Parallel World Pharmacy: Chapter 1 Episode 2

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The Reincarnated Pharmacologist in the Dark World of Pharmaceutics

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“However……. What kind of fundamental theory exists in this world?”

Falma pulled his face back from the window as soon as he realized there was a possibility that the laws of physics were different for this parallel world.

“Even with this ability, am I only able to do water?”

He quietly stared at the hands that didn’t seem to even belong to him. For some reason, as long as he was able to visualize the molecular structure of water he would actually be able to produce it.

“Could I make any other compounds if I could imagine the arrangement?”

He sent an image to the silver cup as he poured some power that he used not long ago into it. The cup then received the compound and began to darken immediately.

It was proof that sulfide reacted with silver.

“…… So it is possible, but this is bad. It darkened”

It will cause trouble for Lotte if the silverware was stained. Depending on the circumstances, she could very well be accused of poisoning him.

“Disappear, disappear!” He said casually as he polished the silver with the hem of his clothes.

The sulfide in the cup vanished and silver’s luster returned. It did not fade away when he wiped it. It just vanished spontaneously.

“The substance actually disappeared Is it really possible to remove it?”

He repeated the process several more times to confirm his suspicion.

Instead of a hazardous substance, he decided to create sugar this time, and then licked it. It was sweet.

Next he created table salt and licked it too. It was salty

He then made a lump of iron and licked it. It had a strong iron taste.

The pure gold ingot was soft and his teeth left marks in it when he bit it.

He kept testing the ability in myriad different ways, but the end result was the same. He could create any substance he wanted by sending an image of how it was arranged to his hands.

The skill was limited though, he couldn’t create a chemical compound that he wasn’t able to clearly imagine or ones that were too complex.

Whatever he made with his left hand, could be erased by his right hand.

The left hand creates, and the right hand destroys.

He could even erase something that he didn’t bring into being himself as long as he understood its chemical composition.

“This is great!”

Although he didn’t understand the principle behind it, he seemed sure that he had the ability to create and erase materials.

“I’m like an alchemist. It’s an ability that I would like to take back to Japan”

His researched would have surely progressed if he could have used this ability when he was still in Japan.

(This research, and that research. Yes, even The Research. Wait a minute, what research was it?)

He couldn’t help but think like that, Falma was a workaholic whose mind was still fixated on what he had wanted to accomplish in his previous life.

“I can’t go home”

(I should give up on it)

Regardless of how much lingering affection he had, it wasn’t possible to return to Earth.

“I should forget my previous life entirely, and start anew.”

Falma finally made up his mind.

“I am happy! I feel really relieved”

Lotte hurriedly returned to Falma’s room and changed the bed sheets. It seems like her work involves taking care of Falma’s daily necessities.

Even though it was an upper-class home, the beds of this world were very simple. They were simple hay filled boxes, covered by a bed sheet. Lotte was surprised when Falma started helping her in laying out the bed.

“Please do not help, as this is my work.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry.”

However, she still said her thanks, as she was someone that never forgot to show her appreciation.

That is good master Falma, you’ve recovered your Divine Art. It seems you will be able to recover your lost memory a little bit at a time as well!”

Falma was comforted by the tune Lotte hummed as she was putting away his laundry. She had a beautiful voice.

“I was foolish to think for even a moment that Falma-sama could not use his Divine Art anymore.”

“Remind me , what is our family business, again?”

Lotte stopped working, as she proudly stood up and said,.

“The de Médicis family is a family of Royal Court Apothecaries”

Family of Apothecaries.

Falma figured he could use his ability to create compounds using his prior knowledge in pharmacology and science, despite the laws of physics being a bit different from those in his old world.

(Good, I can still use my job.)

He was relieved for the time being.

After that, Falma was able to get a good grasp of the situation with help from his servant Lotte, she had received an explanation about this world from Lotte,

(This place resembles France)

Falma entertained such impressions.

The language, culture, and clothes closely resembled that of medieval France.

Charlotte, also known as Lotte, was the daughter of Catherine, the senior maid. They were commoners.

Her mother was in charge of taking care of Falma, while Lotte accompanied her mother when going in and out of Falma’s room. She had been working in this house since she was 5 years old. She was now 9 years old. A servant’s career was very long, since they started at a very young age. They used honorifics, and each of their movements felt graceful. However,

“Just between you and me, aren’t you just doing forced labor? Are you being beaten and abused in the premises that I don’t know about? Are you able to eat your meals?”

Lotte pouted when Falma asked that question.

“What are you talking about? We’ve been given a good life by his Lordship”

“Don’t you want to become free? Don’t you want to go to school?”

“You are so kind, you know. However, I am being taught to read and write in this mansion, and I have days off too. I am satisfied with this.”

