583 - 590

Chapter 583: Selection

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

This is so deja vu… Lucien almost failed to control his facial expression after hearing Douglas' proposal. He blurted out, "Mr. President, there's also pure mathematics!"

"Ah, I almost forgot. Mathematics is the brightest gem on the crown of arcana and magic. How can we forget that? Now, there are prizes in twelve fields in total." Douglas patted his forehead and said humorously, "Lucien, your proposal was a bit late, or you could've won Evans Prize in Elements and Astrology for the discovery of neutrons and the introduction to the general theory of relativity."

Lucien waved his hands unconcernedly, "I have too many magic items for me to use now. So, the rewards are not important. If it's about fame, with the Lucien Evans Prize, I believe I will be remembered together with every prize winner."

'Superconductivity', the Silver Moon Medal, and 'Quanta', the Ice & Snow Medal, had both been issued. However, Lucien had plenty of badges on his chest, and those two did not have special magic effects that could make up his shortcomings. Therefore, he did not wear them in case of interference but kept them in his storage bag.

"Only the arcanists who have won too many awards can be as generous as you." Oliver smiled. Playboy or not, he was one of the few members who were good at talking in the Highest Council. The rest of them all lacked social skills even though they looked normal. For example, Brook, the No. 2 person, was gentle and open-minded, but he was a bit unapproachable.

As for Fernando, Vicente, Hathaway, Hellen and Davey, who did not even look normal, they were naturally even worse.

After teasing Lucien, Oliver turned to Douglas. "Mr. President, I don't think prizes according to schools fit the current situation. It's obvious that the new alchemy will involve electromagnetism, and the general theory of relativity includes many other schools, too. Should we regroup the Evans Prize into a few prizes of larger ranges?"

Douglas nodded in approval, "Well said. When I read Lucien's general theory of relativity, I obviously sensed the content of multiple schools. In fact, I think that all the concepts belong to the arcane system, and one Evans Prize in Arcana will be sufficient. But obviously, it will not be very convincing."

"Why not? Elements, electromagnetism, light-darkness, astrology, force field, alchemy and thermodynamics all study the law of the world. It doesn't matter to call it Evans Prize in Arcana. Illusion, transformation, summoning and necromancy are more about the specific things made of material and energy. They will be covered by the Evans Prize in Magic." Brook remarkably, didn't object to it because of their history.

Lucien thought for a moment. "Why do we have to divide them according to schools? The accomplishments that reveal the laws of the world will be awarded with Evans Prize in Arcana, those which are more practical and applicable will be awarded with the prize in magic, and together with the prize in mathematics that is about more abstract accomplishments, there will be three prizes in total."

"I suggest the studies in the school of necromancy that benefit the body and the soul and the studies on the mind in the school of illusion be combined into one prize, because they are all in the category of meditation. It will help us reshape the image of the sorcerers." Atlant proposed.

Lucien scratched his chin. Evans Prize in Medicine? Please don't come up with any stranger stuff. If there was a prize for peace, he would propose that it be awarded to his teacher and Granny Hathaway for maintaining world peace with 'Eternal Blaze' and human bomb.

"Very good, Arcana, Magic, Mathematics and Medicine. Four prizes correspond with four fundamental forces." Douglas made the decision and received no objection. "Alright, the meeting is now over. You will finish the mission given to you or send them to the Affair Committee."

Hardly had he completed his sentence when he was gone. Lucien, who hadn't stood up yet, was rather shocked. Mr. President was too fast a runner, wasn't he?

"He's devoted to the review and learning of the general theory of relativity. You'd better be braced for the attacks of ten thousand whys." Fernando said to Lucien, not surprised at all. Then, he left and returned to Thunder Hell directly, as space teleportation was forbidden in the conference room.

Fernando was also trying to understand the general theory of relativity, but the discovery of neutrons distracted his attention. He was busy working on the many problems in the new alchemy.

The other members of the Highest Council left without any delay, proving what Oliver said earlier: everybody's time was precious.

"I suspect that the power that restrains neutrons and protons is one of the two fundamental powers that haven't been confirmed." Hathaway said thoughtfully.

Lucien nodded slightly. "I think so, too."

It was not until he spoke that Lucien realized Hathaway had walked to the door without waiting for him to answer at all.

"So, she was only talking to herself." Lucien scratched his chin.

Oliver walked over. "Do you want me to give you a ride to the Affair Committee?"

"Thank you, but no, Mr. Oliver. Thompson is there." Lucien refused with a smile, knowing that he was looking for an excuse to go to the Affair Committee.

Oliver opened his hands. "It seems that there's nothing I can help you with. Lucien, I'm told that you established Evans Music Prize when you were in Aalto? Are you interested in setting up a prize in arts with me?"

Oscars? Lucien was almost choked by the Sky Blue he was drinking.

"Mr. Oliver, I have just given away one third of my wealth. I fear that I don't have the ability." Lucien subtly refused Oliver's offer.

Oliver smiled, "It seems that I have to work on my own now."

He merely felt that only a great musician like Lucien was qualified to set up a prize with him, but he was not forcing Lucien to.

After Oliver left, Klaus stood up and said with a smile, "I'm used to arriving first and leaving last. Evans, you said that the Lucien Evans Prize requires more strict standards. Will the candidates only be qualified after their theory and discovery blows up other people's heads?"

"Mr. Klaus, you are truly humorous." Lucien smiled awkwardly. He was simply too infamous!

After Klaus left, Lucien intentionally coughed aloud. There were only himself and Hellen, Witch of Iceland, in the room.

Hellen was so devoted to Evans Geometry that she did not catch Lucien's cough at all.

Having no other choice, Lucien kept coughing.

Hellen still showed no response.

"Ms. Hellen…" Lucien simply called her.

Hellen finally raised her head in confusion. "What's up?"

Then, she looked around and asked in a daze, "Is the meeting over?"

"Yes." Lucien was rather embarrassed. He was not nearly focused enough compared to her.

Hellen nodded without any surprise, as if she were used to it, and simply resumed studying.

"Ms. Hellen…" Lucien called her helplessly again.

Looking at Lucien with her bright blue eyes, Hellen asked confusedly, "What's up? Why are you still here?"

"Didn't you say that you would bring me to select a legendary spell after the meeting is over?" Lucien tried to keep his smile.

Hellen remembered her promise. She cleaned the books, paper and quill before her and then tapped the ring on her left hand, so that she would know clearly what things she needed to ask the three committees to do.

"Follow me." Then, without any delay, Hellen brought Lucien to a secret library on the thirty-fifth floor.

"According to the standard, you may choose one spell." Hellen had always been short with words.

Presenting the advancement graph of the legendary class, 'Atom Controller', and the two corresponding basic legendary spells, Lucien asked, "What if I submit them?"

"Two basic spells can be exchanged for two, and the legendary can be exchanged for two. You may choose five in total." Hellen's attention was finally attracted after she saw the items, but due to regulations, she could only confirm that they were legendary for now. If she wanted to learn them, she would have to trade for them.

Lucien stepped into the library and saw legendary spells and uncanny rituals on the book shelves.

According to the statistics of the Congress, 156 to 165 legendary spells had appeared so far. Some were racial-specific spells, like the vampires' 'Real Dream', and some were the trump cards of the legendary sorcerers, such as Hathaway's 'Elements Resolve'. Those spells were not in the library. As a result, there were only 87 legendary spells for choosing.

Among them, the legendary spells that had little to do with his legendary class could barely be learnt, and the conflicting ones could never be learnt, unless his arcana expertise soared.

In the next few years, Lucien could only construct three legendary spells in his soul. So, he had to choose widely.

"My Atomic Fission is a ranged attack that includes high temperature, energy storm and curse, so I don't need to choose a massive-destructive spell. Also, the 'Space Staff' that I intent to build can provide acceleration and deceleration, which can help me escape and control. I can drop the spells in that aspect, too…"

Lucien only had a basic understanding about the terrifying spell based on the general theory of relativity. Chances were that it could really manipulate time and space as he advanced.

"Spells about barriers and locks… My teacher promised to teach me 'Storm Barrier', and I don't need to pick them." Looking at the names and effects of the spells on the shelf, Lucien considered carefully, "What I need most right now is a legendary spell that attacks individuals…"

As he made up his mind, Lucien soon found three candidates: 'Snow Goddess's Anger', 'Vengeful Gaze' and 'Vaporization'.

In light of the fact that he already had freezing spells, Lucien preferred the latter two to increase the diversity of his spells.

'Vengeful Gaze' could create terrible, high-energy lasers with an excellent penetration, while 'Vaporization' could put the target in high heat. Even a legendary sorcerer could be vaporized if he did not take any defense.

"Vengeful Gaze can penetrate most defenses. Also, it is very fast and hard to avoid…" It didn't take Lucien much time before he made a choice. It would be the third legendary spell he was going to construct.

Later, Lucien selected four legendary spells he was going to study later, namely 'Mental Fulmination' that affected thinking, 'Mirror of Fate' that was prophetical, 'Reunion' that could save his life and 'Abrupt Magic Reverse', the best magic defense.

Lucien had thought to choose 'Luxury Cracking', but he had 'Elemental Order' that could be exchanged for 'Elements Resolve' and 'Cracking (Advanced)'. So, it appeared redundant. 'Elements Resolve' and 'Cracking (Advanced)' combined could help him deal with most situations.

