The Silent Turning Point

Translator: CinderTL

The academic conference lasted a full seven days, each day bringing astonishing discoveries that could shake the world's understanding.

In the first two days, the mathematics and physics teachers of the academy demonstrated Grayman's Three Laws of Motion with precise brass instruments.

(Paul: Oh well, if everyone insists on calling it that, I can't help it. Even if I claim it was discovered by ancient sages, no one would believe me.)

The endlessly rolling copper ball on a smooth inclined plane allowed everyone to intuitively grasp the concept of "inertia" for the first time. The speed differences exhibited by wooden carts of different weights under the same pulling force perfectly confirmed the relationship between force and mass. And when two assistants pushed each other on skateboards, the simultaneous backward movement drew gasps of amazement from the audience—the symmetrical beauty of action and reaction was truly awe-inspiring.

The highlight of the third day fell on the theory of universal gravitation. This discovery, which should have been unveiled by Lord Grayman himself, was now left to the teachers to demonstrate.

A massive pendulum swung in the center of the venue, demonstrating the constant attraction of gravity on objects, while an exquisite planetary instrument showcased the invisible pulling force between celestial bodies—whether it was a falling apple or the orbiting moon, both followed the same set of mathematical laws.

When Terry Cable, who was presenting on behalf of Grayman, read out the manuscript: "There exists a mutual attraction between all things that is directly proportional to their mass and inversely proportional to the square of the distance," the scholars in attendance collectively gasped, with some even knocking over their ink in excitement.

These laws should have been expounded by the lord himself, but now they could only be demonstrated by the academy's teachers. The sharp scholars in the audience had already noticed that every time Grayman's name was mentioned, Cable's tone carried a hint of unnatural pause.

Where has the Marquis gone?

As the initiator and host of this grand conference, and on such an important occasion to present these academic discoveries, it was indeed strange that the discoverer himself did not appear.

Not only did the audience have this question, but even Cable was utterly baffled. That day, Mr. Victor, the captain of the lord's guards, personally approached him, saying that Marquis Grayman had urgent and important matters to attend to and had already left Alden Town, with his return date uncertain. The part of the conference that was originally to be presented by the Marquis himself was now entrusted to Cable.

For the next three days, the young astrologer Terry Cable became the focal point.

The black-haired young man stood on the high platform, his fingers tracing over star charts filled with mysterious symbols, explaining the wonders of Calculus, which was still quite unfamiliar to external scholars.

In this timeline, this new branch of mathematics was jointly derived and perfected by Paul Grayman and Terry Cable, but now only the young astrologer was left to face the skeptical gazes of the entire audience.

He nervously demonstrated how to use this mathematical tool to calculate planetary orbits, predict tidal changes, and even precisely describe parabolic trajectories.

When he suddenly paused mid-demonstration and instinctively glanced towards the door, the sharp-eyed audience noticed this detail—he seemed to be expecting someone who was absent.

The last two days belonged to the alchemists' revelry.

Wells and Hoffman erected a massive blackboard in the central hall, upon which the symbols of dozens of elements were arranged.

Light as morning mist, hydrogen; copper compounds that burn with an emerald green flame; strong acids capable of corroding steel—these substances were arranged and combined according to specific patterns, revealing a perplexing yet harmonious periodicity.

Alchemists called it the "Element Table," claiming it might unveil the ultimate mystery of material composition.

As the conference concluded, the scholars remained immersed in awe. They exchanged notes, debated details, yet no one could answer the lingering question: Why were the discoveries that should have been expounded by Grayman himself all presented by others?

Whenever the name of the Lord of Alden was mentioned, their gazes involuntarily drifted toward the empty seat of honor. Where exactly was that young marquis?

After the academic conference, dozens of scholars with a keen interest in machinery accepted the invitation of Guy Burns, the head of Alden Town's mechanical factory, to visit the so-called "Steam Locomotive."

They gathered in groups and made their way to the outskirts of Alden Town. Passing through an oak fence, their eyes were greeted by a sudden expanse—two cold, gleaming iron tracks stretched straight into the distance, resembling two parallel silver streams under the sunlight.

Guy Burns stood beside the tracks, behind him loomed a colossal black iron beast. This monster, known as the "Steam Locomotive," belched billowing white smoke, its brass boiler gleaming in the morning light.

With a gesture from Burns, workers opened the furnace, and the crimson flames immediately illuminated the faces of the onlookers. As the pressure gauge's needle crossed the red mark, the entire machine roared to life like a waking beast. Cast iron pistons began to swing violently, and the ground trembled slightly.

The scholars held their breath as they watched this two-story-tall steel construct slowly start moving. Iron wheels sparked golden against the tracks, and as the speed gradually increased, white smoke trailed behind in a long plume. At full speed, the locomotive's momentum was like a runaway steel warhorse, its heavy body capable of pulling six ore-laden carriages in tandem, racing along the tracks.

The trial ride brought even greater astonishment. Twenty brave scholars boarded a specially designed observation carriage and completed a three-kilometer round trip under the locomotive's power. The wind tore at their beards and robes, the smell of coal smoke filled the air, yet all eyes were wide open, unwilling to miss any detail—the scenery rushing past the windows, the rhythmic vibrations beneath their feet, and the unceasing "clack-clack" of mechanical rhythm.

On the return journey, the locomotive demonstrated its astonishing braking power. As the stoker pulled the brass valve, a screech of metal echoed across the fields, and this multi-ton behemoth came to a steady halt within just a few dozen steps.

The academic conference in Alden Town had ended, but in this age of ignorance, it was merely the murmuring of a small group of eccentrics in a remote corner of the world.

While farmers toiled in the fields, bent over and sweating, and nobles reveled in banquets and intrigues, discussions about the laws of motion, the periodic table of elements, and steam locomotives were like a few grains of sand thrown into a deep pond, barely causing a ripple.

In the bustling streets where illiteracy was rampant, no one cared about the law of squares or the principles of heredity. In the opulent courts, the nobility was more concerned with alliances and fiefdoms than the periodic table of elements.

Yet, amidst ink-stained fingers and papers filled with equations, a silent revolution had already begun. The seeds sown by Paul Grayman were igniting the minds of scholars, and those seemingly obscure theories would eventually transform into forces that would change the world.

When future historians look back at this era, they will realize that while most people remained oblivious, the wheels of history had already turned. The gathering in Alden Town was the first sign of that great turning point.

It wouldn't be long before the discoveries, now seen as the leisurely pursuits of the idle class, would reshape the world that had been stagnant for a millennium with the force of a thunderbolt.

TL/N: These are the kinds of chapters I love the most.

(End of the Chapter)

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