Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Of Course
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Using primitive analogies to spread knowledge,
we had ultimately succeeded in implanting the concept of "public health and hygiene" into every scholar at the academy—the teachers, artists, and doctors.
And once they grasped the idea of "public health and hygiene," even just a little,
there was no going back to the days of ignorance.
The physiological instinct to avoid contamination combined with knowledge of hygiene triggered an immediate rejection response to "unsanitary behavior."
In other words, awareness of hygiene led to obsessiveness.
"Boiling every drop of water before use is absurd. Sourcing enough firewood for that would be impossible in the first place."
"But we can't just ignore the demonic energy spreading through water."
"The real issue is contaminated water mixing with clean water, allowing these 'germs'—demonic tribes—to spread. The fundamental solution is mapping disease outbreaks to identify contamination sources, then separating 'demon-contaminated water' from 'pure water' at the source and allocating them by use."
"That sounds like it would require an enormous amount of time and manpower."
"Don't we have plenty of manpower?"
"...I'll ask His Excellency about it."
The people of this era lacked knowledge, but that didn't make them stupid.
Their practical wisdom in grasping reality often surpassed that of modern folk.
This was especially true for the scholars recruited as academy teachers.
They quickly distilled the essence from my half-baked modern explanations,
proposed realistic solutions based on that,
and devoted themselves to improving conditions and resolving issues.
"Separating contaminated people from the uncontaminated is key. After all, the goal of these germ demons is to multiply inside human bodies and spread contamination further. Their sneezing, coughing, and pus are just means to facilitate that spread."
"Then we should burn the contaminated like witches?!"
"...Why go that far? Just cover their mouths, drain the pus, wipe it clean, collect the coverings and cloths separately, and burn those."
"Ah! That does sound better."
Amid all this, a few lost their minds.
"Feed the demons strong liquor."
"Pardon?"
"No, really, it works!"
"...You're out of your mind."
"Well, there are plenty of records using alcohol as medicine. It might actually work. Let's try it."
And so, the scholars researched and debated, producing a new "Public Health Textbook."
Apart from framing germs as "demons" and contagion as "demonic contamination,"
it covered surprisingly rational content, even by a 21st-century transmigrator's standards.
"Your Excellency. The academy teachers have compiled a new public health textbook. Please review it."
"Oh. This is better than expected."
"Shall we proceed with this?"
"Yeah. This'll do."
"Understood."
"Oh, and send a copy to each of the slaves on long-term dispatch. They can't attend the academy, but they need this."
.
.
.
Which group in the empire possessed the most advanced public health and medical knowledge?
In terms of pure "experience,"
field hospitals, with their vast data from real battles and clinical trials, were the most advanced medical collective.
However,
from the perspective of "rationality" and "reason," independent of trial-and-error experience,
the most advanced medical knowledge belonged to another group.
"Matthew. You'll enter the dormitory tomorrow, yet you look so relaxed."
"Ah, Bishop. His Excellency sent a book, so I've been reading it."
"A book?"
"Yes. It's about purity. Would you like to read it?"
The church.
A group that had recognized the concept of "hygiene" since ancient times and elevated it to the doctrine of "purity."
Over a millennium as hospitals and nursing homes,
caring for countless patients, the sick, and the disabled, the church and monastic orders had forged rules more rational than any hospital.
"Demonic contamination... This principle is new, but the content feels familiar. It's all straight from the scriptures."
Wash your hands.
Wash off sand and dust upon returning from travel.
Stay away from corpses.
Quarantine the afflicted during plagues.
Keep your garments clean.
In the end, these were no different from the church's emphasis on "purity."
The very concepts of "impurity" and "contamination" stemmed from the scriptures.
"As expected of one who experienced a miracle. To interpret ancient doctrines so clearly and academically."
"Haha. Indeed..."
"This will help you at seminary. For your owner to go to such lengths shows great expectations for you."
"Ah, this is for all his slaves to read."
"Hm?"
"It's in the separate letter he sent. Essential knowledge for every slave."
"...Universal (Catholic), huh."
Dori Bishop pondered briefly,
then chuckled and nodded.
"Interesting."
A slave owner teaching purity to all his slaves.
Even among the finest priests of the capital church, few upheld purity so rigorously.
Come to think of it, the church was ridiculous.
Calling itself the Universal Church, yet its gates were narrow, its deeds mostly politics.
Thus,
the church fell short of even a mere worldly slave lord.
"Ah, right. It's time to submit my report to the capital church."
Dori Bishop pulled paper from a drawer, took up a pen,
and wrote a few lines without hesitation.
To summarize Dori Bishop's report:
"Hm!"
Satisfied, Dori Bishop nodded, folded the report into an envelope, and sealed it with wax.
He anticipated the capital church priests' reactions.
"Thanks to your owner, I can finally land a blow on those capital church stiffs. He must have studied theology diligently."
"To my knowledge, he hasn't formally studied it."
"Pardon? He wrote this without any study?"
"Yes. Everything he does aligns with the Lord's will—it's only natural."
"What."
"He turns black beans, once mere livestock feed, into tender meat (soy meat), unleavened bread (tofu snacks), and pure milk (soy milk). Like the Lord's works, it's beyond a mere mortal's comprehension."
"Hm? He developed tofu?"
"Yes. Didn't you know?"
"...First I've heard."
He knew soy meat was trending in the empire.
Even worldly nobles and rich folk now observed meatless days because of it.
Dori Bishop, with little gluttony, hadn't cared much.
But now, it was no longer dismissible.
'A worldly noble blessed with such grace. Almost like not just a miracle experiencer, but...'
Prophet—.
The word flashed through Dori Bishop's mind.
The church's highest rank,
mediator of the Heavenly Lord.
A prophet needn't be a priest.
'...No, impossible.'
But Dori Bishop immediately dismissed the fanciful thought.
A prophet required a certain blessing.
He'd heard House Riddle's head bore "Winter's Blessing," reading "past" memories.
No foresight of the future.
And a prophet must foresee the future.
"...I'm losing my mind lately."
.
.
.
"Hm? Torsso. Did the building just shake?"
"An earthquake. It stopped quickly, so nothing serious."
"Earthquake..."
Ah, right. There was that event in the original story.
An earthquake breaches academy security,
allowing terrorists to infiltrate—a clichéd episode.
Our mansion probably lacks proper seismic design,
so I should prepare in advance.
'Time to organize my 'original knowledge' while it's fresh.'
Part 1 is mostly academy stuff, not very useful...
But Part 2, post-graduation, has valuable info,
and Part 1's natural disasters could help.
'Any money-making intel?'
Digging through memories and jotting them in a notebook yielded surprisingly useful facts.
Should've done this sooner.
The hero handles world-saving; knowing ahead never hurts me.
"Torsso. Take this. A gift."
"What's this?"
"The future."
"...Pardon?"
I handed the notebook to Torsso.
Hiding anything from him and using the info myself was impossible.
He managed and oversaw all my business operations.
So better to lay all my cards on the table and entrust it to him.
No betrayal worries.
Not baseless confidence.
["I can't understand why someone like you follows trash like him."]
["...He's not someone you can speak of so lightly. House Riddle is the golden house... He who receives gold's love is Riddle's true master..."]
If you can't trust a subordinate who follows to the bitter end,
who can you trust?
Torsso is trustworthy.
At least while I make money, he won't betray me.
"Torsso. You know I always trust you, right?"
"Yes. Thank you."