'Reunion', on the other hand, was a spell that was cast on the user in advance and would be triggered when the user's life was threatened. It would teleport the user back to the place where Reunion was cast. The effect could last one month, so it did not have to be constructed inside the soul and could be cast before every quest. It made an excellent combination with Space Staff. However, the magic could work on three people at most and could not protect more people.

…

Inside the villa that Heidi and Katrina bought together, they were enjoying the red tea with some of their girlfriends while waiting for 'Arcana Voice' to start. Listening to the programs of the two frequencies everyday was their favorite lifestyle.

"…Before our programs begins, allow me to announce a piece of news. Mr. President has granted Mr. Lucien Evans the title of grand arcanist today on behalf of the Highest Council in honor of his paradigm-shifting contributions with the new alchemy. His tribute is…" Nightingale's exciting, sweet voice echoed.

"Huh? Our master…" Layria, Katrina and Chelly mumbled. After the discovery of neutrons, they already knew that their teacher would become a grand arcanist, but they still found it hard to believe after they really heard it.

Heidi, on the other hand, exclaimed in joy, "A grand arcanist! His Excellency Evans!"

Lenka and their other friends looked at them enviously. "Twenty-six years old… A grand arcanist that is only twenty-six years old…"

Chapter 584: Benefit Society

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"He has accomplished two revolutionary achievements and won the title of grand arcanist at only 26. I'm afraid that nobody will ever break Mr. Evans' record. Mr. Brook was in his forties when he became a grand arcanist…" Patricia, another lady, had blond hair and looked like Katrina's sister. She spoke as if she were in a dream, her voice full of admiration and compliments.

Katrina was back to herself hearing what her friends said. With a brilliant and excited smile, she said, "In fact, since new alchemy was proposed, we had been speculating when our teacher would become a grand arcanist. Our general opinion was that it would be thirty years old. Hehe. Even so, our teacher's record would be amazingly tantalizing. Nobody expected that he would win it at only 26…"

Because they met their teacher when they were teenagers, an age gap of five years felt like the gap of a whole generation. So, they always regarded him as a senior. After they became his students, they were naturally even more respectful and scared. Also, because their teacher was too mature, it was hard for them to remember his real age – Lucien had already changed his age back after his identity as a musician was exposed.

Today, after hearing that he won the title of grand arcanist, she suddenly recalled that he was only 26! She was almost 22 herself, and she only had the hope to become a middle-rank sorcerer. They were of the same generation with a gap in age, but their actual gap was so huge that she could only look at his back in admiration!

"Haha, I'm a grand arcanist's student!" Heidi was more simple and straightforward, not covering her pride at all.

Lenka looked at them with complicated feelings. "Mr. Evans must have his own legendary class now. Perhaps, you will be a legendary sorcerer's student in ten years."

"With Mr. Evans' talents, he will be a top legend in forty years at most." Patricia congratulated them. "You will certainly be in the senior rank under his guidance by then. Please don't forget us."

In the Congress of Magic, grand arcanists were more important than legendary sorcerers because they could almost always become legendary and it was easier for them to reach the peak.

"In fact, there will be no major difference now. Our teacher's guidance won't change…" Layria said in delight while secretly she complained that the only difference would probably be more insane exams.

Patricia held a cup of red tea but forgot to drink it. "How can there be no difference? Things will be much more conveinent for you now. For example, there will be no dangerous, mandatory missions. Other sorcerers will prefer to exchange their trophies with you. Your life will be full of such invisible benefits."

"That does not change our teacher's strictness. The monthly report on research progress, the mountain of exams, the piles of papers to be reviewed, the prosaic magic exercises… I'm swooning when I just think about it." Chelly rubbed her forehead. She was admitted by the magic school not because of talents but because of her connections. So, she had to work harder to make up for her shortcoming.

"I would rather suffer that." Lenka blurted out and then covered her complicated feelings with a smile. "I mean, many sorcerers and apprentices would love to bear the pain in your place. You must cherish the opportunity."

Heidi nodded solemnly, "Although we complain, we never work less. It's the luckiest thing in our life to meet our teach and become his student. We cannot squander our bliss."

"Well said." Katrina and Layria looked at Heidi rather in surprise, not expecting her to be so serious.

Then, Heidi put on a 'creepy' smile and declared, "Therefore, after I become a senior-rank sorcerer and have my own students, I'll let them know what 'lucky' is. I'll show them the Evans quiz, tests and exams. No, not just my students, I'll introduce them to the magic school and make everybody enjoy them!"

Katrina's smile was frozen. Was it 'benefit the society' that their teacher said?

Patricia's eyes shined. "Heidi, can you let me try the exercises that Mr. Evans gave to you? I'm very curious about those fearful tests."

Patricia had been craving for the guidance they accepted, but the private lecture was every teacher's secret. If she asked recklessly, they probably wouldn't be friends anymore. Now that Heidi mentioned it on her own, she naturally did not let go of the chance.

Heidi remembered that her teacher said that the tests would be compiled into a book for popularization later. So, she chuckled, "You want to give it a shot? I'm very strict. You have to finish it on time!"

"Really? I'm willing to try them however strict you are!" Patricia said in delight.

Lenka followed, "Can I try them, too?" Her voice was shivering.

The other few ladies expressed the same wish, and intense sympathy beamed out of Katrina and her fellows' face.

When Heidi sorted the exercises, Lenka said gloomily, "Why did we enter the Alborg magic school at the beginning? If we hadn't know you earlier, our life could've been totally different…"

"Our teacher said that this is a time of changes. Whoever is less restrained by the past and the intuitions will improve rapidly. So, you have plenty of opportunities. The future has only just begun." Layria encouraged them.

Patricia nodded solemnly, "Mr. Evans is right. That's probably why the groundbreaking contributions in the past ten years were all accomplished by young arcanists, like Felipe, Larry, Ulysses, Jurisian, Jerome and you."

"We were just lucky. While young people are less restrained by experience, it's difficult for them to make great achievements because of their unsolid knowledge foundation." Katrina reminded them. "Those older arcanists may transform their thinking and understanding about the world after digesting the recent achievements. We must not overlook them."

"The Congress has decided to set up a prize that represents the highest honor of arcana and magic. Thanks to Mr. Evans' sponsorship, the prize has been named as Evans Prize. It's subdivided into Evans Prize in Arcana that represented the law of the world and the mysteries about material and energy, as well as…"

"Evans Prize in Arcana, Magic, Mathematics and Medication… I wonder who will win it first…" Heidi, Chelly and the rest of them looked at the radio, yearning for it.

…

"…Mr. President has granted Mr. Lucien Evans the title of grand arcanist today on behalf of the Highest Council in honor of his paradigm-shifting contributions with the new alchemy. His tribute is…"

Inside the radio, Nightingale, Lark and other anchors were all announcing the news in their different tones.

"The youngest grand arcanist in history, and probably the youngest legendary sorcerer later…" Gaston broke the weird silence in the library and heaved a sigh. "Who could've thought that the first-circle sorcerer you met would become a grand arcanist? I only appreciated his potentials when the periodic table was proved and thought that he could become a senior-rank sorcerer one day. As it turned out, after I'm only improved by one level, he's already totally different from the past… The eighth grand arcanist, His Excellency Evans…"

Eight years for a senior-rank sorcerer was like one year for the ordinary people.

Larry, sitting on his opposite side, said in a smile, "A few years ago, I envied him deeply and was even jealous of him in private, but right now, all the jealousy is gone. I chose a wrong target. We are not competitors of the same level at all. I can't even see his back now."

"It's good to recognize yourself, but there is no need to feel humble. The new alchemy and the theory of relativity have opened the gate to a new epoch. There are certain infinite mysteries up ahead. As long as we explore hard, we will have a lot of achievements, too." Gaston comforted his student in a smile.

Larry nodded in agreement. "I'm going to study the orbits and distribution of electrons in the new alchemy."

"Me, too." Gaston was satisfied about his students' keenness.

…

In Heidler city…

Listening to the radio, Felipe looked out of the window aimlessly like a statue.

"Grand arcanist… Grand arcanist…" The same broadcast raised different feelings. Felipe was lost and frustrated first, but then his pride was rekindled. He could not be left far behind.

"Lucien mentioned that his modification would be based on the diffraction of X rays…" Felipe decided to learn more about electromagnetism and improve the magnifying magic on his own to meet his demand.

…

In a secret cave that was comfortably and splendidly decorated in the wilderness on the north coastline…

Kritonia listened to the radio on the sofa solemnly. "Lucien Evans has become a grand arcanist, and probably a legend in a few years…"

With his level-three legendary, he didn't have to hide. But the Hoffenberg family had Hathaway who was at the peak of legendary, so he had to be prudent.

At this moment, the fire in the furnace suddenly grew into the shape of a human.

"Original Fire." Kritonia sensed it the moment the fire changed. He was amazed by the sorcerer with ancient heritage. 'Original Fire' was only level-one legendary, but he never discovered the guy until he was near.

Although he wouldn't be ambushed, it indeed called for wariness.

A hoarse voice echoed from the fire. "He has become a grand arcanist. We need to plan an operation. If we postpone a couple of years, we will be faced with a legendary sorcerer, which will be much more difficult."

"But we have to wait until the Congress of Magic is less vigilant." Kritonia nodded in agreement.

…

In Babel, Lucien received Natasha's electromagnetism messaging.

