***
The Black Sorcerer Belgian was filled with Perplexity.
"So you're saying that you want me to grow these molds right now?"
Because this was the proposal Yulian had offered as a Plea Bargain.
"I thought you would send me to a Punishment Unit since it's a Plea Bargain, but to think I'd be working at a trading company."
Having left the Prison under a Special Pardon, he spoke in Professor Yulian's Laboratory located in the Academy Territory.
"A Punishment Unit? Why did you think that?"
"The Empire does not carelessly consume competent individuals. They hand them hope, make them struggle within that hope, and have them burn their bodies for the Empire. Hasn't that always been the secret to how the Empire maintains itself?"
"You certainly have the self-awareness that you are competent."
The Condition for pardoning Belgian.
It was 'to assist in Professor Yulian's Black Magic Research'.
And as for that Black Magic Research...
"So, I completely fail to understand how growing these molds leads to anyone's treatment."
It was exactly to help with the research on molds.
Upon hearing this fact, Belgian reacted as if he couldn't believe it at all.
"Or did you tell me this to make me research molds, only for the Secret Imperial Guard to use them? And then pin the blame on me?"
"You really don't trust people. Have you lived your whole life being deceived?"
"Yes. Because from the moment I was born until now, everyone except my Mother has been a human trying to use me. I know not every Crow is black, but at least all the Crows I've seen were black."
I smacked my lips at Belgian's talk about Crows.
Having conversed with Belgian thus far, I could guess that he had lived a very difficult life.
He hadn't told me his Backstory directly.
But putting together the things he said, it wasn't hard to guess that he had suffered the common Tragedy of Illegitimate children.
Not knowing the hardships that Illegitimate children typically endured, I didn't have the Sense of Shame to shove a white feather in his face.
While I couldn't find a proper response, Belgian chuckled.
Tapping the glass lid covering the incubation Plate with his fingertips, tap, tap.
"But that has nothing to do with me, as you said. You said that on the day I produce results, you will expose every Shameful part my hateful Father has hidden under the sun."
"I promise."
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. In that case, I will gladly endure that level of stigma. I've already hit rock bottom anyway. I'm in no position to be picky about the means."
"Before that, let me clarify one thing. Your black magic will definitely be used for a good cause."
However, letting him continue with this misunderstanding wasn't good either.
The most important thing in research is a sense of purpose.
I will discover this no matter what.
I will achieve a certain Accomplishment through this no matter what.
Only by properly maintaining awareness of the direction could one avoid getting lost during research.
Therefore, although I usually don't bother to offer a Correction for people's delusions, this time I needed to make a Correction to Belgian's misconception.
"Do you remember this?"
I took out an old Notebook from the inner pocket of my Coat.
I placed that Notebook on the Workbench between Belgian and me.
Belgian's brow furrowed deeply.
"...That's my Grimoire."
"You remember."
"How could I not?"
The Notebook was none other than Belgian's Grimoire.
It was the Grimoire where his research results and know-how were accumulated.
"I've been losing sleep over the magic I could no longer use because I lost this."
No matter how great a Mage is, they cannot memorize the Runic formula of every magic.
That is why a Mage naturally writes down information about magic other than their frequently used Signature Skill in a Notebook like this.
Belgian had lost such a Notebook.
"So you had it. I sneaked into D-Sector a few times afterward, but since it was nowhere to be seen, I thought someone else took it."
"Thanks to it, I was able to create a Masterpiece that counts among the best in my Life."
"A Masterpiece?"
Belgian tilted his head.
He looked as if he couldn't guess where his Grimoire had been used.
"Are you saying you made medicine with black magic?"
"Yes."
Since he still didn't seem to realize it.
I picked up a Vaccine Ampule sitting in the corner of the Laboratory and showed it to him.
"Because I performed a Modification on the magic written in this Grimoire to create a Vaccine. Starting from the very first Vaccine, all the Vaccines that came out afterwards are fundamentally based on the methods in this Grimoire."
