Ch.172Zernya’s Melancholy (1)
by fnovelpia
“What brings you here?”
“I’m here for a visit.”
“……Please come in.”
Stellarium Military Department.
I came here to meet Rustila.
It took a little time to meet her.
“The first three weeks are basic military training. The cadets are very busy, so visits are difficult except during meal times or free time before lights out.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
I sat on a bench in the main field and watched the cadets.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The cadets who had been running hard to the sound of the whistle gathered with discipline at the instructor’s gesture.
“Yesterday we completed the physical assessment, so today we’ll check your attunement with your constellation and Aether proficiency. Everyone, please inject Aether into your Plasma Sword and stand in front of the measuring equipment.”
Aether, measuring equipment.
Just those two words and I can already see a cliché coming.
The cadets came forward one by one and swung their swords at the target.
When the sword touched the target, the measuring equipment calculated various things including Aether density and displayed the comprehensive ability.
“B-class, B-class, B-class, A-class, B-class… S-class?”
The instructor grading the ranks was startled.
There was a cadet who received an S-class evaluation. A female student with a bun hairstyle. She returned to her place with a smug expression after returning her sword.
“She has three constellations?”
“As expected of General Pardmont’s daughter.”
I could infer from the information I heard.
So that’s Rustila’s rival.
That’s when it happened.
BOOM!
The ground shook with a thunderous sound.
“What was that sound!”
“The Aether density was too high and the equipment malfunctioned!”
I knew this would happen.
I didn’t need to see who did it.
“This can’t be, a ‘condensation’ phenomenon!”
“Just how many constellations does she have for the Aether to come out liquefied?”
A woman’s silhouette appeared through the dust rising like smoke. She was bowing her head. Then a familiar voice was heard.
“I’m sorry. Should I compensate for the damage?”
“No need, Cadet Kersil. You have no responsibility for this, so please don’t worry.”
Rustila Kersil. It was her.
With that incident, Rustila drew all the attention that had been focused on the bun-haired female cadet. The girl who had received the S-class rating was biting her nails. The rivalry was already apparent.
“It would be better to measure Cadet Kersil in a different way.”
“Let’s determine her rank by having her spar with the instructors.”
The instructors cleared away the broken equipment and spread an Aether barrier.
[— Physical damage is reduced by 100% for material bodies within this barrier.]
Rustila preheated her sword as instructed and swung it lightly. The condensed Aether flowed down the blade and dripped like water.
“…My goodness, using both <Body Star> and <Liquid Sword>.”
The sparring with the instructor began.
And ended.
The sword technique wasn’t even visible. The moment the sparring began, the ground caved in and the instructor collapsed.
Fortunately, thanks to the barrier, he didn’t seem to be seriously injured, but the mental damage was fully conveyed.
“…F-final rank. Omega.”
There was no stronger swordsman than her in the military department right now.
***
I waited two hours longer than expected.
Rustila, whom I hadn’t seen for days, had changed beyond recognition. Her neatly worn military uniform exuded dignity and discipline.
Her expression brightened as soon as she entered the reception room.
“Eidel!”
After a light handshake, we sat down. I asked.
“How’s the military?”
“I’m so happy right now.”
Rustila forced a smile. Her claim of happiness was half true and half false.
“Why are you so late?”
“I just met with the higher-ups. They said my schedule will be different from the other cadets from now on.”
It couldn’t be helped.
Rustila had been a genius swordsman who calmly sliced monsters since entering Academia, and now she had obtained the 12 zodiacs. There probably wasn’t a cadet, no, a soldier in the military corps who was more excellent than her right now.
“I’m exempt from basic military training, and they said they’ll decide again when a Great Omega class swordsman arrives. Until then, I just need to attend theory classes.”
“That’s great!”
I smiled brightly.
Originally, I was going to ask her to help with research only on weekends, but now it seems not just part-time but full-time would be possible for a while.
“Eidel, it’s all thanks to you.”
“What do you mean…”
“You’re the only one who’s been supporting me since our first meeting, all the way to getting here.”
Rustila said.
“I think I know why you came here. It’s for research, right? Tell me anything I can help with.”
“Well then…”
Just as I was about to smirk, it happened.
[“What exactly are you plotting?”]
The starlight rippled in the empty air, and a fragment of a constellation manifested.
It was Virgo.
[“Didn’t you already write a paper with this child before? That should be enough. What more do you need?”]
“Does one only write one paper?”
I immediately objected.
Virgo sighed.
