Since then, Iris began visiting the Magic Palace regularly. Her reason was to study smallpox and learn about fairies. After all, a fairy had somehow got inside her vertical roll hair. Apparently, the ribbon that Iris had offered created a pathway between her hair roll and the fairy. Thanks to this, Iris could enter the common areas of the Magic Palace even without Citis being present. The fairies are guardians of the Magic Palace.
From her studies, Iris learned that a fairy’s blessing is quite rare. Normally, if a mage receives a blessing from one fairy, they’re considered fortunate. Only advanced mages or the Holy Maiden could hope to receive blessings from multiple fairies.
Iris, who does not possess magical powers, became a special case of interest in the Magic Palace. Moreover, she is marked by ominous smallpox scars. Usually, someone like her, presumably forsaken by the gods according to precedent, should never have received a fairy’s blessing.
Thus, mages researching fairies decided to teach Iris.
During her studies, the mage was called away. Iris, curious about something that had been on her mind for a while, decided to ask the fairy.
“Hey, hasn’t there been a medicine to prevent smallpox up till now?”
“Not just to cure it, but to prevent it?”
While researching the history of smallpox, Iris realized something. Conditions right before a major outbreak a hundred years ago closely resembled those of today.
“It seems like smallpox outbreaks occur in the summer following a warm winter. And before a warm winter, there are records of a cold summer. This year’s summer has been cool, right? So, I think maybe next summer, smallpox might outbreak again.”
“Iris, that’s amazing!”
“You’ve studied a lot, haven’t you!”
While the fairy’s praise was pleasing, understanding the outbreak pattern is pointless if we can’t stop it.
“If there was something like the vaccines from my previous life… Smallpox is similar to the smallpox of my previous world. Once you contract it, it’s said you can’t catch it again, which means it’s a viral disease that can be immunized against. There should be a way to prevent it with a vaccine.”
“Once you get smallpox, you don’t catch it again, right? I was thinking, can’t we transmit the disease in a safe way? Like introducing a harmless version of smallpox into the body?”
“How would you do that?”
“By creating a wound on the body?”
“Ew, that sounds scary!”
The fairies were taken aback.
Indeed, it might be scary. I’ve never actually experienced it.
Vaccination for smallpox involves scratching the skin and introducing the vaccine intradermally. Few would want it, and only a limited number of people could administer it. In poor sanitary conditions, other diseases could be transmitted as well.
This world isn’t ready for that.
“Ah, how about inhaling powdered scabs through the nose?”
Iris recalled something.
In her previous life’s memories, before the start of smallpox vaccinations, there was a method where people inhaled powdered scabs through the nose. Iris didn’t know how effective it was, but if it works, she wanted to try it.
“Yeah, here it is! This one!”
The book the fairy brought was labeled “Forbidden Techniques.” Iris didn’t know where it came from, but it had a lock and chain, typical of a banned book.
“…Uh, do you know why it’s considered a forbidden technique?”
“Because it’s poison!”
A fairy with purple feathers enthusiastically explained.
“Poison…”
“Iris, are you a witch? Do you want to kill people?”
Iris’s face twitched at the fairy’s innocently dangerous remark.
“Of course not! If it’s just the scabs, it might be poisonous, but if we could remove the toxicity and only leave the antigen, it could potentially become a vaccine.”
“Antigen?”
“Vaccine?”
The fairies looked baffled as they stared at Iris.
Yeah, there’s no concept of vaccines in this world.
“Basically, we’d remove the harmful poison and just introduce the disease into the body so that it can’t cause the same illness again.”
“I don’t get it!”
The fairies giggled and laughed.
Iris sighed softly.
There’s an understanding that scabs are toxic, huh? If we could somehow detoxify them, they might turn into a vaccine. But does this world even have the technology for that?
“That’s an interesting idea.”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice spoke, and Iris turned around.
A tall woman had appeared behind her. Her straight white hair was cut in a single length, and she wore a bishop-like white, ankle-length robe with a narrow, long strip of fabric hanging from her neck. The thin, dark purple fabric had golden sage embroidery.
She had six transparent purple wings on her back, and her eyes were also purple. Her features and tone could almost be mistaken for a man’s, but her figure and voice were clearly those of a woman.
