Ch.46Oh, yeah, it’s you, Oppa (3)

Items from the Outer Gods inherently contain massive amounts of Pron.

They’re like radioactive materials. Touch them carelessly and disaster strikes.

Scholars have researched what happens when people touch items belonging to different Outer Gods, and discovered that touching items from Descartes’ Forces destroys one’s mind.

“Ugh!”

As if proving that research correct, Royce let out a groan with his mouth forming a perfect circle.

For just a moment, the tip of Callipers had touched his hand.

A draw lasting only 0.2 seconds.

It wasn’t even a hit or a strike. He had truly touched it for just an atomic particle’s worth of time before pulling away.

It was blade control that would make even supreme masters weep.

This mediocre civilian, who hadn’t even reached the level of encountering an Outer God, foamed at the mouth without understanding the profound principles of the cosmic martial world.

“Oogh…”

“Honey? What’s wrong?”

“Huoogh…”

“Honey, what on earth—hooogh!”

His wife, Ada Kersil, immediately sensed something was wrong and rushed to check on her husband, but there was no mercy in Eidel’s movements.

She soon showed the same reaction, her muscles contracting as her eyes glazed over like a rigid corpse.

A perfect double mind-control technique.

“Phew…”

Eidel exhaled and said:

“Don’t worry. I struck with the back of the blade.”

A skill that would make even Cartesia weep.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity is shocked.]

Eidel had not only read “Killing Outer Gods,” but through several (accidental) experiments, had predicted how others would react when coming into contact with Callipers.

Less than one second of contact, just a light touch, would result in foaming at the mouth at minimum and unconsciousness at maximum.

Simply put, he had instantly raised both their Pron levels from 300 to 500.

Not enough to kill them or turn them into vegetables, but enough to make them feel absolutely terrible.

Either way, Eidel had to deal with the aftermath.

“…Hey, you, what did you just do?”

Like right now.

Seeing Rustila’s parents collapse like neatly folded blankets, Seti couldn’t contain her shock.

“What did you just do, I said?”

Seti rushed over and checked on Rustila’s parents. Rustila, also startled, joined her in checking their pulses.

Fortunately, their breathing and pulses were normal. Eidel shrugged and answered:

“I did nothing.”

He had drawn and returned Callipers to subspace in the blink of an eye, so unless someone had exceptional eyesight, they wouldn’t have noticed.

Damn it, Seti was at a loss for words.

“…Ugh. Excuse me. Are you alright?”

Eidel also got up and helped support the two. He then seated them in wheelchairs and began pushing them.

“It seems the two of you are exhausted from rushing here out of concern for your daughter. I’ll escort you back personally, so little brother, please stay and chat with the young lady.”

“Can’t you do something about that awful way of speaking?”

“I’ll be going then. Adios.”

Creeeeak, creeeeak.

The squeaking of the old-fashioned wheelchairs grew distant. The focus gradually disappeared from Seti’s eyes as well.

“Sis.”

“…”

“Sis?”

Rustila smiled bitterly and beckoned to Seti.

“Seti, can you come here?”

“What is it?”

“I have something to tell you about Eidel.”

Rustila took several deep breaths. It was mental preparation. Sharing important truths always required preparation.

“I’ll only tell you this once, so listen carefully.”

The things she had observed about Eidel with her spiritual vision.

Things she had known and suffered with alone.

Things she hadn’t dared to reveal for fear of causing trouble for Eidel or getting him dragged to prison—Rustila finally shared them all with Seti.

“Ah…”

After learning everything, Seti let out a quiet sigh.

“So you’re saying that my brother was cruel to me all this time because of an Outer God?”

“Probably.”

“And now he’s like this because his pure heart has fully established itself?”

Rustila shook her head.

“I’m not sure about that part. Only constellations can block Outer Gods.”

But Eidel didn’t have a backing constellation.

“So I thought, maybe when he was younger the Outer God could control him easily because his standards were ambiguous, but not anymore…”

“So you’re saying what almost harmed your parents just now was an Outer God possessing Eidel’s body, and he was the one who stopped it?”

“…Yes. Probably.”

Most of it was speculation, but one thing was certain.

Eidel was living with an Outer God.

Seti silently slumped her shoulders.

She was so dumbfounded that tears welled up.

So all the bullying she had endured was because a Descartes Outer God had manipulated her brother’s mind?

“This… this doesn’t make sense. Why would an Outer God attach itself to him… what could it possibly want…”

It was a misfortune for Eidel, a misfortune for the Rheinland family, and an enormous misfortune for Seti’s childhood.

And it was all the doing of an Outer God.

At the same time, though it was just speculation, Eidel had somehow managed to overcome it to some extent.

Sadness and admiration coexisted.

But she had one question.

“Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

“…If I had told you from the start, you might have reported your brother.”

“…”

She was speechless.

