The Law of the Silent Gentleman

The carriage drove to the hill in the north of the city, and the observatory was located on the top of the hill, the highest place in the city. Standing on the hill overlooking the city, you can see the sparkling Deran River meandering through, and the white buildings are built along the river, meandering towards the seashore.

The observatory is more magnificent than Giuliano imagined. Its scale is no less than the Governor's Palace or the Grand Theater. The roof is spherical. It is said that the stones are controlled by complex machinery, and they can slide to the sides at night, and the starry sky can be seen at a glance. no more.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the observatory. There were already people waiting there. Lady Theodora got out of the car, and the man came to meet her. He was a young man in his twenties, wearing a navy blue robe with many stars embroidered with gold thread.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, ma'am. Rogge, the assistant of the chief stargazer, has been ordered to come to greet you." When he mentioned his title, the young man raised his head with a sense of pride, very proud of his status And look proud.

Theodora made him kiss the back of his hand. "I'm not late, am I?"

"Actually, you're still early."

Roger looked at the crowd of people pouring out of the carriage in confusion: "Are they all your students? Your letterhead said that only two people came to visit..."

"They are my friends, and they happen to be very interested in my subject. We have more people than planned, will it cause you any trouble?"

"Uh, because the chief stargazer doesn't like excitement, if there are too many visitors, he will be in a bad mood." Roger apologized, "Please allow me to inform him. But ma'am, let me remind you first, if the chief stargazer I suddenly changed my mind and refused to see you..."

"I see, you go and report first."

Roger invited them to a reception room, served tea and snacks, then bowed and left in a hurry. As soon as he left, Antoine complained: "This chief stargazer is so arrogant."

"He has always had a weird temper, and his personality becomes more and more weird as he gets older. Don't pay too much attention to it."

"It turned out to be a strange old man."

"He had been the chief stargazer for many years when I first entered the University of Akerdon for further study. Although I don't know his exact age, he must be almost seventy."

A picture of an old man with white beard and hair getting angry and beating someone with a cane emerged in Giuliano's mind, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. Not long after, Rogge returned, this time bringing a man who looked a little older than him, also wearing a navy blue robe.

"My dear lady, the chief stargazer does not want to be disturbed. He said that he can only see three people at most. When you meet with him, I will arrange for my stargazer colleague to lead the rest of the distinguished guests to visit the observatory. How about it?"

Another stargazer bows to the crowd. Theodora nodded: "Alright. Constantia, follow me."

She turned to the others. Constanzia was her student and was supposed to go with her to meet the chief stargazer, but she had a hard time choosing who to choose from the rest.

Just as Antoine was about to raise his hand to introduce himself, Giuliano held his arm and gave him a hard look. With a sad face, he watched Giuliano volunteer: "Please allow me to walk with you."

On the one hand, he was eager to obtain information about the "Black Crane Boat", on the other hand, let him visit the observatory with Enzo, it would be better to wipe his neck with a knife!

"Okay, you come with us."

After choosing the candidate, Theodora, Constantia, and Giuliano followed Rogge and left the reception room, while the others visited the observatory under the leadership of the older stargazer. Roger and the three guests walked through the empty hall of the observatory and climbed a steep spiral staircase. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the spacious space, forming layers of echoes. Giuliano was very curious about how many stargazers there were at the observatory, where they were staying at the moment, and why there was no one there. After thinking about it, stargazers generally work at night and often stay up all night to observe the trajectory of stars, so the work and rest time may be different from ordinary people.

After they had walked up the upper floor for a while, a low hum came to Giuliano's ears. He had never heard such a strange sound, like the aftertaste of a bronze bell, or the buzzing caused by a knife blade cutting through the air. The higher you go, the louder the buzz becomes. When they arrived at a certain tower of the observatory through a suspended bridge, he was shocked by the sight in front of him—the whole tower was occupied by a huge metal instrument, with dozens of brass tracks hanging from the top, each track As thick as Giuliano's thigh. Those orbits turn and turn with some incredible regularity, but they never collide or touch each other. There are many spheres reciprocating between the tracks, which are linked to countless delicate connecting rods and crankshafts. That strange humming sound is the sound of this instrument running.

The rotating orbit casts ever-changing shadows on the ground, and in the flickering shadows stands a man in a navy blue robe, with his back to them, checking the scale displayed on a certain scale under the instrument. Rogge bowed deeply to the man (much more respectful than when facing Theodora, his hair almost touched the ground): "Your Excellency Chief Stargazer, your guests have arrived."

The man raised his hand to show he knew. So Rogge backed away from the tower, leaving the three guests alone to face the chief stargazer.

"There are so many people here at once, do you think my place is not crowded enough?"

Theodora laughed and said, "I think it's okay to show them the famous Vanessa Observatory, because everyone has the right to pursue the truth and the true meaning of the universe."

"I think everyone has the right to join in the fun."

The man turns around. "Ms. Theodora. I really can't say something like 'Your visit makes me very happy', but it's much better to talk to you than to talk to those so-called 'astronomers' who don't understand. .”

Giuliano was shocked again. He made no secret of his surprise, staring straight at the chief stargazer. What did Theodora say just now? The chief stargazer is nearly seventy years old? There must be something wrong with her news channel! Even if this man is only half his age, he still believes it! He really couldn't associate "aging" with the person in front of him, because the appearance of the other person was in the prime of life, at most forty years old, with no beard and all white hair, but Giuliano would rather believe that it was his natural hair color . The man's eyebrows and mouth are engraved with traces of time, but it does not make people feel that he is old, but instead shows a hidden sense of wisdom.

