Throne of Magical Arcana
chapter-458

Chapter 458: The Angry Pope

Finishing the experiment together with his teacher, Prado relaxed down as he looked and saw the dreamlike sunset glow. He felt more satisfied than ever, as he had clearly identified the next step he was going to take in the research — find neutron to support Lucien Evans’ matter transmutation theory.

He used to think that he would never reach the legendary realm and become an “Excellency” like his teacher, but now the New Alchemy had brought him hope!

With a big smile on his face mixed with excitement and joy, Prado picked up the quill-pen.

“Please first allow me, as an alchemist, to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Lucien Evans, the author of the paper. He has made generations of alchemists’ dream come true!

“Starting from fact, Mr. Lucien Evans has made a comprehensive but detailed description of the inner structure of the atom and its properties. He then built a theoretical system that could thoroughly explain alchemical reactions, ionization, valence, periodicity of elements, and spectra lines patterns of elements. This theoretical system also elaborates the nature of elements. Furthermore, based on the new element found in the radioactive substance, Mr. Lucien Evans has reasonably explained how matters transmutate and predicted several methods of transforming matter.

“If Mr. Lucien Evans’ theoretical system is proved, it will become the greatest research achievement since that of Her Excellency Hathaway. His theoretical system is powerful enough to change the era!

“As an alchemist, I’d say that this theoretical theory will become the code for the school of Element and Alchemy. The glory of this achievement is greater than ever.

“However, since the final establishment of the theoretical system still requires solid experiment support, so far I cannot directly send all these compliments to Mr. Evans, nor the title of grand arcanist.

“Based on what we have so far, I can say that this theoretical system explaining the school of Element and Alchemy is groundbreaking, innovative, extremely important, universally applicable, and is greatly worth discussing. Five-thousand arcana credits and one-hundred-thousand arcana points are suggested to be given as a reward.”

When he put down the quill-pen, Prado was still in the excitement.

He looked out at the dimming night sky, and he knew that tomorrow when the sun rises, it would be a glorious bright day.

……

Thanks to the divine circle God’s Guard designed for defense against the grand arcanists, the periphery of the Radiance Church was left intact.

However, as Stone the Four-winged Knight rushed here and saw the shocking scene, the look on his face became extremely distorted with great hatred and sorrow — All the cardinals and bishops in the central part of the Church, who either lived here or were on duty, were all dead.

Stone’s vision became blurred, as if the blood of the clergy had covered his eyes. The loss was too much for him to bear.

To stand against the Congress of Magic which growing stronger day by day, the parish of Holm was the center of the surrounding four districts Colette, Brianne, Calais, and the coastal area of the northland. Thus a great number of cardinals were gathered here, most of them in the Radiance Church.

“So far, it is estimated that at least three level-nine red robe cardinals, fifteen red robes of lower ranks, and almost a hundred cardinals were martyred…” Vaharall’s coarse and miserable voice seemed to be directly blown out from hell. Yet he could not let the sorrow and angry completely seize his mind right now, as he still had to turn on the divine circles to prepare against the possible upcoming attack from the Congress of Magic.

“Lucien Evans!” Recalling that he had just gloated over Lucien’s kill record, Stone could no longer hold back his anger..

Great shame!

He had known from Vaharall that it was Lucien Evans who caused this. Such a scale of loss was even rare during the War of Dawn and the war against the North heresies. Although the South Church claimed that the number of their middle-ranks and senior-ranks was equal to that of the Congress and the North Church added together, due to the vastness of their realm, they were still in trouble regathering enough pastors and cardinals in a short period of time.

However, what pained him the most was the degradation of Philibell’s power! This was their greatest loss!

“Also, Douglas, Fernando, Atlant…” Philibell knew the legendary sorcerers very well. Lucien Evans was not alone.

Douglas was Artil’s teacher, and Fernando was Lucien’s. And the way they did this was of the typical style of Atlant.

Philibell seemed to have aged within seconds. “I’ve sent the message to His Holiness the Pope. War is inevitable. Lucien Evans must die.”

Lucien Evans must die now. It would be too late when he became a grand arcanist and legendary sorcerer.

Given New Alchemy enough time, the future of Lucien Evans would be out of their control!

“We’ll wait for His Holiness’s command.” Stone tried his best to restrain his fury.

Philibell added despiritedly. “I’m not able to lead the Holm parish anymore. I’ve applied to His Holiness to send a more powerful grand cardinal here.”

“Philibell…” Vaharall knew how this felt.

The sky dimmed. The night fell much earlier than expected.

……

Using the magic circle improved by the Will of Elements, the rigorous Raventi did two separate experiments to confirm the existence of proton, while the discovery of the new element was much easier.

