Chapter 165

Chapter 165

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 165: There Is A Thesis For Romance (3).

I pushed the table aside and spread out paper and pen, then began organizing my thoughts by listing words and formulas. Virgo settled beside me to watch.

“…Graviton Bomb?”

“It’s a device that induces the evaporation of a black hole.”

I showed her a blueprint I’d sketched with my rudimentary drawing skills.

“Just as a star dies and its constellation disappears, if a black hole evaporates, an Outer God loses its ability to affect our universe.”

“So this device would trigger that evaporation… It seems quite complex.”

She studied my drawing with obvious interest.

“Is something like this actually feasible?”

“With enough time and resources, yes.”

“How long would it take?”

I spread my fingers as I calculated.

“About 8 years.”

That wasn’t a random estimate. It was a carefully considered timeframe, assuming we had both government support and full access to Reinhardt’s assets. Even then, it would require complete dedication to the research process throughout those years.

“With advances in printing assembly and warp technology, building a planetary-sized particle accelerator is possible – if you have the funding. The experiment might take time, but once we establish the correct direction, everything should proceed smoothly.”

Virgo remained silent, seemingly stunned by the proposal.

Surprisingly, it was Rustila who voiced her concerns.

“Aidel, constructing something of that magnitude will attract the attention of the Outer Gods.”

“We have barriers and resonators in place. We’re also developing devices to trap the Darwin Legion starting now.”

“What about the Laplace Legion?”

“…That remains problematic.”

Rustila gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Aidel, this endeavor could cost you your life.”

“From overwork?”

“This isn’t the time for jokes about dying from overwork. What happens if an Outer God targets you directly? And if the Ether Barrier fails…!”

Rustila’s voice rose uncharacteristically.

“If the Constellation aligns, you’ll be the first casualty if anything goes wrong. Aidel! I couldn’t bear to see you die, not even in my death. Please don’t try to carry this burden alone…”

Her eyes welled with tears. Perhaps it was the alcohol’s influence? The emotional atmosphere was affecting me, too, making me feel melancholic, though there was no real reason for such sentiment.

Rustila left briefly. When she returned minutes later, she had changed into more modest attire. While her previous outfit had been alluring, she now projected an air of innocence.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’ll make a contract.”

“Are you serious?”

Rustila looked up at Virgo. Her confident demeanor left Virgo flustered.

“You’ll continue your research whether I try to stop you or not. So, I suppose I have no choice but to protect you…”

“…Rustila.”

“I need to become stronger to protect you.”

A sensation began stirring deep within my chest, building like steam about to burst forth.

If I’m being honest, I was a little moved. Actually, no, by a lot.

“Aidel.”

No more words were needed. Rustila gently touched my shoulder before positioning herself in front of Virgo.

After a moment’s hesitation, Virgo finally bestowed the blessing of the stars with newfound willingness.

The Milky Way materialized in the living room, creating a spectacular display reminiscent of an aurora stretching across a sandy beach. Eventually, the starlight enveloped Rustila in its embrace.

The contract was sealed.

Rustila gasped as she opened and closed her hands experimentally. Taking a shallow breath, she lifted the Milky Way with one hand. The flow of ether was so concentrated it was visible to the naked eye.

I was astonished. This was liquefied ether in an extremely dense state – an incredibly rare phenomenon.

“How peculiar. To reach that level with just a single shard contract. It’s fascinating, truly fascinating.”

Even Cartesia was astonished.

“Aidel.”

After completing the contract, Rustila turned to face me, the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile.

“Now hurry up and write that paper.”

She was laughing through her tears.

The confession may have faded away, but we couldn’t simply return to being mere acquaintances. Though unspoken, we had acknowledged our mutual feelings. This manifested itself in two notable ways.

The first was that Rustila began following me everywhere.

She claimed it was for protection, of course.

According to the rules, any interaction was permissible as long as it wasn’t romantic in nature. Even casual physical contact, like a handshake, was acceptable.

“You two seem to get along well.”

Professor Feynman laughed as he passed by.

We were in the college laboratory at the time despite the semester not having started yet. The reason was simple: research. And this is where the second piece of evidence emerged.

“I want to co-author a paper with you.”

My heart nearly skipped a beat when I heard those words.

Rustila’s suggestion was her indirect way of responding. Unable to date officially, she was using research as a pretext to spend more time together.

“I’d like to be the second author on the paper where you’re the first author, just like last time.”

The second author’s name appears directly after the first author’s, and Rustila was more than qualified for the position. Her Constellation abilities would prove invaluable to the research.

“Would you like to write together again?”

“R-really? Is that okay?”

“We’ll finish faster that way.”

Rustila laughed at my response.

“Sure.”

Of course, she meant she enjoyed writing the paper, not that she liked me. That’s absolutely, positively not what this was about.

— ‘Shard of Purity’ is staring blankly.

There was indeed a certain romance in writing academic papers together. Watching us cleverly navigate the contract’s loopholes, Virgo twisted its form in response.

As planned, our next research topic focused on crystals—specifically those obtained from captured Darwinian Outer Gods. These were the same type of crystals that had imprisoned the Shard of Purity.

“My other shard is likely trapped in a crystal as well.”

“You don’t know for certain?”

“Normally, shards can communicate with each other, but something’s blocking us. There’s an unknown shielding barrier interfering with the connection.”

Rustila needed three more shards to fully harness Virgo’s power. For her future, we needed to locate and retrieve them as quickly as possible.

