A New Vision

Chapter 23: A New Vision

Alden sat at the long oak table in his modest study, the soft glow of candlelight flickering against the parchment scattered before him. His mind swirled with the vision he had for the future—the dream that had taken root in his soul. Genetics, the code of life itself, would be his gift to this world. As the dawn of a new chapter in his life approached, his preparations to republish Mendel's work under his own name in the kingdom of Eryndor began to solidify. But now, there was something more.

With the large sum of money he had received from the strange object's brief, mysterious encounter with the capital's officials, Alden was finally in a position to build his laboratory. It would be modest at first—a place where he could experiment, test his theories, and cultivate the knowledge needed to prove the power of genetics in this magical world. But over time, he envisioned it becoming something greater, a centre of learning that would rival even the grand halls of magic.

A Vision Beyond Magic

Before Alden could lose himself in the details of his new lab, there was a knock at the door. He stood, opening it to find Hale, the family's longtime servant, standing there. Hale was an older man, his hair peppered with grey, his face weathered with years of service. Despite his advancing age, he was sharp-eyed and still carried himself with the grace of someone who understood the subtle ways of the noble class.

"Master Alden," Hale said with a respectful bow. "The construction of your workspace is progressing. The builders will be ready to meet with you shortly."

"Thank you, Hale. I'll meet them in the morning," Alden replied, offering a grateful nod. Hale's dedication had been invaluable in managing the logistics of this new chapter in his life. Although the man never asked too many questions, Alden could sense his curiosity beneath the quiet exterior.

After Hale left, Alden returned to his desk, focusing on the more immediate challenge at hand. He needed a list—a clear, actionable guide to creating a lab that would suit his purposes while still remaining practical within the constraints of this medieval world. His thoughts drifted to the tools and resources that would be available to him: glass vials for cross-pollination, simple containers for collecting seeds, and basic microscopes that he might be able to convince a blacksmith to forge.

The List

He began to jot down his thoughts, focusing on the essentials first:

Glassware – He would need glass jars, vials, and slides for his experiments. This world had glass, though the quality varied greatly. It would take some time to gather high-quality pieces, but Alden knew it was possible.

Microscope Lenses – A critical component. Though this world's optics were primitive compared to Earth, Alden had seen enough craftsmanship to believe he could create rudimentary lenses for examining smaller plant structures.

Metal Tools – Scalpels, tweezers, and other precision instruments would need to be forged by a local blacksmith. Alden made a mental note to find a smith skilled enough to create tools that would allow for delicate work.

Seed Vault – He would need somewhere to store and organise his growing collection of seeds. This could be built simply, using wooden shelves and clay pots.

Writing Materials – The parchment in this world was coarse, and ink was made from local berries and plants, but it would suffice for recording his experiments.

As he wrote, Alden's excitement grew. This laboratory, while small at first, would be a beacon of his work. A place where the lines between magic and science would blur, where knowledge of genetics could slowly intertwine with the power of this world's mystical energies.

A Dream of Replication

With his mind whirling, Alden turned back to his central focus: Gregor Mendel's work. In his previous life, Mendel's discovery of inheritance through pea plants had revolutionised the scientific understanding of biology. Alden now saw an opportunity to introduce those same ideas to the people of Eryndor.

Of course, the world of Eryndor did not have the same scientific infrastructure that Earth did. There were no academic journals to publish in, no universities devoted to biology. But there were scholars, and there was the Hall of Scholars in the capital. His best bet would be to convince them that his research could complement the magical understanding of the world. Magic, after all, was merely a different set of rules governing reality. What could be more magical than the coded language of life itself?

He envisioned himself presenting his findings to the esteemed scholars, framed in terms they would understand. He would focus first on plants, breeding drought-resistant crops and demonstrating the principles of selective breeding in ways that would be practical and impactful. From there, he could extend those principles to animals, and perhaps one day, to humans.

As the vision expanded in his mind, Alden realised how far-reaching his ideas could become. His work could transform not only agriculture but the very way people viewed magic and life. If he succeeded, he could create a bridge between the empirical beauty of genetics and the mystical power of magic.

The Scholars Await

But before any of that could happen, he needed credibility. He needed allies. The scholars of Eryndor were notoriously selective in what they considered "worthy" of study. Alden knew that without proper backing, his ideas could be dismissed as nonsense or worse, heresy against the divine magic of Aeloria, the Weaver of Stars. But Alden had a plan for that as well.

He would first present his research on plants—nothing that would challenge the foundations of magic, but enough to intrigue the scholars. He would align his work with the kingdom's faith in Aeloria, presenting the idea that genetics, like the stars woven by the goddess, was a divine pattern of life. If he could frame his theories in a way that resonated with their beliefs, he stood a much better chance of acceptance.

But even that would require connections. He would need to meet the right people, to navigate the complex social and political webs of the capital. Fortunately, Alden had a tool that few others in this world possessed: the knowledge of his previous life, and the ability to combine that with the wisdom of this new world.

With his preparations nearly complete, Alden felt a sense of resolve wash over him. Tomorrow, he would meet with the builders to finalise his lab. After that, he would travel back to the capital to set his plans into motion.

But for now, he allowed himself a moment to breathe, staring out the window at the stars above, once more finding comfort in their familiar yet foreign patterns. Each star, each thread, felt like part of the greater design—a design he was now determined to uncover.