531 - 538

Chapter 531: Hot Tide

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After seeing Rock off, Lucien shook his head and smiled, not having high hopes in him. Then, he focused his attention on Arcana and finished it. He saw the paper that Annick and Sprint submitted for discussion about the differences between the actual effect and the ideal effect of the cyclotron. They vaguely determined that energy was transformed into electricity, but they failed to come up with any formula to deduce the specific data to adjust it.

"I hope more people can begin thinking about this question." Lucien closed the journal and focused on analyzing the eighth-circle magic.

...

On July 3, in the morning, the tide of hotness was surging.

Lowi had no idea how many times he had come to the magic tower of Allyn. He only knew that if he couldn't find a task that he was capable of to earn enough rewards for his rent, it would be barely possible for him to survive in Allyn where everything was expensive. He would have to leave the center of arcana and magic tower and look for opportunities elsewhere.

"This is my own fault. I was too sloppy in school and did not work hard enough. I failed to become an elite apprentice, so I can't be recommended to the good posts." Lowi did not complain but blamed himself for his lack of effort. If he had become an elite apprentice in school, he could've been recommended to the Sorcerer Administrative Department, the Apprentice Assessment Department, the Task Zone or other departments of the Congress, or given an opportunity to work in the major organization and journals' offices in Allyn. That way, he would get in touch with many official sorcerers, and a decent pay that was enough for him to survive in Allyn.

Lowi touched his pocket. There was a recommendation letter in it for the local magic group in the Paphos County.

Although in the eyes of the magic apprentices who went to remote counties or even the Solar Islands, to be recommended to the Paphos Country, one of the top three prosperous places of Holm, was something worth envying, it was entirely meaningless for Lowi who had realized his mistake after graduation because it was not Allyn. If he left the center of arcana and magic, he would be left behind by his classmates who stayed in the place soon enough.

According to the survey made by 'Allyn Impression',a collection of tidbits that appeared only a few years ago, every one of ten apprentices who stayed in Allyn for three years after they left the magic school became an official sorcerer. The elite apprentices that were recommended to good positions even had a terrifying ratio of one in three, which was far higher than other branches where the ratio was one in twenty.

In the Solar Islands and the remote counties, it was an astonishing one in thirty. Unless there was absolutely no choice, nobody wanted to go there. But the situation seemed to have improved after the channel of 'News of the World' appeared.

After thinking that, Lowi moved his finger away from his pocket, determined not to be left behind by other people at the beginning.

However, his heartburn made him smile bitterly. In order to save costs, it had been a while since he enjoyed breakfast.

His family was not rich in the first place. If he couldn't find a job that suited himself and paid well, his dream would have to succumb to reality, unless he accepted the tasks that were evidently dangerous.

"Life, or dream? What a hard choice." Lowi teased himself and swallowed to allay his hunger. Cleaning his apprentice robe that had been worn out, he walked to the Task Zone.

Finding a silver counter that was not occupied yet, Lowi raised his head and read the missions displayed on the green screen.

"Secret mining mission in the southern desert of the Gusta Empire: The pay is one arcana point or a Thale every day, and additional pay will be calculated according to the quality and quantity of minerals. Please refer to the appendix for the details. Capability Request: Unrestricted. Number: Unrestricted. Danger Level: Very High. You will need to face the monsters in the desert and take care of the night watchers and the clergy. In the meantime, the minerals contain invisible curses."

The abundant pay dazzled Louis' eyes, but he was stopped by the final description. It was impossible to accomplish the task without the capabilities of an official sorcerer. Eight out of ten apprentices would be killed.

"… Holning's store needs an alchemy assistant for three years. Food and accommodation will be reimbursed."

Lowi was tempted. Despite the lack of pay, which meant that he couldn't buy materials or borrow books, the reimbursement of food and accommodation could help him avoid the expensive life in Allyn. Also, he could learn a lot by working as an assistant to an alchemist.

"But I'm a sorcerer more inclined to spell-casting than craftsmanship. A delay of three years will make me further behind. I might as well go to the Paphos county and learn the latest research through the magic radio."

Lowi shook his head and continued reading, but the tasks were either too dangerous or too unrewarding for him to resolve his imminent crisis.

Lowi was frustrated after reading the new tasks in half an hour. Did he really have to leave Allyn?

The sorcerers in different clothes next to him accepted tasks and left, talking and laughing. But in Louis' eyes, they seemed to be in a different world that was filled with color and brightness, while he was surrounded by gloomy mists.

Louis, unwilling to give in, raised his head again, and planned to find a short, low-paying task to deal with the day, so that he could check if there was any suitable new task for him tomorrow. Suddenly, the green screen bounced, and a new message jumped on it.

"Apprentice Recruitment: The Atom Institution, located on the eighteenth floor of the Allyn magic tower, is in dire need of ten apprentice-level assistants. Duration: Three years. Capability Request: No lower than senior-rank magic apprentices. Payment: Ten arcana points every month, free elementary books on arcana and magic, free-to-use experimental devices. Deadline: July 10."

"Apprentice-level assistants?" Lowi repeated in confusion, finding it hard to believe the copious payment.

Suddenly, his eyes were frozen when he saw the dark red words below the introduction: "The Atom Institution?"

"The Atom Institution!"

Lowi immediately felt that a fire was burning all the way from his heart to his head, making him unable to think about anything. The Atom Institution, which belonged to Mr. Lucien Evans who proposed the new alchemy, was a sanctuary for every sorcerer who intended to walk on the path of elements and materials, and a marvelous place where new research achievements appeared on a monthly basis. It represented the highest level in atomic studies.

Such a place is recruiting apprentice-level assistants?

What am I waiting for?

Lowi felt that his dream was right before his eyes, shining splendidly. Panting, he hurried to accept the task and took over a form that was passed on to him by the staff.

"Resume?" Lowi had never heard of such a thing before and was somewhat stunned. Thankfully, the introduction on it was quite detailed. He filled it out according to the conditions requested.

"If your resume passes, you will have the first round of written exams in two days, which will be about the fundamentals of elemental arcana and magic." The instructor repeated the task description in a weird tone, for she had never heard of resume or written exams before, either.

Two days? Can I survive in Allyn for two days? Should I take some other task to live through it?

Lowi was confused, but he soon grew ruthless. Looking at his apprentice robe, he thought to himself, "I can't be distracted by other tasks but have to be focused on reviewing the fundamentals of arcana and magic… It should be enough for me to survive seven days if I sell this robe to the pawn shop!"

After he made the decision, Louis' eyes became bright, and he walked out determinedly.

After the instructor saw him off, she shook her head. Then, with passion beaming out of her eyes, she picked out a resume and began filling it out, too.

Hardly had Lowi stepped away when he heard exclamations: "The Atom Institution is hiring apprentice-level assistants?"

"The Atom Institution is hiring?"

"Is it true? Is it true? Let me take a look!"

In the ever-rising voices, the whole Task Zone was seething. Many apprentices were so excited that they were blushing, as if they had seen their bright future.

It made Lowi slightly frown. The competition would be rather intense. Then, he laughed in self-mockery. If there weren't any intense competition for that, it would mean that he had been dreaming all the time.

As he walked firmly, Lowi encountered his teacher in the magic when he passed by the task platform at the edge. The usually mannered middle-aged man was also waving his hands excitedly like apprentices.

"Mr. Balterley, greetings." Lowi said politely.

Balterley recognized that it was his student that he often thought highly off. He smiled at Louis, "You're here for tasks? Go to accept the apprentice assistant task from the Atom Institution! I just took it!"

"Master, aren't—aren't you a second-circle sorcerer and a level-two arcanist? This is apprentice assistant!" Lowi asked in shock.

Clenching his fists, Balterley said zealously, "Is that important? As long as I can get into the Atom Institution, what's the big deal even if I have to be an apprentice as a sorcerer? That's the cutting edge of the elemental field. Also, I'll be privileged to hear Mr. Lucien Evans' tutelage and get in touch with the deepest mysteries of elements and materials."

Lowi suddenly felt a headache. The competition appeared to be too intense.

However, the fire of dreams and ambitions were burning too wildly to be extinguished, which filled him with expectation and momentum.

...

After a round of written exams and interviews, Lucian found a frustrated Rock in the Atom Institution.

Regarding that, Lucien asked curiously and correctly, "Rock, what's up? There's nobody you're interested in? Nobody calls to you? As I recall, the institution was almost crushed by crowds recently."

Rock said regretfully, "Some female apprentices did approach me. Well, a few male apprentices did, too… But I refused all of them. I'm looking for a partner to marry. Do I have the courage to accept those people? Those I was indeed interested in, however, were all self-respective, polite and indifferent. They didn't give me any chance at all. What's wrong with this world?"

Lucien burst into laughter and patted Rock's shoulder. "It's a good thing to be more social in order to find a partner, but your way is not going to work out. It's not hard to find a mistress, but it will take you forever for you to find an independent girl who is worth your respect and love. I intended to persuade you to give up a few days ago, but then I thought a lesson would do you good. Alright, drop your other thoughts and complete the second round of written exams and interviews fairly. I'll supervise the final interviews in person."

Rock sighed and complained jokingly, "You're talking as if you were an expert."

"Of course I am. I have a girlfriend." Lucien replied also jokingly.

Chapter 532: Invitation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In a branch of the Congress of Magic on the Solar Islands in the Boundless Ocean…

While the dark picture where a middle-rank sorcerer's head was blown up in public hadn't been entirely erased from Blake's head, nothing could stop him from listening to 'Arcana Voice' and 'News of the World', which was the entertainment all over the islands that was even more popular than parties and balls.

