Chapter 141

141. The Discovery of Electricity (3)

****

“Of course, we should research it together.”

Professor Bernstadt, who had come to my research lab, replied energetically right away but soon wore a bewildered expression.

“Though… do I look like a graduate student?”

“No, but we need one.”

It was disappointing that no graduate students were coming in. It’s true we need someone to research the battery with me this time…

But nobody has come since Amy.

I don’t get it. We offer graduate students plenty of money and lots of opportunities to learn research or drinking techniques. So why aren’t they coming?

Professor Klaus managed to recruit another grad student last week too. What’s his secret?

“Hmm… If we assume you also teach or assign hospital work… That would mean several times more workload than other department’s grad students, right?”

“Want to be my grad student?”

“No… just kidding.”

I asked on a whim, but Professor Bernstadt’s response was short. I scratched my head.

“Yes, just kidding.”

Anyway…

Professor Bernstadt’s eyes sparkled.

Most scholars tend to be gloomy, professors even more so, but Professor Bernstadt seems to be an exception.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. How you treated the Imperial Princess and received a grand award from the Imperial Palace for developing new medicine.”

“Something like that.”

“I was curious about you… Also wondered why Professor Asterix insisted on publishing papers with other departments. I heard other physics professors visited you too.”

That’s right. Most physics professors rejected my proposal to collaborate on research.

Maybe they didn’t like how a professor from an unrelated field tried to steal their spotlight. Though there could be other reasons too.

Since this discovery belongs to the field of physics, that might explain it. There wasn’t any special reason. Anyway, it’s fortunate I’ve managed to recruit one person.

“To cut to the chase… let’s take a look at this battery.”

I placed Volta’s battery on the desk.

Professor Bernstadt widened his eyes and carefully examined the strangely shaped device as if trying to analyze its contents.

****

There are many strange people among scholars.

Especially professors. Professor Bernstadt considered himself one of the rare normal ones among Academy professors.

When academic nature combines with the authority of being a professor, it creates a situation where one doesn’t have to care about others’ opinions. This often makes already strange scholars even stranger.

And when it comes to Department of Healing professors…

They’re even worse. Scholars are inherently odd, and as professors, they don’t need to consider others’ feelings. Plus, dealing with human lives gives them some kind of god complex.

This is what Professor Bernstadt thought while observing Asterix. Though Asterix isn’t old enough to become extremely eccentric yet.

Other physics professors probably refused co-authoring with Asterix for these reasons.

He does seem quite unpredictable.

Still, things have been going well so far.

Professor Bernstadt analyzed the device. It looked like a stack of large coins made of various metal plates, with wires connected to both ends. The structure was simpler than expected.

****

Professor Bernstadt looked at the battery. Though simple, no one in this world had created such a device yet.

“So this is it… If you bring the two ends of the wire connected to this machine close together, you can see small lightning without using magic, right?”

I nodded.

“What’s the principle?”

“You know how copper corrodes in salt water? The energy stored in pure copper is released during corrosion.”

“Ah, I see.”

Professor Bernstadt fiddled with the battery then brought it near the frog leg he opened earlier. The frog leg twitched again, and Professor Bernstadt marveled.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“So… does this mean electricity moves frog muscles? Is it the same for humans?”

I shook my head. This effect cannot be observed using fresh frog legs or those dead for several hours because ATP, the chemical substance directly moving muscles, gets depleted.

Electricity only transmits the ‘move’ signal. Actual muscle movement relies on chemical energy.

“Electricity merely transmits the ‘move’ signal. Moving itself is another matter.”

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

“Would human muscles move by applying electricity like frogs’? Of course they would…”

“While it might be hard to distinguish between muscle contractions caused by pain and those by electric stimulation, they would contract based on the same principle.”

Professor Bernstadt pondered for a moment.

“If we can create batteries by stacking metal plates… Could we make batteries using other material combinations instead of zinc and copper?”

That’s correct.

Professor Bernstadt tilted his head.

“Then… what should I research?”

“Let me think… I’ll write a paper related to frogs. Professor Bernstadt, please write one about batteries. Then we’ll publish the latter as a co-authored paper.”

“Understood.”

There was no reason for Professor Bernstadt to lose out. I gave him the core idea, and all he has to do is write it down.

All I needed was an easy way to enter the physics symposium. Writing a physics-related paper outside my specialty was bothersome anyway.

“Then… please teach me how to make batteries. I’ll study ways to improve them.”

The method to make batteries is very simple. I nodded.

“It’s easy. Alternate zinc and copper plates, and place salt-soaked paper between the metal plates. More layers give better results.”

“It’s easier than expected?”

“You can take this one if you want.”

Professor Bernstadt nodded.

“Showing them this battery made without magic will earn standing ovations at the physics symposium. Though I wonder if it’ll have any practical use…”

“We’ll find something.”

“Ah… I’ve heard rumors! Wherever Professor Asterix goes, the symposiums turn chaotic. Now I understand why.”

What does that mean?

“Eh, why?”

“To overturn fields of other disciplines this much… I can’t even imagine how much chaos you’ve caused in the medical community.”

Professor Bernstadt packed the battery in his bag.

“Then I’ll take my leave. Next time, I’ll bring back an analysis of this battery and draft a physics-related paper!”

The physics department professor left the research lab.

****

I’ve almost finished today’s schedule, but there’s one thing left. One of my patients is almost recovered and ready for discharge.

I walked to the ward entrance.

Sebastian, the father of the patient hospitalized with meningitis last time, was waiting in front of the hospital. He seemed quite wealthy.

Now it makes sense how this patient progressed from sepsis to meningitis.

Probably due to wealth, they could afford dedicated nursing to regulate body temperature or hire other healers.

Until it failed and they came to me.

“Hello, are you the father?”

“How’s the child?”

Mr. Sebastian looked worried, but there was nothing to worry about.

The patient’s condition is almost fully recovered. Since we can’t test inflammation levels, I’m keeping them here a few more days just in case.

If it were bad news, it would be difficult to deliver. Hearing about a parent’s illness is different from hearing about a child’s.

But not today.

Mr. Sebastian is recovering.

“He’s recovering. He’ll be fine.”

“What disease is it? Is it serious?”

It was serious.

But not anymore.

“It was serious, but it’s getting better now. It’s called meningitis, an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain.”

“Is it fatal?”

I shook my head. Many guardians ask this after hearing it’s a serious illness. Naturally, they’d be curious.

Still, I can’t say a serious illness isn’t serious. It’s a kind of dilemma.

The principle is to tell everything honestly. Even white lies can harm trust relationships, so making arbitrary judgment calls about white lies is strictly prohibited.

“It’s fine if treated in time. You came at the perfect moment. Meningitis could have caused brain damage if untreated.”

Now properly treated, the guardian finally relaxed his expression.

“Thank goodness… Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Discharging now would be fine, but let’s wait one more day just in case.”

“I don’t know how to express my gratitude…”

“I’ll just accept your kind thoughts. There might be laws against accepting gifts, though I’m not sure.”

The guardian repeatedly expressed his thanks. After reassuring him for quite a while, I finally managed to send the uncle off.

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