What was it again?
I'm a bit confused trying to remember it after a long time, but was it the Schnabel Formula?
The Formula that transforms Plague-based magic into a state capable of creating a Vaccine.
The black magic Runic formula that became the root of that Formula was made from this Grimoire.
"Thanks to that, as long as we figure out the Runic formula for Plague Curses, we can run it through that Formula to create a Vaccine."
The start was the Smallpox Vaccine, but.
Ever since then, the Trading Company has been steadily making Vaccines using this Formula.
For now, the Cholera, Whooping Cough, and Plague Vaccines have been created, and since Tetanus wasn't given its Proof that long ago, its Vaccine is currently in development.
Belgian's eyes went wide after hearing the explanation.
"Good heavens. Are you saying the foundation of the Vaccine was black magic?"
"Did you not know?"
"How would I know when no one told me? Even Black Sorcerers are under the delusion that Vaccines are something like Holy Water."
This is quite unexpected.
Is it because it's a World Setting where the Internet and information communication haven't developed much?
It seems the Principle behind Vaccines isn't properly known to people who aren't Healers.
Come to think of it, even in my Previous life where the Internet existed, many people who weren't medical professionals didn't know much about it, so perhaps it's only natural.
"I'll explain the Formula in detail later. To put it simply for now, don't those who have been cursed once become less susceptible to the next curse? Using that, casting a Weakened Curse on a person beforehand is what a Vaccine is."
Hearing the Principle, Belgian was speechless for a long time.
His gaze went back and forth between the open Grimoire Page and my face several times.
His two eyes, which had initially widened in surprise, slowly settled down at some point.
The corners of his mouth pulled awkwardly before stopping halfway, and a speck of shadow settled over the Brand carved into his Forehead.
"...To think of such a different Idea even while looking at the exact same thing. Perhaps it's only natural that I ended up in this state."
"I was just lucky. I just had good people around me who pointed the way at a crossroads."
He stared silently into my eyes for a long time.
Then,
"Then does that mean... perhaps I too could have walked the same path as you."
"Fathoming that now would be meaningless. Wouldn't it be better to have a Discussion about what we can change going forward instead?"
Belgian gave a small nod.
"Fine. I understand that my Black magic knowledge will be used for good. But molds? Are these molds that important?"
To explain it to him once more, I took him and walked deeper into the Incubation Room.
Deep inside the Incubation Room, fluffy, down-like white molds bloomed in circles atop the Plates lined up on every shelf.
"From these white things, a substance that cures diseases is produced."
I picked one up and showed it to him.
"I found it in an old Secret Technique of the Mencia Sect, so please understand that I cannot explain the Principle in detail."
"When the Merkur Trading Company said they were hiring Black Sorcerers who weren't affiliated with the Round Table en masse, I wondered what was going on, but it was for this reason..."
Belgian scanned the Plates.
"Then does that mean I just need to handle the Mass Production of these molds?"
"No."
What he had to do wasn't growing these white molds.
"This is nothing but a Glimpse of the mold's Potential. The mold you will grow is intended to be used in a completely different area."
"...What is it?"
"It's this."
I guided him to a Warehouse.
Deep inside the Warehouse.
Numerous 'Yams' amounting to dozens of varieties were situated there.
"This is..."
"They're Yams."
"I can see that."
Wild Yam.
These were the yams I had requested various people, such as Adventurers, Mercenaries, Alchemists, and so on, to find for me.
Imperial Yam, Eastern Yam (also called 'Yam' over there), Western Yam, Southern Yam, Overseas Kingdom Yam.
Anyway, I had gathered every single yam that existed in the world.
By offering 1 million Mar in the name of Director Schun to anyone who discovered a new yam-family plant, truly all sorts of yams popped up.
I explained to Belgian, who was staring vacantly at the grand sight of those yams.
"Recently, I managed the Extraction of a new substance from these plants."
Those substances were none other than Progesterone and Steroid.
