The Infinite Bk. 03 Ch. 08

"Wait, you said something about the elements of the universe?"

"I'm talking about the chemical elements, the building blocks that make up everything in the universe. You've probably already heard of several. Copper, iron, gold, silver, all chemical elements. Steel is a combination of iron and carbon, the black material of charcoal. Water is made of two different kinds of air, called hydrogen and oxygen. Those light particles bond together to create a heavier particle, and then when it's heated to become steam or mist, those bonds break down and become air once more."

Sophia seemed to be teetering between blind acceptance and natural skepticism. "Are you sure about this?"

"Perfectly sure. There are no runes I can find corresponding to the chemical elements, but that means they either wait to be found, or there is another way to depict them using runes. You help me look, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about the human body."

Noah and Sophia studied together in the library for the rest of class and the open hours after. She helped look through and learn unknown runes, and he recited everything he knew about anatomy. Medicine had been a frequent research topic for him across the millennia, working as several different kinds of doctors, so his knowledge was immense. When Sophia wasn't looking through runes, she wrote down everything he said, page after page of knowledge.

Noah would usually conceal his true personality in all of his past lives and abstain from sharing such information to blend in, but he found himself swayed by curiosity this time. He wanted to see what Sophia would achieve using the knowledge he gave her and how her magic would evolve. Still, handing out this kind of information would get him in trouble, so Sophia agreed that for now, his name would stay out of all of her work, and she'd never tell others where she learned everything she had. He spoke to her in a low voice, so no one could overhear, and paid no heed to Galvin, skulking around.

When dinner arrived, he and Sophia met Alexis in the mess hall.

"Look at this, this what Noah says the inner ear looks like," said Sophia, pausing between bites to show Alexis the notes she had been taking.

"What are these loops?" she asked as she looked at the sketch Noah had made.

"Semicircular canals, each one filled with fluid. As you move your head and body, the fluid shifts, pooling in the lowest area and letting you tell up from down. To think that our sense of balance comes from our ears!" she babbled with her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That is incredible," Alexis said, but without nearly as much enthusiasm.

"Oh, there's Mary. I have to show her this!"

"Be careful with who you show this stuff to. I'm already on thin ice after that lecture," said Noah.

"Don't worry; she shares my thirst for knowledge."

Sophia raced off, and Alexis followed her with her eyes. "She's happy," she murmured once it was just her and Noah.

"I thought that was what you wanted. I seem to recall you saying how nice it was to see her smile."

"It is. I just... I don't like the idea of you two being alone together."

"I can understand that, but you don't have to worry about me trying anything with her. I'm rooting for you two kids."

"It's not necessarily you that I'm worried about. You keep giving her things that I can't."

"Instead of thinking about what you can't give her, you should be focusing on what you can, but aren't willing to. You told her you needed time to think, which is fair, but if you want to be the only one in her heart, you have to actually be there."

"You aren't really in any position to judge me. You are far from innocent."

"If you don't trust her around me, you should study with us. Sir Elyot is going to give you the same assignment, and while I know you usually focus on swordplay in your spare time, you should probably crack open a book."

For the rest of the week, during their free time, Noah and Alexis studied together in the library, with Sophia attending whenever she could get away from the infirmary. Research assistants aside, they also served as excellent deterrents against female cadets. Ever since his demonstration at the Knight's Sheath, the flirting had become incessant, especially from Allison. Their affection wasn't unappreciated, but more sex on academy grounds would just get him in trouble, as well as cut into his study time. As long as he was in the academy, he had to focus on his research.

As for his sword class, not only was it now five days a week, but the intensity of the lessons had reached new, borderline-tortuous heights. The peace of study was a sweet relief, and he, along with all the other cadets, was overjoyed when the weekend arrived. On Saturday, Alexis helped him with his meditation, and on Sunday, he visited the Knight's Sheath. He listened to some music from Daniel, fucked around with Bella, and went on to see Cyrilo. She kept him up to date on all the fresh news, rumors, and gossip, as well as things not yet known by the public.

