Ch.318Half-Baked (12)

“Cartesia, stop picking on my sister and let’s just finish what we need to do.”

Cartesia giggled and leaned on Eidel’s shoulder.

Then, glancing sideways at Ireh, she silently moved her lips.

This.

Human.

Is mine.

‘This bitch…’

Ireh’s sexual desire subsided. In its place was anger.

“I’ve done everything I could. Now all that’s left is to turn it into a paper.”

Gravitational bomb design research.

Originally, it was research that Eidel had proposed they do together. Now Cartesia was doing it instead. She had lost both the paper and Eidel at the same time.

“Hey!”

Ireh shouted loudly.

“Who are you to take what Eidel and I were going to do? Are you that great? Is being an outer god everything?”

“Ha, you startled me.”

Cartesia rubbed her ear and glared at Ireh.

“Woman, working with you would have taken years of research. I kindly helped finish it in just a few days, and you dare throw a tantrum in front of me and this youngster?”

“Years? Don’t be ridiculous. If I had worked with him, a month would have been plenty!”

Of course, Ireh knew that Cartesia was highly knowledgeable. In calculations and ideas, she was incomparable to Ireh.

That’s why she had to struggle even more.

How much had she lost to outer gods all this time? Time, freedom, happiness. She had lost everything and was just starting to get it back thanks to Eidel.

She couldn’t let anyone else take it away.

Ireh raised her voice pleadingly.

“Brother, I, I can help too.”

“Sister… you’re a patient. Go back and get some rest.”

“No, I’m fine! I can control my urges!”

“Just a moment ago, you couldn’t resist and stamped my lips.”

Eidel rubbed his mouth. Ireh’s eyes widened as she recalled what had happened earlier.

“That was… because I was surprised. I’m fine now. I can endure it sufficiently. I promise.”

“Sigh, sister.”

“What, what?”

“An outer god’s mental attack isn’t something you can endure with willpower alone. If it could be overcome with determination or perseverance, why would we need sanctuaries and mental hospitals?”

“T-that’s…”

“Let me tell you again. Ireh, you are a patient. You might think you’re fine, but others might not see it that way.”

“…I understand.”

She had no justification. Ireh looked around and nodded.

As she was leaving, she glanced at Cartesia one last time. Cartesia was smiling coldly with her chin slightly raised.

“Know your place.”

“Tsk, Cartesia.”

Eidel flicked Cartesia’s forehead. Cartesia grabbed her forehead and frowned.

“Youngster, have you already forgotten what kind of being I am?”

“You were my backing.”

“Why the past tense?”

“Because now I’m the one sponsoring you.”

Indeed, all outer gods are evil beings. Ireh sharpened her metaphorical knife as she walked away.

***

It took less than two days to complete the paper. Thanks to Cartesia’s help.

[Bomb Using Gravitons]

The title was simple. But the content was heavier than imagined.

The 50-page paper was densely packed with physics of high-energy gravitons and prons, aether and black holes. Along with the logical design of a graviton cannon.

[If the contents of this paper are true, we could drive outer gods out of our dimension.]

[If only the contents of this paper are true, the Federation might be able to expand its living area beyond our galaxy to other galaxies.]

[If the contents of this paper are true, it would be possible to secure energy that surpasses nuclear fusion.]

When uploaded to the archive, it immediately became a hot topic.

If I had been unknown, it would have taken time to get noticed or, in the worst case, been buried. But my position in the physics community was not just ordinary.

Finally, it was submitted to the flagship journal <Universe>. While the review was in progress, I toured colloquiums focusing on the southern and western regions.

There, I received a pointed question.

“Even if you make a bomb, how do you hit a black hole at a distant location? It seems impractical except when targeting the Sagittarius black hole at the center of our galaxy.”

I answered the question like this:

“I will supplement it through follow-up research.”

The paper itself had clear disadvantages and limitations. But what paper doesn’t?

Unlike experimental papers that require repeated verification, theories are quickly approved if the logic is valid.

After the editors’ review and peer evaluation, the fruit of my and Cartesia’s labor was released to the world.

[— Quest completed!]

[— As a reward, you have received a crystal of the God of Wisdom and Curiosity.]

A crack opened in the air, revealing a crystal with a blue light. I reached out and grabbed the crystal.

And at that moment, an eye like a boil peeked through the crack.

[“How dare you mock me.”]

“Ahhh!”

It was Renatus. He transmitted his voice across space.