"Good evening, this is the Weekly News Review of Allyn, and I'm your old friend Lark."

Blake felt that he truly had one more friend when he heard the crisp and calm voice every night, one who told him stories late at night and who made him feel familiar even though he had never met her.

'Lark' reviewed the important news piece by piece, and Blake listened attentively. He was now delighted at the progress in research studies and now was worried by the gloomy situation in Holm.

"… Over the past few days, an unprecedented tide has appeared in Allyn. Countless apprentices and sorcerers sent their resumes to the Atom Institution and surged to the eighteenth floor of the Allyn magic tower for written exams and interviews. According to sources, the Atom Institution was crammed by people during the days, and they had only seen such splendor when the grand arcanists participated in a symposium. The people completely blocked the way."

Lark's cold voice was mixed with a smile, especially when she mentioned 'sources'.

"What resume? written exams, and interviews?" Blake said to himself in confusion. 'Atom Institution' raised his strong interest. It should be Mr. Lucien Evans' Atom Institution, right? Did he come up with any paradigm-shifting theoretical system again? No, since apprentices and sorcerers were involved, it should be about something else."

Lark continued, "For the audience outside of Allyn, you may be unaware of what has happened. So, allow me to briefly review the incident. On July 3, the Atom Institution issued an 'Apprentice Assemblage Task', planning to hire ten apprentice-level assistants to help the arcanists in the institution with their experiments."

"What was most surprising, however, was the way of recruitment that the Atom Institution adopted. You would have to obtain a resume form, on which you would write your name, age, school, assessment and your magic image. Then, after screening, they would select distinguished candidates for interviews…"

Blade was already unable to follow Lark. His brain was humming. The previous announcement was crushing his skull like a surging tide.

"The Atom Institution is short of apprentice-level assistants?"

"If I can enter the Atom Institution and get involved in the cutting-edge studies in the microscopic field, maybe it won't take long before I can improve both my arcana and my magic to the middle rank!"

"No, no, their interviews must be over…"

In Blake's eyes, if the Atom Institution wanted apprentice-level assistants, the queue outside of the gate would span across Allyn. Of course, that was exactly what happened. But according to his experience, shouldn't the magic school recommend elite apprentices to them directly instead of issuing a task openly?

"It is said that Mr. Lucien Evans is a man of integrity and strictness. This must be his idea. The best candidates will be chosen fairly and openly…"

Many magic apprentices who were not distinguished in the magic school, because of fortuitous incidents, were sometimes better than the elite apprentices in terms of arcana and magic abilities. However, due to the gap at the beginning, it was difficult for them to catch up with the latter or get more opportunities.

"This is the shortcoming of being far away from Allyn. How frustrating it is to know things only when they are outdated…" Blake sighed and focused his attention on the news again.

"… It is reported that more than five hundred apprentices submitted their resumes on the first day, and that another eighty official sorcerers and middle-rank sorcerers were willing to join the Atom Institution as apprentices…"

Blake did not mock them, because he had thought the same thing when he heard the news. He was thinking about abandoning the privileges of an official sorcerer and join as an apprentice, even if he would be responsible for the chores.

He heard that Mr. Evans convened a regular meeting every month. He would gain a lot even if he only attended it as a guest.

"… Up until now, the first round of resume screening, written exams and interviews have been over. Mr. Lucien Evans was not involved. Mr. Jerome and Mr. Rock were responsible for the whole process. According to them, they have selected twenty-five eligible candidates, who will participate in the final interview together with the talents selected from the second round of recruitment. Mr. Evans will be in charge of the final interview."

The second round? Blake almost jumped to his feet. Did that mean that he still had an opportunity?

Lark's crisp voice spread into his ears. "Here, I would like to remind the members in the branches and local magic groups outside of Allyn that today is July 8, and 6 p. m. on July 10 is the deadline of resume submission. The second round of written exams will begin on July 12. If you are interested, please plan for your visit to Allyn."

"You are all members of the Congress of Magic, and the Congress and the Atom Institution treat you equally. In fact, the second round of recruitment was added by Mr. Evans for you. He said that the sorcerers and apprentices outside of Allyn must not be left forgotten."

Blake felt rather moved. The sorcerers and apprentices in Allyn could never feel the pain of being forgotten by the Congress. The reason 'Arcana Voice' and 'News of the World' became the most popular entertainment was not just because they provided a lot of knowledge but also because they offered a bond to make the islanders feel connected to Allyn.

"Thank you, Mr. Evans. Thank you, Congress…"

"… You can ask your friends in Allyn to help you with the resume. I believe most branches and local organizations should have devices for electromagnetism messaging. If you don't have any friends in Allyn, you are free to contact the Task Zone. This is their contact… Please stay where you are until you receive the invitation for written exams, so that the branches and the local groups will not be paralyzed." Lark's voice had never been more pleasant for Blake.

After he finished 'News of the World' in excitement, Blake waited for dawn anxiously.

When the sun was high, Blake hurried to the magic tower of his branch. Although it was partly within his expectation, he still saw a surprisingly long queue.

"What a heated scene…"

It was an ineffable picture for Blake, who waited until the afternoon before it was his turn.

Blake meant to contact the staff in the Task Zone. However, a shadow that he always dreamed about suddenly showed up in his heart, and he somehow changed the target of his communication.

"Hello, who is it?" A common female voice came over.

Taking a deep breath, Blake said, "It's me, Blake. How are you doing, Alfalia?"

"I'm doing fine. Is there anything wrong?" Asked Alfalia.

Weighing his tone, Blake said, "Are you still in the Paphos County? Is it only three hours away from Allyn?"

"It takes two hours and forty minutes on a magic steam train. Blake, do you want me to fill in and submit your resume for you?" Alfalia's voice was filled with a smile.

Blake said in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Because I'm on the magic steam train to Allyn for the Atom Institution." Alfallia chuckled.

Blake scratched his head. "In that case, I'll have to ask for your help."

"Okay." After Alfallia's reply, the two of them fell into a brief silence.

Then, Blake couldn't help but ask, "Are you not worried of running into those things again?"

Alfallia was born into a magic family and inherited a huge fortune, which was why she could use electromagnetism communication items when she was only a second-circle sorcerer. However, with her wealth, her capability and her outstanding looks, she became a target that certain immoral higher-rank sorcerers coveted. She had refused the deal with those people and returned to the Paphos County, her hometown.

Alfallia smiled, "I can always give up if I run into one again. It's not like I can't experiment on my own without the Atom Institution. Besides, Mr. Evans is an honorable man who never had any rumors. I trust his integrity."

Hearing his love's casual but firm words, Blake smiled. That was exactly the Alfallia that he had always loved. Every time he recalled her, her face was rather fuzzy, but her bright, smiling and determined eyes were always clear.

"May you succeed." Said Blake sincerely.

Alfallia smiled, "You, too."

...

Inside the Atom Institution, Lucien was discussing superconductivity with a few students, when he saw Rock wobble in palely as if he were about to collapse.

"Mr. Rock, what's up?" Annick asked concernedly.

Rock whined, "I'm about to die! Resume reviewing, written exams and interviews were all my job, and I needed to complete my own experiments and magic structures. I feel that I'm stepping into a grave, because I see faces everywhere! That jackass Jerome was always accompanying Vera!"

"You were the one who took over the job happily. That's nobody else's fault." Lucien observed sarcastically. Then, he entrusted the experiment to Katrina and Layria, before he returned to the magic tower casually. After all, many experiments were unsuitable to be performed in front of the people of the Atom Institution.

"Master, today's 'Holm Weekly'." Hardly had Lucien greeted Pinocchio when Leo handed over the newspaper.

Lucien took over and read it. The headline was exactly 'The Queen Has Appointed A New Royal Archbishop'.

Nodding his head, Lucien was not surprised. Natasha had mentioned it the other night. She appreciated Richard's religious reform but believed that it should be conducted prudently as it would drive the Church mad.

"Sard passed Natasha's request without any blockage? Is his purpose really so simple?" Lucien brought the newspaper to the library.

At this moment, Pinocchio announced, "Master, a guest named Arthur Doyle has come to visit you."

Its voice echoed in the tower.

What is it about? Lucien asked Pinocchio to let Arthur in. Then, he saw the round fatty approach him flatteringly, "Lucien, here's an invitation. Duke James will hold a party in his personal estate tomorrow, and he hopes that you can join. Her Majesty will also visit his manor."

The fatty had been in a panic all day after the demise of Prince Patrick and tried to approach Duke James. However, after Natasha acceded to the throne, and especially after she celebrated the birthday for Lucien, Arthur had been revived and rejuvenated. He had been strutting cockily, except that he lost his confidence whenever he ran into Lucien.

Is this an opportunity for us to meet? Lucien's mood was never better. Although they couldn't do anything when they were surrounded by the nobles, it would still be enough as long as they could meet.

Therefore, Lucien nodded and promised that he would come.

...

Late at night, inside a private villa…

Looking at Count Barady, Duke York said gloomily, "Her Majesty will visit James' estate tomorrow. How's the thing that you mentioned last time going?"

"It should be hopeful." Count Barady gave a vague reply.

Chapter 533: Abrupt Change

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The east of Rentato was known as 'Land of a Thousand Lakes'. The lakes large and small were as smooth as a mirror, presenting an entertaining view with the exuberant forest around.

Such a beautiful place had naturally been occupied by the royal family and the great nobles. James, Duke of Paphos, had a personal manor right next to one of the gentle lakes. It was truly enjoyable and pacifying.

