the prince for his favor of magic and alchemy. Anyone could infer from her words that the Church had assassinated the prince.

Austin gasped hard. He recalled what the liberals in the Parliament of Nobles said. The more he thought, the more suspicious he became. A week ago, the prince had just hosted a gathering of the liberals. His body condition was exactly like before, and he was in such a terrible relationship with the king. How could he have died from grief?

"They are bold enough to kill the crown prince…" Austin put the wine cup back on the table and began to pace.

When his back was faced to the window, two shadows lunged in and attacked him who was only in the level of regular knight easily.

"Who are you? How dare you attack a noble… Night watchers?" Austin saw the black gloves that the two men wore. "You are bold enough to arrest a noble directly? You are breaking the agreement between the Church and the nobles!"

Juliana flew in from the window and looked at Austin coldly, "The Church is too weak. Only we can defend the glory of the Lord."

"Are you going to divide the nobles and the Church, weaken the Church, and make it impossible for the glory of the Lord to spread?" Austin was not an idiot. He realized that he had encountered one of those zealous, extreme night watchers. Therefore, he simply suggested that their doing was on the contrary of their purpose.

"The Lord is almighty. He did not stop you because it is a test for us. If purging the nobles who have been inclined to the sorcerers like you raises the objection of the nobles of Holm, it will mean that they are all corrupt and beyond rescue. The throne must kneel before the Lord." Juliana loathed sorcerers from the bottom of her heart. She extended her hand coldly and pressed Austin's forehead. "Repent in hell!"

"How dare you…" Holy light glowed, and Austin's head was pierced through. The blood was all vaporized. Even the rug was not stained.

Juliane put her left hand on her right hand and said, "Write down why we purged him and what he committed, submit it to the inquisition, and forward it to the Parliament of Nobles."

"We punish sinners as representatives of the will of the Lord; we do not hide."

"Understood!" The other night watchers echoed simultaneously.

…

Inside the royal magic tower of Holm, Lucien reminded Natasha in the end. "Be wary of Sard. There's no telling what he is up to."

"If he is really influenced by the World of Souls, like the pontiff and the saints in the North Church, his purpose may be to separate the five parishes here from the Church and to make himself the pontiff…" Since she hadn't figured out her stance yet, she was not sure whether it was a good or bad result.

Lucien shook his head. "Don't blindly refer to history. Sard is too sophisticated for that. After all, the South Church cannot stand yet another division. Besides, he has been in office for only two months. I fear that he hasn't even won the cardinal of the Holm parish yet. What can he use to create division? Not to mention that there are parishes defended by other saint cardinals. Therefore, don't be fooled by his recent performance."

Natasha said softly, "All in all, I'll try to find out his purpose. You'd better be careful, too, because you are the easiest one to deal with among the high-ranking experts on the Cleansing List."

"Rest assured about that. I have the Congus Ring with me." Lucien looked at the iron ring on his left hand.

Because his left hand would nullify the supernatural powers, Lucien had moved the Holm Crown Rings to his right hand and only kept the legendary ring that remained unaffected on his left hand.

"Okay, everyone knows that you have a legendary item!" Natasha pretended to be jealous. "After I sort through my heart and advance into level eight, I will have one, too! I'll also bring the Shield of Truth over. In that case, I'll have the strongest defense and the strongest attack. Haha!"

She did not want Lucien to end the call depressed and therefore made fun of him.

…

When it was dawn, Duke Rex, president of the Parliament of Nobles, flew to the Radiance Church gloomily.

"Your Excellency Saint Sard, I need an explanation. Why did the night watchers eliminate a baron and official knight without the approval of Her Majesty and the Parliament of Nobles?" Rex spoke to Sard in the library angrily, "It will dishearten all the nobles? How can they trust the Church and contribute to it later?"

Sard replied peacefully, "I only just learnt of the matter. I'll ask the inquisition to deal with the few night watchers. An explanation will be given. Rex, you know that there are a lot of extremists among the night watchers. You cannot let the friendship between the nobles and the Church be sabotaged by a few rabid dogs, right?"

