I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy

Episode 60: A New Graduate Student

***

Fate. In life, everyone encounters a moment of destiny at least once—a pivotal decision that shapes one’s path.

“I want to become a graduate student.”

Just hearing those words makes my heart swell; it’s the moment someone’s life changes course. I looked at the student standing before me.

Long black hair, orange eyes—it was Amy, right? She looked younger up close than she did during lectures. Was it because I was scrutinizing her?

“This will be the best choice of your life. Sit down for a moment, and let’s talk this through.”

I pushed Amy onto the sofa and closed the lab door behind us. There’s no easy escape now. I sat across from her, leaning forward.

Finally, a new grad student has arrived…

Perfect timing—just as Ms. Istina was on the verge of burning out. Amy was still glancing around nervously.

We’d done an anatomy session together last time…

Wait, wasn’t Oliver there too? Why didn’t that guy apply to be a grad student?

Maybe Amy is just smarter and more capable. That must be it. It’s natural to favor the ones with bent arms… And naturally, students who express interest in becoming grad students look cuter too.

“Glad you’re here, Amy.”

“Hello, Professor.”

Amy bowed awkwardly.

“I always thought you were the smartest student in my class. The longer the leash, the more choices you have—it’s only logical.”

Amy nodded hesitantly, her eyes filled with unease. There’s nothing to fear. Graduate school is just another place where people live and work.

“Y-Yes…”

“Look, our lab has already published four groundbreaking papers this year alone that could change the history of healing magic. With the latest discovery of white blood cells, we’ll soon hit five.”

Amy nodded again.

“That’s what caught my attention. Other professors said this research is simply unbelievable—they couldn’t figure out how you came up with these ideas.”

“There’s always a method to the madness.”

“That paper blew my mind—and everyone else’s too, including other students and seniors.”

Perhaps this was the tipping point…

The mathematical formulas in the centrifuge and white blood cell paper weren’t just about medical knowledge—they required something beyond ordinary expertise.

When does this kid graduate again?

“When are you graduating?”

“This year! I’ll finish my classes by the end of the year and receive my diploma.”

Too long…

It would be great if I could get her involved in research or tasks sooner. Ideally, I’d want her to start working full-time tomorrow, but rules are rules.

No, wait—if she hasn’t graduated yet, I can still push her. There’s always a way.

“You don’t need to attend my lectures anymore. I’ll check if you can reduce your other courses as well.”

“Ah, okay.”

It might feel a bit forced, but early graduation is possible with recommendation letters and the dean’s approval.

Minimizing her other classes and having her work as both a graduate student and trainee healer seems like the best option.

That way, she’ll join sooner.

“Do you know how to use healing magic already?”

“Yes.”

That’s all I needed to hear. Besides, the current healing curriculum will likely change drastically in a few years anyway. No point cramming unnecessary details.

I stared at Amy.

“In that case, I’ll write you a recommendation letter for early graduation. If you mention pursuing a master’s degree, the dean will approve it easily. It’ll save you time.”

Amy scratched her head, looking puzzled but thoughtful.

“Is that really possible?”

Of course it is. Graduation isn’t that far away for her anyway.

“But if I skip some undergraduate courses, will I still be able to function properly as a healer?”

I nodded confidently.

If you’re learning from me, you’ll be fine. Honestly, what could the other professors teach you that would truly benefit you? Working directly with patients is far more valuable.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Oh, thank you so much…”

“If you have any questions, you can ask Istina. You’ll adapt quickly.”

Perfect.

“Shouldn’t take more than a month to wrap up your classes and finalize the early graduation process, right?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, do you know anyone else who might want to join?”

“Oh, I’ll ask around.”

Ideally, I’d love to recruit more. We should aim for at least three graduate students, right?

One could stay in the lab, one could handle ward duties, and one could assist me with consultations, lectures, or surgeries.

Three is my goal.

“There’s a schedule posted here. Coordinate with Istina for rotations between consultations, ward management, and research.”

“Understood. I’ll go now!”

“Take care.”

And with that, Amy left the lab. Istina will probably be thrilled when she hears about this new fresh-faced junior joining the team.

I should tell her when she comes back.

A few minutes later, Istina arrived. She came in a bit late—I was eager to share the good news.

“Istina! Come quick.”

Istina adjusted her bag and rushed into the lab, clearly expecting some kind of emergency.

No emergency—just good news.

“Did someone die?”

“Nope. We’re getting a new junior.”

“Huh?! Did you recruit more grad students?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded proudly, and Istina broke into a bright smile.

“That’s wonderful!”

“Not upset, are you?”

I wondered if she might feel a little overshadowed. After all, we’ve only had one grad student so far, and suddenly increasing the number could feel awkward.

But thankfully, Istina showed no signs of discomfort.

“No, not at all. Who is it?”

“Amy.”

“What’s she like?”

Honestly, I don’t know much about her either. But if she’s willing to join my lab, she must have good judgment. Plus, she asks intelligent questions during class.

Istina tilted her head curiously.

“Can I assign her tasks?”

“As long as she doesn’t run away.”

Her junior, after all—your call on what to assign her. Though if she bolts, it becomes my problem too.

“She said she was deeply impressed by our recent white blood cell paper. She wanted to know how we came up with such ideas.”

“True. Compared to other research, the concepts and theories were incredibly complex.”

Performing the experiments themselves wasn’t overly difficult, but without a physics background, centrifugation wouldn’t have been conceivable.

Come to think of it…

How far has math developed in this world? Do they even have calculus?

Istina plopped down onto the couch.

“Wow, this is amazing. I was starting to wish we could borrow even a cat’s paw for help.”

“My goal is to fill the lab with at least three grad students.”

“It’s about time.”

“We’ve accomplished so much this year, haven’t we? Any ambitious student aiming to make waves in the academic community would obviously want to join our lab.”

“Exactly.”

I glanced at Istina.

Of course, I agree—but this kind of bold statement suits someone as shameless as me, not Istina’s usually cautious nature.

Still, it was a positive change.

At least it shows she trusts me. Burnout won’t be an issue anytime soon.

“You’ll mentor her well.”

“Yes, definitely.”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Istina look this happy. With Amy onboard, the number of patients we can treat will increase.

And the pool of people we can recruit will grow too.

***

Professor Fisher, the department head of Healing Studies, stood staring at a hastily scribbled paper pinned to the bulletin board outside the Healing Department building.

Why does this guy always do this?

He didn’t even bother writing the paper meticulously.

It was short and concise, almost slapdash—perfectly suited to be pinned like a giant poster.

What’s this one about now…?

Complicated stuff. Difficult to comprehend. Mathematical expressions and calculations involving centripetal force, RPM, gravitational acceleration, and relative values of centripetal force.

Here’s the gist:

If you spin a vial of blood rapidly, you can apply hundreds of times the force of gravity.

This method allows you to separate blood into its components: plasma (a golden liquid), red blood cells, and white blood cells.

Using fresh blood, you can even observe active white blood cells under a microscope.

That’s what Professor Asterix’s paper claimed, going far beyond mere medicine.

Crazy as it sounds, most of it checks out. How on earth did this guy come up with this? What kind of thought process led him here?

More importantly…

He’s introduced an entirely new analytical method, identified a completely new type of cell, and revealed a new mechanism for infection progression—all condensed into a six-page rough draft casually pinned to the bulletin board. Was he in such a hurry to publish?

Was it some kind of aggressive declaration?

Truly incomprehensible.

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