Chapter 166

Chapter 166

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 166: Second Year (1).

Zelnya and I had advanced to our second year.

“Today, we welcome the juniors who will be joining us for the next two years.”

The secretary distributed booklets and manuals to all student council officers.

“Everyone, please ensure everything runs smoothly without any mistakes.”

It was the entrance ceremony – a day when all student council officers worked in perfect coordination. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as everyone looked forward to greeting their new underclassmen.

“Vice President, wait a moment.”

Zelnya called out just as I was about to follow the others outside.

“It’s almost time.”

“Time for what?”

“I’m finalizing the family matters. By month’s end, I’ll assume the position of the family head.”

I nodded silently.

The main storyline remained similar to the original, though the circumstances differed. The outcomes were the same, but what lay ahead remained uncertain.

“See you later, Vice President.”

Zelnya and I parted ways on the open-air theater steps.

Glancing at my schedule, I noticed the entrance ceremony was about to begin.

“As new students of the prestigious Stellarium College, you are expected to contribute to the Federation society with an elite spirit…”

The president’s speech continued unchanged.

“Hey, Aidel!”

A familiar voice called out. As the person in charge of overseeing the engineering and natural sciences departments, I immediately recognized who it was.

I turned around with a chuckle.

There sat Welton Yusford and Matus Baitling, not far from where I stood.

“Long time no see.”

“Has it been a month?”

We exchanged light handshakes. I wasn’t surprised to see them here – I knew they’d make it.

After offering brief congratulations, I took a seat next to Welton, who made a remark.

“I thought you’d be holed up in the lab rather than attending something like this!”

“Student council duties. If I don’t show up, the president will have my head.”

Though I said this, it wasn’t my primary motivation. I had postponed important research to build relationships with promising new students.

“Welton, Matus, have you considered interning at your respective department labs?”

“What…”

My question was met with blank stares from both of them.

Welton burst into laughter, seemingly having anticipated this, while Matus let out a curse-like sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“We had a bet about what you’d say when we met. If you mentioned ‘graduate school,’ ‘lab,’ or ‘intern’ within 30 minutes, he’d have to treat me to meals for a week.”

“Oh dear.”

“Forget 30 minutes – it took you 30 seconds. There goes my money.”

I felt sympathy for Matus, knowing he supported two younger sisters, but a bet was a bet. I made a mental note to treat him to a good meal later to make up for it.

“Anyway… Matus has to do an internship. Mechanical engineering requires a thesis before graduation.”

“Hey, what’s the connection between an internship and a thesis? And don’t you have to write one too? Is electronic muon engineering any different?”

“Our department lets us substitute it with a graduation project.”

“What a pain.”

I stood up, watching them bicker. How pleasant.

It would be reassuring if these two could graduate and collaborate on research in a few years. After all, building massive experimental equipment requires engineers’ expertise.

She still hasn’t shown up. I guess I’ll have to search for her myself.

I headed to the College of Natural Sciences next.

“Ire, there you are.”

“…Reinhardt, no. Aidel.”

Ire Hazlen looked up at me, her head buried in her knees with just her eyes visible.

She had definitely been accepted to the Department of Physics rather than the Military Department. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she seemed out of place. Finding her huddled in a corner wasn’t surprising.

“You were hard to spot with your black hair and eyes, you know.”

“Sorry.”

“Or did you want to be alone?”

“No, it’s just…”

Ire’s voice trailed off as she stared at the stage, where Zelnya was delivering the welcome speech as student council president.

“…Therefore, we must always be considerate of others, respect them, and strive to become individuals equipped with humility, wisdom, and virtue.”

Her voice was strong and confident like a child giving a practiced speech.

The current Zelnya showed no trace of arrogance or negligence. Instead, her refined confidence radiated charisma and leadership.

“Ah…”

Ire exclaimed admiringly.

“This time, we might win.”

She smiled and pulled a textbook from her bag.

“I must do my best, too.”

“That’s the right attitude.”

The textbook Ire opened wasn’t overly complex. It favored narrative over formulas, making it accessible, with detailed illustrations to aid comprehension. Despite the surrounding noise, Ire began reading intently.

It was truly a delightful sight to behold. Simply watching was rewarding enough. I wondered if I would experience similar emotions when I had children of my own someday.

The entrance ceremony was drawing to a close. Until then, I observed my surroundings quietly, careful not to disturb Ire. My only duty was to assist freshmen with simple queries like directing them to the restrooms.

As the ceremony concluded, Ire stood up, clutching her major textbooks under her arm.