The Research on these substances wasn't that long.
By researching based on the memories given by the Cosmic Head Demonkin in my head, Babel, I was able to perform the Extraction quickly.
'The Research was much easier than I thought.'
Originally, the part I thought would be difficult in this Research wasn't making the medicine.
In this world, where the laws of physics were slightly different from my Previous life, the problem was finding the 'Another World's Mexican Wild Yam' to handle the Extraction of those components.
But what do you know.
Before researching, I thought I had to use a special yam.
After researching, I realized I could pull it from almost all Wild Yams.
If I was going to pull out those components, there was no need to deliberately look for a special yam.
'Since I only saw the Correct Answer sheet in my Previous life.'
I only saw the Correct Answer sheet for how the medicines were made.
I hadn't seen the solution process, meaning the History, leading up to its creation.
I didn't know that any random yam would do.
Anyway, thanks to that, pulling out the component wasn't difficult.
The only problem was...
"That substance was quite revolutionary. But in order to achieve Mass Production for those substances, we ultimately have to select the yams from here."
The fact that 'Discovery of a substance' and 'commercialization' were separate domains.
I definitely made the Discovery of those substances.
From that yam, and from this yam too.
However, some yams produce a lot of the substance, while other yams produce very little.
Naturally, from the Stance of having to sell this, there was a need to select yams with a good Yield.
Even before I could explain this, Belgian, who guessed my Intention, nodded.
"I understand. You mean sorting through these yams. But what does that have to do with the mold?"
"I 'accidentally' saw a certain mold performing an Extraction of the substance I wanted from this yam."
It wasn't my Discovery.
Even though it was someone else's Discovery.
Anyway, it was 'accidental'.
"So I came to think that the mold might have Potential."
"Then shouldn't you just let the Black Sorcerers affiliated with your Trading Company grow that mold?"
"You can pull out the same substance from these yams, but didn't I say we're selecting the yam that pulls out the most? Perhaps among the molds I don't know, there might be such a mold."
The History of Penicillin tells us this.
Just as the Blue Mold that made the Discovery of Penicillin and the Blue Mold that was used for its Mass Production were different species.
There was bound to be a separate mold that could pull out a lot of the substance I wanted from the yam.
The problem was that I didn't know how to handle mold freely.
That was why I needed Belgian.
"...So what you're saying is."
Belgian, having heard the explanation, said while scanning the yams inside the Warehouse.
"Out of these dozens of yam varieties, we pick out the yam that can pull out the most of that substance, and then."
Following that, his gaze headed toward the incubation Plates containing the molds.
"You're telling me to also select the mold that pulls out the most of that substance."
"As expected of someone with a high Level of Mastery, you catch on quickly."
"..."
He counted on his fingers in silence.
Then,
"Do you think this makes sense?"
"Do not Worry. I will not monopolize this Accomplishment all to myself. You will also get your name on it."
"That's not what I mean."
He said with a bit of passion.
"Is it Normal to tell someone to do that all alone? If you have no intention of keeping your promise, just say so."
It seemed he thought I deliberately put forward an impossible proposal to avoid helping him with his revenge.
I spoke to offer a Correction to that Misunderstanding.
"You don't need to Worry about that either. If you try it yourself, you'll realize it's not as impossible as you think."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
To this, I pointed at myself and said.
"Don't I do at least this much? Therefore, Belgian, you will be able to do it too."
Hearing those words, Belgian glared at me with eyes full of contempt and said.
"Just as I thought, you have no intention of keeping your promise."
No, seriously, why?
Graduate students and Resident Doctors all do at least this much.
And I did too.
'Now that I've become a Professor too, let's try a bit of Auto-hunting with a Lab Slave.'
I'm telling you, it all works out if you try?
But as expected of a Black Sorcerer suffering from Misanthropy, he didn't seem to believe my words until the very end.
Ultimately, harboring a different kind of hatred toward me, Belgian...
...started the selection work for the yams and molds.