Parallel World Pharmacy

「And then, since Marina really insisted, so I started going out with her, but……」

Third day of elder brother Palle’s homecoming. When he heard about the story of Palle breaking up with his 9th girlfriend, “That’s enough right”, Falma thought and cut the flow of the conversation. Blanche secretly went back to her own room and sleep.

「Is isn’t it okay, if you start teach what kind of learned from the lecture at the Norbatz University of Medicine」

After enduring hearing his elder brother’s honor student-ness and relationships patiently for three hours until midnight, Falma entered the main topic. His muscle head elder brother who was also a handsome young man was a truly certified riajuu that he almost had a nose bleed from envy. He was a riajuu that the strange pill name was just suitable for him.

In this world, it seems like the men, the better they are with divine arts and the more muscle head they are, the more they will be praised by women. And with that being said, Falma doesn’t have the outgoing personality other than pharmacology in his private life, so,

(When I’m around that age, I probably wouldn’t be popular)

He had somehow expected that he would go through a colorless youth. But even that Falma, in truth, there was marriage talks with ladies from great n.o.bles for him through Bruno. The person itself didn’t have a clue.

「Ou! Lecture huh. You also want to hear huh. After all, I’m studying at the world’s most advance academy. You probably won’t understand though〜, it’s too early for you〜. “Aniue〜, I can’t understand at all〜〜”, you’d probably said that crying to me〜. Dahahaha, it’s what you call the more stupid younger brother is, the cuter he is」

「Teach me」

Although this is as if to repeat, Falma have the personality that he can ignore it even if he is incited. If he had the personality that had a low temper, he probably had kicked his elder brother’s a.s.s. And, Ellen who had no endurance for inciting, had kicked Palle’s a.s.s before when she was made fun of. And from there, they are quarrelling with each other every time they see each other’s faces, they said.

「This is, the hottest topic in Norbatz right now」

His elder brother took out his texts while putting on airs. It has the t.i.tle 「Divineness Element Science」. Falma received that, and flipped through the pages.

「……this is amazing!」

「I know right, can you also get it?」

「I can’t though!」

Falma was moved. In the Norbatz University of Medicine where the world’s most advanced brains gathers, for once, they disa.s.semble the four elements theory, the basics of divine arts, and they rearrange the alignments of the compounds of the Divine language being used in alchemy into simpler symbol arrangements, and the test of creating the study with the basics of observing the phenomenon instead of the thoughts had already started.

Mythology, Traditions, Divine Arts, and Science were one until that, but it looks like scholars who thinks that having a deeper understanding of those individually, they would have a better understanding of nature’s phenomena started to appear.

The genius academics and the medicinal alchemists of Norbatz, begun to search for the smallest unit of matter.

From Alchemy, to Chemistry.

The sprouts of that are starting to appear. Just like the history of science on earth.

(Aren’t you good, Norbatz University of Medicine. As expected of the gathering of the world’s brains!)

Falma welcomed this movement.

If they start to be able to write chemical reaction formulas, Falma will be able to write the synthesis process of the substances and send it to distant places. Those would be copied into books, and the places in the world will be able to synthesize modern medicines.

「Right now, 26 elements have been found, and the symbols for those were invented」

「He〜!」

(There’s 118 in earth, but it’s significant enough being able to found 26)

In the first page of the text, the table of element symbols and their names were written.

(Ah, but, heat and photons are there. Those aren’t elements, these four aren’t elements, they’re compounds. How close! There’s only 20 that are found huh)

They had the same mistakes with the history of science on earth.

“If I were able to fix errors in the texts……”, Falma thought of it frustrating, but because the parts needed to set was enormous,  

(If it was like this, it would be better to write the textbook from the start. In that case, it might be easier to accept if the symbols that were settled in this world was written. I should write the necessary parts huh)

And with that,

「Aniue, I want to copy this book, it’s okay right?」

「Haa〜? It’s too early for you. You don’t know the basics after all, there wouldn’t be applications if you neglect the basics」

The elder brother who looks at his younger brother as stupid. “I know right, that’s with I want to fix the basics”, Falma refutes within himself.

「Please, Aniue, I’ll do my best to study」

“It can’t be helped〜〜, don’t get it dirty alright! Don’t stain it with ink and handprints okay!”, his elder brother lent him the texts while putting on airs. He was an elder brother that was light and easy if he was complimented.

In earth, the center for knowledge of medicine and pharmacology was Europe.

But, the current base currently is the United States.

No one would mind if the research base transferred from the Norbatz University of Medicine to the Imperial Capital right.

