The Price of Reputation
The light of the crystal ball faded, and the study fell silent once more. I closed my notebook and set down my pen. One thought kept circling in my mind, a piece of advice from my master: "You will need a bodyguard of at least the 4th-Circle, or capital that even a Ducal house cannot ignore."
The moment I heard those words, I realized exactly what my problem was. I’ve been too focused on making medicines that save lives. Until now, I had always prioritized reputation when developing new drugs. Since I’d already become a protagonist, I wanted to be remembered as the greatest doctor in history, so I had focused on medicines that people needed immediately. I had even gone out of my way to lower prices for those in need rather than gouging them for profit. As part of that effort, I sold quinine to soldiers at half price, and our company covered the costs of insulin for children with congenital diabetes.
Thanks to these actions, I had successfully avoided the image of a greedy upstart. But as a result of those accumulated deeds, my wealth had failed to keep pace with my reputation. I focused too much on "reputation farming." I had assumed that if I just became famous for the right reasons, the money would follow. I never dreamed this kind of side effect would occur.
"Ah, the 'misunderstanding' trope." It’s great because life is easy, but this is the downside. Things never go exactly according to my plans. "I need capital. Capital befitting my reputation." A 4th-Circle bodyguard doesn't just fall from the sky. It would be more realistic to earn the money myself than to wait until I could recruit someone of that caliber. In the end, everything boiled down to money.
"Is it finally time to make this?" I opened the high-end, leather-bound research notebook sitting in the corner of the study. It was my so-called "Transmigrator’s Notebook"—the cliché essential item for any transmigrator, where I kept all my important memories from back then. As I flipped through the pages, I saw my own handwriting from my younger days, back when my penmanship hadn't yet been refined.
It was one of the three drugs I had written down before I even created quinine. It was one of the "Three Divine Treasures" I could realistically produce. Sildenafil—better known to the public as Viagra. However, this drug had a minor issue. "It’s not exactly a medicine that 'saves lives' in the traditional sense." No, to be precise, it does save something. It just doesn't save a life; it saves a man’s pride. There was nothing wrong with the drug itself. The problem was that selling it might tarnish my image.
"It doesn't fit the image of Director Shun at all." Think about it. There’s a scientist who spreads altruism by creating things like insulin, quinine, and heparin. Then, suddenly, without any context, that same scientist starts researching a drug to enhance male performance and begins selling it. It’s completely out of character. And since this world operates on the "misunderstanding" trope, people might even assume I researched it because I had personal issues with my own performance.
"Yeah, a story where I intended to make it from the start is a bit..." There was only one way to solve this. I had to make it look like the drug was created by accident. Fortunately, if I referenced the actual history of how Viagra was discovered, it wouldn't be too difficult. Viagra was originally developed as a heart medication. However, during clinical trials, it was discovered that it had little effect on heart disease, but had a rather... distinct effect elsewhere. That was how it became the king of erectile dysfunction treatments.
I needed to design the circumstances of Director Shun creating this drug in the same way. In this case, the role of Gustav, the head of the Merchant Guild, was more important than mine. I would claim I was trying to make a heart medicine, and the Guild Leader would be the one to notice the "side effect." In short, it must never look like I intended this from the beginning.
"Well, if it’s the Guild Leader, he can pull it off." It’s easy to misunderstand him because of his "nouveau riche" image, but the man is actually quite sharp. He’s diligent enough to study the principles and applications of every medicine his guild sells. If it’s him, he’ll be able to figure out how Viagra can be utilized. After all, you can’t run a guild of this scale if you’re stupid. There’s a reason I left him in charge of everything even after I became a co-representative.
"I need to contact the Guild Leader." Strike while the iron is hot, right? I immediately reached for the crystal ball.
[—For that reason, we must conduct clinical trials, Guild Leader. Since it is a heart medication, we cannot afford any side effects.]
"I will keep that in mind, Young Master."
[Please handle the persuasion of the other directors.]
"Haha. Leave it to me."
