After skimming through the formulas listed in the article and the appendix of formula symbols at the end of the *Arcane* journal, Lucian analyzed them and found that they were basically consistent with the celestial mechanics formulas he already knew. In other words, the results calculated from them—provided the mage who wrote them hadn't made any computational errors—should be fairly accurate. Yet at that supposedly accurate position, no planet could be found! A planet visible from the continent itself!
"How remarkably close yet utterly wrong," Lucian murmured, voicing a thought he'd had before, then scrolled through the rest of the article to its end.
After a moment of contemplation, Lucian flipped back to the first page to check the author: "Oliver Constantin, Grand Archanist, Legendary Arcane Profession 'Hand of Annihilation,' Third Level."
"A Grand Archanist who's also a Legendary Mage!"
Lucian's surprise flared again. "Judging from the ranking, the prestige of a Grand Archanist in the arcane world seems to even surpass that of a Legendary Mage. And the two can coexist, so they must be different evaluation systems—one for grading combat power, and the other probably based on contributions to arcane research."
With that thought, Lucian quickly flipped through the later pages to check the bylines. Sure enough, they were almost all things like "Eighth-level Archanist, Ninth-circle Astromancer" or "Sixth-level Archanist, Eighth-circle Elementalist," confirming his suspicion. Moreover, in nearly every case the arcane level didn't exceed the magical level—it seemed advancement on that front was even more difficult.
Letting the sight of those ninth-circle, eighth-circle, and seventh-circle magical ranks stir his emotions for a moment, Lucian turned to the other articles, which included:
*On the Problem of String Vibration in Certain Magics*;
*On Differentiation, or A Brief Treatise on Infinite Series*;
*A Certain Solution to the Seven Bridges Problem*;
*Derivations of Several Considerations When Electricity and Magnetism Mutually Convert in Magic*;
……
*A New Element Determined by a New Method*;
*The Eternal Question: Does Spiritual Energy Exist in Wave or Particle Form—An Experimental Study Using the "Mind Storm" Spell*.
…………
Lucian's earnest examination of the journal did not go unnoticed. Smale, Sage, and the other magic apprentices all nodded to themselves—this man might truly be a certified mage. When they had first received the journal, each of them had felt just as Smale had once described: they recognized every individual word, but strung together they might as well have been gibberish. The Hanged Man and Mercury, however, still harbored some doubts. After all, not understanding something yet trying hard to read it could produce the same outward appearance.
After spending half an hour skimming through it, Lucian arrived at a rough understanding of the knowledge contained within.
"Judging from these formulas, the level of arcane science in this world—achieved in a mere three to four hundred years—has probably reached the mid-eighteenth century in mathematics and physics on Earth. Calculus has been preliminarily established, research into geometry problems like curved and spherical surfaces has advanced rapidly, and mechanics and electromagnetism are nearing completion. Moreover, because of the peculiar way this world developed, many things were applied before they were theoretically understood, so in certain areas the magic actually surpasses Earth's technology—for example, spatial teleportation."
"As for elemental magic—which corresponds to chemistry—the research level has already reached the early nineteenth century. They've determined that earth, fire, wind, and water are not true elements, established the criteria for elements, and begun preliminary measurements of atomic weights."
"And these are results from over twenty years ago. By today, even accounting for numerous unresolved difficulties like the 'planetary existence' problem that have slowed their progress, the overall level should have reached the early nineteenth century at minimum, and chemistry may have advanced to the mid-century mark."
Because this was the *Arcane* journal, Lucian could read it with relative ease. If it had been the kind of journal that linked arcane theory with practical magic applications, he would have needed to study it much more slowly.
But in truth, Lucian would have preferred that kind, because it would have been far more useful for guiding his current magical studies. He was different from the others—his practical application ability lagged far behind his foundational and theoretical knowledge.
Closing the *Arcane* journal, Lucian smiled at the magic apprentices who had all turned to look at him the moment he set it down. "I've gone through it roughly. A lot of the content is quite fascinating. Could I keep this journal with me for the next two weeks?"
"No problem, Professor, provided you can answer my questions." Sage's aged voice rang out. "Since this *Arcane* journal belongs to everyone, and since this is your first visit, this tutoring session won't be a private pen-and-paper affair. Instead, it will be direct exchange so that everyone can listen in. Would that be acceptable?"
"So you still want to test my knowledge, eh? Heh—on this world, I'm something of a rare freak. Let's see how you judge me." Lucian replied in a slightly peculiar tone. "Of course, Sage. Go ahead and ask."
Sage retrieved a thick stack of papers covered in words and numbers from a wooden box he'd brought along, and had Lucian turn the *Arcane* journal to the first article. "Professor, you mentioned that you specialize in elemental and astromantic magic. As it happens, I have a question about stellar variation that I'd like to consult you on."