Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Strange Research Society (3)
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“My major is computational physics. Considering the scale, speed, and form of the space, that phenomenon could never occur unless it was in the universe. The numbers are just too large to be replicated on the continent.”
“But how could I have a dream like that? If it’s some kind of psychological regression, that would mean it’s my memory, but I’ve never been to space.”
“That’s probably true, but memories can exist even without having gone to space. And this is where Nade’s expertise comes in.”
The moment he heard Iruki’s words, a thought suddenly surfaced in Shirone’s mind.
“Extrasensory perception…”
Nade nodded.
“Right. In the soul electrolysis experiment, the death row inmate knew the political situations of various countries that occurred over a month while he was unconscious. How is that possible? Is the soul like a pigeon that flies around and listens to stories? Of course, that’s a possibility, but I think that’s too anthropocentric. Eyes and ears are biological organs with a clear developmental origin. A soul wouldn't have such things. The soul is likely a substance with unique properties. When it was electrically decomposed, a strange reaction occurred. It might have combined with other information, or perhaps it flew at high speeds, transcending space and time.”
Iruki also agreed with Nade.
“An electron cannot be observed and measured simultaneously. It’s like not being able to pinpoint the position of a guitar string when it’s plucked. It only exists as a probability within the range of its vibration. This is called quantization. If the soul were ionized, it wouldn’t matter even if it was in the universe. Because it’s a world where the correlation between time and distance has collapsed.”
Shirone slowly nodded. Nothing had been resolved yet, but as they presented their own logic and evidence, he felt his fear begin to subside.
“Hmm. I think I’m starting to get it now. Thanks a lot. Just what I’d expect from members of the Paranormal Research Society, huh?”
“Haha! You shouldn’t be surprised by just this. Anyway, don’t worry too much. It’s not like you’re cursed. It seems to be related to the Immortal Function, so let’s investigate that aspect from now on.”
Shirone nodded, having made up his mind.
“Alright! I’m going to join the Paranormal Research Society too.”
Nade had no reason to refuse. Above all, if Shirone joined, they would have three members. They would be registered as an official society, and the funding that was cut off a year ago would resume.
“We’d welcome you anytime. Iruki, you agree, right?”
“Hmm. For the society’s vision, Shirone is certainly a good recruit. But will the administration approve? It’s so notorious that many teachers will probably oppose it.”
“Leave that to me. I just need to sneak the paperwork in without the teachers noticing. Come on, let’s go right now!”
As if he couldn’t wait another moment, Nade left the lab, and Shirone followed behind Iruki with a smile. Then, just before closing the door, he looked around the lab. It was no better than a warehouse and covered in dust, but thinking of it as his society from now on gave it a certain charm.
“Still, we’ll have to clean it.”
Shirone closed the door and turned off the light from outside. In the dark, silent room, not a single presence could be felt. The dust on the sofa was quietly swirling around the spot where Shirone had been sitting.
Overflow (1)
The atmosphere in the faculty office was unusually bustling.
Usually, teachers who had finished their classes would drink tea or chat while waiting for their next period, but now, all of them were working together to sort documents.
The task of sorting dozens of club application forms one by one, recording them in a report, and then passing them to the relevant department was more time-consuming than expected.
Shina, who had just returned after finishing her class, went to the pile of documents on the large desk without a word of complaint.
“Oh my. Are these all club applications? We're getting a lot this week.”
“Haha. It’s the end of the semester. It’s always like this around this time.”
When the semester ends and the break begins, students have to submit a thesis on a topic of their choice by the next semester.
However, since this performance evaluation could be replaced by a society’s presentation, it was a recent trend for even students without a society to temporarily join one at the end of the semester.
Thadd, who was helping with the work, said.
“The kids are just getting sneakier. It wasn’t like this in the past. There was passion for both the societies and the performance evaluations. Kids these days seem to only care about efficiency.”
“Haha! Things are different now. The competition has gotten fiercer compared to ten years ago, and the kids must be under a lot of stress in their own way. The reason they create temporary societies is to make time for personal study.”
“That may be true, but aren’t they too obsessed with results? There’s such a thing as the romance of school days, you know.”
The teacher, seemingly agreeing with Thadd, just gave a bitter smile. As he gathered the documents to take them to the relevant department, Shina noticed a paper that had fallen under the desk.
“One was missed here.”
“Oh? When did this get here? Looks like someone left it during class.”
“Hehe. They must have been in quite a hurry.”
Shina looked at the paper, wondering which student was trying to pull a fast one. When she checked the name, she couldn’t believe her eyes and adjusted her glasses.
“This… it says Shirone, right?”
The teacher peeked over to check.
“So it is. Shirone of the Arian family. I thought he wasn’t interested in any societies. Then again, with all the students trying to find loopholes, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
Thadd snatched the application and frowned as he looked at it.
“I don’t think that’s it. This society is pretty famous, isn’t it?”
“Let me see that again.”
Shina took the application from Thadd and looked at the society Shirone had joined.
It was indeed a famous place.
‘Paranormal Research Society.’
The name was like a bolt from the blue.
Thinking about how she had fought with graduates from this society every year since her appointment as a teacher made her head throb even now.
‘Huh? Come to think of it…’
Hadn’t most of the troublemakers from the Paranormal Research Society graduated last year? She vaguely recalled hearing that their funding had even been cut due to a lack of members.
The teacher smiled and said.
