I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 14

Vaccine (2)

The process of creating humanity’s first vaccine was progressing smoothly.

Guillotin and Jenner came up with several specific inoculation methods and were detailing the process of turning these ideas into a paper.

Lavoisier offered moderate opinions while observing the instigator of this project, young Master Louis-Christian.

He hadn’t yet interfered much with the specific development plans for the vaccine.

‘His ideas are excellent, but does he still lack the knowledge to concretize them?’

Considering Christian’s age, it was understandable.

However, Lavoisier didn’t lower his evaluation of Christian because of it.

He knew that most great inventions start from seemingly simple shifts in perspective.

The young Lavoisier knew well that coming up with something new was never easy.

‘It’s a pity. If he were to fully walk the path of science, he could become a great scientist unmatched by anyone….’

Lavoisier’s reasoning was half right and half wrong.

It was true that Christian couldn’t interfere at the moment because he lacked the knowledge to realize his ideas.

But that wasn’t because he was young.

Christian possessed a vast knowledge of modern Europe, especially France, surpassing even a certain wiki.

This was clearly his absolute strength.

However, the limitations were also clear.

Like now, he could explain the basic principles or concepts of an invention, but he couldn’t develop it.

He might end up only being able to answer, ‘That’s a great concept. So how do you make it?’ with ‘You’ll have to figure that out yourself.’

That’s why Christian was steadily recruiting intellectuals who would become his hands from now on.

However, Jenner, Guillotin, and Lavoisier hadn’t yet reached the peak of their knowledge.

Christian planned to continue giving them opportunities so they could leave behind greater achievements than in the original history.

The fruits he gained from that would naturally be shared by him as well.

Of course, the discussion didn’t continue without any hitches.

Lavoisier, considering the realistic aspects, brought up problems from various perspectives.

“Gentlemen, it’s good that the discussion is progressing smoothly, but there are a few things you should be aware of. Even if this cowpox method is recognized by the academic world, there may be considerable difficulties in actual inoculation.”

“What? That can’t be. It might be difficult to get recognition from the academic world, but once they acknowledge it, wouldn’t the whole world rush to embrace it?”

“That’s too naive. Once we start actual inoculations, voices of opposition will emerge from everywhere. I can foresee about two major obstacles.”

In reality, despite its excellent effects, the cowpox method didn’t spread explosively in the early stages.

Christian, knowing the reason for this, was thinking of bringing it up when the opportunity arose, but Lavoisier opened his mouth first, which was good timing.

Conversely, Guillotin and Jenner looked as if they genuinely didn’t understand.

“There are no side effects, and the effects are certain, so what kind of opposition could there be?”

“The first is that it uses a solution extracted from cow pus. People aren’t as rational as you think. This cow pus… well, starting with calling it cow pus is a bit much.”

“I was planning to finalize the name anyway. Let’s call it a vaccine from now on. It’s a word derived from the Latin ‘vacca,’ meaning cow.”

“Yes. Then, as young Master said, let’s unify the term as vaccine for now. What will happen when the rumor spreads that the vaccine is a solution extracted from cow pus? Rumors that you’ll get sick if you get it, or that you’ll turn into a cow, could easily spread.”

“I hadn’t thought about that at all, but now that I hear it, that could happen.”

“The second is that the number of reported side effects will be higher than expected. Not because of the vaccine itself, but because of environmental factors.”

Jenner and Guillotin almost simultaneously slapped their knees at the unexpected point.

Even in the modern era, hygiene wasn’t firmly established yet.

How likely would people be to thoroughly disinfect before inoculation, even if told to do so in such places?

It might be different for one or two people, but if inoculating on a large scale, there would inevitably be places that would do it haphazardly.

In fact, there were records of a doctor in a rural village who inoculated dozens of people with a single needle without disinfecting it.

In this case, it would be strange if an infection didn’t occur, regardless of the vaccine.

But people can’t properly judge whether this happened because of the vaccine or for another reason.

Then, naturally, distrust and rumors about the vaccine will spread, which will return in the form of delayed inoculation and the spread of damage.

People who only think from a purely academic point of view tend to overlook these realistic variables.

From that point of view, Lavoisier was definitely an extraordinary person.

He was definitely different from his father, who was just a useful legal advisor.

“Then how should we deal with this….”

“Well, I’ll have to think about that a bit more.”

However, Lavoisier, who raised the issue, didn’t readily offer a solution, perhaps because he hadn’t thought of one.

