Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Why Are Planetary Orbits Elliptical?
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Why are planetary orbits elliptical?
You might think it's just a matter of knowing the law of universal gravitation...
But it's not.
That equation describes the 'force' between two objects with mass.
Yet in this world, force hasn't been properly defined yet.
So first, we need a clear definition of what force actually is.
Pfft. So the people of this world don't even know what force is?!
...Unfortunately, before Newton wrote 'that book,' people on Earth were the same way.
And right now, Dolloren was holding 'that book'—my own version, tweaked for better readability.
Commonly known as the Principia.
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.
The greatest GOAT in human history.
The work penned by Sir Isaac Newton.
Dolloren's hands trembled.
"Is this how you've been seeing the world?"
"..."
I had nothing to say.
If I said yes, it'd sound like I was playing the overpowered main character too hard. If I said no, it'd be a lie.
So I kept my mouth shut.
Originally, I hadn't planned to reveal the Principia this early.
I'd intended to stop at deriving Kepler's laws from observations and proving universal gravitation via calculus.
...But Dolloren and Giuseppe's curiosity wouldn't let it end there.
-'So... what exactly is this 'force' you're talking about?'
-'Infetus? No... the infetus theory got shelved after the law of inertia was discovered.'
They were so curious that I just shoved it in their faces.
The essence of classical mechanics: the Principia.
I told them,
"Of course, for the freshman selection exam, we're not expecting answers this deep. Getting to the inverse square law is enough to pass comfortably..."
"—You're handing me a paper like this and talking about freshmen? Look at Giuseppe!"
I turned my gaze to Giuseppe.
"..."
Giuseppe was staring blankly at the lab ceiling.
He'd been like that ever since reading the Principia before Dolloren.
As I debated whether to throw a blanket over him, Dolloren spoke up.
"This is insane. I get it now."
"Pardon?"
"We can just use this for magic, right?"
"..."
She grasped it faster than I'd expected.
Dolloren continued,
"No need to tediously recite incantations and magic circles in your head anymore."
Our eyes met.
"F=ma... We can apply this to mana force too... right?!"
"Yes. Though probably only a tiny fraction of mages could pull it off."
Dolloren reached out toward a teacup in the lab.
Was she seriously about to try it right now?
"Hup!"
Dolloren let out a grunt of effort.
"..."
"..."
...But nothing happened to the teacup.
"...What the heck. It's not working?"
I used a detection spell to check what had just gone down.
Hmm. Pretty much what I figured.
Dolloren didn't understand how objects move through air, which isn't a vacuum.
She'd also failed to accurately measure the teacup's weight, the direction of the force, atmospheric pressure, and all the other physical quantities...
Even if I gave her all the data I had, she'd still slip up on the calculations.
While I analyzed her failure, Dolloren was already scheming an impossible spell.
...Wasn't she scared of rebound?
This wasn't going to work.
I said to Dolloren,
"Looks like my idea was off the mark."
"Huh?"
She paused her spellcasting and looked at me.
"Transplanting this law directly into magic one-for-one... it seems impossible for now."
Seeing her fail so spectacularly confirmed it: physics-based magic was still something only I could do.
Dolloren despaired at my declaration of 'magically unusable.'
"...For real?"
"Yes."
"No way...! Why! A whole new world was right there!"
She grabbed my shoulders and shook me.
My head was rattling; I felt dizzy.
Still, I had to say it.
"There's a reason it doesn't work. It just plain doesn't."
"Then what's the point of knowing about force or acceleration?!"
"You could use it to verify the efficiency of magic circles and incantations."
"Arrrgh!"
You can't fill your belly on the first sip, after all.
Selfish Dolloren.
If we hogged it all now, what would future generations research?
Instant physics magic could wait for the era when brain-linked computers existed.
After all the twists and turns...
The freshman recruitment question was finalized: 'Why are planetary orbits elliptical?'
I wondered if this world had its own Johannes Kepler or Isaac Newton...
Exciting.
Once the question was set, Dolloren said to me,
"The problem itself is clean and solid, but..."
"Right?"
"...Do you really think undergrads can figure out discoveries that left me and Giuseppe stunned?"
She was sulking already.
Still sore that she couldn't use physics magic yet?
But barking dogs don't stop the train.
Academic progress can't be halted anymore.
"Heh heh heh. Are you afraid of academic advancement, School Head?"
"What?"
I had faith.
In the intellect of the Empire's people.
This was the nation that birthed Valerius, creator of the flow rate law, and Cedric, who defined one atmosphere.
