Ch.231Graduate School (3)

Rustila sent a text message first.

[I’m going to the frontier planetary system for training starting next week. They say even officer cadets need to prepare since a major war might break out.]

Next was Zernya.

[I’ve mostly completed my practical training. Now I just need to gain experience while working. I’m planning to go on a volunteer mission to the southern frontier with your father-in-law starting next week.]

What? Volunteer mission?

In times like these?

It might make sense for Rustila who’s a soldier, but it’s dangerous for Zernya. I hurriedly replied.

[Who told you to do this?]

[I volunteered.]

Oh, she volunteered. I thought she was being forcibly mobilized.

[Isn’t it too dangerous?]

[It’s my conviction.]

Zernya dismissed it with just one word. I couldn’t send any more replies.

[And I’m pregnant.]

I really couldn’t reply after that.

***

Zernya was pregnant. Rustila also chose to cultivate her embryo externally through in vitro fertilization. Suddenly, I was about to become the father of two children.

I asked Zernya why she didn’t choose external cultivation when she was already so busy. Her answer was:

“Because it’s our child.”

“Won’t it be difficult?”

“Because it’s our child.”

Zernya repeated the same phrase like a parrot. She stroked her lower abdomen and looked up at me.

“Because it’s… our child…”

Her eyes still showed anxiety.

I see. She wants validation.

Her family has fallen, after all. Many people still know her as an Adelbein.

She wants to show the world that she’s not the head of the Adelbein family, but the wife of a Rheinland.

I gave Zernya a light hug.

“…Eidel.”

Of course, I hugged Rustila too.

Anyway, I was accompanying my wives along with my research team members for the purpose of observing black holes.

“This was GKL-498611. It was a small black hole, but it disappeared the day before yesterday.”

“That’s the twelfth one.”

The prediction was off.

“It seems my hypothesis was wrong.”

“We can’t let our guard down just because you were wrong. External gods are like volcanoes. We never know when they’ll erupt. We need to keep monitoring and observing their movements.”

I discussed with the field researchers like this. Ireh was diligently taking notes beside me. She put down her notepad and asked.

“Are there any other unusual occurrences?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Even if it’s not about the black holes themselves, what about rumors? For example, unsettling rumors circulating in the frontier planetary systems…”

The researcher clapped his hands and answered.

“There is one! A man in a white robe who introduces himself as the ‘Prophet of Doom.’ Recently, there have been widespread rumors that he’s been disturbing public sentiment with baseless claims in the Delaus planetary system.”

Ireh and I exchanged glances.

No doubt about it.

One of the Five Kings, Bruce Aizof.

As expected, that guy is making his move.

“What kind of rumors is he spreading?”

“He says humanity will perish this month.”

That really is baseless.

“I heard the space police are desperately trying to arrest him for sedition. But they say he appears and disappears mysteriously, like he’s rising to the sky or sinking into the ground.”

It’s probably due to his death star ability. He can use past stars that have already exploded and turned to dust to jump through space. Simply put, teleportation.

Meanwhile, Bruce is one of the few individuals who can hear the voices of external gods.

Why that’s possible is one of the biggest mysteries in this world.

Come to think of it, I’m the same.

The fact that I can have normal conversations with the external god of wisdom just because I like research doesn’t make sense.

The researcher continued with disgust.

“According to rumors, he’s been badmouthing the head of the Rheinland family recently. Saying things like he’s researching strange things like ‘traps,’ and how could that possibly prevent doom. Ridiculous, right?”

I couldn’t laugh.

The trap isn’t perfect.

In theory, it can contain all Darwin-type external gods, but in practice, its efficiency is limited to capturing only “below a certain level” of Darwin-types. If you think about what a trap really means, the answer becomes clear.

You can’t trap a catfish in a net designed for small fish.

In the end, we had to face the Darwin-type bosses directly.

No. We had to endure.

Until we could restore the Aether Belt that would be blown away by the storm.

“Well, that’s all for the report. I’ll give you the experimental data, so please analyze it.”

Hehe, data. Data.

But this isn’t my responsibility.

“Ms. Ireh.”

“Huh? What?”

“Would you like to write a paper on this topic?”

As soon as I tossed the data to Ireh, her face went blank.

“You want me… to write a paper on my own?”

“You said you wanted to become a physicist.”

“It’s too… too early…”

She stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath.

“Sigh… Alright. I can handle this much.”

Good attitude.

The moment you enter graduate school, whether you’re an intern, master’s student, or doctoral student, you should have the same mindset. That is, the mindset that you’re not just a student, but also a researcher.

