01x09 - The Story of a Certain Wicked Man

[bunniefuu]

Why, Camus?

After you established numerous new treatment

methods and gained renown as a genius

Why did you

Bruno, do you still not see it?

The beautiful truth of this world.

No matter how much healing

one performs, people die.

But, you know, no matter how much dying

takes place, people are born anew.

That's the reason you repeatedly conducted

those gruesome human experiments?!

Neither people nor the world

will be destroyed so easily.

And therein lies the beauty.

You understand,

don't you, Bruno?

Why, Camus?

Parallel World Pharmacy

Episode 9

The Story of a Certain

Wicked Man

Lookie! My tummy is huge!

Oh, my goodness!

Father, are you tired?

I'm fine. I was just thinking

back on something.

An old—

It's not important.

Master, a letter has arrived.

From Palle?

It's Tall Brother

Oh, him.

That reminds me. Palle is

coming home for a visit soon!

Speaking of which,

he's saying his visit will be delayed.

Oh my, it will?

I hope he's not working too hard.

And I do hope he's eating properly.

Is Tall Brother really busy?

I imagine he has his hands full

with his college studies.

College

Um, Nov Nova

Novavava

Novalout College of Medicine.

Yeah! Novalt Medicine College!

It's the world's best medical

research institution.

Master Palle is brilliant!

Though Master Farma is brilliant as well.

Tall Brother is amazing!

Small Brother is more amazing!

Hip, hip, hooray!

Farma.

Yes, Father?

Come to my office later.

Next month, the capital is

hosting the Saint Fleuve Fair.

That's the annual,

large-scale wholesale event

that takes place over the

course of a month, right?

Correct.

Merchants from all over the world

will gather in the imperial city.

Thus, we must be cautious.

About what?

A strange epidemic

broke out on Pante Island,

a colony of our neighboring

country Nederland.

According to Palle's letter, the roughly

1,000 colonists there were wiped out.

A fatal disease

Was it an endemic disease?

Could it have been from a poison?

I don't know the details.

A top Novalout academic research team

took back samples for study,

but then two people died there as well.

So then, it could be contagious

The colonists' deaths ended the epidemic.

But Nederland merchant ships loaded with

goods from the island are coming to the fair.

You're saying contaminated cargo

might be coming to the city?

And the only port Nederland's

merchant ships can use is Marseirre.

Marseirre is currently governed

by the de Médicis family

Are the remains of the infected researchers

or their samples still available?

Everything was incinerated

with fire Divine Arts.

I expect the samples are nothing but ash,

and not even bones remain of the bodies.

That is certainly the safe measure to take.

Fundamentally, both viruses and

bacteria are vulnerable to heat.

But that means

the top authorities in this world judged

the situation to be unmanageable

The progress of the disease

was clearly abnormal.

The first researcher suddenly developed a

high fever, followed by headache and vomiting.

Lumps had developed on

his neck and in his armpits.

Afterward, he fell into a coma,

and on the seventh day

of symptoms, he perished.

For the second researcher,

it was even faster.

Purpura developed all over his body,

followed by necrosis of the hands and feet.

His skin is said to have turned dark black.

Their laboratory has been sealed off, and

all travel to the island has been prohibited.

Necrosis and blackened extremities

Could it be

Father, is there any more

detailed information?

A revolutionary device

with an unknown inventor

was introduced as a tool to the College.

What device?

Why, your microscope, Farma.

It seems it's being utilized

even in far-off Novalout.

There may be sketches from the

samples taken in the investigation.

Could you ask Palle to send

copies of those sketches?

I believe it's fair to say these

numbers are truly revolutionary.

The number of deaths

from disease in the capital

has actually decreased 20%

compared to last year.

Truly remarkable results.

Yes. This is marvelous.

This must be due to Parallel World Pharmacy

and the Compounding Pharmacy Guild.

The number of member shops

is continuously growing.

Cosmetics that cause minimal harm to health,

regular public health lectures,

efforts to increase the people's

awareness of disease prevention

His endeavors are spectacular.

If these achievements

spread to the provinces,

the Empire's prosperity will be unshakable!

I remember you turning your nose up at

chartering "a pharmacy run by a child."

So now even you commend him.

Your Majesty, I

It is welcome.

Now, then

Given this, I ought to grant

Farma de Médicis some reward.

What about the rank of archduke?

Your Majesty, I'm afraid his status

as a minor prevents that.

The granting of archduke rank to a minor

is not recognized under imperial law.

I see. So it would be premature to do so.

Then let us table this matter

for the time being.

Onto the next item.

Yes, ma'am!

Regarding the renovation of the Grand Écurie

and the riding school,

which the Finance Minister

has informally approved

As I suspected, that boy must have

been possessed by some being.

What I can do is provide ample support

to make it easier for him to act.

I pray the Empire's prosperity

continues on like this forever.

Good morning, Farma!

What's wrong?

I have something important to discuss.

A fatal illness? Oh, gods!

This is no time to be holding a fair.

It starts in just over two weeks.

It's too late to stop the

cargo from Nederland.

Then what do we do?

Well, I have several ideas, but

Begging your pardon, Master Farma.

A carrier pigeon has arrived

from Master Palle.

Thank you.

It's as I feared

That disease exists in this world, too.

What's wrong? What does it say?

Farma, do you know what that is?

It's a sketch of low magnification, so I

can't say with absolute certainty, but

This is Yersinia pestis.

You're ready to go ahead

of us and get started.

We'll join you later,

once we finish some things here.

Yes, Master!

Once you reach Marseirre, ask Adam,

the acting governor, for instructions.

I have already conveyed the details of the

quarantine stations and the rest to him.