[“Eidel von Rheinland, how dare you steal the fruit I was going to eat. I cannot forgive this. As payment for taking my child, I will soon come to devour you too. You can look forward to it.”]

It’s a threat that gives me goosebumps just hearing it. But I wasn’t one to back down from this.

“Get ready to be hit by a graviton bomb, Renatus.”

[“How impudent. Like a day-old puppy that doesn’t know to fear the tiger.”]

“We’ll soon see who the day-old puppy is. By the way, did you enjoy your tryst with Stern?”

Screech.

Black formless tentacles writhed from beyond the gap.

[“I commend you for adjusting the coordinates and deceiving me. But I regret to inform you that Iron Fortress and I have already formed an alliance. To defeat you, who manipulates causality.”]

“That steel fish must be spreading false rumors again.”

[“His claims are more credible than yours.”]

Renatus cackled.

[“Anyway, I don’t care whether it goes this way or that. I don’t care if you’re Laplace or whatever. But I’m very displeased that you’ve taken my daughter Cartesia, whom I’ve carefully nurtured. You will pay the price for that.”]

“Shut up.”

This time, I didn’t answer. Cartesia, sitting in a wheelchair, replied in an irritated tone.

“You’re not my father. So don’t talk like that.”

[“Oh, my daughter. Come back to this black hole quickly. There’s nothing good about staying there with such a trivial human.”]

“I’m never going back to that cramped place again.”

Cartesia pulled out her tentacles and sewed up the crack. As the dimensional door was about to close, Renatus made a clicking sound with his tongue.

[“So you choose the hard path in the end. It would have been much happier and better to be eaten quietly. Well, it doesn’t matter either way. I’ll visit you soon. Of course, I’ll make you, Rheinland, bear my child too. You’d better look forward to it, hehehe.”]

“Get lost. I’m going to impregnate this youngster.”

“Yeah, get lost. Wait, what?”

“This human is mine.”

Boom.

Cartesia closed the door completely. When the gap was repaired, only silence remained. My thoughts were also suspended for a long time.

Ding.

[— 5000 coins and 5000 prons have been automatically donated to the God of Wisdom and Curiosity.]

Along with the sound of insurance being automatically transferred, Cartesia caressed my cheek.

“Do you know?”

“W-what?”

“Constellations or outer gods with keywords like wisdom or knowledge interpret academic discussions and debates as expressions of affection or courtship. Also, since our species originally has no form, we consider creating papers the same as creating children.”

“…W-what are you suddenly talking about?”

Cartesia grinned and took the crystal with her tentacle. She illuminated the author section of the approved paper with the crystal.

The image passing through the crystal formed on my retina.

[Eidel von Rheinland (, God of Wisdom and Curiosity)]

“You seduced me first, youngster.”

Cartesia moved her remaining tentacles to gently bind me.

It seemed… there was more than one way to survive an outer god.

***

[Deaths from pron addiction have exceeded 100 million. In response, the central government has completely restricted entry to the eastern region planetary systems.]

[The pron rampage phenomenon is spreading to the southern and northern regions. Also, localized terrorist acts by cult groups are increasing in the west.]

[Research results have shown that the activity of the Sgr A* black hole, which had been classified as an inactive black hole, has recently increased dramatically. Today, 48 professors of astronomy at Callisto Academy expressed extreme concern about this happening within our galaxy and issued a statement urging the government to implement prompt countermeasures.]

There was no time. I had to simultaneously conduct research to save Cartesia, whose strength was constantly weakening, and to create a graviton bomb.

“The infection is spreading quickly. If I set up a simple model to gauge the speed… within a few months, the youngster’s entire foundation will be in ruins.”

It wasn’t a good situation, but it wasn’t hopeless either.

[This is Minister Ben Ekaron. Dr. Rheinland, do you remember me?]

“Minister? Are you alright?”

[I got pron poisoning that day and was discharged just today. The skills of the Rheinland family doctors are excellent these days.]

Two Federation ministers who had collapsed after eating food laced with pron called. Their business was… obvious.

[Time is of the essence. Let’s meet in person and talk.]

“If you tell me the location, I’ll go right away.”

As soon as I hung up the phone, I turned my gaze to Cartesia. She was sitting in a wheelchair, scribbling the next paper.

How to send a graviton bomb to a black hole far away.

It was a very important study. So difficult that even Cartesia was stuck and couldn’t easily find an answer.

“Cartesia.”

“I know, youngster. You can’t take me there.”

She smiled wryly.

“Be careful.”