Chapter 44: Jules Verne – 2 (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea)
“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
If we’re being accurate with that number, it could actually be translated to “200,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” This thrilling adventure novel, overflowing with the sci-fi imagination of French author Jules Verne, dives into the uncharted ocean using the groundbreaking tech of submarines. It’s become an immortal classic, symbolizing the romance and passion of adventure.
Now, Jules Verne’s sci-fi imagination wasn’t merely fanciful.
In fact, it resembled what we now know as hard science fiction. Of course, if you judge it by today’s standards, stories about traveling to the moon with a cannon or claiming a hollow Earth sound absolutely ridiculous…
But Jules Verne concocted tales brimming with conviction by actively using science and statistics to reach those ‘fanciful results’.
So when it came to translating this novel, it needed to be approached just the same.
We needed to spin fantasy out of reality. And I knew exactly the right person to play this role flawlessly.
“Chief Mage Millie Cléang here… I’m the chief…”
“Yes, yes. Chief Mage, we’ve summoned you for a bit of ‘consultation.’”
“I get it… No one else is as helpful as I am…”
Millie Cléang, the Chief Mage of the Grey Tower.
She had a somewhat regrettable personality, but her vast talents and knowledge were unmistakable. If we combined the top sailors’ testimonies with her expertise, we’d be able to whip up quite a plausible ‘sci-fi adventure novel’ for this world’s folks.
“So, is this the novel I’m supposed to read…? The new work by author Herodotus…?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Hmm… sounds good…”
Millie Cléang’s words came out like molasses, but speed-reading? She had that down to a science.
I tend to read pretty fast too, but she was on another level entirely. The term ‘genius’ was practically made for her.
In no time at all, she read the manuscript and set the papers down on the desk with a grin that said, “Nailed it.”
“This is good… I really like it… Honestly, it might even surpass detective stories or the Conan saga in my book…”
“Is that so?”
“Yep… Especially filled with fresh magical ideas and concepts… The way it unfolds is super logical… Did author Herodotus study magic too?”
“Nope.”
“Then I’ll teach you…”
“I think I’ll pass.”
“Well, first we should probably talk about what magic actually is… It’d be good to share how I ended up getting enchanted by it in the first place…”
Oh boy, too late now.
Millie Cléang, with her weary eyes accentuated by dark circles, began to spill her own story.
While it was supposed to be about magic, a lot of it felt more like self-promotion.
That said, there were some genuinely interesting nuggets mixed in, like tales about this world’s technological wonders − firearms, magical trains, airplanes, and whatnot.
“The mages of the Grey Tower are big on probabilities… so you can’t off a mage with a gun.”
“Wait, what?”
“With gunpowder in play, misfires are a valid concern, and if the mechanism is delicate, it might fail on the spot. Since bullets follow a one-dimensional trajectory, misfires are practically a given… It wouldn’t be odd for the barrel to blow or for the range to tank… This is why mages are dubbed the military’s nemesis… The more complicated the device, the more it’s just scrap to a mage…”
“Hmm. So does that mean the military is effectively useless with mages around?”
“Well, kinda. I mean, that’s just a saying; doesn’t mean they can’t actually be killed… The probabilities might be slightly kinder to mages, but they apply to everyone… If you layer enough linear paths, won’t you ‘definitely’ hit the target? That’s why the Empire busts their tails on standardizing service firearms… Standardization is just fancy talk for statistics, and statistics are just probabilities… Magic, at its core, is replicating events… So, getting your equipment standardized and training with those human-shaped targets boosts the hitting chances…”
It was a weird story.
I mean, standardizing weapons and training through repetition is a given for any military, magic or no magic, right? In terms of boosting the odds of victory, it’s definitely a ‘reasonable’ move, but that’s something you’d do without the whole ‘magical’ miracle part.
I suddenly thought of something she’d mentioned in our last chat.
If something can be done with magic, then it ought to be possible without it, ultimately. I felt like I was grasping the meaning behind her words a little better now.
“If it’s hard to grasp… hmmm… imagine a killer shows up and wipes out ‘everyone’ instantly…”
“Yes, yes.”
“Then, through a magical lens, that person gains the right to decide ‘certain death’ for anyone… That’s what’s called ‘transcendence’…”
“But if they’ve already offed everyone, isn’t that power ultimately pointless?”
“Exactly…”
“Then what’s the point of transcendence?”
“Well, that’s where a clever little trick comes in…”
“Huh?”
The Chief Mage chuckled, looking utterly amused by something.
With those dark circles and wild hair hiding her face, it gave her laughter a creepy vibe.
“Since any child has about half the traits from each parent… you could argue that a kid is born with ‘half’ the potential of each parent, right…?”
“Sure.”
“If a ruler from some grand dynasty killed off half of humanity, passing that potential down to his kids, who then go on to become kings and wipe out half their generation, all while inbreeding and handing down both ancestral potential and their own… If they keep this up for several generations…”
“…….”
“Wouldn’t that turn things into a real wild ride…?”
The mage took a brief pause to sip her tea.
Then she reached for the teapot to refill her cup, but surprise! The teapot was empty, and only a few drops of red liquid dribbled out.
With a slight frown, the mage pushed her teacup aside.
“Well, in reality, it’s not nearly that simple, and no one’s actually dumb enough to try something like that… But oddly enough, there’s somewhat of a similarity. The Emperor’s legit got this ‘right’ to be revered by his subjects, and it’s not just some legalese nonsense… Especially after the last Emperor put a bunch of nobles through the wringer, that vibe is still lingering around the imperial family… Which is why mages like us find it tough to cozy up to royalty… Haha… It’s like standing before a man-eating snake…”
The mage seemed to shiver, as though remembering something. Her complexion went a bit pale.
Now that I think of it, I could sense a familiar aura from ‘Lady Es.’
Feeling like a frog before a snake. The terror of being prey in front of a predator.
I figured I was just on edge because of her power, but maybe some magical principle was at work here too.
“You can boil water in a kettle, but you can’t do it in a teacup; that’s the limit of magic… That’s why it’s such a blast reading novels filled with these magical concepts… Haha… Sure, some are silly, but there are definitely a few I’d like to experiment with…”
“Really?”
“Would you consider visiting the tower sometime, writer…?”
“Hmm, I think I’ll pass for now. I’ll be busy writing.”
“That’s a bummer… But hey, I can just give some advice… Could I grab some paper…?”
“Of course.”
Millie Cléang nodded and kicked off the real consultation.
The tale unraveled with a scientific and magical flair, pulling attention away from numerous hidden fictions with its vivid and fiery style. Anyone who gazed at that flickering flame wouldn’t dare doubt its heat.
The sparkling embers, the surrounding darkness lit up in hues of yellow and red, and the dancing shadows.
As the style sharpened, the story came alive. Since adventure novels are all about the unexplored, it felt more like a torch banishing the shadows than a lantern lighting the way.
In that space, there was no doubt or falsehood.
[“Tyrants have no right to rule the sea. They may claim wicked dominion above the surface, fighting and devouring each other, dragging everything into terror. But 30 feet beneath the waves, their power falters, their authority fades, and their control vanishes!”]
[“The sea is free!”]
Only freedom shone bright.
The kind of freedom that no oppression could tie us down to one spot. That was the true beauty of adventure novels.
It was the beauty of romance and the spark of progress.
Jules Verne led us to the sea.
“Hmm! Much better…”
“Thank you for the excellent consultation, Chief Mage Cléang.”
“My consultations are always exceptional… After all, I’m the Chief…”
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