"I heard the broadcast that you'd been promoted into a grand arcanist. Does it mean that you do not need to participate in the review of papers?" Asked Natasha joyfully.

Lucien smiled. "Do you want me to go to Rentato?"

"Hehe. You disrupted the pope's scheme only a few days ago. It will be too dangerous for you if you are out of Atom Institution. Also, I've been curious about your Atom Institution and your magic tower for a long time. So, I will go to Allyn tomorrow!" Natasha understood the situation quite well.

Lucien chuckled. He was thinking to discuss schools, labor laws and Kritonia with her, and she had decided to come to him on her own so cooperatively.

"Do you not welcome me?" Hearing Lucien's chuckle, Natasha said jokingly.

Lucien replied with a smile. "Of course I do. My friends and students have always wanted to meet Her Majesty. There's something that I want to discuss with you, too."

Chapter 585: A One-Day Trip in Allyn

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After the call with Natasha, Lucien did not clean his room and his laboratory for the visit of 'Her Majesty', like any other single gentlemen would, because Leo, the servants, the golems as well as the tower guard were enough to make every part of the magic tower clean and tidy.

Also, Lucien was a very organized man himself. He had kept all the experiment materials in his own way in case of mistakes during his experiment.

Lucien focused his attention on the Sun's Corona. During the last couple of days, he had already cracked the last two barriers and grasped the level nine item.

The second to last barrier could only allow Lucien to perform a level nine divine power named 'Bane of the Undead', but the last barrier contained the coordinates of the mysterious land recorded by Maskelyne.

The mysterious place was inside the World of Souls and seemed related to the senior-rank spectres. It was possible that the greatest secret of the World of Souls that Rhine talked about was hidden there.

The information left by Maskelyne included more than ten parameters that were associated with the actual circumstances. Only after he obtained the environment data of the World of Souls could he calculate the mysterious place whose coordinates changed all the time.

"I'm already a legendary sorcerer. Exploring the secrets of the World of Souls and rescuing Mr. Maskelyne should be put on my agenda right." Without Maskelyne and his gift, he could've died on the journey to Stuart. Also, any arcanist whose goal was to explore the world would have to visit the World of Souls sooner or later.

Of course, Lucien did not intend to go there anytime soon. He would wait until the six legendary spells were engraved into his soul and go together with others of the Congress of Magic. That would be the safest way.

"I'll apply to check the intelligence in a couple of days. My permissions should be enough for me to check the information from the senior-rank spectres like Adol…" Lucien began to study Space Staff and analyze 'Vengeful Gaze' after making a decision.

...

The next day in the morning, Lucien waited outside of Hathaway's library on the thirty-third floor of the Allyn magic tower.

Soon, space-time ripples spread out, and Lucien smelled something familiar.

Soundlessly, the door was opened, and a tall lady walked out. Natasha was wearing a white hunting suit and long pants, which agreed with her vibe and look and made her even more attractive.

Looking at Lucien's daze, Natasha pressed her chest with her right hand and bowed, "Your Excellency, you are the truth of elements and the staff that masters space and time."

"My lady, you are my truth." Lucien tried to be humorous although he was somewhat regretful. He had gotten much taller, but he was still several centimeters shorter than Natasha. Thankfully, it wasn't too obvious now.

Standing next to Lucien in a smile, Natasha observed the Allyn magic tower. "This place is more beautiful than I remembered. It's simplistic and magnificent. The mysterious patterns and the silver brilliance constitute a dreamy style."

"The Allyn magic tower always leaves an ineffable impression on every sorcerer or apprentice after their visit. Your Majesty, your knight will show you the Atom Institution first." Lucien extended his right hand as an invitation.

Natasha chuckled, "That is a mysterious, forbidden area all nobles and citizens talk about. The deepest secrets of the world seem to be hidden there."

Under the introduction of 'Arcana Voice', the regular citizens were quite awed by the Atom Institution who had many major discoveries.

Since there wasn't any pressure or danger, Natasha was rather relieved and asked about everything she saw.

Their conversation and laughter caught the attention of Hellen, who opened her library and asked, frowning, "This is…"

Natasha did not have any badge of magic or arcana on her chest.

"She is my fiancée Natasha and the queen of Holm. You must've met her before, Ms. Hellen?" Lucien introduced, although it appeared that Hellen did not know Natasha.

Natasha also said courteously, "Ms. Hellen, I heard a lot about you from Granny Hathaway. You are one of the most admirable ladies to me."

Hellen's eyebrow loosened. "So, you are Natasha. I saw your image and heard your name before, but I never associated them."

Lucien tried to hold back his laughter. It was obviously not something that Ms. Hellen was interested in.

Now that the identity of the guest was confirmed, Hellen shut the door of her library without any smalltalk and continued dwelling in her world.

"Ms. Hellen has the most delicate look among all the females I know." When they stepped into the life, Natasha praised with a smile.

Lucien's lips twitched. "Why do you care about her looks…"

"What else should you care about?" Natasha felt that it was only reasonable. Then she realized what was going on. "Rest assured, I'm absolutely loyal. I won't have any other thoughts during my appreciation."

Lucien touched the hair behind Natasha's knight hat without a word. What he needed to worry about was truly different from that of common men.

At the edge of life, Natasha pointed at the thirty-first floor. "Isn't the Sky Radio Station. I like Nightingale and Lark's voices. How do they look?"

Natasha asked similar things a few years ago, but Lucien, fearing that he would have more competitors, simply replied to her with excuses. After all, he was not qualified to catch the attention of the Violet Countess back then.

"They are not in the Sky Radio Station during the day." Lucien explained.

"What a shame. But I'll stay in Allyn tonight. Will you show me the Sky Radio Station?" Asked Natasha with great interest.

Now that they had settled their relationship, Lucien naturally did not have his previous worries. He smiled, "That's not a problem. I am still the manager of the Sky Radio Station in name."

...

Inside the Atom Institution, Lazar, Heidi, Alfalia and other people waited excitedly and anxiously. They had seen the queen's image in the newspaper but never met her in person. Also, it was a sign that Mr. Lucien Evans had officially ended his single life.

In such an atmosphere, the gate of the institution was opened. Heidi keenly saw her teacher walking next to a purple-haired lady.

"She's so gorgeous…"

"How beautiful!"

"No wonder our teacher fell in love with her."

"They are really a match."

Natasha's look fitted the appetite of the ladies on the spot, who believed that she had certain masculine beauty that differed her from the female sorcerers.

After Lucien's cough, Katrina and the students were back to themselves and bowed respectfully, "Good morning, master. Good morning, Your Majesty."

Alfalia and Lowi pressed their chest and their forehead. "Your Excellency, you are the truth of elements and the staff that masters space and time. Good morning, Your Majesty."

After that, Lucien introduced his friends like Lazar and Jerome and his students like Annick and Layria to Natasha one by one.

After the assistants left, Heidi summoned her courage to ask, "Your Majesty, how did your relationship with our master begin? All the sorcerers in Allyn are curious about it!"

"Just say that you are curious about it, lovely little girl." Natasha looked at Heidi with a vague smile. "Long story short, I pushed your master over."

Heidi and Layria both raised their thumbs. How majestic! Being straightforward seemed the best solution to deal with a mild man like their master!

"You seem quite free today." Lucien interjected. "I'll give you another mission. You can study the mechanism of the ancillary computation circles."

Heidi looked awful. Their teacher had obvious translated his embarrassment into a task.

"If you want to know the details, I'll tell them to you later." Natasha followed Lucien to the laboratory with a smile.

After she entered the laboratory, Natasha saw the sharp, cold and simple alchemical devices inside and the indescribable patterns on the experiment platforms, giving permanent shock.

"This is entirely different from my mother's laboratory. It has more… beauty of the space." Shocked, Natasha tried to express her feeling.

"Such is the charm of arcana and magic. Come here, try this cyclotron." Lucien shared his studies with Natasha.

After activating the cyclotron, Natasha saw the dreamy traces of electrons in the cloud room. She exclaimed in amazement, "Are they tiny electrons?"

Lucien was about to answer, when the voltage part of the cyclotron suddenly broke down.

"It's not my fault…" Natasha didn't think she had made any mistakes with the operation.

Lucien checked it. "It's regular attrition. Come here and try this magnifying magic circle."

A moment later, Natasha said innocently again, "This is really not my fault."

"Of course. It's also regular attrition…"

After Lucien's tour with Natasha, three alchemical devices and two magic circles crashed. Although they took up less than one percent, it was still the attrition of almost one month.

"Perhaps they are scared of me?" Scratching her chin, Natasha carefully looked for an excuse for such an anomaly.

Amused, Lucien said, "Soon enough, you will be given the title of 'Experiment Device Destroyer'."

"It's definitely because I was not lucky today!" Declared Natasha resolutely.

...

Lucien showed Natasha the central area of Allyn and returned to his magic tower at noon.

"This is more whimsical and fantastic than the Atomic Institution… Well designed." Natasha was shocked by Lucien's 'Babel' again.

"Nice to meet you, masteress." 'Pinocchio' greeted her.

Very interested in the wisdom of alchemical life, Natasha looked at Lucien and asked, "You didn't teach him?"

"Of course not." Lucien secretly raised his thumb at Pinocchio.

Pinocchio replied proudly, "I am the smart Pinocchio!"

"I remember that Pinocchio was a puppet whose nose grew long if he told lies in your tale." Natasha chuckled, "Was it a metaphor that you tricked many people?"