A four-wheeled wagon, pulled by a dragon scale horse, slowly stopped at the gate of the manor. Arthur, despite being a fatty, rushed to opened the door of the wagon ahead of Lucien and jumped off, before he made the gesture of supporting Lucien to get off.

Lucien shook his head with a smile. He stepped forward and appeared behind Arthur. Then he murmured, "What's the point of this? You will leave the best impression on Her Majesty as long as you operate the Holm Mineral and Harvest company and the Holm Mineral Union Bank well."

The shares of Prince Patrick's 'investment', without a doubt, had been inherited by Natasha. Lucien had been making fun of her about that, too. He had tried his best to invent magic items and save more wealth, and finally, he could declare proudly that he would not be scared of the cost for the magic materials that he needed until he became legendary. However, Natasha's heritage alone had exceeded all his possessions. He felt rather envious.

Arthur turned around and followed Lucien. He replied without blushing, "I respect you from the bottom of my heart, Lucien. The alchemical and magical items you invented gave me unimaginable wealth and allowed me to join Duke James' circle. So, my previous gesture was absolutely genuine. However, did you mention that Her Majesty was satisfied about the promotion and development of the 'Holm Mineral and Harvest company'? What about the Holm Mineral Union Bank? Did she say anything?"

"Her Majesty is from a foreign land. She does not know the bank industry, which only exists in the countries around the Storm Strait, very well. So, she hasn't offered any remark. You should write a report on the history and future of banks for her." Lucien understood that, in order to promote magical items and influence the people of Holm, Brianne and other countries, he had to start from three aspects, namely the simplification of magic items, the financial support centered at banks, and the manipulation of public opinions.

Of course, that was based on the premise that the Congress of Magic was strong enough.

"No problem." Said Arthur delightedly. He was so fat that his face was almost bloated, and his eyes had only a thin line left.

At the gate of the manor were two rows of soldiers in red uniforms, informing that Natasha had arrived.

Passing through them, Lucien and Arthur went to the most eye-catching garden of the manor under the guidance of a squire.

The garden was Duke James' pride. It was claimed to be only second to the royal family's villa. All kinds of amazing flowers were blooming in the vast garden, letting out intoxicating scent.

At the center of the garden, it was a rather spacious place for an open-air garden, with both a view of the lakes in the front and gorgeous flowers behind.

Hardly had he joined the party when Lucien noticed Natasha. She was wearing black clothes that looked like a hunting suit. Her purple long hair had been tied, and she appeared to be much calmer. It seemed that after days of adaptation, she had finally changed from the Violet Countess into a real queen.

Looking at Natasha with appreciation and love, Lucien felt quite great. The anxiety in his heart for days seemed to have been eased. He was already satisfied just looking at her quietly.

As if she sensed Lucien's eyes, Natasha turned around and looked back at her.

Her silver pupils seemed to be glittering, and her lips curled. It appeared that she did not know that Duke James and the rest of them invited Lucien, either.

But very soon, Natasha controlled her face and continued talking to the nobles around.

She was wearing silky black gloves that were in the same style with her clothes. She did not take them off when the nobles kissed her hand.

Lucien had switched back to the double-breasted long tuxedo. Now that they had determined their relationship, he was not worried that his constant style would make her tired of him.

After a while, Natasha said with a polite smile at Lucien who approached. "It's been a while, my knight."

It was not until this moment that the other nobles who were relatively weak noticed Lucien's arrival. Their conversations came to an abrupt end. Including Duke James, Duke Russell and Arthur, everybody glanced at them curiously and expectantly, hoping to find certain traces.

Were they really good friends, music partners, or were they something more intimate?

Lucien took off his top hat and fell on one of his knees. He grabbed Natasha's right hand and kissed the back of her hand against the glove like a knight. "Your Majesty, your knight has never left."

Her right hand slightly shivered, as if she recalled something. Lucien, on the other hand, recalled the scene of moonlight that he described earlier, and put on a smile.

After Lucien stood up again, Natasha smiled, "I saw many creative gadgets in Holm. They have filled the kingdom with vigor and hope. That's your effort, Lucien."

Arthur was more or less disappointed at their politeness and their normal conversation. They seemed like simple friends. There was not the tiniest detail that suggested a more intimate relationship. He thought that Lucien would eventually become the queen's husband and Prince Nekso, but the reality was not as beautiful as he imagined.

Duke James and the rest of them were rather disappointed, too, but they also felt quite lucky. They feared that the queen truly fell in love with Lucien Evans, which might raise a civil war if she was determined to marry him despite the Church. That was not their purpose.

They hoped that the queen could keep an intimate relationship with Lucien without being enchanted, and that the balance between the Church and the Congress was maintained.

As for whether or not they were lovers in private, that was not their concern.

Trying to control his mood, Lucien talked with Natasha like a good friend and the queen's knight, occasionally interrupted by her conversation with other nobles. It was just like any regular party.

After twenty minutes, having not found anything, Duke James smiled, "Just now, Her Majesty mentioned creative gadgets in the kingdom. I happen to have some in my place. Why don't I give Your Majesty a tour, where you will hear the introduction from their creator, Mr. Lucien Evans, in person?"

"Okay." Natasha agreed quickly, knowing that Duke James had more to say.

Therefore, Duke James and three other leaders of the liberals, Lucien, Camil and a young man with silver grey eyes went to the main house of the manor with Natasha.

"This is Count David, a ferocious knight of the royal family." Duke James introduced him to Lucien.

Lucien nodded his head. "His Excellency Morris mentioned your father before. He was an excellent sorcerer."

David had the typical look of the Hoffenberg family. His face was contoured shenke, but his silver grey eyes emanated certain coldness. He replied with a smile, "Mr. Evans, thank you for your approval of my father."

He was neither cold nor warm, as he recalled his late father.

Very soon, the few of them entered the main house and stepped on the stairs. As the queen's knight, Lucien naturally stayed behind and 'protected' Natasha with Camil, one on the right and the other on the left.

Right when Duke James and the rest of them were about to turn, Lucien suddenly sensed something soft in his left hand.

"Natasha's hand?" Lucien turned his head in surprise, only to catch her delightful eyes.

Natasha's right hand had taken off the silk glove. The warmth of her palm was a major contrast to the courtesy a moment ago.

Lucien understood her heart. He couldn't help but hold it more tightly. Lucien felt indescribably satisfied by the secret movement. The warm feeling seemed to have made his heart peaceful again.

As they held hands, Natasha looked at the front, but the smile on her face couldn't be covered.

After they passed the corner, they loosened the hold on each other's hands as if it were nothing and followed Duke James to enter the chamber.

Inside the secret chamber, a tray with wines, champaign and 'Sky Blue' on it had been placed.

After checking the drinks, they each picked up a cup and looked at Duke James, waiting for him to speak.

"In fact, I only mean to ask Your Majesty's opinion on the alchemical workshops and the promotion of magic items. Honestly, a lot of our wealth has been invested in it." Duke James spoke rather straightforwardly, as he felt that he had grasped Natasha's tendencies.

Natasha kept the solemnity of the queen. "My attitude is the same. All the magic items that benefit the kingdom and the people will be encouraged, and those which are evil and corrupting will be forbidden."

"You are truly not one of those conservative people, Your Majesty." Duke Russell said with a smile. "I'm hoping to invest in something, but I don't know if it could make profits. Mr. Evans, do you have any suggestions?"

"What investment?" Lucien suddenly felt that he was in a business meeting.

Russell sipped the champaign and said, "Radio stations, like 'Arcana Voice' or 'News of the World', rather than a few simple news programs or music episodes."

He keenly sensed the value in it, but he did not know how to make money from it.

Natasha looked at Lucien curiously. He seemed to have talked about it before in private.

Lucien smiled. "The main problem is that magic radios are still expensive. Although they have been simplified, only the people above the middle class can afford them. The popularization of the item means that the radio stations wouldn't have great returns."

"Do you have any suggestions? Further simplification?" Count Henson was quite interested in it, too.

Lucien looked at them and said thoughtfully, "I suggest that the radio station should also publish newspapers. Whoever subscribes to the newspapers for one year will be given a magic radio. Then, the radios will be popularized soon enough."

"But there will be heavy losses!" As the Minister of Finance, Count Henson was very sensitive about losses. One magic radio was much more expensive than a year of subscription.

Lucien looked at Natasha and said, "There will be losses, but it's a necessary price for promotion. The revenue, however, will come from advertisement. I'll ask my companies to give the radio stations tremendous advertisement fees"

"Wouldn't you lose money?"

Lucien smiled, "Advertisement is investment and will pay off later. We can afford the wait."

Even though he lost money, it would be worthwhile if he could control the public opinion of the radio stations of Holm through advertisement.

Duke James was about to talk, when his face was darkened. He crumbled the cup in his hands into pieces. "It's poisoned!"

It was not until he heard poison that Lucien felt a corrupt, terrifying poison bursting out inside his body, but it was eliminated by the Congus Ring immediately. However, below the poison was a weird curse that made him unable to focus his spiritual power as he were drunk!

Were the wines in the secret chamber all poisoned?

Why did he fail to notice it?

In his anxiety, Lucien looked at Natasha and immediately felt that his heart was heavy, because her face was also dark and her hands were shivering.

Duke James roared, "Who poisoned the wine?"

His voice was so loud that the glass was almost shattered, as he tried to draw the attention of the nobles outside.

He knew very well that, as long as the criminal was not an expert above legendary, they would've raised his wariness if they approached him, who was a gold knight, and they poisoned the wines within the range of his consciousness.

That was, of course, if they did not have the cooperation of spies!