With calculus and elliptical orbits handed to them, they'd manage.
"..."
Dolloren looked utterly baffled.
She probably couldn't comprehend it, that School Head.
A junior in the Survey School?
She eyed me like some deranged grad student she'd glance past.
A few days later, I listened to Laura's report with eager anticipation.
Laura said,
"...As per the data below, the new workshop has tripled suspension production."
Dolloren's quick-built workshop was pulling its weight.
She could be childish, but when it counted, her help was spot-on.
I asked Laura,
"So the backlog of reservations must be clearing up. Down to about a year now?"
Laura shook her head.
"No. Still three years."
"...Pardon?"
"Orders ramped up right alongside production."
"..."
The power hammer saved Tobin's shoulders...
But it wouldn't stop overwork.
"Word is, 'carriage tea time' is trending among noble ladies. That's likely driving the order surge."
Heh heh.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I then heard the report on the 'Uphills Foundation.'
'This is going well too.'
After the briefing, Laura asked,
"Lord Uphills, you seem in high spirits today."
"Oh. That obvious?"
"Yes. Something good happen?"
"Well..."
I mentioned how I'd soon have juniors.
"With a fun problem like that, the ones who solve it have to be interesting people, right?"
"..."
Laura's expression wasn't bright.
"...It might not go as you expect, Lord Uphills."
"Huh?"
"No one might solve it."
"Nah, no way."
I'd given them everything they needed, hadn't I?
And still no second Newton?
No way.
...No way, right?
But back in the lab, bad news from Giuseppe crushed me.
"No way. You're joking, right?"
"..."
"Tell me it's a joke."
"I wish it were, but not a single applicant solved your problem."
"..."
"Expecting undergrads to crack it was the real shocker. Didn't you overestimate them?"
"..."
I closed my eyes tight.
Keeping them open made me so dizzy I might collapse.
"...You alright there?"
No way.
My amazing junior-snatching operation crumbled before it began...
"Uh... Senior Giuseppe. Sorry, but can I check the answer sheets myself?"
"By all means."
What on earth had they written to produce zero passers?
I flipped through the applicants' sheets one by one.
No need for boring, pretentious grading.
It was just a spectacle.
I asked Giuseppe,
"No, Senior. This is undergrad level?"
"...Juniors. That's standard undergrad."
"No way. Even our Anna could do better than this."
"That's because Anna's exceptional..."
"..."
At the same time.
Anna Uphills was attending a natural philosophy lecture at Magic University.
"Now, there are two main ways to explain planetary motion."
The white-haired old professor drew concentric circles on the board as he lectured.
"The first is the theological view: that someone—usually God—makes celestial bodies move in perfect circles eternally. Theologians mostly hold this."
The professor drew a spiral pattern on the other side.
"The second is the magical view: mana particles, denser in space than on earth, repel each other to form vast whirlpools, carrying planets along the flow. Most mages accept this as orthodoxy."
At this point, Anna lost interest in the class.
Per her brother, both theories were flat-out wrong.
But the lecture continued.
A student raised a hand.
"So which one's right?"
"You know full well, yet you put me in a spot."
"Pardon?"
"...It's debated, but personally, I back the mages. If inertia exists, eternal motion is guaranteed without gods."
Another student raised a hand.
"Professor, I've heard planetary orbits actually look elliptical these days. Is that true?"
Anna's ears perked up at the question.
'Elliptical?'
This was new to her.
The professor answered,
"Good question. Observations suggest so. But most scholars insist the true orbit is circular."
"Why?"
"Reasons vary by scholar. The current leading hypothesis: dense cosmic mana distorts light, making orbits appear elliptical only to our eyes."
Anna tilted her head at the professor's words.
A spark.
Anna raised her hand.
Murmurs rippled through the room.
-"Whoa, the top student's asking."
-"Wonder what she'll say."
Anna's cheeks flushed slightly.
The professor chuckled and said,
"Yes, Anna Uphills. Your question?"
"Thank you, Professor. Um... Mana doesn't interact with other substances, so how can it distort light?"
"Because earthly and heavenly laws differ. All earthly motion is linear, but heavenly motion is circular, no?"
"..."
"...If you're still curious, research it yourself."
With that, the professor took no more questions.
Anna read the discomfort on his face.
He seemed clueless beyond this point.
But Anna's curiosity lingered.
Since it had come to this, researching alone—as he suggested—didn't sound bad.
'Perfect timing. I was bored anyway.'
Scratch, scratch.
Anna's quill scraped across the parchment.