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Chapter 32 – Toward the Eradication of Disease

“How about that? Now you see the brilliance of my genius, don’t you!”

“Yes. I’m sorry. It was my fault. I’ll never underestimate you again.”

“As long as you understand!”

The tall man in his late twenties standing in front of me nods in satisfaction at my words.

Today again, Kouryuu-san stands proudly before me with his messy hair, wild stubble, and sleep-deprived, gleaming eyes.
Even though we talked about it just this summer, by mid-December, he had already completed a wonder drug for tuberculosis.

(Still, let me say just one thing. That ‘I’ve been working for days without sleep’ look—do you want me to praise you for that? Or do you want to be stared at coldly by a little girl? Are you actually a masochist or something?)

While thinking that to myself, I signal with my eyes to Shizu, the cool-type girl in the classic maid style I prefer.

“Kouryuu-sama, your bath is prepared over there. Everything else is ready as well. Please start with that.”

“Very well. Then, Reiko, I’ll see you later.”

“Okay~ …Maybe showing me that post-all-nighter look is his way of bringing good luck.”

As I watched his large back walk away, I strangely found myself convinced by my own theory.

About half a day later, during snack time once again, Kouryuu-san is happily enjoying snacks with me.
Today’s treat is sweet potato pie, which I requested along with its recipe from the mansion’s chef.

(Munch munch. It’s the season when sweet potatoes taste amazing. If only Kouryuu-san weren’t here… But still, this is good news.)

“Is the development of the new drug going well?”

“Going well? What nonsense. Of course I’ve already finished writing the paper. Don’t underestimate this genius, Kouryuu.”

He’s totally smug about it.

But with his sanpaku eyes and upturned slant, he just looks like a villain.
With the right lighting, he’d be perfect playing a villain in a drama.

I catch myself escaping into those thoughts.

“Wait, we talked about this around the end of summer, right? It hasn’t even been four months? Seriously? That’s amazing.”

“Praise me more. There’s no such thing as impossible for a genius. —Well, that’s what I’d like to say, but even I couldn’t manage this alone in such a short time.”

“Oh, so you didn’t do it by yourself? Whoops.”

Caught off guard by Kouryuu-san’s unexpected words, I accidentally dropped the sweet potato pie I was holding onto the table.

Before I can reach for it, Shizu the maid swiftly picks it up.
Even if it just landed on the table, I’m not allowed to keep eating it—because I’m too much of a bourgeois lady for that.

As someone who lived an ordinary life in my previous one, I always feel like these kinds of moments are wasteful.

While I’m thinking that, Kouryuu-san continues his reply.

“That’s right. I hurried because you told me to. But, well, there’s that too—I wouldn’t be able to sleep well if something happened to Lord Kiichirou.”

He says this while slightly turning his face away, cheeks just faintly blushing.
Even so, having a tsundere moment with that face just makes me recoil.

But anyway—

“Whose help did you enlist? Was it Ootori’s university, the hospital, or a pharmaceutical company?”

“I made all of them help to some degree. But the doctors, scholars, and technicians under Ootori were still lacking in skill. The equipment is impressive, but… So, I asked for help from Dr. Kitasato.”

“Wait, Dr. Kitasato as in Kitasato Shibasaburo?”

(There it is, a named historical figure. But at least he’s reliable and safe.)

I thought about it lightly, but Kouryuu-san’s eyebrows arch sharply at my words.
His 八-shaped brows and expressions are like a movable mask.

“That’s right. And don’t speak of him so casually. For me, he’s nothing short of a mentor.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry. So you asked Dr. Kitasato for help.”

“Yes. With the goal in sight, I sought help from the Kitasato Institute. Professor Kitasato and even Professor Kiyoshi Shiga were kind enough to assist me. Thanks to them, I was able to make significant progress with paper reviews, translations, submissions to Japanese academic societies, sending translated papers to various overseas locations, and preparing for the presentation event.”

When I apologized, his eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he listed the things he had done while folding his fingers.
He truly is a hardworking person. 

However, in the game world, even with all this effort, he’s still running in place, so it’s no wonder he’d be frustrated.

“Ah, it sounds like it must be a hassle.”

“Yes. It would have taken far too long on my own. As for Ootori, they’ve also filed patent applications for both Japan and overseas through Ootori Trading. After that, it’s various other applications and preparations for production at Ootori Pharmaceutical. Well, Professor Kitasato is also doing various things in various places for that. I’ve also talked to RIKEN, and they plan to collaborate where they can.”

“You’ve got things well organized. But, just the patent fees alone will only benefit Kouryuu-san, right? Won’t Ootori Pharmaceutical, or rather the Kou family, complain?”

“They wouldn’t complain. How could they, when the next heir to the family developed the new drug personally? It’s impossible for them to voice any complaints. Besides, they’ve already started making money elsewhere, so they’re not interested in a new drug that’s still uncertain. Things have changed a bit lately, but they just think, ‘Oh, the next heir has started another strange experiment,’ and that’s about it.”

(Well, the second half is just complaining. Even in the Kou family, he’s kind of an outsider. Well, I guess that can’t be helped. Hmm, maybe I’ll ask Grandpa to set up a marriage meeting for him.)

“More importantly,”

As I casually look at Kouryuu’s face, the seriousness in his expression intensifies.

When I tilt my head in response, he nods slightly.

“How is Uncle Kiichirou, or rather, your father?”

“Oh, well, even in the fall, his cough didn’t stop, so we had a doctor sent from Ootori’s hospital to examine him. They diagnosed him with mild but chronic bronchitis. However, he only has a slight cough and remains relatively healthy.”

