Ch.380[Epilogue] From Space Ruffian to Professor (End)

Lucia and Anya collapsed on top of me. Then they started shaking their bodies wildly.

“Kuh, kuhack! Girls! It hurts, so could you please get off…!”

“We have a patient! We need to treat him quickly!”

The pure malice of children is frightening. I should say it’s completely unpredictable.

Thanks to them, I had little time to properly rest. By the time the doctor play was ending, two hours had passed. Unlike me, exhausted from overwork and night shifts, the children were still full of energy.

“What should we play next?”

“Hmm… army play?”

Not police play, but army play? What’s that about?

“I want to be the captain.”

“No, I’m going to be the captain.”

“The captain has to be strong.”

Lucia pulled something out of the toy basket. It was a long stick-shaped balloon and a pump.

“Dad, make us swords.”

I made three as instructed. Lucia and Anya faced each other with their balloon swords. Unlike Anya, who stood in an awkward stance, Lucia’s posture had sharp angles.

“It’s a duel.”

“The winner becomes the captain!”

Lucia and Anya clashed with their balloons. Lucia was the winner. After getting hit on the head ten times in a row with the balloon, Anya cried “Waaah!” and looked for her dad.

“Lucia, a captain shouldn’t hit their subordinates carelessly.”

“But we agreed to decide by duel!”

“You could have decided in other ways, right?”

“Lucia’s mom became a captain because she fought monsters well.”

Technically, she’s a two-star, but anyway.

“I’ll be the monster, so want to fight again?”

And so I was severely beaten with balloons.

“Ugh, Lucia’s sword hurts the most.”

“Yay!”

“Why does Dad only take Lucia’s side?”

Anya pouted. I sat down facing her and stroked her head.

“Anya, you were the doctor earlier. Let’s let Lucia be the captain.”

“I want to be both a doctor and a captain.”

“It’s hard for a doctor to be a captain.”

“Why?”

“Because a captain has to lead soldiers. But doctors don’t have time to lead people because they’re busy treating patients.”

“Why? If someone is super smart and strong, can’t they do both?”

“No. When you grow up, you’ll understand. One person can’t do everything. Even Dad doesn’t know how to do much besides teaching the older kids at school.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And when fighting monsters, many people get hurt. There are doctors who treat those people.”

I explained to Anya that there’s a profession called a military doctor.

“If Anya had to choose between being a captain or a doctor, which would you want to be?”

“A doctor.”

“Why?”

“Because Mom is a doctor? Mom is cool.”

“Then would Anya like to be a military doctor?”

“Yes.”

Teaching Anya reminds me of Zernya from the old days. Starting out selfish and dogmatic, then gradually learning to be considerate of others.

Eventually, there will be a family selection ceremony. I want to create a harmonious atmosphere so the children can engage in friendly competition when that time comes. That’s why I’ve been focusing more on family than work lately.

“What does Lea want to be?”

“Lea is…”

“Lea will be a fighter. A soldier.”

“U-um, okay.”

Lea seemed to have a timid personality and couldn’t express herself well. Being introverted isn’t necessarily bad, but I worry that if this continues, she might become a child who can’t properly express her own opinions.

After the army play ended, as we were about to move on to the next activity, I approached Lea and casually spoke to her.

“Are you not having fun?”

She shook her head.

“Why is our Lea so down?”

“…Mom.”

“Yes?”

“Sisters, both have cool moms. I don’t know about Lea’s mom. I want to be like Mom too.”

I felt sad for her. Ireh had received her doctorate quite some time ago, and now she was just one step away from becoming a professor, beyond her postdoc position. These days, she was even busier than me preparing for her faculty appointment.

“Don’t worry. Lea’s mom is doing something really amazing.”

“…Really?”

“Of course.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s a researcher.”

“Researcher? I don’t understand.”

“She does work similar to Dad’s.”

Lea tilted her head. The concept of a researcher must still be unfamiliar to her. It was then that Lucia and Anya decided on the next game.

Appropriately enough, it was school play.

“Do you know what you learn in school?”

“Language, math, exercise, drawing. Hmm.”

“Then we need a teacher, right?”

The children looked at me.

“Isn’t Dad a teacher? You teach the older kids.”

That’s what I’ve been telling them. But since Lucia and Anya were getting old enough to understand more complex concepts, I decided to tell them the truth.

“Dad is a professor.”

“Professor?”

As expected, Lucia and Anya tilted their heads.

“What’s a professor?”

“It’s someone who studies very difficult things at a university and then teaches what they’ve learned to older kids.”

“What’s a university?”

“It’s a very advanced school that you can enter if you study well.”

“Why teach what you studied to older kids? Studying is boring.”

“If you study hard, you can make better clothes, food, computers, or screens. Dad discovers things that nobody knew before by studying and researching on his own.”

The three children opened their mouths with a “Wow.” They had expressions that suggested they didn’t fully understand but were accepting it anyway. I know that look well because undergraduate students entering my lectures have the same expression.

“Does Dad make things by studying too?”

“Yes. I’ve made things before.”

“What did you make?”

“I made guns that defeat monsters.”

“I don’t really get it.”

Lucia and Anya seemed unimpressed. But Lea was different. Learning that her mother did similar work, her eyes sparkled in a way that seemed beyond her years.

“Dad, how do you become a professor?”

“First, you need to become a doctor.”

“Doctor? Like a know-it-all doctor?”

“That’s right.”

I showed them my degree that was safely stored in the cabinet. The three daughters were smarter than they looked and could read and write a little.

