Chapter 121. Back to Korea.
Chapter 121. Back to Korea.
"Now that it's come to this, we don't even have a way to continue our research..."
The director and his team all wore expressions of regret at the thought of not being able to carry on with their work.
'Hm... should I ask now?'
While they were lost in dejection, I asked them what they planned to do from here on out.
"Well... from what you've told us, the situation isn't exactly promising..."
"Then do you intend to join one of the American survivor camps?"
"Haah, I suppose we'll have to... I had been hoping to study the mechanism behind the Awakened..."
Come to think of it, if all of humanity had undergone the Awakening, that meant these people were Awakened too...
"Now that you mention it, Director, have you ever used your Awakening abilities?"
"Opinions may differ depending on who's listening, but we have never used them. More precisely, we chose not to."
"Why is that?"
"As a rule, we don't utilize something that comes from the unknown. We're only comfortable using it once the underlying principles are clearly understood."
"..."
"Heh heh, does that strike you as being too rigid? Of course, this applies only to us—other scientists will likely be different—so I hope you won't jump to any hasty conclusions."
Should I tell them about the Awakened? Honestly, I wanted to get them to move into our village. If I baited them with talk of the Awakened, they'd come of their own accord...
"Once humanity invents a cure for the zombie virus and society is rebuilt, there will be another chance to continue our research. Though, of course, there's no telling when that might be..."
A self-deprecating smile crossed his face as he said it. It seemed even he didn't think it would happen anytime soon.
"What do you say to coming to our village? We'll support your research as well."
At the offer of research support, their eyes began to sparkle. Seeing that, they were indeed researchers through and through.
But soon the gleam in their eyes cooled a little. They seemed to be thinking, how much support could a mere survivor group—not even a nation—possibly provide?
"In truth, the mechanism behind the Awakened that you're so curious about, Director, has already been uncovered."
"That can't be...! How on earth, in a situation like this... could it be some kind of weapon created by another country...!?"
"Calm down and hear me out. Director, do you believe in the existence of other worlds?"
"Are you referring to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics? Or are you speaking of exoplanets outside our own galaxy...?"
'I don't understand a damn word he's saying...'
"That's not it. Hoo... What I'm about to tell you is..."
The beginning of the zombie crisis, the mechanism by which Awakened are created, and the dimensional fusion currently happening to Earth—along with the beings from Titan who have crossed over to Earth as a result of that fusion.
After hearing my entire story, they stiffened as though struck by lightning, unable to utter a single word. The director, who had been frozen stiff, suddenly began muttering incomprehensibly to himself.
"Good heavens... how could that... they claim to have discovered how the wave functions collide...? No, because they didn't know, they couldn't detect the fusion early either..."
— Clap!
To snap this scientist out of the world he'd retreated into, I clapped my hands together in front of him.
"Director, please hear me out to the end first."
"S-sorry... the whole thing is just so absurd..."
"The reason I'm telling you all these facts is to reiterate the offer I made earlier."
"You mean about supporting our research?"
"Yes. And I'd like you to educate the beings from Titan—the Dwarves—in science. Then, I'd like you to offer occasional advice on the things they create after absorbing that scientific knowledge."
Without a moment's hesitation, he nodded his head vigorously in agreement. If anything, his reaction caught us off guard.
"I know it's funny to say this after I made the offer first, but isn't America still your homeland, Director?"
"I love my country. But before I am an American, I am a scientist. It's a joke I sometimes make to my team, but I've always said that if another place offered me more support than here, I would leave for it at any moment."
"..."
"Of course, I signed an NDA when I joined the research institute, so it wouldn't be easy."
"I see..."
"But as you said, the world has already gone to hell—what does a scrap of paper like that matter anymore? And I'd have the chance to meet figures from another dimension and, most importantly, to study the discipline called magic, wouldn't I?"
"I suppose so?"
"Heh heh, my academic zeal is boiling up—it feels like I've gone back to my youth again."
I asked the other researchers just in case, but as expected of the director's team, not a single one refused—they all said they would come along.
'You never know. Maybe these people will create something incredible together with the Dwarves.'
Bringing them out was easy. After all, we'd already cleared out the zombies all the way from the rooftop down to the basement. Once everyone had boarded the helicopter, the director asked me,
"Where exactly are we headed?"
"First, we'll head to Washington to get on a plane bound for Gimpo, Korea. And then, to our village."
"From what I've heard, you're already self-sufficient and a stable lifestyle is possible there..."
"Yes, it was a bit lacking in the beginning, but now agriculture, livestock, aquaculture—everything is running smoothly."
"And I heard you already have researchers who were working at corporate R&D centers..."
"Yes, I look forward to your guidance."
They were absolutely delighted to hear that there were fellow researchers already there, and they buzzed with excitement, saying they wanted to discuss things among themselves.