[“Look, Rheinland boy. Rustila needs to focus on military training now. The end is approaching soon. Before that, she needs to become stronger, find my remaining fragments, and rise to a high position in the military.”]
That makes sense.
But it doesn’t feel urgent right now.
“Nobody knows when that guy will come.”
That’s actually true.
The “end” moved independently of Ireh’s regression.
Because Laplace twists causality, there’s no guarantee that the 1st cycle and the 100th cycle would operate the same way even with the same initial conditions.
Their intervention is like quantum mechanics.
“In such cases, people try to solve the crisis that comes first.”
[“Is there another crisis approaching now?”]
“Yes, there is.”
I appropriately modified my future knowledge and spoke.
“Strange movements have been observed in the south recently. The Aether Belt might be blown away by a windstorm soon.”
[“…What?”]
I’ve got her attention.
Virgo asked anxiously.
[“Why… there was no such information in my interstellar exploration network?”]
“The world that constellations see and the world that humans see are different. We understand the universe through the window of science. And if this prediction is correct, the strongest black hole of the Darwin system will come.”
I continued my explanation logically.
“The Darwin system has many members. Therefore, they have a clear hierarchy among themselves. Higher-ranked outer gods enslave lower-ranked ones. They’ll probably use those slaves to cause a ‘windstorm’.”
Windstorm.
It’s in line with the phenomenon that the outer god Sapaul caused before.
But he was just a high-ranking outer god, and the one coming this time is at the apex of a group, so the scale is different.
This is also when the original work’s atmosphere begins to darken in earnest.
“We need a weapon to contain… no, to completely counter the Darwin system outer gods.”
[“Didn’t you say the best option was that gravity bomb or whatever?”]
“It takes too long to make. Don’t you know engineering? We need to research with crystals in a cost-effective way.”
Because that’s how humanity has survived.
“Research on Darwin system crystals is already actively progressing. The support is substantial, and interdisciplinary research is active. The probability of success is high. So, Constellation, I’ll be taking Rustila in her spare time.”
[“…Haah.”]
Virgo sighed and returned. She probably judged that there was nothing to gain from talking with me.
But the constellation had no idea.
That what I’m trying to destroy through this research isn’t just the outer gods.
***
I then persuaded the higher-ups in the military corps and brought Rustila.
As soon as I opened the laboratory door, I saw Mezulen busily etching a crystal.
“Oh? It’s Rustila. Hello? Heheheh.”
“…Um, Eidel?”
Rustila’s glare is piercing.
I cleared my throat and explained the situation.
“This is Mezulen, as you know. And this is Ireh Hazlen, a junior from the Physics Department who’s a year older than us. You saw her at the professor’s wedding, right?”
“Ah, that time…”
Rustila nodded and continued.
“…The person who caught the bouquet?”
“Bouquet? Ah.”
Ireh, who had been fiddling with equipment, heard that and her expression hardened.
An odd atmosphere lingered for a while.
“Why are there only women in the lab?”
Rustila asked with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Well, I just brought in smart people and…”
Rustila exhaled a sigh.
“I can understand Mezulen. She was your classmate at Academia.”
The situation was quite delicate.
Although we hadn’t officially confessed, from Rustila’s perspective as someone dating me, she couldn’t stand seeing me getting chummy with other women.
But I really needed these people for the research, and that’s how this situation came about.
I smiled bitterly and whispered to her.
“If we write a paper, I’ll give you second authorship.”
“Second author?”
Rustila’s eyes perked up.
At least she showed interest.
“But that requires me to contribute to some extent. Wouldn’t it violate research ethics if I’m listed as an author without helping?”
“Remember the crystal research we did before? This research is an extension of that. Your help is absolutely necessary, so why wouldn’t you be an author?”
“…”
“Besides, think about it. How many papers have you written with me? Two, right? Look around. You and I are the most senior in this lab. This lab wouldn’t function without you.”
Rustila, who had been slightly sulking, turned her head.
She cleared her throat and softened her expression.
“Ten.”
“Huh?”
“We need to write at least ten more together.”
Wow, look at how she talks. So charming.
Honestly, if this isn’t a love confession, then what is?
I agreed unconditionally.
“Now… what can I help with?”
“For now, let’s focus on learning how to use the equipment. Ireh and Mezulen will show you how.”
“Okay. And?”
“I’d like you to get along with Ireh for a while.”
Creating a mutual trust relationship between the protagonist and the sword saint.
It was an essential task for the future.
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