Reiwa Chemist Yōko Takatsukasa Reincarnation: Saving Japan with Plastic Material

Appoint the Chicken to Govern the Night and the Tanuki to Catch the Mice

When assigning a job, it means to give the person what he/she is suitedfor. The word "tanuki" is said to mean a cat.

- Toshitsugu Utei

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Around the time Yōko graduated from the Gakushūin Women's College, one of Yōko's brothers, Nobusuke Takatsukasa, the eldest son of Hiromichi, was heading towards Matsudo. He was immersed in his research on birds under the guidance of Professor Isao Iijima of the Tokyo Imperial University.

Now, during this period, the main research themes in zoology were primarily focused on identifying habitats and discovering new species. Consequently, collecting animals from the area as specimens was required, and especially since capturing birds was challenging, it was common for researchers to venture into the mountains with specialized hunters. Shinsuke was one of these researchers who worked in this manner. However, one day, he received a message from Hiromichi: "There's someone at the Army Cadet School who's perfect for collecting bird specimens. I'll introduce you."

So, today, he was to go bird collecting with this person.

'But Father is quite conniving...'

However, the background of this person was a concern. The person introduced by Hiromichi was Prince Yoshimaro Yamashina, a member of the Imperial Family. According to Hiromichi, Yoshimaro, like Shinsuke, had loved birds since he was a child, subscribed to the Journal of the Zoological Society of Japan, and had been diligently reading the Tori magazine published by the recently founded Ornithological Society of Japan.

'He's proficient with a gun and has been going out to collect birds on his days off, so he's certainly a very reliable partner, but...'

Nobusuke, as the eldest son of the Takatsukasa family, one of the Five Regent Houses, had a high social standing, but the Imperial Family was on a different level entirely. Using such a person as an assistant was a very intimidating prospect for Nobusuke. However, the reason he decided to ask for help with bird collecting this time was simply because his curiosity about Prince Yoshimaro Yamashina was too strong to resist.

"...Hmm? Ah, I'm sorry!"

Seeing a young boy in the distance who seemed to be waiting for someone, Nobusuke started running.

"...Huh? Aaaaaaaaahh, sorry, sorry! I just arrived early, so please calm down!"

Seeing Nobusuke running towards him from afar, Yoshimaro shouted in a panic. Nevertheless, Nobusuke didn't stop, and he eventually ran out of breath and dashed to Yoshimaro's side.

"Haa... haa... I apologize for keeping you waiting..."

"No, there's still plenty of time until our meeting. I heard that I could assist with the research of the OSJ, and I couldn't wait, so I arrived early for no reason..."

Both of them felt embarrassed. Nobusuke was 25 years old, while Yoshimaro was 11 years younger, but Nobusuke kept apologizing without paying much attention to the age difference. However, they couldn't keep this up forever. After catching their breath, Nobusuke brought up the topic.

"...Well then, shall we go to the location we're investigating today?"

"Y-yes! Please lead the way!"

. . .

As Nobusuke and Yoshimaro moved toward the planned research location, they engaged in various conversations, but the central topic remained focused on birds.

"At that point, just as my sister suggested, the chicken that was fed only white rice actually developed beriberi and collapsed."

"I've heard of that experiment. Did you try it at your own house, Takatsukasa-san...?"

When Nobusuke mentioned the beriberi experiment, Yoshimaro eagerly joined the discussion.

"Until now, I had somehow thought that we should just provide birds with what they eat in the wild, but I've come to realize that birds also need well-balanced nutrition."

"In that case, is the purpose of capturing birds this time more to examine the contents of their digestive tracts than to confirm their habitats?"

"...! Yes, exactly. You understood it well."

"In this place near Tokyo with many researchers, it seemed like there wouldn't be much to gain from conducting a bird distribution survey at this point. That's when Takatsukasa-san brought up the chicken beriberi story..."

Yoshimaro blushed as he presented his deduction. It seemed he was quite a quick thinker.

"Remarkable... With such abilities, you'll surely excel in the military."

"Thank you... However, I don't think I'm well-suited for the military."

"Oh my, why is that?"

"I'm not very physically strong. I frequently fall ill and often have to skip exercises, causing trouble for my squad leader. But becoming a soldier in the Imperial Army is the Emperor's decree..."

Since his childhood, Yoshimaro had been prone to illnesses, like whooping cough and scarlet fever, after being infected by his older brother Takehiko.

"I see..."

Honestly, Nobusuke hoped that Yoshimaro would pursue a career as an ornithologist rather than a military man. Furthermore, it appeared that Yoshimaro himself didn't want to become a soldier. Nobusuke began to deeply contemplate how he could help with this situation...

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In OTL, it's true that Nobusuke Takatsukasa and Prince Yoshimaro Yamashina collaborated on joint research papers, and Nobusuke referenced data collected by Yoshimaro in his book "Living with Birds." So, it's certain that their relationship was good. However, at this point in the story, it's likely that they hadn't met yet, so there is a deviation from OTL in that regard.

It's also possible that Nobusuke's research focus has changed from OTL. In reality, he was indeed known for his research on bird husbandry, and his book Living with Birds is a substantial work of nearly 500 pages. Considering his experience with the beriberi experiment, it's reasonable to think that he might also be involved in studying bird nutrition and diet.

- Toshitsugu Utei