Chapter 125

125. Penicillin Production Facility (3)

****

Mint suddenly hugged me again. This time, most of her entourage was dismissed. I couldn’t think of any excuse to stop Mint.

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“I apologize.”

The Imperial Princess clung close and started complaining again. Well, the spectators were mostly gone anyway… Mint nibbled my ear with her lips.

It was slightly uncomfortable, but I couldn’t exactly push Mint away forcefully. It’s true I’ve been away from the Academy for a while. Though Mint was smiling, she seemed pretty upset this time.

“You just disappeared without a word, heading toward some city ravaged by plague! That’s terrible! You should’ve avoided dangerous places like that!”

“I had to go as soon as possible.”

Mint buried herself deeper into my arms and rubbed her cheek against my neck. She seemed unusually cheerful today—maybe because it’s been so long since we last met?

“What were you doing?”

“Dealing with the Black Death.”

The princess shook her head.

“Last time you went to investigate the Black Death, it turned out not to be the real thing. Was it different this time?”

“It was genuine this time.”

“Well, I heard it was handled properly. Some bureaucrats are saying there wasn’t much damage, so maybe it wasn’t the real Black Death after all.”

You already knew where I went and why, didn’t you? Of course. Thinking about it, there’s no reason Mint wouldn’t know where I went.

Obviously. This mission was requested by the Imperial Palace and the Empire’s government.

If Mint wanted to find out where I went, she certainly could. That must be why she showed up at the factory unannounced.

“Does Her Highness agree with that opinion?”

“Huh? Teacher is probably right, I guess.”

“It was real Black Death. So many people died that the city ran out of coffins. Looking back, it was terrifying.”

“Teacher saved those people, right?”

“It was too late for many. A lot of them passed away.”

Mint scratched her head briefly.

“Not exactly the romantic conversation I was hoping for on the way here… But honestly, I’m curious now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You’re just answering my questions… Anyway, how did you stop the plague? Is there a specific method?”

“We burned all the rats in the city. We also isolated infected patients as much as possible, keeping them at home or in hospital wards.”

“Rats cause it?”

“Hmm. It can spread between people, but rats are the main carriers.”

Mint glanced around again.

“Teacher wasn’t in danger, right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure of that.”

Mint pressed herself against me again.

“Seriously. You can’t imagine how worried I was, Teacher. I barely ate while you were gone!”

I stared at Mint blankly. Was she serious?

“Really?”

“No. Not really. But it was close.”

Mint laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Her expression brightened even more.

“Teacher is happy to see me after so long, right?”

“Yes.”

The princess pressed her forehead against mine. This time, her eyes were wide open.

“I wish Teacher would always greet me like this. Don’t make me walk such long distances unnecessarily! I was planning to scold you when I arrived earlier.”

“Eh, I apologize.”

“It’s fine since I’m here today.”

As Mint fidgeted in my embrace, a cherry scent wafted through the air. The princess finally seemed satisfied and loosened her grip slightly, though her fingers were still intertwined with mine.

“Teacher deserves punishment, seriously.”

“Is that so?”

“Ugh. I’m not letting go of your hand.”

“Yes.”

Mint smacked her lips, then gripped my hand painfully tight and kicked her feet in the air, seemingly unsure what to do next.

****

Dinner was modest.

Mint sat across from me.

“So. I took a look at the facilities.”

“Did Miss Luciana explain things well?”

“Yeah, sort of. But I don’t think she fully understands everything herself…”

“It seems upper management hasn’t explained things properly either. They might be worried about leaking production methods.”

“Ah.”

“That’s not ideal. I’d prefer everyone, even the cleaning staff, knows what we’re doing here and why we’re working.”

“Why?”

“So they can take pride in saving lives through their work. More practically speaking, how can anyone do their job without knowing what they’re supposed to do? How can research proceed?”

Mint nodded.

“Teacher must have heard this too.”

“Heard what?”

