Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 82 - 80: Seven Years, Anomaly at Green Shade Manor

Chapter 82: Chapter 80: Seven Years, Anomaly at Green Shade Manor

"It’s moving."

Murphy answered calmly, his gaze shifting to the slowly swinging pendulum bob.

Cecilia was stunned, her azure eyes widening slightly. "It’s moving? It’s really moving?"

Murphy pointed to the suspended pendulum bob. "This device... I call it a Foucault Pendulum. Look, the path of its swing is deflecting by a minuscule amount with each oscillation. If the earth were stationary, the plane of its swing should remain constant. But now..."

He gestured for Cecilia to observe the subtle changes on the dial. "This deflection proves my hypothesis."

He continued to explain in simple terms, "Imagine you’re standing on a slowly rotating disk, swinging this weight. Even though you can’t feel the rotation, the path of the swing will secretly change direction. What we are observing now is exactly that phenomenon."

Cecilia listened intently, her little face etched with contemplation.

She suddenly asked, "So the earth really is round?"

Murphy said, "Based on the speed of this pendulum’s deflection, the earth is indeed rotating. But to determine if it’s a circle, or even a sphere, we’d need to run tests in other locations. The speed of the pendulum’s deflection should be different in different places."

Cecilia seemed to understand. "So, if we can measure different results for the swing in other places, that would prove the earth is a sphere?"

Murphy shook his head gently, his brow furrowed. "It would actually be simpler if it weren’t a sphere. But if it is, all other observations suggest the earth is flat."

He pointed to the distant mountain range. "Look, the scenery in the distance doesn’t sink below the horizon as you’d expect on a sphere. That’s what confuses me."

"What do you mean?" Cecilia tilted her head, her golden hair shimmering softly in the sunlight.

Murphy paused, then just gave a faint smile. "It’s nothing. What’s important is, are you interested in this sort of thing?"

Cecilia nodded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I am!"

’Perhaps it was to maintain his scholarly persona, or perhaps his long-standing loneliness made him eager to share these discoveries. Or maybe it was because he didn’t want to forget his memories from before he transmigrated.’

Murphy began to patiently explain his years of research to Cecilia.

He deliberately avoided professional jargon from his past life, instead using language that people of this era could understand, guiding her to think, to discover, and to question.

Murphy said, "Remember, the important thing isn’t to memorize every conclusion I give you, but to learn how to observe, question, and verify. Just like this Foucault Pendulum, it tells us we can’t just believe the surface appearances our eyes show us."

He casually picked up a Snowball Flower petal. "Look at this petal. Why did it grow into this shape? Why can Snowball Flowers bloom in the summer? You can find the answers to all these questions through careful observation and thought."

The sun gradually set, dyeing the courtyard a brilliant gold.

Cecilia was completely engrossed in Murphy’s explanations, sometimes asking questions, sometimes lost in thought.

Only when the bells for evening prayer rang out from deep within the castle did she snap back to reality.

"I have to go," she said softly, her voice tinged with reluctance.

Murphy nodded slightly. "Go on."

Cecilia took a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "I still don’t know your name."

Murphy smiled. "I’ll tell you the next time you see me."

Cecilia asked eagerly, her small hands unconsciously tightening their grip on her skirt. "Will you be here again tomorrow?"

"I will."

"That’s wonderful!" A brilliant smile bloomed on the girl’s face. "I’ll come find you again tomorrow!"

"Alright."

Cecilia left with a light-footed gait, her golden curls bouncing in the sunset.

As she reached the courtyard gate, she even gave a rare little skip, like a true six-year-old child.

...

"What!"

Cecilia’s head shot up, her azure eyes filled with shock. "Lord Terence, why are we leaving tonight?"

Terence took a sealed letter from his coat. "An urgent order from the Lord Viscount. There’s been unusual activity on the border of the Rosenia Kingdom, and I must lead my troops back immediately." He paused. "Of course, it’s most likely a false alarm. But if something like the Battle of Blood Crow from one hundred and thirty years ago were to happen again..."

He didn’t finish, but Cecilia understood the gravity of the situation.

One hundred and thirty years ago, the Duke Douglas of that time had launched an attack on the Rosenia Kingdom during a truce period when no war was supposed to be fought, achieving a great victory.

If the Rosenia Kingdom intended to pull the same trick, they had to be on their guard.

Otherwise, their domain could suffer devastating losses.

Cecilia said softly, her fingertips clenching her skirt, "I understand you have to go back, but..."

Terence finished her sentence, "It isn’t safe for you to stay here alone. The Former Lady Baron’s attitude today was perfectly clear. If I’m not here, I’m afraid your safety cannot be guaranteed."

The image of the figure engrossed in his research in the courtyard flashed through Cecilia’s mind, and a powerful feeling of reluctance washed over her.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Lord Terence, are there any scholars in the Baron’s Castle?"

"Scholars?" Terence scoffed. "What real scholars could there be in the Duval Territory now? Baron Sylvan, on the other hand, is a good-for-nothing who spends all day tinkering with some nonsense about tax reduction."

Terence’s tone softened, and he added with approval, "You performed very well today. You didn’t let the Former Lady Baron’s provocations succeed. But getting justice will be a long road. When you become the mistress here in the future, there will be plenty of time to make them understand their rudeness today."

Cecilia lowered her gaze.

She was well aware of her situation, living under someone else’s roof, whether in the Hans Viscount Domain or here.

Terence’s decision was beyond question, and any willfulness on her part might cause some people in the Hans Viscount Domain to become dissatisfied with her.

