The Caliper from the Void
Rustilla (4) “…So, how was it?”
“Yeah. He was a good person.”
Seti’s mouth fell open. “Even after seeing him like that earlier?”
“He probably couldn’t help it. Seti, you have to understand.” Rustilla defended Eidel. Seti couldn’t believe it. For the past ten years, that Eidel had only caused trouble, and now, for the first time, someone was giving him a good evaluation.
“I saw it clearly with my mind’s eye. He might not look it on the outside, but Eidel is a good person. Yeah, and a pitiful kid, too. So instead of getting angry, we should help him.”
Seti clutched her forehead and sank into her seat. “…He didn’t do anything weird to you, did he? Like insult you or sexually harass you!”
“Not at all.”
“Fine. That’s enough….” It didn’t seem like she was lying. Seti called Sonia separately to cross-check Rustilla’s statements. Even Sonia had nothing unusual to report. Doubts lingered, but contradictory testimonies began to surface. Seti popped the last piece of dessert into her mouth and thought, ‘I’m missing something.’
Memories of the past crept up. The times Eidel had said cruel things to her. The times she had been beaten senseless. The fights. The nights she had cried herself to sleep under the covers. Every single memory was awful. Those memories clashed with Rustilla’s words and began to crumble. It was confusing. A fundamentally good person? ‘…What nonsense!’
She still couldn’t believe it. Outwardly, she accepted Rustilla’s words, but inwardly she sharpened her blade. Even with her mind’s eye, there had to be something she was missing. If not… ‘Then what was all the treatment I received?’ It was unfair. That was why she didn’t want to accept it. A person’s nature doesn’t change. Eidel had to remain a troublemaker, a piece of trash, forever.
“Lady Rustilla, it’s time for you to return.” Jermel, who had been in the guest room, approached and pointed at his watch. Rustilla’s eyes, which had been soft while chatting and studying with Seti, instantly froze over.
“Can’t I stay a little longer?”
“The head of the house instructed us to keep to the curfew. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be in serious trouble.”
“…Understood.”
Rustilla packed her things. She also gathered the wooden practice swords she had swung countless times. It was time to return to her family. Seti personally escorted her to the dock. Four androids boarded the ship first, followed by Jermel. Rustilla kept glancing back as she walked. Their eyes met again and again. Her face was sorrowful. Seti gently waved her hand. Eventually—
KUUUUUNG—!!
The platinum-coated ion engine roared to life with a magnificent sound. A hot wind surged upward. Seti watched bitterly as Rustilla returned home, continuing to stare long after the spaceship had disappeared into the distance.
“……Sonia.”
After a moment of silence, Seti asked, “That piece of trash caused trouble. Won’t those androids go back and report everything?”
“Do not worry. I have already spoken with them.”
“Honestly, he’s a disgrace to the family….” Seti let out a deep sigh. Her footsteps were heavy as she headed toward the hospital room where Eidel was staying.
“Hey.” Seti entered without permission. Eidel happened to be looking at a problem book. A sigh escaped her lips. “Still studying for the entrance exam?”
Eidel, his head and both forearms wrapped in bandages, turned around. He frowned slightly, as if displeased by her sudden appearance. “What are you doing here?”
“Ha! What am I doing here?” She was incredulous. “After causing all that trouble, you don’t know why I came?”
“I talked things out with Rustilla.”
“Talked? What kind of talk?”
“About why I caused that scene.”
“You probably threatened her, huh?” Rustilla had denied it, but Seti wanted to believe that. Rustilla was kind, and Eidel was vicious. She thought it was entirely possible.
“I can assure you, there was no threat.”
“If there’s even a shred of circumstantial evidence, you’re a dead man to Father.”
“That’s why I’m studying like this.”
“How long are you going to keep up this act?”
“If you don’t believe me, want to check?”
“Why would I look at answers with no solutions written?”
“Fair point.”
“……?”
Seti had entered the hospital room prepared to tear into Eidel. After witnessing his rampage in front of the androids, she had expected the same treatment. But Eidel was strangely calm. Seti was quite taken aback. ‘Split personality or something…?’
Even now, Eidel yawned and flipped a page. He seemed to be solving problems by eye. “Go die, you idiot.”
Seti spat out the harsh words and left the room. From beyond the door came only encouragement—Study hard!
