Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Finally Pasteur (4)
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The academic world had been completely turned upside down. This was before the fallout from the cholera paper had even settled—in fact, even before the microscope paper's impact had faded.
Flip it twice and it returns to normal? No, this was the third time, so calling it utterly overturned was hardly an exaggeration.
The medical field had been hammered three times in a row.
Over the span of just about a month. And this time, it wasn't even a proper paper.
The incident started with a graduate student named Anne, who had gone to spy on Professor Asterix's class as usual. She was pale as a ghost.
Bang!
The door to Professor Kropelter's lab flew open. In burst Anne, the graduate student drenched in sweat.
"Professor!"
"What is it? Who died?"
She had burst in so frantically that it wasn't unreasonable for Professor Kropelter to assume the worst. But Anne shook her head vigorously.
"Th-the miasma theory... It was completely disproven in this class!"
"Miss Anne. What are you talking about?"
It didn't make any sense.
Out of nowhere, she was claiming that a cornerstone of modern medicine had been refuted during an undergraduate lecture. Professor Kropelter scratched his head.
"Th-the mold stems had these sprout-like heads—"
"Calm down and explain slowly."
Anne caught her breath.
"Professor Asterix has been attacking the miasma theory ever since he arrived, right?"
"That's true."
He'd gone after it relentlessly, like he had a personal grudge. Claiming he'd found particles that caused plagues right away, saying the cause of cholera-like dysentery was tiny particles in water, unleashing a barrage without a single day's rest.
He'd even dragged undergraduate classes into it.
"It looks like he's finally delivered a complete refutation this time. He put boiled meat broth into two flasks—one sealed with a water-trapped bend, the other left open—and as expected, decay only happened in the open one."
"Intriguing, but I'm not sure it's conclusive proof."
"That's not the issue. What came after is. He looked at mold under the microscope and saw structures for releasing spores."
Professor Kropelter frowned.
"Spores?"
"The tiny particles molds use to reproduce."
The prevailing theory in academia was that molds arose spontaneously in old food or as a reaction to miasma.
There were plenty who didn't see molds as living creatures. But now another traditional assumption was under attack.
This time, with empirical evidence.
"Proving the existence of particles that cause decay, and perfectly explaining how they spread through the air... The debate is over."
Professor Kropelter pondered for a moment.
"So, let me get this straight. Professor Asterix just demonstrated those plague particles he'd been singing about in an undergrad class, observed them directly, and even provided evidence that they float in the air?"
That was the conclusion.
Anne nodded eagerly.
"Hmm, alright. Good work getting this intel."
Professor Kropelter wasn't one to ignore evidence. If perfect proof was presented, he could reconsider his views.
But why? Why on earth would he drop a bombshell refuting a pillar of modern medicine in the middle of an undergrad class? No matter how he thought about it, it didn't add up.
Is he insane?
"No, who would do that? Isn't it more likely he's tricking the undergrads with sleight of hand and teaching them nonsense?"
"Um, I watched the swan-neck flask experiment myself. And the magnified mold? No way that's faked."
Anne had considered that, but she couldn't spot any flaws. What could be manipulated? Was there a way to fake a swan-neck flask? Mold spores weren't something you could fabricate anyway.
"Figures."
"No counterarguments come to mind."
"Anne. You really think there's no refutation? Should we jump ship too?"
Anne nodded. Professor Kropelter pressed a hand to his forehead and began to brood.
The cause of decay was mold. More precisely, mold was one of the causes of decay.
A microscopic structure in mold that disperses particles into the air had been discovered. And experiments showed that blocking those particles from entering sterilized broth prevented decay.
It was practically a perfect refutation.
He'd need to see the published results in a journal, but if what Anne said was true, the academic society was about to become a battlefield again.
"That's enough for now, Anne. Good work today."
"Thank you."
Professor Kropelter pulled out pen and paper.
- On the Microstructures of Mold.
- Professor Fisher. In Professor Asterix's undergraduate class this time, he claims to have elucidated mold's microstructure under the microscope.
- He says he found structures that release seed-like particles into the air. Linking it to his ongoing hypothesis about particles causing plagues, inflammation, and decay.
- Have you ever seen anything similar, Professor Fisher? It's such an outlandish hypothesis that it's hard to accept rashly.
Princess Mint was sitting in my lab again today. This time, not in my chair, but on the sofa.
"Hey."
"You again— Oh, wait, that's not right. My apologies. Greetings to Your Highness the Princess."
"Yeah."
Today she was in her standard academy uniform. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, white shirt topped with a cardigan.
The uniform skirt wasn't short, but crossing her legs made her thighs visible. The necktie? She must've been too lazy to knot it properly—it was just draped over her collar like she'd caught a snake.
Honestly, the necktie stood out the most.
"At least tie your necktie properly. You look like a delinquent."
"Oh, really?"
Mint fumbled to tie it.
"So, what's your business today?"
"Teach me."
"With all due respect, how am I supposed to teach a class I've never heard of?"
"Can't do it?"
This seemed tricky.
"It's a great chance to become National Preceptor. Be my tutor. Subjects? Study them yourself. Nothing that hard. You're smart."
I had no idea what she thought of me. Sometimes treating me like a guard dog, other times asking with a worried face if this was a serious illness (when it was just a cold). Expecting me to solve any problem... That was her style.
But I couldn't solve everything. I was busy too.
"No, Your Highness. I'm busy."
"So. You won't?"
"Yes."
"Eh. Too bad."
"Your Highness, if I may be so bold, when do you plan to leave the lab?"
"That's your problem. Every time I see you, it's 'Your Highness, when are you leaving?' 'Your Highness, please go soon.' When you meet your lord, a vassal should ask after their well-being, act friendly, you know."
Every time I tried small talk, she'd scold me for saying trivial nonsense. I wanted to do what she wanted, but I didn't know what that was.
"How was your class today, Your Highness?"
"Trivial nonsense."
Was she joking around?
"If you want to negotiate, act like the superior and state what you want along with fair compensation."
"You be National Preceptor. I won't leave the lab until you say yes."
No, this was just a tantrum.
I met Mint's eyes. They had the gaze of someone with endless free time... And a burning determination to win.
"You're not a child, Your Highness."
"What if I am? I'll pay you well for lessons."
"That sounds an awful lot like allowance money..."
"What's allowance money?"
I shut my mouth.
Explaining wouldn't end well. Mint got her circuits scratched every time we met, but actually upsetting her felt wrong.
Plus, it felt like bullying a kid. Pretending to relent, I sighed.
"Fine. Starting next week, I'll tutor you. See you then."
"Eaten dinner?"
"Yes."
"Can't eat again?"
"No thanks."
Everything else was fine, but I needed to get to work. I grabbed Mint's sleeve and pulled her up. She looked up at me with a pout.
I gently nudged her out with the book in my hand. Princess Mint grumbled something as she finally left the lab.
She acted pretty normal with others. Why did she only pull this spoiled, bratty nonsense with me?
Meanwhile, in the hallway outside Asterix's lab.
Princess Mint looked down at the girl sitting on the floor, flipping through papers and clutching her head. Estina Ivyheart looked up.
"Eek! Greetings, Your Highness."
"Do you like the floor that much?"
"Yes, I love the fl— No, I don't."
"Then why are you sitting there?"
Estina swallowed the words It's because of you, Your Highness. She wasn't the type to say that—or even contemplate saying it.
The princess shot her a puzzled look, then left the pitiful girl on the floor outside the lab. Estina gathered her scattered belongings.
This was miserable. So miserable. They seemed to be having some important talk. Interrupting their playtime would make the princess furious, but rushing into the lab would make the professor mad...