587 Thanos Demon (2/2)
”The next program is 'The Cruel Magic You Do Not Now'. In this war of Rentato, the evil sorcerers summoned abyssal demons by sacrificing humans alive, which was atrocious. Allow me to repeat the details for you…”
An arcanist laughed, ”The Church is completely copying our creation!”
”That's the only way for them to establish it so quickly. The anchor is also a female with a pleasant voice.” Another arcanist replied with a smile.
”Don't underestimate the Church's understanding about arcana, but the programs are still not lively and attractive enough.” Lucien nodded. ”Ask someone to monitor the channel, but don't be distracted by them.”
”Understood.” All the arcanists replied.
”…Our fate has been preordained by God. Everything is destined. Only by believing in the Lord can we be saved…”
All the arcanists showed obvious despise, which arouse Natasha's interest. ”Guys, this is the Church's definition of fate. What's fate in arcana and magic? How accurate is your prophecy?”
Her mother was not good at astrology. Naturally, she did not know much about it.
As a senior-rank sorcerer of the school of astrology, Samantha said solemnly, ”Fate is also prearranged according to astrology, but the God of Truth has nothing to do with it.”
”Why?” Natasha looked at Lucien and found it hard to accept that fate was unchangeable.
Lucien hinted for her to listen first and ask later.
”I wonder, has Your Majesty ever heard of 'Thanos Demon'?” Samantha tried to explain it as simply as possible.
Natasha shook her head. ”No.”
Since Lucien just got started with astrology, he was not clear about 'Thanos Demon', either.
”At the last years of the Magic Empire, the sorcerers believed in determinism, which was also known as the law of causality. They believed that as long as all the conditions and parameters that influenced a thing were known, the result of the thing could be inferred deterministically through all kinds of patterns. When there's a result, there's a reason; when there's a reason, there's a result.” Samantha basically introduced the law of causality. ”As arcana develops, the idea is even more prevalent that as long as conditions and data are given, we will be able to get a definite outcome.”
Seeing that Natasha was still confused, another male arcanist added with an example. ”Your Majesty, assuming that I have a Thale in my hand, and I toss it out randomly, either side of it could hit the ground, right?”
”Yes.” Natasha thought and replied solemnly.
”No, it's not true. After I toss it, as long as I know the force, the quality of the Thale, the moisture, the wind and other conditions, I will be able to calculate which side of it will hit the ground according to Douglas motion system. There's no other possibilities.” Declared the arcanist proudly.
Arcanists explored the world, summarized patterns, and then predicted the world with their discovery. That was exactly the charm of arcana!
Natasha thought for a moment. ”I got it. The moment when the Thale is tossed, all the influence factors are determined, so the outcome is destined.”
”That's good. That's exactly determinism and the law of causality. 'Thanos Demon', on the other hand, was a concept that the Sun King came up with.”
Samantha returned to the original topic. ”He considers the current status of the world as a consequence of the past and a cause for the future. So, assuming that there is a very powerful demon who knows the status and patterns of everything, it will be able to infer all the things that happened in the past.”
”Also, it will be able to predict all the things that will happen in the future. The future will be as fixed as the history. That's exactly 'Thanos Demon'. It tells us that the fate of this world was destined the moment it was born. We cannot predict the future only because we know too little and grasp too few patterns.”
Natasha found it impossible to accept the law of causality. ”But hearts are unpredictable.”
”No. Everybody's personality is affected by the environment. Or rather, their personality is shaped by many factors, and a fixed personality, together with all the other factors when a decision is made, will yield a destined answer even if hearts are unpredictable. Your Majesty, have you never guessed the enemy's possible reaction in a battle?” Samantha said calmly.
Natasha nodded her head but shook it later, not knowing how she should argue.
Samantha put on a proud but sad expression. ”Every arcanist in the school of astrology is proud that they can see fate and sad that they cannot change it. It is cruel and cold, but it's also a fact. When there is a cause, there's a consequence. Everything has been decided by the past.”
The discussion on fate was over, and Natasha fell silent. It was not until they left the Allyn magic tower that she grasped Lucien's hand and asked, ”Lucien, do you believe that fate is preordained and unchangeable?”
It was a terrible and devastating feeling!
”No.” Lucien replied with a smile. After his spirit library was unsealed, he had been learning quantum mechanics.
Natasha did not expect that Lucien would give a reply so quickly and firmly. Turning around in a daze, she said with a blossoming smile, ”Me, too. I believe that we can change our fate to a certain degree. Hehe. I should've foreseen your answer. The soul of resistance that has never changed since the Symphony of Fate is what I appreciate and like most about you.”
”Exactly. One has to be take the initiative consciously.” Lucien said in a low voice. Then, while Natasha was slightly confused, he stared at the sky solemnly: ”The law of causality must die!”
Because we need to live!