His Father Bruno who was the president of San Flueve Pharmaceutical University would gather outstanding talents, make then study modern pharmacology, and train experts. If that happens, Falma wouldn’t need to bear the burden by himself, and he would be able to leave drug discovery researches to experts. His work would progress very well. The more man power there is, the more the sciences would develop.

「After that, if you say a breakthrough discovery, it would be microscope huh. That device invented, and you’d be able to see small living creatures that you weren’t able to see with your eyes up until then! Can you imagine that!」

「H-He〜」

「Your reaction is too bad huh. You don’t know its value huh, or can’t you imagine microscopic world. Hahahaha, I guess so〜〜!!」

「That’s amazing. I wonder what kind of world is that〜〜!」

To someone who was a pharmacist who had used from optical microscope to electron microscope, various types of microscopes, and if was able to observe molecules if he wanted to, his elder brother looked down at him while laughing loudly. It was like bragging to a fish how to swim.

(Even so, it looks like he hasn’t found out)

It looks like Falma’s elder brother doesn’t know about him exporting single lens microscope to Norbatz. It was no doubt that Bruno and Royal Court Apothecary Claude had pressured the Norbatz University to not search for the inventor’s ident.i.ty.

「There’s another topic. There’s the rumor that the wonder drug for the white plague(tuberculosis) exists」

Falma flinched.

「It looks like the recipe was unpublished though. It’s amazing right, the incurable disease, white plague might become a disease might be curable you know!」

「He〜, that’s amazing〜」

Even investigated, it looks like the story about the Empress of San Flueve had suffered from white plague, hasn’t reached between students. It was probably a secret only the upper echelons know.

It looks like the patient’s personal information was not leaked.

His elder brother, even after that, he bragged off the achievements of the Norbatz University of Medicine at if it was his.

“It is good to be proud of your alma mater”, Falma thought.

…━━…━━…━━…

「Today is Sunday, we’re going for the Sunday worship to Guardian Temple!」

Elder Brother Palle took Falma and his younger sister Blanch, and went to the Guardian Temple in the San Flueve Imperial Capital Parish where the All Attribute Guardian G.o.d was enshrined from the morning. Thinking about it, Falma’s Father had never taken him to pray at the Guardian Temple even once, but his elder brother, he was very religious unlike how he looked. Falma, for the first time since coming to this world, he entered the inside of what they call the temple. Blanche said it was after a long time and was looking around.

「If you don’t have the blessings of Guardian G.o.d-sama, both divine arts and study wouldn’t be that good after all!」

( I see, the reason why elder brother was a very confident divine arts user, might be the result of honest worshipping)

Thinking about it, it was his elder brother who had a good match with Falma who had increased physical abilities while holding the Medicine G.o.d’s staff, shooting at him even while having a fever. Falma had a glimpse of his elder brother’s efforts.

The shrine of the temple, the rites of the Sunday worship was held. In the temple, both n.o.bles and commoners visit.

In the altar, was the Head Priest who had often visited the pharmacy.

There was the recitation of the Bible in the rites, and there was the preaching and blessing of the Head Priest. The Head Priest who had finished the rites noticed Falma, and approached him very happily in a trot.

「You have finally come huh, Falma-sama. It was very nice of you to have come!」

Everyday, Falma was invited by the Head Priest to come to the temple. He was saying something like that the temple would be purified or become a sanctuary just by Falma entering the guardian temple. The patterns embedded on the temple’s floor, they were giving off a faint blue light every time Falma stepped on the floor.

(Uhe〜……it’s shining somehow)

Falma who didn’t know what was happening, he thought that the change that he had done was eerie, and only felt an unknown anxiety.

「Wait, you?! Why is the Head Priest-sama talking to you with -sama」

Elder brother, since the Head Priest of the guardian temple that had the most influence in the imperial capital was talking to Falma with a respectful att.i.tude, he was surprised and asked by whispering to his ear. Falma, he stopped the Head Priest who was about to say the words「Medicine G.o.d」, and “Just a minute here”, took distance from his brother and sister.

「How was the condition of the Medicine G.o.d’s Staff, I have been wondering」

The Head Priest, he was not able to ask about it since the pharmacy was closed for a few days in accordance with Palle’s homecoming.

「I really liked it. I had felt that my physical abilities increased just by holding it」

「That is good. Please use the staff as much as you can」

Lending the staff that was called a secret treasure to Falma for free, “This Head Priest, he’s too generous. There might be something in for it”, Falma had doubted. It was true that he had the grat.i.tude for treating his bones.