Rex was more or less appeased by Sard's attitude. "If it was the personal operation of few night watchers, and they are punished rigorously, I'm confident to pacify the nobles who favor the Church, but it's hard to say the nobles who favor the Congress of Magic. Also, the queen will reject the Church and us if she runs into such things when she is just crowned. I hope that Your Excellency Saint Sard can control the Church well in case of other extreme cases."

"I'll try to get the Holm parish under control in two years. In the meantime, I hope that nobles can pay attention to what they say and do and inform me in time if they are noticed by the extremists of the Church." Sard replied friendly, "Right, write the nobles' reactions to the matter into a document. I'll report it to the pope. In any case, the extremists are devout night watchers. The pope has to approve it before they are punished."

Rex nodded. "Alright, I'll have someone write it. Now, I'm going to the Nekso Palace and explain it to the queen face to face, in fact she is infuriated by the incident."

Watching Rex leave, Sard picked up the paper on the desk, which was the list of the few rogue night watchers.

Reading it with a smile, Sard brushed it with his thumb, and Juliana's name was immediately gone. Then, he picked up his quill and wrote, "… Because of the long suppression from the Congress of Magic and the consecutive holy light cases, many extremists have appeared in the clergy and night watchers in the Holm parish. Some of them believe that they have to eliminate the blasphemers within us to be united against the Congress of Magic. Some are similar to them. They believe that the Church is too weak and the nobles are too arrogant. Only by being radical can they wake up the numb people.

While others doubt the necessity to resist the Congress of Magic and believe that we can live in peace if we both make compromises."

"The incident this time was caused by the second type of extremists. I admit that my control over the parish is not good enough. I ask Your Holiness to send my previous assistants, Vera Amelton and other people from the Violet parish, to help me, so that I can settle down the issue and contain the extremists, and the nobles will not be pushed to the side of the Congress of Magic again."

"As for the punishment, I believe Octave, the cardinal in charge of the inquisition of the parish, holds full responsibility for the matter. Cardinal Amelton will replace him. However, in light of the complexities in the parish, he will still serve here…"

…

Reading the document submitted by the night watchers and listening to Rex's defense, Natasha was emotionless.

It was not until he spoke of the Church's decision that Natasha nodded and said, "Extreme lunatics are everywhere. The relation between nobles and the Church is not to be affected by them. I believe that most nobles will accept it as long as the Church shows sincerity."

Rex was relieved. It was indeed as expected of a queen from the City of Psalm to be inclined to the Church. "It's very wise of you, Your Majesty."

Right when he was about to leave, Natasha suddenly asked, "According to the night watchers' report, Baron Austin was listening to 'Arcana Voice' when he was arrested and executed, and the radio station was playing the content that implied Duke Rex assassinated my uncle Patrick. What's your take on that?"

"It is without a doubt the slander of the Congress of Magic that tries to sow discord between Your Majesty and the Church! They do not have any proof. It's just random talk." Rex defended himself solemnly.

Natasha raised her eyebrow. "You listened to the program?"

"The intelligence workers listened and reported the content to me." Rex explained.

Natasha nodded and didn't pursue it further. "Submit the intelligence to me earlier next time."

It was not until then that Rex realized he had misspoken. He hurried to say, "Because you were occupied by too many affairs recently, Your Majesty, I filtered the intelligence first and only submitted the important information. In the future, it will be directly submitted to you."

"It's alright. I understand your kindness. You may leave now." Natasha asked Rex to leave, as casual as before.

It was not until Rex was out of the palace that Natasha suddenly turned solemn.

…

Lucien reached the 33rd floor of Allyn magic tower through a lift and entered 'Thunder Hell', Fernando's demiplane, through the Portal to Alternate Realm in the library.

Fernando's hair was more or less messy. It seemed that reverse engineering of fusion and fission was more difficult than Lucien imagined when a lot of knowledge and discoveries were missing.

"Right on time. Describe your feelings when you performed 'Eternal Blaze' again." Fernando raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at Lucien. Then, his face became rather complicated, "You have new papers again?"

Lucien was holding a pile of papers in his hands.