Ch.337Setting Up a Laboratory (3)

Chief Officer. The highest position in an organization, and also the one with the greatest responsibility.

“You want me to be the research director?”

“There’s no one more suitable than Professor Rheinland.”

“You’re asking me to be the head of the research team, right?”

“No. We want you to take the position that oversees all those research team leaders.”

I hadn’t misheard. The man stroked his graying beard as he continued.

“To proceed with this project, we’ll need hundreds of research teams. We need someone to oversee hundreds of research team leaders.”

“I appreciate your offer, but I’m not sure if I’m really qualified for such a position…”

“Haven’t you been collaborating with many professors on joint research? They all recommended you, Professor Rheinland. And since you’re now a full-time faculty member, you’re more than qualified.”

Chief officer overseeing all research teams.

Just hearing it feels heavy. The responsibility seems to weigh down on my shoulders. But it was also a position I had always aspired to reach someday.

“Professor Rheinland, you’ll become the professor of professors.”

“Huh…”

“This is also a proposal from the Federal President himself. Please don’t disappoint us.”

“I understand. I’ll do it.”

The man nodded. He informed me of the next meeting date and then left.

As soon as the door closed, I pulled my chair back and stretched my neck. It made cracking sounds.

“Will you be okay? It’s a dangerous position, as high as it is.”

Ireh Hazlen said. I picked up my coffee cup and answered nonchalantly.

“Assassination attempts are nothing new.”

“If something happens to you, I’ll follow you to the grave.”

“Don’t say that. If by any chance something happens to me, you must continue the research, Sister Ireh.”

Bang!

Ireh slammed the desk. She stretched her neck forward and thrust her face close to mine. I was so startled I almost spilled my coffee.

“Don’t you dare say such things!”

“…Sister?”

“I don’t want to think about you getting hurt, not even after I’m dead! Don’t talk about dying—just focus on surviving until the end!”

“What I meant was, it’s just a hypothetical…”

“That’s exactly it—don’t even make such hypothetical statements.”

Ireh spoke in a resolute tone. She held out her pinky finger.

“Promise me. Promise you won’t die before this is all over.”

“…Okay.”

I awkwardly linked my finger with Ireh’s.

Of course, no one wants to die, but I made a mental note not to take unnecessary risks, if only for the sake of those who care about me.

***

The Rheinland main residence.

Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein sat blankly on the living room sofa.

“Sigh.”

Her gaze eventually fell to the floor. Daily necessities that Ireh had left behind were scattered everywhere.

Rustila Kersil approached, drinking a protein shake.

“Should we invite them back in now?”

“No. I don’t even want to see their faces right now.”

“But this is Eidel’s house, you know.”

Zernya nodded. Eidel had rescued her from the Adelbein family. She could have fallen along with her family, but he had taken care of her under the Rheinland name.

And she had driven that same Eidel out of his own home. She had yelled at him to go do his research at school with Ireh since he couldn’t stop his work.

“Am I being petty?”

“They say a woman’s generosity is proportional to her breast size.”

“Shut up.”

Rustila laughed and sat down next to Zernya.

“I’m joking, Zernya. Actually, your reaction is perfectly normal. Our husband was unfaithful. What did we do wrong as wives? However…”

“However, what?”

“I kind of already knew. At least that Sister Ireh had feelings for our husband.”

Zernya asked in surprise.

“You knew?”

“Think about it. How did Sister Ireh meet Eidel in the first place?”

Zernya recalled the past. Ireh had once told her about her background. Ireh was born in a border region and grew up suffering from Outer Gods her entire life.

Then she entered Alcatraz, where she met Eidel. Later, Eidel saved Ireh with a resonator. From that moment, she gradually fell for him, like clothes getting wet in a drizzle.

“So I had a rough idea.”

“If you knew, why didn’t you warn Sister Ireh like you warned me?”

“Am I you?”

Rustila and Zernya glared at each other, growling. This was routine. They fought so often that minor disagreements no longer affected them.

The two sighed deeply in the middle of their argument.

“You know, right? This isn’t the time to fight over such issues.”

“Is the world really going to end?”

During their deployments, Rustila and Zernya had similar experiences in different locations. People were going mad and dying. Some transformed into monsters. It was a horrific sight.

The government hastily allocated funds to stabilize the situation. War against Outer Gods is fought with money. And money eventually runs out when spent.

“At this rate, the country will completely dry up.”

“That’s why I’m so conflicted.”

