Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Layria, Chelly, and the other students stood outside of the small laboratory and watched the portal as well as the magic patterns that had dimmed. They were too reluctant to leave. They felt that a cat was scratching their hearts with its paw, and they could barely contain their curiosity.
After a long time, Alfalia finally said, “There’s nothing we can do by standing here, and there’s no telling when they will be back. Let’s focus on our own business for now. After all, they will certainly tell us what they have experienced after they are back.”
Heidi had always been willing to share as long as it was not anything confidential.
“Yes. There are a lot of scheduled experiments that we need to work on, a lot of data to be analyzed, new experiments to be designed, and new spells to be analyzed…” Layria only meant to agree with Alfalia at the beginning, but the more she talked, the more “hopeless” she felt her life was.
Lazar nodded his head and clapped his hands. After everybody’s attention was attracted by him, he said with a brilliant smile, “Let’s not stick here waiting. Nobody knows where Evans and the rest of them went, and how long will it take before they come back. Go back and finish your experiments first.”
When he talked to Lucien and the friends they were familiar with, he mostly called him “Lucien” directly. However, in the Atom Institution, to show respect for the manager of the institution, he always called him “Evans” when he talked to the apprentice-level assistants.
“Yes, Mr. Lazar.” Lowi and the other assistants looked back at the small laboratory, reluctant to leave. But they managed to hold back their curiosity and went back to their respective laboratory.
“I wonder where our teacher has been teleported to,” Chelly said to Layria in confusion.
Layria thought for a moment and said, “It must be related to the studies in the microscopic domain, or our teacher wouldn’t have put it inside the institution at all instead of applying for a new magic research program.”
They talked and turned around as they enthusiastically speculated the destination of their teacher’s magic circle. Although they would certainly learn the answer after Heidi was back, wasn’t the greatest fun in such a curious thing all about guessing?
Layria and Chelly had taken only a few steps when they suddenly felt the outburst of magic waves behind them. Under the perception of their spiritual powers, the magic patterns inside the small laboratory glowed one after another, extracting energy from the Allyn magic tower and emanating silver and pure brilliance.
In the dreamy, brilliant view, the dimmed portal glowed transparently and dazzlingly again.
“They’re back?”
“Has Mr. Evans come back?”
In their exclamations of confusion and excitement, Alfalia, Lowi, and the rest of them who were slowly pacing back to their laboratories jumped back like rabbits. They reacted so agilely and quickly that they seemed to have been waiting for this moment.
The gate of light suddenly burst out, and the pure, flawless light drowned the whole laboratory.
When it was gone, the portal also disappeared, but five new figures showed up at the center of the magic circle. They were Lucien and his students.
“Heidi, where did you go?”
“Heidi, what did you see?”
Layria and Chelly blurted out, asking Heidi at the same time, as if she had been a blabbermouth all the time!
Heidi heard her friends’ questions before she recovered from the dizziness. She rubbed her head and chuckled. “You have absolutely no idea where we went. It was such a ‘romantic’ place.”
“Romantic?” Lazar couldn’t help but repeat. That was not the keyword he had in mind.
“Romantic…” Layria and Chelly found it impossible to imagine. They guessed many places, but none of them was even remotely associated with “romantic”. This was the Atom Institution!
Heidi smiled gloatingly. “Yes, it’s a very romantic place, more romantic than any romantic scene that I’ve ever seen!”
Seeing the surprise and confusion on her friends’ faces, she felt a lot better.
“Well… Did you go to space?” Alfalia asked, not very confident about her guess.
After a brief daze, Heidi asked in surprise, “How did you know?”
“Did you really go to space?” Layria asked in shock.
Seeing that everybody was looking at her, Alfalia said shyly, “I just remembered a survey on an issue of ‘Allyn Impression’. It’s about the most romantic scene for sorcerers. The one ranked top was the starry sky at night, which could make one feel the vastness of the universe, the insignificance of human beings, and the transcendence of the river of fate. That’s why I boldly guessed that you went to space…”
“It must’ve been the sorcerers of the school of astrology who took the survey!” Heidi grumbled. “Fine, Alfalia, your guess is correct. We did pay a visit to space. Our teacher has established a cosmic observatory there for us to study the cosmic rays and observe the passing-by asteroids. Layria, Chelly, you can’t possibly imagine the feeling of standing in space. That is the boundless and endless darkness, where stars are embedded like dazzling white spots. They do not flash at all, like an everlasting painting.”
