NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 15
The first successful separation and extraction of morphine was achieved by a young German pharmacist named Jeltutner.
A pioneer in modern pharmacology. However, his life was far from smooth.
For one, he was an addict of morphine.
The reason was that he conducted human experiments on himself to determine the efficacy and proper dosage of morphine. There was even an occasion when he chugged a dose equivalent to a near-lethal amount and barely survived; he also struggled with depression for the rest of his life due to the aftereffects of addiction.
I wasn’t revisiting his sacrifices with any renewed reverence.
“Even if you succeed in manufacturing, building a business is a whole other issue.”
Just because it’s made doesn’t mean it sells automatically.
Right now, I had over 20 kilograms of morphine in my possession.
Though raw opium is still piled up in the warehouse, production had been halted temporarily because the seals for storing the medicine were running out. And funding had also dried up.
It was time to seriously consider distribution.
“Sir Knight… Excuse me, Mr. Boss. May I speak?”
Jacob, Bono’s elder brother, cautiously started speaking. Opium powder was smeared on his face.
Until now, he and his younger sibling had worked as opium slaves, breaking raw opium into pieces, but with the production line now halted, he seemed to have regained the strength to speak.
“Speak.”
“Is the efficacy of the medicine truly as outstanding as claimed? It’s not that I doubt it.”
“It can alleviate pain even for someone who’s just been shot with a musket. Even for those in pain that can’t be endured despite being immersed in opium, this will suppress it. …The recommended dose is 15 milligrams per time.”
“…”
Jacob briefly lost his words and adjusted his glasses, seemingly calculating how many doses we’d created so far.
Considering the slightly improved manufacturing environment from cottage industry, the quantity produced was indeed substantial, which was why Jacob seemed to be pondering it deeply.
“It won’t be enough to sell directly, will it, I guess.”
“The same thought crossed my mind.”
“In that case, there’s a method. We can use word-of-mouth.”
“Word-of-mouth?”
I decided to listen, not because I wanted to be an employer who listens to employees, but because I wanted to gauge what kind of awareness a former employee of a trading company, who knew about our products, had with regard to morphine. Once it’s out in the world, there’s no turning back.
“In fact… there’s a dentist near where I live. The teacher there is somewhat old but was trained in tooth extraction from a young age at a barber shop.”
“…”
“But whenever I passed by, I often heard screams. Sometimes they tie people down before pulling the tooth. What if you supply a small amount at a low cost?”
“And wait for the rumors to spread?”
“Yes! In a few months, many people will likely come running, asking to buy morphine. It’s a way to conduct business comfortably.”
Financially speaking, it wasn’t a wrong suggestion.
It might have been the easiest and most comfortable path.
Select a dental clinic where cries of pain never ceased, provide them with the product,
let the rumors about morphine spread naturally,
and I would just sit in my office collecting the money.
Perhaps within two months, I might be sitting atop a pile of wealth and could give generous dividends to Siena.
However, there was a considerable risk to my safety in the mid-to-long term. There would inevitably be people dying from overdoses.
“This was probably the right moment to talk it through.”
I looked at the innocent-looking Bono and his brother Jacob standing before me.
“There’s something I haven’t told you.”
“What is it?”
“I said that 15 milligrams would have a pain-relieving effect. But if three times that amount is taken, you’ll drift off and pass out without realizing it. Ten times that amount will lead to unconsciousness, and you might never wake up.”
“…”
“If we proceed in the manner Jacob suggested, fatal accidents will happen sooner rather than later.”
After all, whether it’s 15 milligrams or 150 milligrams, only the precise scales used for poison can measure such small amounts.
It wouldn’t make sense to tell people, “Just take the proper dose.”
It wasn’t that people were ignorant; it’s just inherently hard to adhere to the correct dosage each time. If it were easy, I wouldn’t have seen so many news stories about people overdosing in my past life. It’s also why my younger sibling, who was an experienced drug dealer, wouldn’t have unintentionally overdosed.
“Did we create something this dangerous?”
Bono asked, his face tense.
Though it was surprising that someone who’d previously served in combat was uneasy about drugs, I wasn’t about to criticize him; instead, this sense of urgency was precisely what we needed right now.
“Bono, the poisonous herbs you’re familiar with are also beneficial if used in small amounts for treating abdominal pain or asthma. But an overdose can cause blindness or unconsciousness.”
“So it means taking the proper dosage is key.”
He understood. I didn’t question the reason for his sudden use of honorifics and just let it be.
Incidentally, I had one task for them.
Something far more important than spending all day breaking raw opium into pieces.
Namely, the sales strategy.