Chapter 534: "Poisonous Devil"

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Because he was capable of many marvelous magics, Lucien was very confident about the wines he checked, but his confidence turned out to be a fatal mistake today. He had drunk a cup of 'Sky Blue' that was mixed with terrible poisons and weird curses.

No, not just the wine!

Lucien looked at Camil. As a level-eight radiant knight whose responsibility was to protect Natasha, she wouldn't drink or eat anything on such occasions. Still, her face was dark, and her body was quivering uncontrollably. She intended to turn into 'Tide', but the blue ripples disappeared immediately after they surfaced. It was obvious that she had been poisoned and cursed!

Where was the source of the poisons and curses?

Lucien suddenly smelled vague but sweet fragrance of flowers, like that outside, except that it was more sweet and intoxicating.

Something was wrong with the fragrance!

There must be a spy, or something who was manipulated, that brought the item which emitted such fragrance in. When it was mixed with the wines that had also been played tricks on, the wine and the air became unimaginable poisons and curses. No wonder he did not detect anything during the examination!

But it was not the time to look for the spy or the accomplice. Lucien wobbled to Natasha, with everything fuzzy and shaking before him.

Thankfully, Lucien had the Congus Ring which dissolved the poison. He was unlike Camil, James or the rest of them, who were not only dizzy but also weak, even unable to stand on their feet.

Count Henson, who did not activate the strength of a knight, collapsed and fell into 'hangover'.

Lucien's body still had strength. He gradually approached Natasha like a drunk man. If his heavy head and soul still remembered things correctly, 'Sword of Truth', the ultimate bloodline that could cut everything, was immune to curses. Therefore, Natasha should be only poisoned, with strength fading from her body, but her head should still be clear. As long as she put on 'Health Belt' and activated it, the poison in her should be relieved in no time.

The level-eight magic item was also immune to the poisons below legendary!

As for the Congus Ring, even if Lucien wanted to give it to Natasha, she couldn't use it.

Count David, the second weakest of all, collapsed like Count Henson, but he hadn't completely entered 'unconscious' yet, but moved his eyes anxiously.

Power from the curses spread out from his lungs and his stomach and extended upwards, affecting Lucien's brain and soul. It made his head swollen and his heart race. He was unable to cast a single spell or activate any item.

After he staggered to Natasha, Lucien took off the belt and put it on her.

Natasha said in a low voice, as if talking was difficult for her. "I cannot concentrate my will… I can't use any magic item. Go… go now. Their target… should be me…"

As if not hearing anything, Lucien buttoned the Health Belt on the back of her waist, before he said with a numb tongue, "Try to… control yourself… The poison… hasn't been completely activated yet… There should be a chance… to use magic items."

Natasha did not waste time or give up. She tried to get her body under control, while she urged again, "Hurry and leave… You still have strength… Ask for the reinforcement… of the nobles outside…"

At least, Lucien would not die with her.

Then, she would be able to seek the slim chance of survival without concerns.

Applause echoed from the gate. "What a touching couple. I hope that you will stay together after you die."

Lucien raised his head, only to discover a weird, green-haired man at the gate. There were no pupils in his eyes but only the devastating whiteness. His clothes were quite eccentric, too, because he was wearing a black cloak that covered his entire body even though it was a hot day.

The weird man who appeared to be in his thirties bowed and said, "Your Majesty, allow me to introduce myself. I am Primous, 'Poisonous Devil' of the Dark Congress."

'Poisonous Devil' Primous was the expert who ranked 62nd on the Cleansing List, a level-nine dark night, and a descendant of the Demon Lord. He was best known for poisons and curses. While he ranked lower than Lucien, he was definitely stronger than Lucien.

Natasha did not respond to him but tried to focus her attention, and Lucien resisted the power of curses with his spiritual power, too.

Primous, however, did not attack immediately, but chattered on, "You don't know me? That's alright. All you need to know is that I'm here to kill you. It's been a while since the Congress waited for the South Church to declare war on the Congress of Magic. After learning that Your Majesty also chooses balance, the old men sent me here."

He seemed to be affected by his bloodline, or maybe he was confident of his victory, so he appeared rather hysterical.

"As long as I kill Your Majesty, Mr. Lucien Evans, Duke James and the rest of them and pretend that it was done by radical night watchers, the Church and the Congress of Magic will definitely burst into war. Right, I'm good at simulation. I think I'm capable of making the legendary sorcerers and saint cardinals believe that 'Cursed Angel' Grunwell of the night watchers did all this."

Hearing his neurological chatter, both Lucien and Natasha tried to dissolve the power of either the curse or poison in their body, but it seemed that they were stronger and stronger as time went by. Neither of them could stand on their feet anymore.

Primous seemed to be unaware of their efforts, and nor did he care that Duke James and the rest of them could not reply because of lack of strength. He continued on happily, "In order to kill you, I spent tremendous efforts on controlling the servants and gardeners to slightly change the vegetation in the garden. If you were truly a flower lover, Duke James, you would've realized it a long time ago. It's a shame that you are just a show-off. So, when you walked into this chamber with the fragrance of flowers, the previously harmless ingredients in the wine turned violent."

"In order to not alarm you, I did not adopt drastic and fatal poisons and curses but chose weakening and paralyzing ones. They look rather effective and gave me enough time to arrive from beyond the range of your consciousness, Duke James."

His words confirmed Lucien's speculation, and it seemed to have ruled out the possibility of a spy.

However, how could Lucien have trusted a lunatic like him?

"Haha. Do you think that I'm so stupid that I would give you enough time to lift the poisons and curses?" Primous suddenly smiled.

Shocked, Lucien thought of something, but the power of curses that flooded into his head slowed his thinking.

Primous grimaced, "My mix of poisons and curses are named 'Helpless Kiss'. The longer you delay, the less strength you will have. So, in order to be absolutely safe, I let you hear my chatter. I'm happy that you cooperated with me."

As he said, he clapped his hands, "Down! Down! Down!"

Duke Russell and Camil fell first, with desperation and regret in their eyes, followed by Duke James, whose feet could no longer support his body.

"Wow, as expected of the queen and Mr. Lucien Evans. You have lasted so long. Let me guess. The queen's bloodline can eliminate the power of curse, and Mr. Evans has equipment that provides immunity to the poisons." Primous warmed his wrist and seemed about to attack.

Lucien stepped forward. His head was more muddled than ever, and he had only one idea, which was to stand before Natasha. However, the rational, systematic thinking that he had formed still gave him a possibility to reverse the outcome. He could allure Primous to approach and attack with his left hand, hoping that the nullifying ability of the hand could dispel the supernatural powers of the level-nine dark knight and hurt him.

Primous chuckled, "It seems that I'll have a lot of trophies this time. Mr. Evans, you are rarely-seen moving treasury of magic items."

He took off his cloak and revealed a nightmarish body. That was a body full of ulcers, from which yellow or green mucus was bubbling and corrupting everything.

"So, would you please die?" Primous took action. Lucien could not capture him at all, much less attack him with the left hand.

He was not careless at all after the real attack began but regarded Lucien as an opponent on the same level as him. Therefore, while his melee abilities were not as good as a regular level-nine, it was still not something that Lucien could resist.

Bam. A yellow and green shadow blinked to Lucien's side and knocked his chest brutally.

The poison that seemed to be killing the air made Lucien's head even heavier. He raised his left hand but could not keep up with Primous' speed. His chest suffered excruciating pain.

Without a sound, Lucien disappeared and appeared in the shadow of the gate.

'Magic Trigger', the magic he prepared in advance, saved Lucien's life at the critical moment.

"I almost forgot that you are a sorcerer, Mr. Evans, but I don't think you can dodge again, can you?" Primous mocked Lucien and rushed at Lucien unbelievably fast.

Lucien managed to lift his left hand and blocked his chest, but Primous disappeared before him and blinked to his back, kicking him right on his back. The yellowish curses and the dark green poisons immediately surged forward.

With a dull noise, the three layers of grey skin that suddenly appeared on Lucien's body were shattered into pieces, and obvious gaps showed up on the robe of the Immortal Throne. Lucien was blown toward Natasha, vomiting blood, with his back almost broken.

If he hadn't learnt 'Magic Order' a few days ago and preset three 'Stone Skins', a four-circle magic, Lucien could've been killed directly!

"You're still alive? That's why I hate sorcerers most!" Primous grew agitated.

Duke James and the rest of them, while wondering how Lucien avoided Primous' second attack, tried to focus their will, only to little avail.

Primous suddenly turned into a dark green spear and pierced at Lucien who was still on the ground.

Hardly had Lucien turned his body around with his uncontrollably hands and feet when he saw that. He intended to resist the attack with magic, but he couldn't focus his spiritual power, which was still under the suppression of the curse.

Am I going to die here?

Suddenly, a shadow appeared before Lucien. A longsword was drawn, and the gaps of void appeared out of nowhere, blocking the spear.

However, the spear was so terrifying that it pierced through her body despite the longsword, sprinkling her hot blood on Lucien's abdomen, chest and face.

"Natasha…" Lucien said subconsciously.

Natasha's face was in abnormal red. The wound on her abdomen couldn't recover due to the poison. As she lost tremendous blood, her feet were obviously shaking, as if she could barely stand on her feet, but her voice was still as firm as before: "A knight should never stay behind."

Chapter 535: Lucien's Ruthlessness

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The spear that Primous turned into was blocked by Pale Justice. Sensing the power that was equal to legendary for a Demon Lord, he stepped back. With his festered body, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Natasha who was standing unsteadily, before he declared, one word after another, "Your bloodline has mutated? The more heavily wounded you are, the stronger you will be?"

