The Infinite Bk. 04 Ch. 04

Noah paced back and forth, rubbing his forehead and mumbling to himself. Valia stood back with an amused smile, watching him dig through thousands of years of memories.

"He said... a glassmaker's favorite drink is... soda and lime! Soda is..." He thumped his fist against the top of his head as though trying to shake the answer loose. "Soda is sodium oxide, lime is calcium oxide, and glass is silicon dioxide. But what was the ratio again? Fuck."

While he mulled over the problem, he wrote out multiple alchemy spells to prepare the ingredients and had Aithorn provide the mana. Once the mixture was ready and poured into the crucible, Noah explained the properties and designs of the lenses, talking Hoapfa's ear off while he stared into the flames of the kiln. It was just like when his sword was forged.

"This is going to take some time, so if there are any other steps to making this microscope of yours, I suggest you work on them now," Hoapfa said.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Noah replied.

He, Valia, and Aithorn left the craftsman to his work and stepped outside.

"What now?" Valia asked.

"The body of the microscope should be steel, specifically a kind known as stainless. For that, I need a substance called chromium, and the best way to do that is by gathering it from food using alchemy. I'd like the two of you to fill up a barrel with fruits, vegetables, grains, and any meat if you can find it. It doesn't have to be fresh or edible, just intact enough to take up space. While you do that, I'm going back to the house to work on the runecrafting."

"That's not how this works. You are not to move out of my sight," said Aithorn.

"Very well then. I can pick up some ingredients for dinner tonight, so this is taking out two birds with one stone. Care to lead the way? I'd love a proper tour of the city."

Aithorn led Noah and Valia through the city to find what they needed. Edible plants and spices grew everywhere, and Noah gathered the ingredients for dinner in a bag while Valia carried all the materials for alchemy in a barrel on her shoulder. Thanks to her strength enhancement, a full barrel might as well have been an empty wicker basket. Noah also gathered various materials to build tools with.

While he walked, he absorbed the sights. Being able to see Sylphtoria was a rare privilege, one that he wasn't letting go to waste. Besides, there were many things Noah had read about in the books of the knight academy library, and he could finally see them up close.

"That is the Cymerian Bow, correct?" Noah asked as they passed by a stone obelisk carved with the image of a bow shaped like a lightning bolt. "It was wielded by the great Enochian warrior Avinor to kill the devil Zyrga towards the end of the Enochian Age."

"That's right," said Aithorn, "and it was destroyed in the Profane War centuries later. They say arrows launched from it could reach the moon. This obelisk was carved by his descendent, an elf lord."

"Vitoun the Stonemason, using dwarfish techniques learned after he saved a dwarf princess from monsters."

"Now you're just showing off," said Valia with an impressed huff.

"Well, this world's history is certainly the most interesting of any I've ever been to. I couldn't help but dive right in."

They moved on, soon coming across a raised relief carving hewn into the side of a colossal tree stump. Though the tree had died hundreds of years earlier, the wood had yet to soften or decay. The figures carved were the size of giants, and rather than elves, they were Enochians, presented like gods, but they were fighting against the most terrifying enemy in all the land.

"This tells the story of the Enochian war against the dragon race, a war that their elven descendants continued for centuries," said Aithorn. "Though only a handful of true dragons remain, their spawn, the wyvern race, continue to dominate the world of monsters."

"I heard that a dragon lives in a mountain in Uther. Is it true?" Noah asked.

"Indeed. While powerful, it is a reclusive monster, rarely leaving its den. Past kings of Uther made the wise decision to let it have the mountain and not to upset the beast."

"It's a shame that wisdom was lost to time. The royal family certainly could have used the prudence when I was at the academy."

Up in the trees, while collecting spices, the trio walked by an altar to a yellow crystal the size of a cow's head.

"I remember this one," said Valia. "It's the Union Gem. Supposedly, a son and daughter from rival families fell in love. They wed in secret, and a lightning bolt fell from a cloudless sky and struck a nearby stone, turning it into this crystal. They took it as a sign of the gods blessing their marriage, and their families ended the feud."

"I can't sense any mana from it," said Noah.