After Rustilla’s visit to the Rheinland family and her departure, I returned to my starting point and continued studying. Solving problems, over and over, until I felt nauseous. And today was the day I would receive the results.
Thud.
The moment I closed the final problem book, a clear bell rang and a translucent window appeared.
— Time Remaining: 112 hours 08 minutes 45 seconds
— First quest completed.
— ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ states that your abilities and academic enthusiasm are barely passing.
It really took a long time.
— You have acquired additional Fron equal to the remaining time.
— Additional Fron: 1120
“Phew.” A sigh escaped me. Receiving Fron as a reward was fine. The important thing was that I hadn’t failed the quest. This would give me some breathing room for a while.
— ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ grants you a quest reward!
Whoosh. A chilling wind blew. I turned around at the eerie sensation. In the middle of the room, an incomprehensible mass of cracks appeared. It rippled as if dancing. The next moment, pale, skeletal hands—like those of a corpse—tore through the cracks and emerged.
“Ha.” I nearly fell backward in shock. So this was how they delivered the reward. The pale hands were holding an object. It looked like a sword, yet also like a tool. Whatever it was, it radiated an ominous aura.
“Take it, human.”
“As promised.”
— Receive the reward ‘Special Gift for the Foolish Human :)’
Without hesitation, I accepted the object. The next moment—
Grab—!
The white hands that had been holding the item seized my wrist and pulled. I didn’t even have time to scream. I was sucked into the pitch-black crack. The sensation of my body stretching like taffy.
Thud!
Before I knew it, I was trapped in a pitch-dark space with no light. “…Ha.” I knew it. There was no way an Outer God would give a reward for free. Outer Gods were like the “monkey’s paw” from horror novels. They always demanded a price for every reward. They never let anything slide.
“If you have something to say, say it in the real world. What is this?”
— Cartesia commands: Walk.
Yeah. What could I do? If I wanted to return to where I was, I had no choice but to move forward. So I began walking endlessly. I wasn’t even sure if I was actually advancing or just on a treadmill. The more I walked, the more vividly her voice echoed.
— Cartesia asks: Do you know where this is?
I didn’t.
— Cartesia asks: Can you determine your location?
Impossible. It was a space of complete nothingness. Though my legs moved, I had no certainty that I was moving forward. In this darkness, in this formless space, nothing could be measured physically.
— Cartesia asks: Are you afraid?
— If you are afraid, what exactly frightens you?
Well, if I was afraid, then I was afraid. Outer Gods were incomprehensible beings. In other words, ignorance was terrifying. More than the fact that they were powerful, not knowing exactly who they were was what scared me. So I had to start by figuring out what I knew.
First, me. I existed. Eerily enough, I was still breathing even in this space. I could tell I was facing “forward.” I could also tell there was something “above” me. Front, back, up, down—at least four directions could be identified. So let’s make this the origin point.
— Cartesia asks: Can you define left and right, and measurement?
“Haha.” That was too much to ask right now. Just keeping my sanity intact was already at its limit.
— Cartesia nods. At the same time, she expresses admiration for your composure.
— Cartesia asks—
Whoosh! Wind rushed into the empty space like a storm. My body was pulled forward.
— Cartesia asks: Will you go to graduate school again?
I answered without hesitation. Of course.
— Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times?
Of course.
— For what purpose?
“To drive you Outer Gods out of this universe.”
— There seems to be another reason?
“Because I want to understand this world.” That was closer to my true feelings. Whether on Earth or in this world, my dream was still to become a professor. Even if we won the war against the Outer Gods, I wouldn’t mind continuing my research. “Hey, you sent me here, didn’t you?”
— Cartesia smiles. Who knows?
“It won’t go the way you want.”
— Cartesia scoffs.
— Alert: Stress levels have exceeded system limits. Converting accumulated values into Fron.
— PN value obtained from ‘Void’: 100000000
— Current stored Fron cannot be handled!
— Embodiment forcibly initiated!
The object in my hand suddenly glowed. A heat that felt like it would burn my hand. I gripped it tighter instead of letting go. My instincts told me I mustn’t drop it.
— 100000000 PN has been offered as a price! Your first reward is granted here.
Flash—!!
The world flickered brightly. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised a hand to shield them. As the light gradually faded and I returned to my original room, the unidentified object given by the Outer God began to take shape.
“……?”
Coincidentally, it was something I knew very well.
“……A caliper?”