568 Stars Above (1/2)
In the small living room of the Land of Truth, Douglas met Francois.
Because he failed to advanced into legendary, many magic rituals that could extend the longevity by more than five hundred years were not usable for him. He was rather old, his hair sparse and grey. His skin was full of wrinkles, with spots here and there. But his blue eyes were as deep as an ocean, as if they accommodated the wisdom that had sunk in the passage of time.
”Francois, what brings you here? Are you ready for the lich transformation ritual?” Asked Douglas casually. As a member of the Affair Committee, the man should be occupied in such a moment.
Francois shook his head in a smile, ”To be a lich, I will have to abandon the enjoyments and entertainments as a man. I may even become extreme and crazy because of negative energy. It really isn't the best choice. I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm still waiting to see if my cognitive world can be half solidified.”
”That's a great idea. Arcana and magic have been developing at a terrifying speed over the past ten years. Perhaps, new theories or achievements that are suitable for you will be proposed soon, allowing you to solidify your cognitive world after years of accumulation.” Douglas nodded, approving Francois' decision.
In his mind, the crazy development of arcana began with Felipe's studies on cell memories and Lucien's submission of the periodic table. He seemed to have foreseen two new legendary sorcerers. Therefore, when Vicente tried to get Felipe away from the Demigod-lich's incident, he agreed with it and let it pass.
Francois smiled. ”Mr. President, it's true that new theories or achievements that can break my bottleneck will arise soon, but they are also very likely to break my head, especially if they are from Lucien Evans, the Headcrusher.”
Douglas shook his head with a smile, knowing that Lucien was already 'notorious' among the sorcerers. ”The advancement he brought forth hasn't been fully revealed. Perhaps, you will see the value of his new theories in three, five or ten years.”
Francois said in a smile, ”Like 'On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies and Mass-energy Equation'?”
Douglas smile was gradually gone. He said at a loss, ”Yes.”
Francois continued, ”When I saw the paper, I felt that my confidence was destroyed. It was not because I was shocked at Lucien Evans' talents, but because I was suspicious about myself and the arcana system in the past hundreds of years.”
”Mr. Douglas, I've been following you since the end of the War of Dawn. We established the Congress under the suppression of the Church. Your gravity theory and your motion system were the lighthouses that guided me. But right now, one of the two lighthouses has been announced 'wrong'. I really don't know what to believe now. I'm like a boat in a storm, with nothing but darkness before my eyes.”
Douglas lowered his voice. ”It's not wrong but a low-speed approximation of the relativistic system.”
The atmosphere became weird, filled with indescribably silence and depression.
Francois looked at Douglas earnestly, ”Mr. President, low-speed approximation means that you neglected too many things in your motion system, and there were too many errors. Also, don't you think that 'time is space, and space is time', 'time depends on matter and is speed's function' completely overthrow our understanding?”
”It is indeed different from our intuition. When I saw it, I also felt that my past thousand years were denied.” Douglas admitted rather honestly.
Honesty had always been his attitude towards arcana problems.
Francois said with a heavy mind. ”Perhaps it was because our studies were too superficial and too far away from the truth. Perhaps, when we really approach the 'truth', we may discover that it is the opposite of what we believe it.”
”That's true. The more I study arcana, the more ignorant I realize I am, on time, space, mass and energy or even regarding gravity that I'm best at.” Douglas revealed confusion again.
Francois heaved a sigh. ”The truth of this world is beyond our imagination. Too many questions can't be answered, and more and more things point at the same thing. What's the nature of gravity? How did it appear in the beginning? If your astronomical motion system works, what's the initial force that made the planets spin?”
”That's exactly what I'm confused about. Where's gravity from? How does it spread? How was it created at the beginning? The more I know, the more lost and scared I am. Perhaps I've been wrong all this time.” Douglas' voice was unpredictable.
Francois' blue eyes turned deep. ”Perhaps, we should look for a philosophical explanation. Perhaps, there was indeed a First Cause and a source that created everything. In that case, the system of celestial body motion can be perfected and constructed.”
Douglas did not hide it from his old friend. He said depressed, ”Sometimes, I can't help but think that way. There's probably really a supreme being and a First Cause, or the whole arcana system cannot be explained from the origin. It's like a house without the foundation, which will collapse under the gentlest breeze.”
The atmosphere was even more weird. Light flashed in Francois' eyes as he spoke, ”That is to say, your gravity system and your motion system will collapse without the First Cause, right?”
”Yes.” Douglas added, ”At least so far, but there may be other arcana explanations in the future.”
Francois said in a low voice, ”Then, what's the origin of this world? Who am I? Where are we from? Where are we going to? Can you find the answers from arcana studies?”
”Not for now. They are still in the category of philosophy.” Douglas shook his head.
Francois also shook his head. ”No, they are in the category of theology. As long as you admit that there is a supreme being and a First Cause, all the questions can be answered.”
Douglas opened his mouth and was about to say something, when his pupils constricted. ”Who are you? You are not Francois!”
Something emerged inside Francois' body, making him sacred and peaceful. ”You may call me Benedict III.”