READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 308
I’m afraid I might forget, so I repeat it to myself once more.
To be precise, we aren’t actually working right now. We’re gathered here like a military unit on standby, just in case someone comes to attack us.
I don’t really know how we ended up camping like high school girls, but here we are.
Fortunately, Cherry hasn’t forgotten about that situation.
After all, even while we were playing, Cherry diligently attended to her own tasks.
…Actually, I wonder if we were enjoying ourselves in our own way too.
As for the Squeaky Adults, I’m not sure how much interest they have in engineering, but it’s clear they aren’t just mildly skilled at it—they have a genuine affection for engineering.
“The level of technology is impressive.”
Cherry said.
“In some ways, it’s a matter of division. The Noir Corporation simply chose the wrong people to generate energy; theoretically, they should be better than us. If they had picked the right person for that theoretical energy, they might have succeeded by now.”
“But they failed, right?”
I asked.
“Doesn’t that mean there was no one on their side to fill that role?”
“Yeah… that’s true, but…”
Cherry tilted her head while gazing at the desk. At the same time, her large, non-hamster-like ears and fluffy tail swayed along. Cute.
It feels a bit strange knowing that, just because she looks like an alien, she might actually be older than me.
In fact, if I really think about it, the term “alien” itself feels unfamiliar. Usually, when we say alien, we imagine beings that resemble us, like Pang-pang.
“So, does that mean we could succeed in their place?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s not just about the difference in energy sources; there really isn’t anyone capable of generating energy on that level. Continuously, at that… But more importantly, what is an energy source?”
What a strange conversation.
It’s just that the types of emotions we use are different, yet just flipping our thoughts around doesn’t even allow us to mimic the technology. Engineering related to magic is different from simple physical engineering, so I don’t think the term reverse engineering applies here.
“If.”
Seeing the kids deep in thought with serious expressions, I quietly opened my mouth.
“What if we could find out about that energy source… could we apply it to our research?”
“Um, I think we’d need to try it out to know… But it would definitely be helpful. Ideas can often be applied elsewhere.”
I guess so.
Ha-yoon looked at me. Not really out of curiosity about what I was thinking—more like she was wondering if I knew something.
It’s more because of Pang-pang than anything else; it’s just that Ha-yoon overestimates me.
Her grades have always been better. Her family situation is also better, and her personality is much more popular with others.
Even becoming a Magical Girl was like that. I wasn’t one of the original candidates. Ha-yoon said my name in front of Cherry and actively recommended me, which is the only reason I made it this far.
I’ve always been a clumsy person struggling to follow along beside Ha-yoon, but she doesn’t realize that. In her eyes, I’m someone who works hard to achieve results, steadily moving forward towards a goal.
I was acting like that every day.
If I were to share that idea now, it would probably be one of the reasons Ha-yoon overestimates me.
For now, I have my excuses. I want to find Pang-pang as soon as possible.
I don’t know what Noir Corporation has been doing with this generator, but if something powerful can emerge from this energy, I vaguely think it might help in finding Pang-pang.
However.
“Cherry, can I ask you something?”
“Sure?”
Cherry looked up at me with round eyes, as if startled. The black pupils, which barely showed any whites, would give a person chills if they were human, but with Cherry’s appearance, it was just cute.
“What is the Federation planning to do with the generator?”
“…”
No one had asked that until now.
One of the biggest pretexts the Federation had for contacting Earth was the very fact that Earthlings couldn’t advance properly and were choking on their own efforts.
No matter how colonized we could live in space and how much terraforming technology we might possess, it takes a long time, and the number of people who can migrate and live there is limited.
Besides, the people constructing it will need to bear all the costs, and since Earth lacks any special technology, they’ll probably outsource everything. Naturally, maintenance would be handled exclusively by aliens, without any foundational technology.
In the Federation’s view, Earthlings would surely become beings exploited for their entire lives while living as colonies of others.
“Without the Federation’s protection,” that is what the Federation claimed.
Of course, it’s just a matter of rewording everything; in the end, it means they want to make Earth a collective colony.
“It seems a bit too much that the energy coming from the generator would be used solely for Earth, doesn’t it?”
