Chapter 29

It has been a year since then, and as we turned thirteen, the results of Mr. Spalutz's research have become visibly promising.

The serum treatment for diphtheria and tetanus has been almost established, and currently, horses with antibodies for diphtheria and tetanus are being kept in the school stables, ready to provide for any outbreaks. When an outbreak occurs, blood is drawn from these horses to create the serum, and the administration system is now in place. It's amazing, isn't it?

"That's why I included Lady Cerea's name as a co-researcher in this paper!"

"Oh no, no! I didn't do anything significant! I just shared a bit of what I knew! Being a co-researcher is too much!"

When I visited the laboratory after a long time, Mr. Spalutz, as always, was in high spirits, happily reporting the research results one after another.

However, it's quite something to include Cerea's name as a co-researcher!

"I'd like to wait until the safety is established... After all, there are people who might die from it."

"So far, as you pointed out, we are checking for allergic reactions before administration, and thanks to the medical records you helped spread, we can also prevent anaphylaxis. It's really thanks to Lady Cerea."

Cerea's reputation in the medical community is also on the rise. I'm a bit pleased about that.

Most importantly, we can expect her influence to increase.

"Regarding the application of serum therapy, we're a bit stuck. It's interesting that it works on venomous snake bites, but our country doesn't have venomous snakes or spiders. There are examples of adventurers being killed by hydras in distant foreign lands, but we can't exactly catch a hydra and extract its venom."

"True, true..."

We need to capture the monsters, after all. Cerea told me about an example where Dr. Noguchi Eiishi kept many venomous snakes and collected their venom to research serum, but it seems there's no need for that in this country.

"We have been able to prove that serum contains 'antibodies.' They neutralize the toxins produced by bacteria. It's believed that it works on venomous snakes for the same reason. It's not that the immunity is transferred; it's our bodies, which have acquired immunity, that actually fight the bacteria and treat the disease. I'm currently thinking about how to directly eliminate the bacteria, but I'm stuck..."

Even now, Mr. Spalutz is achieving significant results, but the path of medicine is endless.

The laboratory has grown larger, and the number of Petri dishes used for bacterial cultures has increased.

Colorful bacteria are growing in the incubators.

"This is the diphtheria bacterium, this is the tetanus bacterium, the botulinum bacterium... Thanks to the microscope, we can now isolate and culture many bacteria. Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus..."

"Amazing!"

"There's still a lot to do. There are many diseases, like rabies, smallpox, and the common cold, that are infectious but for which no bacteria have been discovered. The sources of these diseases are still completely unknown."

This is a problem even for Cerea. Her knowledge from the age of ten might not be enough.

"Mr. Spalutz! The sanitation people are here!"

"Oh, wait a moment. The prince is here right now!"

When a researcher called out to him, Mr. Spalutz panicked.

"No, we'll be quiet. Please go and see to it. It's an emergency, right?"

"Well, I can't keep the prince waiting... He's an important patron of our research."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry. I'll be right back!"

With that, he left the laboratory.

"...Can I drink this?"

Mr. Spalutz had made us tea in a beaker he had boiled on an alcohol lamp, but after seeing so many bacteria, I really don't feel like drinking it... Alcohol can be used as fuel like this. Unlike oil lamps, it doesn't produce soot or smell, making it popular for tea parties among the upper class. I know that it was originally industrialized for medical use, so it feels like a waste to me.

Cerea wandered around the laboratory and saw a loaf of bread left on Mr. Spalutz's desk. How long has it been there...? It's covered in mold. He must be absorbed in his research.

Cerea picked up the old bread and opened the incubator.

"Hey, Cerea? Don't do that! Messing with things without permission is dangerous!"

Cerea put a finger to her lips and shushed us.

Huh? Huh? What are you doing?

She opened the Petri dish and scraped off the blue mold from the bread, spreading it inside.

Eeeeeeeeee---!!!??

"What are you doing, Cerea!"

