63 – S2. Resentment Wished Upon a Star -6
Miskatonic University was an extensive campus an hour away from Abraham’s mansion, reached by vehicle.
Students with books tucked at their sides strolling down the street was a common sight in the academy. However, if there was something noticeable, it was the noisy proselytizing by those wearing white hoods.
“Everyone, the day of judgment is near! Listen for a meaningful end!”
“We are complete only in the embrace of God! Rather than becoming cosmic dust, let’s be part of Him and be born anew!”
Niole blinked once, spreading out the information.
[They all seem young. Like students. They’re completely immersed in religion. They’d go to any lengths for it.]
“That’s how it looks to me too. End-timers have a certain charm wherever they go.”
“…Not every student is like that. There’s been an increase in young people adopting strange beliefs these days, but most are decent, intellectually curious kids.”
Though Abraham argued that, the fact that no one opposed those loudly preaching and the attentive students watching them closely… hinted at the future of the university.
They would spread like mold on stale bread.
Abraham parked the car in the faculty parking lot, leading them towards the university building. The astronomy building was relatively modest among the university structures.
The three decided to wait for Abraham while listening to the lecture.
As time passed, students filled the classroom in groups of three or five. Some wore white hoods. When it was time, Abraham began the lecture. Methods of observing stars, the movement of stars, and mathematical significance.
The perspective of a scientist. Abraham did not add any religious meaning to the stars; he simply did his best to explain the world. The lecture was passionate and composed in vocabulary easy for students to understand.
However, half of the students found it boring, and those in white hoods chatted and distracted each other, as if the class was beneath them.
“This is…!”
“Hold on.”
Bennett spent time restraining Tara, who was trying to burst out like a untethered calf. After the class ended, students left their seats. Abraham chuckled and said,
“It seems my lecture wasn’t entertaining.”
“No, Abraham. It was really interesting! Truly. Especially, completely excluding the theological perspective was⋯⋯.”
As Tara praised Abraham for various aspects, Bennett spat out abruptly at the back of Tara’s head.
“Is that what a saint would say⋯⋯?”
“Noisy, Bennett!”
—–
Miskatonic University’s library was like a labyrinth. The shelves were disorderly and sprawling, making newcomers worry about possibly getting lost.
In fact, there were a few students wandering through the library seemingly out of their minds. Bennett tried to memorize the distinctive structures to remember the way.
Whether someone intentionally designed it like this, or it naturally became a labyrinth due to negligence because no one thought to organize it.
With a worried expression, Tara quietly asked Neore,
“⋯⋯Neore, did you memorize the way out?”
[Yes!]
“Phew⋯⋯.”
Bennett nudged Tara and walked past.
“Remember the way yourself.”
“It’s about division of labor, division of labor!”
“If you’re going to talk about division of labor, start with cleaning. Cleaning duty.”
“Ugh⋯⋯!”
While Bennett and Tara were bickering, Niole quietly filled the whiteboard. Since it was for the elderly, the writing was larger than usual. He then lifted it up and showed it to Abraham.
[Do you know what an illustrious isosceles tetrahedron is?]
“⋯⋯A riddle, huh? Perhaps something related to the occult?”
[Possibly.]
“Occult, magic, and conspiracy theories are separately managed by the Restricted Section to prevent students from accessing them. Are you, by any chance, involved in⋯⋯.”
Niole smoothly brushed off Bennett.
[As you know, Bennett is very curious. No need to worry! Bennett enjoys it for fun, and if by any chance he strays the wrong path, Tara and I will catch him!]
“Yes, we’ll take responsibility, Abraham!”
“If that’s the case⋯⋯. Then I’ll open the doors of the Restricted Section. After all, I am the administrator there.”
However, Abraham added a condition.
“But under supervision. I trust you, but professional ethics must be upheld before trust. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. Abraham.”
Abraham nodded and took out a silver key from his pocket. He navigated through the labyrinthine library, past shelves filled with astronomical books, and arrived at the door of a shabby room.
Creak.
The rusty latch screamed, revealing the interior.
Unlike the library, the room was neatly organized. Shelves lined with books, and in one corner of the room, there was a large safe. It looked solid and sturdy at first glance.
Bennett inquired, “What is that safe?”
“A personal safe. Since I manage the Restricted Section, I also keep important items here⋯⋯ You know what’s inside, too.”
“⋯⋯Research materials?”
“Perhaps that’s the answer. I’ve placed a copy of the research data in the safe. Feel free to examine the books to your heart’s content. However, don’t delve too deeply into the occult. That’s a surrender of reason.”
