Ch.120Last of Us (2)

“Hey, it’s noisy outside.”

“Someone from the Foreign Affairs Management Bureau came. They say they’re taking this person away.”

“Hmm.”

Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein, who was changing Ireh Hazlen’s wet towel, stretched.

“So, where to?”

“The Northern Foreign Biology Research Institute.”

“That’s where they do human experiments.”

Ireh Hazlen, who had been groaning in pain, suddenly opened her eyes wide. Seeing that, I pretended not to know and replied:

“You’re lying.”

“It’s not a lie. Everyone from Adelbein knows.”

“Even so, should you really be telling me this?”

“You’re fine to know, I guess.”

I stared at Zernya.

Zernya cleared her throat and loosened her scarf slightly. The barcode tattoo on her nape was clearly exposed.

“Besides, broadly speaking, I’m a victim too.”

***

I think I need to modify the Zernya Roulette.

Before: 30% chance per second of picking a fight.

Now: 25% chance per second of picking a fight, and 5% chance of saying something conscientious or doing something charming.

These are the default values.

When treating patients, she becomes notably gentler. Of course, she still grumbles, but compared to when she used to step on my feet, it’s practically endearing.

I pondered why this change occurred.

Father.

As the southern front stabilized, my father became a university professor and secretly instilled ethical awareness while teaching Zernya.

That was a fairly logical deduction.

Zernya, who had been caring for Ireh, flew out the door to implement her conscience. Since Adelbein is the ruling family in the north, most officials back off when they see her face and receive some money.

“We’ll see you in a week.”

The Rakdalman group bowed their heads and retreated with their tails between their legs.

Zernya puffed out her chest and raised the corners of her eyes.

“What on earth did you say to make them leave in such a hurry?”

“Hmm.”

She swallowed and answered.

“Just that I’m the legitimate daughter of Adelbein, that even civil servants can lose their jobs, that this woman is a patient, and that I’d cut off all the circular investments to research institute-related companies?”

“You applied pressure from multiple angles.”

I think again.

She is someone I should absolutely never make an enemy of.

Back in the room, Zernya helped Ireh sit up. Ireh’s back was damp with cold sweat.

“Hey, wipe this kid’s back while I look away.”

“I’ll just wait outside.”

I decided to chat with Sonia until Zernya called me back. Sonia handed me some homemade cookies and asked:

“Is that resonator research or whatever going well?”

“I need to finish it within a week.”

There were two problems.

First, two professors had thrown out their backs, so there was no supervisor in the lab.

Second, I needed to transport Ireh to Irueyel Academy in a sane state.

These two problems intertwined to create a maddening situation.

“Can this be done in a week…?”

Especially the latter was troubling.

“If it’s you, young master, you’ll find a way.”

“Don’t pressure me.”

“It’s neither pressure nor a joke.”

Sonia embraced me with both arms. It was sudden. She patted the back of my head and said:

“There, there.”

“…What are you doing?”

“I learned this from observing what human mothers do for their children. I hope this gives you strength, young master.”

“Am I a child?”

“From my perspective, you’re definitely a youngster.”

Sonia pulled away and raised just the corners of her mouth with an expressionless face.

“Of course, this statement too is something I learned to say.”

***

Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein and Ireh Hazlen were mortal enemies.

Zernya’s arrogance reached the heavens after becoming the student council president of the college. She dreamed of being above all others and made a contract with a foreign god to reach greater heights.

The foreign god had one condition:

‘Sacrifice everyone in the college.’

By then, Zernya had fallen so far that she used all her medical knowledge to torture those who resisted and place them on the altar.

Ireh fought to stop this, banging her head in the process.

In most timelines, her attempts failed, but she won dramatically a few times. And each time, Zernya met a terrible end.

Sacrificing everyone in the college.

That included the person making the wish.

When Ireh succeeded in stopping Zernya, she would abandon the college and flee to Academia. Hiding in any building, she would eventually face penalties when the foreign god’s contract expired.