Zernya pulled her legs up and buried her face. She knew it too. For Eidel, Ireh was an irreplaceable research partner and an excellent assistant. And Eidel’s research was humanity’s only hope for salvation.

“We’ll have to come to a conclusion eventually.”

“What about you?”

“…I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it right now.”

Rustila was equally conflicted. It was just as Zernya had worried before. Another woman had appeared who wanted to be involved with Eidel.

What if more came along? Maybe not now, but later they would be pushed aside. And there would be complications regarding the next head of the Rheinland family.

“I’m going to rest a bit.”

Zernya got up from the sofa and strode to the master bedroom. When she opened the door, Cartesia was sprawled on the bed with papers scattered all around, munching on potato chips.

“…”

“What are you looking at, human?”

“I’ve told you countless times not to eat snacks in bed.”

“I don’t listen to beings weaker than me.”

“What nonsense.”

“If you’re going to lie down, lie down. If not, leave.”

“Hah.”

She was too tired to deal with this. Zernya threw herself onto the spacious bed. It was soft.

Soon she would have to go out on another mission. Today, she particularly didn’t want to work. Everything in the world just seemed annoying.

“Too tired to be angry?”

“Shut up, Outer God.”

“Half Constellation, actually.”

“You?”

This half-baked Outer God was another problem. While Ireh had at least been apologetic, Cartesia boldly declared she would take Eidel for herself. Thanks to her, they’d even lost the master bedroom.

“You call yourself a Constellation while trying to steal someone else’s husband?”

“Steal? I clearly said we should share. It’s not like that boy will wear out just because I play with him a little, right?”

“He will. His bones will dissolve.”

This wasn’t a metaphor—they really could dissolve. Once Zernya and Rustila got started, they would cling to Eidel all day.

After their sessions, Eidel would be completely drained. The two wives were always left wanting more. That’s why Sonia hadn’t progressed beyond kissing with Eidel yet.

“Bones dissolving, huh? Interesting topic.”

Cartesia crunched on potato chips and snickered.

“The other day when the boy couldn’t get up, that black-haired woman came and restored his energy. I think if you take her as a wife too, the boy might be able to satisfy all of us, don’t you think?”

“Huh?”

Zernya’s thoughts momentarily blanked before returning. Thinking about it coolly, there was some logic to it.

Having reached that conclusion, Zernya blushed.

Calling Ireh in for bedroom activities? It was an indecent thought. Not something to decide without losing one’s mind first.

Besides, she had just kicked the two of them out of the house. Immediately inviting them back would make her look inconsistent. Cartesia said:

“By the way, dealing with me would be quite challenging. I can use my tentacles to finish you off without even touching you.”

“What? Are you insane, Outer God? Who’s giving you a chance?”

Crunch. Cartesia laughed leisurely as she broke a potato chip. Cheese powder scattered all over the expensive bedding.

“Your opinion doesn’t matter when it comes to what I want to do. If anything matters, it’s that boy’s will. Speaking of which… when is he coming back?”

Zernya snorted.

“I’m going to make sure he stays away from here for a while, even if it’s because of you. Let him keep researching at school. I told him to write lots of papers!”

“Re-research papers…?”

Cartesia’s expression hardened. She made an “oh no” face, then grabbed Zernya, who was lying face down, by the collar.

“What’s wrong with you suddenly? Let go!”

“Tell them to come back here right now! Immediately!”

Zernya couldn’t understand why this crazy Outer God was suddenly acting this way. So she just concluded that she was crazy to begin with.

***

Eidel was someone who knew how to separate personal and professional matters.

No matter how awkward things had become personally, Eidel was displaying the model behavior of a new professor at school.

“I know your abilities well, Sister. So for your first paper after enrollment, I’ll give you something a bit challenging.”

The paper guidance had begun even before she had officially registered.

“We need a theory that can mediate between gravitons and dimensions. Actually, one already exists, but it’s incomplete. I’d like you to complete it.”

Ireh agreed.

This was the teacher-student relationship with Eidel that she had longed for. At the very least, they would have weekly meetings, and they could exchange DMs even in the early morning. Being a graduate student provided justification for everything.

In fact, this was exactly what Ireh had wanted. Even if she couldn’t be his spouse, she could be the first person he discussed new ideas with.

“If you need anything or have questions, call me anytime. I’ll be talking with government officials.”

“O-okay.”

If things continued like this, she wouldn’t have to feel sorry toward Rustila and Zernya. But…

“…”

Was this position alone really enough?