The Unintended Side Effect of Genius
‘The effect is more potent than I thought.’
The popularity of Viagra had exceeded my wildest imagination. Perhaps it was because in this world, an heir was directly linked to one’s noble title. Even a month after its release, the craze showed no signs of cooling down. To put its success into perspective, it had already surpassed the entire annual revenue of Insulin in just thirty days.
‘As expected of Viagra. I’m glad I memorized the formula separately.’
Unlike drugs like Quinine, Aspirin, or Heparin, which could be extracted from nature, Viagra wasn’t something you could easily replicate just by knowing its history or raw materials. For starters, the components didn’t exist in nature, making extraction impossible. Would you believe me if I told you that if you traced the ingredients of Viagra back to their origin, you’d end up with petroleum? The difficulty of creating Viagra was on par with an act of creation. Yet, there was only one reason I could pull it off: I had memorized the manufacturing process back when I was a medical student.
‘Who would have thought that the thing I memorized instead of soap recipes would be used like this?’
If you look at countless novels, don't all the prospective transmigrators memorize how to make soap? Back in my medical school days, unlike those typical transmigrators, I had memorized the manufacturing processes for slightly more unique things. Specifically, three synthetic drugs that defined an era.
‘On days when there were no patients and nothing to do, I used to look up the research papers for those drugs by myself.’
Trauma surgery has long waiting times. You have nothing to do until the call comes from the emergency room. I spent those hours searching for papers on those drugs. Everything was available in research papers if you just searched the internet. I never imagined I’d reincarnate and put them to such good use back then.
And now, Viagra was bringing me wealth beyond my wildest dreams. Is this what the taste of money is like? Once you’ve experienced the feeling of the leading digits in your bank account changing every time you blink, it’s hard to keep your head straight.
‘I should make the other two once I secure the raw materials and technology.’
I hadn't been greedy originally. But they say old habits die hard—or rather, a late-blooming desire is terrifying—because I found myself wanting to create the other two drugs as soon as possible.
Anyway, everything up to this point had been smooth sailing. However—
“Julian.”
“Yes, Master.”
My master’s reaction, whom I hadn’t visited in a long time, was a bit different from what I expected. Louis Adelhart, the Great Sage, the empire’s greatest mage and my teacher, was holding a bottle of Viagra, his brows furrowed.
“You clearly wanted to reveal the identity of Director Shun to the world around this time two years ago. Because of that marriage issue of yours.”
“Yes. I certainly did. I realized then that I lacked the wealth to handle the reputation of Director Shun.”
“Then do you still feel that way?”
I shook my head. At the time, I had created Viagra to reveal my identity because of the issues with my noble title and the prospect of becoming a son-in-law. Now that I was engaged to Charlotte, those were no longer problems.
“Right. I heard you’re engaged to the daughter of a Marquis. So, there’s no longer a need to reveal the Director’s identity.”
I nodded.
“Then why did you make this drug?”
“The drug was already made and in the testing phase when I got engaged. I never expected to meet Lady Charlotte at the place I followed my father to.”
“Ugh… Should I have met her earlier?”
“Can human connections ever be forced?”
“…”
My master opened his lips halfway as if he had something to say, then closed them again. He then nodded and spoke.
“True. Human connections are indeed ever-changing. But even so… you clearly said you were making a heart medication back then.”
“Yes. That was certainly my intention.”
I had definitely told my master that before I made Viagra.
“Then where did the heart medication go, and why is an aphrodisiac roaming the empire?”
“I’m still wondering how things ended up that way myself.”
But the result, as you can see, was that it didn’t revive the heart, but rather a different, strange part of the body. Of course, this was the result I intended. If Director Shun had set out to make an erectile dysfunction treatment from the start, his character would have been ruined. So, I told those around me I was making a heart medication and disguised it as an unexpected side effect I had discovered. But to my master, who didn’t know my inner thoughts, it must have felt absurd.
“Ahem. Great discoveries often stem from mistakes. The mana stone refining method was like that, and so was the distillation method of alchemy.”
“That is correct, Master.”
“…But I’m not sure if I should call this ‘great’.”
My master’s face was tinged with complexity. He picked up the blue diamond-shaped pill and brought it up to one eye.
“Don’t misunderstand, Julian. I’m not saying your efforts are vulgar. The knowledge contained in this small pill is certainly great.”
