Chapter 6. Friendship and Relationships (5)
Chapter 6. Friendship and Relationships (5)
Not every novel was like that, but in the case of [Weakest Hunter], readers had speculated that the incidents were all connected in ways both seen and unseen.
Unfortunately, I had come to this world without finishing the ending, so I could only follow those readers' theories to a certain extent myself.
There were those who believed Gates were the power of God, and beings who had reached a certain level knew how to create those Gates.
The reason they connected worlds was because they believed it was God's revelation. Since creating Gates was God's power, they believed they were entitled to take whatever lay beyond those Gates as well.
I didn't know exactly what kind of people that organization was, but judging by the words of the villain who appeared around the time the Saintess episode began, that was the gist of it.
"......."
Hm.
"Why, is something bothering you?"
"Well, you see."
Ria asked as she watched me sweeping, lost in thought, and I hesitated for a moment.
Should I tell her?
But the hesitation didn't last long.
Honestly, I didn't like the being that had sent me to this world.
However, I felt like I understood that the being truly wanted to save people. Seeing my power grow stronger every time it was used to save others, I couldn't help but think that was the path that being was presenting to me.
Anyway.
It was already too late to back out, and from the moment I'd dipped my feet in, I'd decided to produce the best possible outcome somehow, so I spoke.
"It seems like someone's going to break into the National Research Institute."
"Ah~ I see. A break-in at the National Research Institute."
The two of us kept sweeping the floor for a few more seconds after that. Winter had clearly passed and spring had arrived, yet strangely, fallen leaves still rolled across the ground from time to time. Maybe there were leaves that hadn't managed to fall during the winter?
"No, wait."
Ria stopped sweeping and spoke.
"A break-in at the National Research Institute?"
"Yes."
"You mean that place? The one that does Gate Research?"
If you just said "National Research Institute," there were an enormous number of them. It was almost like saying "National University."
But when Hunters said "National Research Institute," there was really only one. The National Multidimensional Research Institute. The place that studied Gates themselves and the worlds beyond them.
The National Multidimensional, the Multidimensional Research Institute, the Dimensional Research Institute, or just the Research Institute or National Research Institute. The reason Hunters could just say "the Research Institute" and be understood was because this was the place that bought up all kinds of materials from individual Hunters and the Association alike.
If any organization other than the Association managed Gates, that managing body was naturally the Multidimensional Research Institute.
"A break-in at a place like that?"
"Yes."
Ria smacked her forehead with her hand, then dragged it down over her face.
"Where on earth did that information come from? You and I have been together almost constantly. ......No, never mind. I think I get it."
Thankfully, Ria seemed to understand right away without me having to explain the reason at length.
"No, why didn't you mention important information like that earlier?"
"......I was going to tell you. It's just that telling you before now wouldn't have meant anything."
I answered Ria's words a little defensively.
Before now, if I'd told her, she would have just gotten caught up in the incident. In the original, by the time they went looking, the research building was already blazing.
......It was an incident worthy of being called the "first incident" in the original.
"What do you mean, it wouldn't have meant anything?"
"Honestly, I don't know all that precisely either. I haven't seen the entire future."
This much, at least, I could say with my chest out and a clear conscience.
"......."
Ria fell quiet for a moment at that.
Somehow, the look in her eyes as she looked at me seemed like she was looking at something pitiful.
Well, better than envy, I suppose.
"So, Ria, do you happen to know anyone there?"
I took a few steps toward Ria and spoke, looking up at her slightly.
I didn't deliberately put on a pitiful expression, but for what it's worth, my eyes are quite bright and sparkling. Not quite to the level of that boot-wearing cat I once saw in an animation, but I already knew it had an effect on Ria.
Well, it was a little embarrassing to do it consciously, but it was still less provocative than Ria, who was always grabbing my hands at every opportunity.
"Ah, fine. Fine. I do know someone, so back off a little."
I stepped back one pace.
"But...... even so, they won't just let us in right away. It's a government institution, you know? Right now, we belong to the Church. ......If you're asking me to find a way, it's not like there isn't one."