“Shall we do a quick assessment?”

“Assessment?”

“Yes, feedback. I’ll ask you some questions, and you can answer freely.”

“I don’t think I’m ready enough.”

“Come now. Who’s ever perfectly prepared? Everyone learns gradually by accepting feedback and making adjustments.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ire nodded.

“…Alright. I’ll give it a try.”

I asked the standard questions, covering fundamental concepts and asking her to explain formula meanings. Ire handled them competently without any major issues.

“You’ve made remarkable progress in such a short time.”

“Have I really?”

“While there’s still room for improvement quantity-wise, you’re definitely on the right track. Your grasp of basic mathematics is solid, too.”

I found it reassuring that the protagonist of ‘Surviving Outer Gods’ would be my junior in the physics department.

“To be honest, I still haven’t developed a genuine passion for it.”

Ire threw cold water on my thoughts.

“You don’t find it engaging?”

“It’s not that I dislike it entirely. It’s manageable when I’m doing it. But if you’re asking whether I find it incredibly exciting… I wouldn’t go that far.”

“So you’re doing it out of obligation.”

Ire responded with a blink.

“Ire, there’s something else I need to discuss.”

“About research?”

“No.”

I carefully steered the conversation in a different direction.

“Rustila has formed a contract with Virgo.”

A novel has taken possession of me, though it may seem sudden.

More specifically, I’ve become aware of “Surviving Outer Gods” – both a novel and a journal written by Ire, documenting the most crucial events across 880,000 cycles.

Naturally, there were countless events I hadn’t read about, meaning Ire’s knowledge of this world far exceeded my own.

“What do you know about Virgo’s complete form?”

We sat in the cafeteria adjacent to the College of Natural Sciences building. I carefully placed two cups of coffee and a shortcake on the table before posing my question to Ire.

“For instance, if the ‘constraints’ are not as tight…”

“I can’t claim to know everything. The previous user of Virgo’s complete form is dead. Despite countless regressions, I could never return to when she was alive.”

Ire took a sip of coffee and spread her fingers.

“But there are three certainties.”

“Which are?”

“First, Rustila will gain immense power. Second, she’ll become the Southern Commander. And third, the end is approaching faster than we realize.”

I nodded, comprehending her meaning.

“Is it because the Virgin Constellation counters Darwinian entities?”

This detail appeared in the original text. The Virgin Constellation holds a distinct advantage against Darwinian monsters and Incarnates, making it particularly effective against them.

A defining trait of Darwinian Incarnates is their compulsion to breed with any organic matter they encounter, humans included. Once caught, victims are completely helpless…

“They become pregnant.”

Cartesia’s statement was correct. This horrific fate befalls victims regardless of age or gender.

“By definition of a perfect being, they can conceive and give birth indefinitely. I once found their ecology fascinating and considered studying it. However, their violent nature ultimately deterred me.”

This personal revelation from Cartesia caught me off guard. It was unusual for her to share such personal anecdotes.

Slurp.

Ire took a long sip of coffee, her cheeks hollowing with the effort, before setting down her cup. She absently adjusted her hair as she continued speaking.

“The Darwin line has a notorious breeding fixation. However, the passive ‘Purity’ skill from the Virgo constellation nullifies all such attempts. That’s why even the previous generation’s holy virgins remained untouched despite their defeats. Ugh…”

“Are you alright?”

“…Sorry. Just thinking about the Darwin legion makes me feel sick.”

“I understand.”

She thumped her chest vigorously as I fell into contemplation.

While I comprehend that Virgo requires virginity as payment, I wondered: does this prohibit all forms of love? Even for a Constellation, such rigid standards seemed questionable.

My mind wandered, attempting to categorize and define different types of love and their criteria.

Hmm.

This isn’t getting me anywhere. It’s outside my area of expertise, and dwelling on it is giving me a headache.

Ire’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“You’re familiar with Merlin Whiritia, right?”

Merlin – the brilliant young woman destined to become a leading Outer God biologist.

“If you want to understand more about this, we need to help secure her a proper research environment. You know, Merlin’s genius in this field rivals your own.”

“That’s a fair assessment.”

Constellations and Outer Gods share similar manifestation patterns. The key difference lies in their origins: Constellations emerge from stars, while Outer Gods materialize from black holes.

If Merlin could develop a theoretical framework for analyzing constellation behavior, it might improve our current uncertain relationship. Furthermore, such research could help map constellation behavioral patterns, potentially making Outer Gods more manageable.

Of course, achieving this would first require securing Merlin’s mother’s release from prison.