"'Nature'?" Neseeka coughed. "Committeeman Evans, your explanation is quite appropriate, but for a purely mathematics-oriented journal, isn't that name far too broad? It doesn't let people immediately grasp what kind of journal it actually represents, does it?"
Indeed! This was the question on everyone's mind, including Levsky's. Journals like Arcane, Arcane Magic, Astrology, and Elements all gave readers a rough idea of the papers inside just from their titles. "Nature," on the other hand, would make people mistake it for a journal founded by the Druids. Even though they greatly appreciated Lucian's praise of mathematics—even loved the phrase "the most wondrous and fundamental language of nature, the unified rules governing all domains"—the reality that mathematics served Archanist theory and Arcane Magic reminded them that not everyone shared that view.
Lucian naturally couldn't admit that this was his own twisted sense of humor at work—that he wanted to coin terms for science itself and just conveniently borrowed the word "Nature": "Although Nature is currently a purely mathematics-focused journal, I hold great hopes for it. I hope that in the future, beyond pure mathematics, it can also publish Archanist theories that aren't yet understood or that almost no one can comprehend, gradually developing into a journal centered on pure mathematics that describes the true nature of the world—one on par with Arcane and Arcane Magic."
That... that was far too fanciful, wasn't it? Arcane and Arcane Magic both had centuries of development behind them. One leaned slightly more toward theory, the other tilted toward application, but both were sacred texts in the hearts of Archanists, holding irreplaceable status.
After a moment of brief astonishment, everyone dismissed Lucian's words as a pleasant wish of his and didn't take them to heart. Milina smiled and said, "Describing the true nature of the world using the language of mathematics? Hmm, then calling the journal Nature actually seems rather fitting—at least better than calling it 'World' or 'Reality.' 'Mathematics' lacks room for expansion..."
"Publishing Archanist theories that aren't yet understood or that almost no one can comprehend? That's an excellent thing! In the future, many theories may go against our everyday intuitions and be difficult for people to accept in a short time. Our journal could offer 'them' a platform." Levsky thought of his own experience and strongly endorsed Lucian's proposal.
Saragheiro, the unkempt middle-aged man, furrowed his brow. "But how do we distinguish between theories that have genuine value but have been buried and papers that are deliberately seeking novelty or embracing absurd errors? If Nature flings its doors wide open, a journal with an impact factor of 2.0 would make the vast majority of Archanists jealous. Wouldn't that encourage them to detach from reality, abandon rigorous research, fabricate nonsense with the sole aim of being incomprehensible, and then cite each other's work?"
Levsky hadn't yet developed the instincts of a journal editor and didn't know how to respond. Lucian, however, had been prepared for this all along and answered with a smile: "Nature is a journal in the 'pure' mathematics domain, so naturally it must be grounded in pure mathematical logic. As long as a paper's premises contain no errors and its logical deductions are sound, even if it can't yet pass the committee's review, it can still be published as a discussion piece. But if the premises or logical deductions are flawed, then it is unmistakably an unacceptable paper and can be rejected outright."
"Exactly—that's how it should be!" Levsky recalled the resounding speech Lucian had just delivered.
Neseeka, Milina, Maper, Saragheiro, and the other committee members nodded in silence, involuntarily recalling the mistakes Levsky had made in the past.
After several minutes, Neseeka glanced up at the sun sinking toward the horizon outside. "This has been the longest and most instructive small seminar I've ever attended. Committeeman Evans, please submit your three papers for review as soon as possible. We look forward to delivering our assessments, and we'll try to finish before the application for Nature journal is approved."
Even with all the current mathematics-domain committee members gathered in the conference room, the proper procedures still had to be followed. The papers needed to be submitted through the Mage Administration Department and distributed for summary by the Alchemy Life forms.
"I'll submit them before the Mage Administration Department closes today." Only then did Lucian realize that, in his intense concentration, it was already five in the afternoon. Nearly the entire day had passed amid Levsky's explanations and his own impassioned outbursts—even lunch had gone uneaten.
Watching Neseeka, Saragheiro, and the other committee members leave, Levsky turned to Lucian. "Committeeman Evans, thank you—thank you so much. If it weren't for a genius mathematician like you, I imagine I'd still be living a wandering, bitter, and miserable life."
Because his strength had long stagnated without advancing to the mid-tier, and because he'd devoted himself to completing his new geometry system without taking on commissions or wasting time on alchemy, Levsky's life had been quite destitute. He'd been forced to leave Arlinna, where rent and food prices were steep, and move to a small nearby city, living off the stipend for a Second-rank Archanist and Second-rank Mage. Whenever he fell ill, his expenses exceeded his income and he had to find additional sources of revenue.
So even though his emotions had settled, when expressing his gratitude once more, Levsky was still visibly moved and emotional. Committeeman Evans had saved him—and saved "his child."
"This is what you've earned. You don't need to thank anyone. But that's precisely why you must run the Nature journal well—so it can help geniuses whose work cannot yet be understood," Lucian said gently.
Levsky's emotions had risen and fallen several times today, and now that he'd finally calmed down, he was thoroughly exhausted. Mustering his energy to smile, he said, "Regardless, I'm truly grateful. It's a shame I'm not skilled in elemental magic—I can't join you at the Atomic Research Institute, Committeeman Evans, or learn more from you."
"On the contrary, I've learned perseverance from you." Lucian spoke meaningfully yet vaguely, "Just call me Evans or Lucian—no need to be so formal. Everyone has their own area of expertise; there's no point forcing yourself into others. Levsky, you know as well as I do that your new geometry and my new geometry are both still just frameworks. They lack concrete research and analytical depth. I hope we can continue exploring this direction together."
"But you mustn't forget Arcane Magic and your cultivation again. To achieve more breakthroughs and solve more problems in the mathematics domain, you need to raise your own Archanist standards and magical strength. That way, you'll live longer and your mind won't deteriorate when you grow old."
"That's exactly the direction I want to research!" Levsky answered, his face alight with excitement.
Seeing the deep fatigue between his brows, Lucian gestured for him to go home and rest properly, to get a good night's sleep.
Hands tucked into the pockets of his double-breasted frock coat, Lucian watched quietly as Levsky departed. He was about to turn and organize his papers for submission to the Mage Administration Department when a voice suddenly reached his ears:
"Your speech today was passable. You managed to recognize that the closer we get to the true nature of the world, the more our bodies and souls constrain us, and the more we must rely on Arcane Magic and mathematical tools. And setting aside correspondence with reality, focusing solely on the initial axioms and internal logical deductions—perhaps that is one direction for mathematics to continue developing." Fernando stared ahead, his expression unchanged, having delivered what was for him an exceptionally rare compliment.
Even though the degree of praise was rather modest, Lucian was flattered. He studied Fernando carefully, half-concerned he might be an illusion conjured by Little Crystal, only to be glared back into confirming the man was real.
"It just struck a chord with me because of what happened to Levsky's new geometry," Lucian replied.