Chapter 114

Chapter 114

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 114: Your Student Is Awesome (6).

Virgo grimaced before speaking.

“You have a filthy body.”

Zelnya frowned in disbelief. “What?”

Filthy? That was absurd. As the heir of Adelwein, She maintained a rigorous cleanliness routine. Not a single day went by without a wash. Zelnya had never engaged in anything promiscuous.

“That’s not what I meant. You’re hosting a fake Constellation.”

“……!”

“And three of them, no less.”

Virgo covered her mouth, feigning a gag.

“Such a filthy procedure. What happened to you? Were you tortured by someone?”

Zelnya tightened her scarf. The marks resembled barcodes, so grotesque that she loathed the idea of revealing them to anyone. Yet, this Constellation seemed to recognize them instantly.

“How could you get such a horrifying tattoo on your neck?”

“Shut up. I said shut up!”

“Who did this? What kind of trash could perform such a horrific procedure?”

“I told you to keep that mouth shut! You don’t need to know!”

The implantation of the artificial Constellation was only half voluntary; the other half was at her parents’ request.

“This happened to me because of all of you.”

The Zodiac 12 Troops are finite. Despite Adelwein’s greatness, they were not chosen. Not once in history. The same was true for Zelnya.

“Our family had everything. Yet, the Constellation did not descend.”

“That’s because you are not virtuous. There is no power to lend to the wicked.”

“Fine, think whatever you want.”

“So, you created a star imitating us because of that? Truly dreadful.”

“If you have no intention of contracting with me, then get lost quickly.”

Virgo clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed. Zelnya glanced around anxiously; everyone must have heard. One of Adelwein’s secrets had been exposed.

“Look at that. Everyone is giving you strange looks.”

“It’s all because of you!”

“We constellations always strive to convey the truth. Be grateful that I gave you this advice, even though I’m not your sponsor.”

“So annoying, seriously…” Zelnya gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Oh, right. At least your heart is clean.”

“…?”

The unexpected compliment left her momentarily dazed. Virgo pointed at Aidel and continued speaking.

“You’re better than that boy. He’s completely dark inside—so much so that you can’t tell what’s going on. Compared to him, you’re just a light gray. You could get worse, but you could also get cleaner.”

Then, leaning closer, Virgo whispered softly, just loud enough for Zelnya to hear.

“A piece of advice: live humbly.”

It was a sentiment she had encountered before, though she couldn’t quite place where.

“Oh dear, there’s no one I like. I’m going back to rest. If I see someone suitable as a master, I’ll get up again. If you find someone worth recommending, bring them here. Everyone got it?”

With a soft whoosh, Virgo returned to the crystal, resembling a fairy retreating into a magic lamp.

At that moment, Aidel was studying the crystal, a wide grin stretching across his face.

“What the…?” His expression darkened as he analyzed the crystal further. The concentration of impurities had suddenly spiked.

“No, damn it, my research sample—!!”

“We have a problem.”

The operation meeting began. The room was filled with a professor, about a dozen graduate students, two postdocs, and two undergraduates.

“Even if we interfere with terahertz waves, the Constellation does not awaken.”

“Could it be that the crystal is no longer usable?”

“That’s impossible! Our paper depends on that crystal!”

A collective sigh swept through the group as they buried their heads in their hands.

“Professor, is there any way forward?”

“Well, this is beyond me too…”

Though I had dedicated years to studying Constellation Physics, this was uncharted territory. The mere embodiment of the Zodiac 12 Troops could produce hundreds of papers.

“Should we invite experts from other fields?”

“But what if that crystal becomes a common topic in academia? The material we barely acquired will be lost, and we won’t be able to write our paper.”

“Ugh.”

There was no other way.

“In the end, we have to find someone whom the Constellation can possess.”

“How?”

“We need to mobilize all our connections.”

“Before that, we should consider what kind of person the Constellation prefers.”

After numerous debates, the graduate students seemed to reach a consensus: pure, innocent, and upright in nature.

“One might say they must possess noble integrity. Rasella, the previous owner of the Virgin Constellation, was known for her frugality and consideration for others.”

“Someone like a saint or a nun.”

“Exactly. It’s said Rasella donated most of her salary and benefits to her subordinates. She believed that having just enough to get by was sufficient for her. That story became legendary on the front lines.”

“An incredible saint. But where can we find another person like that?”

It was a daunting task. Most humans are inherently greedy; they dislike parting with what they possess.

“Reinhardt? Do you have any suggestions?”

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Aidel von Reinhardt, who was zoning out in the corner. Muttering like someone possessed by an Outer God, he suddenly stood up.

“Even if we find such a person, the burden will ultimately shift onto them.”

Virgo is part of the Zodiac 12 Troops. Those who bear the Zodiac 12 take on enormous responsibilities. Moreover, they must live purely and cleanly for the entirety of their lives.

“We shouldn’t inform them unilaterally. That would be inconsiderate. What we’re doing is no different from the Outer Gods.”

“Then…”

“Scientists should resolve things through science.”

Zelnya laughed in disbelief. How could a mere first-year student spout such irresponsible nonsense in front of graduate students and professors? If it were that easy, they wouldn’t be racking their brains like this. But honestly, it didn’t matter to Zelnya; it was just one of those days that had put her in a bad mood.

