Chapter 434. [The Other Ageless Immortal]
――What the world calls the Voynich Manuscript. I was the one who wrote it――
――Wh...WHAT~~~!?――
The man who claimed to be an American university professor began with an utterly absurd story. The latter half of the Voynich Manuscript contained a message: "I wish to reunite with the person who can read this."
Clearly, it was a message addressed to someone.
But for that someone to actually appear before me now...
――How nostalgic. It’s been centuries since I last spoke this language――
Indeed, the manuscript never mentioned what happened to its author in the end.
But to think they’d been alive all this time, surviving into this era... No way...
――Just like you, I was reborn from the future into the past to save the world. Though, since I prevented the incident, it was never recorded in history――――Huh, wha――
――Back then, though, I was convinced I’d crossed over from another world――
The man’s gaze drifted into the distance, as if reminiscing.
It must have been so, so long ago.
――After saving the world, it took me a while to realize this was the past of the same world... And when I understood that changing history meant my homeland would never exist, it took time to accept――
That was why the language used in the Voynich Manuscript was completely disconnected from all others.
It was a language that should have been born.
――Well, it’s all in the past now. These days, I’m just enjoying my retirement. Traveling the world is fun. So is encountering the unknown. I heard you went deep into the Amazon too――
――The Amazon... Huh!? Wait, are you the field linguist they talked about!?――
The figure the local tribe who helped me referred to as the "Good Person".
The one who gave them gifts like wristwatches and taught some of them English.
――No, my actual expertise isn’t linguistics but botany and astronomy. Is that how they remembered me?――
――Now that you mention it, they did say you asked about their lifestyle and local plants――
Thinking back, they never actually called him a "field linguist".
I’d just assumed that from the context.
――Iroha... You’ve figured it out, right? I’d long given up on meeting someone from my "homeland". But to think I’d meet someone "like me"... In all these centuries, this is the biggest surprise――
――I see. I understand now――
I listened to the man’s story and nodded deeply.
......
《――Teachhhher~~~! This guy’s crazyyyyy~~~~!》
――Whaaaaattttt――
I turned to the teacher with the same look I’d give some creepy thing, silently begging for help.
I mean... come on!?
《This guy’s saying he’s been alive for centuries, that he came from a parallel world—it’s total nonsense! Shouldn’t we take him to a hospital or something!?》
There’s no way a human could live for hundreds of years!
Saying stuff like that? Either he’s a chuuni or... mentally ill!
―Shhh! Iroha, that’s top-secret!? Don’t say it out loud!?―
《Sensei, is this guy really an American professor? Could he be a scammer or something?》
《No, that’s... probably not the case... I think》
――Irohaaaa!? Please, just believe me, okay!? I mean, why!? Isn’t it weirder not to believe me!? You’ve noticed the changes in your own body too, right!?――
――Hah... "Changes"? First of all, I’ve barely grown at all in the past few years. What, is being short a crime now?―
――No, that’s exactly it!? You’re just like me—you became "ageless and immortal" after fulfilling the "god’s" wish!?―
――Ugh... This guy――
――Could you not look at me like that!? I’m not saying anything wrong here!? Hell, I was the one who helped you regain your power when it started fading!?――
――Hah?――
――Remember, two years ago! Right after you got out of the hospital, I pretended to ask for directions to stimulate your ability... You don’t remember!? After that, you could understand foreign languages again, right!?――
―Don’t remember at all――
――Ugh, come oooon~~~~!?―
《Um, Professor...?》
As the man grew increasingly flustered, even the teacher began eyeing him suspiciously.
We subtly backed away.
《You’ve got it all wrong!? I’m not some shady character!》
《...Shady people always say that》
《Yeah, I agree》
《I said~~~~~!?》
Finally, the man slumped and muttered, "Fine............" in defeat.
Oh? Finally giving up and confessing?
《No, that’s not it! Ugh, just take my contact info—you’ll figure things out in a few years. We’ve got time; I can wait.》
I warily accepted his business card.
Then he added:
《One more thing—no rush, but once things settle down, how about coming to my university? Consider this a recruitment offer.》
《Pr-Professor...! Seriously!?》
Apparently, recommendation letters held immense weight in the US.
They were practically mandatory for college applications, and the right recommender could drastically boost acceptance odds.
《Iroha, you’ll be 16 in a few months, right?》
《Uh, yes》
《Then take the High School Equivalency Exam.》
《Um...?》
Officially, the "High School Graduation Equivalency Examination".
Passing certifies you have academic skills equal to a high school graduate.
And the eligibility requirement? "16 years or older."
Most high schoolers could take it.
But even if you pass, Japanese universities won’t enroll you until you’re 18, so it’s usually pointless.
That is—Japanese universities.
《I heard you don’t plan to attend high school. So after passing the equivalency exam, apply directly to American universities. Skip straight to higher education.》
《...!》
It was a revelation.
So I could advance at my own pace—without rushing "now"...!
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