Natasha did not say anything else but stayed before Lucien holding her longsword. It appeared that her bloodline ability had been suppressed by Primous' poison, too, which discharged her newly-received strength incessantly. So, she was unable to attack but could only focus on defense first.

Since the wound on her abdomen that was corrupted by the poison couldn't be healed, the huge blood loss also added to the weakness of her body.

Primous raised his voice, sounding hysterical and brutal. "Magic Trigger, stimulation-induced defense of magic items, and bloodline ability mutation. Can you two just let me kill you? This is too disgusting. What's the use of your resistance? You would still be killed by me eventually, won't you? Wouldn't it be better to save our time?"

Lucien was like a man who drank three bottles of Reis. His brain was too sluggish for him to come up with any solution, much less performing magic. He could only vaguely sense that the power of force was gathering around his neck through his blood and spreading to his brain. Also, the power of the curse had begun to affect his body functions. Except for his left hand, the rest of his body parts were losing strength.

"No, I have to find a way to get rid of this 'intoxication', or we'll be dead for sure!"

"I cannot wait for reinforcements without trying to save myself, or there's a 99.99% chance that I will die before the reinforcements arrive."

"Natasha is in great danger!"

Messy ideas popped up in Lucien's head. He waved his hands helplessly, trying to cling to an inspiration to get him out of trouble.

Primous took out two daggers, which were covered in dark green, decaying liquids that dropped on the ground once and while, darkening and corrupting a whole area.

"You will be punished for your lack of cooperation!" Primous shouted in fury. Then, he launched a storm of attacks at a speed that Lucien could not capture. The area was gradually contaminated by wriggling black, green and yellowish colors. Everybody entering the area would be suppressed by curses, poisons and diseases.

It was the semi-illusory willpower frontier that belonged to a level-nine gold knight.

Fearing 'Pale Justice' in Natasha's hands, Primous did not start a head-on battle. Instead, with the suppression of speed and willpower frontier, he searched for the flaw in Natasha's sword art and left wounds on her body with the daggers now and then.

While Natasha had the blood power of getting stronger as the wounds grew heavier, she was far weaker than Primous in the first place, and she was affected by the 'Helpless Kiss'. It was not bad that she could carry out one third of her abilities. Therefore, she could not keep up with Primous at all but could only defend herself with her longsword.

It was good for the first ten seconds. With the flawless defense and Pale Justice's suppression of evil and devils, Natasha managed to resist the attack of the Poisonous Devil. However, as time went by, the effect of 'Helpless Kiss' was more and more obvious. She gradually ran out of her strength, and many flaws appeared in her sword art. Primous took the opportunity to cut her hunting suit, break her skin and leave astounding wounds on her body.

By the stimulation of the wounds, Natasha recovered part of her strength, but her breathing was heavier and heavier. She was like a tightened bow that might be broken at any moment.

Suddenly, Primous circumvented Pale Justice and approached her with his back against her. Then, he knocked her chest with his right elbow.

Crack, crack, crack. The noise of ribs being broken echoed. Natasha vomited red, silver blood. She only had the time to block Primous' upcoming attack, before she was blown backwards into the wall next to Lucien.

After a bam, the wall of the secret chamber covered in the divine power circle was almost broken.

Fearing that he might be hit by the legendary longsword that obviously suppressed devilish bloodlines, Primous did not finish the enemy immediately after he hit them like before but considered his own safety the top priority. He tried not to be touched by Pale Justice. Had it been otherwise, Natasha would've been killed by him.

"You can't stand up again, can you?" Primous shouted excited and bloodthirsty, but then he roared again, "Why—Why are you still standing? Just lie down and let me kill you!"

Lucien watched Natasha struggle to get back on her feet. Her blood, mixed with sweat, dripped on the ground, and her body was full of decaying wounds, but still, she raised her longsword determinedly in a gesture of protection.

"You shall not pass until I die."

Because of the heavy wounds, Natasha did not sound as weak as before, but her actual weakness was not changed at all.

Lucien loathed his helplessness at this moment. Now that he could not use the spiritual power, he was only half a grand knight at most, and he could not participate in a higher-level battle at all.

"I have to get rid of the dilemma!"

"I have to restore the spiritual power!"

"In order to restore spiritual power, I'll have to lift the curse."

"How can I lift the curse?"

His head filled with blood, Lucien thought slowly, sensing the power of the curse surging into his head from his neck.

"I announced that you are what I hate most instead of sorcerers! Your mutated blood power is too disgusting!" Primous was more than infuriated, but it did not affect his capability at all but only made him more bloodthirsty and crazy.

His fury and his chaotic blood powers did not make Primous lose his basic judgment. He still attacked stormily with his speed and agility, taking advantage that Natasha had to protect Lucien and that she was short of strength or alacrity.

When the red blood dripped to the ground, Lucien felt he heard the countdown of Natasha's life. He was grasped by desperation and self-loathing.

However, for Lucien, what came with such desperation was not surrender but stubbornness that was like a conditional reflex. The spirit of not giving in had been melted into his soul ever since he played 'Symphony of Fate'.

Anxiety, desperation, self-loathing and all the other feelings were gone. Even though Lucien's head was still numb and sluggish due to 'intoxication', it had regained part of his thinking abilities after the negative emotions were gone.

"The power of curse affects the body and the soul by affecting the brain…"

"After it is melted by the body, it will have incessant support. Then, it will enter my head with my neck as the bridge… My spiritual power will be crushed sooner or later before I enter a 'drunk dream'… Perhaps that's why Primous said that the longer it was delayed, the better the effect would be…"

Struggling to analyze the procedure of the curse, Lucien found no way to resolve it, because lifting the curse required magic, and he could not perform magic now that he was suppressed by the curse. So, he was in a predicament.

"Is there any other way?" Lucien reviewed his body and realized that only his left hand still had strength.

"Left hand?"

"It is not affected by the curse!"

Lucien's pupils suddenly widened!

At this moment, Natasha was blown into the wall by Primous in a huge noise again, but the soundproof chamber that was defended by divine power circles made the nobles outside hear nothing.

Sliding from the wall, Natasha held the ground with her left hand and tried to get back on her feet, but her wrist lost strength, and she fell again helplessly.

But Natasha did not give up. She still tried, even though Primous had already walked closer. She did not give up her persistence. If she was going to die either way, she might as well try one more time before her eyes were really closed!

"Wow, get back on your feet! Why don't you get back on your feet! Let's see if you can get back on your feet again!" Primous shouted passionately like a lunatic, mocking Natasha's helpless struggle.

Then, he turned around and looked at Lucien, bowing with his left hand on his chest. "You two can go to hell now!"

After that, he grabbed the two daggers and pierced them at Lucien's and Natasha's heads respectively.

Lucien raised his shivering left hand, but the dagger was right before him. Everything seemed to have come to an end.

At this moment, Natasha's shadow appeared before Lucien again. The wounds on her body were so devastating, and her feet were so unsteady, but some sort of mental power seemed to get her back on her feet again and allowed her to block Primous' daggers with Pale Justice.

Natasha's tied purple long hair had been blown apart. It dispersed behind her like waves, covering her bloodstained face and making it impossible to see her eyes.

The picture left a deep impression on Lucien, but he did not have the time to think about so many things. He simply clenched his left hand.

Primous roared in exasperation, "You can still stand!"

"I will not fall until I am shattered!" Natasha seemed to be shouting with her soul, but her strength had faded so much that even her mutated blood power could not make up for it. Pale Justice was gradually dangling down.

At this moment, Primous' eyes were widened, as he saw Lucien opening his left hand and stabbing it into his own neck behind Natasha. His blood spurted out and sprayed on Natasha's back.

"Is he killing himself?"

The unimaginable, nervous pain almost made Lucien writhe on the ground, but thankfully, he did not have any strength for that.

Holding back the pain, and not pursuing accuracy, Lucien closed his left hand and moved it as if it were trying to twist something. The power of curse which was flooding into his brain vanished the moment it ran into the Silver Moon and the mysterious existence of the World of Souls.

'Helpless Kiss' was level nine by itself, but the poison had already been offset. Naturally, the remaining power of the curse could not resist the Left Hand of God at all!

Black air surged out of Lucien's neck like a snake, dispersing into the air.

His central nerves broken, Lucien could not sense any of his body parts below the head right now, but for a sorcerer, as long as the brain and the soul were still there, everything was there!

His spiritual power surged like the tornado on the ocean. The power of the curse, losing the backup, was soon pressed into a corner and about to be crumbled.

"Something is wrong with his left hand!"

Primous grew wary when he saw the black air gone. Not having the time to finish Natasha, he tried to settle the troublesome sorcerer first.

However, he was not too bothered by it, either. A sorcerer only in the sixth or seventh circle was not necessarily capable of breaking his semi-illusory willpower frontier!

But at his moment, he saw Lucien taking out his left hand and speaking in an obscure accent that did not sound like a human being at all: "Spirit Confinement!"

Chapter 536: Analysis

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

As the spell was cast, Primous suddenly felt indescribably terrifying magic waves emerging out of nowhere. Illusionary faces suddenly appeared in the dark, green and yellow willpower frontier around him. They lunged at him with their fuzzy, blurry bodies without being affected at all!

"A legendary magic?"

Primous couldn't have been more astounded, but hardly had the idea occurred to him when the ferocious, incomplete souls ignored his defense of poisons and curses and crawled into his body. They entered into his nose and exited from his mouth, before they reentered into his eyes, forming a weird circulation as if they were having a grand ball.

The glamor in his eyes was gone, revealing the dull whiteness. Primous' body seemed to have slightly expanded because of the excessive souls. He stood in wild disbelief like a statue, and his semi-illusionary willpower frontier was instantly gone.