Pinocchio said loudly, "No, I'm not a lying puppet; I'm the honest Pinocchio. Yes, very honest!"

Lucien pulled Natasha into the magic tower with a smile and stopped her from further teasing Pinocchio.

After visiting the magic tower and the magic garden, they returned to the living room and waited for lunch.

When Lucien was about to discuss schools and laws with Natasha, Natasha suddenly rose and closed the door of the living room, before she looked at Lucien with a mischievous smile.

"What's up?" Asked Lucien in confusion.

Natasha kept her smile. "Let me tell you a piece of good news. By perceiving the rules inside the Sword of Truth, I have already advanced into level nine. I've finally surpassed you again.'

Born a knight, she was very happy that her strength would be higher for the time being. She knew that Lucien, whose cognitive world had half-solidified, would surpass her eventually, so she decided to make the best use of the years while she had the 'dominance'.

Therefore, she rubbed her fists eagerly. "I'll hug you in exactly the same way you did to me! I'm going to relish it!"

While talking, she sensed Lucien's mood carefully. She would give up if he disliked her being too pushy. It was the fundamental principle of their relationship.

Lucien was delighted at Natasha's improvement at first, but then he simply stood there with a smile.

Seeing no objection from Lucien, Natasha intentionally walked to Lucien slowly and extended her hands at him with wicked laughter.

But all of a sudden, Natasha realized that Lucien was as terrifying as a pillar that was deeply rooted in the earth and could not be moved. Then, she sensed an enormous force on her back and her legs, before she was swept off her feet, unable to resist.

She waved her hands and feet crazily, trying to free herself, but his arms were like two unbreakable manacles.

"You have already advanced into legendary?"

Natasha was back to herself and asked in disbelief, her eyes widened. She was both delighted and panicked, both awed and upset.

...

The dinner was much later than scheduled. Looking at Natasha who was unusually exhausted, Lucien said in a great mood, "I'll entrust the regulation of the alchemical workshops to you."

Blushing, and with persistence burning inside her body, Natasha swore that she would try to become a legend!

She nodded her head. "I'll ask Duke James to propose a bill to the parliament. Right, the intelligence department mentioned that the dwarf craftsmen are worshiping a mysterious God of Steam. Why do I have the feeling that it has something to do with you?"

Chapter 586: Plan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Lucien had almost forgotten about the dwarfs. After Natasha asked, he remembered what happened and said with a smile, putting down the caviar next to him. "Didn't I tell you about the adventure in the Night Highland?"

"Yes, that was very wicked of you. You added an additional layer of defense outside of the vampire count's defense core to make it even more 'solid'!" Natasha was chuckling about it even right now. Lucien was full of such bad humor, but she liked it!

Lucien was quite proud of his reactions back then, too. "That time, in order to trick the dwarfs into coming back, I intentionally pretended to be their God of Steam after they mistook me for him, and I even 'showed' them an illusionary gods' realm – Atlantis. Inside of it was my imagination about the future of the alchemical industry. Hehe. At that time, I even imagined that alchemical bombs that looked like rising suns were created by the great development of elements and alchemy. You know what happened later. Reality is always more unbelievable than fantasies. We already have "Eternal Blaze'."

Now that they were talking about dwarfs, Lucien briefly explained what 'Atlantis' was to her.

Natasha was stunned first at Lucien's answer, then she laughed so hard that she lay on the table. "And I was wondering what the dwarfs were worshiping. It turns out that they were worshiping an alchemical bomb. Haha. How hilarious! I have never seen such a funny religion before!"

They're just nuclear-bomb believers. I'd seen a lot of them when I played games in the past. Lucien smiled at Natasha as she laughed aloud.

Trying to control herself, Natasha said while laughing, "According to the intelligence department, those dwarfs have been devoutly worshiping silver… Haha, silver iron bombs since 'Eternal Blaze' exploded a while back, crying about god's favor, Atlantis' arrival and such. They also tried to find out who performed 'Eternal Blaze', because they believed that he was the envoy and the saint of the God of Steam."

"If they learn that it's a spell I created, I will be reduced from 'God of Steam' into an ordinary person." Lucien shook his head. A weird idea occurred to him. If the dwarfs perfected their doctrines and rituals, would the power of faith be gathered toward him? Or would it directly be gathered to 'nuclear bombs'?

Lucien had no desire in becoming a god yet. He had learnt a good lesson from Ell. However, he had always wanted to study the congregation of the power of faith. If the gods were unveiled, the deeper mysteries of the world would definitely be revealed.

After talking about the dwarfs' assimilation, Natasha wiped her lips with a napkin. "I'll allocate the additional abbeys to local city halls as the locations of the generic schools."

After the South Church evacuated, the number of believers had reduced a lot. In order to control them, Natasha had confiscated part of the abbeys and real estate of the Church, which built up the queen's treasury. That was why she approved Lucien's plan without any hesitation. She was using her private possessions and did not need the approval of the Parliament of Nobles.

"After the schools you and the Congress establish raise talents after talents, I believe that the royal family will be more steady." Lucien said, smiling.

Natasha put down the napkin and looked at Lucien. "It's your plan, and I definitely support you. Besides, you convinced me."

Lucien nodded solemnly, "If nothing changes, and society remains as ignorant and underdeveloped as it used to be, will there be any joy in accomplishing success? What's the point of becoming the leader of a bunch of pigs? A real arcanist should facilitate the progress of society and make mankind more civilized, giving everybody an opportunity to enjoy the convenience brought by the alchemical items. That will be the greatest achievement for them…"

Hearing Lucien's heartfelt speech, Natasha became quiet and focused. He looked more charming than ever.

After Lucien finished, Natasha responded with a brilliant smile, "Yes. Being a queen in a poor, underdeveloped country where most people don't even know how to write is not nearly as pleasant as seeing the country flourish."

Looking at Leo and two maids who were serving nearby, Lucien rose with a smile. "Let me show you the scenery of Atlantis."

Natasha was stunned at first, and then she realized that Lucien had something else he wanted to say. Therefore, she picked up her hat and followed Lucien into the living room unhurriedly.

After Lucien turned on independent magic circle, she asked solemnly, "What's up?"

"Nothing important. Weren't you 'angry' that I didn't tell you when I advanced into legendary?" Lucien looked at Natasha with a smile.

Natasha blushed as if she recalled something. Then, she coughed and thought quickly. "Are you planning to hide the fact that you are already legendary in order to deal with the legendary experts that the Church will possibly send to kill you?"

Lucien raised his thumb. Natasha had always been keen about that. "Yes. We have to eliminate as many legends of the Church as possible. If I set it to public, they will probably never take any action. After all, a legendary sorcerer can barely be killed. Besides, you are still being threatened by the shadow of Kritonia. I'm thinking to resolve the two issues at once."

Knowing that Lucien was doing this mainly to help her deal with Kritonia, Natasha meant to object first, but she abandoned her idea after seeing Lucien's firmness. She smiled, "The problem is, you can always plan to assassinate somebody else, but you can't always be braced for assassinations."

"That's why we need to attract all of them." Said Lucien without any hesitation. As long as they misevaluated his strength, he would be able to stall them until Mr. President, his teacher and Hathaway arrived.

Natasha scratched his chin. "Kritonia and the possible assassins of the Church can't be fooled so easily. They are very experienced. They will discover our flaws and take advantage of them if we do anything wrong."

"Yes. We can't wander about randomly. There has to be a justifiable, unquestionable reason." Frowning, Lucien said.

Natasha began to consider how to create such an 'opportunity', too. Suddenly, her eyes glittered, and she clapped her hands. "Wedding! Our wedding! While Granny Hathaway and the Lord of Storm will be present, the wedding will be rather crowded and messy, which will give the assassins a chance."

"Everybody knows our relationship. It's perfectly normal to hold a wedding now that the situation is steady again." Lucien nodded in approval.

Natasha added. "We can go one step further. For example, you are a grand arcanist, and I am a queen. Our wedding should be equal. We can hold one wedding in the Nekso Palace and another one in Allyn, or you can come to the Nekso Palace to fetch me, my father, Aunt Camil and the other members of the royal family to Allyn. In such a way, Granny Hathaway will be our only protector on the way. There will be a chance for assassination."

Weddings were supposed to be held in churches, but since Lucien was a sorcerer, churches were naturally not suitable.

"If the Church takes action, it will probably be the Original Fire or one of the other giants of the inquisition. According to their record, they are all bold and careful. The only problem is whether or not Kritonia will work with them. If not, how can they spare enough hands to keep Granny Hathaway busy? We need to make two different plans." Said Lucien quickly. The two of them soon settled on a framework after their discussion.

In the end, Natasha asked, "How long will it take before you can engrave the remaining two legendary spells in your soul?"

"Half a year at least, and eight months at most." Lucien said his estimation.

Natasha nodded and smiled, "Then, we will hold the wedding on April 10 next year, the day when we were separated for the first time. I'll release the news first. Is the time enough?"

"It is." Lucien believed that the time was enough for him to craft his unique legendary items, but the problem was that he did not have enough precious materials.

As if she guessed what was Lucien's mind, Natasha chuckled and said, "Now that the wedding date has been settled and you are really my fiancée, the treasury of the royal family will open for you. I hope you can find legendary materials that you need. If not, you can trade the materials inside with other legendary sorcerers, say Granny Hathaway or the Lord of Storm."

