Chapter 326 I'll Help You Properly
Rihito came out of the guest room where Blaze was.
Originally, the picnic basket that Rihito and the others were supposed to eat in the Secret Garden was laid out on a big table near the Carrel, and Hannah hurried to prepare warm soup.
Sara had just eaten a late brunch, but since it was almost noon, the others were starting to feel hungry. Everyone except Sara shared information while eating.
"Blaze seems to be in the early stages of a fever. From now on, his temperature will probably rise more. I can't say for sure since I haven't examined him, but I think Mister Thomas, who is bedridden at the Jeffrey residence, probably has a fever too. It's an infectious disease that spreads during this time, but Blaze is not just a child; it seems his growth has been hindered by years of malnutrition. His life and diet have improved since coming to the Grandchester territory, but he's still smaller compared to Sir Christopher, who is the same age. He might get worse."
"I've heard that there were days when the mercenary group couldn't eat anything. They were even ordered to maintain weapons and armor until midnight, so that might be part of it."
Scott explained Blaze's past to Rihito.
"Can I ask about Mister Thomas's symptoms?"
"He has a high fever and joint pain. Also, he has severe headaches."
"Just as I expected. I'll go to the Jeffrey residence later for a house call. I need to inform the maids who are taking care of him as well."
"Understood."
Scott nodded.
"Rihito, maybe it would be better for a golem to take care of him?"
"Golems don't get infected, so that's definitely better, but a lot of infected people should appear in the territory soon. We should prioritize delivering medicine and doing food distributions in poor areas."
In response to Sara's question, Rihito casually said something terrifying.
"Wait, Rihito. Is there a sign that a fever is spreading?"
"Signs? It's an infectious disease that spreads every year to some extent. I heard from a farmer before that when the wheat harvest is late, fevers tend to spread. It's not something that's been proven, but thinking back, it does seem like years when fevers were widespread, the wheat harvest was late. Just like this year."
"What?!"
"It seems we should contact the bureaucrats, the Pharmacist Guild, and the Alchemist Guild to confirm. Since it started at the Jeffrey residence in the Grandchester Castle grounds, the outbreak in the capital city has probably already begun. Sara, what will you do as a merchant?"
"I'll quickly gather necessary supplies like medicine, food, clean cloth, and blankets, and set up a system to deliver them as needed. By the way, is this fever like the flu?"
"It's not exactly the same, but it's very similar. The treatment methods should be almost the same, so it should be fine."
"What about vaccines or special medicines?"
"Do you think there are such things in this world?"
"I feel like there might be something near Rihito. I mean, you mentioned it yourself when you woke up."
Rihito couldn't help but smile wryly at this answer.
"I was just waking up, so I accidentally let that slip. I can probably make a special medicine. In fact, I've confirmed its effectiveness in clinical trials."
"So then..."
"However, there still aren't enough clinical trials. If serious side effects show up after it's available to the public, it would be a disaster. Would you use such a drug?"
Sara seriously considered Rihito's question.
"No, I wouldn't use it. I believe drugs should be tested over time."
"Yeah, I think so too. Especially if it's for kids like Blaze. Before I went to sleep, I reported my research on a cure for the fever to the former Marquis Grandchester, but Gil only accepted the research materials and said, 'This research is good enough for now,' and stopped my work."
"Now that you mention it, you did say that right after you woke up. But why?"
"It seems he didn't like that I suggested involving the Pharmacist Guild and the Alchemist Guild for a large-scale clinical trial. I guess he wanted to keep my research from leaking outside the Grandchester family."
"That's terrible! Lives are at stake!"
"In a way, it might be typical of nobles. If it's a cure for the fever, they could gain favor with the royal family. It's not surprising they would worry about the recipe being made public."
"They're using the health of the people, not just the citizens, as bargaining chips."
"You can understand Gil's actions, right, Sara?"
"I can, but I wouldn't take that approach."
Hearing Sara's answer, Rihito leaned in with interest.
"So, what would the compassionate Miss Sara do?"
"Mercy for me? Don't make me laugh. I'm not going to take the risk of offering it to the royal family and getting monopolized. I'll definitely go big and publicly share the recipe with multiple guilds and the merchant guild. I'll use this opportunity to boost the reputation of the Sophia Merchant Guild. Of course, I'll buy up the necessary materials and acquire the herb-growing areas before the public release."
"Wow, now the guild seems cute."
"You should broaden your perspective. If you only focus on the profits from keeping knowledge to yourself, you'll miss out on much bigger gains."
"Oh, I see."
"Also, if you blatantly profit in a highly public business area, it will greatly lower the merchant guild's reputation. Even if it seems like a loss in the short term, in the long run, contributing to the public good is more beneficial. If many people are helped by sharing the medicine recipe, those people will become potential customers for the Sophia Merchant Guild. If the same product is sold at the same price, it's only natural to buy from a merchant guild you like."