Picking up the quill-pen, Raventi recalled the time he first saw Lucien, who was wearing a black double-breasted suit and standing quietly among the low-rank sorcerers. Except that he was better-looking and more well-mannered than his peers, there was nothing else that made him different from the others. Raventi had never imagined that this young man would have made such amazing progress within just a few years. Now, he was very promising to become the eighth grand arcanist in the Congress, when he was only around thirty.

His Excellency, Lucien Evans, the Creator.

“The scarlet moon… The tide of the time…” Raventi murmured to himself silently.

Then he started writing the review comment. To him, a level-nine arcanist and a ninth-circle sorcerer, New Alchemy showed him the hope of reaching the legendary level!

“Although the Introduction of the quantum theory into the atom structure model still requires more experiments as verification, it is, without doubt, a paper to which all sorcerers in the school Element and Alchemy have to bow. It is the Code of Element and Alchemy.

“As long as the neutron can be found, and that the artificially created matter can permanently exist outside of the permanency magic circle, Lucien Evans’s New Alchemy will be able to shift the direction of elemental and alchemical magic development and change the time. Perhaps the theoretical system is still not perfect, but so far it is definitely reasonable and logical.

“Lucien Evans has combined the many alchemical reactions together and offer them a shared explanation derived from his theoretical system.

“So far my review comment has to be made based on the current experimental results. Therefore, I’d say that this is a groundbreaking, extremely important, and universally applicable theory worth broad discussing. Six-thousand arcana credits and one-hundred-thousand arcana points are suggested to be given to Lucien Evans as a reward.

“This is an epic step into the exclusive realm of gods of us sorcerers. Now, we are only one step away from accessing the throne of creation.”

The darkness of the night outside the window was thick and dense.

……

In the Bright Hall, Holy City Lance.

The members of the Grand Cardinal group were silently waiting for the arrival of the pope.

Suddenly, the space was filled up with tyrannical, divine, and bright power. The superior power made them lower their heads.

“Lucien Evans stole the Lord’s power with his New Alchemy. Severe punishment he deserves! And the Congress of Magic!” the Pope, Benedict II, strode out of the divine circle holding his scepter high. There was a distinct rage in his voice.

The members had never seen the pope this furious. They quickly exchanged a look between each other.

Stealing the power of the Lord and profaning the glory of divinity, these charges were indeed very bad, but Lucien Evans was not the first sorcerer who did those. Douglas, Brook, and the rest of the grand arcanists… they all more or less deserved similar charges, but the Pope had treated their issues calmly. What was the difference this time?

Was it because this theoretical system could really change matters freely that it even made the Pope uneasy?

His white hair neatly combed backward, Benedict II gave the top command. “I declare war against the Congress of Magic. The five parishes — Holm, Colette, Brianne, and the Northland along the coast — will be leading. Support will be given. And the Parish of Holm will be in charge.

“Philibell is injured. Someone must take the role in the Radiance Church in Rentato. A Saint.”

After a short period of silence, Sard stood out and said, “Your Holiness. I wish to take the role of the Grand Cardinal of Holm and lead the five parishes.”

Although he looked just like an ordinary old man, Sard had reached the third rank of Saint Cardinal two years ago and had been given the title, Saint.

“Your devotion makes you glow, and the Blessing will always be with you. When the war begins, we shall all join,” the Pope nodded.

Then the Pope started drawing the plan for the upcoming war, with Sard giving advice.

No one dared to say a word against the decision of the furious Pope. The plan was drawn fluently.

Then the Pope said to them, “the top thirty night watchers shall all see eliminating Lucien Evans as their top priority once they are available. Lucien Evans now ranks no. 19 on the Cleansing List.

“I have one thing to clear up,” said the Pope all of a sudden, “Lucien Evans was once a Seraph beside the Lord, thus he owned the incomparable talent in music and wisdom. But he was lured and betrayed the Lord. He stole the power of creating from the Lord and fell to the ground.

“He is the Primordial Demon, and also a Fallen Angel!”

The grand cardinals and the leaders of the Inquisitions all understood the Pope’s words immediately. The Pope was saying so for solidifying the followers’ belief — Human beings could never be as powerful as God; Lucien Evans was able to do so because he was a thief who stole the Lord’s power.

Ranking no. 19 on the Cleansing List, the name Lucien Evans, the Fallen Angel, was even above many legendaries!

The Pope raised the scepter high and was about to declare the start of the war. However, at this time, Benedict II suddenly looked up at the sky and then, it felt that the entire world trembled a bit.

Standing among the stars in the sky, seeing the blurry scenes of the foreign dimension in front of his eyes, Oliver grinned to Hathaway.

“Here it is.”