“Go out and try selling.”
I sent Bono and Jacob out of Temseugung.
I didn’t ask them to sell on the street. I instructed them to visit hospitals within the State, politely explain the efficacy of morphine, and propose supply contracts. If necessary, they could even offer small samples.
The targets were hospitals with at least 100 beds.
Some were operated by the military, and others by the wealthy out of charity.
If the scale wasn’t that large, they wouldn’t be able to systemically administer morphine, which made these ideal sales points. Hospitals are not perfectly controlled environments, but they were a better choice than handing out the drug indiscriminately. This was also where morphine could be most effectively utilized.
Unsurprisingly, they both appeared hesitant.
“To be honest, just because we show up and try to sell, will they buy? Maybe for someone like you, Sir Knight, but…”
I had to admit, based on appearances, it didn’t seem like anyone would.
A former trade company employee and a former bodyguard known to have clashed with the second and third princesses,
requesting to sell drugs would surely seem odd to anyone they approached.
“Maybe they won’t even give us a chance to speak.”
Indeed, most hospitals in the State function more like facilities for sheltering disabled individuals and patients rather than medical service providers. The wealthy usually donated large sums to churches to meet saints for treatment in case of injury.
If two representatives from Medoff Pharmaceuticals suddenly appeared, claiming, “We have a drug that can eliminate patient pain. Please allow us to supply it regularly,”
they’d be written off as frauds. No matter how well they explained its efficacy.
“Besides, the price isn’t exactly cheap.”
The price I set for morphine was 50 talers for a four-dose amount (one day’s worth).
This covered a full day of meals with beer.
While I didn’t think it was an outrageous markup, the minuscule amount that even a regular scale could barely measure would seem expensive to hospitals.
Unless the Bonos were blessed with persuasive tongues, they’d most likely be turned away.
This prediction soon came true.
“Boss. We visited a hospital sponsored by the Marquis of Lakiurus but couldn’t even meet the director. After waiting for about an hour, some nurse in a bloodied uniform came out and told us to leave. …I apologize.”
Rejection.
“The following day, at another place, they knew about Princess Siena’s cultivation of opium flowers… They questioned who’d buy opium at that price! We explained that morphine was different and offered a sample, but they wouldn’t listen.”
More rejections on the next day. And again, and again.
“We’ve nowhere else to visit.”
After a few days of continuous rejections, they ran out of places to go.
Though the brothers felt they hadn’t accomplished anything and were embarrassed, I wasn’t at all disappointed. I had anticipated this outcome, and it was my own fault for pushing them to fail.
“It’s okay, take a break now. You’ve fulfilled your roles.”
“Role…?”
“You’ve at least imprinted the name ‘morphine’ into the minds of hospital staff. We approached and were politely rejected, which will help our case in the future. The hard work you’ve done will eventually pay off.”
As Bono hesitated, asking “Uh…?”, I instructed them to return home. Their part was done after a few days of hard work.
The rest was up to me.
I intended to wait for the optimal moment to act.
…
Two days later, Princess Siena sent a servant to summon me.
Was she going to urge me to bring in money quickly?
When I arrived, she didn’t look in good spirits. The maid who was tidying her hair was trembling visibly.
“Alan. I’m on my way back from the Main Palace by father’s command. Though I’ve avoided public appearances so far, it was impossible to refuse an imperial order.”
“Was there an incident?”
“You wouldn’t believe it. I ran into my sister, and that woman suddenly apologized to me.”
Siena’s older sister was Victoria Carrail, the First Princess.
She had the support of the military, as she herself was an active Lieutenant Colonel, and she was known for her efforts in supporting the welfare of the soldiers.
So her apology to Siena could mean…
“Could it be due to the morphine?”
“Yes. Since Victoria is the main sponsor of the Imperial Military Hospital, she likely mistook it to be her institution, apologizing that she couldn’t purchase the products from me. …She might be under the impression that this was your business deal initiated on my behalf.”
This implied that Siena herself had appeared as if she urgently needed funds and tried to sell opium (just under a different name) at a high price to the military hospital, and failed, irritating her deeply. In this instance, I couldn’t blame her if she were to vent her frustration.
Fortunately, there was a way to soothe her.
“So the existence of morphine has reached Princess Victoria. I didn’t expect it to spread so quickly, but this isn’t bad news, for which I deeply apologize to you.”
Her expression lit up instantly upon hearing this.
“Did you anticipate this situation?”
Indeed, she had sharp instincts.
I sought her permission to go sell some medicine. Although I skipped detailed explanations, Siena seemed to catch on, nodding and waving me out with a flick of her fingers.