Chapter 101
by Afuhfuihgs
Chapter 101
From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.
Episode 101: A Prudent College Life (1).
Drip.
Professor Stranov poured whiskey into a glass and added ice. “Shall we have a drink?”
“Uh, Professor?”
“Yes?”
“I’m still underage.”
“Ah,” she exclaimed.
I sighed and continued. “Besides, we’re inside the college. Isn’t alcohol prohibited on campus?”
We weren’t just in any classroom; this was the professor’s office. The idea of having a drink here seemed to undermine the dignity of Academia.
“Haha, Mr. Reinhardt, you’re quite the upright man,” she said, her smile with mischief as she filled my glass with sparkling water instead. “As long as we don’t get caught, it’s fine.”
Right, whether it’s an affair or a murder, it’s innocent if you don’t get caught. The real issue is one’s conscience.
I settled for the sparkling water, wary of my low alcohol tolerance. I feared that drinking might lead to poor decisions.
“Scared?”
“Scared.”
“What a shame.”
I wasn’t about to be provoked by a spinster professor, no matter how she baited me.
As the evening wore on, Professor Stranov’s demeanor softened. Her eyes blinked slowly, her expression mellowed, and her movements became uncoordinated, almost childlike. Her voice turned coquettish as she clung to my arm.
“Mr. Reinhardt, won’t you stay up all night discussing with me?”
Ma’am, this is unbecoming of a woman.
“Please, listen to me.”
This is embarrassing…
Despite my discomfort, I couldn’t simply abandon a colleague, especially not a professor pivotal to gravitational resonator research.
I endured her drunken ramblings with the same resolve of a saint. She divulged numerous personal grievances.
“That guy… He rejected my confession three times. I’ll never forgive him. I’ll just grab him by the collar and throw him into a particle accelerator! Let him suffer a bit too, sob…”
Her speech was slurred from overdrinking. I resisted the urge to comfort her—this was the first time I had witnessed such a breakdown.
“Richard, I’ll kill him. For real, sob.”
Professor Feynman. What battles have you been fighting?
“Professor.”
“Whyyyy.”
“Thank you for the master’s program offer. I truly appreciate the opportunity and the valuable conversations we’ve had amidst your busy schedule.”
“Then don’t gooo.”
“I need to think about it more. Thank you. I’ll be going now.”
“No, no. Nooo.”
A blanket would be perfect for a drunken lady.
I stepped into the cold wind of Eruyel Academy and headed towards the station.
Let’s pretend today’s incident never happened.
The mandatory lab tour had finally ended. Ah, the long hours of contempt and persecution were now behind me. I, Aidel, was free!
I skimmed over Professor Stranov’s email, which she’d sent, without fully grasping the situation. I left her on read, giving her time to slowly realize her mistake. After all, emails can be canceled if the recipient hasn’t opened them yet.
Today, for the first time in a while, I felt genuinely good. Why? Because I had a constructive conversation with Professor Feynman.
“We’re going to research the discovery of gravitons,” he announced.
At last, the main event!
The research on the development of the graviton bomb was divided into four stages, starting with the ‘discovery of the graviton.’ The existence of gravitons had long been predicted. Still, due to the limitations of human technology, this elusive particle remained undiscovered.
“Oh, is it finally time to end this hide-and-seek game?”
“No, you crazy bastard. If we mess up, we might not graduate.”
“Let’s toss this topic to our junior, Reinhardt. Hehe.”
Thank you so much, seniors. How dare you dump such a challenging research topic to humble me? I feel so honored.
“But, professor, we have a problem.”
“Go ahead.”
“We have no money.”
Silence fell.
Breaking news: Research topic canceled. No, damn it, my plan to make a Graviton Bomb!!!
“The theoretical lab’s critical drawback, indeed. It’s extremely difficult to secure project funding, whether from national policies or corporations,” the professor explained.
“That’s why we have simulations, isn’t it?”
“Student. We’re aiming for ‘discovery’ right now. Simulations are of little significance.”
At Feynman’s sharp remark, Graduate Student No. 1 deflated. Then, No. 2 and No. 3 jumped in, questioning how to secure research funds, what the theoretical outlook or experimental plans would be, and so on.
Our supervising professor proposed a simple solution. “We’ll try to persuade the government.”
Indeed. The lack of a plan was the plan.
“How exactly?” I asked.
“Recently, thanks to student Aidel’s efforts, there has been a breakthrough in theoretical research. The theory has proven to be profitable and important, sending a strong message to the public. There’s no better time to persuade those in higher positions, wouldn’t you agree?” the professor said triumphantly, emphasizing the point.
Being someone deeply involved in theory, he was naively optimistic. Having written proposals only to be thoroughly rejected, experienced budget cuts, and grown up in a country where the trend was to dismiss theoretical work, I knew Professor Feynman would likely fail.