Soon the helicopter landed at the White House in Washington and everyone disembarked. The U.S. President was visibly startled when he saw the researchers.
"There were still survivors..."
Perhaps burdened by the guilt of having given up on rescuing his country's citizens, he couldn't meet their eyes. And he let a hint of regret slip at the news that they would be leaving for Korea.
'But what can you do? The ship has already sailed.'
Just at that moment, with perfect timing, we received word that the plane sent from Korea had arrived at the airport. It then immediately refueled and departed for Las Vegas.
'A round trip would probably take... about ten hours, give or take?'
I had a meal and killed time walking through the gardens in front of the White House, but even after the expected time had passed, they hadn't returned. I waited roughly two more hours and was just about to try contacting them in case something had happened when I heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance.
The short, stout figures all disembarked from the helicopter. Even though he'd been told in advance, the U.S. President couldn't hide his astonishment. And no sooner had they gotten off than they began bombarding me with all sorts of questions.
"Benefactor! These machines are truly incredible. How they can float in the air for so long with no mana circuits at all...!"
"The fact that this heavy object is kept aloft by nothing but oil is utterly astonishing!"
"From what that human told me, there are similar machines that can travel across sea and land...!"
Their delay was probably because they'd been so overcome with curiosity about the plane that they'd poked around it and lost track of time. It couldn't have been easy to stop them once they got absorbed in something.
"Calm down and take a rest for now. We'll be departing for the village soon."
"The benefactor's homeland... just the thought makes my heart pound..."
"It's just an ordinary village."
Maybe they weren't even listening to a word I said—the Dwarves were already making a huge racket among themselves, brimming with anticipation. Eventually, the entire party, including the Dwarves and the research staff, headed for the airport. There were so many people that we had to shuttle them back and forth with the helicopter multiple times.
Inside the plane departing the United States, I gazed out the window at America shrinking in the distance. The world was in upheaval, and the balance of national power was about to flip 180 degrees. Any nation that clung to past glories and failed to advance would simply be weeded out.
I turned my head and looked beside me. The researchers and the Dwarves were deep in noisy conversation.
"So there was that complicated a reason behind making the airplane's wings that way?"
"Yes, by combining that principle with propulsion, stable flight like this becomes possible."
"Remarkable. If we added mana circuits to operate the airframe, we could even make it fly without any accidents."
"Mana circuits? Is that like magic?"
"That is, you see..."
It was a lively hubbub. Listening to their talk, I dozed off and ate—and before I knew it, we had arrived at Gimpo Airport.
* * * * * * * *
"Ugh... planes and helicopters over the past few days... my body feels all stiff..."
"I know. My body aches too, same as yours..."
We gathered all the Dwarves and researchers at the assembly hall. I'd thought it was quite spacious for a countryside hall, but with so many people packed inside, it felt cramped.
Even now, they were all chattering noisily among themselves; with their booming voices, the place was exactly like a chaotic marketplace.
— Boom!
I put a little mana into a clap of my hands and drew their attention.
"Alright, everyone settle down, and first..."
I called Galrand, the chieftain of the Solar Flame Tribe, and Edwin Kalliger, the research director, up to the front and introduced them to our people.
The Dwarves, naturally, immediately started asking all sorts of questions about Earth's weapons, and the researchers were amazed that every single person in the village was an Awakened.
Just then, President sidled up beside me as I stood at a distance watching them.
"It's quite an otherworldly sight, isn't it?"
"Well... they are a different species."
"Still, just watching quietly warms my heart. Enough to make me forget the apocalypse even arrived."
"With enough time, people will forget the apocalypse ever happened."
I had no idea how much time would have to pass. Likely a very long time—long enough for civilization to be overturned several times. While I was mulling over such dismal thoughts alone, the chieftain waved at me and approached.
"Benefactor, what do you say to a drink on such a fine day!?"
His voice was so loud that every Dwarf was now looking at me with eyes full of anticipation. Even the older men of a certain age and the researchers had gotten their hopes up as well.
"Sure. It is a good day."
The drinking party, which kicked off as the new faces gathered, stretched on long into the night. People grew thoroughly drunk on the traditional liquor the Dwarves had brought with them when they migrated.
The drinking only wound down when the faint rays of dawn began to creep past midnight. And after I'd slept and gotten up—today was the day to show the Dwarves and researchers around the village.
When I got to the assembly hall, the Dwarves and researchers were already gathered, but the chieftain's face looked a bit grave.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"I absolutely had to tell you, Benefactor, but I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot...!"
"What is it that's got you so serious?"
"It concerns your mercenary band, Benefactor!"
At that sudden remark, everyone in the group began to stiffen. The village tour would probably have to be postponed for a bit.