The night was getting dark, but the magic tower was more lively than any of Lucien previous visits. Since the queen was from the City of Psalm, it remained to be seen whether the att.i.tude towards sorcerers would be changed. Therefore, for their safety, some of the sorcerers living in Rentato brought their family to Allyn, and some hid in the royal magic tower of Holm.
It was right after dinner. Sorcerers in groups of twos or threes were roaming or discussing in the hall. The merry laughter of children could be heard now and then.
Rebeca was talking with a few sorcerers of the Will of Elements about the most popular 'new alchemy system', when she saw a young man in a high hat walking in through the gate. Her eyes were suddenly frozen, and she exclaimed in both panic and shock, "Good evening, Mr. Evans."
All the sound in the hall was gone. Everybody s.h.i.+fted their eyes to Lucien and greeted him one after another, Good evening, Mr. Evans."
They were so respectful that they did not seem to be facing a young sorcerer no older than 25, but one of the legendary bigshots.
Lucien keenly sensed the att.i.tude change of the sorcerers of the Will of Elements and the branch of Holm. Those sorcerers respected and envied him in the past, but they revered and wors.h.i.+ped him right now, as if he were a grand arcanist or a legendary sorcerer.
Was it because of the new alchemy?
Looking at the lady who greeted him first, Lucien nodded and said, "It's been a while, Rebeca."
Her 'mistake' allowed Lucien to take part in the annual meeting of elements and alchemy, where his paper on the periodic table was approved by Raventi. Therefore, Lucien remembered her very well. Besides, she was very close to Lazar, who talked about her all the time. Chances were that she would become Mrs. Lazar soon.
"You—You still remember me, Mr. Evans?" Rebeca asked in surprise and delight.
Lucien pointed at his head with a smile, "I always have a good memory. Besides, Lazar mentions you all the time."
"I wonder when he is coming back." Rebeca said with some worry.
After the small talk, Lucien bid her farewell with a smile and went to the upper floor.
The other sorcerers crowded after he disappeared into the lift and quacked: "Rebeca, you know Mr. Evans so well?"
"I have many questions and considerations regarding the new alchemy. Could you forward them to Mr. Evans for me?"
"Can you ask Mr. Evans whether more sorcerers are needed in the Atom Inst.i.tution?"
Rebeca suddenly felt that time was really flying. She first heard Lucien Evans' name because her love for the Symphony of Fate and the great musician. Then, she learnt from Lazar that a genius arcanist had appeared whose very first paper had been highly praised. After only eight years, the quiet young man had created one record after another and was about to reach the summit of arcana to appreciate the landscape of the height with the few grand arcanists.
However, she was not jealous of him, because the gap between her and the terrifying arcanist who had been coming up with revolutionary theories was too large for any jealousy. She could only feel helplessness and admiration.
Also, the new alchemy was different from Lucien's previous achievements, which were only confirmed and accepted after suspicion and disputes. It had been regarded as the spark of wisdom that would illuminate the new world since it was born. Most of the sorcerers were crazy about it.
They all understood that 'new alchemy' was essentially different from the previous 'alchemy', in that it was more of an internal model of atoms and a system that was built on such a model and depicted the changes of elements. 'Alchemy' was just additional knowledge; the mysteries of the microworld were its main content.
It was very important for the sorcerers who explored arduously in the depths and darkness of the microworld. From this moment on, the exploration in the field was no longer blind. It's like stars s.h.i.+ning in a dark night, or a lighthouse that the s.h.i.+ps in a storm finally saw.
Of course, they knew that a lot of problems regarding 'new alchemy' were yet to be addressed, but it had undoubtedly opened the gate of creation. Lucien would become a grand arcanist because of it someday!
"Perhaps one day, we will be able to change matter freely." A sorcerer said with sincere delight.
Another sorcerer looked at the lift and remarked with admiration, "When that day comes, Mr. Evans will definitely be one of the most dazzling names in the history of magic."
...
The new alternate dimensions were still being developed. The archmages and senior-rank sorcerers including Raventi mostly hadn't come back. Lucien entered his office and looked at the Nekso Palace that looked like a galaxy on earth through the window. Then, he turned on his 'communication gla.s.s'.
"… h.e.l.lo, Lucien?" Natasha sounded exhausted.
Her earrings had been modified by Lucien, allowing her to hear the encrypted voice.
Lucien said with a smile, "Good evening, Your Majesty. Are you reading the files of the intelligence department and the secret library?"
The reason why he spoke to Natasha from the royal magic tower of Holm was because he did not want to expose himself.