After staring at it for a long time, he carefully set the pill down.
“It is certainly a wonderful achievement to have made the stigma of impotence recognized as a treatable, temporary illness thanks to this drug. However…”
My master coughed. Then, he subtly averted his gaze.
“Perhaps it’s because I’m human… but hearing that it’s a drug that acts on that area makes it hard to feel any academic awe. To put it another way, it’s not that the drug is vulgar. It’s just… I simply don’t feel any awe.”
I understand. Honestly, the image of Viagra is a bit funny. Of course, objectively speaking, it is a great drug. But this is… well, it’s a bit much. It’s not for nothing that I created an alibi that I discovered it by accident.
“It’s alright, Master. I was bewildered myself when I first discovered this effect.”
“I apologize. You must have poured everything you had into this drug with the single-minded goal of creating a heart medication. I never intended to insult you.”
This is why I love misunderstanding tropes. No matter what I do, it’s interpreted in a positive light. I feel guilty for deceiving my respected master, but I will take this misunderstanding to my grave.
My master wiped the hand that had touched the pill with a handkerchief and picked up his teacup.
“However, if you strip away that embarrassing side effect, the essence of this drug is truly phenomenal.”
My master wetted his lips with a sip. He coughed again and pulled a thick bundle of parchment from his robes.
It was the research paper containing the manufacturing method and mechanism of the ‘heart medication’ I had sent him—the Viagra prototype. Tapping the paper with his finger, my master exclaimed in admiration.
“I will be honest. The depth of knowledge you handle has now far surpassed the realm this old man can reach.”
“You are too kind.”
“It’s not empty praise. A design method that precisely suppresses only specific enzyme actions in the body to dilate blood vessels… If it weren’t for you, there would be no one in this era capable of designing such a drug.”
“Though it ended up dilating a different blood vessel than the one I targeted.”
My master gave a wry smile at my joke.
“Even so, it remains a great design. In the distant future, other alchemists will be able to create countless drugs by referring to your blueprints. You have essentially opened a new horizon in alchemy.”
My master placed his hand on the paper.
“However, it will take decades, no, perhaps a hundred years for the world to catch up to your design.”
“Is it really that difficult?”
“How many alchemists in the empire could fully understand the knowledge written in this paper? Even I only managed to grasp the outline after reading it three times.”
It seems the principles behind Viagra’s manufacturing were a bit much even for my master. If the Great Sage, who has lived for a thousand years and indulged in knowledge, says that much, it would naturally take even longer for ordinary alchemists.
“Have you made this paper public?”
“No. I’ve restricted access to only the alchemists in our guild.”
“And they understood it?”
I shook my head. Everyone seemed unable to grasp it. So, currently, Viagra is being produced by having each alchemist handle only the processes they understand, effectively compartmentalizing the work. Thanks to this, security has unintentionally been strengthened as well.
“Right. I suppose so. Even if you were to make this paper public, you would be the only one practically capable of synthesizing and improving this drug.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Naturally, where money gathers, thieves also gather. But with the difficulty of this drug being what it is, no one will be able to copy your work.”
I found it hard to agree. People in this world aren’t lacking in intelligence; they’re just lacking in knowledge. I had to look up papers and memorize them back when I was a medical student, too. It didn’t seem impossible for people in this world to do the same.
“I don’t quite understand.”
“Right. You made it, so you don’t understand why it’s difficult.”
My master shook his head. “Anyway, what I wanted to say is that the popularity of this drug won’t be a passing fad. So, at this rate, you will accumulate wealth beyond what you originally desired.”
Accumulating sufficient wealth. That was good news. It meant I finally had the power to handle the name of Director Shun. Of course, I didn’t want to go around telling everyone in the neighborhood that I was Director Shun. It was just that the reality of having to hide my identity at every turn was becoming a bit tiring. So, I wanted to reveal my identity to those close to me. People like Charlotte, or my scholarship students.
“Then, is it alright to reveal Director Shun’s identity to those around me now?”
But my master’s reaction was different from my expectations.
“Well…”
I thought he would nod readily. Instead, he set down his teacup and looked at me steadily.
“Julian, do you know why I haven’t introduced you to the other Tower Masters yet?”
“I’m not sure.”
I shook my head. Honestly, I had been curious about that. Usually, a youngest disciple would at least be introduced to their seniors. My master had seemed to be putting that off for a long time. It was just that I hadn’t asked because I assumed my master had his reasons.
