Ch.83The Prime Catch (2)

“I found a simulation-based engineering method to restore the Aether Belt that was torn apart.”

The moment I heard those words, a single term came to mind.

Scooped.

When two or more different labs research the same topic and one publishes a paper before the other.

The side that loses the paper is said to have been “scooped,” and the feeling when it happens is reportedly indescribably shitty.

One wrong move and all your past efforts could vanish in an instant.

“What was the title of that article?”

“Using quantum gravity tweezers…”

I searched immediately.

There it was.

An article posted just the day before yesterday.

[According to Professor Kallis Stranov of the Department of Astrophysics at Iryuel University-]

That’s how the first sentence began.

[-quantum gravity tweezers can manipulate Aether like ‘optical tweezers’ that capture light, and he plans to publish a paper on this in the near future.]

That’s how the last line concluded.

In other words, the research hasn’t been published in a journal yet.

My sinking heart returned to its original position.

[“What a shame. I could have seen your distorted face… ARGHHHH!”]

[— Foreign entity ‘Orchestra of Mud and Flesh’ has made a regular tribute of 500 pron.]

Anyway, this information implies one thing.

“Rustila.”

“Yes?”

“Starting today, I’m reducing sleep to three hours a day. Effective immediately.”

“Huh?”

“Berdia and Sonia are androids, so they don’t need to sleep, right?”

“What?”

Cartesia. Give. Me. Strength.

[“…? Well, I don’t mind.”]

[“ARGHHHH!”]

[— ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ collects 2000 pron from ‘Orchestra of Mud and Flesh’.]

With Professor Feynman, my advisor, added to the mix.

I decided to create a masterpiece with everyone’s combined strength that would deliver a fresh shock to the academic world. And to do it faster than anyone else.

However, despite such determination, one problem remained.

…What should I title the paper?

***

[■ Today Universe Physics]

[Simulation of Aether Belt Eigenvalue Manipulation Using Plasma-Aether Perturbation Phenomena]

[Authors]

[Eidel von Rheinland (First Author)]

[Rustila Kersil (Second Author)]

[Richard Feynman (Corresponding Author)]

[Abstract]

[This method enables the restoration of the Aether Belt using swordsmen wielding Plasma Swords and the power of constellations. We have proven this through simulation, and with sufficient time and budget, we plan to conduct follow-up research on the real world.]

[Status]

[Publication Approved]

“Honey, what are you scribbling so intently?”

“This? It’s my potential son-in-law notebook.”

Ada showed Lloyd the edge of her notebook. It was filled with names of young men from families of similar standing to the Kersil family—the Tahalint family, Yusoford family, Gonel family, Hedelton family, and so on.

And at the end.

A boy’s name had been added.

[Eidel von Rheinland]

“Honey.”

“What?”

“The Rheinlands aren’t on our level.”

“I know.”

Ada gestured with her chin, pointing beyond.

“But look at those two.”

Rustila and Eidel, who had rolled their eyes after successfully submitting their paper, were lying on the bed like a pair of popsicle sticks.

The two of them were off in dreamland, covered by the same blanket.

“Don’t they look incredibly close?”

“Honey, what on earth are you saying?”

Lloyd thought for a moment that he had misheard.

Just a week ago, it was Ada who had been desperate to separate Rustila and Eidel.

And now she’s changed her position so easily?

“Hehe.”

Rustila grinned as she pressed her limbs against Eidel’s torso. Her face looked like she was in absolute heaven.

“W-why are you letting them sleep in the same place…!”

Just as Lloyd was about to move forward in outrage, his arm was grabbed.

Ada shook her head and said:

“Honey, think about it differently. If you consider that boy as our future son-in-law, the whole problem is solved.”

“What nonsense!”

“The Rheinland family is an unattainable prestigious family. And that boy could become the head of the family if he plays his cards right. Do you know what that means?”

“You disliked Eidel so much. Why are you hesitating now? That child is still too early to trust.”

“Honey.”

Tears began to stream down Ada’s face.

“You don’t understand. Of course, you never went to graduate school.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“<Universe> is an incredible journal. Even papers created with blood and sweat by billions of scholars from billions of planets across the countless worlds of the Federation can’t easily get published there. Do you know how many doctoral students are desperately hoping to be included as even the third author?”

“A-Ada.”

“Professors too. Some have left without ever publishing a single paper in <Universe>. There are even bastards who steal papers written by graduate students out of greed.”

Ada, now emotional, had dropped her formal speech and continued to press Lloyd.

“…I was a victim too.”

Ah.

Lloyd silently embraced Ada.

After bringing water to Ada, who was exhausted from crying, Lloyd got permission to open his wife’s notebook.

[Eidel von Rheinland]

[Family A+]

[Ability A+]

[Appearance A0]

[Character A+]

The fact that his wife rated the character as A+ was significant. None of the many potential grooms she had met and evaluated had received such a high score.

Eidel, are you the strongest in character too?

“By the way, why is his appearance A0?”

“Because A+ is reserved only for you, honey.”

Ah.

Lloyd embraced Ada once more.

Unfortunately, Eidel was awake at this time, having just woken from a nightmare where Sonia headbutted him.

‘These people are animals.’

That level of PDA was like global warming.

Truly, if Mrs. Kersil hadn’t had such a difficult childbirth, Rustila would probably have had about a dozen siblings.