"There was a time when it glowed like a star, but after they were killed in a flood, the light faded," Aithorn said.

They continued through the city, walking by countless monuments and art pieces dedicated to elven history and mythology. There was a statue of Amon Hem, the Firewalker, a legendary priest who raced across a field of molten lava to prove himself to a naysayer of his faith. There was a fountain with carvings of elves dancing under the watch of the spirits of nature. Noah even spotted a glass obelisk, fifty feet tall, depicting the Sword of Lortin, which created a great canyon with a single mighty swing by an Enochian warrior. The city was like a giant museum.

Once they had everything they needed, the trio returned to Noah and Valia's house, where he began writing out the alchemy spells. Runecrafting was a tedious process, requiring precise calculations and calligraphy, and was understandably the most despised means of magical research and development.

"You remind me of a monk copying scripture," said Valia, watching him write lines of runes.

"Believe me, I feel like one. My hand is cramping, my back is sore, and the smell of the ink and parchment is starting to make me nauseous."

"Is all this effort really going to save Balil?" Aithorn asked.

"I can't guarantee you it will. I can only say that having a microscope will raise the odds."

"Is this what the healing process was like in your world?"

"You could say that. In the worlds I passed through, magic didn't exist, so humanity had to understand the world through science."

"What's the difference?"

"In science, there are no gods or spirits, no divine will or paranormal intent. Everything that happens does so under universal law and cause and effect, not because an almighty being arbitrarily decided it. Humanity is bound purely by intellect and the tools it can produce. Here, if you want to launch a jet of fire, you just name the spell and apply the mana. In my world, you would need large metal containers on your back full of flammable liquid and compressed air, which would shoot out and ignite."

"That sounds like a lonely, bleak, chaotic world."

"There is fairness to be found in chaos."

"But, where do you fit in a world without spirits?"

Noah paused his writing for a moment. "I've spent thousands of years trying to answer that question, immersing myself in every faith man could think up. Hopefully, my answers can be found here."

"And everything you did in Colbrand, that was simply revenge for being denied your answers?"

"You already know the answer to that question. Do you want me to defend my actions so you have a reason to argue with me? Are you waiting for me to say something that will justify further crossness?"

"I just think it sounds rather impertinent for someone of your age to provoke an entire country with such lewd and violent behavior for the sake of revenge."

"My anger and thirst for vengeance were born from being robbed of my greatest hope, of being denied my direst wish. Is it really so irrational for me to act out in such a situation? If someone were to burn down Sylphtoria, what would you do to them?"

"Are you seriously comparing the destruction of my home city to the burning of your brothel?"

"Did I stutter? Answer the question."

"I would kill them and be done with it."

"And you would be fulfilling your own brand of justice. You would be acting only under your own authority, answering to no one, be it a king or God. But when you drive your spear into the culprit's chest and you're watching them bleed out, as they glare at you, do you think they'll have truly seen the error of their ways?

Do you think you've wounded them enough to understand what they have done to you? Or will you ignore their cursing of indignant rebellion, letting them stubbornly cling to the belief that their one mistake was not killing you, and that they did nothing wrong? Would you let them die, still thinking they were right in their actions? Would you really be too impatient to discipline them properly and make them fully experience the gravity of their crimes so that they might carry that weight for the rest of their lives?"

"What point is there in going through all that effort? They're humans, living fleeting lives. Exacting your twisted revenge on humans is pointless."

"That's my sentiment most of the time. Believe it or not, I'm usually very forgiving. This was different. This was worth the effort. I got to experience a truly meaningful act. Those come along rarely for me." Aithorn didn't respond.

Noah eventually finished his work, and it was Aithorn's turn. They emptied the barrel of food onto the ground outside, and Noah laid out one of several scrolls beside the pile. Aithorn activated the first spell, expelling all the hydrogen from the material and causing the food to disintegrate as if burning with invisible flames. The second spell removed all the oxygen.

As with all magic, the devil was in the details, and specifying the exact procedure of spells made them easier to use. A spell to evenly break every single molecular bond would require much greater energy and higher quality ink and parchment. It was better to remove the elements individually.