“The scale of investment has increased. There’s been a sudden surge of individual and group investors wanting to put money into this company. To protect its controlling interest, the Imperial Palace had to promise an additional several million gold.”

“Oh, right. That was part of the plan.”

Indeed, that was the strategy.

Like Lord of Lapis or the Duke of Cerulis, when these kinds of people gather…

The point will come when outside groups’ shares won’t exceed half, and eventually, the Imperial Palace will have to increase its financial commitment to this imperial-chartered company.

Though I wasn’t sure if the plan succeeded yet…

“Wow, the Imperial Palace’s grace is boundless.”

“Right? Only when it suits them.”

“I’ll do my best to repay it. The funds haven’t been spent yet, right? We have many plans. This medicine is only the beginning.”

Mint nodded again.

“The finance people are going crazy over this. Even the prince.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“At the very least, the Imperial Palace needs to match the investments from other parties. Word among the nobility is spreading that Teacher’s medicine can cure death, especially the Black Death.”

Oh dear. Has the rumor spread that far already?

“It’s not that powerful.”

“Good news is good news. We can’t change the minds of those who want to invest.”

Mint set down her fork.

“Blind faith in Teacher, I suppose. After solving the cholera epidemic and stopping the Black Death outbreak in that harbor town last time, you’ve done it again.”

Though I’ve only attended social events once or twice, it seems positive rumors are spreading. With some exaggeration, of course.

“I see.”

“There are so many people wanting to invest. Apparently, those who brought insufficient funds were simply turned away by the Imperial Bank? Too much paperwork, they said.”

Oh boy. Every time I hear something like this, I’m reminded that we’re in the medieval era.

A place where romance still lingers. And simultaneously, a place where absurdities like this somehow hold water.

“It’s fortunate to have such trust.”

“Especially lately. Emilie seems to be supporting Teacher quite strongly. Unusual, considering her usual distance from the Imperial Palace. Yet here she is, promoting someone connected to the palace.”

Who’s Emilie again? The one who wears clothes made of arsenic? I thought for a moment.

“There are many people.”

“While Teacher’s success is great, the skyrocketing value placed on Teacher… makes me uneasy. You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Your certainty is suspicious.”

This might be a joke, but I’m not entirely sure. I stared at the princess for a long while.

“In that case, I’ll consider it.”

“Great!”

The princess is still grinning widely.

It does feel detached from reality. Hospitals are always on the brink of the afterlife. Vinia, which I left just yesterday, was especially horrific.

We even considered euthanasia, and citizens rioted, burning the homes of infected individuals. That was the situation there.

“Here is peaceful, which is nice.”

“Exactly…”

What is this situation? Sitting in a room painted in pastel colors, drinking tea as if nothing’s wrong.

Hmm, it’s not necessarily a problem to think this way.

Producing and selling medicine here in bulk could potentially help millions of people, whereas I alone am limited.

“I’ll return to the Academy in two days.”

“When will you return to the Academy?”

“In two days.”

The princess nodded.

****

Meanwhile.

Istina was lounging on a sunbed set up on the facility rooftop, enjoying a brief respite. The city ravaged by the Black Death was truly hellish, but…

If the sun was shining brightly… well, that would be a lie.

Still, compared to the stench of rotting corpses, this pallet without such odors felt like paradise.

Istina sighed peacefully. Half-reclining, she sipped orange juice. At least the weather was decent today.

Winter hasn’t arrived yet.

If every day could be like this, it’d be wonderful. No urgent tasks, no dying people around…

Professor Asterix is too distracted with the penicillin factory and his lover to bother checking where Istina is. How delightful.

Istina’s story isn’t particularly dramatic. She was just a girl who excelled in studies and seized an opportunity to pursue something beyond her birthright.

‘Not anymore.’

Though it’s all thanks to Professor Asterix’s influence, Istina is now a respected researcher admired within academic circles. Her parents receive amounts of money they’ve never seen before during each trip, and she’s gradually paying off her debt to the Academy.

Since the professor plans to stay here for three days, I can relax. Unless he assigns me some special task.

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