The next day. After hearing about the heart medication from Julian, Gustav immediately began planning for its development. "The Young Master guaranteed that this drug would be a bigger cash cow than insulin." After hearing the explanation, Gustav couldn't help but agree. Medicines that must be taken consistently always generate more revenue than those used for temporary treatment. The fact that insulin, used only by patients with diabetes, generated more revenue than quinine, used by almost everyone in the south, was a prime example. Quinine is taken only when sick, but insulin must be taken every single day. Even with a smaller patient base, the consistency drove higher sales.
"The heart medication will be the same." Heart medication, like insulin, must be taken daily. Furthermore, it was a "blue ocean" with no existing competitors. Of course, there was a heart medicine called Digitalis, but its side effects were so severe that it was embarrassing to even call it a competitor. Therefore, the heart medication we were about to create had a high probability of becoming the company's flagship product, rivaling insulin.
"There must be no mistakes." Just as insulin had led the company's golden age, there could be no errors with this heart medication. Thus, the very next day after receiving the call, Gustav convened a board meeting.
— [What? You want us to come in this much snow?]
— [How important could this possibly be?]
— [Fine. I'll be there.]
The next morning. The conference room on the 3rd floor of the Merkur Merchant Guild headquarters. The board members who had braved the blizzard took their seats on either side of the long table. One director was usually absent due to his busy medical practice, and today was no exception. The early morning emergency board meeting began with seven of the eight directors in attendance.
"I apologize for calling you in this weather."
Gustav, who entered the room last, waddled toward the head of the table. Before he could even sit down, Director Knopf, who had been briefed on the agenda, spoke up.
"Guild Leader. I’ve reviewed the documents regarding the heart medication. It certainly has the potential to become our guild's long-cherished project, rivaling insulin. If it meant launching this drug sooner, I would have called everyone in this weather, too."
"Thank you for understanding."
"However, I have one question." Knopf rubbed his brow. "Is it really necessary to conduct clinical trials again?"
There was no hostility or irritation in his voice. Only a deep, heavy fatigue. Gustav spoke as if reprimanding him. "It’s not 'again,' it is something we must do, Director Knopf."
"I understand what you're saying. But I question whether we truly need to go that far." Knopf took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "Other guilds don't do clinical trials. Not just pharmaceutical guilds, but all of them."
"We've done well so far, so why change now?"
"As you know, Guild Leader, the cost of clinical trials is astronomical. Since Director Shun is covering all development costs, that part is negligible, but the clinical trial costs alone account for 70% of our current production cost. Don't you wonder what our revenue would look like if we cut that down?"
"..."
Gustav seemed slightly swayed by Knopf's words. In this era, guilds usually operated the way Knopf described. If there was a problem, you covered it with money; if money didn't work, you sent someone to make the problem disappear. It was cleaner and more cost-effective. Gustav knew this fact very well. If he had been the Guild Leader from a few years ago, he might have agreed with Knopf. He would have forged the clinical trial results without Director Shun knowing and launched the drug as is. But the Gustav of today could not do that.
"I understand what you are trying to say, Director Knopf."
"Then..."
"But there is one point we must address. Why is it that our guild currently maintains a monopoly on the vaccine business?"
"Isn't it because Director Shun created it?"
"No. Consumers are not that simple. In the market, price is always the priority." Gustav tapped the table once. "The vaccine patent has already expired, and other guilds are analyzing the ingredients to create similar drugs at lower prices than ours. Yet, consumers only look for our products. Do you know why?"
Director Knopf shook his head. Gustav continued.
"It is because of these clinical trials. We have never once conducted a clinical trial carelessly. Because consumers remember that, they only seek our vaccines. They think other guilds' vaccines are dangerous, and in fact, side effects occur frequently with them."
The room fell silent.
"We didn't even use that for marketing. What is our guild's current slogan?"
"... A Future You Can Trust."
"Exactly." Gustav nodded. "But as Director Knopf knows, trust is like a sandcastle. It can crumble in an instant due to a single mistake."
"... My thinking was too shallow." Knopf bowed his head as he put his glasses back on. Gustav waved his hand.
"It's fine. I was like that once, too. Just don't do it again. However, there is one thing we must address."
"...?"
