"This is one of the two premises of this paper, which I have named the Equivalence Principle…"
The question of why gravitational mass and inertial mass could be described as equivalent under an appropriate system of units was not difficult for Black to understand or explain. Previous Archanists had conducted research in this area and obtained fairly precise data. However, they had all treated the equality of these two masses as a coincidence, never delving into the deeper implications hidden behind that coincidence.
Listening to Lucian's general overview of the experiments and data, Black found his head growing somewhat muzzy. He simply pulled out blank sheets of paper and a Feather Pen, and began recording and calculating right on the rosewood coffee table where the magic radio sat, as focused and earnest as a student listening to a master's lecture.
Something similar was happening to a greater or lesser degree among the vast majority of Archanists tuning in to the broadcast. In their ordinary lives, they rarely had the opportunity to receive guidance from a gentleman of quasi-grand Archanist caliber. Moreover, the things that had been revealed through the gravitational phenomenon during the celestial shift earlier had left them especially curious and excited.
"…That concludes the General Theory of Relativity. Next, I will use the geometric tools of Evans Geometry and tensor analysis to complete the deductive construction of the entire system. Since this involves many complex matters, I will give a broad overview — just enough for you to have a general concept…"
After this passage, the Feather Pen in Black's hand came to a halt. He understood every individual word that Mr. Evans spoke, but strung together they made no sense at all. Circles swam before his eyes as countless strange and intricate words, symbols, and formulas rained down through his mind in complete disarray, devoid of any actual meaning, leaving him dizzy and disoriented, as though trapped in a dream from which he could never quite awaken.
"…I always thought my foundation in Arcane Magic was solid, especially in mathematics. Now I realize I haven't even made it through the front door…"
"Do high-level Archanists study things like this every day? Then why can I still understand a small fraction of the *Arcane* journal…"
These questions echoed not only in Black's mind, but in the heads of the vast majority of high-level Archanists as well. They had previously possessed considerable confidence in their Arcane standards and intellect, yet the things tumbling out of Lucian Evans's mouth were simply incomprehensible — or more precisely, they could barely understand any of it.
"Just give us the conclusion! The conclusion first!"
They were screaming frantically in their hearts, resolving to listen to what gravity's true nature actually was before exchanging for this paper later to study at leisure.
…………
Inside the tower.
"Astrologer" Annonis, not long after the celestial phenomenon ended, heard Lucian's explanation coming from the still-open magic radio. His expression grew solemn, tinged with a trace of skepticism.
As a ninth-level Archanist and ninth-ring archmage of the Astrology Department, the theory of gravity held indescribable importance for him. If he could grasp the nature of gravity and use it to resolve some of the perplexities that had plagued his star charts for years, he had considerable confidence in becoming a true "Astrologer."
But until he actually saw the paper and found phenomena to verify it, he maintained his fundamental skepticism. If the question of gravity's nature were so easy to resolve, Lord
He knew that the storm stirred up by the Council Chairman's previous remarks had been considerable. That Lucian Evans put forward a theoretically grounded description of gravity's nature at this moment had an extremely stabilizing effect on public morale — a degree of exaggeration was only natural — yet deep down he harbored a quiet hope that Lucian Evans really could solve the fundamental problem of gravity.
For the first two basic principles, Annonis simply listened attentively and performed mental calculations, without taking notes. But once Lucian began his general description in geometric language, he grew increasingly focused. At some point, a stack of blank paper and a Feather Pen materialized before him, and he was continuously recording and calculating, his face occasionally creasing with confusion.
The difficult mathematical papers on Evans Geometry and tensor analysis published in the *Nature* journal were something most Archanists paid no attention to, since they had no use for them. But the Astrologer was an archmage proficient in this field, had conducted a certain degree of research in it, and had even published several similar papers. So he was not quite as lost as the other high-level Archanists. Even so, he struggled to understand this more clearly — the difficulty of the paper exceeded anything he had imagined.
Annonis's study had fallen into the deepest silence. Only Lucian's clear, slightly deep voice echoed through it, accompanied by the faint rustling of a Feather Pen gliding across paper.
Suddenly, Annonis sensed a presence and turned his head to the side, seeing that "Prophet" Lord Begna had entered at some point and was also using an auxiliary formation array and a Feather Pen to record and calculate, his expression equally focused.
Without asking any questions, Annonis turned his attention back to Lucian's exposition.
Meanwhile, at the Elemental Will headquarters, Lavendi was hampered by insufficient mathematical knowledge in this area and could only hurriedly record the key points Lucian mentioned, without any way to calculate or truly understand.
…………
Inside Nexon Palace.
With her father's arrival, Natasha had been showing him around various locations and had not had the chance to tune in to the "Voice of Mysteries" or "World Truth" channels. The lightning and thunderstorms over in Alina, being fairly distant, had only caught her slight attention — she took them for localized rainfall and did not think much of it. After all, such things were commonplace in summer.
It was only when the radiance of the "Eternal Blazing Sun" illuminated a swath of the sky that Natasha realized something was wrong. She hurriedly tried to contact Lucian, and when the call wouldn't go through, she worried about disturbing and interfering with his work and, with characteristic composure, stopped trying. Instead, she contacted Heatherly.
After confirming that Lucian and Alina were both fine, she let out a sigh of relief and turned on the magic radio, wanting to hear what had actually happened in Alina.
To her surprise, the voice emanating from the magic radio was one she knew most intimately of all. That truly put her mind at ease.
The complex symbols and formulas were well beyond Natasha's capacity to comprehend, but that did not prevent her from listening with her whole being to Lucian's earnest, focused exposition.
As she listened, she propped her cheek in her right hand, a veil of mist settling over her eyes, and a faint smile slowly blossomed at the corners of her lips.
…………
Inside the "Sky Broadcasting Station" studio.
Including