Chapter 131

Chapter 131

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 131: Become A Science Girl (5).

What could have been the cause?

I meticulously reviewed the path I had walked. Had I missed something? Was there an unknown fact I wasn’t aware of?

After pondering various possibilities, Ire looked up.

People emerging from the resonator were embracing one another, their joy palpable. Reporters swarmed around them, capturing the moment. In contrast, the scientists appeared utterly exhausted; some had already passed out. Professor Stranov, the key figure in this research, struggled to hold an interview.

“Sigh.”

It was a sight to behold.

Ire wiped her eyes with her sleeve. The entire world seemed blurry as if shrouded in mist. Just then, she sensed a presence beside her—two people.

“Brother, thank you so much!”

A little girl, around ten years old, bowed deeply in front of the sleeping Aidel von Reinhardt. Her adorable appearance made Ire Hazlen chuckle softly.

“Lisa, you should also greet the sister next to you.”

“Is sister a scientist too?”

“No, I am—”

“Thank you so much!”

The girl offered a polite bow to Ire as well. Ire wanted to correct her, to clarify that she wasn’t a scientist, but the unexpected gesture left her momentarily speechless.

“I want to grow up to be a scientist like big brother and sister.”

Lisa continued, her eyes shining with determination.

“I’ll become a scientist and help all the people who are suffering because of monsters!”

“Good, my daughter. Then you need to study really hard from now on.”

“Do I have to study a lot? Ugh, I hate studying…”

“Dad hopes that Lisa will be the top student in her class and earn plenty of praise from her teacher.”

The girl, now called Lisa, scratched her tangled hair. Holding her hungry stomach, she looked up at Ire.

“Sis, how well do you have to study to become a scientist…?”

“Huh?”

It was a question Ire couldn’t answer. She had never been a scientist herself. In fact, she rarely engaged her brain—unless it was for scheming.

“Well, um… that guy over there knows much more than I do.”

“Really? But he’s sleeping?”

The girl gently shook Aidel’s shoulder.

“Brother, wake up. Brother?”

Aidel von Reinhardt was deep in dreamland.

“It seems like he’s very tired. How about asking someone else over there?”

“Do you have business with the young master?”

The father and Ire turned their heads at the sound of a voice behind them. An android dressed in a maid’s outfit, Sonia, stood there with her hands neatly clasped.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Sonia. I am the young master’s exclusive android.”

Ire’s eyes widened in surprise; she hadn’t sensed Sonia’s presence at all until she spoke.

“The lady with the ribbon! So cute!”

“…!”

“Flowy. So pretty. Can I touch it just once?”

“For a human child to recognize the true value of frills… well, fine. I’ll let you touch it, just this once.”

With that, Sonia allowed the girl to pat her. Ire noticed something peculiar about the android’s expression.

“As a return, I will wake the young master.”

Sonia positioned herself behind Aidel, massaging his shoulders as if kneading dough. She leaned close and whispered in his ear, her breath like a gentle breeze.

Blessed by the stars, Ire had excellent senses, allowing her to catch what Sonia was saying…

“Young master, there’s a question about graduate school admissions.”

“Ugh…”

…She wished she hadn’t heard that.

“Graduate school?”

Lisa blinked. That was the catalyst. Aidel staggered as he focused on the young girl in front of him.

“…Little friend, do you want to go to graduate school?”

The tone that had been languid just moments ago shifted, becoming both cheerful and eerie. Ire felt goosebumps prickling on his arms.

“What kind of place is graduate school? A big academy?”

“It’s a school for people who want to become scientists, little friend.”

“A place for professors’ lackeys.”

“Shut up, Sonia. Now, let me tell you how fun graduate school is…”

Aidel began to explain everything from the ground up about becoming a scientist. Though her father’s brows furrowed in confusion, Aidel continued undeterred.

“If you do this, you can become a science girl. Would you like to try, little friend?”

“I want to! I want to go to graduate school too!”

“Li-Lisa. Let’s think about it a bit more and decide later. For now, let’s eat first, alright?”

“Okay. I’m hungry.”

The girl clutched her stomach and smiled faintly. Seeing her reaction, her father sighed in relief.

But Ire noticed something—the unusual glint in the girl’s eyes.

“Big sister! Big brother! Thank you so much! I will work hard from now on!”

She waved goodbye as she boarded the ship with her father. There was a brief commotion, but her cheerful smile left Ire feeling content.

“Ah, I’m so sleepy. I’m going to die of sleepiness.”

“Young Master, you still need to finish up properly.”

“Finish what?”

Aidel staggered as he stood up.

“This is just the beginning.”

He looked around and continued.