「Is it alright for me to use the secret treasure of the guardian temple? Wouldn’t the ones on top get angry losing the secret treasure?」

「We also have benefits. There are sanctuaries created in your surroundings, but the Medicine G.o.d’s Staff would spread divine powers much more, so the sanctuaries would extend. That is, the true use of the secret treasure」

「Sanctuaries are created?!」

It was the first time he knew about it.

「Even though patients would come everyday to the different world pharmacy, there was no staff that would have a cold. They should not be having small wounds too. The people living in near the pharmacy should be the same」

According to the Head Priest, evil spirits wouldn’t come near Falma’s surrounding, and it would be harder for people to get sick. It looks like the Head Priest had observed that, and he wasn’t only coming to buy medicine.

「I think that it’s a coincidence, that they hadn’t had a cold. Also, is there really evil spirits?」

He could only think that it was occult. But, the Head Priest,

「What are you saying, evil spirits exists」

He answered as if it was very natural.

Falma didn’t want to believe it. It was a world where divine arts exists, so it feels wrong to completely deny it. But, Falma had never seen an evil spirit.

「You do not need to hide anything from me. I am a priest」

The Head Priest, he had his own consideration.

「Ha〜」

「If you are hiding your ident.i.ty like that, is it not uncomfortable not being able to exercise your divine powers as you want?」

「What are you talking about」

It looks like the Head Priest was minding Falma who avoids a direct answer.

「I, am also a priest who had studied divinity. If you have something little in your mind, please ask this Head Priest Salomon as you will」

“I might be able to give you an advice”, Head Priest Salomon said.

「It is a world that is impure, but I want you to be in the material world, as long as possible」

According to legends, it was only for a brief time that the G.o.ds and their incarnations appear in the material world. That they hid, hating the impurity.

Falma was planning to live in this world for his whole life, but being said by that by the Head Priest, he thought of the possibility that his existence that was a foreign matter for this world might disappear someday.

(Will I, disappear sometime very soon……)

With an indescribable feeling, Falma returned to where his elder brother and younger sister were.

「What did you talk about」

「It’s nothing much. Aniue, do you think that there’s evil spirits?」

「Thinking about it, I haven’t seen them since I returned to the imperial capital. Priest-sama probably had exterminated them」

It looks like elder brother was someone who “can see”.

「Recently, there are no evil spirits. I can’t see them anymore」

Blanche said that. Evil spirits are black shadows, they were here and there, and misfortune will happen to the people that hit them. “I saw a person who died instantly after colliding with an evil spirit”, Blanche said.

(What a spiritual siblings……well, my existence itself is spiritual huh)

Falma was dubious about it.

「All of this is thanks to G.o.d. We’re going to pray to Guardian G.o.d-sama」

「Ai」

Blanche also raised her hand.

They entered the shrine where the statues of G.o.d were enshrined. It was a s.p.a.cious and silent place for prayer, and the light of the stained gla.s.s was fantastical.

Elder brother closed his eyes in front of the Medicine G.o.d’s statue and earnestly prayed. Elder brother’s guardian G.o.d is the medicine G.o.d. Blanche’s guardian G.o.d is the water G.o.d, so she went to a G.o.d statue a little far.

As if to react to elder brother’s words of prayers, the lightning-like crests in both of Falma’s arms twinge, and the Medicine G.o.d’s Staff’s shine increased. Elder brother’s prayer, it was as if it became Falma’s victual. “There might be a correlation between the Medicine G.o.d and Falma’s ident.i.ty”, Falma couldn’t help but admit it.

(What am I, really in this world?)

Falma, he couldn’t determine his own ident.i.ty, and had an intense feeling of anxiety and loneliness from not being able to know his existence.

Was it because he died while wishing to continue to heal people, that it had something to do with this world’s medicine G.o.d.

(I don’t know. I won’t think, of things that I can only imagine)

……Falma postponed thinking of it.

Elder brother’s homecoming for one week ended, and it was the day for him to return to the Norbatz University of Medicine.

Falma, Blanch, Mother, and the servants will see him off. Father left the house early for medical treatment.

「Well then, dear mother. I will continue my studies」

「Study very well」

Mother saw off elder brother who grew splendidly, and held her tears.

「Falma, Blanche, farewell to you two too. I need to return fast」

「Do you have something to do?」

Falma asked.

「If I wouldn’t meet her once for a week, Natalie would cry from loneliness after all! It’s hard being too much popular, hahahaha」

“d.a.m.n it, what a riajuu”, even while thinking of that, Falma saw him off, waving his hands.

