Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The reason I wasn’t particularly shocked by the secret the Professor had revealed was probably because I hadn’t fully grasped what it truly meant.

“Oh? You’re not surprised?”

Tilting his head in apparent curiosity, the Professor peered into my face. Through the slightly grimy lenses of his glasses, it felt as though his eyes were trying to see through to my true self.

“…Why would you reveal such an important secret to me?”

Even if he did, I had no intention of using it against him. If that was the case, keeping it hidden wouldn’t have cost him anything. His name at the academy was Albert Ampiere, a name that already sounded like a pseudonym…

“I want you to trust me. I want you to believe that the information here—that this theory—is sound.”
“That’s…”

I wasn’t particularly well-versed in the forbidden sciences, but I didn’t believe they were inherently evil.

Master Tao Ran once said, “Power and technology are neither good nor evil. It’s the person who uses them who decides that. And it’s our duty as adults to guide children so that they don’t use those things for evil.” Thanks to those words, I had never developed a hatred for scientific knowledge.

“There’s no doubt about the value of this… But why would you study something forbidden in the first place?”

I realized too late that the words had slipped out before I could stop myself.

“Ah, so you had noticed. Well, they do say if you want to hide a tree, plant it in a forest.”

The Professor gave a sheepish smile, then sat down at his desk and gently picked up a thin, black slab as though it were something precious.

“I first learned about science when I was ten years old. It was from something like a thin book, kept deep in the Restricted Archives—something just like this.”

As he murmured, he placed the thin, book-like object on his lap and stared into the distance. It was as though he was gazing back into his past. I stayed silent and listened.

“Her name was Livre. She was an AI persona. This thin, book-like object was a device known as a ‘tablet.’ She lived inside it, spoke like a person, and held vast amounts of knowledge. She was like a fairy—and one of the few friends I ever had… I looked forward to seeing her and hearing stories about the old world. That’s all it was… That’s all it ever was…”

His words trailed off there. He quietly placed the slab—what he had called a “tablet”—back on the desk.

“The adults refused to accept Livre. She was discarded without mercy. I couldn’t bear to let go of her, and so I devoted myself to the study of lost ancient civilizations. …It didn’t take long before that led me from archaeology to the study of scientific civilizations. The reason I brought up the Canado region earlier was because I’ve seen it myself. Even now, advanced scientific technology still remains there.”

It was rare to hear the Professor speak this openly. From his tone alone, it was clear that his interest in science ran deep.

“How do you view science, Professor?”
“I do not believe that science is the forbidden knowledge that brings about the end of the world, as the public claims. The development of magic devices is proof enough of that. The scientific civilization sealed away by those who hated the Old Humanity is just as valuable as the magic and alchemy that support our current civilization.”

Listening to the Professor, it was easy to tell that these words came from genuine conviction. Especially given that he knew of Master Tao Ran’s homeland.

“I’m currently an agent of the Arcadia Empire’s Public Security Third Special Division, but the original mission of our unit was to root out forbidden scientific knowledge and suppress ideological criminals who held radical views—our goal was to rehabilitate the dangerous ideology of scientific civilization. However, as I gained power and rose through the ranks, I succeeded in introducing some aspects of scientific knowledge into the military.”

It had been a long preamble, but the picture was finally becoming clear. In this country, science was no longer simply a taboo. There were those who now saw it as useful—and sought to make use of it.

“So in other words… there might come a day when people can openly research scientific technology—that’s what you’re saying?”
“Yes. That’s the goal. I’ve secured a post within the Imperial Army and have formed a faction of my own. My ultimate aim here at the academy is to purge the noble families still trapped in outdated, discriminatory ideologies. I want this place of learning to become a space where people can freely acquire knowledge and express their thoughts. That’s the kind of society I’m striving to build.”

Hearing that lofty ideal, a natural question arose in my mind. Surely he wasn’t telling me all this just because I’d happened to brush against fragments of science.

He needed me to achieve his goal.

Even before I could voice the question, the Professor gave me a knowing smile.

“I’m sure someone as bright as you has already realized it—you’re a promising engineer in the making. By letting someone like you come into contact with scientific technology, I believe you’ll be able to reach even greater heights. I’m absolutely certain of it.”

The Professor gently stroked the tablet, as if cherishing it. Imagining the being once known as Livre, who should no longer exist within it, I couldn’t help but feel deeply intrigued.

Perhaps what had driven him all this time was the need to prove that Livre was not evil. No matter her form, Livre had been an irreplaceable friend to the Professor.

“…I know it may sound presumptuous, but do you understand? If you can believe—if only that scientific technology is not evil—that alone is enough for me.”
“Knowledge and technology aren’t inherently good or evil. It’s people’s hearts that decide that… isn’t that right?”

I was borrowing Master’s words, but now I could speak them with conviction, as my own. My goals were different from the Professor’s, but I wanted to use everything I had to win the Zersteller. If science—breaking free from its shell of taboo—could be part of that, then all the more reason to embrace it. It could become a powerful ally.

“I’m giving this to you. It would be best to dispose of it after use—at least for now.”

I nodded. I understood that the history behind the taboo—how the New Humanity had feared that advanced civilization so deeply they sealed it away—was not something to be taken lightly.