Wizard from The Modern

Richard paid no heed to her confusion, continuing, "While the cerebellum indeed plays a vital role in maintaining balance, the primary organ influencing balance resides within the ear, comprising a structure known as the vestibule—essentially, the cerebellum only functions effectively because it receives and processes information relayed from the vestibule. The essence of balance truly lies within the vestibule itself.

Within this vestibular structure are fine hair-like projections, a unique type of nerve ending capable of keenly sensing changes in the body's external conditions. As the body jostles and abruptly accelerates or decelerates, these "hairs" react correspondingly, transforming their motion into neural signals relayed to the cerebellum.

Some individuals possess "hairs" that respond quickly, able to react to changes in motion with remarkable efficiency; others, however, may have slower responses. In such cases, the signal conveyed by the previous movement does not completely dissipate before another movement occurs, leading to cumulative erroneous neural information. The improper processing of this information by the cerebellum can induce a range of discomforts, such as dizziness, nausea, or lethargy."

Upon hearing this, Melissa felt completely overwhelmed, her comprehension faltering from head to toe. She stared at Richard, who stood near, and suddenly felt like a fool for failing to grasp the essence of his words. Surely, Richard must be a mere rustic, unaccustomed to the wider world? Or perhaps she herself was the one out of touch…

No!

Suddenly erupting, Melissa shouted in frustration, "What… what do you mean, then?"

"My point is rather simple," Richard replied with calmness, "According to theories regarding motion sickness, the more severe the jostling, the greater the adverse reactions experienced. You arrived from Myron, did you not?"

"And that matters how?" Melissa retorted coldly, turning her head disdainfully away.

Richard noted her subtleties and analyzed them within the framework of human psychology; such behaviors are typical of individuals who seek to conceal insecurity with feigned aggression.

Observing the icy demeanor of Melissa, Richard shook his head internally once more, espousing little pity for someone intent on obstinacy.

The next moment, he addressed her in an even tone, "From Myron to Prue, one must sail across the sea for a minimum of ten days. If sitting in a cart, and traveling only thirteen miles daily is sufficient to incapacitate you with motion sickness, I must inquire how you tolerated the journey by boat. Did you expect the ship to halt suddenly, to cease its jostling?"

Finally, this statement resonated with Melissa, yet it brought her no joy as Richard ostentatiously dismantled her lies.

Her face flushed, sensing the burning heat of embarrassment, but she stubbornly refused to surrender, clenching her teeth and responding fiercely, "How do you know I arrived by ship from Myron? I… I traveled by cart across the land, traversing daily a strict thirteen miles, journeying step by step."

At this proclamation, Richard's eyebrows shot up, his previous incredulity replaced with silent disbelief.

Despite having never left the Baron's territory within his first fifteen years of life, Richard had diligently collected information about the world, especially concerning geographical data.

Consequently, while contemporaneous noble youths could scarcely read, Richard had astutely discerned the surrounding geography, including national borders, mountain ranges, and maritime routes.

The relationship between the Prue Empire and the Myron Alliance was geographically unique; although both inhabited the same continent, they embraced a coastal, curved peninsula shape—like two opposing bullhorns stretching from the mainland to the ocean. One horn belonged to the Myron Alliance, while the other belonged to the Prue Empire, gazing across the water at each other.

In simple terms, they resembled a crescent moon, with the Myron Alliance at one end and the Prue Empire at the opposite end. Between them lay a vast stretch of ocean known as the Gem Sea.

The existence of the Gem Sea greatly shortened the distance between the Myron Alliance and the Prue Empire. Traveling by sea would amount to little over a thousand miles, allowing passage within ten days. Accordingly, both established enormous ports along the coastline, fostering active trade.

Conversely, traveling overland from Myron to Prue would extend the distance dramatically, as the journey would be obstructed by mountains, rivers, and plateaus, increasing the length by at least a tenfold.

Contemplating these facts, Richard observed Melissa, gradually articulating, "Are you certain you traveled by cart from the land?"

"Yes!" she defiantly asserted.

"Then when did you set off?"

"I…" Melissa initially intended to share the actual time but hesitated abruptly, discerning an error, so she prematurely blurted out a timeframe of a month prior. "I departed sixty-five days ago. What of it?"

Confronted by Melissa's imposing demeanor, Richard felt little trepidation and merely chuckled softly, "It appears there may be a slight issue."

"What issue?!" Melissa shot back, glaring.

"From Myron to Prue, the maritime distance is slightly over a thousand miles, yet the terrestrial distance spans 2800 to 3700 miles. If your cart traveled thirteen miles daily, you should have only covered about 850 miles by the sixty-fifth day. Thus, you ought to remain progressing through the 'Kingdom of Sys' north of the Myron Alliance," Richard stated.

Before Melissa could process this information, Richard continued, "In thirty-five days, you would have left the 'Kingdom of Sys,' proceeding into the 'Duchy of Baxter.' Afterward, you would successively traverse the 'Baya,' 'Muck,' and 'Chislam' nations, and it would take no less than one hundred sixty days before your expected arrival at Prue. Thus, Miss Melissa, your caravan has arrived rather prematurely."

The color drained from Melissa's face, flaring into a dreadful pallor.

Ignoring her distress, Richard reinforced, "Had you arrived a few days earlier, no issue would arise, and I would be elated. After all, your company has always valued efficiency, and if you manage to deliver the cargo to Baron Black Castle ahead of schedule, I would appreciate it. The reason for urging you to hasten your journey was just that.

However, arriving much too early raises questions; it raises suspicion. I cannot fathom the circumstances that would allow a caravan to arrive over a hundred days in advance—is it the work of wizard?"

Melissa's face mirrored rapid fluctuations of hue, swinging from white to green as she absorbed Richard's words. She had assumed Richard was merely a rural noble, wholly ignorant of worldly matters. Compared to her, who hailed from the capital of Myron, he was utterly behind the times. She had believed herself clever enough to fabricate some excuse to dissuade Richard.

But… who would have thought the outcome would be reversed?

Richard was well aware of matters she had thrived in ignorance of. While she had understood only that traveling on land from Myron to Prue was long, exceeding the time taken by ships, she had massively underestimated—she had never grasped that the journey might stretch over half a year, nor that numerous countries lay en route such as 'Sys' and 'Baxter.'

Now she grasped it, having learned such knowledge from Richard, but wished she now could remain in her prior ignorance forever.

"You… you…" Melissa, flustered and infuriated, glared at Richard, her cheeks ablaze like a ripening apple.