Ireh Hazlen had the spirit and skills for it.

Of course, I’m helping her plenty.

“Eidel.”

“Rusti, what is it?”

“I need to return to the military camp now.”

“Ah, me too.”

It was time to part with my two wives.

“Give me one more hug.”

“Me too.”

I gave both my wives a deep embrace. This was one of the good things about being married. Just hugging like this gives me energy.

“Great, fully charged!”

“I could research for days without sleep now.”

“Get some sleep, will you!”

Just then, I heard Ireh chuckling beside us.

“You two seem to be getting along much better.”

Rustila and Zernya’s eyes curved at the same time.

“…Well, yes.”

“I’ve just gotten used to it.”

My wives turned their heads in opposite directions, as if mimicking Ireh’s reaction.

In the past, they would have fought constantly, saying things like “Me with this woman?” but now they don’t go that far.

Time is truly a fearsome and fascinating entity. Even in this era of highly advanced science and technology, it remains a concept that cannot be clearly defined, yet it changes so many things.

“It’s love-hate.”

“Don’t say such things…”

“It’s not like that, sister.”

The two women bickered. Regardless, Ireh chuckled and lightened the mood.

But then.

“…Huh?”

The three women uttered the same sound almost simultaneously.

I too, a step behind, could understand why my wives were surprised.

[You have satisfied certain conditions.]

[‘Grand Triangle (Lv. 01)’ has been activated.]

***

Ireh’s eyes quickly scanned the status window.

[— Common Effect: Grand Triangle]

[— Altair, Deneb, and Vega have formed a triple star system, becoming complete. The three stars shine as one and resonate. This starlight will drive away the darkness of the world…]

Finally, finally obtained it.

One of the most powerful skills for facing external gods.

[— Notice: Using the center of gravity of the three vertices as a reference point, all allies within a radius of 100 meters receive a 5% increase in health, strength, agility, energy, and recovery.]

[— Notice: This effect is maintained as long as the three people remain within a radius of 10 meters of each other.]

Ireh almost burst into tears.

How much she had struggled to obtain this.

To make her main star, Altair, happy. To fight and win against external gods. To remove the penalty of the external god Sapaul that had been binding her like chains.

It was a skill she desperately wanted.

“Huh…?”

Rustila staggered. Zernya groaned and collapsed into a chair. Ireh also felt dizzy and held her head.

[“Altair!”]

[“Vega!”]

The Weaver Star and the Cowherd Star met, stepping on Deneb. As a result, the three women felt as if they had become one.

Their entire bodies pulsed like beating drums at this unfamiliar sensation they were experiencing for the first time.

“Um… is this that thing?”

“…The Stellarin has been restored.”

Zernya and Rustila muttered as they grasped the situation. Eidel, sensing an opportunity, added fuel to the fire.

“Maybe it’s because the three of you have become closer. It’s only level 1, but this level of resonance is amazing, isn’t it?”

Ireh nodded first, followed by Eidel’s two wives.

Some might think 5% is too small.

But no.

This was a top-tier buff.

As the level increases, additional effects will be gained, and other abilities can be expected.

Though the beginning is humble, the end shall be great.

What was needed for that was time.

[— The triple star system becomes more solid as intimacy increases by spending more time together in the same space, having deep conversations at the level of revealing secrets, or overcoming dramatic crises by combining forces.]

Time for the three to become closer.

“Ha, so this was real.”

Zernya sighed. Rustila did the same.

“…It can’t be helped. Ireh, let’s be closer from now on.”

“What kind of way is that to talk to Ireh? At least show some respect!”

“It’s okay, Rustila. I don’t mind.”

Zernya’s personality had mellowed considerably. Even this much was a blessing, rather a touching change. I deeply felt that the destined future had changed.

“Alright, let’s go get coffee. Eidel, the three of us will go.”

“Wait, then what about Ms. Ireh…”

“Your lab intern is quite something.”

Zernya placed her hand on Ireh’s waist and made a gesture of flicking her tongue. Eidel’s expression turned to shock.

Ireh scratched her head and said.

“Rheinland, I think raising the skill level is more urgent. I’ll talk with your wives and come back. Go rest with the android first. Okay?”

With the dataset in hand, Ireh said a temporary goodbye to Eidel and Sonia. Eidel was still unable to gather his wits from the sudden situation.

Sonia chuckled and swayed her waist.

“As expected, the only one who remains by young master’s side until the end is me, Sonia. Come, young master. Please applaud this devoted maid.”

“Ah, no. My assistant…”

Eidel von Rheinland.

Losing the graduate student he had been carefully nurturing to his wives.