The esoteric spell that did not seem to be cast by the tongue, and the overwhelming magic wells, made Duke James, Duke Russell and other people who could not see the fight both surprised and delighted. If they heard and sensed it correctly, it was a legendary magic! Which Excellency of the Congress of Magic came to their rescue?

No matter who it was, their lives were finally saved!

Therefore, they were more inclined to the Congress of Magic.

After activating the Congus Ring and restricting Primous with 'Spirit Confinement', Lucien immediately felt that his spiritual power was dry and his head was in excruciating pain. The power of the curse that was almost gone seemed to be launching a comeback. However, 'Origin', the Holm crown ring on his right hand, fed his spiritual power that he stored in advance to him.

Having no time to bother anything else, Lucien spread out his spiritual power and took out a bottle of 'Water Song' from his storage bag.

Without any magic waves, the 'Water Song' floated and blew away the cork, pouring itself into Lucien's mouth.

One of the requirements for a sorcerer to advance into the senior rank was that their soul and spiritual power could directly affect reality. That was why Congus and other liches would have spoken and cast spells when they did not have a body. It was based on the privilege that Lucien cast a spell.

In fact, the power of curses differed from poisons in that cutting the central nerves could not stop it. Lucien had planned to stab his left hand into the neck, avoiding the spine and the central nerves, and use the nullifying ability of the hand to block and eliminate the power of curse. However, he did not have such self-control when he was 'intoxicated', and he hurt his spine and central nerves, losing the feelings below his neck.

If it was delayed any longer, his brain would've decayed due to the lack of oxygen. Then, Lucien would have to switch to a new body. Therefore, the moment he tamed Primous, Lucien hurried to recover himself with drugs.

The Water Song flowed into his throat. Emitting watery colors, it twisted and recovered the wound.

Since the spine was not completely broken and the central nerves were not collapsed, such a wound was much easier to treat than broken limbs. For example, Verdi, Natasha's cousin, was cut in the neck by her before, but he was not killed and was even slowly recovering.

Then, Lucien cast 'Remove Curse', the fourth-circle magic, to eliminate the remaining power of curse.

After his wound was recovered, Lucien hurried to take out another bottle of 'Water Song'. Holding Natasha who was still on her feet, he poured the drugs into her mouth and treated her with 'Poison Neutralization' and other magics. He also added the effect of air filtering on himself.

Seeing that the danger was no more and Lucien was safe, Natasha was relieved and lost the momentum. Her willpower was finally crushed by the 'Helpless Kiss', and she collapsed in her arms.

Once one was hit by 'Spirit Confinement', their soul would be caged forever until it was relieved by a corresponding magic.

Even though the magic effect disappeared eventually, the soul would turn into dust if it took too long.

The black curse on her wound was cured by her blood power. The green and yellowish poisons were soon dissolved by Lucien's magic and drugs. The wound began wriggling, erasing the hideous, devastating traces.

Although 'Helpless Kiss' could not be relieved by a common 'Poison Neutralization' and 'Water Song', Natasha's external wounds were basically recovered. Her life was no longer in danger.

"I will gather my willpower and activate the Health Belt. You go to rescue Aunt Camil, Duke James and Duke Russell first." Due to the loss of blood and Helpless Kiss, Natasha was still extremely weak.

Supposedly, after she gathered her willpower with her blood power which made her stronger when she was wounded, the best solution was to break into the pivot of the Health Belt and use it to eliminate the poison. However, Lucien, the owner of the Health Belt, was in danger and unable to direct her to carry out the performance of the belt. So, she had to fight without it, and the Helpless Kiss was still not relieved yet.

"Alright." Without further ado, Lucien planned to wake up James, who was a gold knight, in case more enemies came.

Therefore, Lucien carried Natasha to a wall and let her gather her willpower gradually. By then, as long as she intended to use the Health Belt, he would sense it and could provide guidance.

As he walked to Duke James, Lucien saw that his eyes were still clear. It seemed that his level-nine diminished the effect of 'Helpless Kiss'. Even without his help, he would've gradually recovered after Helpless Kiss passed the most active phase.

After ten seconds, ensuring that his spiritual power was good enough for him to use the Sun Staff, Lucien finally performed a magic to suppress Helpless Kiss. At such a moment, he had to be prepared that everybody but Natasha was a spy.

Duke James was more or less recovered, but he still couldn't gather his willpower, so he said, "Help me activate the ring on my left little finger."

On his left little finger was a bright blue ring which, according to Lucien's senses, had the effect of poison resistance. However, 'Helpless Kiss' was much higher than its innate effect, and it had to be activated in order to relieve the poison.

Activating magic items was Lucien's specialty. Soon, the ring began to emanate a layer of watery light.

The watery light soon found its way into Duke James' body, dissolving Helpless Kiss. After receiving the help, Duke James roared and pressed the green and dark air out of his skin.

He got rid of Helpless Kiss with the strength of a level-nine gold knight.

Getting back on his feet, Duke James looked so awful as if his whole family had died. For a level-nine gold night, his own strength was the best safety measure for him. He did not expect that he would almost get killed in a trap today.

Suddenly, his eyes were straightened. "Didn't one of the masters come?"

He thought that the rescuer cast the legendary magic just now, but there was not a second moving person in the room except Lucien.

Lucien smiled, "Your Excellency, let's save other people first."

James looked at Lucien in surprise and suspicion. Could it have been him? When did he enter the eighth circle and boast a legendary item?

It was even more unbelievable than them being assassinated!

However, he concealed his suspicion and surprise soon and gnashed his teeth, "Poisonous Devil… the Dark Congress… Lucien, after you're done 'interrogating' Primous, you must give him to me. I'll let him regret living in this world."

It was both because of fear of death as well as the fury of being set up.

"Your Excellency, do you feel 'Helpless Kiss' in the air?" Lucien was surrounded by 'Air Filtering Bubbles', a magic that temporarily blocked the curses and poisons in the air, but what was odd was that Duke James did not seem affected by Helpless Kiss anymore.

Duke James was also curious. Thinking for a moment, he looked at Primous and said, "Such poisons and curses should be closely concerned with himself. Now that he is caged, the poisons and curses of such a high level couldn't last after losing his support."

Lucien raised his eyebrow. His head was clear again after he was detoxicated. After ensuring that everything was alright, he sniffed and walked around Camil, Russell, Henson and David, before he returned to Duke James and said solemnly, "Your Excellency, do you really think this is done by the Dark Congress, and that he is 'Poisonous Devil'?"

"Is he not?" Duke James was slightly surprised but not entirely unprepared. After all, Primous was the one who said everything. As a murderer, his words were not convincing.

Lucien's attention had been focused on Natasha. He said in anger, "Duke James, if a gold knight like you can be poisoned so easily, this 'Primous' should have achieved tremendous accomplishments, but it is not true."

"It took several minutes for us to reach the chamber from the garden. There was wind, the sun and the defense of the divine power circle. I cannot imagine what fragrance could have followed us into this place. After all, our garments are all magic items. We would've sensed it if the fragrance was abnormally dense, wouldn't we? Therefore, Primous lied about how he poisoned us!"

"But I did smell fragrance here, and it did became a curse." Duke James temporarily stopped rescuing Russell.

Lucien did not reply but continued, "If the fragrance would turn into a level-nine 'Helpless Kiss' the moment it touches the wine, like Primous said, wouldn't 'Helpless Kiss' have been generated the moment we entered the chamber? But why didn't we detect anything?"

"If I was the only examiner, 'Helpless Kiss' might've been unique and escaped my attention, but you failed to detect it, too, although you are a gold knight, Duke James. That is rather odd."

Duke James narrowed his eyes. "Are you suspecting me?"

"If you are alright, there is another possibility, which is that 'Helpless Kiss' was generated after our examination. That is the only way to trick a gold knight and a senior-rank sorcerer." Lucien looked at Duke James.

"Primous claimed that the level-nine 'Helpless Kiss' was a mix. That should be true. Based on that, we can reach a simple conclusion, which is that the fragrance outside was only meant to confuse our senses and make us unskeptical when we smelled the fragrance in the room. The real criminal, on the other hand, released the 'real fragrance' after we checked the wine and the room to generate 'Helpless Curse'."

"Also, the poisons and curses of such a level must be closely related to Primous' blood power. They cannot last without the preservation of magic items. How could he have measured the time if he did not know when we entered the room?"

"How could it be so easy to assassinate a gold knight, a senior-rank sorcerer, and three radiant knights?"

Hearing Lucien's analysis, Duke James sniffed and identified the scent in the air. Then, with uncontrollable fury beaming out of his face, he strode to Duke and kicked him in his waist.

After a clang, a glass bottle the size of a fingernail rolled out.

It had been opened, emitting sweet and vague fragrance.

"Why did you do this?" Duke James' demand drew Natasha's attention.

Lucien remained silent despite his confusion. Having been the target of assassination before, he was rather prudent about his safety. He was bold enough to join the party without a Transformation Mask for many reasons. Firstly, he believed that the Church would not send night watchers to kill him in a party held by the liberals, which would make the liberals completely inclined to the Congress. It would also dishearten the neutrals among the conservatives.

Secondly, with the Congus Ring, he was not very scared about assassins below legendary.

Thirdly, in the case of the extreme lunatics, he had asked his 'buddy' Alferris to protect him in secret. With its seventh-circle magic capabilities and its nature as a dragon, it was not difficult for Alferris to fool the experts below legendary. It must've detected a strange level-nine knight approaching.