The school would be engulfed in flames, and the demon’s hound would appear.

Half-burned with her lower body severed, at the moment of being devoured by the fire spirit, she realized.

That she had been too arrogant.

Denying it until the very end, the girl would reach out to Ireh who arrived too late. Help me. Save me.

But by then, Zernya’s heart had already been eaten.

With dilated pupils, she looked at Ireh,

And the girl passed away.

Ireh would carry all those memories like broken glass. Because that’s what she wrote in her diary.

That’s why she wouldn’t understand the current situation.

“Your body’s completely on fire.”

Changing towels, wiping her back, prescribing fever reducers.

That’s all a first-year pre-med student could do.

But it was enough.

Sometimes, who provides care matters more for recovery than how the care is provided.

After twelve hours of dedicated care, when the fever finally broke, Ireh barely managed to speak.

“Why, just why.”

Her voice was trembling.

“Why would you do all this… for someone you’ve barely met?”

I watched their conversation from a distance.

Zernya let out a hollow laugh.

“I’m a doctor, and you’re a patient.”

People change.

Some say humans can’t be rewritten, but even such people can change when they experience meaningful transformation.

“Stop groaning and stay calm.”

Ireh’s pupils dilated as if they would consume the whites of her eyes.

“This guy is making something amazing right now. Once it’s complete, all the monsters in your head will be finished.”

Now Ireh wouldn’t know who was the villain,

And who was the hero.

***

I needed a decisive move.

A decisive move to completely bring the protagonist to my side.

The time limit was one week, and within that time I needed to create a vaccine or something to deliver a big “screw you” to Safaul.

“So… you’re asking to borrow the right to use the lab for a while?”

“Yes.”

Professor Stranov smacked her lips. She peeled an apple while lying face down, then popped it into the mouth of Professor Feynman lying beside her.

Both of them groaned almost simultaneously.

“Is your back okay?”

“Please don’t mention that.”

“Okay.”

Both were lying on their stomachs. I took out two tablet stands from my bag and offered them.

“What are those for?”

“You two must be bored. I thought you might want to read some papers with these.”

It’s a gift from me.

Professor Feynman choked on his apple.

“Would you like some water?”

“Please, yes. *cough* *cough*”

As I brought water, I scrutinized the professor. His neck and arms were covered in kiss marks. Oh, shit.

“Are you alright, Professor?”

“I have no feeling in my lower body…”

“…ANYWAY!”

Professor Stranov cut in.

“So you want to run the research equipment while we’re away?”

“Yes.”

“Not possible.”

I figured as much.

“It’s impossible for an undergraduate to lead a research team. Even if I allowed it, the external researchers and postdocs would strongly oppose it.”

I know you’re capable, but that would mess up the hierarchy.

“Besides, test operations aren’t simple.”

If something goes wrong and the experiment blows up, writing an incident report won’t be the end of it.

“I know Eidel Rheinland’s efforts went into this paper, but the fate of two doctoral students as co-authors is also at stake.”

If they don’t graduate this year, they’re screwed.

“That’s not the only issue. The reason this research received so much funding is because many important people or their children are possessed by foreign gods. There’s naturally a rule that they should get priority.”

Will you take responsibility if funding falls through for the next project?

She was firing away fiercely. A professor through and through.

“How many can we put in the resonator at maximum?”

“Calculating the crystal’s strength, roughly ten. It’s not many, but considering what humanity has endured, it’s tremendous progress.”

I nodded.

In short, it was already reserved. There was likely no chance for Ireh.

Of course, we could make multiple resonators, but then materials would be the problem.

Where would we find another crystal with high purity and good reflectivity like the white one?

“So we can only contain that many foreign gods…”

Feynman, who had been staring blankly at the tablet, clapped his hands and suggested:

“Eidel, I have a good idea. Would you like to hear it?”

“What is it?”

“Find someone to collaborate with.”

What?

Does he mean increasing the number of graduate students?