“There are three major shards: Sacrifice, Devotion, and Love. You must gather them. They’re probably trapped in crystals scattered throughout the southern region.”

I remember using crystals containing Virgo’s shards when I first created the resonator.

With this, we had our mid-term goal.

“You want to visit the southern region?”

The following day, I consulted Professor Stranov. As I explained our situation, her expression grew somber.

“Remember our previous expedition there? That’s where we found the Virgo shard.”

“True, but now…”

Professor Stranov hesitated, alternating between fidgeting with her wedding ring and touching her lower abdomen as she fell silent.

“…Actually, most of the crystals from the planets within have already been recovered. If you are searching for them, they’re likely to be beyond the belt.”

This was not the news we had hoped to hear.

The professor, desperate not to lose her student, pleaded earnestly.

“Aidel, whatever happens, you must not venture outside the Ether Belt. It’s nothing short of hell out there.”

“I won’t go.”

Stranov repeated this warning several times afterward, and each time, I assured her I had no intention of going that far.

“Instead, could you purchase the available crystals?”

“That’s not a problem at all.”

The following day, various crystals were delivered to the laboratory. I gathered the graduate seniors to conduct a basic analysis.

“…But why are you in charge?”

“Professor’s orders.”

With those words, work proceeded smoothly, as if by magic.

As expected, all the crystals had defects, making them unsuitable for resonators or fish traps. Their properties would need to be modified.

“Is it my turn to step up?”

Rustila came forward, rubbing her hands together. The lab’s air swirled with ether at each breath she took, forming tiny liquid droplets at her fingertips.

She picked up a pale pink crystal and began infusing it with Virgo’s unique wavelength.

“Ngh.”

It wasn’t easy work.

Rustila failed dozens of times, at least. Modifying crystal properties was uncharted territory. Even Virgo, initially confident, showed signs of exhaustion from repeatedly entering and exiting the crystal.

“…This is more challenging than anticipated. I thought one attempt would suffice.”

I offered Rustila a tissue. After wiping her sweat, she persevered.

When I returned from my winter semester classes, she was still in the laboratory.

“Taking breaks… What’s this?”

The lab was stuffy, with failed stones scattered across the desk. Rustila sat in a chair, breathing heavily, looking unwell.

“Ether depletion.”

Cartesia remarked with a mocking snicker.

“Who told them to overexert themselves? Rookie. Don’t you dare act beyond your capabilities like that. It ruins my entertainment here. You should know your limits… wait, what’s that?”

Suddenly, the ether mist dissipated.

Rustila took a deep breath and exhaled. Her pallid complexion returned to normal.

It was a peculiar phenomenon.

She looked at me and casually greeted me.

“Aidel, you’re back?”

“That was ether depletion, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Rustila nodded matter-of-factly. I approached her, rubbing my forehead.

“Why push yourself so hard?”

“I didn’t overdo it.”

“You just admitted to having depletion symptoms!”

“It’s fine. It’ll replenish soon.”

Though confused, I dropped the matter since she insisted she was alright. Rustila immediately reached for another crystal.

“Ah, I’ve done this one. And this one, too. This one as well…”

She searched frantically for untreated crystals but found none.

I opened the delivery box wide. Empty.

“…Looks like we’ve used them all?”

They were completely gone.

Several days passed as Aidel focused on preparing for early graduation while attending the winter semester.

During this time, Rustila arrived at college early each day to research the proper technique for infusing crystals with precise amounts of ether.

Though tedious, the work was rewarding. Mastering detailed control of holy power was crucial for becoming a high-level inspector, and helping Aidel allowed her to enhance her own abilities – a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Yet despite her efforts, failures continued to mount.

“I’ve ordered another 5 tons of crystals from outside. I felt bad constantly asking the professor, so I had Ceti place the order.”

Her mind began to wander. What was Ceti doing now? How were her parents? She shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

“If it’s too difficult, we can resume after the semester starts…”

“No, I’m fine.”

Aidel raised his hand as if to reassure her but stopped short of touching her shoulder.

His words from that day echoed in her mind like a curse: “Once you start something, you have to see it through. I really admire people who persist and never give up.”

Few knew that Rustila’s first sponsor had been Vega, known as The God of ‘Purity and Persistence.’ Perhaps it was fitting that the constellation that first chose her valued such unwavering determination – a trait Rustila herself possessed in abundance.

I will do this, she thought. I will make it work.

And in that moment…

“Ah…!”

The light blue crystal transformed, turning a pristine white. It felt heavier and more solid in her hand, its properties completely altered.

Rustila committed every detail of the sensation to memory. She picked up another crystal from the same vein and repeated the process.

Just like the first, it turned pure white.

Development of a New Production Method for Quantum Gravity Resonator Mirror

Aidel von Reinhardt, Rustila Kersil / Kallis Stranov

Rustila collapsed onto the desk, overwhelmed by a mixture of liberation and exhaustion.

Her eyes lingered on their names printed together – hers alongside Aidel’s. The thought that anyone reading the paper would see this partnership sent an inexplicable thrill through her body.

The room was cold. As beads of sweat evaporated from her skin, they drew away her body heat, leaving a chill along her spine. The shivering could have been from overexertion, or perhaps she was coming down with something.

“Good job, Rustila.”

Aidel said softly, draping a blanket over her shoulders with a gentle smile.

Even Virgo, watching their interaction, found no cause for concern. Everything about their relationship remained proper and professional, well within the established ‘restrictions.’

Well, if everything was as it should be, then all was well.

And so, with matters settled, the new semester drew near.