Ch.285The Switch (5)

I had the androids move the kidnappers. I’ll have them thoroughly interrogated to make the cult reveal all their hideouts.

I looked down at Ireh. She was still clinging to me with her head buried against me.

She was trembling like a fawn caught in the rain, so unlike her usual self. Though I knew about her past, this was the first time I’d seen her so fragile.

“Are you okay?”

“…Hic.”

Of course she wouldn’t be.

Things had been quiet for a while, but who would have thought they’d attack during that brief moment.

If I had been even a little later, something irreversible might have happened.

Thinking about it that way, I could understand why Ireh was clinging to me.

[— Current state: Fear is subsiding. She feels grateful to you. She wants to remain in your arms.]

We are necessary to each other.

And also precious to each other.

As a research junior, a friend, and a colleague sharing the same mission, Ireh had become an important person in my life.

I realized how chilling it was to see Ireh Hazlen suffer such harm.

Now I understood why Ireh had scolded me for being reckless when I confronted the Queen. The reason hit home.

“Hic, sob…”

“It’s okay now. Don’t cry.”

I closed the door and did my best to calm Ireh down.

As a married man, I felt pathetic doing this. I felt sorry toward Zernya and Rustila. Still, given the situation, I couldn’t help but comfort Ireh.

Soon her shaking shoulders gradually settled. She struggled to speak.

“Today’s incident…”

“I’ll take care of everything. Just tell me if you need anything.”

“Today, todaay.”

Ireh pointed at the bed. It seemed she wanted to sleep for the day. I laid her down on the bed as she broke out in a cold sweat, then brought a towel and water.

“Sonia, please.”

Without a word, Sonia wiped Ireh’s sweat and handed her a cup of water. Ireh must have been exhausted, as she closed her eyes right after drinking.

“Young master.”

“I will never forgive those cult bastards.”

“I feel the same way. They’ve clearly crossed the line this time. However, there’s something else I wanted to mention…”

Sonia said, holding up a neatly folded net.

“Miss Ireh couldn’t possibly have been subdued by such ruffians. This net appears to have some special treatment.”

“Let me see.”

I examined the net.

As Sonia said, it seemed to be an artifact of the Outer Gods.

But it was something I’d never seen before.

If my memory serves me right, this must be an artifact appearing for the first time in this cycle.

“Is there something special about this net?”

“It seems to have the ability to seal the power of constellations.”

“You’re right. If not for this, those beasts would have had bullets in their heads and more.”

I set the net aside separately. It might be useful someday.

Beyond this, I considered everything I could do to counter the cult.

Should I strengthen attacks against the cult by even hiring mercenaries?

No, that would be private enforcement, no different from hiring assassins.

To completely solve the problem, I need to capture the Outer Gods, not humans.

Just as I was about to leave:

“Help me… I’m scared…”

Ireh mumbled.

“Del, where are you, Eidel…”

Ireh spoke with a trembling voice, frowning. Not only that, she was flailing her arms.

Checking, I saw her Pron levels rising in real-time.

[— Current state: Anxiety, panic, agitation. Trauma has resurfaced, leaving her mentally and physically vulnerable. She’s having nightmares.]

I sighed and sat on the edge of Ireh’s bed.

When I extended my arm, Ireh grabbed my hand firmly. She flinched momentarily at the external stimulus but soon pulled my arm closer, gently pressing it against her cheek. Her face soon regained its calm.

“…”

No matter how I thought about it.

Completing the particle accelerator as soon as possible to thwart the Outer Gods was the best I could do.

Woong.

Just then, the screen chimed.

It was a reply email from the “Federal Ikea Committee,” which awards the federation’s highest science and peace prizes annually.

[Dear Eidel von Rheinland.]

[Greetings from the Ikea Committee. You have been selected as this year’s Ikea Peace Prize recipient for your contribution to ending the great war with the Queen’s forces.]

[Although you declined the award, you were selected again through the committee’s internal re-nomination process.]

[Therefore, according to internal regulations, we would like to ask once more if you truly wish to decline the peace prize. Please reply to this email number.]

[As the award ceremony is scheduled for early next month, we would appreciate your response within this week.]

