Before stepping into the "Dragon Root" inn, Lucian thought for a moment, removed his Arcane Magic badge, keeping only the four-star Archanist badge, and took out a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from his pocket, putting them on. Two chains with a metallic sheen hung down past his slightly gaunt face.
Ever since being recognized by Prince Patrick of Horm, Lucian had bought a pair of non-prescription glasses in Allingale so he could disguise himself slightly when meeting outsiders. Though it was probably already too late for that, it was still better to have done something than nothing.
Adjusting his bow tie, Lucian strode steadily into the "Dragon Root" inn.
……
Inside the inn, sunlight streamed through the glass windows, illuminating a quiet and resplendent scene.
A handsome male elf and a beautiful female elf, both with golden hair, sat on a sofa in the corner awaiting the guests from the Magic Parliament. Around them stood several elf guards and handmaids, their features equally exquisite.
The entire inn lobby, aside from them, contained only the owner and the waiters—no other guests at all.
"Brother, that 'Order of Elements' Lucian Evans? They say he's not only the youngest-ever recipient of the Horm Crown Award but also a Fourth-Circle Archanist. His magical strength must be close to the High tier. What should we do?" the female elf, beautiful and delicate to the utmost degree, asked with a worried expression.
She had originally expected to join her teacher in a research group composed of High-tier Archanists, where she could take advantage of the large number of people to secretly alter the land environment and tamper with some experimental data to achieve her goals. Instead, she had been reassigned at the last minute to serve under this supposedly brilliant Crown Award winner whose research into elemental magic could rival that of a High-tier Archanist. With fewer people and herself being the primary experimenter, any tampering would be far too obvious.
To ensure Lucian's reputation carried maximum weight, the Magic Parliament's Administrative Committee had deliberately omitted his actual rank from the information given to the Druids, and had even given him an imposing nickname similar to the professional titles of legendary magicians. They had initially wanted to call him "Elemental Periodicity," but Florenza had found it a bit awkward and insufficiently imposing to intimidate these elves. After several rounds of discussion, they had settled on "Order of Elements." Felipe, by contrast, had not concealed his magical rank—his only addition was the nickname "the Revenant."
"Elstine, don't be pessimistic. First, we can cooperate halfheartedly—deliberately omitting parts of the Divine Arts imprints we provide. Second, since we're the primary experimenters, we can openly 'make mistakes' when recording key data," Prince Exirion answered in a more composed manner, his face carrying a deep disdain for the humans who disrupted nature. "At the same time, we'll stall for as long as possible. The Royal Court is rallying other elders to overpower the opposition, and then together they'll pressure the Grand Elder. Perhaps before long, we'll be able to return to the fresh and beautiful forest."
Elstine sat upright on the sofa and smiled gently. "I hope we can do our part to preserve the green and tranquil nature. Although, some of the humans' everyday inventions are actually quite nice—these sofas, for example, are soft and springy. They're very comfortable to sit on."
Exirion's expression turned serious. "Elstine, don't forget that these sofas were made from trees that humans chopped down. I seem to hear the weeping of the trees—don't fall into the trap of indulgence! What could possibly be more comfortable or joyful than sitting upon a great tree brimming with life?"
She hadn't expected that a small offhand remark to earn a lecture from her brother. Elstine's spirits dipped slightly, but she still nodded solemnly. "Brother, I won't forget the gifts of nature and the Spirit Trees."
She quietly clenched her fist, vowing to crush the evil hand that humanity was reaching out toward nature.
At that moment, they saw a young man of medium height walk through the inn's doorway. He wore a white shirt, a dark waistcoat, and a double-breasted formal overcoat, with a tall black top hat on his head and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his face. His entire bearing was refined, composed, and elegant.
"For a human, he's reasonably good-looking, with a fine temperament," the elf prince and princess silently assessed his appearance—this was the most basic reaction of people accustomed to above-average beauty when entering human society. But their gazes quickly shifted to the beautiful ring on his right hand, set with a pale purple gemstone. Its unique design had already been transmitted to them along with the Magic Parliament's briefing materials.
"The Horm Crown Ring? He's the 'Order of Elements'—Lucian Evans?" Exirion and Elstine rose simultaneously. Even as members of the elf royal family, they had to show proper respect when facing a Horm Crown Award winner who was also a formidable figure approaching the "High tier." Moreover, that imposing nickname had already begun to subtly influence their perception of Lucian.
"Hello. Are you His Highness Prince Exirion and Her Highness Princess Elstine?" Lucian greeted them with impeccable etiquette, lifting his top hat with a courteous nod, while inwardly thanking the committee member who had assigned him this task. Since Felipe was clearly much stronger than himself, the higher-ranked Druids who wanted to cause trouble had all been placed in Felipe's group. Only those of distinguished status—the prince and princess, Fourth-Circle and Third-Circle Druids respectively—had been left to him, and with the "Element" ring, he could hold them in check without difficulty.
As for their noble status, Lucian wasn't an elf himself, so he treated it about as seriously as a scrap of paper.
Naturally, their elf guards were rather more formidable. According to the mission intelligence, there was a Level 7 arcane archer named Angst secretly among them, along with a Level 6 elf knight named Thiriel.
In response to Lucian's refined manners and elegant bearing, Exirion and Elstine answered with courtly protocol. "Indeed, we are members of the Strumann Solar Elf Royal Court. Are you Mr. 'Order of Elements' Lucian Evans?"
Lucian's mouth opened and nearly forgot to close. Was that overbearing nickname really his? Lady Florenza truly thought too little of his strength.
Snapping back to himself, Lucian gestured for the two elves to sit. "Your Highness, Your Highness, we still need to wait for two more members before we can begin the Divine Arts research. The hundred acres of land to the southeast of the town belong to our group—some of it is fertile, some barren—so we can conduct comparative experiments."
"Comparative experiments." The obviously technical term gave both Exirion and Elstine a slight headache. Their goal was to stall anyway, so they changed the subject and began talking with Lucian about music, painting, sculpture, and other arts.