Chapter 228

Chapter 228

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 228: From Cosmic Rascal To Graduate School (3)

The professor’s email instructed me to come to school immediately.

Initially, I wondered if he simply wanted to see my face, but that seemed unlikely. The urgency in the message and the specified location – the colloquium room, typically reserved for important presentations and meetings – suggested something far more serious.

An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach as I made my way to the fifth floor with Ire. Even before entering, I could hear agitated voices through the door.

“X78 and ZU3403 have vanished.”

“Eight cases reported so far.”

“All concentrated in the southern region.”

“What about the Ether Belt’s stability?”

The room was filled with an unlikely gathering: physics and astronomy professors, military generals, and government officials, all engaged in intense discussion.

As I began piecing together the situation, Professor Feynman rushed over to me, his face ashen.

“Black holes are disappearing en masse!”

“I overheard.”

“They’re vanishing in the southern direction – right where we are. As the Lord of the Reinhardt family, you need to be aware of this, Aidel.”

I surveyed the room, my gaze eventually meeting Ire’s. Her expression was grave as she spoke:

“…It has begun.”

The great invasion of the Darwin Legion was upon us.

“The timing is too early.”

“I believe it’s because of me. They sent a message declaring their intention to kill me.”

“What should we do now?”

Ire’s fist clenched tightly, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Though her face remained calm like a still lake, her trembling eyelids betrayed her true emotions.

This was trauma manifesting. She had endured countless forced retries, unable to prevent this disaster. She had watched her comrades die, sending them off with tears. Those memories must have been replaying like a cruel panorama.

“I’m not fully prepared yet…”

No matter how strong one’s mental fortitude, some situations will always shake you. Past failures make people shrink back – it’s human nature to tense up when facing a situation that has hurt you before.

“…Phew.”

It was heartbreaking to watch her struggle alone. She must have carried this burden by herself, suffering internally without anyone to truly rely on.

Though I wasn’t sure I had the right, I wanted to offer what comfort I could.

“It’s okay.”

“We’ve faced situations like this before. We’re better prepared now than we were then. We’ll get through this.”

“Ah…”

“You’re not alone anymore. Don’t be afraid – stay calm, and we can handle this without losing anyone.”

Ire’s head dropped, then she glanced up at me hesitantly. I responded with a reassuring smile.

“Wait here a moment.”

I left her side and moved forward through the crowd. S

“It’s Reinhardt…”

Someone pointed at me, and the chaotic atmosphere settled.

Threading through the gathering, I descended the stairs and approached a man in military uniform. He recognized me first, offering a crisp salute.

“Lord Reinhardt, I’m Alos Padremont, Deputy Minister of Defense for the Southern Region.”

“I’m Aidel, Professor Feynman’s student. Pleased to meet you.”

Padremont – a name I would hear often in future dealings with Outer Gods. If Reinhardt was prestigious in medicine, Padremont held equal standing in military matters.

The first name would be easier to remember than the surname. Alos… yes, I recalled now. Wasn’t he one of the early casualties in the Great Invasion?

Deputy Minister Alos chuckled.

“You are truly humble, Lord of the household. Introducing yourself as someone’s disciple rather than the head of Reinhardt.”

“I genuinely respect Professor Feynman. Being part of his lab is an honor I’m proud of.”

“Haha, is that so?”

We exchanged a firm handshake before Alos shifted to more pressing matters.

“I’ve heard you’re at the forefront of Outer God research, despite being an undergraduate. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?”

“Not at all.”

Deputy Minister Alos began inquiring about the current situation. Drawing from my possessed knowledge, I provided detailed answers. With each response, his expression grew increasingly grave.

“…Is there no way to stop it?”

“There is.”

“How?”

Rather than answering directly, I stepped onto the podium. The action alone was enough to command the attention of every professor in the room.

I activated the voice amplifier and spoke clearly:

“Everyone, please listen for a moment.”

A low, gentle voice caught Ire’s attention, causing her to turn.

“Hello, I am Aidel von Reinhardt. Professors, may I contribute to this discussion?”

“Of course.”

Unlike the passive government officials, the professors welcomed Aidel with unanimous enthusiasm.

“In my assessment, this situation is gravely serious. As you’re aware, changes in celestial bodies propagate information at light speed. Such information cannot simply vanish instantaneously.”

This was a phenomenon that defied established physics.

“The fact that we received information about the black hole’s disappearance instantaneously – faster than light speed – suggests something profound. In our macro universe, such an occurrence is only possible through the intervention of a higher-dimensional entity.”