“Name, Eidel. Doctor of Science… Physics…? I don’t understand.”

“See where it says ‘doctor’ here? It means Dad studied physics and is knowledgeable enough to teach older kids.”

“Ahh.”

They didn’t understand. Next, I showed them Ireh’s diploma.

“Mom is a know-it-all doctor too.”

“Wow!”

The reaction was clearly different. Since they have the same father, perhaps they’re trying to differentiate themselves based on their mothers’ status. I should tell them that this isn’t good behavior when they get older.

“So is Mom a professor too? A really high-level teacher?”

“…Well, yes.”

She’s not yet, but I believe she will be soon.

That reminds me of that day. The snowy graduation ceremony, Ireh wearing her doctoral gown with her pregnant belly. Students from other departments were whispering a lot then. Saying that a professor had impregnated his graduate student.

As Lea exclaimed “Wow!” in delight, Anya and Rustila asked:

“What about our moms?”

“Only Dad and Lea’s mom are know-it-all doctors.”

“Aww…”

“It’s okay. Lucia’s mom is a captain who protects people, and Anya’s mom is a very famous doctor.”

“Still…”

“Remember what Dad said earlier? It’s hard for a person to do even one thing well. Only people who really love studying become doctors. You don’t necessarily need to be a know-it-all doctor.”

“But we’re playing school now.”

Lea glanced around nervously. She seems afraid of her older sisters. I gently pushed Lea’s back. She looked up at me and then nodded.

“Lea will be the professor!”

That’s right. Lea will go far.

Zernya asked:

“Dad, what other jobs are there besides professor?”

I paused before speaking.

“Do you want to know?”

Lucia, Anya, and Lea von Rheinland.

Learning about the existence of graduate students before even starting school.

***

Perhaps because I had educated them well, the children grew up without much friction. Those tiny little beans grew robustly and eventually reached the age to enter high school.

In the meantime, when Seti developed the 6th generation android, or bioroid, my relationship with Sonia changed completely. As bioroids were recognized as another form of humanity, marriage became possible.

Of course, I knew that society’s perception wouldn’t be favorable, but it was an opportunity for us. I formally married Sonia and successfully registered the children born between us.

Just a little. We received some harsh glances from society.

Still, my reputation remained strong. This was because I had succeeded in black hole energy extraction research along with Seti, Evelyn, and others. This was a revolutionary achievement unprecedented since humanity’s first success with nuclear fusion power.

Meanwhile, after years of hard work, Cartesia also found ways to stop aging and extend human lifespan to match the Outsiders. It was still in the verification stage, but with her skills, good news would come soon.

Matonica, Pina, and others are still being worked hard at Seti’s corporate research institute.

Cartesia’s children ultimately settled in various places on the frontier planets, concealing their identities. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve let the Outsiders loose, but since they come running whenever Cartesia calls, I suppose there’s no real problem.

“That’s all for today’s class.”

After lecturing on gravitational theory in the auditorium, I sighed as I came out.

White hair? Not a chance. I’m still healthy.

It’s just that I have a mountain of tasks ahead—an interview with a broadcasting station, being squeezed by my wives when I get home, and so on.

And today is a special day, so I need to pick up my daughter.

I head to the Stellarium station.

“Dad!”

As I was looking around, a young lady dressed all in white came bouncing toward me.

She’s a bit taller than Zernya.

With snow-white hair and sharp golden eyes. She’s clearly my and Zernya’s child, but she looks almost identical to Seti. I suppose when you combine Rheinland and Adelbein genes, they all turn out like this.

I greeted my daughter with a smile.

“Anya, did the exam go well?”

“Phew…”

“Did something go wrong?”

“Crushed those losers.”

“Tsk, I told you not to use bad language.”

“I checked my answers and got everything right. It was nothing special.”

“Well done.”

Today, Anya and Lucia took the entrance exam for Stellarium Academia.

“Where’s Lucia?”

“She said she’s going out with her boyfriend.”

Boyfriend? That’s the first I’m hearing of this.

“…Who?”

“Oh, was I not supposed to mention that? Anyway.”

“What kind of guy has charmed our daughter?”

“There is one. Rabel Stranov.”

Rabel, huh. I know him. He’s Professor Feynman’s son.

Well, that’s fine then. I thought some punk was trying to take away my precious daughter.

After taking Anya home, I headed to the broadcasting station. After filming a documentary and finishing other tasks, I returned home to find the whole family gathered, including Lucia.

“Today is Lea’s birthday, right?”

“Congratulations!”

“You know you have to make a wish before blowing out the candles, right?”

Like an ordinary family, we have a party, cut cake, and sit around talking. Could there be a more peaceful daily life than this?

“Please let me become a professor when I grow up. Phew…”

Looking at the rising smoke, I quietly closed my eyes.

I’m happy.

Happy enough to die.

My consciousness gradually drifts away.

“Hey, Dad’s falling asleep. Wake him up.”

“Anya kick!”

“Arghhhh!”

***

As more time passed, the children found their places.

Lucia became a soldier, Anya a doctor, and Lea a graduate engineering student.

The other children also took up various professions such as lawyers and analysts. The Rheinland family as a medical dynasty has essentially collapsed.

“But I think that’s fine. Even if we’re not a medical dynasty anymore, Rheinland is still Rheinland. I just want the children to be happy doing what they want to do.”

“I see. That’s admirable. Then for the final question… Doctor, you’ve achieved many remarkable accomplishments for humanity. If you had to describe your life in one sentence, what would it be?”

Without hesitation, I answered:

“From cosmic troublemaker to professor.”