After removing all the hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, there was very little material left behind, but the remaining ingredients were separated and bottled, and Noah collected some chromium.

"I don't remember how much of this you need to make stainless steel, but hopefully, this is enough."

The trio moved on to one of the free-use blacksmith shops and melted a mixture of iron, carbon, and chromium in a crucible. Noah cast a mold in the shape of the interior tube of the microscope and poured in the molten steel. Once it had cooled and hardened, Noah broke the tube out of the mold.

"I've never seen steel like this," said Valia as she examined it.

"Like I said, it's stainless. It's corrosion and rust-resistant, making it perfect for things like kitchen tools, construction, and protective layering. Though if you were to make a sword with it, it would be more of a display piece."

Noah polished the tube's inside, removing anything that might ruin the view. The trio returned to Hoapfa's shop, where he had completed the lenses and slides. They spent the rest of the morning affixing the lenses inside the tube and getting them just right. Hoapfa, a man of few words, became more amiable as he and Noah worked together. Like many craftsmen, he communicated best through the mechanics of his craft. Figuring out a means of adjusting the lenses took some ingenuity, but it worked out in the end.

Noah prepared a slide with a drop of his blood and set it under the microscope. Rather than using a mirror to reflect sunlight, he lit the microscope with an alchemically-created diamond, enchanted to glow when supplied with mana.

"Perfection," Noah said with a smile as he watched the red cells move about. The application of runes further increased the microscope's precision, allowing him to see each cell up close and view the organelles.

"Let me see," Hoapfa said.

"Behold the fruit of your labors," Noah said as he stepped back.

Hoapfa looked into the lens, with his mouth hanging open. "Incredible. Is this really what blood looks like up close?"

"It's true. The red blood cells take the air you breathe and carry it to every part of your body. The white blood cells fight disease. The smaller particles, platelets, are responsible for clotting and sealing wounds. They're all carried through your veins by a liquid known as plasma."

Valia took her turn to look and laughed in awe. "This is incredible."

"So this really is the device that will help you cure Balil?" Aithorn asked as he looked it over.

"That's right. People in my world use it to examine lifeforms too small for the human eye, and elf eyes as well. With this, I can begin to see what's going on in Balil's body. Now I need to find a box, one that I can turn into a magic tool."

"What for?"

"I'll explain later, so I don't have to repeat myself. Let's find a carpenter, shall we?" Noah then turned to Hoapfa and bowed. "Sir, working alongside a great elven craftsman like yourself was an honor and pleasure. I couldn't have made this microscope without you."

Hoapfa smiled and returned the bow. "The honor was mine."

Watching them, Aithorn's permafrost expression thawed a little.

The three left Hoapfa's home, now with the completed microscope. Aithorn led them to the home of a carpenter, who supplied them with an elegant cabinet. Noah inscribed the interior with magic circles, heating it to a constant temperature. After a few more stops, they returned to Balil's house, where Meralda had gathered five men similar to her husband. Fortunately, she had already explained everything to them, so they didn't look at Noah with too much contempt.

"How is Balil doing?" he asked.

"You said that medicine would raise his spirits, and it certainly has. He's been staring at his hands for the past hour," she said with a huff of amusement.

"Ah yes, I've been there." He then turned to the other elves. "Thank you all for gathering. I am Noah, and I have been tasked with curing Balil. I appreciate you all answering the call to help, and I'll explain what will to happen.

I believe Balil is suffering from something called a bacterial infection. Bacteria are life forms so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. You can think of them almost like bugs, with the same level of variety. There are bacteria everywhere, on every surface, and in everything you eat and drink. Your intestines are filled with beneficial bacteria that help with digestion. But, of course, there are dangerous bacteria as well. They enter the body and multiply, causing different body parts to fail.

Now, to find the bacteria currently infecting Balil, I need to take samples and grow them, much the way you would grow mold. This cabinet is magically heated to the same level as the inside of an elf's body, and I've prepared glass containers with a soy-based growth medium.

I will take samples of Balil's blood, urine, and a few other sources, place them in the medium, and let the bacteria grow. This device here is a microscope; it uses glass lenses to magnify whatever you're looking at. I'll be using it to study the bacterial cultures.

