Ch.132Election (1)

Eidel spoke.

“Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be in peril even in a hundred battles.”

“The Outer Gods live inside black holes. What should we do to fight and defeat such beings?”

Ireh moistened her lips as she reflected on her past experiences.

She had captured monsters and isolated people suffering from madness many times. She had defeated divine vessels countless times. She had even annihilated dark organizations like Adelbein several times.

Whatever she did, nothing had worked. So Eidel must be getting at something else.

Ireh was quick on the uptake.

“…We need to understand black holes.”

“Correct.”

Eidel’s lips curled into a smile. Ireh was surprised by her own answer.

The fact that Outer Gods lived in black holes. She knew it, but saying it out loud gave her a fresh perspective.

“Scientists see the world differently. Before trying to kill the Outer Gods, they try to understand them. What exactly are these beings? By asking such questions, they discovered that they live in black holes.”

“So if we find a way to destroy black holes…”

“Yes. Then we win.”

Her heart was swayed. Ireh was unconsciously solidifying her thoughts.

If I could fight alongside you. If we could save the world. If I could repay my debt. I would do anything.

But majoring in physics to fight Outer Gods wouldn’t be easy. She had to consider the sunk costs.

Also, science requires talent. Ireh was clever, but she had rarely held a pen. She didn’t know if she had the talent.

“Studying is done with your behind.”

As if seeing through her thoughts, Eidel answered.

“You have enough skill to enter Stellarium, don’t you?”

“Y-yes.”

“That’s enough.”

Right, talent isn’t everything.

Just for the recent resonator project, over 40,000 scientists participated. By adding her strength to theirs, humanity could fight the Outer Gods.

“Then I’ll do it. I mean, I will.”

“Really?”

“Y-yeah. We’re senior and junior now, right? We’ve known each other for months. So you can drop the formalities…”

“You’re my junior?”

“…Oh.”

The hierarchy got confused.

***

While mutual respect is the principle between seniors and juniors, Ireh and I reached a compromise at some point.

We agreed to speak comfortably to each other.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m bringing you books.”

She speaks casually. I speak formally.

It’s not that Ireh lacks manners. The truly rude one is Zernya. Rather, Ireh is trying her best to build a close relationship with me.

“You can speak casually too…”

“It’s fine. I prefer this way.”

For reference, I automatically use formal speech with people older than me. It’s just more comfortable for me.

Damn Confucian mindset.

Anyway, I smiled brightly as I searched through the bookshelf. I passed each book I grabbed across the desk.

“This is university physics. These are the four main subjects in physics: mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics. And mathematical physics, general relativity, field theory, plasma physics…”

“Huh?”

“You should finish these in one year.”

“W-wait. Finish in one year?”

“Yes.”

“All of them?”

“Well, not exactly all.”

“Phew.”

“Skip relativity and field theory. To understand those in detail, you’d need to take mathematics courses too.”

I’m just asking her to get a taste, just a taste.

And I’ve already found a mathematics major colleague two years ago. They must be studying hard for graduate school by now.

That person handles mathematics, I handle physics, and Ireh assists with experiments or when holy bullets are needed. This way, we can enjoy research infinitely.

Of course, she needs basic knowledge to help.

“…?”

What’s with that expression?

“Even so, finishing all this in a year is too much.”

“If you focus, you’ll finish quickly.”

“Haaa!”

I know she’ll manage it despite those deep sighs. There’s a reason her background code name is “Patience and Perseverance.”

“Okay, just undergraduate level. Let’s try just the undergraduate stuff.”

Ireh muttered while buried under waves of textbooks, but soon different words will come from those lips.

Yes, let’s go up to master’s. No, should I go for a doctorate while I’m at it? And so on.

Of course, it’s not time to recommend graduate studies yet. Frogs must be boiled slowly so they don’t jump out.

That’s how I spent the rest of the vacation with Ireh.

After spending about two months together, Ireh’s condition improved enough that she would occasionally make eye contact. The five-step distance she maintained was reduced to four steps.

Meanwhile, many things happened in that short time.

First, I formally published two papers.

Naturally, both papers were published in <Universe>, and I received first author and co-author titles respectively.

“Huh? What’s this?”

I thought the credit would be divided among many participants, so why am I sitting in first class?

“I told you, Eidel. I would definitely make you the first author.”

“P-Professor Stranov…!”

