"Infectious diseases have always been a central focus of medical research. There are countless kinds of pathogens, and every branch of medicine recognizes that this is where the clinical outcomes of countless patients—their very lives and deaths—are decided. That is why people have sought ways to combat infection since ancient times.
"Long ago, our forefather Fleming used penicillin from orange peels. After just three days of intravenous treatment, the patient's fever subsided and their blood counts stabilized. Less than twenty years later, also from the soil, Schatz isolated actinomycetes under his mentor Waksman and obtained Streptomycin, which proved highly effective against Gram-negative bacteria and Tuberculosis.
"I don't understand why everyone keeps talking about traditional palliative treatments, as if antimicrobial drugs are destined to be where the Medical Society meets its Waterloo. A year ago, I traveled south from Wenden Port and began researching pharmaceutical equipment. Two of the three pillars of surgery were then conquered. When the day came to update our treatment protocols, patients and colleagues alike rejoiced. It was a triumph of both favorable circumstances and popular support.
"That vibrant scene, with all creation striving to flourish, is still vivid before my eyes. Now that we have the space and funding, could things really have changed so much that we're facing an insurmountable impasse?
"However you look at it, we can make up for our equipment gap by other means. We have the advantage!"
"Huh? Where'd my mold go?"
The former Monastery's second warehouse, now a sealed laboratory belonging to the Knight Order.
Kraft's hand trembled slightly as he held the glass Petri dish. The high cost of the glassware was an effective deterrent against both the scale and frequency of his shaking.
At least it wasn't his first time. After waiting quite a while without any