He just stared at the chief stargazer until Theodora coughed beside him, and he came back to his senses. "Sorry, I...I didn't mean to..." He bowed his head in shame at his rudeness.

"It's okay, I'm used to it. As I get older, there are more and more people like you. That's why I hate dealing with strangers."

Giuliano's head dropped even lower.

"I'm really sorry, because Teacher Theodora told me in advance that the chief stargazer is a respected old man, so... uh... there must be something wrong..."

"She's not mistaken. I'm sixty-nine years old."

"what?!"

Constantia looked at the chief stargazer enviously: "You look so young, you must have a good face..."

"Don't expect me to tell you the secret to eternal youth, because there is no such thing."

Constantia narrowed her eyes, and the words "Don't lie to me" were written all over her face.

Theodora cleared her throat: "Hey, don't keep staring at people, what about your manners? Your Excellency the chief stargazer is not a human being, but a hybrid of ancient races and humans. Haven't you read Afang "On the Characters of the Mixed Descendants of Ancient Races and Humans" by Sordenich?"

"What is that?! I really haven't read it!" Giuliano was terrified.

Constanzia said: "Alfonso Denizi believes that the traits of hybrids must be human beings, they no longer have the appearance characteristics of ancient ethnic groups, and their lifespan is similar to that of humans, but their appearance will be more outstanding than ordinary people. But he never said that half-breeds age more slowly than humans."

"In the citations in his appendix, there is also François Gagelange's "New Anatomy", which mentions that the aging speed of hybrids is slower than that of ordinary humans, but it does not mean that their lifespan is longer long..."

The chief stargazer said coldly: "Can you stop discussing such nonsense in front of me?"

"What a silly question, sir! I think it's an interesting question!"

"It's not interesting at all!" The chief stargazer stood firm, "Ma'am, I thought you were here to discuss astronomy! If you have to deviate from the topic, then don't waste my time."

"Sorry, sir. So let's leave Alfonso Denizi and François Gagerange behind and return to our real intentions. As I have stated in my previous letter to you, in We have found new evidence to determine the exact time of the 'displacement of the ancient people', but we need to corroborate it with astronomical knowledge."

"I know that the day when the star of Ji Lisa returned and the solar eclipse happened at the same time. I have asked someone to call up the relevant information. Regarding this issue, we are actually researching it, although it is not to reverse the 'displacement of the ancient people' time…"

The chief stargazer walks in front of the gigantic instrument, picks up a few panes of glass and tosses them to the three guests before heading to a balcony in the annexe. "Come here, please."

The three followed him to the balcony. The chief stargazer pointed to the eastern sky, "You use filter lenses to look in that direction."

The glass sheet he handed to the three was made of a special material, showing a jet black color. Giuliano remembered that when he was a child, he used to watch the sun with similar lenses, which can prevent the eyes from being pierced by the sun. He blocked the lens in front of his eyes and looked at the eastern sky. He didn't see anything at first, but after being pointed out by the chief stargazer, he noticed a sliver of white light in the eastern sky. Because of the sunlight during the day, he couldn't see it clearly at all. Only after using a special filter lens could he barely see it. .

"what is that?"

"That's what you're looking for. The star of Girissa returns about every five hundred and fourteen years, and this year happens to be its return year. In order to measure its orbit, the observatory works overtime day and night."

"That's Ji Lisa?!"

Giuliano was amazed. Unexpectedly, the legendary mysterious comet would appear in front of his eyes in such a majestic manner. He raised the filter lens again and looked to the east. An incredible feeling arises spontaneously. Thousands of tens of thousands of years ago, when humans had not landed on this land, the ancient race stared at the same comet as him. And tens of thousands of years later, the ancient race has gone to the stars, the earth is occupied by the emerging young race, and the comet still returns as scheduled to visit this world again.

"The return period of Ji Lisa's star is very long. If your documents are true and reliable, then there are only a handful of alternative answers for the time point of 'The Displacement of the Ancient People'. I have activated the 'Star Orbiter', Started the reverse calculation of the orbits of the sun and moon to test whether there was a solar eclipse in those return years. But to be honest, this work will not last long. If I can't calculate the answer in a week, I will have to put this Put the project aside and let Orbiter do other work."

Theodora asked: "Why, Your Excellency? I'm afraid the orbit of a comet cannot be calculated with the 'Orbiter'. If I remember correctly, that instrument can only be used for..."

"That's right, that's right." The chief stargazer interrupted her impatiently, "I don't want to use the 'Orbiter' to calculate the star of Ji Lisa, but for other purposes. According to a rough estimate, soon There will be a solar eclipse later, I must calculate the exact time of the solar eclipse in advance, report it to the governor, and then announce it to the whole city, lest those superstitious and ignorant people think that some ominous omen has happened."

The three guests looked at each other, and a strange silence permeated between them.

"What? What are you still dissatisfied with? I have promised to use the 'orbiter', but it will take a lot of time to reverse the celestial phenomena so long ago. If it is really too late, after the next solar eclipse is over, I can continue the current one. Calculation, you just wait a little longer. Don't you have the patience for this?"

Giuliano asked: "I have something to ask you, sir, when will the 'next solar eclipse' you mentioned happen? I mean, the approximate time estimated so far?"

"Just this year."

【Note】The new year in the Fagus calendar begins on the vernal equinox (March 21 in the Earth calendar). This chapter takes place around the Frost month of the Fagus calendar (December of the Earth calendar).

Volume Nine put on a mask