What I need is for the five of you to provide similar samples. Your ages, physiques, and diets are all the same as Balil's. The difference is that I can discount whatever common bacteria you and Balil share and focus on the uncommon bacteria in his sample. Now, collecting these samples will be a bit unpleasant. However, none of you are obligated to stay, so if you are uncomfortable participating, feel free to leave and know that there will be no hard feelings."

"Why are we even listening to this?" one belligerent man spat. "This is just human trickery. He wants our blood to perform some unholy ritual!"

"If that's how you feel, then you know where the door is," Noah replied calmly, which just angered him further.

"He's probably the one who poisoned Balil in the first place! He wants all of us to get sick so Uther can invade us!"

"Balil was sick before Noah arrived in Sylphtoria," said Aithorn. "Clemens, this duty has been given to him by the queen herself. Calm yourself."

"Then she has been deceived!"

"Sir, I'm not going to waste time trying to convince you that your prejudice towards humans is mistaken. I've certainly spent enough time among them to agree with your fears. However, I have a job to do, and that is to cure Balil of what ails him. If you don't want to help, then I must kindly ask you to..."

Noah trailed off, distracted by the pollen in his nose reaching critical mass. He covered his face with his arm and sneezed, inadvertently shielding himself from the punch Clemens hurled his way. His fist struck Noah's elbow and pushed him back, but before he could attack again, Aithorn grabbed him.

"That's enough!" Aithorn barked, pulling him away.

"He'll kill us all!" Clemens shouted as he was dragged out of the house.

"Noah, are you ok?" Valia asked, seeing him rub his arm in discomfort.

"I'm fine; his fist just hit my ulnar nerve. Have you ever struck your elbow against something, and your entire arm hurts? That's the ulnar nerve. Still better than a broken nose, I suppose."

"I'm so sorry," said Meralda. "Clemens's wife was killed by humans a long time ago, but I thought he had moved past it and would be willing to help. He's not normally like that. I've never seen him so unhinged."

"Don't worry about it." Noah turned to the other four elves. "Now, if any of you share his objections, speak now, preferably with a softer tone."

"If you truly believe that you can cure Balil, then we will do whatever we can to help," one of the men said.

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate it."

One by one, Noah took samples from the elves using sterilized tools, including his titanium syringe, gloves, and a mask soaked in alcohol. Though they winced from their blood being drawn and grunted in discomfort when Noah gave them each a lumbar puncture, their real displeasure came from the collection of urine and stool samples. Elves tended to be rather straight-laced and skittish in these situations.

The skin samples were pretty straightforward, though Balil's persistent blisters made him grimace at the slightest touch. Noah deposited each sample into a petri dish, fed it growth medium, marked them, sealed them, and put them in the heating cabinet. He also performed various tests, such as checking their eyes, breathing, and reflexes.

"What about me? You used me as a comparison earlier," Aithorn asked.

"Things like your heart rate may be comparable, but all the time you've spent living in Uther and eating foreign food might alter the results of your samples. I need specimens as close to Balil's as possible."

One of the tests then caught Aithorn's eye.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Noah shook up a glass vial of blood with a piece of metal inside. "Is that supposed to show the bacteria in the blood?"

"No, this is to test for something else. Do you know how bees deal with hornets intruding into their nest? They swarm all over them and use friction to cook the intruder alive. Your body does something similar when it encounters disease. The white blood cells attack the foreign organism, and if they can't stop its spread, your body gives itself a fever to burn away the disease. This is called your immune system.

The problem is that it's possible for the immune system to get confused and start attacking the body itself. We call these autoimmune diseases. This metal is damaging the blood cells, and if the antibodies start gorging themselves on those damaged cells, then I'll be able to see it under the microscope.

One of my past lives was in a horribly polluted world. Endless war and the dumping of toxic waste had left the land contaminated with poisons. The air, water, soil, and everything we ate and drank slowly killed us. People's bodies and immune systems were so messed up that you'd be hard-pressed to find someone with a full head of hair because it was always coming out in patches.