Chapter 59: The Birth of a New Science 1

Then she established a mental connection with Elena even before leaving the pool.

Elena’s voice echoed through the ring.

"Shiora?"

"Hello."

"You’re already testing the ring?"

"Of course."

A short silence followed.

Then Elena asked playfully,

"So, how was your night?"

Shiora’s smile became dangerous.

"I’ll tell you all about it at breakfast."

Adam closed his eyes.

"Why did I agree to create a connection between all of you?"

Shiora gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Because you love us."

"That’s true, but I’m beginning to understand the consequences."

After getting ready, they went down to the dining room.

All the others were already there.

Elena.

Isadora.

Lyriana.

Selene.

Elaria.

Vespera.

As soon as Shiora entered, their eyes immediately fell on her ring.

Selene smiled broadly.

"Officially welcome."

Elena gave her a genuine smile.

"Congratulations."

Isadora inclined her head slightly.

"I see everything went well."

Lyriana calmly observed Shiora.

"Judging by her smile, it’s obvious."

Elaria adjusted her glasses.

"Her physical condition also indicates a different kind of fatigue than that caused by work."

Shiora looked at her.

"You’re really analyzing this first thing in the morning?"

"Yes."

"I admire you."

Adam quickly sat down.

"Let’s eat before this conversation gets out of hand."

"But Selene clearly had no intention of changing the subject so quickly.

"So?"

Shiora sat up with absolute pride.

Unlike Elena, Lyriana, or even Isadora, she showed no embarrassment.

"So what?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t understand."

Shiora crossed her legs.

"It was exceptional."

Adam closed his eyes.

Elena burst out laughing.

Shiora continued with the professional tone of a salesperson presenting an important report:

"Quality far exceeded expectations. Remarkable durability. Personalized service. An experience incomparable to the competition."

"Shiora," Adam murmured.

"I haven’t given any details yet."

"And you won’t."

She smiled.

"As you wish."

Selene seemed almost disappointed.

Lyriana, meanwhile, was barely concealing her amusement behind her cup.

Vespera calmly observed Adam.

"We can make our own assessment tomorrow morning."

Adam nearly choked on his drink.

Isadora calmly placed a napkin in front of him.

"Breathe."

Shiora burst out laughing.

After a few minutes of joking around, the conversation finally turned to the day’s schedule.

Isadora placed several documents on the table.

"We have many matters to address. The Valorian Games, the prototypes of the Memory Crystal, research on the new runes, and the Empire’s provocations."

Shiora added,

"Not to mention the future private equity company."

She conjured a folder of documents from her new ring.

"I’ve already begun preparing its structure."

Adam looked at her.

"When did you work?"

"Before coming to see you last night."

"Naturally."

Shiora opened the documents.

"The company will control the Valorian Games, their licenses, production, and distribution. But it could also become the first step toward an organized market for shares."

Selene frowned.

"The stock exchange you mentioned yesterday?"

"Exactly."

Shiora conjured several coins and tokens to represent companies.

"Investors could buy shares in several companies. These shares could then be resold according to their value."

Adam slowly set down his cup.

"We shouldn’t create a real stock exchange just yet."

Shiora paused.

"Why?"

"Because we don’t yet have the necessary infrastructure to make it function properly."

Isadora watched him intently.

"What kind of infrastructure do we need?"

Adam took a moment to organize his thoughts.

"A stock exchange depends first and foremost on information."

He pointed to the tokens.

"To determine a company’s value, investors need to know its results, its debts, its projects, its sales, and the risks it faces."

Shiora nodded.

"This information can be conveyed through written reports."

"Yes. But slowly."

Adam took two identical coins.

"Imagine a company loses its main caravan today. The people in Valoria will find out quickly. But an investor in another city could continue buying its shares at an inflated price for several days."

Lyriana understood immediately.

"Those who have the information first can manipulate others."

"Exactly."

Adam continued:

"An efficient stock exchange requires a fast, reliable, and secure communication network. It also requires a way to record transactions, verify ownership, and process a large number of calculations without error."

Shiora narrowed her eyes.

"You’re thinking of the Memory Crystal."

"Partly."

He looked at Vespera and Elaria.

"But before creating a stock exchange, we should study communication networks. And if possible, create a computer, or at least its magical equivalent."

A hush fell over the table.

Shiora repeated slowly:

"Or-di-na-tor."

Selene tilted her head slightly.

"Is it a weapon?"

Adam smiled slightly.

"It can become one. But that’s not its primary function."

Vespera crossed her fingers.

"Explain."

Elaria had already taken out her notebook.

Adam took a deep breath.

This time, the subject was much more familiar to him than finance.

Computers.

Programming.

Systems.

This was his true field.

"A computer is a machine capable of receiving information, storing it, processing it according to instructions, and then producing a result."

