Chapter 938 - 397: Mechanical World (Part 3)
"First, what is your relationship with Prime Minister Ron, and why would he go to such lengths for you, even at the cost of his own life?"
"Second, both you and Prime Minister Ron were able to plan ahead, especially you, who remained exceptionally calm and composed throughout the entire incident, as if you had foreseen everything happening today long ago."
"This power does not seem to originate from the steam rules within you, but from the differential machine."
"I suspect that you and Prime Minister Ron, perhaps long ago, created the prototype of the differential machine, and from it obtained some answer. I want to know, what was the answer you obtained?"
Olivia’s gaze showed appreciation; she was increasingly fond of Wu Chang, not in a romantic way, but as a queen’s fondness for her minister.
If Wu Chang had been willing to assist her from the beginning, her plans would have gone much more smoothly, and maybe Ron wouldn’t have had to die.
"The two questions you asked are actually one question."
Olivia walked toward the differential machine at the center of the Crystal Palace, with Wu Chang two steps behind her; their relationship still resembled that of a queen and a knight.
Olivia asked, "Do you know the concept of a Plane Son?"
Wu Chang nodded and said, "I’ve heard of it."
Olivia said, "There is not just one Plane Son; each Plane Son has a mission to bear."
"I always expressed skepticism about this until I took over the Secret Magic Knight Order’s Extraordinary Library. When I created an extraordinary item capable of connecting to the Plane Will, based on old Anderson’s conjectures, I discovered my mission."
"Even now, with the maturity of the extraordinary steam engine, someone like Xavier can only design the prototype of a differential machine. But five years ago, relying on items left behind by the Secret Magic Knight Order and with some guidance from Xavier, I inexplicably created the core of the differential machine."
"At the time, witnessing the birth of the differential machine core, there was only Ron and me."
"It was because of the differential machine that Ron believed we could build the perfect world he envisioned, which is why he was willing to sacrifice for it."
As she spoke, Olivia had already reached the differential machine; the palace-like door of the machine opened, spewing a massive cloud of mist that surrounded Olivia.
Wu Chang experienced the differential machine up close and understood why Olivia was able to create the differential machine core.
The All-Knowing Crystal told him that it sensed the aura of the Primordial Spirit Core inside the differential machine.
Constructing a differential machine purely based on knowledge, like Xavier, is indeed very challenging.
Even as a Plane Son and a genius in the mechanical domain, he only managed to design the prototype of the differential machine after five years.
The differential machine core, like the extraordinary steam engine core Wu Chang had acquired before, is the most critical component of an extraordinary steam engine; just by fitting it with a casing, at least eighty percent of its effectiveness can be achieved.
Theoretically, the probability of Olivia creating a differential machine five years ago is akin to a monkey randomly typing out Hamlet with a typewriter.
It can only be said that Olivia had the potential to create a differential machine, but her being able to construct one was improbable.
However, if Olivia could find some extraordinary item containing the Primordial Spirit Core from the Secret Magic Knight Order’s collection and accidentally activate the Primordial Spirit Core within it, then her creating the differential machine core five years ahead of time suddenly became reasonable.
Olivia’s voice stopped, and she looked behind the two of them, saying:
"Julie, come over. I’m sure you also want to know the answer we found back then."
Julie emerged from the mist and stopped not far from Wu Chang, explaining softly:
"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hide."
Wu Chang nodded in response, "I know."
From the beginning, he had sensed Julie’s presence; the reason he explained the investigation so thoroughly in his conversation with Olivia was actually for Julie’s benefit.
The two questions he asked were also on Julie’s behalf.
Olivia looked at Julie with gentle eyes and said:
"Do you remember our first meeting back then? At that time, I was heavily controlled, my clothing, hobbies, and expression all manipulated by them."
"I was about to become queen, and even the name Olivia wasn’t allowed to remain because they thought the name was too mundane to lead Stilan back to its golden era."
Julie also showed a look of reminiscence and said, "I remember it was in the garden of the Stilan Palace that I met you, escaping the palace in a fit of anger."
"At that time, it was a momentary impulse to start a conversation with you, not expecting that we would come this far."
Olivia spoke with a solemn tone:
"Although it was a spur of the moment back then, the words we said were not a joke."
"You told me you would help protect my name, help me achieve the throne, and free me from all constraints."
"In exchange, I promised to become a great king, protecting the people and freeing them from suffering."
"The promise I made to you, I have always remembered, so the question I asked the differential machine was how to enable everyone to live happily in the world, without hurting each other, nor suffering due to their circumstances, eternally satisfied."
When Olivia said this, Wu Chang recalled the All-Knowing Crystal’s evaluation of the differential machine and immediately felt a sense of ominous foreboding.
At this moment, Julie was unaware of the gravity of the situation. Inspired by Olivia’s tone, she believed that Olivia had found the perfect solution.
Olivia had not forgotten their agreement and had always been striving for it.
She had once thought Olivia was lost in her pursuit of power and had forgotten her goal of becoming a great king.
Now, filled with a mix of excitement and guilt, she asked:
"What is the answer you obtained?"
Olivia looked toward the differential machine and said, "The answer is mechanics."
"Mechanics?" Julie looked at Wu Chang, confused, unable to understand Olivia’s meaning.
Wu Chang shook his head, indicating he hadn’t understood either.
Olivia said:
"You see, such a vast mechanical system like the differential machine consists of hundreds of thousands of components, some important, like the core of the differential machine, and others less so, like the interchangeable ordinary gears."
"Despite the massive differences among them, they can coordinate and work together without rejection, forming a single entity that allows the complex machinery to operate smoothly."
"If you view the whole machinery as society, each component as different groups within society, and if people act like components, recognizing that the difference in importance among them is just due to their roles in the machinery, then without these distinctions, their identity is merely that of a component."
"Even the most important components need ordinary components around them to collaborate in order to function. When everyone possesses this awareness, society will operate like a machine, only achieving collective success, not harming each other, nor feeling pain due to a lack of importance."
This time, it was Wu Chang’s turn to be astonished; he initially thought Olivia was going for something grand, but her theory, surprisingly upon first hearing, made some sense.
He asked, "Your Majesty, the society you envision certainly sounds like it could reduce many conflicts, but human nature is complex and not as pure as mechanical components. How do you propose to accomplish your plan?"
Olivia looked approvingly at Wu Chang, "By combining the power of the differential machine, we can remove the complex parts of human nature you mentioned, reducing excessive self-awareness among people and implanting a predetermined collective consciousness, thereby achieving the world Ron and I envisioned."
"A world of absolute order, filled with peace, where people will not experience suffering, a perfect world."
Upon hearing this, Wu Chang breathed a sigh of relief; the scenario felt right now. He had thought the All-Knowing Crystal might have misjudged, but it seemed he was overthinking it.