Leave it to us.

We'll make sure the Black Death

doesn't enter the Empire!

Be especially diligent when

inspecting cargo from Nederland.

If a crew member should be infected,

immediately isolate the crew

and begin treatment.

We will!

I hope they perform well.

We've done what we can do ourselves.

Now we need to move the higher-ups.

Father.

I need to speak with you.

Farma. And Eléonore as well.

It's about that unknown pathogen.

Based on the purple-black discoloration

and the lymph node swelling,

as well as the rod-like appearance

of the bacteria in the sketch,

I believe we ought to conclude

that it's the Black Death.

I see. So you think so too.

Though I have only read

about it in literature,

I, too, recognize the dreadfulness

of the Black Death.

The last plague was 210 years ago.

The Black Death—

or plague—

is transmitted through fleas

that are carried by rodents.

There were multiple large

outbreaks on Earth,

and in the 14th century,

it spread with such fury

that it's said to have halved

the population of Europe.

The fatality rate of bubonic

plague is 50-70%.

If pneumonic plague develops,

it's 100% fatal.

It's a nightmare disease that has tormented

humanity more than any other in history.

What makes plague so frightening

is its persistence,

appearing to burn out and

then repeatedly reigniting.

Cargo connected to trade on Pante Island

will be heading to the capital

by land and sea.

Regarding that, as discussed,

I've sent Adam instructions to set up

quarantine stations in Marseirre's port.

In addition, Farma taught the inspection

method to some students of mine,

and we sent them ahead

to get the process started.

Good. Well done.

If an outbreak occurs in the capital,

it will spell the Empire's doom,

for there exists no method

for us to fight against the disease.

No, Father. We can save the Empire!

I have already prepared a new medicine.

Truly?

It is called levofloxacin.

It's an antibiotic that is effective against

the bacteria that causes the Black Death.

At this stage, I am the only one

who can create this medicine,

but I sent the necessary amounts to

partner drugstores to be packaged.

You already did all that?

I'm impressed. Truly.

Thank you, Father.

Nevertheless, the first line of defense will

be to prevent infection from happening at all.

Quite right.

But the task is too big for a Royal

Pharmaceutist to handle alone.

I see.

So your true aim today is

Yes.

Let us head to the palace at once!

I see. I grasp your request.

I shall close most of the gates and limit

the merchants' points of entry into the city.

We are grateful for your decision.

In addition, please allow me to set up

cargo inspection points at the gates.

The pharmaceutists of the Compounding

Pharmacy Guild wish to serve.

Of course.

Anything else?

The Black Death is spread to humans

by fleas that feed in particular on rats.

In other words, we should

eliminate routes of infection?

Precisely, Your Majesty.

I seek a proclamation instructing residents

to exterminate rats and fleas,

and to boil their own clothes.

I shall issue an edict

today on that as well.

Minister, make the arrangements at once!

Yes, ma'am!

I thank you for your swift

judgment, Your Majesty.

Don't thank me, Bruno.

Protecting the lives of the Empire's

subjects is my responsibility as empress.

And besides,

I place the very deepest

trust in your bold claims.

We shan't allow this disease

to wreak havoc on our nation.

Put your utmost into your efforts.

Yes, Your Majesty!

A microscope?

That's what this is?

Yes.

It's a compound microscope,

comprising an ocular lens and a convex lens.

It allows greater magnification

and a larger field of view.

Wow

Most importantly,

it decreases the risk of accidentally

touching samples to your eyes or mouth.

How go the preparations

with the new medicine?

Without a hitch.

The material you provided has been powdered

and turned to 1,000 patients' worth of doses.

I have had doses distributed to

member shops and quarantine stations.

Thank you very much.

Let's hope we won't have to use them.

Should anyone be found to be infected, we'll

provide treatment at no cost, as instructed.

If the bacteria infect the lungs,

the disease will spread quickly from

person to person via airborne droplets.

Make sure to give the medicine to anyone

who may need it, no matter who they are.

I'll give the pharmaceutists

strict orders to do so.

Well then, I leave the

capital in your hands.

We'll work as a team and stop

the Black Death in its tracks!

Finance Minister,

how are preparations for the

Saint Fleuve Fair proceeding?

Smoothly, Your Majesty.

The various guilds and

merchants of the Empire

are fully focused on preparing their wares.

And more foreign merchants arrive every day.

The quarantine stations appear

to be functioning normally.

I see. That is splendid.

I have reports that Bishop Salomon

at the Imperial Temple

has gathered practitioners of wind Divine

Arts and strengthened purification patrols.

A welcome precaution.

At present, rumors of a strange, unknown

disease appear to be completely in check.

Good.

The Saint Fleuve Fair must be conducted

according to thorough safety measures.

The standing of the Empire is at stake.

Considering the enormous

effects on the economy—

Naturally, that is a factor.

However, the greater concern is this:

sudden chaos causes unrest

and exposes weakness at home and abroad.

When faced with an unknown situation,

not everyone can make rational,

logical decisions the way that boy does.

Do not squander the good fortune

of having him in this moment.

Now, do what is required of you!

Yes, ma'am!

I sent word to the advance team

that we would depart today.

Thanks.

I've only dealt with plague

as a page in history.

Will I really be able to contend with it?

Don't worry.

Please, let Master Farma come home safe!

You've saved so many people.

Panactheos—no, Farma.

We all know the things you've done.

Master Farma! Work hard!

But don't overdo it!

Work a healthy amount of hard!

You aren't alone, Farma.

I believe in you, too!

I'll do everything in my power.

Master Farma! Have a safe trip!

Onward! To Marseirre!

Ah, what beauty the world possesses!

Episode 10

The Black Death