#902 A Witch’s Study

“Yay! I did it! I really did it!”

What exactly did she accomplish?

Drawn by the commotion, I approached to find a figure bouncing excitedly. 

That petite figure in a lab coat... 

Isn’t that Garra Rufa, the mermaid?

She’s the oldest mermaid resident on our farm, after my wife Platy. 

When Puffer and Lampeye, who had moved in at the same time, returned to the Mermaid Kingdom upon getting married, Garra Rufa became the eldest of the farm mermaids.

One might wonder if it’s right to refer to a lady as the “eldest.”

Regardless, here she is, seemingly too old for such exuberance yet hopping around with unbridled joy. 

Feeling an indescribable unease, I decided it was better to confront the situation rather than pretend I hadn’t seen anything.

“Um, what exactly have you accomplished?”

“Lord Saint! I did it! I really did it!”

Her response, heavy on verbs, made me worry for a moment if she had committed some dire act out of excitement, increasing my unease. 

Could you clarify your subject, please?

“What I mean is that I’ve finally completed years of research!”

Research? 

Were you working on something?

I can’t recall immediately. The backstory feels too dated.

Garra Rufa is our farm’s most senior mermaid and medic.

She hails from a prestigious background in Mermaid Kingdom’s medical science and opened a clinic here, offering support to the residents plagued by illnesses and injuries, right?

...But, then...

Why did such a talent decide to live on this remote farm again?

Ah, right. Garra Rufa is also known as The Witch of the Plague.

She was feared as one of the most evil of the Six Witches in the mermaid realm.

Though not as combat-savvy as the other witches, her radical ideas and research made her arguably the most terrifying among them.

This reputation led to her expulsion from the Mermaid Medical Association and, eventually, to our farm. 

That’s the summary of events up to now.

...Now then.

What could possibly make her research so terrifyingly fascinating?

“The culmination of my research into bacteria has finally been reacheddddddddddddd!!!”

Right.

Garra Rufa’s field of study is bacteria.

As you know, bacteria are minuscule organisms invisible to the naked human eye.

They parasitize virtually all forms of life, sometimes even infiltrating their insides...

They can be harmful yet also play a crucial role in symbiotic relationships, aiding in vital biological processes.

I mean, they’re the creators behind fermented foods like miso and natto.

Yet they also stand as culprits behind certain diseases.

Countless in variety, these unseen neighbors are bacteria.

And they’re Garra Rufa’s subject of study.

However, it was precisely because of this that she was considered a heretic at the Mermaid Medical Association. 

Why? Because the concept of bacteria has yet to be discovered in this world. 

After all, bacteria are too small to be seen with the naked eye. 

Believing in the existence of what cannot be seen is a formidable challenge. Even in the world I once belonged to, the existence of bacteria wasn’t even imagined until microscopes were invented, allowing us to see them.

Diseases caused by bacteria and viruses were attributed to the workings of demons and evil spirits. 

And in this world, real demons and spirits do exist, which only complicates matters.

Possibly through a stroke of genius intuition, Garra Rufa’s theory predicting the existence of bacteria was completely rejected by the academic community. Instead of being embraced, she was deemed insane and ostracized.

The last refuge for her, with nowhere else to go, turned out to be this farm. 

That’s part two of her backstory so far.

“It seems like such a distant memory now...”

Garra Rufa herself gazes into the distance as if reflecting on how far she has come.

“I remember the day I first arrived here. Lord Saint clarified for me the existence of bacteria, which I had only vaguely imagined until then. At that moment, it felt as though a veil had been lifted from before my eyes.”

Ah...

I see...

“Moreover, you gifted me a microscope, which significantly advanced my bacterial research. Since then, I have modified the microscope repeatedly, and now I can observe bacteria at a magnification of one hundred thousand times!”

That’s practically at the level of an electron microscope...!

“Those efforts have borne fruit, and my research has reached a significant milestone. While there are still infinite avenues to explore, and the research is far from over, I do feel we’ve reached a satisfying breakpoint.”

Unbeknownst to me, Garra Rufa’s research has progressed to such an extent. 

That is indeed a moment worth shouting, “I did it!”

But what exactly has her research achieved?!

“Hmhmhm... Would you like to know, Lord Saint? You do, don’t you?”

Garra Rufa’s seizing the moment to play it up!

Normally, such behavior would be annoying, but today, given the completion of her research, it’s entirely acceptable!

Be vain all you want today!

“Te-ll meee!”

“Do you reaaaaally want to knowwww?”

“Te-lllllll meeeee!”

After a few exchanges like this... we quickly got bored. 

It’s not really in character for us, huh...

Let’s get to the point, then... At last, the remarkable achievement of Garra Rufa’s research is revealed.

“What is the purpose of research? It is to serve humanity! Shouldn’t research be deemed complete only when it establishes a way to contribute to society?”

“Ohh.”

“And how does my bacterial research serve? By curing diseases! After all, I am a mermaid medical researcher, and that is what I have aimed to advance through my study of bacteria!”

That’s where I wished she’d spoken more definitively.

“Through my bacterial research, I’ve developed a method to cure human diseases! This is, without a doubt, a breakthrough. Don’t you agree, Lord Saint?!”

I dooo.

...Wait, seriously? Her research has progressed that far?

Several years have passed since she first trod upon the farmland soil. 

Behind the scenes, Garra Rufa tirelessly pursued her research amidst various happenings, and it seems her day in the sun has finally arrived.

Her comrades, who once visited the farm with her, have since graduated through marriage, leaving her to steadfastly continue alone. The form of success she chose is what we celebrate today.

Garra Rufa’s life’s work has borne fruit, and it goes without saying that she deserves our unreserved praise...!

“What exactly does your research entail for curing diseases?” I ask, driven by curiosity.

“I’m so glad you asked, Lord Saint!!!”

Of course, she’d want to share. 

This is the culmination of all her efforts, after all.

“Human bodies inherently possess the ability to defend against invading microorganisms. We learn to remember the characteristics of invading bacteria and to add functions to deal with them effectively. This is what I learned to call the ‘immune function’ after hearing it from you!”

Well, yes... 

I suppose that’s one way to look at it.

“Once you’ve acquired immunity, pathogens pose no threat. However, obtaining that initial immunity is the challenge. Everyone must once face vulnerability and withstand an attack to gain their defenses. If that first attack is lethal, the risks are maximized. Talking about immunity then becomes irrelevant!”

Hmm, that makes sense.

“So, what’s the solution? How about minimizing the impact of that inevitable first attack? Instead of waiting for natural pathogens to strike, why not introduce a deliberately weakened, artificially reduced toxin into the body to safely acquire immunity!!!”

Wow... 

...Wait a minute. 

Haven’t I heard this story before?

No, this really does sound familiar. 

Deliberately introducing weakened bacteria or viruses into the body to acquire immunity.

This method was widely used in my world, showing tremendous effectiveness in preventing specific diseases and enjoying the highest level of social trust.

The term we used for these intentionally introduced weakened pathogens was... 

Vaccines.