Lucien's head was too numb because of Helpless Kiss a moment ago for him to think about Alferris. Now that he was awake, he was naturally very confused.

If it felt that the enemy was too strong, it should've been easy for Alferris to save him or inform Fernando.

But where was the little crystal dragon?

Hopefully, everything was still fine…

Chapter 537: Cooperation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In order to trick everyone, David did not seem to have prepared any items against the poisons or curses. He did not carry any drugs that could relieve 'Helpless Kiss', either. At this moment, under Duke James' roar, he could do nothing except to look back at him in desperation and craziness.

To be honest, even an archmage of the Congress might not have equipment or drugs that could nullify the level-nine 'Helpless Kiss'. It was needless to mention the nobles.

Gold dragon scales surfaced on Duke James' skin as he released his supreme dominance. Stomping on David's abdomen, he slightly suppressed his 'Helpless Kiss' and restored David's language ability. "Tell me! Why did you do this?"

David understood that his scheme had been exposed when the special bottle of 'honey' rolled out of his belt. Assassinating one's liege was an unpardonable crime for the nobles. He burst into laughter crazily and hopelessly, "Why did I do this? You should ask yourselves!"

"Did we ask you to assassinate Her Majesty?" Duke James roared angrily like a dragon.

David took a few deep breaths. "What sweet fragrance, just like the intoxicating hope. Ever since I was born, you had been telling me that Prince Patrick might not live a long time and would certainly have no children, and that I would be the one who acceded to the throne."

"Therefore, I built myself up all the time. I improved my chivalry. I held myself with noble character. I approached you and the Congress of Magic, not letting any flaw from my future ascendancy. I hoped to control Holm and even echo with 'Sword of Truth', touching the mysteries of the legendary knights."

"My whole life was for the throne, but you abandoned me all of a sudden and chose this uncanny queen instead! How long did she live in Holm? Did she ever strive for the throne? I don't buy it! I want to take back what is mine!"

James was rather embarrassed as David talked crazily. David was a backup candidate that they groomed because of his identity and his tendencies towards the Congress of Magic. But naturally, when Natasha, who was more suitable, appeared, they abandoned him without any hesitation. They did not expect that he was so covetous about the throne that he would bite the people who raised him.

However, as a senior noble, James did not let his embarrassment last for long. He said angrily, "That's why you conspired with the Dark Congress to kill Her Majesty and us? I get it. He would've left you unkilled for some reason, and you would've worked with him, blaming this murder on 'Cursed Angel' Grunwell. The Church, to appease the nobles who favor the Congress and the neural nobles, and not to divide the kingdom, would've chosen you as the king."

David was dazed. Then he burst into such crazy laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke. Duke James and Lucien both frowned.

He looked at Duke James, almost unable to catch his breath: "You really bought it?"

"You believe everything he said? How naive!"

"Who do you think would be convinced by my story, if you, a gold knight, were killed but I, a mere gold knight, survived?"

"He is not 'Poisonous Devil'?" Recalling the fake clues that 'Primous' made, Lucien observed calmly.

In the meantime, Lucien took out the crystal ball, testing Alferris' whereabouts.

Because of 'Helpless Kiss', David was out of strength as he laughed. He said both weakly and cockily, "If he were really as hysterical and maniac as 'Poisonous Devil', how could he have been sent for this mission, and how could he have trapped rational experts like you? 'Poisonous Devil' is a lunatic, but I am not one!"

"He intentionally mimicked 'Poisonous Devil' and confessed his scheme in order to mislead you into thinking about the Dark Congress."

"Duke, you're not wrong about one thing. After he killed Natasha and Lucien, he would've broken the divine power defense, pretending that it was an accident, so that the other nobles would notice it. Then, in order not to be killed by the legendary experts, he could only flee in panic after killing a few random nobles who were inclined to the Congress. Therefore, only one of you would've died, and the rest would've survived with me and revealed the scheme of the Dark Congress. That way, the kingdom would be kept intact."

The crystal ball became dark, and the Host Stars of Destiny showed up. Lucien was too occupied to ask anything, but Duke James inquired earnestly, "Who is he exactly?"

David snorted, "You still haven't got it? It is so obvious now!"

It was truly impossible to communicate with a lunatic. Duke James stomped and pressed back David's voice.

"Who is he?"

David cackled crazily, "Didn't he mention that he would blame it on 'Cursed Angel' Grunwell? You think it was just a random talk? It was just a trick. He was exactly 'Cursed Angel' Grunwell, a level-nine gold knight of the same Demon Lord bloodline as 'Poisonous Devil'!"

"Grunwell, the night watchers!" Duke James looked at Grunwell who was standing like a statue in fury. It was a night watcher!

After murdering a baron radically, they were even thinking to kill the bigger nobles!

For a moment, Duke James was full of disgust against the night watchers and the Church. If he did not need them to balance the Congress of Magic, he would've advocated banishing the Church from Holm!

Natasha, Russell and Camil looked more or less the same after hearing David's reply. The only difference was that the latter two did not even have the strength to frown.

Noticing Duke James' awful face, David smiled even more delightedly, "Very angry and very desperate about the Church? Then, let me tell you something even more infuriating."

"What is it?" Duke James demanded.

David laughed very happily, "Think about it. Is it easy for me, a noble who was close to the Congress of Magic, to get in touch and conspire with someone who ranked top ten among the night watchers? Could my fury have burst out so soon? Let me tell you. It was all because of the nobles who were inclined to the Church. They triggered the devil in my heart. Hehe. They did not want the kingdom to fall into a civil war. Therefore, they asked Grunwell to pretend to be 'Poisonous Devil' of the Dark Congress. After everything was over and you elected me as the king, you would find that the most conservative nobles also supported your opinion!"

"By then, you would've thought that they were doing it to appease you and to maintain 'solidarity' in order to live through the difficulties!"

Duke James said gloomily, "Who was it? Any noble who attempts to kill their liege must be hanged!"

It would matter if such a thing was done in secret, but if it was revealed, it would be the most severe crime that challenged the entire noble class.

"Count Barady, Duke York, and perhaps President Rex." David replied with a smile, selling them out without any hesitation, and even adding more.

Now that I'm about to die, what's the point of keeping Holm complete and prosperous? You should die. Let a civil war reduce Holm into ruins. That will be the best offering for me!

Duke James couldn't have looked more awful. He declared, one word after another, "I'll ask sorcerers, knights who are adept at interrogation, and the members of the inquisition to question you in turns. I hope you're not lying."

If it was only Count Barady, it would've been easier. However, behind Duke York had Kritonia, a legendary knight, and Rex was the leader of the conservatives. If they were involved in the matter, it would have to be handled with caution. Also, David was not necessarily speaking the truth.

"You won't be disappointed, Duke. Did you ever wonder why the prince died so coincidentally? Haha!" David burst into laughter, not bothering that they saw through his exaggeration in the end. After all, the seed of suspicion had been planted!

Hearing him pointing out the problems about Prince Patrick's death, Duke James looked so awful that his face seemed to be dripping water. Natasha, however, continued focusing her willpower as if she did not hear anything, but coldness did beam out of her silver eyes.

Lucien was less puzzled after learning that it was done by night watchers. They were 'professionals' to eliminate sorcerers and evil forces. Naturally, they had their ways to avoid the detection of the Host Star of Destiny. Also, he was levels lower than the criminal.

At this moment, the Host Star of Destiny of 'Alferris' glittered on the crystal ball, implying that it was unhurt and not far away.

What surprised Lucien, however, was that two clusters of powerful projections of fate lay next to the Host Star of Destiny of the Little Crystal. They were very fuzzy but they did not cover themselves, allowing Lucien to identify them very easily.

"Master? Your Excellency Hathaway?"

What exactly is going on?

...

In midair, Fernando, the Lord of Storm, stared at the void before him with his red eyes wide open. On his left side was the indifferent Hathaway, and behind him squatted the clever Alferris.

It informed his master the moment it noticed that something was wrong.

"Sard, why did you ask us to watch this? To let me see how my student makes a comeback?" Asked Fernando solemnly.

The air not far away seemed to have been gathered into the shadow of a person, who smiled peacefully, "How would the liberals seek another way of balance, and how would they abandon the Church at the critical moment without any hesitation, if they had not been through life-and-death dangers that made them desperate about the Church first?"

"What do you want exactly?" Fernando squinted.

"Cooperation. I want to cooperate with you."

Sard's projection spoke concisely.

Chapter 538: Sard's Plan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Subconsciously, Fernando was about to establish a storm barrier in case other legendary experts were snooping around them, but Sard hurried to say, "Use other spells. I cannot cast my projection into your barrier."

He certainly dared not leave the Radiance Church and talk face to face with the grand arcanists, which would be like feeding himself to the enemy. A saint cardinal was not as unpredictable and unkillable as a legendary sorcerer.

Therefore, Fernando and Hathaway set up multiple magics together to prevent prying. The seemingly empty and peaceful air was full of fatal traps.

After everything was done, Fernando looked at the human-shaped air with his red eyes. "By cooperation, do you mean cooperating with the two of us, or the Congress?"

Hathaway had always been taciturn when somebody else could speak for her. Alferris, on the other hand, had been blocked by Fernando since the beginning, unable to see them or hear their conversation.

It was not because Fernando distrusted it but because it was still too young and might reveal secrets subconsciously. Also, the sense deprivation was a torture for other people but nothing for a dragon. Alferris had already fallen asleep, floating in midair with Fernando's strength.