Eventually, Christian, judging that it was time for him to step in, rejoined the discussion.

“I’ll take care of that. The most important thing in the early stages is what kind of perception you instill. If we cooperate with the church from the introduction stage and get help from the High Court to manipulate the media in advance, it’ll work out somehow. You guys just need to focus on completing the development as quickly as possible and writing a complete paper. I’ll take care of the trivial matters in advance.”

“Young Master. Actually, there’s one more critical issue left. No matter how plausible it looks theoretically, the academic world won’t accept it unless the results support it. So, we’ll eventually have to actually test it on someone….”

“There’s no need to worry about that either. It’s just a matter of me getting it, and it’s over.”

Lavoisier’s eyes widened at the immediate answer that came without a second’s hesitation.

Jenner was also so surprised that he jumped up from his seat without realizing it.

“What? I don’t think there’s a need for you to get it yourself from the beginning, Young Master?”

“The most effective way to increase confidence in the vaccine is for the person trying to introduce it to take the lead. You can also preemptively block the sound of ‘If it’s so safe, why don’t you get it first?’”

History tells us that the cowpox method is safe anyway.

It’s safe if made properly.

The problem is when an incomplete product comes out.

Even if we assume the worst-case scenario, the person who can make it disappear from the beginning and try again should get it.

Considering the risk of regression, it was a gamble I absolutely didn’t want to take, but I trusted the three intellectuals of the era.

Because of this calculation, Christian had no hesitation in stepping forward.

Of course, the other three, who had no idea of that fact, inwardly marveled at Christian’s boldness.

Immediately after, when the schedule for the future was roughly set, Christian left to guide Jenner to the place where he would be staying.

“Hoo… I’m a bit tired from using my head too much for the first time in a while.”

As the two left the room, Guillotin leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

“It was a more fruitful time than expected.”

“I agree. I originally came just to listen to the story, but I didn’t know I would be so engrossed. Now I understand why Lavoisier trusts and follows such a young master.”

“The expression ‘trust and follow’ is a bit much, but I agree that I felt a strong persuasiveness.”

“The more I think about it, the more amazing it is.”

Guillotin still couldn’t take his eyes off the place where Christian had left, with a slightly dazed look.

Everything he had just seen, heard, and felt was now beginning to sink in little by little.

At the same time, a strong conviction rushed in like a torrent.

This will definitely succeed.

Guillotin had never felt so confident before any presentation.

“I don’t really believe in bloodlines, but when I have experiences like this, my standards waver. They say he’s from a great noble family, so do those people really have something different?”

“Great noble… Ah, yes. That’s right. Young Master certainly has surprisingly good blood.”

“I see you know everything. I’m curious, but there must be a reason why you don’t tell me, so I won’t ask any further.”

“You’ll find out eventually, whether you like it or not. I guarantee you’ll be very surprised when that time comes.”

“Hahaha! How great can the young master of a family be to be surprised? Unless he turns out to be royalty.”

Guillotin shook his head, thinking it was an absurd assumption even after he said it.

Lavoisier simply twitched his lips and gave an awkward smile.

“But what have you been scribbling since earlier?”

Guillotin asked, having noticed that Lavoisier had been constantly writing something and then crossing it out with a pen since earlier.

Was he perhaps finding and organizing something to supplement from the previous meeting on his own?

If so, it would be truly commendable.

Lavoisier paused his constantly moving hand for a moment and opened his mouth.

“I’ve been narrowing down a list of companies worth investing in.”

“What? Investing?”

“Yes. The vaccine will definitely be a huge success. Naturally, enormous added value will be created, so there will inevitably be places that will make a fortune riding this trend. Maybe we can contact them first and go for a collaborative structure. Anyway, it’s certain that now is the time to make a lot of money.”

“No, you were thinking about making money in the midst of all this…?”

Guillotin’s mouth dropped open.

A person who wouldn’t hesitate to spend money for research but would never miss an opportunity to make money.

That was Lavoisier the scientist.

Guillotin silently got up from his seat and strode towards Lavoisier.

“Were you uncomfortable? If so, I apologize….”

“That information. Could you share it with me?”

A person who doesn’t covet money but doesn’t kick it away if it rolls in.

That was Guillotin.

The corners of the two men’s mouths soon drew round arcs as they met each other’s eyes.

※※※

As I steadily carried out my plans, the year changed before I knew it.

As prepared by the High Court, I was admitted to the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, the best prestigious school in Paris.