I continued asking.
“What do they plan to do with that energy?”
“…”
Cherry stared at me quietly.
“Yeah, I see. That would be an important fact for you guys.”
Cherry said.
“There are several types within the Federation. I firmly believe there are those who want to effectively colonize Earth and extract energy alone. They probably think along the lines of a similar answer as whatever Noir Corporation is looking for. They might even be in collusion with that side.”
The expressions of the other kids turned serious.
Ji-hye wasn’t here. But I was glad she wasn’t present. If she were here, I’d rather she just had pleasant memories instead of listening to such serious talks.
Rather it’s a bit concerning to express that I want to keep a being who knows nothing—who doesn’t even realize they are being saved—alive. The suffering is something I could just bear myself.
“But… I hope you can believe this.”
Cherry said as she looked at me intently.
“If something can be produced on Earth that can be directly sold externally, and if that can only be made by Earthlings—surely, that technology will gain a competitive edge. So that others can’t easily colonize, Earthlings can build their own spaceships and venture out on their own.”
“You mean to create spaceships capable of interstellar travel from Earth?”
“It would definitely be highly inefficient. Unlike those built on other planets, they would use much more energy to travel much shorter distances—but still, Ji-eun.”
Cherry’s voice was filled with assurance.
“That’s why, initially, they might be overlooked, and people won’t take them seriously.”
“…”
“And, the potential of humanity is far greater than that. What if it’s inefficient? The energy that you all can produce is beyond that. When we try to move a spaceship with the least amount of magical power, Earthlings can literally sail it while pouring immense energy. And you can keep applying that technology and advancing it. Without relying on anyone else.”
“That’s your thought, then?”
“Exactly. The generator I’ll create—at least the one I’ll make will be for Earthlings. I can’t guarantee how long it will take.”
I thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Alright.”
If it’s Cherry, I can trust her. After all, I’ve seen her dedication for years.
If she truly viewed us merely as batteries, she wouldn’t have devoted herself to us over those years.
Always ensuring that we would receive maximal support, Cherry was always someone doing the work.
“I’ve been thinking a bit about the energy Noir Corporation is using.”
“Emotions, right?”
“Yeah.”
Jua’s eyes widened.
Of course, Jua, who is usually good with this kind of stuff, was studying the circuits from Noir Corporation that we managed to secure. She tried to incorporate various emotions but failed every time. It’s only natural.
Noir Corporation is clever.
At first, it seemed like a cartoon—villains should use villainous energy, right?
But think about it. A being that holds hope, who absolutely refuses to give up on that hope, fighting until the very last moment with their own strength.
What feeling could such a being never have?
“Despair.”
My words made the kids go silent.
…Well, of course, this isn’t just my own thought.
This is something I’m aware of because I’ve read the original story in my past life.
“A force completely opposite to hope. The combatants of Noir Corporation grow a bit stronger right after encountering us. If they were really fighting with the circuits, then the circuits should keep going, right? The structure is almost similar.”
Jua nodded at my words.
“Well then, they must have to return to that fleeting moment of feeling when they see us.”
“…Then, fear?”
Chae-yeon asked.
“If fear is the cause, there should be a constant flow of power when they run away. But that’s not the case. The moment they run, the combatants weaken. It’s not something you’d call courage… Well, we’ve experienced it, right? So we heard about Noir Corporation’s promotional claims.”
The power the company claims the circuits use is “courage.”
Naturally, that’s not true. A villain wouldn’t use such power.
“So it’s despair. Despair can’t exist once you give up.”
Despair is a feeling that can’t last. You feel it for just a moment, before you then abandon hope and give up.
To continuously experience that feeling of despair… you can’t give up. You have to constantly ‘despair’ while knowing that hope doesn’t exist.
To be aware that a feeble hope in the distance will never reach you, and at the same time, not be able to give up—who in the world could live like that?
“…”
For a moment, the surroundings grew quiet.
It’s fine if they don’t understand. I don’t expect that much anyway—
But the reactions of the kids, and Cherry’s, were slightly different from what I thought.
“Oh my.”
Cherry was mumbling as she looked at the little generator on her desk, the one beside her.