Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
On the thirty-first floor of the Allyn magic tower…
Although the magic tower was automatically closed and nobody was allowed to enter at night, Lucien was naturally not bound by the rule as a grand arcanist. Leading Natasha, he jumped from ‘Atomic Universe’, his demiplane, to his library on the thirty-third floor, before they stepped into the lift.
The magic tower at night was more quiet than usual. As they walked inside the silver corridor, their footsteps echoed loudly, further adding to the quiet and creepy atmosphere.
Hardly had Lucien and Natasha entered the area where the Sky Radio Station was at when a giant white wolf ran out. After realizing that it was Lucien, it immediately crouched and wagged its tail.
“Good morning, Mr. Evans. Good evening, Your Majesty.” Louise, who was wearing a daisy-colored dress, saw Lucien and his companion, too, and greeted them.
Hearing her sweet and familiar voice, Natasha asked in delight, “Are you Ms. Nightingale? I love your program. Huh. Aren’t you Louise, the missing musician of Aalto?”
She recalled the new musician of Aalto from her delicate face and her symbolic white wolf.
“She is the musician Louise. However, I think you must know her other alias, Mercury, Apprentice Mercury.” Lucien introduced her to Natasha.
Natasha tried to say something, but she eventually shook her head. “The Musicians’ Association of Aalto should be renamed to the Sorcerers’ Association of Aalto. Is it easy for musicians to become sorcerers, or do sorcerers prefer to disguise themselves as musicians?”
She had known Apprentice Mercury through Sylvia before she knew Lucien, but she did not know that Mercury was also a musician who escaped to Allyn!
It’s not the Sorcerers’ Association of Aalto but a prep school for ‘international students’… Lucien secretly remarked.
Louise replied, “That was because a great musician and grand arcanist set an example for me. Your Majesty, you’ve come to visit the radio station?”
Natasha looked at Lucien with a smile and laughed warmly, “I asked Lucien to bring me here because I like the voices of you and Ms. Lark. I didn’t expect that I would run into you. Your real voice is even more pleasant than it is on the radio.”
“That’s because the radios are not good enough.” Lucien defended the radio station.
Louise smiled sweetly and politely, “It’s an honor to be appreciated by the queen, but ‘Arcana Voice’ is about to begin. You’ll have to excuse me. Mr. Evans, Samantha is waiting for you at the conference room.”
“Sorry for delaying you.” Natasha said joyfully, “I’ve bumped into Ms. Nightingale immediately after coming. It seems that my bad luck is over.”
She was talking about the disaster in the laboratory in the morning, and the unexpected counter-dominance from Lucien.
“It’s been a while since I saw you so courteous.” Lucien made fun of her while he led her to the conference room.
Natasha glanced at Lucien. “My manners are reserved for ladies. Hehe. You will have a chance.”
The two of them talked and laughed, but Louise sighed in the broadcast room. “The queen and Mr. Evans knew each other a long time ago. They must’ve been a couple since they were in Aalto… Now, they are finally together despite all the adversities…”
She saw clearly that Lucien and Natasha were both wearing a ring on the third finger on their left hand. Natasha’s ring was even the famous Holm Crown Ring, ‘Element’.
…
After he opened the gate, all the arcanists bowed at him. “Your Excellency, you are the truth of elements, and you master the staff of space and time.”
“There’s no need to be so troublesome. Everybody’s time is precious.” Lucien raised his objection humorously and then pointed at Natasha. “This is Natasha, my fiancée and the queen of Holm.”
All the arcanists were refreshed by the first-hand news. Mr. Evans had acknowledged the engagement with the queen? Also, they secretly complimented Natasha’s beauty and vibe, because they had seen few female sorcerers that were charming in such a way.
Briefly stunned, Samantha put on a sincere smile. “I didn’t know you were engaged. I wish you happiness forever.”
Natasha smiled, “Are you Ms. Lark? Your voice is more pleasant than the sound of a real lark. I am your loyal fan.”
“It’s my honor.” Samantha resumed her calmness and spoke to Lucien, “Mr. Evans, it’s indeed the Church’s radio station. Its name is ‘Sound of Salvation’.
As she talked, the whispers of the arcanists gradually stopped, and the sound from the magic circle came into Lucien and Natasha’s ears clearly.
“We believe that there must be something that every race and every occupation can accept. That is the virtues such as benevolence, generosity, honesty and bravery; that is the holy light that the Lord favored; that pacifies our minds and protects us from the sins of this world. The evil sorcerers and dark knights, who violate the common sense, are corrupt and destined to be destroyed…”
“…We are brothers and sisters, and we will be saved when we pray in the name of the Lord. This time, we have invited the believers of different social classes. They will tell you about beliefs and virtues.”
“…I am a destitute believer. In my place, sickness and injury often mean death, but I survived a major disease because my neighbor, the reverend of my area, treated me and took care of me without asking for any reward. My health and my mental peace were recovered…”
“…I was always anxious in the past, but after the reverends talked to me, I calmed down and enjoyed unprecedented peace…”
…
“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!