Just six months ago, Seti had wished Eidel would die. She had cursed him daily, hoping he would end up collecting garbage on some frontier planet.

If she had known about the Outer God, her hatred would have devoured any compassion, and she would have reported him without hesitation.

And now?

She couldn’t do it.

He was the only one among her blood relatives she had grown close to. He was the only half-sibling who treated her without putting up walls.

So she absolutely couldn’t lose him.

“…Seti.”

Rustila squeezed Seti’s hand.

“I want to save Eidel.”

There was a simple way to send him to space prison, but that would completely ruin Eidel’s life.

That wasn’t Rustila’s way.

“No matter what happens, I want to give him a happy future instead of a gloomy one.”

Because he had saved her.

So she wanted to save Eidel too.

Rustila’s sea-green eyes shone brightly. The face of the girl who had woken from a good sleep was as white as flour.

Seti finished preparing herself mentally. She organized her thoughts. She squeezed Rustila’s hand and nodded.

“…Me too.”

The warm voice she had heard last night.

– Oh, yes. It’s your brother.

That was definitely spoken by her half-brother, not an Outer God. Otherwise, such a caring tone couldn’t have flowed from one person’s voice.

“We have to save him. He’s family.”

“Yes, let’s do it together.”

She wanted to kill the Outer God.

She didn’t want to lose Eidel.

That was the ultimate conclusion Seti had reached.

***

Rustila’s parents soon woke up.

I was in the process of escorting them to the first-year faculty office when they screamed upon seeing me and stood up from their wheelchairs.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

I brought my index finger to my lips and made a shushing sound.

“Father, we’re in front of the faculty office. Please keep your voice down.”

“What?”

“Many visitors have already left because of the situation, creating a funeral-like atmosphere. If you make such a loud noise, what will others think of you?”

I was right. The area around the faculty office was filled with funeral wreaths.

Rustila’s father is no fool. He let out a groan, clicked his tongue, and stood up from the wheelchair.

I opened the faculty office door and called for Teacher Kendra.

Kendra came out rubbing her eyes.

“Eidel, is it okay for you to be up now?”

“Yes. For some reason, I’m fine.”

The doctor had told me to rest because my condition was poor.

But after sleeping for one night, I was completely refreshed.

“Teacher Hamington, have the reassignment test results been decided?”

“Ah, about the test results…”

Kendra showed reluctance.

That was to be expected. Since the test was interrupted near the end, judging student reassignments was no easy task.

The academic affairs department must be dying right now.

“It’s not completely decided yet. But one student will be moving to your class.”

“Is it Rustila?”

“…How did you know that?”

“She showed some potential.”

Rustila’s parents frowned.

“I am Rustila’s father. Teacher, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Ah… so you’re the parents. I didn’t recognize you.”

Kendra answered confidently.

“I am Kendra Hamington, the teacher in charge of this year’s first-year elite class.”

“E-elite class?”

Elite class.

For first-year students, it’s composed of those ranked 1st to around 20th in entrance scores. Then, in the second year, it gathers students ranked 1st to 20th from the first year for separate study.

Students in this class receive full support.

Most notably, they get automatic admission to the college program without taking entrance exams.

If Stellarium Academia is a prestigious high school, Stellarium College is a prestigious university.

Wow! Graduate from high school with excellent grades and enter a prestigious university for free without entrance exams!

For reference, Stellarium actually counts the university courses. Of course, that’s only natural.

“My, my daughter in the elite course…”

“Congratulations in advance, Father, Mother.”

“Is this true?”

Rustila’s mother firmly grasped Kendra’s hand. Her face contorted with joy.

That’s the face of a doctoral candidate who successfully published an SCI paper.

Not just anyone can make that expression. Perhaps she has a graduate degree.

While I was having such trivial thoughts, Rustila’s parents began counting their chickens before they hatched.

“Honey, this changes everything. Let’s stop looking into transferring to Iryuel and let her continue studying here.”

“Yes, that might be better. For law school, pedigree is most important.”

“Teacher, you must properly resolve this incident. This could lead to legal action, you know?”

Good grief.

There’s not much a teacher can do in front of troublesome parents. Kendra sweated profusely with a face showing the collapse of teacher authority.

She cautiously asked:

“What improvements would you like to see…”

“Allow fifth-generation androids in the dormitory. Preferably more than ten.”

“…I’ll look into it.”

“And another thing? Install cameras in every room…”

“Oh my goodness.”

I sighed and interrupted the two.

“Father, Mother. I’m sorry, but Rustila doesn’t need androids or security cameras at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Teacher, do you have the CCTV footage from that time?”

“Huh? Yes, but why?”

“Could you show it to us briefly?”

I took the two into the faculty office and showed them what had happened during the reassignment test.

What appeared on the screen was—

Rustila slicing B-grade golems like minced meat.

***

Two weeks later.

A new student entered the elite class.

And.

[2nd Place]

Zernya’s rank remained unchanged.