Sard smiled as warmly as when he was preaching. "The cooperation I want cannot be supported by you two alone. The Congress of Magic is stronger than the Northern Extremists in terms of both the capabilities of their leadership as well as the personnel on the lower levels, but why is it only restrained in the cities such as Allyn, Rentato and Cox? Why can't it control a massive empire as well as its vassal kingdoms and duchies, like the Northern Extremists, who do not need to worry about the Church inside but only need to pay attention to external defenses? This is highly undeserved for the second strongest force in all the dimensions."

Fernando calmed down and replied loudly, "That's because we grew from weak to strong, unlike the North Church which was partly capable of resisting the South Church and had the full support of the northern nobles since the very beginning."

"The Church has set up one big and four small transmission magic circles in Rentato, Cox kukesi and other cities, ensuring that they can reinforce it in time if we intend to remove the branches of the Church on this side of the Storm Strait, transforming a local war into a total war. In such a case, both parties need to calculate the potential losses prudently. However, I believe that, as the Congress develops, the situation will be greatly changed in ten years."

"Ten years? You mean the legendary advancement made possible by 'new alchemy'?" Sard asked about the details unhurriedly.

Hathaway interjected, "Yes. The system will be more or less perfected in ten years, and the errors will be rectified."

"By then, Hathaway will certainly reach the peak of legendary, as well as Raventi, Morris, Donald, Prado and other archmages who have stayed in the ninth circle for a long time will advance into legendary, too." Fernando declared confidently and exaggeratedly, leaving the impression that he was bragging.

However, he was even more confident than he appeared. He did not show it because he wanted to mislead Sard. Whatever purpose Sard might have, sending him the wrong intelligence might yield amazing results in the future. For the big shots in their level, a conversation was also a competition.

Sard smiled, "Lucien is truly a genius. Ten years later, the Congress of Magic will be able to make the Church waver between losing half of the Grand Cardinals and evacuating from the few countries on the other side of the Storm Strait. His Holiness the pope estimated that it would take sixty years and therefore is not anxious."

While God's Arrival was terrifying, it could only be used once. Even if Douglas was killed, what could they use to kill Brook and Hathaway?

By then, as long as the two grand arcanists at the peak of legendary stalled the pope, the other legendary sorcerers of the Congress would definitely make the Grand Cardinals pay gravely. After all, the South Church was surrounded by enemies, and it was impossible to summon all the legendary experts to attack the Congress of Magic, unless certain compromises were made to achieve the cooperation of the North Church and the Dark Congress.

Of course, such a possibility was little to none. The conflicts of heretics could not be mediated. Also, they certainly would not wait and watch the Church, which was the strongest of all, to swallow the Congress of Magic without losing anything. In that case, it would be their turn to be swallowed soon.

"Ten years is not too distant. I wonder how you want to cooperate, Sard." Fernando asked solemnly.

Just now, he described the Congress' possible improvement following Hathaway's opinion, but in fact, with the new alchemy, the mass-energy formula, and the reverse-engineering of 'fission' and 'fusion', he was confident to reach the peak of legendary in one to two years even though he could not grasp all of them due to the lack of knowledge. Hathaway was the same.

If neutrons were discovered in advance, the advancement of Raventi, Donald and other archmages would be sooner, too. It would be a major mistake to predict the change of the Congress of Magic in a time span of ten years.

Sard said calmly, "I can shorten ten years to one year. After one year, you will control Holm, Brianne and other territories like the North Church controls the Schachran Empire. The frequency of sorcerers being killed will be significantly lowered."

"It would take the pope one year before God's Arrival could be used again. Therefore, one year later will be a good point. By then, I will shut the transmission magic circle in Rentato, so that you will not fear reinforcements. It will take at least half an hour to transfer from the Holy City. I believe you are capable enough of pushing the frontline to the Storm Strait in the meantime."

Storms seemed to be raging in Fernando's pupils, indicating that he was not calm. While Hathaway was still indifferent, her focused eyes showed her attention, too.

For the Congress of Magic, the Radiance Church had to be removed in order to control this side of the Storm Strait, and the greatest problem for the removal was the super large transmission magic circle inside it. Because of the uniqueness of the divine power barrier, it could not be blocked in advance. However, Sard was implying that he would shut down the lifeline of Holm!

"What do you want from this? What about the Grand Cardinals of the other four parishes and the legendary knights in the countries?" Fernando controlled his anxiety.

Sard chuckled. "You should've made some progress on diagnosing the fake gods. I believe you must've reported Lucien's report on Ell's church, too. Do you not know what I want? I want to establish a church with my own beliefs in order to approach the Almighty Lord."

"The lands on this side of the Storm Strait is an excellent choice. I will reform the doctrines of the Church and return the interpretation right of the Cannon to the believers. The Saint Truth will be everyone's Saint Truth. In such a way, my church will be something that you can count on and work with, like the North Church and their nobles."

"For the legendary knights and nobles, it will be an acceptable balance. Until the South Church is completely destroyed, you cannot abandon them and have to respect them."

"What I'm doing right now is to make use of the radicals in the Holm parish to transform the opinions of the clergy and to intensify the relationship between the nobles and the Church, so that the liberals will abandon the Church and join my arms when a new balance is available, and the conservatives will make a similar choice after weighing the pros and cons."

"I'm confident to attract one of the four Grand Cardinals in other parishes. Based on the secrets I obtained from the World of Souls, I'm confident to attract another one or two in a year. The legendary knights will recognize the situation. Now, I already have 'Heart of Time'. I don't think you have no legendary knights on your side after such a long time, do you?"

Sard admitted frankly that he got something from the World of Souls. After all, the Congress of Magic must've guessed it.

Fernando acknowledged his speculation with silence. A few legendary knights in every country had been attracted to the Congress, but until the situation changed, they would not revolt but would even attack the Congress under the Church's lead.

"In such a way, the power of God will plummet. Even if you have three Grand Cardinals, that's still far from the nobles. You would be overwhelmed by them. Are you not worried about that?" Asked Fernando solemnly.

Sard shook his head. "What I want is faith, the truth, and to be closer to the Lord. Everything else is just false. If you would like to cooperate, you have to stress that when you swear before the Origin of the World, and I will also promise that I will shut down the transmission magic circle with the Heart of Faith."

"This is too important a matter for us to give you an answer immediately. We have to summon the Highest Council for discussion." Fernando said seriously.

Sard smiled. "Of course."

Then, the human-shaped air that he gathered was gone.

Hathaway watched it for a while and said in a low voice, "Do you believe what he said?"

"He sounded rather reasonable. It's worth a shot, too. However, we have to be prepared that he is up to something else." His hands behind his back, Fernando looked at the Radiance Church in the city.

...

Inside the secret chamber, James kicked David into a coma after hearing his speech. He turned to Lucien and said, "Lucien, you will check his confession with magic first. I'll ask the neutrals and the Church advocates to check it, too. Rest assured, this is only to get more convincing and authentic proof. We will not compromise or attack randomly until the enemy pays."

"Alright, I'll check it later. 'Cursed Angel' Grunwell, on the other hand, has to be given to me. I lack the materials of a level-nine gold knight to work on the steady inheritance and activation of blood power. You can take away part of the tissues and his identity papers from Grunwell, or the conservatives would deny it." Lucien looked at Grunwell casually.

Duke James also looked at Grunwell. To be used by a sorcerer as experiment materials was much more brutal than to be killed. However, he was interested by something else Lucien said. "Steady inheritance and activation of blood power? Has the Congress made breakthroughs in that regard?"

"Not yet, but I believe there will be." Lucien bragged, giving the nobles hope without specifying how long it would take.

His eyes glowing, James said, "Lucien, you are truly a genius in arcana studies. I hope that you can resolve the conundrum someday. Alright, this room has poisons and curses lingering everywhere. It is bad for Her Majesty and other victims. I'll suppress the 'Helpless Kiss' in Russell and Camil first. The mix of poisons and curses will probably fade away very soon after they take a good rest in the other room."

"You will bring Her Majesty to the guest room. I'll 'process' the spot first before I inform 'Heart of Time'."

Lucien discovered that James was more friendly to him. He was not worried about their relationship when Natasha protected him risking her own life, and he even gave them an opportunity to talk in private. Perhaps, his change of attitude was because of the assassination of the night watchers?

Lucien was about to reply, when his cheeks bounced and he received his master's secret message. Understanding everything, he nodded at Duke James with a weird look and walked to Natasha.

"You still haven't gathered your willpower? I'll suppress the 'Helpless Kiss' with magic first." Lucien held Natasha's shoulder concernedly.

Natasha nodded. "No. Bring me to the guest room. I can use the Health Belt after the willpower is gathered."

Lucien exerted strength and supported her to leave the wall that she leaned against. But he suddenly felt something when he noticed that her feet were unsteady.

Natasha sensed Lucien's pause and looked at him in confusion, but she felt a hand on her leg the moment she turned her head, and she immediately flew up. She waved her arms subconsciously, hoping to catch something, but because of her weak hands, she could only grip Lucien's shoulder in the end.

Calming herself down, Natasha saw Lucien's smiling face as well as the ceiling. It was not until then that she realized that Lucien had swept her off her feet!

Ever since she could remember, counting the incident where Lucien carried her to escape, she had never been hugged by a man in such a way before. Both embarrassed and angered, her bloodstained face emitted suspicious redness.

Lucien felt great after finally leaving the queen swooning. That should be the normal posture!

Natasha's face was slightly red. It was indescribably beautiful even though it was covered in blood. Recalling the female god of war that stood before him a moment ago, Lucien was greatly touched and kissed her in the face.

Sensing the warm touch on her face, Natasha put on a warm smile. All her embarrassment gone, she said in a low voice, "I'll hug you in the same way if there's a chance!"