“Come to think of it, I heard Iruki is also a member of this society. Perhaps they hit it off?”
Thadd let out a hollow laugh.
“I heard they were amazing during the targeting exam. But it seems they get along surprisingly well. They don’t seem like the type to match.”
Shina said, her expression showing a throbbing headache.
“Yes. That’s the problem.”
If Iruki, whose talent was on par with Shirone’s, had coaxed him, even the stubborn Shirone might have been swayed.
But Iruki, of all people.
Wasn’t he the biggest troublemaker in school? Even though they were both geniuses, the paths Shirone and Iruki pursued were polar opposites.
They could help each other grow, but it was also a situation where one could devour the other, or they could clash and destroy each other. If that happened, it would be a huge loss for the school as well.
‘This might be for the best. Let’s cut this chain of ill fate here.’
Shina opened the file and first checked who the president of the Paranormal Research Society was.
As expected, it was Nade.
The society to which the two people said to be closest to Shirone recently belonged.
At this point, she felt she understood why Shirone, who had always stayed away from societies, had joined.
‘Nade’s faculty advisor is…’
Shina went through the list of teachers’ names, looking for the advisor. The moment she confirmed the name, she sighed and touched her forehead.
‘Haa. Of all people…’
* * *
The training hall, located on the outskirts of the magic academy.
Etella was sitting cross-legged, deep in meditation.
The Karsis Monastery she belonged to was the kingdom’s greatest, with over a thousand monk apprentices. Every year, hundreds of children came holding their parents’ hands, but only a select few were recognized for their talent and became monks.
Among those children, Etella was a unique existence.
She who had surpassed numerous high nobles and even royalty to become the youngest Bishop.
The position of bishop is not one that can be attained simply through skill. The reason Etella caught the eye of the elders was that they discovered her innate nature as a seeker of truth.
To be the light and salt of the world.
Having vowed to live her entire life with this mindset, Etella turned her back on wealth and fame and took up a teaching position at Alpheas Magic Academy.
‘Thank you. For allowing me to safely finish another day of teaching.’
That is why Etella is different from other teachers. First of all, she hailed from a monastery, not a school of magic or the Magic Association.
While a mage views the world critically, a monk seeks to embrace the world whole, without analyzing it.
Infinite gratitude for the nature that allowed her existence, and a sense of mission to share that feeling with others—this was all that constituted her.
Etella slowly opened her eyes. A strange light glinted in her pupils, which seemed to pierce through the empty air.
Through the Spirit Zone, she could sense a woman approaching this place. The approach of a single woman was felt through the Spirit Zone.
With a normal Spirit Zone, it’s difficult to even identify the target’s gender. But she was a Joner, an authority on the Spirit Zone, and her detection abilities were on a higher level than other mages.
If a normal Spirit Zone could be compared to air, a Joner’s Spirit Zone could be called a liquid. The density of the medium was that much higher, allowing for a much clearer sense of synesthesia.
Etella stood up from her spot and waited for her guest. After a while, Shina opened the door and entered, and Etella greeted her with a smile.
“Welcome, Ms. Shina.”
Shina was not surprised that Etella was already waiting. She was well aware of how remarkably clear the Spirit Zone wielded by a Joner was.
“You were training. Did I interrupt?”
“Not at all. I was just about to finish. Please, come in.”
“Then I’ll come in.”
It was rare for Shina to visit the training hall. Thinking the conversation might be a long one, Etella warmed some tea.
Although a cushion was laid out, sitting on the wooden floor was an unfamiliar experience for Shina. Nevertheless, she knelt politely and respectfully accepted the tea Etella offered.
She had heard that it was monastery etiquette to refrain from conversation while drinking the first cup, so Shina said nothing until she had finished the slightly bitter tea.
Even though it was summer and the days were long, a deep golden sunset was already settling in. Wanting to start the conversation before it got dark, Shina emptied her teacup a little more quickly.
As if being considerate, Etella was the first to speak.
“For you to come all this way, it must not be a trivial matter.”
“Yes. I have something to discuss with you.”
“I see. What is it?”
“You’re Nade’s advisor, aren’t you, Ms. Etella?”
“Yes. He’s a bright and kind student. His grades are in the upper-middle range, but he has plenty of talent. He gets along well with the other children, too.”
“Are you also aware that he is the president of the Paranormal Research Society?”
“Of course. Did Nade do something wrong?”
Shina straightened her upper body, as if to show her firm stance.
“I intend to disband the society for which he is president. I came here because I thought it was proper to ask for the advisor’s understanding beforehand.”
Etella smiled gently and savored her tea. After being lost in thought for a long while, she opened her mouth.
“If it is your will, Ms. Shina, it must surely be for the sake of the students. But this time, I would like to hear the reason.”
“The Paranormal Research Society has always been plagued with incidents. It was a notorious society even before I was appointed. Of course, it also had accomplishments to match, which is why the school left it alone, but the situation has changed now. Looking through the records, I found they haven’t held a single official presentation in three years. On the contrary, they’ve only been involved in activities that deserve disciplinary action.”
“But as you said, Ms. Shina, isn’t that all in the past? The students active now are Nade, Iruki, and Shirone. The key is what those children, who are not inferior to Class Four, will do. Couldn’t you watch over them a little longer? Besides, the Paranormal Research Society is a society with quite a bit of tradition at Alpheas Magic Academy. I believe the head of the Magic Association, Mr. Gaold, was also a member.”