She was about to get up when—

“Do you have some kind of solution?”

“Do you have a good idea?”

Graduate students, postdocs, and even professors rose to their feet, eyes wide with surprise, all focusing their attention on Aidel. Zelnya flinched at their sudden movement.

“I just drafted something,” Aidel said, handing over a piece of paper. It seemed he had been writing something in the meantime.

“We slightly modify the resonator so that it can trap not only the Outer Gods but also the Constellations. We’ll provide continuous thermal shock inside, driving them crazy and preventing their escape.”

A shift in perspective.

“If we connect the low-temperature equipment and the high-pressure device this way, there must be electrons inside the crystal, right? When subjected to low temperatures and high pressure, they form Cooper pairs. You know about the superconductivity effect.”

“Perhaps that…”

“I’ll use the Cooper pair spin as 1, and the theoretical spin of gravitons, which the Constellation dislikes, is 2.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll create a pair of Cooper pairs?”

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll try another method. I’m also considering smashing it with an accelerator.”

The graduate students erupted in cheers, rising to their feet. Professor Stranov smiled awkwardly while the postdocs’ pupils dilated as if they were about to engulf the whites of their eyes.

Zelnya’s mind went blank. What on earth was happening? More importantly, why was she even here?

Stranov drew everyone’s attention by slamming her hand on the desk.

“Mr. Reinhardt. An excellent student. If I were his advisor, I would have let him graduate with a doctorate this year.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Professor.”

“Now, let’s solidify his theory. Our goal isn’t the Zodiac 12 Troops. As long as we can utilize the crystal without impurities, that’s sufficient. Lab chief!”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Get in touch with the low-temperature physics lab. We’re initiating a collaboration!”

The laboratory buzzed with renewed energy. Even Aidel, the theorist, was darting around, setting up equipment, moving the crystal back to its original position, cutting a portion, and placing it on the specimen.

Zelnya watched Aidel’s frantic movements.

“What in the universe…?”

Something was happening, though she couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

Their preparations continued until dawn broke. As soon as they contacted the external lab, the equipment arrived in a flurry, like a swarm of bees.

“This is a low-temperature probe that can measure the coupling of gravity and electromagnetic force.”

“Gasp, gasp…!”

Aidel suddenly coughed violently, then fell silent, his breath hitching in his throat.

“Hey, what are you doing? Breathe, breathe!” Zelnya urged, patting him firmly on the back.

“Cough, cough, gasp.”

“Did you go crazy staying up all night?”

“What? It’s you, Zelnya. Why didn’t you leave?”

“That is…” She hesitated, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She had been watching him, but admitting that felt embarrassing.

“…You don’t need to know.”

“Alright, then.”

Aidel rubbed his eyes and let out a laugh, though it felt strained as if his breath had been caught in his throat. Thump, thump—her heart pounded fiercely.

Zelnya pressed a hand against her solar plexus. It didn’t hurt, but an odd discomfort lingered, a sensation she couldn’t quite shake.

New equipment continued to arrive.

“And this is a spin adjuster. It can manipulate electrons and muons directly to create pseudo-bosons.”

“Wow, damn, gasp!”

“Breathe, you crazy idiot!”

If things kept going like this, her one and only rival might suddenly die. And if that happened, she’d be lonely. Probably.

So, she resolved to stay close. After all, she was a doctor.

The research team, which had initially consisted of only a dozen members, had suddenly grown to a hundred. As the team expanded, the pace of the experiments quickened. Professor Stranov, it seemed, spared no expense.

“I’ve contacted all the engineers and technicians. A team of 2,000 top engineers from the Federation will handle any significant flaws.”

“How much did you spend?” Aidel asked, bewildered.

“I’m not sure,” Stranov replied with a casual shrug. “It’s not a significant expense for my lab.”

Aidel gasped.

“Anyway, if you include the other authors, we’re looking at roughly a hundred people involved. Congratulations, Mr. Reinhardt, on leading such a significant research project.”

“Um, Professor? What do you mean?”

“I told you last time, didn’t I? Mr. Reinhardt, you are the first author.”

Stranov raised her eyebrows playfully, and Aidel nearly hyperventilated. If Zelnya, who had been dozing off, hadn’t jolted awake at that moment, he might have stopped breathing altogether.

“Idiot. What’s so special about this research?”

“It’s fun.”

“Fun, my foot. It looks hard, and it doesn’t seem to pay well.”

“Being a doctor is tough too.”

Aidel smiled while shooting a glare at Zelnya.

This was driving her crazy. Her pulse raced, and despite Aidel being the one running around, it was Zelnya who felt drained. She clicked her tongue and shoved Aidel away.

“I’ve already been living here for a week.”

“You said you wanted to have fun. If you don’t like it here, I’ll book a ticket so you can at least watch a movie.”

“A movie, my foot. What you’re filming right now is the real movie.”

Zelnya glanced up at the resonator. The crystal, attached through an ultra-fast process, shimmered brilliantly. A signal came from the optics research team.

“Starting mode synchronization.”

Click.

The trial run commenced. Waves were created, passed through the gain medium, and circulated along the device like a standing wave. Heat rose, cooled to a low temperature, and high pressure was applied through various processes.

‘Shard of Purity’ screams.

For the first time in the universe, humanity had succeeded in defeating a Constellation.