Seeing this in both my past and present lives, it seems I am destined to be inseparable from the space called school.

“Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a school sponsored by the great Sun King [Louis XIV] himself, and you must not let its reputation be in vain….”

I roughly let the principal’s stale lecture flow through one ear and looked around at the classmates sitting nearby.

I had already extracted information on people with unusual backgrounds at the request of the court.

From the eldest son of the president of a famous Parisian newspaper to a landowner family owning a large plantation in the New World.

Most of those who stood out at Louis-le-Grand during this period were children of the bourgeois class who had risen to the upper class of society.

The big shots I had to be most careful of were scheduled to enter next year, but I couldn’t overlook them either.

Even if my position became solid later, solidarity with the bourgeois was not an option but a necessity.

And there is no better space than school to forge friendships with people of similar age.

It’s no wonder that school ties, regional ties, and blood ties are still considered the most solid relationships in modern times.

So, I can freely recruit talents who will become my strength in the future here.

What will the curriculum of the best prestigious school in modern Europe be like?

My rosy expectations, which I had full of anticipation, were shattered miserably in less than a week.

I’m an idiot for having expectations for the old-fashioned education of the 18th century, even if it’s Europe.

The so-called ‘꼰대’ [Kkondae, a Korean slang term for an older person who is condescending and stuck in their ways] education in modern times can’t even compare to this time.

So-called European education that emphasizes creativity and self-directed learning, which I had heard so much about, didn’t even exist in this era.

“Um, so, the Roman Republican Cicero said in his book….”

Most of the classes were just reading the contents of the book and memorizing it to the point where you could write it without looking.

The lecturers’ lecturing skills weren’t very good either.

Some were skilled and taught passionately, but the curriculum itself was hopeless, so no matter what they did, the conclusion was that it would be a boring lecture.

The motto of education in this era was that rote learning was the royal road and absolute truth.

And ironically, I, who had mastered the fierce exam life in Korea in terms of rote learning, was at the top of the food chain.

No matter how tough this place is, the actual amount of studying is not even close to my high school days when I was preparing for the college entrance exam.

Here, I still have the 3-stage evolution of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral preparation.

I could only yawn at this level of rote learning.

Rather, there were so many wrong things that I had to be careful not to become more stupid than I am now.

Eventually, less than a month later, I had a proper existential crisis and ended up listening to the classes half-heartedly.

I can take full-fledged action when Guillotin and Jenner complete their papers, but the answer came back that it would take more time.

I understand that cowpox doesn’t just pop out as soon as you know the principle.

I couldn’t urge them because the three of them were still working hard on their research, saving sleep.

As I was buried in boredom, an unexpected call came.

Malzerb, the son of High Court Justice Blancmesnil and the Director-General of the Press, urgently sought me out.

“Young Master, if you have time, I would like you to come to the High Court as soon as class is over tomorrow. I will send a carriage, so it won’t be a hassle.”

“Did something happen?”

“You could say something happened. The Crown Prince was originally scheduled to attend the court event in two days. But today, a message suddenly arrived that His Majesty would also be visiting.”

“I guess we have to scrap everything we’ve prepared from the beginning.”

“Yes, well….”

I could easily guess how chaotic it was over there just from Malzerb’s troubled expression.

Even a child knows how much greater the sincerity required to welcome the King is than to welcome the Crown Prince.

The King knew that too, so it was customary not to make such sudden visits.

Changing the schedule suddenly, as if telling them to eat 엿 [yeot, a Korean taffy, often used figuratively to mean ‘screw you’ or ‘tough luck’], was naturally intended to check the High Court.

Therefore, they have to put more effort into preparing so as not to be caught.

“But why are you calling me? You’re not going to introduce me to His Majesty at the event, are you?”

“Of course not. Young Master is currently a relative of our family. So, you can assist my father at the banquet after the event.”

“You want me to listen carefully to the conversations between His Majesty and the court nobles and give you my own judgment.”

“Yes. It seems that my father has come to trust your insight very much, as the information I heard from you before has been confirmed to be true.”

It’s not that they’re going to rely entirely on my judgment, but that they’re just going to refer to it.

Anyway, they are in a situation where they can’t choose to back out now.

And being able to see Louis XV’s face sooner than expected was definitely an unexpected gain.

“I understand. I will do my best with my meager strength.”

Malzerb, having received a satisfactory answer, left a thank you and left immediately.

They must be just as embarrassed, feeling like they suddenly got hit by a bomb.

But the most absurd person is me.