"I understand," she said softly.

In the darkness of night, the carriage slowly pulled away from Duval Castle.

Cecilia leaned against the window, her eyes fixed on the receding silhouette of the castle, her gaze full of reluctance.

Terence noticed her expression, assuming she was still brooding over the humiliation she had suffered. He comforted her, "There’s no need to rush. You will certainly become the mistress here one day. When that time comes, the cold shoulder you received today will be answered accordingly."

Cecilia didn’t explain, just letting out a soft "Mm."

The carriage jolted along into the night, and the castle’s silhouette eventually vanished from sight completely.

She leaned back on the soft cushion and closed her eyes, but the image of the Foucault Pendulum’s slow, swinging path appeared clearly in her mind, along with the scholar’s final words: "I’ll tell you the next time you see me."

’Next time... Will there be a next time?’

’If there is, how long will it be?’

This thought lingered in her mind, and with the rhythmic swaying of the carriage, it slowly settled into the deepest part of her heart.

...

「Seven years passed in a flash.」

Morning sunlight streamed through the stained-glass window, scattering dappled spots of light across the bedroom.

Murphy slowly opened his eyes, felt the familiar weight and warmth beside him, and sighed helplessly.

"Aurora," his voice was hoarse with sleep, "you’re already twelve years old. You’re a big girl now. Stop sneaking into my room in the middle of the night."

The golden-haired head resting on his shoulder stirred. Aurora lifted her drowsy little face and pouted, "I don’t care! I want to sleep with my big brother!" As if remembering something, she suddenly hugged Murphy’s arm tightly. "Has big brother forgotten that when I was ten, you insisted I sleep by myself, and I cried for three whole days?"

Murphy shook his head helplessly. "And you’re proud of that? Most ten-year-olds would be too embarrassed to show their face if they were still crying over something like that."

Aurora tossed her loose golden curls smugly. "In this domain, who would dare say anything about me?"

That was true enough.

Over the past seven years, with the compromises made by Murphy in his role as Sylvan, and with the support of the Former Lady Baron, she had long since become the acknowledged heir to the domain. The vassals below them dared not show the slightest disrespect to her, at least not on the surface.

Murphy said nothing more.

’In truth, with his keen perception, he was perfectly aware every time Aurora snuck into his room at night.’

’But Sylvan wasn’t supposed to have that kind of awareness, so he could only ’discover’ his sister had respawned in his bed every morning, just like always.’

Aurora suddenly sat up in bed, spread her arms, and looked at Murphy expectantly.

It was a gesture that hadn’t changed in seven years.

"You’ve grown up," Murphy sighed, but still rose to get the dress laid out nearby. "I can’t dress you for the rest of your life."

"I want my big brother to dress me for the rest of my life!" Aurora said defiantly, cooperatively raising her arms.

Murphy skillfully helped her change, his tone calm. "You’ll have to get married sooner or later. Then it will be your husband’s job to do these things."

"I’m not getting married!" Aurora immediately retorted, her delicate chin lifting slightly.

Murphy’s hands, tying a ribbon, paused. He adopted Sylvan’s persona and said, "Don’t be ridiculous. The Baron’s Domain needs an heir. That is your responsibility."

Aurora turned to face him, her large eyes looking directly at Murphy, and a sly smile suddenly bloomed on her face. "Then I’ll marry my big brother! That way, the future of the Baron’s Domain will be all ours!"

"Nonsense." Murphy tapped her lightly on the forehead.

Once they were both dressed and had finished washing up with the help of a Maid, they stepped out of the bedroom just as the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The steward, Bernard, hurried over. Upon seeing Murphy and Aurora standing side-by-side, he immediately stopped and bowed respectfully. "Lord Baron, Miss Aurora."

Bernard’s forehead was beaded with sweat; he had clearly been running.

Murphy noticed the parchment scroll clutched in Bernard’s hand and asked, "What’s the emergency?"

Bernard took a deep breath, his voice heavy. "An urgent report came from Green Shade Manor this morning. There has been a mass death of livestock on the estate. The initial count says that over a third of the cattle and sheep have collapsed and died, and the situation is getting worse."

Aurora frowned at the news. "Green Shade Manor? Isn’t that the estate managed by Yor and Linus?"

"It is." Bernard nodded. "The messenger said that starting last night, the livestock began to show abnormalities. First, they lost their appetite, then they collapsed and convulsed, dying within a few hours. When the messenger rode here at full speed, the death toll was still rising."

Murphy’s brow tightened as well.

Green Shade Manor was one of the most prosperous estates in the Duval Territory, and its livestock farming was a crucial source of income for the domain.

Such a large-scale death of livestock not only meant a huge financial loss, but could also be a sign of some unknown disaster.

Of course, to Murphy, this "unknown disaster" was simply a contagious disease.

Aurora asked, "Has Mother been notified?"

Bernard replied, "Someone has already been sent to inform the Former Lady Baron. Her Ladyship requests that you and the Lord Baron proceed to the council hall immediately."

Murphy nodded. He turned his head to look at Aurora and found that she was also looking at him.

Aurora smiled. "It’s alright, big brother. If it’s you, I’m sure you can solve it."

"Let’s hope so," Murphy replied faintly, reaching out to gently tidy a slightly messy strand of golden hair at Aurora’s temple.

This affectionate gesture made Aurora’s smile even brighter. She took Murphy’s arm, her tone a little more cheerful. "Let’s hurry to the council hall. We shouldn’t keep Mother waiting."