And he did.
“We got rejected…”
“Why? You wrote the proposal well.”
“They said it was rejected due to lack of scalability and profitability.”
I knew this would happen.
“Fools. Rejecting it just because it doesn’t make money.”
The God of ‘Wisdom and Curiosity’ lets out a dry chuckle.
I patted Professor Feynman’s back, who was in a state of despair, and said, “I’ll try, even if it means using my family’s fortune.”
“Student, you might get kicked out of your house if you do that.”
“Still, I’ll find a way.”
I had to become the head of the family somehow. For that, reputation was crucial. And to build that reputation, the only thing I could do right now was research. Somehow, I needed to establish myself as a scientist who excels at dealing with Outer Gods. At the very least, I needed to become famous enough that even if I canned my poops and labeled it ‘Outer God Repellent Air Freshener’ on an online market, it would sell.
Days passed without any significant progress. Before I knew it, an email arrived.
(Reminder) This is Professor Stranov…….
No, not this one.
Freshman Orientation Notice for January
Yeah, this one.
That’s right. Me, Lee Jinsu. It’s been 2 years since I possessed the body of Aidel von Reinhardt. Going to college for the second time.
Last October, news of Aidel’s college enrollment sent Zelnya into a frenzy. She embarked on a relentless quest, visiting every conceivable office—from the faculty to the Ministry of Education—pleading her case.
“Let me graduate early, please.”
Yet, wherever she asked, the answer was the same: “You can transfer directly to the college course if you pass the early graduation review as per the Higher Education Act.”
They were basically saying to just get the diploma, shut up, and take the test. And they were right.
“Who said I can’t?”
A determined glint sparked in Zelnya’s eyes. Midterms? She barely glanced at them, yet still managed to come out on top. Although she trailed behind Rustila in swordsmanship, she excelled in academic subjects, such as the meticulous art of deboning fish, to secure the top spot. Despite her success, it didn’t feel satisfying.
“Are you sure you reclaimed the top spot? You only got it because Aidel wasn’t here.”
“She’s still second to Aidel, no matter what.”
“Reinhardt was smarter. And he had a better personality.”
“Staying here instead of going to college shows she’s already lost. Real geniuses, they’re different.”
Her classmates’ jeers were constant, always echoing “Aidel, Aidel” at any opportunity. Ironically, his absence made her feel a profound loneliness. She had reached the top, yet it wasn’t enough. The first place had once been her norm; now, it felt like an empty victory.
Driven by a desire to reunite with Aidel, Zelnya doubled her efforts during the final exams. She needed to prove she was his equal or better. And she succeeded.
Name: Zelnya von Unt zu Trisha Adelwein
This student has been deemed fit for college-level coursework and is, as a result of this, granted graduation from this school and admission to the college program.
Her score dipped slightly during the interview when discussing her future plans, but she managed to pull through. With her diploma in hand, Zelnya couldn’t help but grin. She was particularly eager to see Rustila’s reaction. What kind of expression would she have, realizing Zelnya was no longer bound to the second year of Academia?
“Wait for me, Aidel,” I’m on my way.
You have failed the sudden quest.
A penalty of 50,000 Prons has been accumulated.
“Ugh!”
Blood gushed out as she exhaled. Ire staggered, barely holding onto the wall as she vomited. The pain was excruciating as if her intestines were tearing apart and her brain was throbbing.
“Haa, haa…”
How many times had it been already? If she had known it would be like this, she would have stayed locked up in the Sacred Spirit Chamber. But that wasn’t an option. Staying there meant an inevitable transfer back to Alcatraz.
“Move, girl. Do you not have a mission to save your kin?”
The Outer Gods, who controlled her fate, urged her on with mocking laughter. Their words were hollow; they were only interested in extracting ‘star energy’ from Ire’s suffering. The more she was broken, the more star energy she produced, which could be converted into coins—a substance the Outer Gods coveted.
“Damn it… Evil…!”
After taking a few steps, Ire stumbled and collapsed in the sparse alley. It was all because of her cursed trait. If only she hadn’t been born with this accursed body…
“Then you wouldn’t have been manipulated by us. Hehe.”
“That’s why we gave you the quest to kill your parents who birthed you this way, isn’t it? Hahaha.”
“Enough chit-chat. If you want to live, move quickly, you lowly girl!”
A bitter taste lingered in her mouth. Despite everything, she knew she had to get up. If she couldn’t save the world, she would be trapped in an endless loop of pain.
Ding!
A new quest has begun.
Ire looked up with lifeless eyes. Another quest had appeared in the empty air.
Eliminate Aidel von Reinhardt.
She didn’t want to dwell on it.
With a grotesque twist of her lips, Ire tapped into her
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