I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Episode 82. Rhetoric over Medicine (2)

Episode 82. Rhetoric over Medicine (2)

For hundreds of years, the Russian Imperial government monopolized the trade of vodka within its borders. It might seem like nothing, but the extent was such that…

Around 30% of the Imperial government’s revenue came from vodka sales. It was an enormous source of funds. For the record, Lenin eliminated this practice, but it was revived during Stalin’s era. It’s still around.

That’s a thought that suddenly popped into my head while explaining things to the high-ranking officials of this empire. One thing I misunderstood.

When I brought up the idea of a monopoly on penicillin production this time. I was thinking in terms of the relationship between modern pharmaceutical companies and the government.

You know, like pharmaceutical companies negotiating drug prices with the government. The policies related to the complex drug price system to protect both consumer health rights and the innovative power of companies.

But pre-modern people thought differently.

If I was thinking of a pharmaceutical company, what the prince and the surrounding officials were expecting was likely something closer to the state-run vodka companies of the Russian Empire. A means for the government to monopolize essential resources and use them as a tool of governance.

A good opportunity to increase government revenue and exert influence. The officials of the empire seemed to show only slight interest in what kind of medicine antibiotics were. They didn’t seem to care much.

It’s good I didn’t have to persuade anyone, but it left a bitter taste. Though maybe this is better for me?

Your Imperial tax money, citizens, they just dumped 2.5 million gold without even checking what kind of company this is…

Anyway.

The Prince continued.

“According to Professor Asterisk’s plan, this new company can recoup the investment within a year of starting operations, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re also preparing to produce other medicines, besides the one that brought us together this time?”

I nodded. Judging by the level of technology, they could even make aspirin here. It’d be much easier than penicillin, even.

Though it wouldn’t save as many lives as penicillin. But aspirin might sell better. More uses, too.

“That’s right.”

“And if, by chance, making the medicines fails, Professor Asterisk can control the loss by running a hospital or publishing books.”

True enough, if the medicine fails this time, that’s what we’d have to do. Maybe starting a hospital after making some money isn’t a bad idea, later on.

“Yes.”

“Then it’s settled.”

The Prince looked around, as if wrapping up the meeting, and started to speak.

“We’ll establish a pharmaceutical company under royal charter. Government agencies will take 60% of the shares, private or external investors 30%, and those providing the original technology over there, 10%.”

“10%… does that mean 1 million gold?”

“We’ll make it 5 million total, so 500,000. Invest the other half from your earnings. Professor Asterisk will join as an executive and scientific advisor.”

No one seemed to object.

“Hold on a minute.”

Mint just raised her hand.

Had been so quiet all along, I’d figured she wasn’t thinking anything. Everyone’s gaze shifted to the princess, and after a few false coughs, Mint began to speak.

“Please, go on.”

“I understand you can make the drug work. But Professor Asterix is juggling so many other commitments.”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t Professor Asterix too busy to focus on the chartered company work? Given their current state?”

I thought for sure Mint would be on my side, what was she getting at?

“I’ll try, for now.”

Mint shook her head. Seems that wasn’t the answer they were hoping for. I looked at Mint.

“I wish Asterix would step down from their professorship at the right time, and focus on the chartered company, or the chartered company’s affiliated hospital.”

“Ah. And the ‘right time’ you’re referring to would be…?”

“Around two years from now. Around the time I graduate.”

Mint’s blue eyes locked onto my face.

I considered it a bit.

It didn’t seem like an unreasonable request, but still… I looked at Manfred in the center of the meeting room. He just shrugged.

“She’s right. Can you do that?”

Just say yes for now. I can always think about it again in two years, it felt so far away.

“Yes.”

The meeting room buzzed for a moment. Mostly a sense of relief, it seemed. That at least a few years from now, I’d be joining the company they were going to build.

“The meeting is adjourned. And thanks for your efforts, Professor.”

I bowed my head in greeting after a long while.

The Prince and the government people, though the meeting was over, didn’t get up. Guess there was something left to discuss without me…

That’s how I left the conference room.

Professor Asterix was gone, and Mint and the others also exited the now-disordered meeting room. The Director hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“This time, buying shares in this company, about 2.5 million gold from the national treasury is going in, right? To be used as initial investment costs for the company.”

