Bacterial pneumonia

Li Xiang and Senku did not linger and left first.

Only Ruri remained inside with her eyes closed, resting, with Kohaku tending to her and the village chief standing nearby, reassured as he waited for the results.

They walked out of the peaceful courtyard and away from the villagers' eyes, and their surroundings immediately fell quiet.

Li Xiang stopped and turned to Senku beside her.

"I can be almost a hundred percent certain that Ruri has bacterial pneumonia."

Years of clinical experience had already allowed her to pinpoint the cause. The signs of disease she had just observed, combined with the persistent coughing and wheezing,

along with the conditions in her home that encouraged bacterial growth, all pointed to that conclusion.

She said slowly, "The most essential, targeted treatment for bacterial pneumonia is antibiotics."

"But to be safe, we'll have to give Ruri a skin test before administering any medication to check for potential drug allergies."

"We'll also need to make syringes, and allergy medication..."

This is so annoying. I still have to work even here, and the worst part is that there aren't any ready-made drugs to use. Your big sister's resentment is only getting worse!

After all, everyone's constitution was different. Ruri in particular had been frail for years and had long been taking folk remedies, so there was a strong chance of drug resistance or allergies. One wrong move could worsen her condition.

"I've already worked out two treatment plans," Li Xiang said.

"Our first choice is Amoxicillin combined with a macrolide. Either Azithromycin or Clarithromycin could be an option."

"If those aren't suitable, we can fall back on Doxycycline, which covers most pathogens that cause lung infections."

She paused, then added a backup treatment plan. "Of course, we also need to prepare for the worst."

"If further examinations reveal that it isn't a bacterial infection but fungal pneumonia, we'll need to switch to antifungals. Fluconazole, Voriconazole, and Amphotericin B are the three most effective specific treatments available."

"The problem is, we don't have any medication right now..."

Having laid out all her treatment options, Li Xiang looked up at Senku beside her. "So everything is clear now. There's no need to agonize over the treatment plan. We just need to make the appropriate antibiotics from scratch."

"Senku, you can manage something this difficult, right?"

At her question, Senku's lips curled into a familiar, confident smirk, and he picked at his ear out of habit.

"Of course."

The treatment plans, medication list, and feasibility of production had all been confirmed. Next came the most crucial step: gathering materials.

When Kohaku learned that the two were heading out to find ingredients for the medicine, she refused to sit idle for even a moment and immediately ran over.

"I'll help too! Nobody knows the ores, herbs, and terrain in these mountains better than I do. I can save you a lot of time!"

With a local helping them, gathering materials would naturally be twice as efficient. Neither refused, and they nodded in agreement.

The three had just packed a few basic tools and were about to head into the mountains when a clear, slightly defiant young voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"I heard about you! You're those sorcerers from outside, right?"

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a nimble black-haired boy rushing over, his face full of stubborn determination.

The boy planted his hands on his hips and stared straight at them, his voice firm and forceful.

"My name is Chrome! I'm never going to admit defeat!"

Li Xiang found him both amusing and exasperating and casually waved him away.

"Where did this brat come from? Go play somewhere else. Don't interrupt our work."

Saving a life was the urgent priority, but that offhand dismissal struck Chrome squarely in his pride.

His eyes instantly widened and his cheeks flushed. Angry and flustered, he cried, "Damn it! You're looking down on me?!"

The thought that these outsiders claimed they could cure Ruri's lingering, serious illness and possessed "sorcery" no one else understood set Chrome's competitive spirit ablaze.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze utterly resolute. "For Ruri! I'm going all out! I challenge you to a contest!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed directly at Senku, who had calmly watched the whole exchange, making his challenge unmistakable.

"I'm challenging you to a sorcery contest!"

Senku merely looked up and picked at his ear out of habit. Wearing a languid expression of utter disdain, he clearly thought nothing of this childish contest and casually agreed.

"Sure. What are we competing at? Your choice."

That dismissive, contemptuous attitude only sent Chrome's fighting spirit soaring.

A supremely confident smile spread across the boy's face, his eyes brimming with smug certainty, as though victory were already his.

Everyone watched curiously, unsure what sort of "sorcery" he was about to produce.

The next moment, Chrome pulled several unidentified rocks of different colors and unusual textures from his cloth pouch and tossed them straight into a nearby fire without hesitation.

Sizzle-

A faint sizzling sounded, and then something magical happened!

The ordinary orange-yellow flames abruptly changed color. Orange-red, pale purple, and light green flickered in succession, brilliant and strange.

But to Li Xiang and Senku, this supposedly miraculous sorcery was nothing worth mentioning.

Li Xiang instantly saw through it and could not resist a quiet comment.

"So it's a flame test. Not bad."

Then, feeling a little disappointed, she could not help muttering.

"But the conditions are too primitive. Without blue cobalt glass, there's no way to distinguish potassium's flame color accurately. It's far too limiting."

Meanwhile, the moment the previously indifferent Senku got a clear look at the ores and the changing flames, his gaze abruptly sharpened.

He strode forward, staring intently at the rocks in the fire.

"Wait! Where did you pick up these rocks? What's the exact location? How much more is there?"

Chrome's confidence instantly swelled. He raised his head, looking so unbearably smug he practically had his nose in the clouds.

"Heh-heh! Well? Overwhelmed by my amazing charm, aren't you? Now you know how incredible I am!"

Watching the boy bask in his triumph, Li Xiang pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation and could only advise him gently and patiently.

"Kid, I suggest you stop messing around and leave while you can."

Once this science maniac spotted useful materials or an interesting phenomenon and his desire to research caught fire, nobody could predict what he might get up to.

Sure enough.

Chrome had barely enjoyed two seconds of smugness before Kohaku told him that the visiting physician before him was the only person who could cure Ruri's stubborn illness.

What a face-switch, Hajike.

His expression turned serious, and he clenched his fists and shouted, "All right! Then why are we even competing? I'll stop messing around!"

"I'm joining you! We'll make those... antibiotics together! I'm going to save Ruri with my own hands!"

To cure the gentle, kind big sister Ruri, who had been frail since childhood, he completely set aside his competitiveness and pride. How utterly noble of him!

Fine, then.

What had originally been two people quietly gathering materials to make medicine had turned into a bigger team, with Kohaku and Chrome joining as local helpers.

As Senku watched Chrome volunteer to join them, a calculating glint flashed in his eyes. The perfect laborer.

Just when I needed a pillow, someone handed me one. He delivered himself right to my door. Heaven really is on my side.