The Constellation of Wisdom and Curiosity
Seti von Rheinland murmured to herself as she watched the news broadcast featuring Idel von Rheinland. Yeah, it really was a big deal in more ways than one. Waking up to find himself locked away on Alcatraz, flirting shamelessly with Rustilla, and somehow managing to write a research paper in the middle of it all. And now he was holding out inside a prison. No one else might see it, but I won't be fooled. Seti was certain. Idel had some kind of scheme going on.
With a sigh, Seti returned to the Constellation Shrine and clapped her hands together. The ritual of the shrine. At first glance it looked like a religious ceremony, but in truth it was the process of contracting with a Constellation and shaking off the lingering traces of Outer Deities. Through the ritual, Seti had grown far more adept at handling Ether. The only problem was that she still hadn't managed to contract with a Constellation.
If a Constellation didn't descend, there was no point in leaving this place—she'd only end up getting attacked by an Outer Deity again.
“Huu...”
Seti scratched her shoulder and relaxed her posture. How annoying. That was when it happened.
“Hello?”
A voice came from behind her.
“Looks like you've been having quite a rough time.”
The tone was so similar that at first she thought it was her mother. The corners of Seti's lips, which had risen slightly, fell back down. It was someone she'd never seen before.
“Who are you?”
“Calis Stranoff. I work at Iryuel University.”
“Are you a professor?”
“...You know about that?”
Seti let out a small laugh. “My brother keeps singing ‘professor this, professor that’ every chance he gets.”
“Then this will go quickly.”
Without hesitation, Calis explained everything she'd experienced in as much detail as possible. When she heard about how her brother's paper had been scooped, Seti's expression was priceless.
At first he was so dismissive.
It hadn't even been a full year. Idel had been savage and stupid. Yet somehow he'd become so brilliant that she couldn't even catch up. And he'd grown kind, too. She knew an Outer Deity had latched onto him. Maybe that thing had created some strange synergy with him?
Seti shook her head. That was just speculation. Once an Outer Deity took hold, a person's mind was destroyed without exception. Anyway, Seti put on a deliberately apologetic face toward Calis.
“I'm sorry, but there's not much I can tell you. Even I have no idea what that guy Idel is thinking most of the time.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
Calis clicked her tongue. Fifteen short video clips sent by the government. She'd seen them. Idel behaving like a man possessed. Whether those clips were fabricated or not didn't matter. What mattered was the paper Idel had published.
Calis looked at Seti and said, “Your brother is a genius.”
“I know.”
“The papers he publishes from now on might change the world. He could announce groundbreaking research capable of defeating the Outer Deities. If that happens, he'll become a hero who surpasses even the first Sword Saint.”
“Come on. No matter how you look at it, how can you compare the first Sword Saint with Idel? That person saved the entire universe.”
“I'm being serious.”
Seti fell silent. Calis's face had grown rather stiff. An aura like crashing waves rolled off her—the presence of a true professor.
“I didn't come here today to ask for your help. That would be too shameful for an adult, wouldn't it?”
“Then...?”
“It's the opposite. I'm here to give you help.”
Calis had done a rough investigation before coming. Why Idel was in prison, why Seti was in a place like this—she knew it all.
“It seems you need to answer the call of a Constellation.”
“Yes.”
“Good. In that case, I'll help you.”
In this era where Constellations could be understood through science, the physics department had a subfield that connected plasma physics, nuclear physics, Constellations, and Ether. Although Calis, who researched gravity clamps, wasn't an expert in that area, she was quite familiar with methods for easily accepting a Constellation into one's body.
Using her specialized knowledge, Calis taught Seti an Ether resonance technique for binding a Constellation. The result was a success.
Constellation ‘God of Wealth and Investment’ descends upon you.
A sensation as if something was rising through her mind. It felt like electrons inside her brain were moving in a fixed pattern, gently tapping against her optic nerves. Perhaps that was what created this hallucination.
“......Hello.”
The ‘God of Wealth and Investment’ blushes.
“What a shy Constellation.”
Seti giggled. She'd initially imagined something elegant and refined, but it seemed every Constellation had its own personality. Still, how did the name end up being...
God of Wealth and Investment. It sounded like the nickname of some legendary fund manager. Seti tilted her head. Then, as she rolled her eyes, the status window scrolled downward like a game shop interface.