Is this person also a fairy?
As Iris was stunned, the white-haired woman spoke seriously.
“Are you trying to turn poison into medicine? That will be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Who do you think would risk their life to collect smallpox scabs? It’s a forbidden technique used even to kill someone at the risk of stabbing oneself.”
“I can do it.”
Iris said, showing the scars on her left arm.
The woman looked shocked and stared intently at Iris.
“I’ve had it once. I won’t catch it again. So I can collect it. But the problem is what comes after. I don’t know how to detoxify it while retaining its antigenic properties.”
“That’s simple. Use magic.”
Iris looked troubled.
“I don’t have magical powers.”
“Then I shall lend you mine. I am Serj, one of the fairy leaders. Young lady, what is your name?”
With a voice full of dignity, Iris hurriedly curtsied.
“My name is Iris de Chevalier.”
“A knight’s daughter, I see. Courage and recklessness are not the same. Are you truly prepared to collect the smallpox scabs?”
“No preparation is necessary.”
Iris couldn’t help but laugh.
I won’t catch it again, so in a way, I’m the strongest.
“But the problem is that there are no smallpox patients around. Smallpox patients are hidden and isolated.”
Recently, smallpox hasn’t been prevalent, and among the nobility, no cases are discussed.
Moreover, if there are cases, they are kept hidden.
In fact, Iris was hidden and isolated in a basement until she recovered. Although there was a fine bed in the room, her family did not visit, and a maid left meals at a distance. Remembering the loneliness during the feverish and painful period, she still feels unsettled. It was only after about two weeks, when the scabs peeled off, that she was allowed out of the room.
Even among the nobility, this is the case. Commoners are driven out of towns and huddle together in caves, but of course, these places are not safe, and nobody else would approach them.
Her family could not be relied upon. They would definitely oppose the idea.
Iris sighed. Honestly, she was feeling urgent.
The crown prince and Citis’s lover are currently well, but Camille will have died before starting school. Also, just before the game starts, the current Holy Maiden’s powers suddenly weaken, suggesting that something requiring excessive use of holy powers had occurred. It’s natural to assume some kind of crisis had hit the capital.
Normally, the Holy Maiden’s tenure lasts ten years. At the game’s starting point, five years should have remained. Yet, the Holy Maiden’s powers had already weakened. That’s why finding a new Holy Maiden was urgent.
Iris is now thirteen. She will enroll in the academy at fifteen. Something that shakes the capital must happen in the next two years.
If it’s a major outbreak of smallpox… I must stop it at all costs! But, there’s no time.
Serj looked at Iris with testing eyes.
“Iris. I will lend you my power. Tonight, I will come for you. Think carefully about how you want to use the scabs. That will give you the strength.”
Serj said this and vanished like an illusion.
Iris pondered over Serj’s words, considering what to do with the scabs.
For those unfamiliar with the principle of viruses, going to collect scabs is a courageous act. Naturally, the scabs contain live bacteria before detoxification.
However, if there were a vaccine, it could prevent the disease or even make it milder if administered soon after onset.
Even knowing the scabs are detoxified, inhaling them through the nose is still a daunting thought.
Moreover, it seems that smallpox is influenced by the climate. There won’t always be smallpox patients around. If there are no patients, there will be no scabs. But creating smallpox patients just for the sake of a preventative medicine is not feasible.
The last major outbreak of smallpox was a hundred years ago. If the next outbreak is spaced similarly, even if a treatment is established, it might become obsolete.
First, I want to detoxify the scabs while retaining their antigenicity. Ideally, I’d also find a way to preserve the vaccine for a hundred years. Then, how to culture it and how to confirm its effectiveness need to be considered. Since I’ve already contracted it, I can’t experiment on myself. Mandating vaccinations will be difficult.
In my previous world, vaccines were born out of an immense amount of time, effort, tremendous hardship, and sacrifices. I know how difficult it is to popularize a new vaccine. Even with a high literacy rate and television, it wasn’t easy.
It seems impossible to do it quickly, but I have to do whatever I can.
Iris spent the night restlessly thinking, waiting for the evening.