That day, I bowed deeply to Professor Stranov. In return, I had to endure the belated media onslaught.

Having my portrait rights sold to newspapers was nothing unusual. How many days has it been since I watched the news?

Also, the Southern Outer God Research Institute was raided by prosecutors.

After the Outer God descent incident, the government tried to impose reporting restrictions, but couldn’t stop the journalists’ unity. Tabloids transformed into malicious rumors, and the entire federation was in turmoil.

Eventually, evidence of live experiments was found, and prosecutors’ photo lines were busy.

And then, suddenly.

The investigation was concluded.

All first-round award candidates who survived at the Northern Institute had committed suicide.

“Adelbein cut off the tail.”

Ireh, studying beside me, growled in response to the news.

“As you know, the Heresset family is fearless enough to investigate even Adelbein. So they responded this way. Those vicious people. Acting like that just because they think they’re great…”

Ireh gritted her teeth and asked me.

“…By the way, are you close with Zernya Adelbein?”

“We’re not on bad terms.”

“I don’t know how it happened, but she enrolled a year early.”

Indeed she did.

“The student council election is coming up in the second semester. If she gets elected, she’ll take the president or vice president position. Once she gets there, it’s irreversible. You know what I mean?”

“Of course.”

Here’s another reason why we finished the resonator research early during summer vacation.

First year, second semester of college.

This is when Zernya awakens as a true villainess.

If we don’t reform her by the end of second year, the college will be destroyed, and Professor Feynman’s lab will be engulfed in flames.

No way.

We must stop it at all costs.

***

[I heard the Rheinland family made remarkable theoretical contributions to this resonator research. Isn’t the Rheinland family famous as a medical family?]

[Yes, that’s right. But Eidel von Rheinland is an undergraduate physics student at Stellarium. I remember him as the one who was famous for the FR model before.]

[So not everyone from a medical family becomes a doctor?]

[Of course not. There’s such a thing as freedom of career choice, isn’t there?]

[In my personal opinion, this is an even greater achievement than being from a medical family. What do you think, Professor?]

[I think exactly the same. This is a revolution. Humans can fight and win against Outer Gods. That’s what matters most.]

[So now Rheinland is a scientific family.]

[A physics family. A physics family. Completely a physics family. He’s a student with a promising future.]

“Tsk.”

Zernya turned off the TV and lay down on the sofa.

Today was the last day of summer practical training. She needed to rest briefly before registering for fall semester courses.

The life of a medical student is this arduous. The level of suffering matches the certainty of future expected returns.

Plus, she had to manage various extracurricular activities.

Student Council President.

That was the position she was aiming for.

“Eidel…”

Her teeth gritted.

While you rise so high, why do I remain here? She wanted to reproach him.

But Adelbein must always be great. A family motto she had heard since childhood, like brainwashing, that wouldn’t bleach out of her mind.

She had lived guided by that motto. But you, you always shake me up.

She didn’t feel good. Her heart was pounding. It was a subtle, sour, sweet yet stinging sensation.

She knew from her studies that it wasn’t due to arrhythmia.

So this must be that emotion.

Competitiveness. Aspiration. Jealousy.

She wanted to beat him, just once.

Grades alone wouldn’t be enough. That was a childish thought. Capturing 300 Outer Gods was already enough to get one’s name in history books.

So the girl decided.

To become the greatest physician in the universe, surpassing Rheinland.

Zernya showered, changed into pajamas, and threw herself onto the bed. With a tablet in one hand and a white teddy bear in the other, she began formulating her plan.

Number 1.

Discover a way to heal people suffering from Outer Gods.

Number 2.

Steadily build the reputation of “Zernya,” not “Adelbein.”

Number 1 would be difficult. She would need to go at least to graduate school. Zernya wrote “graduate school” under item 1.

“Ha, haha, ahaha!”

Even she thought she was crazy.

If she just wanted to live as an ordinary doctor, passing the Federal Medical Examination would be enough. But to truly become a renowned physician, a doctoral degree was essential!

“Well, that guy is going for a doctorate too.”

Zernya giggled and moved on. She realized it had become an inevitable choice from the moment she acknowledged him as a rival.

And Number 2.

Build the reputation of “Zernya” herself.

There was something she could do for this right in the next semester.

Stellarium Student Council President.

Zernya decided to seize the supreme power of Stellarium.