“That’s the conclusion.”

“Your Highness. Regarding this matter, I must risk being rude to say something.”

“What is it?”

“It’s just one person. What are you trusting to hand over such a large sum of money? With the plan as it is now, we’re just giving away 500,000 gold before the company even opens, even if we forget about the investment.”

Manfred shook his head.

“If it fails anyway, it’ll be scrap paper. Until that company the professor talked about is established, and the medicine is sold successfully, not a single penny goes to him. It’s an amount without substance anyway.”

“That’s true. But was it really necessary to give a single individual a full 10% of the company?”

The Prince didn’t think so.

“Teacher Violet vouched for him. Said there have been six, no, seven, brawls at academic conferences because of Professor Asterix.”

The Prince wasn’t an expert. But that was the opinion of Violet, who was an expert. Asterix was always right in his academic opinions, she’d said.

“Do old men at academic societies really do that?”

“So I heard. If they can sell ten million gold worth of medicine a year, what’s the problem? If the revenue is from a government-run company, it’s practically tax revenue, isn’t it. It’s an opportunity we can’t miss.”

“He’s literally just a medicine peddler, isn’t he.”

“Well, he’s the kind of person that having him near might get you an extra life. Even if the company he wants to make goes completely bust and he ends up in debt, keeping him close isn’t a bad deal. Though there might be people who lose money.”

Ultimately. I have to keep him close, by any means necessary. You never know when that professor might save your life. There’ve been plenty of people in the Academy who were brought back from the brink thanks to Asterix.

“You saw three steps ahead.”

“Spare me the flattery. It’s just common sense.”

The bank president nodded.

“But, Your Highness, what kind of medicine is that professor selling?”

“I don’t know either. He’ll figure it out.”

It wasn’t like he hadn’t been briefed. There were reports and papers filed. But, the content wasn’t exactly something the imperial bureaucrats could easily grasp.

He heard even the experts were having a slugfest trying to understand it.

It’s a good thing Violet, the imperial healer, got in on the process early and got her hands on important info. At least, that’s how the Prince saw it.

She was practically first in line.

“Doctor Violet. Could you explain again, what kind of medicine the professor is making?”

“Ah, yes.”

Violet fumbled for a piece of paper.

“Simply put, it’s like this. There are these tiny particles that cause decay. They’re bacteria. On the other hand, blue mold, if you look at it under a microscope, looks like a tiny plant structure.”

“Right.”

“When blue mold puts down roots, if the bacteria are eating up all the nutrients in the food, wouldn’t the blue mold starve to death? That’s why it releases a substance to kill the bacteria around it.”

“Fascinating.”

“We can extract that substance and use it to treat diseases caused by these bacteria within the human body, things like gangrene, or puerperal fever.”

“Indeed. Investment in the research was worth it.”

The two men expressed their vague admiration. Violet nodded with a serious expression.

Escape from the meeting room.

The grad students were hanging out in the corner reception room of the Imperial Palace. I was going to try and get them to say something too. Sorry about that.

“Oh, Professor, you’re here.”

Istina and Amy are sipping coffee. Where’d they even get that?

“Sorry. Didn’t think they’d act like that.”

“What happened?”

“Um… it wasn’t the kind of place we were expecting when we were preparing. They didn’t even ask about the content, just talked about other stuff.”

“Did you succeed?”

“I succeeded.”

“So, is the research funding going to be a lot more now?”

I nodded. It’s not just the research funding. If we make a company out of it…

“Right. Like I promised, we’ll cover your tuition. And double your TA pay.”

Istina and Amy stared at me, wide-eyed, like they’d forgotten how to breathe.

“Thank you…!”

“H-honestly, thank you…!”

Istina bowed her head. Amy kept repeating her thanks. It’s a festival atmosphere.

Doubling the grad students’ pay isn’t *that* much money. Of course, if you add it to what they get for working in the ward, it’s a decent sum.

“So, now do we start looking into the mass production process for penicillin? Or…?”

“First, we need to establish the company.”

How quickly can we begin producing penicillin? It’ll take time to complete the specific process, of course.