Chapter 129

Chapter 129

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 129: Become A Science Girl (3).

“It’s madness.”

After hearing the diagnosis from the priest at the Holy Spirit Hospital, he nearly fainted.

It must be a misdiagnosis. It absolutely must be.

But the world is ruthless and doesn’t give him time to accept it.

The government had placed his daughter—temporarily—at Holy Spirit Hospital. After re-evaluating the severity of her condition, they immediately transferred her to Alcatraz Prison.

Alcatraz.

A facility that treats patients with severe madness alongside Holy Spirit Hospital. While Holy Spirit Hospital serves as a welfare facility for mild cases, Alcatraz isolates the severe ones.

“You’re telling me that my daughter is in a severe condition now!”

“Currently, your daughter is unable to discern reality. Leaving her untreated could lead to major problems. It would be safer for her to go to Alcatraz, where the ether concentration is high.”

Government officials always say that to reassure civilians who know nothing.

But the government doesn’t understand. It’s not that people are unaware; they actually know but pretend not to.

“My, my daughter is not a monster.”

When he regained consciousness, he was back home. He had collapsed at the entrance like someone nearing death and had used his dried tears as paint to draw vivid pictures on the floor—despair, regret, sorrow, tragedy.

“It’s a good piece.”

He took some liquor from the refrigerator. He didn’t know how many bottles he poured before vomiting everything he had consumed. It felt as if he had developed anorexia; his stomach was unsettled. Not only what he ate but also stomach acid and his intestines—all he wanted was to purge everything and flush it down the drain.

Without his daughter, there was no reason to live.

It didn’t matter where this emotion originated or why it had surfaced. She was the child of the woman he had fallen in love with.

“Lisa, Lisa.”

“Tch, you’ve become a complete wreck.”

Since he wasn’t going to work, a colleague came to visit. The colleague clicked his tongue and helped the man up.

“If things stay like this, it won’t do. We have to find some way, don’t we?”

“But how…”

“First, let’s find out how your daughter is being treated at Alcatraz. I’ll introduce someone who works there.”

Through his colleague’s introduction, the man secured a meeting at Alcatraz. Normally, it’s not allowed, but sometimes, people obtain favors if they pay enough.

Hehehe.

“Face-to-face meetings are difficult, so we’ll conduct a video conference here.”

“She’s my daughter; why can’t I see her in person?”

“The Outer God’s quarantine guidelines are strict. When someone is possessed by the Outer God of the Descartes Legion, especially in severe cases, only experts should meet them.”

“My daughter is my expertise. Are you more familiar with Lisa than me? Huh? Do you know our Lisa any better than I do?”

The guard had a solemn expression. He quietly muttered while lifting an electric shock device used to subdue patients with madness.

“…… Please leave now.”

“Oh, ohh? Look at this? Are you crazy!”

In the end, the man was expelled. However, before being kicked out, the guard, showing a rare moment of consideration, provided a video file showing his daughter’s life in the reformatory.

Dad, I’m cold. It’s chilly here. I’m scared. Itches.

People are screaming loudly. There are many kids. Everyone is crying for their moms. But Lisa didn’t cry.

Because Lisa doesn’t have a mother.

In the video, his daughter was trembling, rubbing her entire body to the point of bleeding. She was only ten years old, but her skin was cracked, her hair was unkempt, and her pupils were unfocused, as if under general anesthesia.

As time passed, the video was automatically deleted. Whether it had special processing or everything he had copied in advance was already gone.

Hehehe.

“Damn it! Damn! Fucking hell!!”

He threw whatever was in his hands carelessly. A bottle of alcohol hit the wall, shattering into pieces. Simultaneously, the frames on the shelf fell and broke—photos taken with his wife and the photos taken with his daughter. Such memories were kept in glass frames.

“Gah, grhh…”

Why aren’t there any photos of the three of them together?

Hehehe.

Suddenly, he heard a creepy sound. He felt around his mouth. Was it a sound he uttered? Or the Outer God’s voice? Were his lips curving down or up? Is he still normal or not?

Should he just die like this?

No, Lisa is still alive. There’s always a ‘what if.’ Things could miraculously get better.

Q. Are there cases where someone was possessed by the Outer God and returned to normal?

A. There are none.

Again, it could get better.

Medical Encyclopedia / Possession & Incarnate / Treatment Cases: As of now, there is no available treatment method.

How hard it was to build this family—it can get better even a little.

“…… It’s difficult.”

“And you call yourself a doctor!”