「Come to think of it, Falma. Next month, there’s the San Flueve Market next in the imperial capital right」

Suddenly, elder brother made a serious face as if he remembered something. San Flueve Market, is the market that is held in the commercial district of the imperial capital once every year, and would be held for a month. It is a grand market for sale held throughout the night where merchants from all over the world would gather.

「Be careful」

He had no clue on what to be careful of. The pharmacy’s reputation is starting to be heard outside of the country, so he needs to be careful of the pharmaceuticals being stolen, but elder brother don’t know that Falma opened a pharmacy.

「It looks like a strange epidemic disease had spread in the huge island of the colony of the country of Nedale. It seems like about a thousand residents were annihilated」

「Is it a local disease or something?」

「I don’t know the details. The Norbatz investigation team brought samples back to the university and examined it. Two of the scholars who examined it died」

(It is something infectious)

Falma tightens his guard.

「The corpse of the scholar and the sample were incinerated so there’s no more victims, the island inhabitants were also wiped out so it had a closure, but be careful Falma. Goods from all over the world would gather in the market after all. It seems like, the ship of the country of Nedale that brought the exportations with that island was said to be missing」

He was saying that the baggage loaded with pathogen that were mixed within the trading ships of the country of Nedale might come to the imperial capital. The only place where the trading ships of the country of Nedale can be commissioned, is only the port of Ma.r.s.eille in the imperial capital.

(It needs to be stopped in the water’s edge)

Falma got impatient.

「Aniue, uhm, was the sample taken from the patient already completely incinerated and had nothing left?」

「There’s nothing left, it was incinerated with flame divine arts after all. Even the bones of the corpses didn’t remain. The sample room where they worked was also purified with wind divine arts and was sealed」

It was probably decided, that it wasn’t something that the Norbatz University can handle.

Incinerating the sample, is truly safe. Falma, he asked his elder brother the progress of the scholars’s disease. The more that he heard those symptoms, the more Falma felt a bad feeling.

(Don’t tell me……)

「Come to think of it, there remains the sketch of the organisms existed in the sampled specimens using the microscope」

Falma’s simple microscope, it was inevitably acting as an immediate fighting force in the land of Norbatz.

「Aniue. Can you somehow copy that sketch, and send the letter with a carrier pigeon」

「You want to? What for」

「With Father, I want to try examining it」

「I see. Father might be able to know something about it」

It looks like elder brother respects Father who was an Archduke very well. He said that his fame could be heard in Norbatz.

It was too far away, to fly to Norbatz using the Medicine G.o.d’s Staff. Falma could only still float with the staff, so it would be faster making a messenger pigeon for long distances fly.

「When the permission from the School Head comes out, I’ll copy it」

Falma, he entrusted the gathering of critical information to his elder brother.

…━━…━━…━━…

There are only 2 weeks before the San Flueve Market was opened. Even if he advised the Empress to suspend the Market right now, the baggage from around the world would gather.

And even if it was unfounded fears, the countermeasures to prevent infections that could be done beforehand must be done as much as possible, Falma thought. There must not be an outbreak in the imperial capital together with the baggage, thinking that the infection had a stop.

Falma returned to his usual pharmaceutical work, and while only looking at the patients with grave illnesses and sending the patients with light ones to the guild affiliated pharmacies, he ordered to set up a quarantine station in the Port of Ma.r.s.eille. Also, he hastened to compile the texts of basic chemistry, and modern pharmaceutical science. Even if Falma disappeared from this world, if there were the texts, the people of this world would continue to heal. It was because he thought of that.

The messenger pigeon from his elder brother that he had deeply antic.i.p.ated quickly arrived. He opened the letter. Falma was petrified.

(Even in this world, these exists huh……)

He couldn’t be sure of it. It is said that the specimen of the pathogen was incinerated, and there’s bacteria of a similar shape, it’s a pathogen from a different world, so it might be a different kind. He didn’t want to say a.s.sertive things until he used diagnosis eye.

Even so, Falma had seen it before.

Inferring comprehensively from the symptoms of the patient he heard from his elder brother, the sketch of a long shaped bacteria drawn there wasーー.

Yersinia pestis。

That was once feared on earth as the black plague; it is the most dreaded nightmarish pathogen in human history, prevalent in the medieval Europe of the 14th century, causing 30% of the population to die.

The death rate of Yersinia pestis is 50-70%, and when it progresses and develops pulmonary plague,

The death rate is 100%.