“Yes. I’ll be cautious.”
Bennett nodded with a somber expression. How did he end up receiving such a gaze from Abraham? Come to think of it, wasn’t it because Tara cut ties with him first?
“…What are you looking at?”
“……”
Let it be. Bennett swallowed his frustration.
You’ve investigated the books in the library. It was almost left to chance because there were too many to examine thoroughly in just one day. Contrary to the claim of housing forbidden texts, the shelves were filled with all sorts of bizarre and strange books.
A book containing recipes for making pies out of goldfish.
A paper asserting the similarity between humans and dogs.
A magazine compiling eerie rumors, such as the discovery of a human with a fish head on some coast.
And some highbrow adult novels.
“……!”
“Tara, did you find something?”
“No, nothing! I found nothing at all! Absolutely nothing!”
“Your reaction is odd. Just because you’re looking alone doesn’t mean you can monopolize the information. If there’s any suspicion, bring it here. We need even the slightest clue in this situation.”
“No, stop it! Let go…! Oh, damn, your strength is ridiculously strong!”
Bennett forcibly took the book from Tara’s grip, flipped through a few pages, then handed it back to Tara, whose face had turned crimson, adding, “Look at this alone.”
“You snatched it away!! And you didn’t even read it?!”
Round two commenced.
When Benedetto was beating up Seunggi and talking to Tala, Abraham coughed a few times and declared the end of the investigation.
“Shouldn’t we stop here for today? I’ll keep the library open tomorrow as well. I need to go home and prepare dinner.”
“Yes, Abraham.”
“Yes, yes! Sounds good!”
Tala agreed with a half-hearted nod. Benedetto sighed with disappointment as he watched Tala leave the room. It was the perfect timing to beat her for at least 20 more minutes.
Then, he suddenly realized.
…Have we become closer than I thought? It seemed like we could casually talk to each other for some time. With Tala, and with Niore too.
I could roughly tell what they liked and disliked, how they behaved, and what they were thinking. Talking was quite enjoyable. Sometimes… I even momentarily forgot about my little sister.
My emotions were complicated.
Living under the same roof, having meals together, seeing each other’s faces every morning and night… It made me develop feelings too quickly.
Maybe, like Tala, she was also starved for affection.
But still… I had time to sort out my feelings. I decided to bury them for now. It was still okay. For now.
As Benedetto watched Tala walking with her arms crossed and Niore looking back at him with a whiteboard in hand, tilting her head as if asking him to follow, he chased after them.
—–
#5: Fanatic / Missing Person
This is a scene while they were traveling in Abraham’s car.
“…!!”
Niore, who was looking out the window at the flowing road, suddenly stood up and hit her head on the car ceiling. She quickly clapped her hands. All eyes were on her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why are you like that, Niore?”
“⋯⋯!!”
As if she didn’t have time to write on the whiteboard, she pointed outside the window with her finger. Realizing that the situation had already passed, Niore hastily scribbled something.
[I was kidnapped. By people wearing white hoods, women.]
“⋯⋯What’s happening behind? Did something happen?”
Abraham, who was driving while looking ahead, asked, looking at the rearview mirror. Tara and Bennett almost simultaneously spoke.
“Abraham, stop the car!”
From Noble mtl dot com
“No, there’s no need to stop.”
“Bennett, you again…!”
“If you’re saying you’ll save us, stop it. I said it quietly, but…”
Thunk.
Niore climbed onto Bennett, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands. Bennett, who had prepared for a fight by tensing his body, relaxed when he saw her expression. Even without Niore speaking, he could understand what she was saying with her eyes.
Just give us one chance.
Bennett hesitated, then let out a deep sigh. Perhaps it wasn’t a perfect fit after all. Gently pushing Niore away, he spoke to Abraham.
“Something came up, Abraham. We’ll return before dinner, so could you stop for a moment?”
“⋯⋯Is it something dangerous?”
“No.”
“⋯⋯Be careful and come back safely. There’s something I want to tell you guys.”
Abraham’s car came to a stop. Niore got off first and rushed back along the road. Bennett and Tara followed, running side by side.
The old man watched their figures silently for a moment, then drove the car towards home.
There was some concern. He was curious about what was happening. However, Abraham also knew how attentive Bennett could be.
He confidently stated, ‘It’s not dangerous,’ so there must have been his own calculation. Except for his belief in the occult, Abraham trusted Bennett, a solid and capable young man.
Ah, that guy is definitely going to be found dead the moment they return wouldn’t he? ‘I have something to say to you when you’ve come back’ is a huge death flag.