Isadora thought for a moment.

"Like an extremely fast scribe?"

"That’s a good first comparison. But a computer can do much more."

Adam pointed to Shiora’s documents.

"It can perform calculations. File thousands of documents. Search for specific information. Compare multiple results. Manage bank accounts. Control machines. Display images. Transmit messages. Simulate situations."

Elena interjected:

"It could handle military reports?"

"Yes."

Lyriana asked:

"Or compare the movements of several people to detect a suspicious pattern?"

"Yes."

Elaria looked up.

"Or control multiple runic circuits simultaneously?"

Adam smiled.

"Exactly."

Vespera looked at the other women.

"Then this object could become much more important than the Memory Crystal."

"Yes. But it’s also much more complex."

Adam picked up several small objects from the table to represent the different parts.

He placed a coin in the center.

"The heart of a computer is the processor."

Shiora asked,

"What does it do?"

"It executes instructions. It receives an operation, understands it, performs the necessary calculation, and then moves on to the next one."

Adam then placed several sugar cubes near the coin.

"Temporary memory stores information that is being used immediately."

Elaria observed the arrangement.

"Like a work table."

"Exactly."

He indicated Isadora’s desk.

"When Isadora is working, she keeps the files she needs right now on her desk. She doesn’t put all the duchy’s archives in front of her."

Isadora nodded.

"Important information that needs to be accessed in the short term remains accessible. The rest goes back into the archives."

"The archives are for permanent storage." "

Adam placed a small crystal next to the makeshift processor.

"Storage retains information even when the machine is turned off. Documents, images, programs, registers, maps, or previous calculations."

Elaria looked at the crystal.

"The Memory Crystal could serve as a first form of storage."

"It’s one of our entry points."

Adam then pointed to a spoon.

"We also need ways to input information into the machine. In my old world, we used keyboards, buttons, pointing devices, microphones, and devices capable of capturing images."

Shiora asked,

"A keyboard?"

Adam placed his fingers on the table as if he were typing.

"A set of keys. Each key represents a letter, a number, or a command. When pressed, the machine receives the corresponding information."

Elaria immediately began to draw.

"We could create a runeplate divided into symbols. Each symbol would send a different pulse."

"Yes."

Adam then pointed to an empty plate.

"Finally, we need a way to present the result. A screen, for example."

Vespera looked at the blueprint for the Projection Box, which she conjured above her hand.

"A surface capable of displaying visual information."

"Exactly. The Projection Box can become our first visual output."

Isadora observed the various objects arranged in front of Adam.

"Processor. Temporary memory. Permanent storage. Input. Output."

"These are the main components. We also need a power source and connections allowing the different parts to communicate."

Vespera placed a small magic stone on the table.

"The magic core could provide the power."

Elaria added:

"The rune circuits could connect the components."

"Yes."

Adam conjured two faint lights above his palm.

One lit up.

The other went out.

"The simplest principle of a computer is based on two states."

Selene frowned.

"Only two?"

"Yes. Active or inactive. Open or closed. True or false. One or zero."

He switched between the two lights.

"Individually, these states are very simple. But by combining them by the thousands, millions, or more, we can represent complex numbers, letters, images, and instructions."

Elaria sat bolt upright.

"Binary runes."

Adam looked at her.

"Exactly."

Vespera conjured a luminous rune.

Then a dark one.

"A rune with mana flowing through it would represent one. A rune without mana would represent zero."

"Yes. But we must ensure that each state remains stable and clearly identifiable."

Elaria typed quickly.

"So we need a basic memory unit capable of holding an active or inactive state."

"That’s the first step."

Adam took two coins.

"Next, we need logic gates."

Shiora smiled.

"Another new term."

"A logic gate receives one or more simple pieces of information and produces a result according to a rule."

He held up the two coins.

"For example, a gate can produce a result only if both inputs are active."

Elaria murmured,

"Double condition."

"Yes. Another can produce a result if at least one input is active. Another simply inverts the received state."

Vespera created several small mana circuits.

"If the first and second flows are present, open the output."

A light appeared.

"If no flows are present, keep the output closed."

Adam nodded.

"You’ve just built the basic principle of a logic gate."

Vespera’s gaze became much more intense.

"With enough gates, we can perform calculations."

"Yes. Add. Subtract. Compare. Make decisions."

Elaria looked up from her notebook.

"And each set of gates can become a specialized function."

"Exactly."

Selene examined the circuits.

"So you want to create a machine that thinks?"

Adam shook his head.

"Not exactly. An ordinary computer doesn’t think like a person. It simply follows the instructions it’s given, but it does so extremely quickly and effortlessly."

Isadora asked,

"Who gives it those instructions?"

"Programmers."

All the women turned their eyes toward Adam.

He smiled slightly.

"That was my main job in my old world."