“I will tell you. It is the way of the world that reputation brings corresponding threats, and power brings corresponding grudges.”
“Are you saying that if my seniors find out about me, I could be in danger?”
“Yes.” My master gave a wry smile. “There is no shortage of grudges intertwined between me and the other Tower Masters. That is the path of a mage. Every time one person is proven right, someone else’s life is negated.”
I understand what he means. Certainly, for someone like a Great Sage or a Tower Master, the web of grudges must be complex. The more they cherish me, the higher the possibility that those who hate them will target me. That was why my master had only informed my seniors of my existence without introducing me.
Hearing this much, I felt like I understood what my master was trying to say.
“…So I am no longer in a position to be protected, but in a position where I must protect.”
“Yes.” My master’s single eye shifted from my face to the blue pill on the table.
“As you amass enormous wealth with this drug and your stature grows, countless interests and grudges will become entangled with you before you even realize it. Even if you don’t intend for it to happen.”
At first, I wanted to say that wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t imagine anyone resenting me because of Viagra. Vaccines were enough of a reason for dark mages to hate me, and other drugs were enough to make nobles jealous. Hmm. Is there anyone who would lose out because of Viagra? Just as I was about to say that my master’s worries were unfounded, one fact crossed my mind.
‘Right. I’m the protagonist of a misunderstanding story.’
Damn. I couldn’t deny it. Due to the nature of the genre, there was a high possibility that things would flow in directions I hadn’t even considered. It had been that way until now, and I had been using that to my advantage. I didn’t know what kind of form it would take, but as my master said, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that things would get complicated because of Viagra.
“The longer you live and the higher you climb, the more complex grudges become. That is the way of the world.”
“But didn’t you clearly say so, Master? That once I accumulated enough wealth that even a Duke’s family couldn’t ignore, then…”
“What I said then was the minimum requirement. Not the sufficient condition.”
My master cut me off firmly. “In reality, information about the Imperial family is never fully disclosed. They are the Emperor’s children, are they not? Yet, even how many there are, or who is doing what and where, is shrouded in a veil.”
Now that I think about it, that’s true. Despite their status as royals, in most cases, the world only knows that a certain number of royals exist, without knowing their exact makeup. Unless they were active on a battlefield like Edmund, information about the royals was generally classified.
“The fact that the secret disciples hidden away by Tower Masters sometimes pop up out of the blue is all in the same vein. If you look at whether those instances were voluntary or not, most of the time, it’s the latter.”
That, too, is correct. I am an example of that right now.
“Unless you live as a lone wolf in this world, things will never go the way you want. If you have people by your side that you need to protect, there will be just as many things you need to hide.”
At those words, the faces of my family, Freya, Charlotte, and Eri naturally flashed through my mind. If I reveal that I am Director Shun, the blades of those targeting me might turn toward them. My master’s concerns were extremely realistic and accurate.
Damn. Things in this world just don’t go the way I want.
“Perhaps the day will come soon when you realize what this old man’s words mean.”
I nodded silently at my master’s meaningful words. As expected, it was right to postpone a hasty outing. For the time being, it might be better to maintain my course of enjoying the benefits behind the shield of Director Shun.
Meanwhile, my master tucked the Viagra research paper into his robes, changing the atmosphere.
“Now, let’s put aside worries about the complicated future. It’s better to focus on what you can do right now than on a future that hasn’t arrived yet.”
“If it’s something I can do…”
“Yes. I will help you finish the black magic retro-tracing practice we started last time. In the end, to protect your body and your people, your magic skills will be the most certain weapon, more so than money.”
I nodded. That day, I succeeded in retro-tracing my master’s black magic 8 out of 10 times.
*
“By the way, Julian.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Do you have any intention of making a contraceptive drug?”
“Pardon?”
Suddenly? At that, my master pointed silently at the blue pill on the table.
Ah.
“…I hadn’t considered that.”
“It’s understandable, as that wasn’t the intention behind the drug. I’ve gained such insights after living for a long time. So, do you have a plan?”
I nodded.
“I don’t know much about drugs, but I can think of one contraceptive device.”
“It would be best to release it quickly.”
“Thank you, Master.”
One month later.
Rubber balloons began to be sold as a bundle product with Viagra.
For reference, I handled the rubber rings by claiming it was the merchant guild leader who first brought it up, not me.