When he came to his senses, he was grabbing the doctor by the collar. He knew he was being rude, but it was already too late. Fine, let’s confront him until the end. He frowned and spewed harsh words.

“I don’t understand why people praise you as a great doctor. They say you’re so smart, leading the 13 Constellations! How can it be that you can’t save a child possessed by an Outer God!!”

“W-Who, someone stop that man!”

Androids forcibly moved him away. The doctor smoothed out his clothes, adjusted his cuffs, and sat down. He remained calm, appearing accustomed to such situations.

“Please, have a seat.”

The doctor personally brought jasmine tea. He massaged the corner of his eyes and sighed. The man paused, his anger momentarily subsiding.

“……My wife also died because of an Outer God.”

He struggled to continue the conversation.

“After giving birth to my third son, my wife crossed over to the Milky Way shortly after. At first, I thought it was an acute illness or postpartum complications. But then something happened.”

“…… Wasn’t it?”

“My specialty is in Outer God pathology. I can also perform autopsies.”

“…….”

“My wife died because of causality.”

“……What does that mean?”

The doctor’s eyes, which he had been suppressing, now opened slightly. His golden pupils, like sugar melting in tears, gleamed gloomily.

“There is a high possibility it was a Laplace.”

“……!”

“This is a story that only I know within my family.”

“D-Doctor…. I’m sorry. I, I dare not be so rude.”

“No, it’s fine. Dr. Hendrik, who helped during the joint funeral ceremony, came all the way to the south to ask for help, so I did what I had to do. I don’t really know how you feel, but don’t hold onto worries about today’s events.”

With a tired expression, the doctor stood up from his seat.

“But I don’t have more time. As you know, this place is now a battlefield. I’m a doctor, but also a military physician. I have to return to the barracks soon.”

“Doctor Reinhardt, how can I…?”

“I’m sorry to say this, but honestly, I have no advice to offer on that matter.”

The man bit his teeth. There really was no way now. He had searched through all the information but could only find that the average time people held on after being sent to Alcatraz was about eight years for adults and three years for children—and it had already been a year.

“No, no.”

He didn’t have much time.

Two Years Later

“Hey there, have you heard that story? A professor at Eruyel Academy is starting a new study.”

“This guy, telling boring stories at a drinking party? That’s why your wife always nags you, argh!”

In the end, he couldn’t find any treatment method.

There’s a folktale that when bad things happen, good things must also come, but it was just a Monte Carlo fallacy.

For people to become strong, they need adversity they can overcome. What he was facing now was an adversity he couldn’t overcome. In front of the Outer Gods, individuals are so powerless.

What does the Constellation do? What do Inspectors do?

He felt like he was left all alone in the world.

“So that professor is a woman, and she’s young and extremely pretty.”

“Oh really, what’s her name?”

“Kallis Stranov.”

“Let me see, let’s search a bit…… Wow, she really is a beauty.”

He didn’t know how many bottles he’d already drunk. Up until now, he must have burned thousands of credits on drinks. Even what he was drinking now was pretty high-quality liquor.

Suddenly, when he touched his jaw, it felt rough. His head was dull, and his face was soaked in oil. It was suffocating.

Of course. He had tried everything.

Further data investigation was meaningless. Searching for a treatment method was futile. If you searched a little, it was all common knowledge. He heard that someone had fully recovered and been released but later found out the person was originally fine.

It was really the end now.

All that was left was to follow after hearing his daughter died.

“So, the professor is famous for being young and pretty?”

“That’s part of it, but the research she’s doing this time, it’s something like… public? Public? Was it concrete? No, that’s not it. Air cleaner? Something similar.”

“Air purifier?”

“What do you mean, an air purifier? Do you think the professor makes such trivial things?”

“No, you fool, didn’t you say it was a purifier? If you’re going to tell me, at least say it correctly from the start!”

“Stop talking nonsense and just look it up. That’s the most accurate way.”

The man threw the bottle far away and leaned back.

Thinking that his day to end his life was approaching, he felt detached yet, on the other hand, afraid.

His judgment was impaired from being drunk. Yeah, let’s finish one more bottle. Just finish it and go back.

Just as he raised his hand to call a serving android.

“Let me see. Resonator? What is a resonator?”

“Ah, that thing! It’s something that traps the Outer God! Got it!”

“……!”

The man staggered, stood up, and fell from his seat.

“Hey, buddy! Are you okay?”

“W-What were you just saying?”

He unexpectedly found a breakthrough in an unpexpected place.