He swallowed such regrets.

Eidel looked at Rustila clinging to him, then closed his eyes.

What should I write for the third paper?

***

[(Breaking) Stellarium’s Professor Feynman’s Research Team Develops Modeling Technique to Manipulate Aether Belt Using Swordsmen Blessed by Constellations]

[Citations: 1428]

“How significant is this research? Simply put, we can make the entire Federation like the Alcatraz planetary system. A place where foreign entities can’t approach or use their powers.”

The world was turned upside down.

By a single paper.

Countless follow-up studies followed.

[Professor Callisto Rankel’s Research Team Achieves First Successful Aether Belt Restoration Using ‘Feynman-Rheinland Model’]

“Professor Feynman and student Rheinland are geniuses that appear once in 10,000 years. If those two hadn’t created the theoretical foundation, we would have had to continue living under monster attacks.”

[Professor Dahnab Roden’s Research Team Successfully Develops Technology to Transform Aether Barrier from ‘Surface’ to ‘Polyhedron’ Using FR Model]

“Many people will soon learn about this. Countries need to increase investment in basic science. Professor Feynman and Rheinland have shown that theory is never just an armchair discussion.”

[Professor Barnar of Iryuel’s Research Team Discovers Additional Eigenfrequency Modes of Aether Belt… Effective in Blocking Darwin System Foreign Entities]

“Eidel von Rheinland, are you watching? If given the chance, I would very much like to meet you.”

[Southern Life Research Institute’s Hueritia Research Team Achieves Excellent Elimination Results in Experiments on Avatar Bodies]

“Now all researchers can work in an environment free from the fear of being consumed by madness—that’s how you should see it.”

Scientific theories gain public attention when they evolve into engineering.

And the more the return exceeds the cost required by that engineering, the more people cheer.

Eidel’s research had that kind of potential.

First, he thoroughly built the foundation, then opened up completely new research horizons with follow-up studies.

In just one month.

Geniuses from across the universe read Eidel’s paper, understood it, derived new ideas, and reassembled them into engineering.

It was an unprecedented speed—

Which meant the situation was that urgent.

“Congratulations, student Eidel. You’re being released.”

“Pardon?”

Prison Director John Whitewood patted Eidel on the shoulder with a subtly regretful expression.

“If you leave now, it’ll be the shortest stay on record. I’m proud of you. After all, research that saved humanity was completed here at Alcatraz.”

This is crazy. How could I leave such a well-equipped research lab?

He couldn’t bear to move after using it for only a month. This was too unfair.

***

Rustila, beaming at the news that Eidel could return to school, quickly packed his belongings.

His toothbrush, his soap, his papers.

Everything went into Rustila’s bag.

She was grabbing things without checking, but she knew exactly what she was doing.

– Try to make Eidel fall in love with you somehow. And then make it all the way to marriage. There aren’t many people as dependable as him. He’s a first-class catch, so you absolutely can’t let him go. Understand?

It was her mother’s instruction.

Thanks to that, the interference telling her to stay away from Eidel had completely disappeared.

Instead, there was now interference telling her to stick close to him.

‘This kind of interference might be okay… Oh.’

Rustila’s face turned red.

What am I thinking right now?

This makes me look like a woman who fell for him just because I got the scraps of being second author on a paper.

I am a swordswoman above all else, a swordswoman.

Rustila took a deep breath after collecting herself.

– But absolutely not a soldier.

Rustila’s parents wanted her to either continue the Kersil family line or marry into an even better family.

From that perspective, a soldier wasn’t a very good choice.

In the Federation, which was constantly at war with foreign entities, the profession of swordsman was closest to death.

‘Should I hurry and make grandchildren?’

For a moment, Rustila had such an embarrassing thought.

She shook her head, and her golden ponytail swung like a pendulum.

“Oh, a simple pendulum.”

Eidel was still making incomprehensible remarks.

Rustila looked up at Eidel with a bright smile.

“Shall we go back?”

Eidel grinned and answered.

“No.”

Rustila’s expression crumbled.

***

[Gravity-Aether Reaction Theory Laboratory]

“AAAAAHHHHH!! UWAAAAHHHHH!!”

Bang, bang, bang!

The sound of popping popcorn intermittently echoed from beyond the lab.

“What on earth is going on?”

“The professor next door got scooped. I heard that lab is like a funeral home now.”

“You mean that paper Professor Feynman wrote? That was a huge hit.”

“Yeah. Isn’t he going to receive the Archaea Prize in physics next year?”

The students, silencing themselves at another banging sound, swallowed dry and continued their conversation.

“Shh. Those two were college classmates. They really don’t get along, so it’s rude to mention that professor’s name here.”

“Then I’ll just talk about the first author. I heard the graduate student who actually wrote that paper is an incredible genius…”

The teabagging continued with just a wall between them. The woman groaned, pulling at her hair.

This damn school has terrible soundproofing in this respect.

Thud, thud, thuud.

After banging her head against the white oak desk several times, Kallis collapsed like a sack of borrowed barley.

“This isn’t right, this isn’t right.”

She had no strength left.

After pouring in so much time.

And then, and then…

“…Feynman, you piece of trash.”

Not content with rejecting my confession back in school, now you steal my paper too?

Kallis turned on her computer with blazing eyes.

And searched.

For Eidel von Rheinland. For that student’s whereabouts.