Shattered Illusions

She's going to throw another fit when she wakes up.

I sighed, looking down at the unconscious Eri.

Upon arriving at our mansion on Sanctum Hill, the maids took Eri and carried her to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠annex. I left the rest to the head maid—bathing her, dressing her in clean clothes, and feeding her.

Meanwhile, I prepared fifty reasons why we had to raise this child in our family's annex to convince my father and mother.

The child is exceptionally bright, she has the talent of a mage, and so on and so forth... Though they gave their permission before I could even begin listing them.

"Our Julian is finally throwing a tantrum like a normal child...!" I couldn't thank my mother enough for interpreting my request as a childish whim.

And so, the next morning arrived. I received a report from the head maid.

"She woke up last night, ate her meal, and went straight back to sleep."

"She didn't cause a scene?"

"No, sir. However..."

"However?"

"She seemed uncomfortable with the duvet, as she kept rustling around under it."

Ah. It was probably her first time sleeping under a cotton duvet. For me, it was a luxury I had taken for granted since birth, but normally, only the wealthy middle class among commoners could ever hope to touch such a thing. For Eri, an orphan from the slums of the Limbus Pit, it was likely her very first time under a proper blanket.

"Should I wake her, Young Master?"

"I'll do it myself."

"Pardon?" There it was again. The head maid was looking at me with that strange look. It was the exact same look the servants gave me whenever I made an appearance in the kitchen.

"I have some things to explain to her early this morning. Oh, and could you prepare a packed lunch for me today?"

"Ah... yes, of course..." The head maid looked slightly bewildered. A guy who usually insisted on making his own packed lunches every single day was suddenly asking for one because he was "busy." She was likely experiencing a different flavor of cognitive dissonance.

Leaving the bewildered head maid behind, I headed toward the annex. Hmm. Home sweet home. It had been a while. Well, since I lived in the main estate now, it was technically my former home.

I opened the door to my old room. A cotton duvet, swollen like a boa constrictor that had swallowed an elephant, came into view. The way it squirmed suggested Eri was tossing and turning inside. Or perhaps the blanket was currently digesting her.

I pulled back the duvet and said, "Wake up."

At the sound of my voice, Eri rubbed her eyes and lifted her head. The moment she saw me, her eyes went wide. "...Who are you?"

Eri glared at me irritably. It was a natural reaction. After all, I was currently without my crow mask.

Eri's gaze swept over me. A look of wariness crossed her face. She was sizing me up. In the Red-Light District, calculating whether someone was safe to pick a fight with or not was a vital survival skill, so it was likely an ingrained habit.

"Hey," Eri said, pulling the duvet tight around herself after finishing her calculations. "How long have you been here?"

Based on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her assessment, she seemed to think I was either a fellow captive or a servant. This damn authority of misunderstanding really loved to strike at the most random ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠times. She probably figured I was a senior captive who had been dragged here before her and wanted to establish a hierarchy early on.

Does she think Dr. Schnabel is some kind of orphan collector? Playing along and pretending to be a servant sounded entertaining, but unfortunately, my schedule was packed today. I didn't have time for games, so I gave her the truth straight away.

"It's me."

"When have I ever seen—"

"Did I not tell you yesterday that your mouth is the window through which your worth is judged? Watch your words. This is your last warning."

"..." Silence. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. "...Huh?" Eri's mouth fell open.

"L-Liar. Dr. Schnabel is a gnome who's over a hundred and fifty years old. He was kicked out of a duke's estate and had his face burned..."

"You actually believed that?"

"But that's what everyone says!"

"I have never once confirmed those rumors."

Eri's eyes shook violently.

It took some time for the half-awake Eri to process the reality that this entire lore was a complete fabrication.

"...Huh? Doctor? You tricked me?"

"I never lied to you."

She looked like a child who had just been told Santa Claus wasn't real. For some reason, despite having done nothing wrong, I felt a pang of guilt.

"How could this... You're my age... Aaargh! This makes no sense!" Eri pulled the duvet over her head and screamed. Just what kind of fantasy had she built up about me to react like this?

Just then, the door opened, and a maid stepped in. "Young Master, breakfast is ready."

Eri's head slowly turned toward the maid. Then she looked back at me. Me. Maid. Me. Maid.

"Y-Young Master...? Not a family doctor...?" Eri's voice cracked. It seemed she had assumed I was merely a dependent or a live-in physician for this baron's family. Well, what kind of young master would go all the way down to the Limbus Pit at this age to treat patients? To be fair, her assumption was the only logical one.

"You're not the one being exploited...?"

"If anything, I'm the one doing the exploiting." I sighed, completely stripping the duvet away from Eri. "Eat up and get ready. Since it's the weekend, we're going somewhere other than the clinic."

"S-Somewhere else?"

"The merchant guild."

"The... guild...?" Eri's eyes lost focus. Fearing she might faint again, I quickly clapped my hands right in front of her face. Clap!

"Eek!"

"Snap out of it. Eat your breakfast and come out." I instructed the maid as I left the room, "Once she's done eating, dress her in outdoor clothes and bring her to the foyer."