“And then it stayed that way?”

At those words, I shake my head a few times.

“I, just in case, suggested that he get a tuberculosis test at a hospital with more specialists.”

“And then?”

“The first time, he laughed and dismissed it, saying, ‘That’s not the case.’ So, two weeks later, I suggested it again. By then, the mild cough was still persistent, so he finally started to worry a bit and agreed to undergo a thorough examination at Ootori’s hospital. And…”

“You were right.”

At his serious tone, I nod seriously as well.
Yes, my grandfather and now my father, Kiichirou, had contracted tuberculosis, which is one of the top three causes of death in this era.

Fortunately, it was still mild, and since he’s not busy with work and has sufficient food, clothing, and shelter, his daily life hasn’t been affected so far.
Thanks to that, the progression has been slow.

“…Understood. I’ll wait for now and talk to Uncle Kiichirou tonight. Then, I’ll have him use the new medicine.”

“Um…”

“I already told you that the clinical trials are finished. Of course, more additional trials would be ideal, but we’ve confirmed that it’s effective enough. If the condition is mild, it should improve immediately.”

“Thank you, Kouryuu-sensei.”

“Don’t say it like that, it’s creepy. More importantly, it’s this.”

“This?”

I was deflected from expressing my heartfelt gratitude and, without thinking, asked in a slightly lower octave voice.

But Kouryuu-sensei continued without minding.

“Do you know what tuberculosis, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis are?”

“Illnesses that Japanese people often get.”

“Correct. To be more precise, they’re the top three causes of death. Well, sometimes other causes of death come to the forefront, but these three are the main ones.So, with the combined wisdom of your ‘grandmother’s wisdom’ and my genius intellect, we’ve overcome all three. The cost of the medicine is a factor, so I’m not saying everyone, but many people will be saved in the future. In fact, they’ve already started being saved.”

“Yes. It’s such a great thing, right? What’s the catch?”

“Don’t you get it? As long as you’re alive, people have to eat.”

“Well, that’s true. Does this mean that the decrease in deaths will lead to higher unemployment rates? If so, we’ll have to work hard to hire more at Ootori.”

“Well, that’s part of it, but the more fundamental issue is this: up to 300,000 people will be saved in a year. If this continues for ten years, that’s 3 million people. Even half of that is 1.5 million. That’s how much more food will be needed.
And, you may not understand this yet, given your wealthy upbringing, but there are plenty of people in Japan who can’t eat so luxuriously.
In fact, the reason tuberculosis and other diseases are so prevalent in Japan is because there’s a large group of people who can’t get enough to eat. However, those with even a little money will be saved thanks to this. Oral rehydration salts are cheap, so most of the population will benefit from it.
Already, deaths from various types of gastroenteritis are dramatically decreasing.

In other words, unless we either import more food or increase domestic production, things could get really bad.”

(I… hadn’t even considered that. He’s right.)

“…What should we do? Kouryuu-sensei?”

“Is it really something to look so pale about? It won’t increase all at once, and the government will likely respond appropriately. It’s their job, after all. However, keep in mind that the high death rate from diseases in Japan today is also due to the fact that many people don’t have enough food.

So, just to double-check, is this outrageous talk about the future of medicine finished?”

“Eh, ah, yeah, for sure. We’re done for now. The rest is really just a bit of knowledge, like old folk wisdom.”

“Even so, there’s still more. Well, if it’s just a small thing, summarize it on paper, or you can come ask for me when you’re bored.”

“Ah, yeah, please?”

“Why the question mark? But, you should be ready for the fact that the time for these little distractions may decrease in the future.”

He says this with a smug look on his face.
The gap between his serious talks and this attitude is what makes him such an entertaining character.

“The one who needs to be ready is you, Kouryuu-sensei, not me.”

“Of course it’s me. I’m the one who’s going to get busy. After all, I have no idea how many Nobel Prizes in Physiology and Medicine I’ll win.”

“Ah, right. But if that happens, it would really be wonderful.”

“Yes. If that happens, Reiko, it’ll be thanks to you. I’ll do anything for you. That’s the promise of the man Kouryuu.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll think of something to ask for. But I’ve only shown a small spark. Without your genius intellect and talent, Kouryuu-sensei, most of this would have just been a pipe dream. Thank you. For being by my side.”

“Wh-what’s this all of a sudden? And isn’t that kind of like a confession? You’re ten years too early for lines like that!”

“Heh. That’s true. There’s an age difference of almost a parent and child between us.”

“Indeed. It’s a shame that I’m unmarried and without children. But, speaking of which, your future spouse will probably be one of Aoi family’s cousins, right?”

Kouryuu-sensei says this with a slightly more mature expression.
Certainly, if Ootori continues to do well as it is now, it will likely happen as he said, to strengthen the unity of the family and the conglomerate.

(When I’m doomed 14 years from now, if Kouryuu-sensei is still single, he’ll be 41, right? With the age difference, in the 21st century, it might still be okay for marriage, so I’ll have him fulfill his promise to do anything. As the villain and villainous young lady, we’d make a perfect match.)

Thinking that, I smile at Kouryuu-sensei.
Upon seeing that, Kouryuu-sensei gave me a puzzled look.

“What is it? Have you already found someone you like? You’re quite the mature child.”

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Kiyoshi Shiga
A medical doctor and bacteriologist. Fluent in German.
Known for discovering the dysentery bacterium.

Additionally, he traveled to Europe and brought back the strain for the BCG vaccine.