Even though the royal family of Holm had a history of hundreds of years, it boasted no more than five kinds of legendary materials.

"About that…" They were so precious that even such a petty person as Lucien also hesitated. However, after seeing Natasha's firm, smiling eyes, he immediately let it go and said with a smile, "Okay."

After they settled on that, Lucien felt something was wrong and scratched his head. "So to speak, we have already agreed on our wedding? Nobody has proposed yet, right?"

Wasn't it too irregular?

Natasha was briefly stunned. "Huh, do you want me to propose to you?"

After saying that, both she and Lucien were amused. They had unique experiences, unique personalities and a unique relationship. Why did they have to pursue regularity?

Natasha extended her right hand and grabbed Lucien's left hand, before she declared in a low voice:

"If they really dare to come, the blood of legends will dye the carpets of our wedding red!"

"That will perhaps be the most unforgettable wedding." Lucien agreed with a smile. Then he reminded her, "You must be very, very, very careful in the coming months."

…

They spent the afternoon inside the magic tower. At night, when Lucien was about to bring Natasha to the Sky Radio Station for a secret visit, he suddenly received Samantha's message. "We have found a strange channel. It seems to be a radio station that the Church established recently."

"Is that so? I'll come by and see what it is about." Lucien and Natasha looked at each other, both noticing the curiosity in each other's eyes.

Chapter 587: Thanos Demon

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

On the thirty-first floor of the Allyn magic tower…

Although the magic tower was automatically closed and nobody was allowed to enter at night, Lucien was naturally not bound by the rule as a grand arcanist. Leading Natasha, he jumped from 'Atomic Universe', his demiplane, to his library on the thirty-third floor, before they stepped into the lift.

The magic tower at night was more quiet than usual. As they walked inside the silver corridor, their footsteps echoed loudly, further adding to the quiet and creepy atmosphere.

Hardly had Lucien and Natasha entered the area where the Sky Radio Station was at when a giant white wolf ran out. After realizing that it was Lucien, it immediately crouched and wagged its tail.

"Good morning, Mr. Evans. Good evening, Your Majesty." Louise, who was wearing a daisy-colored dress, saw Lucien and his companion, too, and greeted them.

Hearing her sweet and familiar voice, Natasha asked in delight, "Are you Ms. Nightingale? I love your program. Huh. Aren't you Louise, the missing musician of Aalto?"

She recalled the new musician of Aalto from her delicate face and her symbolic white wolf.

"She is the musician Louise. However, I think you must know her other alias, Mercury, Apprentice Mercury." Lucien introduced her to Natasha.

Natasha tried to say something, but she eventually shook her head. "The Musicians' Association of Aalto should be renamed to the Sorcerers' Association of Aalto. Is it easy for musicians to become sorcerers, or do sorcerers prefer to disguise themselves as musicians?"

She had known Apprentice Mercury through Sylvia before she knew Lucien, but she did not know that Mercury was also a musician who escaped to Allyn!

It's not the Sorcerers' Association of Aalto but a prep school for 'international students'… Lucien secretly remarked.

Louise replied, "That was because a great musician and grand arcanist set an example for me. Your Majesty, you've come to visit the radio station?"

Natasha looked at Lucien with a smile and laughed warmly, "I asked Lucien to bring me here because I like the voices of you and Ms. Lark. I didn't expect that I would run into you. Your real voice is even more pleasant than it is on the radio."

"That's because the radios are not good enough." Lucien defended the radio station.

Louise smiled sweetly and politely, "It's an honor to be appreciated by the queen, but 'Arcana Voice' is about to begin. You'll have to excuse me. Mr. Evans, Samantha is waiting for you at the conference room."

"Sorry for delaying you." Natasha said joyfully, "I've bumped into Ms. Nightingale immediately after coming. It seems that my bad luck is over."

She was talking about the disaster in the laboratory in the morning, and the unexpected counter-dominance from Lucien.

"It's been a while since I saw you so courteous." Lucien made fun of her while he led her to the conference room.

Natasha glanced at Lucien. "My manners are reserved for ladies. Hehe. You will have a chance."

The two of them talked and laughed, but Louise sighed in the broadcast room. "The queen and Mr. Evans knew each other a long time ago. They must've been a couple since they were in Aalto… Now, they are finally together despite all the adversities…"

She saw clearly that Lucien and Natasha were both wearing a ring on the third finger on their left hand. Natasha's ring was even the famous Holm Crown Ring, 'Element'.

…

After he opened the gate, all the arcanists bowed at him. "Your Excellency, you are the truth of elements, and you master the staff of space and time."

"There's no need to be so troublesome. Everybody's time is precious." Lucien raised his objection humorously and then pointed at Natasha. "This is Natasha, my fiancée and the queen of Holm."

All the arcanists were refreshed by the first-hand news. Mr. Evans had acknowledged the engagement with the queen? Also, they secretly complimented Natasha's beauty and vibe, because they had seen few female sorcerers that were charming in such a way.

Briefly stunned, Samantha put on a sincere smile. "I didn't know you were engaged. I wish you happiness forever."

Natasha smiled, "Are you Ms. Lark? Your voice is more pleasant than the sound of a real lark. I am your loyal fan."

"It's my honor." Samantha resumed her calmness and spoke to Lucien, "Mr. Evans, it's indeed the Church's radio station. Its name is 'Sound of Salvation'.

As she talked, the whispers of the arcanists gradually stopped, and the sound from the magic circle came into Lucien and Natasha's ears clearly.

"We believe that there must be something that every race and every occupation can accept. That is the virtues such as benevolence, generosity, honesty and bravery; that is the holy light that the Lord favored; that pacifies our minds and protects us from the sins of this world. The evil sorcerers and dark knights, who violate the common sense, are corrupt and destined to be destroyed…"

"…We are brothers and sisters, and we will be saved when we pray in the name of the Lord. This time, we have invited the believers of different social classes. They will tell you about beliefs and virtues."

"…I am a destitute believer. In my place, sickness and injury often mean death, but I survived a major disease because my neighbor, the reverend of my area, treated me and took care of me without asking for any reward. My health and my mental peace were recovered…"

"…I was always anxious in the past, but after the reverends talked to me, I calmed down and enjoyed unprecedented peace…"

…

"The next program is 'The Cruel Magic You Do Not Now'. In this war of Rentato, the evil sorcerers summoned abyssal demons by sacrificing humans alive, which was atrocious. Allow me to repeat the details for you…"

An arcanist laughed, "The Church is completely copying our creation!"

"That's the only way for them to establish it so quickly. The anchor is also a female with a pleasant voice." Another arcanist replied with a smile.

"Don't underestimate the Church's understanding about arcana, but the programs are still not lively and attractive enough." Lucien nodded. "Ask someone to monitor the channel, but don't be distracted by them."

"Understood." All the arcanists replied.

"…Our fate has been preordained by God. Everything is destined. Only by believing in the Lord can we be saved…"

All the arcanists showed obvious despise, which arouse Natasha's interest. "Guys, this is the Church's definition of fate. What's fate in arcana and magic? How accurate is your prophecy?"

Her mother was not good at astrology. Naturally, she did not know much about it.

As a senior-rank sorcerer of the school of astrology, Samantha said solemnly, "Fate is also prearranged according to astrology, but the God of Truth has nothing to do with it."

"Why?" Natasha looked at Lucien and found it hard to accept that fate was unchangeable.

Lucien hinted for her to listen first and ask later.

"I wonder, has Your Majesty ever heard of 'Thanos Demon'?" Samantha tried to explain it as simply as possible.

Natasha shook her head. "No."

Since Lucien just got started with astrology, he was not clear about 'Thanos Demon', either.

"At the last years of the Magic Empire, the sorcerers believed in determinism, which was also known as the law of causality. They believed that as long as all the conditions and parameters that influenced a thing were known, the result of the thing could be inferred deterministically through all kinds of patterns. When there's a result, there's a reason; when there's a reason, there's a result." Samantha basically introduced the law of causality. "As arcana develops, the idea is even more prevalent that as long as conditions and data are given, we will be able to get a definite outcome."

Seeing that Natasha was still confused, another male arcanist added with an example. "Your Majesty, assuming that I have a Thale in my hand, and I toss it out randomly, either side of it could hit the ground, right?"

"Yes." Natasha thought and replied solemnly.

"No, it's not true. After I toss it, as long as I know the force, the quality of the Thale, the moisture, the wind and other conditions, I will be able to calculate which side of it will hit the ground according to Douglas motion system. There's no other possibilities." Declared the arcanist proudly.

Arcanists explored the world, summarized patterns, and then predicted the world with their discovery. That was exactly the charm of arcana!

Natasha thought for a moment. "I got it. The moment when the Thale is tossed, all the influence factors are determined, so the outcome is destined."

"That's good. That's exactly determinism and the law of causality. 'Thanos Demon', on the other hand, was a concept that the Sun King came up with."

Samantha returned to the original topic. "He considers the current status of the world as a consequence of the past and a cause for the future. So, assuming that there is a very powerful demon who knows the status and patterns of everything, it will be able to infer all the things that happened in the past."

"Also, it will be able to predict all the things that will happen in the future. The future will be as fixed as the history. That's exactly 'Thanos Demon'. It tells us that the fate of this world was destined the moment it was born. We cannot predict the future only because we know too little and grasp too few patterns."

Natasha found it impossible to accept the law of causality. "But hearts are unpredictable."