"Understood, Young Master."

An hour later. The Eri who appeared in the foyer looked like an entirely different person. Her crimson hair was neatly combed back. She wore a white blouse, a navy vest, a knee-length skirt, and leather shoes. Instead of a street urchin from the Red-Light District, she looked like the daughter of a well-to-do merchant family.

"...This is weird." Eri tugged at her collar uncomfortably. "I didn't know clothes could feel this stiff."

"You'll have to get used to it. They're yours, after all."

"Wh-What? These are mine?" I led the malfunctioning Eri outside, where a black sedan was waiting. "Get in."

Once we were inside the car, Eri asked tentatively, "...Where are we going? I mean, where are we going, sir?" Her manner of address had shifted. Now that she knew I was a young master, speaking casually seemed to make her uncomfortable.

"You don't have to speak formally. I'll be wearing my mask outside anyway."

"...Alright." The car started moving. Along the way, Eri asked another cautious question. "But why do you wear the mask?"

"To protect myself from toxic miasma."

"Not to hide your identity?"

"I've never hidden it." My personal information security level hadn't changed much since my days in 21st-century South Korea. If you handed a few coins to an information broker in the Red-Light District, they could probably dig up everything from my bare face to my entire background. It was just that most of them seemed to stop investigating the moment they realized I was from Sanctum Hill. Coupled with the rumor that I was a branded healer from a duke's estate, they were likely terrified of getting caught up in some noble succession feud. Well, to the poor, nobles were practically celestial beings, so I could understand their hesitation.

It's not like I'd eat them just for knowing what I look like, though. Meanwhile, the car kept driving. Unlike yesterday, we were heading down, not up. Leaving Sanctum Hill behind, we headed toward Civitas Square. The white marble outside the window gradually gave way to gray brick.

"This is... Civitas Square."

"Yes."

"Isn't this the commoner district?"

"That's right."

"Why would a doctor be in a place like... Ah." Remembering that I was a young master who also frequented the Limbus Pit, Eri cut herself off. In the meantime, the car came to a halt. We had arrived in front of a five-story building right in the middle of a bustling commercial district. On the front of the building hung a brass sign:

Eri stared out the window and muttered, "...A merchant guild?" Instead of answering, I opened the car door and stepped out. Eri followed. The moment we stepped through the entrance, the employees in the lobby bowed in unison.

"Director," they greeted.

She looked up at me. "Huh?"

"Get used to it." I had found this treatment burdensome at first too, but after a few years, I had grown accustomed to it. "Let's go inside."

Eri followed me, her movements stiff and mechanical.

The Guildmaster's office. When I opened the door, a plump, middle-aged man sprang to his feet. With his greasy face, glistening eyes, and flashing gold tooth, he was the very picture of a stereotypical nouveau riche merchant. However, I knew that beneath his appearance, he was actually a decent fellow. He had no shady dealings, handled transactions with absolute integrity, and possessed a level of conscience that felt entirely out of place in this grim world.

He was so honest that the guild was on the brink of bankruptcy right before I brought him Quinine and Insulin. Well, that was precisely why I had chosen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him as my business partner. Saving a foolishly kind merchant felt like the duty of a proper protagonist.

However, after the guild's rapid growth thanks to those two medicines, the Guildmaster—having tasted the sweet flavor of wealth—was looking more and more like a corrupt, greedy merchant by the day. His behavior played a part, but his physical appearance was the main culprit. He hadn't been nearly this fat when we first met.

Maybe I should develop a weight-loss drug later. If I kept working hard on diabetes medication, I might get lucky and stumble upon one. I recalled that was how it happened in my previous world. Well, let's put that far-off idea aside for now.

"Oh! Young Master! Welcome, welcome!" The Guildmaster approached, rubbing his hands together. "Shall I have some coffee brought in?"

"I am still only twelve."

"Ah, right! You said you would start drinking it when you turn eighteen. I keep forgetting! Haha! Tea it is, then. We have some excellent Darjeeling brought in this year."

"Thank you."

The Guildmaster gestured to his secretary. While the secretary prepared the tea, the Guildmaster retrieved a stack of documents from his desk. Sitting on the sofa opposite me, he handed over a copy.

"These are the sales figures from the last quarter. For Quinine, military supply orders have increased, leading to a twelve percent rise compared to the previous quarter. Insulin saw a fifteen percent increase due to successful marketing among diabetic nobles, and Colchicine is up eight percent thanks to a high repurchase rate among gout patients..."

A barrage of numbers poured out. Though I doubted she would understand any of it, I handed the finished documents over to Eri, thinking it would be a good learning experience.

"One, two... uh... wait..." I watched Eri try to count the sheer number of zeros with her fingers before eventually giving up.

Once I finished reviewing the documents the Guildmaster had handed me, it was my turn. I pulled out my research journal from a leather folder. "I have good news, Guildmaster."

"Oh? A new medicine?"

"If you consider an improvement to be a new medicine, then yes." The Guildmaster's eyes sparkled. I opened the research journal to show him. "I have succeeded in improving the purity of our Insulin. By using zinc to crystallize it, we've managed to increase the purity by about thirty percent compared to before."