The more she talked, the more excited she became. “Only after I came to space did I realize the insignificance of ourselves, the enormity of the whole universe, and the deepest awe from the bottom of my heart. The universe is more sacred than any gods in any propaganda! It was not until then that I truly understood what Mr. President said when he refused Pope Viken’s temptation. For those who have seen the sea of stars and regard the stars as their goals, how can they be impressed by a ‘god’ that stays on a tiny planet?”
Heidi’s description made the eyes of Layria, Chelly, Alfalia, and the other female sorcerers lose their focus, as if they were also standing in space and sharing the indescribable feeling. Layria, Jerome, and the sorcerers of the school of elements were also touched.
Lucien shook his head in amusement. Was the cosmic observatory of such educational significance? It could help the sorcerers establish healthy outlooks without being deceived by the Saint Truth?
“Master, when… when can we go to the cosmic observatory?” After hearing Heidi’s description, Layria looked at Lucien, her eyes sparkling. Both her face and her movement suggested that she couldn’t wait anymore.
Chelly, Alfalia, and the other ladies were the same. Lazar, Rock, Lowi, and the other gentlemen did not say anything and were trying to control themselves, but their passionate eyes still “betrayed” them.
Lucien chuckled. “This is meant for you to run experiments. Also, to save the cost of commutation, you have to stay for a whole week up there every time. One or two hours in space can be quite romantic, but what if the duration is longer? The overwhelming darkness, the absolute nothingness, and the everlasting loneliness will drive you mad even if you have five partners. It is not a feeling that can be offset by romance. You can only be slowly adapted to it. Also, you have to be mentally prepared for the adventure, or I will not allow you to go up there.”
“Master, rest assured, I can stay silent for a whole month.” Annick showed his attitude first.
Heidi, who was usually the perky one, frowned, but she still said, “Master, while we are up there, we will devote most of our attention to the experiments. However empty, dark, and isolated the place is, it will not affect us.”
“In that case, you will draft your own research plan. I’ll choose those who have the most thorough preparations.” Lucien smiled.
Heidi said to Katrina and her friends quietly, “It’s truly the demon’s smile…”
For the romance of arcana studies, they dispersed quickly and began to work on the experiment plans to study the cosmic rays and the vast space.
“Layria, you won’t truly understand what I felt until you really come to the cosmic observatory… I have already imagined a scene. I am sitting cross-legged inside the cosmic observatory by myself, surrounded by the empty and boundless darkness as well as the pure and shining stars in all directions. There are absolutely no creatures except for me… If only we could see the planet we’re on. That feeling of looking down upon everything from above will be even more fantastic!” Heidi said to Layria without stopping. Everybody had their own description of romance.
Layria did not feel that Heidi was a chatterbox. Instead, she listened attentively and remarked with mixed feelings, “Even without the scene that you imagined, standing in space is already an experience that can make most arcanists jealous.”
“Haha, particularly those guys from the Tower and the school of astrology. They would be bumping their heads into the wall in envy. If only they also had such a great teacher!” Heidi thought of certain friends she knew and laughed even more happily.
……
In the Tower…
Samantha was focused on the study of the newly-painted horoscope when she heard rapid footsteps coming near, before somebody knocked on her door.
“Rachel, why the haste?” When Samantha raised her head, the door opened and backed off on its own.
Rachel said excitedly and earnestly, “Mr. Evans has established an observatory in space for the studies of cosmic rays and horoscopes!”
“A cosmic observation?” Samantha repeated in shock.
“Yes. Heidi already went to this cosmic observatory and had a real journey in space. The experience she described was really… really…” Rachel hesitated for a long time but could not come up with an appropriate description, but the envy on her face couldn’t be disguised.
Samantha stood up abruptly and mumbled, “A journey in space?”
The boundless cosmos was the most sacred and great place for every sorcerer in the school of astrology. Roaming in space was one of the momentums for them to try to become legendary sorcerers. But right now, they had a chance to go there in advance?
“Yes! The arcanists of the Tower are all seething! Somebody proposed that we should build one of our own, and somebody has applied to the Research Board, hoping to borrow the Atom Institution’s cosmic observatory!” said Rachel in excitement. “Hurry up, let’s draft a research plan of our own!”
Although Lucien’s “cosmic observatory” was a gigantic level-nine objection that was very close to legendary and cost tremendous materials, it was not a legendary item after all. The Tower was still able to afford a couple of them.
Samantha remarked in confusion, “Have we begun the expedition toward the sea of stars already…”