"No. Everybody's personality is affected by the environment. Or rather, their personality is shaped by many factors, and a fixed personality, together with all the other factors when a decision is made, will yield a destined answer even if hearts are unpredictable. Your Majesty, have you never guessed the enemy's possible reaction in a battle?" Samantha said calmly.

Natasha nodded her head but shook it later, not knowing how she should argue.

Samantha put on a proud but sad expression. "Every arcanist in the school of astrology is proud that they can see fate and sad that they cannot change it. It is cruel and cold, but it's also a fact. When there is a cause, there's a consequence. Everything has been decided by the past."

The discussion on fate was over, and Natasha fell silent. It was not until they left the Allyn magic tower that she grasped Lucien's hand and asked, "Lucien, do you believe that fate is preordained and unchangeable?"

It was a terrible and devastating feeling!

"No." Lucien replied with a smile. After his spirit library was unsealed, he had been learning quantum mechanics.

Natasha did not expect that Lucien would give a reply so quickly and firmly. Turning around in a daze, she said with a blossoming smile, "Me, too. I believe that we can change our fate to a certain degree. Hehe. I should've foreseen your answer. The soul of resistance that has never changed since the Symphony of Fate is what I appreciate and like most about you."

"Exactly. One has to be take the initiative consciously." Lucien said in a low voice. Then, while Natasha was slightly confused, he stared at the sky solemnly: "The law of causality must die!"

Because we need to live!

Chapter 588: Special Issue

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Although Natasha did not quite understand why Lucien became so serious all of a sudden, his opinion on the law of causality and his firm attitude still made the terrible feelings in her heart melt like snow under the sunlight. A world where everything was predestined and unchangeable was a most desperate and lifeless one.

Sensing the warmth of his hand and hearing his solemn voice, Natasha soon regained her natural-born optimism. Not bothering with the subject anymore, she smiled, "Are you planning to create an opera for me?"

"How did you know?" Lucien was somewhat surprised.

Natasha chuckled and said, "My eyes are very keen. I saw a manuscript, Valkyrie, on your bookshelf in your library this afternoon, and I think it's for me."

She did not show any modesty about 'Valkyrie' and thought matter-of-factly that it was for her.

Lucien heaved a sigh. "I planned to hire a troupe to perform it for us in honor of the anniversary of our mutual confession of love on my birthday, but I didn't have the time of creation because of Sard and the incidents later. Also, the libretto is more difficult to create than I thought, and the music is even more so. I've only completed one third so far."

Although it was based on the work from Earth, it was basically a brand-new masterpiece, which made Lucien run into a lot of difficulties.

Natasha smiled, not bothered at all. "That's alright. We can wait until next year, or the next year, or the next, and so on. Speaking of opera, I'm planning to sponsor the Musicians' Association of Rentato and rebuild a capital of music."

She was a real lover of music. Now that she couldn't return to Aalto for now, she planned to make Rentato a holy land of music, too.

"If I have time, I'll offer guidance to the musicians of Rentato." Lucien was already confident enough to say so. While the creation of Valkyrie was difficult, it allowed him to fully make use of the music knowledge that he had learnt. He was almost as good as Victor now.

His rapid progress benefited from the avant-garde music knowledge in his spirit library, as well as his sharpened mind after his soul became stronger.

Natasha took a deep breath of the gentle breath on the street and said humorously, "Then, on behalf of the musicians of Holm, I thank you in advance, master. If you don't mind, I want your Uncle Joel to enter the association and bring the latest music trends and development of Aalto to this place."

The smuggled Music Review and Herald of Symphonies naturally could only reflect what was on the top and could not let the musicians learn the real fundamental knowledge.

"I certainly wouldn't mind as long as Uncle Joel is willing to." Lucien had already learnt from Natasha that, after the initial excitement of a noble life, Joel began his music learning again. He worked so hard that he did not look like a middle-aged man at all.

Natasha looked at Lucien and said with a vague smile, "In fact, I talked about Joel only because I wanted to ask you when you were going to meet him. There shouldn't be any danger now that the Church has retreated. According to the intelligence personnel who protected them, they had obviously changed their stance regarding sorcerers and clerics, thanks to Arcana Voice and the convenient alchemical items. They probably wouldn't overreact. Also, they must be missing you. To know more about you, they often stay late and listen to 'News of the World' that they do not understand at all."

Lucien's heart was suddenly filled with warmth after hearing Natasha's words. It had been only eight years since he came to this world, but it felt like an entire life. So, he answered in a low voice, "I'll visit them in a couple of days."

"Be happy. You should feel happy about that." Natasha made a gesture of encouragement and then changed the subject. "Mr. Great Musician, do you have any revolutionary music principles? You have always been best known for your creativity. I find it intolerable that you haven't produced any innovative works in years."

Lucien smiled at her. "Why not? I have associated music creations with mathematics."

"Huh? Music and mathematics? How can they be associated?" Asked Natasha in surprise. Music was a realm where the mind was absolutely free, while mathematics the most rigorous and suffocating. How could they be associated? It was not about the categorical, conceptual stuff like equal temperament but creation!

Lucien chuckled. "That's why it is revolutionary. I have abandoned the traditional structural factors, such as theme, logic, motive, sentences, verses, and sequenced the substantial elements, such as rhythm, pitch, density of notes and timbre, with the permutation and combination in mathematics. Then, I created according to such a rule."

"That sounds cold… but interesting. What's the result?" Natasha knew that it wouldn't be mainstream, but she had always been eager to try everything. Naturally, there wasn't any objection from her.

After that, she added in with mixed feelings, "This is so arcanist!"

"I'll show you some of my works after we are back." They were the sequential music works that Lucien created when he was relaxing his brain. Later, they could also be applied to electronic music.

"Okay. If they are good, you will teach me how to create them tonight!" Said Natasha with great interest.

Lucien intentionally twisted her meaning and made fun of her. "Tonight? You seem to be avoiding something, don't you?"

"Really? Do I look like an escapist to you?"

…

On the second day, after he saw Natasha off, Lucien returned to the Atom Institution in delight. There are many experiments he needed to confirm.

"Lucien, looking good!" Lazar was holding a journal, with a 'I-totally-get-it' look on his face.

"'Arcana' has been issued in advance?" Lucien recognized the cover, but the Highest Council only asked the journal to publish the news that he had been promoted to a grand arcanist on the cover and did not ask it to publish so many days in advance.

Heidi was still upset about the additional mission yesterday. She said gloomily, "Master, this is a special issue of 'Arcana'. The discovery of neutrons proved the new alchemy. To celebrate the paradigm-shifting theoretical system, they have published the special issue that contains the papers over the past year including the predictions in the new alchemy and part of the experiments."

"…There are also questions about the imperfect parts of the new alchemy." Said Annick after a brief silence.

Sprint, on the other hand, was a bit angry. "Master said that the new alchemy was just a framework, and that there were many unresolved problems. So, why did they collect all the problems on the special issue instead of publishing them next month? I feel that they are questioning your new alchemy, master."

"What's wrong about that? Every theory is perfected and fortified by suspicion. I would be uneasy if there isn't any suspicion. Besides, there are indeed many problems that the new alchemy haven't been resolved yet. For example, it cannot describe the atomic structures with multiple electrons, and it cannot predict the intensity and width of the spectral lines." Lucien understood the limitations of the new alchemy perfectly and replied without being disturbed at all.

Katrina nodded. "The problems you mentioned are all in the journal."

Lucien took over the journal, only to discover that the silver lines on the black over were constructed into several lines of words. On the top was 'Arcana', and below it was 'This issue is published in July of 824 to celebrate the establishment of the new alchemy and to congratulate Lucien Evans on becoming a grand arcanist."

On the next page, it was the comment that Douglas wrote. "The new alchemy has undoubtedly achieved a glorious triumph. It has changed our age and will forever be remembered by the arcanists. I suggest an additional reward of 15,000 arcana credits and 500,000 arcana points."

After him, it was the opinion of the two reviewers, Raventi and Prado, at the beginning. "Now, we can give all of our compliments in our previous review to Mr. Lucien Evans."

In the end, Drummond, the general editor of Arcana, wrote on behalf of the journal, "Recently, the new alchemy has swept across the Congress like an unstoppable flood. Every new phenomenon and every experiment result matches its 'prophecy' perfectly."

"it is now the highest law in the field of alchemy and elements and a key to open the gate of the Creator. Alchemy is no longer an illusion without theoretical guidance."

"Through the new alchemy and the general theory of relativity, I have envisioned the arrival of a golden age. It is not only an age when we can really create gold but also an age when arcana and magic thrive and talents emerge."

"500,000 arcana points… That's not bad." Lucien said satisfactorily. Arcana credits were useless for him now, but arcana points could be traded for legendary spells and legendary rituals (one million arcana points for one legendary spell'. That was an advantage that Thale did not have.

The first half of the journal was made of the published papers, such as Jurisian's discovery and explanation on the splitting of spectral lines under strong magnetic field, and the second half included questions about the new alchemy that nobody paid attention to before, such as Fernando's question about the distribution of external electrons, Hathaway's question about the energy level and orbits, and Klaus' question that the system could only explain the single-electron structure… Almost all the leaders of elements and alchemy, after expressing their support and appreciation of the new alchemy, cautiously raised their doubts.