The method was simple enough. Write a letter to someone with external influence, someone close to both the Church and the government, asking for help.
And for Ria, that person was her father.
But Ria had fought with her father and come here. She'd practically been forced into coming here, so writing a letter to her father in this situation probably wouldn't sit well with her.
"You don't need to worry about that. I just need a connection. It only has to be someone who'll listen to what I have to say."
"Do you have some kind of plan?"
"If you mean a plan that only I can pull off, then yes."
To be honest, it was a plan I wasn't particularly thrilled about.
Still, if it would be effective.
*
Religion and science were generally at odds.
It wasn't that there were no religious people among scientists, but even so, the majority of scientists used scientific methodology when making claims.
Scientists kept trying to prove the truths of the world scientifically, and some religious people didn't much like that. Because those truths kept getting mixed with things that encroached on established religious common sense.
The theory of evolution, the Big Bang theory, cosmic background radiation, other galaxies. Molecular biology. The possibility of life beyond Earth. Weren't these things that seemed somewhat off from a human-centered way of thinking?
It was the same in this world. If some scientist in this world suddenly said, "Let's give God a scientific name," religious people would foam at the mouth.
The only reason they hadn't been able to say anything when I'd said that before was because I was someone who truly drew upon that being's power.
On top of that, the complicated political relationship and vested interests between the government and the Church were entangled, so in fact, cooperation between the Church and the national research institutes was rare.
"Welcome, Sister Anna. It's all right if I call you that, isn't it?"
"Yes, since that's the only name I have anyway."
I bowed my head toward the female professor who was welcoming us as I answered. She was said to be about twenty years older than us, but she didn't look particularly old. She did have dark circles under her eyes, but her skin was quite fair.
.......
Ah, not fair—more like pale? She gave off the impression of someone who hadn't seen sunlight in a long while.
"It's an honor to have you here. Now, first, please come this way. It may be called a research institute, but it's fully equipped to receive guests."
Well, that was because important people came by often.
Although important people supposedly came by often, most of the things in the reception room weren't particularly luxurious.
Just snacks that looked like they could be sold at a convenience store and...... uh, canned goods, cup noodles, dozens of boxes of coffee mix, and for some reason a refrigerator stuffed full of large cans of coffee and energy drinks.
.......
Hang in there, grad students.
"First of all......"
As soon as we sat down, the professor's eyes lit up. She'd apparently already been tipped off by Ria.
Seeing her eyes flash, having forgotten even to introduce herself, I smiled wryly and took a small bundle from my bosom.
As I slowly unwrapped the bundle, which was wrapped in several layers of dark-colored handkerchiefs, a white light gradually began to show through them.
"Ooh......!?"
As if the light exceeded her expectations, the professor shot up from her seat in surprise.
As you could tell from the existence of Holy Power, Saintesses, and Saints, this world naturally had Sacred Objects as well.
Beings that had been exposed to enormous levels of Holy Power and had come to manifest Holy Power through their very substance. It could be a sword someone had wielded, clothes someone had worn, or even a part of someone's body. This wasn't much different from established religions.
Or, it could be a little rock like that one.
"......."
Watching the professor cradle it in both hands as if it were some kind of treasure, I smiled bitterly. When I turned my head, Ria's expression was one of utter disbelief.
She was making that face even though she'd seen me create it with her own eyes.
......And this wasn't even the first time she'd seen such a thing.
Wasn't that right? I had made Holy Power Crystals and given them to Ria before. Twice. Ria herself didn't seem to feel the change yet, but as someone who suspected that was what had triggered Lee Si-yoon's Awakening in the original, I found it a little amusing that Ria was making that face now.
"So...... would it be all right if we toured the research building?"
"Of course! Of course!"
At my words, the professor answered joyfully, as if she still hadn't remembered that she hadn't actually told us her name.
Was being able to scientifically study a Sacred Object really that exciting?
Well, I supposed that was what made her a scientist.
I looked at Ria and shrugged.
Ria, for her part, was just dragging her hand down over her face.
......Why?
I tilted my head, but no answer came back from Ria.