[Thank you. Ikea Committee Chairperson Celly Twain.]

The Ikea Peace Prize.

I wasn’t really keen on it. If they were going to give me something, they should have given me the physics prize.

But I realized it was just needless stubbornness.

The more money, the better.

***

The men who attacked Ireh began to undergo thorough investigation.

However, due to my influence, some information was distorted.

First, I changed the story so that the men who attacked Ireh were reported to have attacked me instead. I didn’t want to create news that would trigger Ireh’s trauma.

Also, I announced that the reason the men attacked me was because the Outer Gods disliked graviton research.

I subtly revealed that the Outer Gods fear humanity’s discovery of gravitons.

Only then did the previously indifferent federal government begin to increase subsidies.

But it wasn’t enough.

No amount of money would be sufficient.

I don’t care if someone calls me greedy. I just don’t want Ireh or anyone else to suffer at the hands of the Outer Gods anymore.

Two weeks later, I arrived at the Molm planetary system in the north with Ireh and Sonia.

Just for today, Sonia and Ireh came along in their true appearances without disguising each other.

“This way, please.”

As soon as someone came out to guide us, Ireh hid behind me.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Man.”

I sighed quietly so Ireh wouldn’t notice.

“It’s okay. There are no strange people here.”

“…”

“Sigh, alright. Stay behind me.”

Ireh nodded timidly.

She’s been like this all along since that day.

Whenever she meets a man, she startles and becomes wary.

Strangely, I was the exception.

When I asked why, Ireh gave cryptic answers like “Are you the same as other men?” or “I don’t really know myself.”

“Please enjoy the reception over there first. We will proceed with the award ceremony when the time comes.”

The reception was a buffet.

Various course meals from northern planetary systems were prepared, some of which I had eaten at the Adelbein family.

Either way, it was delicious.

But that was all.

Since this was a peace prize rather than a science prize, everyone was a stranger to me.

“This is Susan Meisel, a human rights activist.”

“I’m Rodovan Herten. I run an orphanage in the northern Agodom planetary system.”

Who are you?

“…I’m Eidel von Rheinland.”

“The head of House Rheinland! Hero of the South! I’ve heard so much about you.”

“It’s an honor to meet you in person. May I ask for your autograph?”

“Huh? Y-yes…”

I gave both of them my signature with my name.

One was a woman, but since the other was a man, Ireh stayed behind me without saying a word. When she did speak, her tone was stiffer than a robot’s.

After exchanging a few words, I found that neither of them were bad people. Of course, the Ikea Committee wouldn’t be foolish enough to give the peace prize to mediocre individuals.

While enjoying the food, the award ceremony began.

“My receiving this award is purely by chance, and I plan to donate the entire prize money for the development of frontier planetary systems.”

“I too will donate the entire amount to children in southern slums so that children beyond my reach can also smile…”

After Susan and Rodovan gave their acceptance speeches, it was my turn.

It had already been two hours since the opening ceremony.

Just in time, as I was getting bored.

Let’s finish this quickly and get back to the lab.

I went up to the podium, received the plaque and medal, shook hands, and then spoke quietly into the microphone.

“…I have dedicated my life to finding ways to defeat the Outer Gods. Yet I still haven’t been able to drive them all away. With the South and now the West falling into distress, I thought it was truly excessive for me to receive a peace prize.”

In an atmosphere where everyone was donating, if I wanted to use the prize money for research and run:

I needed to build up properly.

“I am currently researching the discovery of gravitons. In this process, I was attacked by Outer Gods and the cult that follows them, but I repelled them. There were also assassination threats.”

With a loud voice like a child giving a speech.

I raised my tone gradually.

“But I will not give up. If I’m right, the Outer Gods fear the discovery of this unknown particle called the graviton. Therefore, I will invest all funds into observing this particle, no matter what happens. Even if it means House Rheinland goes bankrupt.”

If Seti heard this, he would curse me as a madman.

Well, what can he do?

I’m going to make graviton bullets even if I have to use up all my family’s assets.

“I will use the prize money entirely for my research.”

I concluded my speech looking at Ireh.

People’s murmuring was nothing unusual.