Looking at the myriad of questions, Lucien smiled at Sprint who was rather angry at the beginning. "Does anger help you at all? What you should do is to come up with your own ideas to resolve the questions. I hope you begin your real study on Arcana by answering those questions. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, but it will be terrible if you don't have the guts to join the discussion. Your minds are more active and less restrained. It's possible that you can fix the problems with ideas that never occurred to us before."

"Understood, mater!" Hearing their teacher's encouragement, Sprint replied first, his disobedient eyes full of fighting will.

Annick, Heidi and the other students also became excited. Joining the discussion and argument of the grand arcanists, legendary sorcerers and senior-rank sorcerers about the new alchemy was exhilarating enough when they just thought about it.

…

At night, Lucien arrived at the district of nobles in Rentato. Looking at John's villa that was ablaze with lights, he took a deep breath and walked to the gate.

Chapter 589: A Magical Life

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The spacious villa was surrounded by a high wall, and the black bars made up the gate at the edge, which was guarded by two soldiers in silver hauberks. They were opening the gate for a splendidly-decorated wagon.

"They're holding some sort of ball?" Lucien was not one of the crazy sorcerers that did not understand the life of nobles. Considering the exuberant lights inside the villa, he realized what was going on inside immediately.

After briefly hesitating if he should come later, Lucien made up his mind. He was already at the door. What's there to worry about?

Magic waves shimmered on his body, and Lucien walked towards the gate unhurriedly.

Because nobles cared about dignity and manners, they would come on wagon no matter how close the ball was to their house. Therefore, Lucien, who approached like a civilian, was obviously not an invited guest. The two soldiers looked at each other and intended to stop him.

But all of a sudden, they felt that Lucien was full of gravitas and grace, with the badge of the Hoffenberg on his chest. So, they lowered their heads and welcomed the honorable guest.

"A simple spell is enough to pass the guards…" Lucien shook his head as he passed the gate. Those guards could only resist ordinary people. Thankfully, the knights of the intelligence department should be in the dark, but they obviously knew him. "I need to set up some traps in case the Church attacks Uncle Joel."

Although the Church wouldn't be as blatant as Argent Horn, it was better to be safe than sorry. The night watchers did not lack lunatics.

It was scorching in July, but Rentato, only several hours away from the ocean, was rather cool at night. Lucien walked on the road in the evening wind as if he had melted into the window. None of the wagons before and behind him noticed the roamer.

The garden was not huge. Lucien soon reached the villa, in which the magic lamps had all been lit, making the building look splendid.

The common night view on Earth looked particularly eye-catching in this place.

Above the stairs, Alisa, as strong as before, welcomed the guests with a few maids in her choking dress.

"The noble ladies are more than usual…" Lucien spoke to himself in confusion. Then, he took a breath and walked to Alisa.

Alisa was observing the ladies who had come to the ball in delight and greeting them warmly.

After years of noble life, she was no longer as clumsy as before. Her son, John, was a grand knight that Her Majesty brought from Aalto, and had been given important tasks. Naturally, the nobles showed her enough respect and felt honored to be invited to her ball.

"Viscount and Viscountess Trenna, Lady Kalie, welcome to the ball." Alisa greeted the new guests with a smile, with exceptional warmth towards the tall, gentle girl who had blond hair and blue eyes that were different from the natives of Holm.

Viscount Trenna knew why Alisa held the ball as well. He nodded with a smile, "It's an honor to be at your ball, my lady."

Kalie also responded with the courtesy of nobles.

"It's going to take a while before the ball begins. Bring Viscount Trenna to the guest room so that they can take a rest." Alisa asked her servant.

After Trenna's family got in, Alisa put on a smile again, ready to welcome new guests, but the familiar black-haired and black-eyed man on the stairs stunned her. She rubbed her eyes, feeling that she was in a dream.

She had never seen him wearing a double-breasted suit before, but it fit his body and his vibe perfectly. Her emotions surging and her eyes reddening, Alisa mumbled, "Little Evans?"

"Aunt Alisa." Lucien stabilized his mind and walked to Alisa with a smile.

Alisa shook her head in disbelief again, mired in the ecstasy of reunion and the shame of the previous betrayal. "Little Evans?"

"What's up, Aunt Alisa? You don't recognize me?" Lucien smiled.

His friendly attitude made all of Alisa's feelings except for excitement and joy go away. She forgot the demeanor of nobles that she tried hard to pick up and cried in the same way as when she was in the slums.

Rubbing her eyes, she spoke quickly, "Little Evans, are you really back to see us? I thought you hated me for betraying you."

"I asked you to do it, didn't I?" Lucien hugged Aunt Alisa with a smile. "For me, you are my family."

"Oh, this… this is fabulous." Alisa observed Lucien in excitement, "Little Evans, you are taller, much taller!"

She measured Lucien's previous height with her shivering right hand. Now that years of depression and guilt were released, she dragged him into the house, "I… I need to tell Joel and John that Evans is back!"

The servants looked at their hostess weeping with curiosity and dared not remind her to welcome the guests. They had to find the butler to replace her.

On her way, Alisa wept and chattered, believing that Lucien was taller but slimmer and less healthy. Many guests were distracted by them, wondering what had happened.

When they were about to reach the guest room, Alisa finally held back her tears. Then, she patted her forehead, "I… I forgot that John had duty in the Nekso Palace and Joel was invited to the Musicians' Association!"

"It's alright. I can wait for them…" Before Lucien finished, Alisa already said in excitement, "I need to tell them that you are back. I'm going to tell them right now! Little Evans, take a rest in the guest room. I'll give them a call!"

As she spoke, she rusted to the library, completely forgetting to direct Lucien to the guest room first.

Looking at how overwhelmed Aunt Alisa was, Lucien didn't mind being 'forgotten' by her at all. He shook his head with a smile and thought that he should've come back sooner.

As if it were his own house, Lucien walked into the guest room without getting lost. He saw Viscount Trenna's family and a few other noble guests, who were bonding with each other until the stranger came in.

At the center of the guest room, a weirdly delicate machine was spinning a round plate and playing clear, pleasant music, filling the room with an enjoyable atmosphere.

Nodding at them as a greeting, Lucien walked to the wall and opened the hidden refrigerator. The lights inside immediately illuminated the drinks.

Lucien opened a bottle of champaign unhurriedly and put a piece of ice into his cup. When he was about to close the refrigerator, a male voice in the period of change echoed from his back. "That is a magic refrigerator, alchemical item invented by the great Lucien Evans, who makes coolness readily enjoyable in the hot summer."

Huh? Lucien felt strange that his name was being used in such a way and did not know what to reply.

The boy behind him had the typical look of Holm. His eyes were black and his eyes were blue. Seeing that Lucien did not reply, he thought that Lucien did not know the origins of the refrigerator and therefore introduced warmly, "The productivity of such items is very low. Only the great nobles have the privilege to use them. I only saw them before at other parties."

"Well, the popularization of alchemical items is the idea proposed by the great alchemist Lucien Evans. It has fundamentally improved our life, hasn't it?"

The boy seemed to be Lucien's great fan. He was rather amiable, too.

"Of course, I like such a life." Lucien looked at the boy with a smile.

The little boy was very happy after being approved. "Viscount Wesley is one of the queen's most appreciated knights. So, he has plenty of cutting-edge alchemical items. My cousin, for one, loves the magic gramophone. It allows us to enjoy wonderful music without a band and even to go to sleep in the company of music."

He pointed at Kalie when he talked. The cousin he mentioned seemed to be referring to her. Wesley, on the other hand, was John's last name.

Noticing that Lucien was looking at her after the boy pointed at her, Kalie smiled courteously, "The magic gramophone has only just been invented. This is the first time I've seen it. I like it very much."

The boy added delightedly, "That is also a design proposed by Mr. Evans."

Lucien nodded. He knew about it much better than the boy did. He introduced the idea of magic gramophone to the Will of Elements a few years ago, but it never worked out due to the lack of excellent storage materials, until a few months ago when Gaston's laboratory accidentally discovered a natural resin that they could use. Then, magic gramophones finally appeared in this world.

"As a matter of fact, Viscount Wesley has another unique alchemical item." Kalie seemed to be fond of the magical life, too. Suddenly in the mood of talking, she pointed at the silver box hanging high in the room and said, "I saw this at Duke James' house before. It's called magic air conditioner. It can make summers cool and drive away coldness together with the furnace during the winter."

"Really?" The boy had never noticed the 'magic air conditioner' before. Bulging eyes, he observed it with great interest.

Kalie smiled and said, "You can feel the cool breeze from it. It is also a masterpiece of Grand Arcanist Lucien Evans."

"Oh, really? That's so awesome!" The boy ran in the room in excitement. "Cousin Kalie, I'm going to study magic in the future. I will be a great sorcerer and a great alchemist!"

Viscount Trenna made fun of his nephew. "Holk, try to win a Holm Crown Prize."

"Well." The little boy shook his fingers smartly. "The Holm Crown Prize is not my target; Lucien Evans Prize is! When we join parties later and people ask who I am, you will have the honor to introduce Mr. Holk, the laureate of Evans Prize in Arcana. Uncle, let me tell you something. Cousin Kalie wants to win a Lucien Evans Prize, too, except that her goal is Evans Prize in Medicine."

"If we have two laureates of Evans Prizes in our family, we will be able to strut around proudly." Amused, Trenna looked at his daughter.

Kalie was more or less embarrassed now that Holk revealed her goal in front of a stranger. Changing the subject, she ask Lucien, "Mister, how should we call you?"