"I get it. But isn't buying up materials considered price gouging?"
"That only works at first. If it's a truly profitable market, another supply chain will quickly emerge. So, I think it's just about recovering the research and development costs and calling it a day."
While Rihito was deep in conversation, Amelia and Alicia also arrived. While eating, they asked Rihito about the future plans for Blaze.
"Mr. Rihito, what kind of medicine will you prescribe for Blaze?"
"Since his fever hasn't fully risen yet, it's better not to lower it too soon. But that will only be a matter of time. I think I'll prepare some fever reducers just in case."
"Preparations for antipyretics are ready for winter. However, using antipyretics for children's fevers often leads to side effects, so they can't be prescribed easily."
"Yeah, I get it. Amelia is a good pharmacist."
Remembering the earlier conversation with Sara, Rihito showed a troubled expression.
"Generally, the antipyretics used in Avalon are extracted from willow bark, right?"
"Yes."
"What else?"
"There's also imported cinchona bark, bezoar, and bear bile, but they are a bit expensive."
"You've studied well. But none of these should be used for children's fevers."
"Is it because they can cause seizures or abnormal behavior?"
"Yeah, that's about right. This happens because there are abnormalities in the brain."
"I understand."
"So, the question is what to prescribe. Actually, it's impossible to make antipyretics that can be used for fever treatment in the usual way. So, we either prescribe a potentially dangerous medicine that might have side effects or we just wait and see without giving any medicine."
"So, the methods used until now were wrong..."
"Not necessarily wrong. It's just that the chances of side effects are high. That's the same for any medicine."
"Yes."
"So, unless the fever gets dangerously high, antipyretics shouldn't be given."
"But it's so sad, right? Seeing them suffer with such a high fever."
"I think so too. That's why sometimes I cheat a little."
"Cheat?"
Rihito took out a large jar filled with powder from his spatial storage.
"I think this is a forbidden technique. For now, I'm the only one who can make this."
"Eh?"
"This is a magic potion made with magic. Plus, to be able to make this, I need knowledge from my past life. I don't think even Sara could make this."
When her name was called, Sara looked at the powder and muttered softly.
"No way, Rihito, that's not acetaminophen, right?"
"Oh, Sara, you got it right. You're surprisingly knowledgeable."
"Well, they say you shouldn't take painkillers when you have the flu. I've heard that only acetaminophen is safe."
"Yeah, that's it. The reason I can make this is because of my past life knowledge. Without knowledge of chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, you can't recreate it with magic."
"Rihito, that's not just a cheat level; it's on another level! Where's your self-control? You're not saying you have other medicines too, right?"
"I'll say no comment on that. I usually keep them hidden, and I don't bring them out unless it's really necessary, so you can relax. But right now, Blaze is a bit dangerous."
"Really?"
Everyone's expression changed all at once.
"He must have had a terrible life for years. He might look like a small child, but he still has internal damage. I think he experienced violence like being kicked and hit regularly. On top of that, he probably faced malnutrition and lack of sleep. It's a miracle he survived."
"When I healed his burns, I thought I had fixed everything."
"Sure, the surface looks fine. But his left arm has some areas where the bones are still misaligned, and I think his legs hurt a bit when he runs. Didn't he say anything?"
"Blaze didn't even tell me, his brother, that it hurt."
"Maybe Blaze has just gotten used to the pain."
"That's terrible..."
"Poor thing, he has internal injuries too. Sara, healing magic doesn't work on fevers, but it can help with physical injuries, so I think you should heal Blaze first. I can use healing magic too, but since you have more magic power, it's better if you do it."
"Rihito, you don't have that little magic power, do you?"
"I know it's a forbidden move, but I have a feeling I need to save some magic power to make medicine just in case something happens."
"That might be true. Then I'll take care of Blaze's treatment. Should I also supply Thomashiina's magic power?"
"That would really help."
"Got it."
Suddenly, the librarian golem spoke up.
"Miss Sara, Sir Rihito, please check on Sir Blaze. Even though the room is warm, he is complaining of coldness and seems to be in pain."
"It looks like his fever is getting serious. Alicia, I'm sorry, but could you make some oral rehydration solution? You learned how to do it when Sara was sick, right?"
"Leave it to me, Grandfather."
"Amelia, come with me. I'll explain how to use this medicine."
"Okay."
"Sara, you come too. Let's treat the physical injuries first."
"Understood."
Scott also stood up, but Rihito stopped him.
"It's better to lower the chance of infection as much as possible. I know you're worried, but can you leave Blaze to me?"
"Understood. Please take care of my brother."
Scott couldn't hide his anxious expression and could only gently bow his head to Rihito. Rihito softly patted Scott's head.
"Don't worry. I'll help him."
After saying just that, he headed to the guest room where Blaze was, with Sara and Amelia following him.
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