Throne of Magical Arcana

”The application has been approved. The board hopes us to work hard, since weʼre focusing on a brand new research topic.”

”Awesome!” Sprint happily took a swing with his fist.

Katrina also very encouraged, ”Congratulations, Mr. Evans. Congratulations!”

Lucien hugged his students and sighed in his mind that the youngsters were still too naive. What the board was trying to say was that they had approved the application for the sake of the Lord of Storm, so Lucien had to work hard to show them that the decision was proper.

”So… where is our institution?” Katrina asked with her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Lucien picked up the document again, ”The institution is going to use the No. 7 lab and its meeting room and office on the eighteenth floor of the headquarter. Iʼll need to tell them how I want the lab to be and the whole set of equipment I want. All in all, at the end of July or at the beginning of August, Atom Institution will start officially.”

”Also, every month, we will get five thousand arcana points as a subsidy to buy materials and paying us.” Lucien added, ”So my decision is… Ten arcana points every month for senior apprentices. As for the sorcerers, it depends on their levels. Say, a level two arcanist and a second circle sorcerer like Lazar… A hundred arcana points.”

As for Lucien himself, he did not have to get a fixed pay, since he was able to benefit from reporting to the Congress the cost of the experiments, which was an unspoken rule in the Congress of Magic.

”Thatʼs a lot!” Both Sprint and Catrina were very surprised. They knew that when Mr. Evans was working for the magic school, he only earned ten points every month! Besides the pay, they could read the arcana books in the institution and do experiments for free. This was a dream job for every apprentice and new sorcerer!

Lazar only earned fifty to sixty arcana points every month working both for the Congress and the Will of Elements, plus what he got from his papers. As for Catrina, although she had got the dream job among the apprentices, she only got four points monthly.

”Of course, Atom Institution will be one of the most important research departments in the future. Our pay has to be impressive.” Lucien said half joking, ”Right now, we donʼt need too many people. Iʼm thinking about hiring another two to three sorcerers and a middle-rank mage.”

”Youʼre… Youʼre very confident, Mr. Evans.” The corner of Sprintʼs lips twitched again.

”Iʼve got faith in you, Mr. Evans! You almost shared the Laurel with Mr. Isabella this time.” Katrina also joked, ”If I can work for you, Mr. Evans, perhaps one day I can also have the honor like Rachel!”

Lucien grinned, ”We shall feel the pressure. The board has given us three years. We have to show them something within three years, or the project will be canceled.”

Most arcana researches would cost a very long time.

”Weʼll work hard!” answered Katrina and Sprint seriously.

Lucien waved the document in the air casually and said to Katrina, ”Stay here and have lunch with us. Weʼll go and check the lab out tomorrow afternoon.”

...

After Vicente Miranda, known as Thanatos, left, Fernando smirked and commented, ”Vicente, youʼre the last one.”

Fernandoʼs face flushed from the heated discussion and argument in the whole afternoon. Walking back and forth in the study, Fernando took out his old notebook again and added after what he wrote down earlier:

”After the whole afternoonʼs debate and discussion, I feel refreshed and energetic again. I see the grandness of the world and I am fascinated with its stunning beauty and truth. I shall walk on this path until the day I die.”

...

After visiting Atom Institution under construction, when Lucien was just about to leave, he heard someone calling his name in a slightly confused way:

”Mr. Lucien Evans?”

Looking up, Lucien saw Rachel and an elegant and beautiful lady standing beside her.