Lucien scratched his chin with his right hand. "You may call me Lucien Evans."

Chapter 590: A Common Noble's Hope

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Pu. The boy Holk was drinking the iced Sky Blue, but he spewed it out with a total lack of manners after hearing Lucien's reply. Viscount Trenna and the other nobles, on the other hand, became solemn and eyed Lucien suspiciously, communicating with each other in silence.

Kalie smiled subconsciously and was about to say 'what a coincidence that you are also a Lucien Evans', when something flashed in her head. Her mouth opened, and she was unable to say anything.

Although she had never seen Mr. Lucien Evans or his portrait, the nobles who were inclined to the Congress of Magic had already spread the look of the grand arcanist to all their fellows: black hair, black eyes, medium height, handsome face, and flawless demeanor.

Since there were plenty of young men who fit such a description, Kalie did not notice anything wrong at all when she just met Lucien, but after he introduced himself, the description seemed to be matching the real person perfectly. The same black hair, the same black eyes, and the same gentleness!

Crossing her hands, Kalie asked with a shivering voice, "Is Your Excellency Elemental Order?"

Lucien's legendary class 'Atom Controller' was unknown yet. Therefore, Kalie only asked him with his alias 'Elemental Order', like Douglas and his 'Emperor of Arcana'.

"I don't think anybody would impersonate me." Replied Lucien with a smile.

"Really?" Having no time to wipe his lips, Holk looked at Lucien with such glittering eyes that Lucien was reminded of Alferris, the little crystal dragon.

Lucien nodded with a smile but did not offer any proof. He would not cover his identity on purpose, nor would he prove his identity with some sort of magic if he was suspected. After all, he would not be affected at all whether or not those people believed him.

Kalie was still suspicious, but her father already said with a brilliant smile, "Your Excellency, you are the truth of elements, and you master the staff of space and time. Praise the changes you bring to our life. We lived like barbarians and did not know what civilization was until now."

Is it really His Excellency Elemental Order? Kalie asked her father with her eyes. As she recalled, her father never met Evans before, either, or he would've recognized him just now.

Trenna nodded at his daughter in secret. They knew much more than Holk and Kalie. They knew that His Excellency Elemental Order was from a slum in Aalto, and that the Wesley family was also from a slum in Aalto…

After all the details were connected, they naturally confirmed Lucien's identity. Also, he saw the two rings on Lucien's right hand. They were exactly the renowned 'Holm Crown'.

"I only bolstered the progress. As a matter of fact, such a social change is inevitable as arcana develops." Lucien added in his heart, [particularly when the Congress needs the support of the nobles and the general public to resist the Church.]

Holk grew excited after the adults confirmed the stranger's identity. He scratched his head but did not know what to say. In the end, pushed by Kalie, he finally rushed to the desk and picked up a pen and a piece of paper. "Your Excellency, can you give me an autograph? It will encourage me to study magic!"

In recent decades, because of the popular operas, people of Holm were more and more enthusiastic about excellent singers and actors. The trend to give flowers and ask for autographs had already started.

Amused, Lucien took the paper and wrote something on it.

While writing, Lucien secretly complained about the limitation of the age. If he had invented magic cameras or even included the function in the mobile communication item, Holk wouldn't have just asked for an autograph but said, "Your Excellency, can I have a selfie with you?"

Not expecting that his idol was willing to give him an autograph, Holk was exalted. He thanked Lucien non stop when Lucien gave the paper back to him. Kalie also looked at the paper curiously.

On the paper were two curly words: "Good good study, day day up, to Holk."

"From: Lucien Evans."

Huh? Holk and Kalie were both dazed, feeling that the sentence was rather grammatically weird. But the boy was too overjoyed to care about it and simply folded the paper, putting it in his pocket.

Viscount Trenna was also excited, but he retained a casual smile on the surface. "Holk has been asking to study magic since years ago, but we dare not cross the line when the radical believers were still here. Now, we can finally send him to Allyn for studies. Your Excellency Evans, could you tell us which magic school he should go to?"

Most importantly of all, becoming a sorcerer meant losing the right of inheritance back then.

"Really?" Holk was even more excited. He looked at his uncle and his father and became hysterical after receiving an affirmative reply.

Lucien said simply, "It depends on the fields Holk is interested in."

"Elements! Alchemy!" Declared Holk resolutely.

"In that case, Douglas Magic School and Alborg Magic School are both okay." Lucien knew them rather well from his teaching experience.

Kalie summoned her courage and asked, "Your Excellency Evans, is… is it too late for me to learn magic now? I'm already an adult… If I want to learn medical magic, which school should I go to?"

"It's never too late to learn as long as you have determination and the basic talents, but medical magic requires company with cadavers. You need to think carefully. Allyn Magic School is best in that regard." Lucien said honestly. Then he asked, "I heard you talking about alchemical items just now. You seem to be fans. I wonder, what other products do you need? Feel free to talk. I'm just seeking inspiration."

"I want to fly! I want an alchemical item that enables ordinary people to fly!" Holk always envied sorcerers and radiant knights who could fly.

Well, planes, or Doraemon's bamboo-copters 1? Lucien smiled at other people.

Kalie had been braced to deal with bodies and therefore was not terrified. However, fearing that it was too much for her mother, she focused on the subject of alchemical items, too. "I hope that magic records can be popularized so that we can enjoy music in our own house."

Trenna smiled. "What I want most is naturally the popularization of the alchemical drugs that can prolong longevity, but…"

He didn't think that it could be easily simplified.

"Magic steam trains are not popularized enough. Other transportation devices are needed, too. We nobles can use wagons, but it's too burdensome for ordinary people." Baron Stevens said.

As they talked, rapid footsteps echoed. Alisa appeared at the door and said with reddened eyes. "Evans, John is back!"

When she called, the guards said that John had returned, so she waited at the gate after informing Joel. Thankfully, John returned to his home after only several minutes.

John appeared behind Alisa. He looked rather tall and strong in the silver armor. Seeing Lucien, he stepped forward in excitement and raised his right fist, as if he were going to punch Lucien's shoulder like how they greeted each other in the past, but he stopped rigidly halfway. The change of identities and the years of separation made him rather overcautious.

Lucien walked to him with a smile. He also raised his right hand and punched John's right shoulder: "It's been a while."

John sincerely smiled and did the same to Lucien's shoulder with his right fist: "It's good to have you back."

He did not say anything else. One simple sentence had melted the alienation between them after years away from each other.

…

The ball had officially begun. Alisa went out to greet the guests, and Lucien, Joel and John stayed in the guest room to catch up.

"Evans, was it your recommendation that got me into the Musicians' Association?" Joel asked, half drunk. His gold hair had turned grey.

John smiled at his joyful father. "Dad, the ball only just began, and you have already had a bottle of golden rum. That can't do."

"I… I am happy that Little Evans is back!" Joel spoke with a thickened tongue.

Lucien chuckled. "Uncle Joel, I think this is only an excuse for you drunk. Aunt Alisa must've been strict on you."

"Little Evans, you didn't understand my question." Joel tried to deviate.

Lucien shook his head. "Natasha felt that you were good enough to teach the musicians of Rentato a 'lesson'."

"Her Majesty has keen eyes." Joel was proud of his progress in music.

"Where is Elvin?" Lucien suddenly remembered Elvin.

Joel smiled. "Elvin didn't want to join the ball and went to the manor out of the city with a few friends. He can't activate his blood power, but he's very interested in alchemical items recently. Can he still learn magic?"

"Send Elvin to Douglas Magic School and have a try. I'll talk to them." Then, Lucien added, "I don't have much time to teach right now. My teaching style is not suitable for him."

"I know. That's why we only want send Elvin to a magic school." John said.

Joel looked at John. "Care about yourself before you care about Elvin. You are one year older than Evans. Go to the ball now. I'll accompany Evans."

John, despite his usual calmness, blushed and did not know how to react.

Seeing that, Lucien tried to resolve the awkward atmosphere by giving a key to Joel. "Uncle Joel, this is the key to my villa in Allyn. You can spend your vacation there… This is the address of my magic tower…"

Joel nodded and did not ask.

Urged by Alisa, John finally stood up and said, "Lucien, talk to you after the ball."

"Go now. I'm almost married, and you don't even have many female friends." Lucien nodded at the door with a smile.

Briefly stunned, Joel said with a smile, "I hope that Her Majesty and you are happy together."

John followed with mixed feelings. "The memories of childhood seemed to have happened only yesterday, but everybody has grown up and has their own families in the blink of an eye. Time gives everyone a different future…"

Yes. Some of the memories in Aalto were clear, as if they just happened, but some were blurry, as if they were from last life. How treacherous time is!

…

Year 825 came with freeing winds.

With Arcana, Magic and other journals in his hands, Annick walked into his house in deep thought. "There are more and more modifications on the energy level, orbits and quantization of electrons in new alchemy, but they seem more and more aberrant and are even in violation of the original thought."

"Should we look for a different approach? Have you forgotten anything? Sprint, in the hall, also frowned.

Recently, including the grand arcanists and the senior-rank sorcerers who raised doubts, everybody had been modifying the model in the new alchemy. However, as more and more problems were discovered, they all had a feeling that the new alchemy had walked to a dead end, and that certain things had to be abandoned in order to find a way out.

Annick closed the gate and looked at Lucien's magic tower. "Master seems to have noticed the problem, too. He hasn't published a single paper in the past two months."