Falma imagined that the servants were treated like slaves, but they were treated very well as employees. Both mother and child consented to this. Food, clothing, and shelter were guaranteed. Furthermore, they had salaries too. They said it was not hard labor and that it wasn’t painful to work in the mansion. Since they were not slaves, he was told that they could leave the mansion whenever they pleased.

“Then it’s fine”

“Yes! Please take good care of us from now on! It would be troublesome if you were expelled from the mansion!”

The servants understood that the Steward was the chief of about 100 personnel deployed in and out of the residence. The mansion was made entirely of stone and featured a U shape; the style closely resembled that of the transition period of the Baroque(insert note here). The mansion was old, as you could feel the history of it.

“By the way, will you tell me about the mansion?”

“With pleasure!”

Falma asked Lotte about the structure of the mansion. The building had 3 floors, a basement where the stockroom for the medicine was located, and an attic . It boasted the land area of a small castle.

The first floor had the entrance hall, reception room, and the main hall.

The second floor was where the parent and children rooms were.

That is to say, Falma’s room was on the 2nd floor facing the courtyard.

All the servants lived in the attic.

Lotte said that the mansion was too big, as she had not been though all of the rooms yet.

“It certainly is a prestigious family……”

“Yes, it is a proud residence! It has been more than 200 years since it was built”

Lotte responded with a cheerfulness that showed her innocence.

“Can I ask you a question about me?”

“What it is you want to know?”

“My name. Falma (Pharmaceuticals) de Medicis (Pharmacist)….. don’t you think it’s a bad name?”

(Pharmaceuticals is not that appealing!) Falma was ashamed.

“Fufu. Your honorable elder brother is called Master Pillule you know? His Lordship has high expectations for Master Pillule’s and Master Falma’s future!

Pillule seemed to mean “pill”.

(There was a more unfortunate person than me)

Falma was somewhat attracted to his Father’s strong attitude towards pharmaceutics.

“His Lordship will return to the mansion tonight, Master Falma will join for dinner, then….. Ah”

“What is it?”

Falma braced himself as Lotte seemed to be in a panic.

“C-cocou-,could it be that you completely forgot your pharmaceutical knowledge?”

“I think I forgot it, but”

“This is bad! This is a serious emergency!”

As Lotte said it, Falma sensed an impending crisis. He took one of the books lined up on the bookshelf in the room and quickly skimmed it. All the books in this world were made by manually copying each one, so the medical journals and the pharmaceutical books are very expensive. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the family was really rich, as you could see thick books lined up on the bookshelf in Falma’s room for his personal use.

“You have to be careful, Master Falma, as His Lordship will usually question you regarding pharmaceutics without warning”

The original Falma had been given a special education since childhood. Lotte testified that he was able to memorize all of the pharmaceuticals and compounding methods written on the book.

This was a serious matter; he coudn’t memorize all of it as soon as possible, even with the knowledge and skills he had. Even though Falma was in a hurry…….. it wasn’t necessary

“I think I have seen this before. I remember this!”

The accumulated knowledge from the original Falma merged with him.He was able to read the medical journal and pharmaceutical book, and could vaguely remember the contents of it.

“As for this”

“Is it difficult? It is difficult for me!”

Lotte seemed terrified, as he just shrugged his shoulder. The girl has difficulties reading the words packed together in the book. And she was slightly captivated by Falma, who was reading a troublesome book with a serious face.

Falma would have certainly told her not to make a fuss.

(This is terrible)

To put it bluntly, what was written on the various books that he picked up were horrifying. Wrong treatment methods and the medicine recipes were full of poisons. It was no longer a medical treatment, if you prayed to the gods, controlled illnesses through astrology, deciphered numerology, and so on. It was substantially in the wrong direction.

It was completely made of charms and spells.

They just overlooked those kinds of medical practice.

In this world, “Illnesses are trials given by the gods” was the basic idea. Medical pharmacology and religion were closely related with Astrology. They depended on prayers and confusingly chasing the movements of the stars.

The medical science and pharmaceutical knowledge of this world were miserable.

(This is the dark age of medical treatment of this world)

Falma was irritated when he thought that a healthy person could almost die from such a medical treatment.

“Falma-sama, are your eyes tired? Please rest for a little bit～”

“After I read some more”

Lotte quietly watched without disturbing Falma, who was immersed in the book for so many hours while moving about gallantly.

“Falma-sama is surely hardworking. And his figure is dreamy”

And she looked toward him in admiration.

Falma closed the book when the room became dim.

He stretched his neck left and right and murmured quietly.

“I have to do something for the sake of the people of this world”

Perhaps he was reincarnated with his previous life’s knowledge just for that.

Such a thought crossed his mind.

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