“One day, the black holes will be completely empty. The Outer Gods beyond the Ether Belt will take notice. And they will be like: It seems that some primitive species in the Milky Way galaxy has become strong enough to crawl up from there.”

A mortal dares to kill a god.

How would the gods react?

“What will the Outer Gods, who now recognize us not as toys but as adversaries, think?”

A chill ran down Ire’s spine.

“Let’s crush them.”

There were no interviews nor any rest.

While Professor Stranov and other key figures were bombarded with questions from reporters, nominated for the Arkia Award, and invited by the government to luxurious meals, Aidel remained holed up in the lab.

His sleep time was exactly five hours—a significant amount compared to recent days.

Aidel quietly scribbled with his pen, seemingly unfazed by the world outside. His only interruptions were occasional trips to the bathroom, sips of water, or firing up the computer to run simulation programs.

“Young master, you’re going to die at this rate.”

“If I die writing a thesis, it’s an honorable death.”

Better than being devoured by an Outer God.

Ire stared blankly at him from five steps away. One project was over, and he looked exhausted. She wanted to let him rest, to create an opportunity for him to catch his breath. But Ire didn’t know how to change the atmosphere. Unlike Rustila, she lacked a gentle touch. Unlike Zelnya, she wasn’t the type to bulldoze through obstacles once she set her mind to something.

She reflected on the past again. What had caused their failures? Why had they, until now, been unable to resist the Outer Gods? Why had they not even managed to trap a single lesser god to ensure it could never escape?

“Ah.”

Force alone was not enough. To defeat the Outer Gods, they needed to become as powerful as them, but strength wasn’t solely measured by swordsmanship. It required wisdom, integrity, and a touch of madness.

“Young master, there are so many authors in this research that your name might get buried.”

“Of course. It’s a huge deal if an undergraduate even gets a mention in papers.”

A level of madness equivalent to that of an Outer God.

“The returns are minimal compared to the effort. It’s practically a thesis scoop.”

“Then write another one.”

Madness directed in the right way has rewritten human history. It was liberation from the shackles of convention; it was inspiration; it was creativity itself.

“What?”

“We’ll write another one.”

“Isn’t that difficult?”

“We’re resting right now, aren’t we?”

“Are you insane…?”

Looking at Aidel, Ire realized that to see a truly happy ending, she had to learn something new beyond what she knew now.

“We’ll continue the resonance research, but this time, I really want to try this.”

Aidel completed a large drawing by pasting wide sheets of paper together like a collage.

“This is our galaxy.”

In the center, he drew the Sagittarius Alpha black hole, surrounded by spiral arms. He marked the points where the spiral arms ended and connected them in a circular shape.

“This is the Ether Belt.”

Next, he drew a small circle at one of the planetary systems in the southern region.

“This is where the accelerator will be placed.”

“Are you finally planning to research the Graviton Bomb?”

“Yes. But how did you know?”

“I heard you talking in your sleep, young master. It’s impossible not to know.”

Aidel sighed deeply. Unlike the smooth strokes of his pen, his face wore a gloomy expression.

“There’s no technical problem, but it costs a lot of money. This is the first stage, and there are a total of four stages.”

“Then we should approach this from the position of the head of the family, step by step…”

“Excuse me!”

Ire interrupted the conversation as she stepped forward. Sonia’s face, which had brightened for a moment, fell flat again. It seemed she was annoyed at the interruption of their private discussion. However, she spoke without hesitation; her words carried equal weight.

“Uh, how can I make it like today…?”

No, not stuttering like this.

The God of ‘Persistence and Integrity’ casts on you.

Right. Look straight into their eyes.

“How can I keep seeing people smile like today?”

Just like that girl from earlier, speak actively and with courage.

“I wanted to do something—anything—to make everyone smile. But when I think about it, I didn’t do anything. I just floated around. I only got stronger, but I didn’t become resilient. Then I met you.”

Her words tumbled out haphazardly, an unorganized stream of thoughts. Yet, the meaning was clear. It pointed to one thing: to paint this damned, despairing world with hope.

“How can we eradicate the Outer Gods from this world?”

Aidel’s head snapped around, his glare sharp. Ire flinched for a moment but held his gaze. She laid bare her utmost sincerity and will, a fleeting but powerful resolve. This was her true intention. Aidel soon opened his mouth to probe further.

“Do you want to crush all the Outer Gods?”

“Of course…”

“Then, are you willing to do anything?”

“Of course.”

Thud!

Aidel threw the pen he had been holding, revealing his white teeth in a grin.

“Ire Hazlen! I was just waiting for you to say that!”

“…Huh?”

“Welcome to the Department of Physics!”

“…Huh? What, what did you say?”

Seeing Ire Hazlen’s mouth agape in confusion, I gave a big smile.

Professor, another one is coming up.