Coins Are Assets
Credits and coins can be exchanged, though a transaction fee will apply. You can earn coins through various events or actions that positively impact the world. Use them to grow your capital or enhance your personal stats.
🎁 Current Coins: 5000C
🎁 Exchange Rate: 1C = 1000CD
“One coin equals a thousand credits, huh.”
She'd never heard about anything like this from Rustilla. It seemed to be a feature granted only to her.
Exchanging large amounts of coins for credits will lower the market price of credits. Conversely—
“Ah, I know. I get the basics.”
Seti skipped past the following boring economic explanations as fast as she could. Thinking of coins as virtual currency didn't make much difference. The only distinction was that, as long as the Constellation didn't die, it was a safe virtual currency that would never be delisted.
Your Constellation enjoys lending things to others and receiving compensation in return—in other words, it likes to invest. Therefore, you can invest coins in other individuals' Constellations.
“Oh.”
Seti's eyes widened. She had always enjoyed investing in things to generate profit. This seemed like it could be fun.
Depending on the reputation and ability of the person you invest in, your coins may multiply—or you may lose them instead. However, in the case of Donation, the coins are lost, but in return the Constellation that receives the donation will form a friendly relationship with you.
“What’s good about having a friendly relationship?”
You can share or acquire abilities that only those who have received dividends from that Constellation can possess. This forms a one-sided Bond skill and establishes a contract.
Hmm, complicated. After fiddling with it for another ten minutes or so, Seti packed her things to return home. She also gave her thanks to the priest of the Starlight Order who had looked after her, and carefully checked the stigmata that had been engraved on her.
Calis nodded and said, “It appeared on your shoulder. You're on the milder side.”
Seti decided not to ask too deeply about it. After returning home, she held a modest welcome-back party with her personal android, Bella. They ordered chicken, bulgogi, and the like, eating their fill—
“Hic, ugh.”
She cried.
“......Are you okay?”
“Hic, it’s so gooood......”
“What a strange child......”
She finished her sweet meal with money she had earned herself. Seti opened the door to her room and dove onto the bed. She lay there face-down, enjoying the elegant silence for several minutes.
Really. The ship was as quiet as a grave.
“......”
This time, silent tears finally fell.
That was when her phone began to vibrate. The sender was her third-oldest brother.
“Ha, this, this bastard...!”
Tap.
After sending that single character, she lay down properly on the bed. Rubbing her eyes, Seti stared blankly for a moment before sitting up.
Come to think of it, there were Constellations I could sponsor.
Just as she expected. Father, mother, oldest brother, second brother. Rustilla, a few classmates, school teachers, and even Professor Calis Stranoff whom she'd met today. Anyone she'd ever exchanged greetings with could be sponsored.
Seti scrolled down the list out of curiosity. She wanted to see how many people she knew had contracted with Constellations. Then—
She stopped.
“...Huh?”
Idel von Rheinland : God of Wisdom and Curiosity
“This guy... had a Constellation?”
Without thinking, Seti pressed the status window. The touchscreen-like interface popped up a new window.
Level insufficient. Additional information cannot be viewed.
This Constellation is available for sponsorship.
Would you like to sponsor? (Y/N)
This was the moment to think. Whether it was a starter pack or not, she currently had five thousand coins. Investing all of them when she didn't even know what they could be used for would be reckless. Moreover, she had no idea what level Idel's Constellation was or what abilities it possessed.
But two things were certain.
First. Thanks to this Constellation, Idel was able to remain completely sane even under the mental attacks of an Outer Deity. Second. This is what suddenly made his head so smart.
It was a rather plausible deduction. After all, wasn't the Constellation's name the God of Wisdom and Curiosity? It perfectly matched what her brother was doing right now.
If this Constellation lends even a little of its power, couldn't it completely erase Idel's madness? Besides, they say the Outer Deity already fled from Alcatraz anyway.
If it were a long-term investment she might hesitate, but for a short-term one...
“......”
In truth, she knew. She understood better than anyone that you shouldn't make investments based on emotion. How many retail investors had been ruined by getting swept up in fluctuating graphs?
Therefore—
—Little sister.
—You got out of the shrine?
—Take care of yourself.
This wasn't the kind of thing you ‘invested’ in.
2000 coins have been donated to the ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity.’
After all, wasn't that too much of a waste to use as an investment?