"People have been asking about you, or rather, asking about the young masked man skilled in bedroom techniques," said Cyrilo as she poured herself a glass of apple wine. Noah kept her on retainer as his information broker, and every week, he'd treat her to a bottle of wine in return for their services. "They want to see you make your grand return. Women have even been volunteering to be your next assistant, and I don't just mean the women who work here."

"Whatever happened to your fear towards the church?" Noah asked as he exhaled a cloud of gonlief smoke, further thickening the air in the room.

"You want me to eat my words? Fine, I'll fry them up, load them with spices, and lick the plate. Between you and Daniel, the Knight's Sheath could become the most profitable business in the entire city."

"But has there been any response?"

"Some protests and letters of condemnation, nothing I'm not used to. Anyway, have you thought about coming back for another show?"

"Unfortunately, I'm on very thin ice with the commandant. For the moment, I'm safe from expulsion with that parcel I gave you, but if I push my luck any farther, he may retaliate by some other means. For now, I'll have to take a sabbatical from the stage."

"So leave the academy. Come and work for me."

"I told you before, I can't. Maybe when things cool down, I can do another show, but for now, I can't jeopardize my studies."

"Well, as a researcher, I can certainly respect your priorities. What are you working on at the moment?"

"That's actually one of the things I wanted to ask you about today. I was hoping you might let me borrow any notes or books you have on alchemy. It's for an academy project."

"Surely the academy has a library full of information on alchemy."

"Not as much as you might think, so I'd like to utilize every possible resource. Alchemy is a scarcely-understood magic from what I've seen, but I'm hoping to reinvent the technique by incorporating knowledge from my old world. While there is no magic where Daniel and I come from, our knowledge of everything else is centuries ahead. When I started my research, I was hoping that magic would provide all the answers I wanted if I just changed my mindset, but it seems like being open-minded is actually holding me back. I need to look at the world as I usually would, not as sages do."

"Hmmm, very well. I will compile my notes for you, on the condition you keep them secret and share your findings with me. I'll have a book ready by next week."

"I appreciate it, thank you." He looked past her to the wall of books and scrolls, possibly holding the answers he needed, and not just concerning alchemy. She caught him looking and knew there was more he wanted.

"I get the sense you want to ask about something else. Well, spit it out."

"Very well, I'll be blunt. You told me your aging curse came from a stone slab you found. Do you have it with you?"

"Yes, I keep it here, but for your own safety, I shouldn't even let you see it."

"I just want to see how it's written, the runes used, and record the formulas."

"Is this still about alchemy?"

"Alchemy is just a side project. What I really want to study is time magic."

"Time magic? You're a little young to be looking into that."

"So it does exist."

"No, it doesn't, but elderly researchers at the end of their careers love to waste their time on it."

"In all of my research and in every spell I've seen, time is only used as a frame of measurement. Time, as a malleable concept, has never been considered, at least beyond simple theory. I have yet to find any mentions of manipulating the flow of time or possibly traveling through it."

"That's because no one has ever made any progress on it. When it comes to runecrafting, time is an inert concept, so it's impossible to identify because it won't react to any triggers."

"So you've looked into it?"

"Time magic was the first lead I followed in my hunt for a cure, but no such luck. Rather than actually manipulating time, my curse accelerates and reverses the process of aging. It sounds like an inane distinction, but while the runes for subsets like 'duration' or 'lifespan' are known, the actual rune for 'time' is a mystery."

"So it's a theoretical rune, right? A rune whose image has yet to be discovered or has been completely forgotten. Ironic, the rune for time being lost to time."

"Correct. Such runes unbalance every spell they're applied to, making them impossible to activate and thereby impossible to define. A few great sages in history are rumored to have forced a time spell of some kind, but it was always fatal. Those who try to mess with time either waste their lives or are painfully disintegrated."

"Well, I have something that those sages didn't: information from my world. Just like with alchemy, if I combine the power of magic with modern knowledge, mastery over time should be possible."