"It's an experiment!"

She giggled mischievously, closed the incubator, removed the wick from the alcohol lamp, rubbed alcohol on her hands, washed them with soap at the sink, and then threw the moldy bread, which she had also doused in alcohol, into the trash.

"Don't tell anyone."

"Mr. Spalutz will be troubled. If bacteria grow on the blue mold, it will interfere with the research."

I don't understand why Cerea did such a prank at all.

Mr. Spalutz returned.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. It seems someone heard about a sick horse and came to see it. It's still a hassle to explain."

"About rabies and smallpox..."

When Cerea brought up the topic, Mr. Spalutz leaned in with shining eyes.

"Yes!"

"Those are called viruses, and they are so small that they can't even be seen with a microscope. They can't be cultured in a Petri dish either."

"Whaaat---!"

Mr. Spalutz was disheartened.

"...What can we do about bacteria that can't be found..."

Cerea's world has advanced medicine. Knowing that such things exist is quite something.

On the way back in the carriage, I asked Cerea why she did that, and she said, "Medicine can be made from blue mold." I was surprised.

"There was a doctor who was doing experiments like Mr. Spalutz, culturing bacteria in Petri dishes. Mold grew on one of the dishes. At first, he thought it was a failure, but upon closer inspection, he found that the blue mold was dissolving the bacteria. This led to the discovery that blue mold has the power to kill bacteria. The substance extracted from it became the drug penicillin, which turned out to be a universal cure for many things."

"You know that story well."

"It's a famous anecdote that always comes up when talking about 'failure being the mother of success.' Everyone in my country knows it."

"...That's amazing. But if that's the case, you could have just told him."

"I thought Mr. Spalutz would figure it out on his own."

"Did you not want to be a co-researcher that much?"

"No!"

Why? I don't get it.

Well, whatever. Let's look forward to the future.

"About rabies and smallpox?"

"If we had formaldehyde in this world, we could weaken the viruses to create vaccines, but without an electron microscope, the discovery of viruses is still a long way off."

I don't understand any of that.

"I also plan to tell them that people who have had cowpox and recovered don't get smallpox."

I don't understand that either, Cerea.

As we passed by a street corner in the carriage, we saw a convenience store of the Hans Trading Company.

It seems to be doing well. As Cerea predicted, it's not just busy at night and early morning, but also during the day. Bento boxes and drinks are selling well.

When it comes to tea, we always thought it should be drunk hot, but to our surprise, bottled cold tea is selling well! It's a significant shift in thinking, overturning our fixed idea that tea must be hot.

The convenience stores, being open all the time and allowing people to shop whenever they want, have changed some citizens' lifestyles. More people are skipping home-cooked meals and relying on bento boxes.

Even those who used to get bento boxes from their mothers or wives are now buying them from convenience stores. It's still a small part of the population.

This trend of not needing to cook at home and relying on convenience stores might lead to later marriages, some people worry.

Of course, buying bento boxes from stores costs more money. The convenience stores' bento boxes are mass-produced by Hans restaurants in the city, leading to a concentration of wealth.

Depending on convenience stores does make life easier. People can work longer hours.

Thanks to convenience stores, long working hours have become possible. However, the criticism is that the money earned from long hours is being absorbed by the convenience stores.

There are only two stores in the capital so far, not a significant force.

But as Cerea says, we might need to consider regulations before the city becomes filled with convenience stores, driving existing retail and grocery stores out of business.

"...It's currently open from 7 to 11, but it might eventually become a 24-hour operation."

Cerea looked out the carriage window at the store and said this.

"24 hours! Will there be people to work the stores at all hours?!"

"They will take turns."

"I wonder if there will be people shopping so late at night..."

"Convenience stores have the power to change people's living patterns."

"That's scary..."

The Hans Trading Company's daughter, Rin, is expanding her influence. We need to keep an eye on her.

Next: "29. The Incident at the Summer Resort"