While there was no way that Sard or Kritonia could've cracked his encryption algorithm, they could detect the source of electromagnetic waves that they perceived. If he were to contact Natasha from Allyn, it would raise suspicion about his real relations.h.i.+p with her, but if he was in the royal magic tower of Holm, it would mislead people into thinking that he was Hathaway, as it was perfectly normal for a senior to care for a junior.
"Yes, although you told me a lot about Holm in the past years, it was broken and unsystematic. I need to grasp it more deeply and comprehensively." Natasha then chuckled and said, "As the queen's loyal knight, Count Lucien Evans, what do you suggest?"
Radiant knights were usually given t.i.tles of viscount or count. So, senior-rank sorcerers could enjoy the same privilege.
Lucien said with a smile, "Meet the great n.o.bles, the powerful n.o.bles and the n.o.bles in charge of critical positions one by one. Talk to them and find people whom you can trust and depend on. As the queen, you have the natural right to command them. There's nothing to worry about. Right. After the funeral, start to inspect the Sword of Truth's Knights, the Verdict Knights and the Saint Cross Knights. Regroup part of the squads. Of course, most importantly of all, you need to improve yourself. The sooner you reach level eight and pick up the level-three Sword of Truth, the easier it will be for you to take initiative of the situation."
"But who can I trust and depend on?" Natasha said in a self-mocking smile.
Lucien comforted her, "You need to know your heart and your faith first. If you don't know what you want, you can never tell enemies from friends. Although you can intensify the conflict between the liberals and the conservatives and maintain the balance, it will not last. After all, the conservatives are backed by the Church, and the liberals are supported by the Congress."
Instead of waiting for Natasha to reply, Lucien decided to stimulate her faith. "According to the news from the Congress, the prince may have been murdered."
"What? By whom?" While Natasha thought that the deaths of her grandfather and her uncle were coincidental, they had been on the verge of death in the first place, and it was still acceptable. But hearing what Lucien said, she was more than shocked and infuriated.
"We suspect that Kritonia, 'Heart of Time', did it. Only his abilities to control time could've make the prince die of grief flawlessly. At that time, Sard and Rex were both in the Nekso Palace." Lucien was sorry for Natasha but still finished brutally.
Natasha took deep breaths. "Are you saying that the Church and part of the conservatives planned it? What proof do you have?"
"There is no direct proof. What can be confirmed is as follows: Sard, Rex and Kritonia were all in the Nekso Palace back then, which can be proved by many n.o.bles and maids; also, Her Excellency Hathaway examined Prince Patrick before the new year and believed that he could live for another five to six years; the liberals including Duke James proved that the prince and the king were as indifferent with each other as enemies. How could he have been grieving? You must know a thing or two about them." Lucien introduced the intelligence he collected in the past day.
After a long silence, Natasha said hoa.r.s.ely, "I'll bid farewell to my uncle's body in the funeral. I wonder if I can find anything…"
Her voice sounded lost and overwhelmed, which pained Lucien. Knowing that he went too far, he hurried to rectify it, "Even though it was done by the Church, it does not mean anything. The G.o.d of Truth lies in everyone's heart, and everyone can pray to Him directly. The Church, on the other hand, is just an organization that tries to separate the believers from the Lord. It may be righteous, and it may be evil."
"Just review your path as a knight and consider what is it that you have been persisting in. Are you going to defend the glory of the G.o.d of Truth, or that of the Church?"
"Of course I'm defending the Lord. But if the Church is abandoned, how can we organize the rituals and praise the Lord?" Natasha was trapped by the details.
Lucien said with a smile, "The Church is a tool between the believers and G.o.d. If it is no longer necessary, just throw it away. If it is still useful, you can modify and make it suit you. There's no need to cling to the South Church."
"Wait, wait, wait. I need to sort through my faith." The fact that Prince Patrick could've been murdered by the Church was quite a shock to Natasha.
...
Under the night sky, Juliana, who was summoned from Aalto, spoke to a few night watchers next to her in an enchanting tone, "The Church is weak, the n.o.bles are arrogant, and the glory of the Lord has been severely tarnished. Therefore, we will purge the unqualified believers as per the will of the Lord."
She pointed at a villa not far away. "Baron Austin is a corrupt man who is inclined to the sorcerers. According to his servants, he listens to 'Arcana Voice' every day. Our purpose is to clean him and defend the glory of the Lord, but we will probably be punished by the Church. Are you willing to do that?"
"Night gathers, and now my watch begins…"