"We need to be clear about the fact that you just tried to deceive Director Shun."
Gustav placed both hands on the table. The playfulness that usually lingered in his eyes vanished. The other directors stiffened as they looked at Director Knopf. In this boardroom, Director Shun was an existence of a different caliber. The other directors were new executives who had joined as the guild neared the 1st-class status. Director Shun, however, had built this guild from the brink of collapse to its current position. Furthermore, every flagship product of this guild had been born from his hands, and that would continue to be the case. The title of "Representative Director" was only forced upon him because he kept refusing the title of "Co-Owner."
Knowing this, none of the directors dared to try and offend Director Shun. Yet, Director Knopf had proposed deceiving him and forging clinical trial results. He had crossed a line, even if only for a moment.
"Director Knopf. I understand that you're not used to how we work here, having come from another guild. But if you work that way here, you won't live a long life."
At Gustav's sharp warning, Director Knopf nodded vigorously. "... I will never do it again."
"Good." Gustav smiled brightly. "Then let's vote. We will proceed with a vote on the budget for the heart medication clinical trials. Please refer to the attached documents for the budget scale, and speak up now if you have any objections."
No one raised an objection. The sound of pens scratching against paper filled the room. A moment later, the secretary collected the ballots and tallied them.
"Seven in favor, none against. The motion is carried."
"Good." Gustav stood up. "That is all for the morning session. After a 30-minute break, we will discuss how to prepare the distribution network for this drug."
Break time. A coffee pot and teacups were placed on a table in the corner of the conference room. While Gustav was away, three directors stood with their cups, chatting.
"By the way," one director said, tilting his teacup. "What wind blew that suddenly made him interested in heart medication? I thought Director Shun wasn't interested in that field."
"Wasn't that because of the scholarship foundation?"
"The scholarship foundation? You mean Director Shun's new hobby?"
"That's right."
"What does that have to do with heart medication? Was there a student with a weak heart?"
"Not exactly. I heard that during the last scholarship student dinner, he was talking to a child and came up with something called 'GIK therapy.' It's a heart protection treatment involving a mixture of glucose, insulin, and potassium."
"Ah, I read about that. I think insulin sales will go up because of it."
"I suspect that's where it started. He must have realized there were no drugs for the heart while researching GIK therapy."
"So he got the idea from a conversation with a single student and even created a new drug?"
The director let out a sigh mixed with admiration and resignation. "Haha. A genius is different, no matter what."
"That's just who he is. He’s the one who looked at a pig's pancreas and thought of insulin."
"True. How could mere mortals understand such a genius?"
The directors nodded to each other and finished their tea.
After the board meeting, Gustav Piper walked down the 3rd-floor hallway to his office. When he opened the door, his secretary had already organized the documents on his desk.
"Guild Leader. While you were in the meeting, Director Shun contacted us again. It’s about the apprentice accounting staff."
"Ah, right." Gustav sat heavily in his chair and rubbed his forehead. "Valeria... was it?"
"Yes. She is a student scheduled to enter the Imperial Academy's high school division this year."
"Hmm." Gustav scanned the documents the secretary handed him. The scholarship foundation resume, transcript, and Director Shun's letter of recommendation were attached.
"If it's a request from the Director, then of course." Gustav set the documents down. "Tell her she will be doing apprentice accounting work here before she enters the high school division."
"Even if it is a request from Director Shun, is it okay to entrust such work to a student?"
"Every other guild does it. High school students usually do an apprenticeship like this to build experience before they enter."
"Do students need experience?"
"Professors prefer to take on students who already have experience as their disciples. That's how the world works."
"Students have it rough in many ways."
Gustav gave a bitter smile and looked down at the documents. In the photo, the child was a girl with her black hair neatly tied back, wearing a gray shawl over her school uniform. For a sixteen-year-old, her eyes were cold, giving the impression that she would get the job done right.
"For starters, let's send her a copy of the ledger we processed five years ago as an assignment. It'll be a good way to test her skills."
As he looked down at the girl's photo, Gustav thought, "To come for a tour at this time of all times. She’s a truly lucky scholarship student."