"Th-Thirty percent?!"

And thirty percent was a conservative estimate. My background was in medicine, not alchemy, which was why I still wasn't fully accustomed to this world's technology. If someone like me could achieve a thirty percent improvement, those actually trained in alchemy would undoubtedly achieve even better results. Upon hearing this, the Guildmaster sprang to his feet.

"Th-Then the issue with inflammation at the injection site...!"

"It should be almost entirely resolved. The risk of hypoglycemic shock will also be significantly reduced, and its duration of action will be extended." I pointed to the conclusion section of the research journal. Zinc-crystallized insulin had a slower absorption rate, which meant patients wouldn't need as many daily injections... In short, it was a revolution. The Guildmaster's hands trembled as he held the journal.

"Ugh... sob...! Young Master... no, Director, you are truly...! Sniff...!" Unable to contain his overwhelming emotions, the Guildmaster burst into tears. It was a bit unsightly, but there was a very good reason for such a dramatic reaction.

Due to impurities in the previous version of Insulin, patients often suffered from severe swelling at the injection site, or collapsed due to improper dosage control. Consequently, it had earned the infamous reputation of being a "medicine that kills to cure a killing disease." Because of these side effects, despite being a revolutionary treatment for diabetes, the market response had been lukewarm at best. Nobles were incredibly conservative creatures, after all.

But this improvement would resolve most of those issues. It would likely become a flagship product standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Quinine. Having already tasted the glory of Quinine, the Guildmaster instinctively realized this, which explained his reaction.

"How many months do you think it will take to hit the market?" At my question, the Guildmaster, who had been biting his fist, began counting on his fingers. "If we lock the factory doors and grind our alchemists to the bone... five months... no, three months will be plenty!"

"Set the development period to four months, and add another six months on top of that." "Pardon?" The Guildmaster blinked. Why delay the release of this beautiful golden goose? His eyes clearly conveyed his resentment. However, I had a line I could not cross.

"That is for the clinical trials. We must administer it to at least fifty patients and gather data on any side effects. We cannot release it to the public before then."

I didn't want a medicine I created to go down in history as a flawed drug with terrible side effects. What I wanted was to be the perfect, misunderstood savior. But unlike me, the Guildmaster was not a man driven by such grand ambitions. He was a man who operated strictly on money, profit, and the cold logic of this world.

"Ah, well... Young Master. To be perfectly honest, other merchant guilds don't bother with such things. Once a medicine is finished, we could sell it immediately, and we still wouldn't have enough stock to meet the demand..."

The Guildmaster was right. Honestly, in this world, morality was a luxury. In my past life, a pharmaceutical company would go bankrupt if a major side effect scandal broke out, but in this world, things could easily be swept under the rug. A patient suffering from side effects? Where is this patient you speak of? Oh dear! It seems the witness took a wrong turn on their way here and went missing. How tragic! And why are the missing person's belongings lying outside the walls? With our guild's current size, we were more than capable of pulling off such tricks now.

But I didn't want to resort to that. That wasn't how a saintly protagonist was supposed to behave. "I know. That is why we must differentiate ourselves." However, trying to persuade people in this world using morality took far too long. More often than not, they would pretend to agree while pulling shady tricks behind your back. Therefore, I had to persuade him using the logic of money.

"Guildmaster. Who are the primary consumers of our Insulin? Is it the commoners?"

"Of course not. It's the noble lords."

"Exactly. And they are highly suspicious. They are the type of people who will test anything entering their bodies on their slaves first."

"Ah, don't tell me...!"

"Only when we demonstrate this level of meticulous care will the nobles feel safe taking the medicine. They won't even complain if we raise the price." I persuaded him using a premium branding strategy. Even in a different world, this kind of marketing showmanship always worked.

"To think you had such deep foresight...!" The Guildmaster clapped his hands in admiration. I gave him one final warning. "However, you must not conduct these trials half-heartedly. The moment the nobles realize this is just a show, it will backfire."

"I will keep that in mind, Young Master!" The Guildmaster bowed deeply. I nodded and moved on to the next agenda item. "And there is someone I would like to introduce to you." I pointed to Eri, who had been sitting there like a bump on a log throughout the entire meeting. "She is my personal assistant."

"Oh. You've finally taken on an assistant." The Guildmaster's gaze shifted to Eri. A hesitant girl who still couldn't quite hide her slum origins. Someone of the Guildmaster's caliber could easily guess where she came from. The stench of the Limbus Pit wasn't something that washed off overnight. However, the Guildmaster didn't let it show. "If I may ask, what prompted you to hire her?"

"I brought her along because she has the talent of a mage."

"A mage! As expected of your keen eye, Young Master...!"

"..." I shot him a look telling him to cut out the flattery. Seriously, his tongue was going to wear out at this rate. The Guildmaster cleared his throat, adjusted his clothes, and politely extended a hand to Eri. "I am Gustav Meyer, Guildmaster of the Merkur Merchant Guild. I look forward to working with you, young lady." Eri only nodded blankly, her face showing she still hadn't fully grasped the situation.