“An Outer God?”

“Without question.”

Aidel continued without hesitation,

“Moreover, this entity is far more powerful than any we’ve previously encountered.”

“Could it be from the Darwin Legion?”

“It’s not merely possible – it’s certain. The vanished black holes share distinct characteristics: carbon compound spectral lines, enlarged bulges, and high electrical charges. These are hallmark signatures of the Darwin Legion.”

Aidel proceeded with his logical explanation, drawing upon knowledge he believed could only be acquired through regression, framing it within scientific parameters.

“I performed calculations en route. Using a simple model, I’ve discovered a linear relationship between the number of disappeared black holes and the timing of Outer God invasions.”

“Which means…”

“To be direct: with three black holes gone, the Tempest would arrive within a year. With six, within six months.”

“And now eight have vanished?”

“Then, taking a pessimistic view, we could face a major invasion within three months.”

Contrary to Ire’s expectations, the room didn’t erupt in chaos. Instead, the revelation seemed to have stunned everyone into silence.

Silence.

No. Everything was under control.

The situation was being managed through scientific understanding. Knowledge truly was power – the beacon that illuminated humanity’s path forward.

Thanks to Aidel von Reinhardt, a composed atmosphere prevailed. The professors, particularly those from the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Engineering, who knew Aidel well, reinforced this calm with their trusting gazes.

“We need to act promptly.”

“Indeed. Which is why I’ve decided not to patent my research on the ‘Trapping Device for Darwinian Outer Gods.’”

“Are you serious?”

The professors’ faces lit up with hope.

Though still in testing, the device has shown remarkable results. Three patients afflicted by the Darwin Legion had already been cured in clinical trials.

Aidel could have claimed the invention and amassed considerable wealth. Yet…

“Yes, please proceed with production without concern for me or the Reinhardt family.”

“But isn’t this premature for a threat that hasn’t materialized?”

“I conducted this research with this exact scenario in mind. One can’t patent something meant for a Constellation.”

Ire was taken aback.

The trapping device was primarily Aidel’s research. While she, Rustila, and Merlin had assisted, he had led and overseen the project. By rights, the patent should have been his.

To relinquish such merit so readily was like casting astronomical sums to the wind. Countless people across the galaxy suffered from Darwinian Outer Gods, including many on her frontier home planet…

“…Remarkable.”

Ire clasped her hands gently, rubbing the fist she had bumped with Aidel against her palm. Somehow, it felt warm.

This would work. It really would.

This was an unprecedented opportunity – one that might never come again.

“Thank you for your attention. That’s all.”

As Aidel stepped down from the podium, applause erupted. Feeling the warm ovation like flames against her skin, Ire smiled gracefully.

She moved.

One step.

The girl drew closer to the man.

Graduation Review Management System

Name: Aidel von Reinhardt

Status: Completed

You are eligible for graduation. Would you like to graduate? (Select ‘No’ to remain as completed)

I chuckled.

Having lost my virginity, it seemed only natural to graduate from school as well.

I touched ‘Yes’ on the screen.

Once you graduate, you cannot reverse it. Please choose carefully.

I understood perfectly.

From this point forward, every choice would be irreversible. Yet I’d accomplished so much already – transforming from a scoundrel into humanity’s supernova, finding wonderful wives, removing the troublesome Adelwein, and becoming Lord of the Reinhardt family.

Money, fame, family harmony – I’d secured it all sufficiently. Enough to create the Graviton Bomb. This was the culmination of all my efforts.

My actions had altered numerous futures: Zelnya survived, Rustila matured earlier, Merlin’s research accelerated, and the protagonist’s grim loop was broken.

Too much had changed. The knowledge from my previous possession had become obsolete, exactly as it should be. This was the true mark of a possessor’s success: breaking free from predetermined paths and forging new ones.

Changing the future truly was magnificent.

Each day, I pushed forward, absolutely certain of my chosen path.

And now, graduation day has arrived.

“Congratulations on graduating, son!”

“Well, Aidel, you’ve managed early graduation from college too.”

My mother’s congratulations were joined by my father, younger sister, wives, Sonia, Ire, the professors, and friends.

These were the people I had to protect.

I wouldn’t let the Outer Gods torment, deceive, or kill them. I would transform the notorious ‘Surviving Outer Gods’ into a story with a happy ending.

Throwing my graduation cap southward, I shouted:

“Ah, I want to become a professor!”

It had been a long journey.

The research on Graviton Bombs begins now.