"Thinking you have knowledge or insight others don't is the hubris that leads arrogant sages down the path of destruction. Take it from me. Finish your alchemy project, then I'll consider showing you the slab."

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That evening, Noah forsook the seclusion of his bedroom and took a chair by the fireplace in the dorm's common room. The noble cadets routinely gathered to lounge and socialize, but Noah's presence stood out. Rather than a social craving, he needed to use the fireplace. He had hung a cauldron over the flames, filled with monster blood and various forms of plant matter. He used incense to cover the smell of the blood, so no one complained. Once it had been boiled down to a thick paste, he planned to paint it onto a birch plank and expose it to moonlight for five nights. After, it would be mixed with special oil and set on fire, and the ashes would be added to a mixture of powdered goat hooves and distilled vinegar. All this work to make ink.

There were multiple inks favored for different kinds of runecrafting, and each one had a specific recipe and complicated preparation. The one Noah was making was known to assist in alchemy. Between making the ink, the endless hours spent researching, and the high failure rate for experimentation, it was no wonder runecrafting was ignored by most knights and adventurers. It was tedium on a level that would drive most people insane.

His company surprised many of the cadets. When Noah first arrived, he had enacted a contract of total avoidance and indifference, a contract he had gladly fulfilled, until now. However, their view of him had changed since then. He had proven himself in combat, and his recent infamies showed his exceptionalism in "other" qualities. They didn't like him or hate him, but he was someone to be wary of.

There were those who avoided him, repulsed by his deviance and fearing humiliation like the princes, and there were others who approached, women trying to flirt and men who sought his wisdom. The book he was reading failed to dissuade them, and he was interrupted a few times. He'd turn on the charm and indulge them a little, then direct their attention away like he was throwing a dog treat.

That trick didn't work on Galvin. They had avoided each other for the most part, Galvin bound by his mother's orders, but seeing Noah intruding on his territory was weighing on his frayed self-control. With everyone else watching, he walked over and glared down at Noah.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Noah ignored him. "I asked you a question! What the fuck do you think you're doing, sitting in this room that you aren't even worthy to clean?!" Noah continued to read without even glancing at Galvin. "I'm talking to you!" Galvin threw a wild punch, and Noah raised his book to defend. Galvin's fist struck the rigid leather spine and he stepped back, cursing in pain. "Son of a bitch!" Noah resumed reading as if nothing had just happened. "Answer me, Goddammit!"

Noah sighed. "Instead of answering your question, I should be the one asking it. What do you think you're doing? What could you possibly hope to accomplish with pointless antagonism? Are you trying to impress your friends by berating me? Do you think I'll relinquish my chair and slink away? There is nothing you can do to intimidate me, and you know it. Just let it go, and remember you're one day closer to never having to see me again."

"You don't deserve to be in this room, this academy, or even this kingdom! I'm marking you as a traitor to the country!"

Noah had once more gone silent, causing a blue magic circle to appear around Galvin's wrist. In response, Noah put his hand on his sword, a silent warning. With the tension rising, Galvin's underlings got involved.

"Prince Galvin, he's not worth the trouble."

"Mark's right. Not here, Your Highness."

They managed to pull him away and defuse the situation. As they walked off, one of them, Mark Saveat, said lowly, "I think I have an idea of how to get back at him."

With the annoyance gone, Noah returned to his astronomy book. Despite Cyrilo's warning, he continued to search for hints to time magic, having cast his focus off mysticism and returning to the realm of science. Any astronomer worth their salt would have studied the concept of gravity and at least come up with theories. Gravity was one of the fundamental forces of existence and could manipulate time, so the identity of its rune was his best lead at the moment.

Thanks to magic, the field of astronomy had developed far, despite the level of technology. The general awareness was that everyone lived on a round planet in a heliocentric system. Despite the progress, the actual rune for gravity was steeped in mystery, just like the time rune. Synonymic sub-concepts like 'weight' or 'momentum' would take its place in any spell.

