After the jokes subsided, the Storm Dominator spoke with gravity: "Heatherly and I have achieved preliminary results in removing elemental 'impurities.' We've discovered that several elements possess twins, triplets, and even quadruplets with nearly identical properties. Their greatest difference manifests in atomic weight, which has caused inaccuracies in atomic weight measurements. Once we eliminate these confounding factors, the data matches your predicted atomic weights and periodic table positions exactly. This leaves both Heatherly and me without the slightest doubt about elemental periodicity."
Why bring up isotopes out of nowhere? Lucian smiled in mild confusion. "Could it be that my suggestion from last time actually bore fruit?"
Since Lucian had proposed the hypothesis of "energy in discrete packets" and "resolved" the blackbody radiation experimental problems — and since his Atomic Research Institute had been established, making his affairs "busy" — Fernando had changed his teaching method. He no longer read letters aloud while lecturing, instead assigning weekly tasks: reading mathematical texts and books on various fields of Arcane, analyzing a particular fifth-circle spell, and then providing detailed guidance during reviews.
As for Fernando's own research progress and his discussions with the Grand Archanists, those could only be exchanged at the monthly meetings. So it was only today that Lucian learned the two Grand Archanists had achieved a breakthrough in isotope separation.
"It didn't help — it almost led us down the wrong path," Fernando said grumpily. "These 'elements' with nearly identical properties and only slight differences in atomic weight — at Heatherly's suggestion, we temporarily placed them in the same position on the periodic table alongside their similar elements, calling them equivalent elements. This forced us to completely abandon the theory of indivisible atoms. If atoms possess no internal structure, why would such a bizarre phenomenon of equivalent elements exist?"
"The paper we've collaborated on was just completed recently, and we're preparing to publish it in the next issue of *Arcane* to give the vast majority of Archanists time to prepare mentally. At the same time, we're working on improving magic to investigate the mysteries within atoms — the attempts are exceedingly difficult. But then you went and blundered your way into discovering a new particle far smaller than an atom."
"While there's no definitive proof yet that it constitutes part of an atom's internal structure, the difference in scale alone is enough to convince everyone that it isn't an atom but an even more fundamental particle — a powerful blow to the theory that atoms are the basic building blocks of matter."
The Storm Dominator still offered no "praise" for Lucian's experimental results, dismissing them as something stumbled upon by accident, but his expression was very serious: "This will cause tremendous shock to many Archanists, especially those whose primary field of study is elemental magic. So, Lucian, don't submit your paper for the time being. Put it on hold."
"Heatherly and I will screen a number of senior Archanists who are capable of accepting this kind of information, have them observe your experiment and verify your paper, and then through their 'discussions' with fellow Archanists afterward, highlight the contradictions between elemental periodicity and atomic theory, gradually shifting their thinking, softening their positions, and minimizing the damage."
Unlike last time, when the proposal was merely a hypothesis, this paper was backed by rigorous experimental evidence and had to be handled with far greater caution — it could not simply be submitted for review.
"I have no objections." Lucian indicated his agreement with his teacher's approach. With the Storm Dominator backing him, after all, no one could steal his results.
Watching Lucian leave his study, the Storm Dominator paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, mentally reviewing candidates: "I need to select senior Archanists whose conception of the world doesn't critically depend on atomic theory, and those among the upper echelons of Element Will who are relatively open-minded and already harbor doubts about atomic theory thanks to elemental periodicity… I must not let this leak to the Pale Hand or the Silver Moon Song Alliance — hmph, if they found out, would they pass up the chance to strike at Element Will?"
Among the six major organizations of the Arcane Council, Element Will, the Pale Hand, and Palmela's Hut were the most powerful, each backed by a Grand Archanist and a legendary mage respectively: Element Will had the "Element Dominator" Heatherly and the "Creator" Davey; the Pale Hand had the "Soul Dominator" Vincent and the "Demigod Lich" Congus; Palmela's Hut had the "Ice Witch" Helen Paris and the "Sovereign of Air" Hercule.
The Silver Moon Song Alliance had the legendary mage known as the "Silver Moon Scholar" Chelsea Holt at its back, though it also maintained close ties with the "Emperor of Control" Brooke. The Wizard's Home boasted two legendary mages — the "Cursed Eye" and the "Shapeshifter Master" — while the High Tower leaned toward the research-oriented "Prophet" and had the best relations with the Council faction.
The remaining Grand Archanists and legendary mages all belonged to the Council faction.
After thinking for a long while, the Storm Dominator's temper began to sour: "This kid's talent for stirring up trouble is starting to surpass his talent for Arcane and magic, and I'm the one who has to clean up after him! Not a moment's peace!"
Events that occurred only once every few decades in the past now cropping up on a monthly basis was truly giving the Storm Dominator a splitting headache.
…………
Several days later.
Lazar, Rock, Sprint, and the others wanted to embody the spirit of "the Institute is my home — I eat, live, and sleep here," but were inexplicably given a day off.
It left them clawing with frustration. They still had so many experiments to run — they didn't want a break!
Jerome, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to invite his wife out for a date, making up for the past month of coming home late from long nights at the lab. Lazar and Rock, the two bachelors, watched with such envy that their eyes turned green.
Meanwhile, inside the Atomic Research Institute, the scene was unprecedented.
There was Council President Douglas, whom Lucian knew; the "Element Dominator" Heatherly; and his own teacher Fernando. There was also Oliver, the "Hand of Annihilation," whom Lucian was meeting for the first time — a man of impeccable bearing and exceptional temperament, who, despite appearing to be nearly forty, showed not a shred of diminished charm, instead carrying an added air of mature refinement.
Aside from the uninvited Emperor of Control and Soul Dominator, as well as Helen, who had left only two days prior, every Grand Archanist had arrived.
At the same time, Lucian also spotted several legendary mages: Claus, who always wore a mischievous grin and was accompanied by a little golden-haired girl automaton — the inventor of the magic-powered steam train — and Artrant, the "Cursed Eye," whose face was perpetually grim and whose eyes remained shut. In total, four legendary mages had come.
As for senior Archanists, over forty had shown up — Morris, Ravendi, Gaston, Rocklini, and others from within Element Will who already harbored doubts about atomic theory, as well as numerous senior Archanists and Archmages from other non-elemental disciplines.