He finally came across a name of interest: Valon Zodiac, Valia's brother. Years ago, he submitted a theory that gravity could be distorted and even experience ripples due to the celestial bodies. The fact that he had determined the existence of gravity waves put him far ahead of all his peers, despite the theory's rejection by the magical community. The problem was that he was dead. According to the kingdom, he was exposed to a deadly poison while brewing a new type of potion. Supposedly, Valia was so stricken with grief that she retired from active service as a knight and took up teaching. The fact that Valon was dead was a problem, but if his research and notes were intact, then hope endured.

Monday brought with it the return of his sword training, though now that they had passed the midyear mark, every day meant sword training. Valia had spent the previous week drilling the cadets on advanced fighting styles and more difficult exercises. Today they were doing sustained handstands, with Valia leading them. However, she had upped the difficulty, not just by doing it with one hand, but by incorporating an academy sword, using it like a stilt. Her entire weight was balanced on the tip of a glass sword, while all the other cadets were struggling to remain upright with both hands. It was to show them what would be expected of them in future lessons. Noah maintained a one-handed handstand, but it left him steaming from all of his sweat evaporating in the frigid morning.

He wished to speak to her about her brother, but considering the difficulty of the subject, he had resigned to putting it off until the proper moment. During the passing days, Noah divided his study time between alchemy, assisting Alexis and Sophia with their projects, and now searching for everything he could on Valon Zodiac. His magical skill and power were equal to his sister's sword mastery, and his accomplishments were many. Over the centuries, he revolutionized the learned community's understanding of both magic and science.

Like Noah, he understood magic formulas were not contracts with the gods, but mathematical equations. He theorized that every event in the universe, from the cosmic to the subatomic, had a corresponding runic sequence, like lines of code in a virtual world. The codes were changing every second with the progression of time, and to use magic was to alter those codes.

Unfortunately, while he was spoken of in reference with great respect, finding anything he wrote was difficult. That was how it was with magic researchers. They didn't usually like to share or donate their work, at least without abridging it first to make themselves look good. The rough notes, the messy books and scrolls with scribbled thoughts and rough sketches, could only be retrieved from the homes of deceased researchers, often donated by their families who had no idea what else to do with them. After days of searching, he had to call it quits and turn to his final option.

Friday arrived, and so too did the end of another sword class. While everyone else was leaving, Noah approached Valia. "Lady Zodiac, could I speak to you for a minute?"

"Cadet Noah, how can I help you?"

The way she looked at him was different from how she looked at everyone else. He had seen the expression on her face, the glimmer in her eyes when other cadets came up to her. She'd praise and scold them as a teacher would, trying not to treat them as children showing her their finger-paintings. Then, when he'd speak to her, he'd see her raise her chin, not as though looking down on him, but the opposite.

"I'm afraid it's regarding a sensitive subject, and I'm sorry for bringing it up. I know your brother recently passed, for which you have my heartfelt condolences." He saw the light leave her eyes, but pressed on. "I understand he was a brilliant and powerful magic caster, and reading about him, I can't help but admire his accomplishments and contributions to the various fields of study. As a likewise pursuer of knowledge, I find myself following in his footsteps, hoping his research can help me develop my own. The problem is that the library is rather scarce on his material. I was hoping that as his sister, you might have his notes and be willing to let me see them."

Valia took a deep, pained breath, and looked into the coming winter breeze. Like the cadets, she wore a leather helmet for protection against the cold, but he could still see her silver hair fluttering like twinkling starlight.

"A word of warning, cadet. Following in the footsteps of dead men is an easy way to end up like them, especially when it comes to magic."

"I'm aware of that, and I've been similarly warned before, but I'm asking you because this is important. I know the risks, and I'm prepared to take them. I'm not afraid to die to get my answers."

Valia turned to him. "Death isn't the only thing for you to be afraid of."

"I know that, believe me."

"It's one of the few things you've said to me that I actually do believe. But this isn't something I can talk about, and I need you to believe that."