There were not a lot of old people in the outskirts, where average life expectancy was rather low. However, even in the city proper, elderly were not a common sight — simply because the previous generations had been decimated by the arrival of the Nightmare Spell. So, Sunny had little experience dealing with really old people.
The man in front of him, however, was not just old… he was certifiably ancient. He had to be eighty years, at least, or even older. His skin was thin like paper, with knotty blue veins clearly visible beneath it, and his neatly combed hair was completely white. The old man's eyes, however, were still brimming with sharp intelligence and awareness.
This was someone who had been born long before the descent of the Nightmare Spell, and lived both through the terror of the Dark Times and the turbulent chaos of the modern era.
Sunny hesitated for a moment.
"...Obel? The Professor Obel?"
The old man smiled.
"You know who I am, Master Sunless? How flattering! It's nice to see that the young generation still appreciates obscure scientists like me."
His assistant — a young woman with dark hair that was gathered in a bun and eyes full of attitude — sneered.
"Indeed. I thought all Awakened only know how to swing a sword."
Sunny gave her a deadpan stare.
"...For your information, I am a researcher and lecturer back in the Academy, with several academic publications under my name. I only swing a sword when there's a reason to."
The assistant blinked, then looked down in embarrassment.
"Oh…"
Professor Obel let out a good-natured chuckle.
"Don't be rude, Beth! In any case… we'll be in your care then, Master Sunless."
He looked at Sunny with curiosity, and then asked:
"What department are you assigned to in the Academy, if you don't mind me asking?"
Sunny shrugged.
"Wilderness Survival. My specialty is Dream Realm exploration and the history of dead languages."
Professor Obel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Do you, perhaps, know a brat named Julius?"
Sunny stared at him in bewilderment.
"Uh… Teacher Julius? Of course. He is my mentor, after all. But I wouldn't call him a… a brat. With all due respect."
The old man laughed.
"He is to me! Julius used to be my student, you know, before Awakening and choosing a different field of expertise. How is that rascal doing?"
Sunny scratched the back of his head. Never in his life had he imagined hearing someone address Teacher Julius as a bratty rascal…
"He is doing great. His health is good… and he is very passionate about his research…"
Professor Obel nodded in satisfaction.
"Good, this is good. Then… Master Sunless, what happens now? Are we leaving LO49 already?"
His assistant frowned and looked across the chamber, where lots of scientists were busy copying data on external storage devices and running around in something that resembled panic.
Sunny shook his head.
"That… we can't contact Army Command right now, so it's hard to say. There will be news in around eight hours. That is the earliest we can leave, but depending on what information comes back, there can be a delay."
The young woman — Beth — sighed with relief.
"Ah, great. I was afraid we will have to abandon a lot of data. We will continue preparations for departure, then…"
A few moments passed in awkward silence. Finally, she looked at Sunny in confusion.
"...Are you not going to leave?"
He grinned, then shook his head.
"You're in my care now, so I'll stick around. If the Professor suddenly dies on my watch… well, I can say goodbye to a lot of contribution points… that would be very sad."
Beth stared at him with indignation, then scoffed and left to help the scientists pack things up. At the same time, Master Verne bowed slightly and took his leave, saying that he had a lot to do. Belle, Dorn, and Quentin left, as well.
Professor Obel watched them go and sighed.
"Don't mind my assistant, Master Sunless. All of us are on edge these days."
Sunny shrugged.
"Understandable."
After a while, he looked at the old man and asked:
"So, Professor… what exactly are you researching here? Also, LO49… that's a strange name for a facility."
The old man smiled.
"The name? Oh, it's just an abbreviation. Lunar Observatory Forty-Nine, that is what it means. Have you not noticed the telescope dome when you arrived?"
Sunny coughed.
'An observatory…'
So that was the purpose of that weird dome-shaped structure. Sunny had thought that it was some kind of strange magical construct, but it was just a mundane observatory. To his defense, he had never seen one of those before, at least not in real life…
"Ah, yes. I did notice a dome. You're studying… the moon?"
Professor Obel laughed.
"Goodness, no. Around a hundred of these observatories were built when the Nightmare Spell first appeared, but most of them are now sealed and abandoned. This one had its telescope dismantled and was repurposed as a research facility, though."
Sunny frowned, feeling like he was missing something.
"Wait… why were these observatories constructed? And why were they abandoned?"
The old man glanced at him with curiosity.
"Why, they were constructed to observe the moon, of course. There were human settlements on the moon in the past, you know… not that that is important. What is important is the Nightmare Spell."
Sunny shook his head.
"I don't follow."
Professor Obel lingered for a moment.
"Ah, you might not know this. Actually, the first registered case of the Nightmare Spell infection happened in one of the moon settlements. Mind you, that doesn't mean that it was the first case… just the first documented one. No one really knows where the Spell came from, but many point to Luna as its origin, or at least the point of contact.
So, of course, there was a strong desire to study the moon many decades ago."
Sunny looked at him with a wary expression.
"Really? Wait… so what did people find out?"
The old man shook his head.
"Nothing. As it turned out, staring at the moon for too long can lead to some very, very dire consequences. After many casualties among the researchers, the LO program was discontinued, and the observatories were sealed. I would advise you not to look at the moon too closely, young man… actually, it's better not to think about it at all."
Sunny remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he said:
"Alright, I guess that answers one of my questions. But what about the other? If you are not studying the moon, what are you researching here?"
Professor Obel smiled.
"Oh, that is very simple. We are studying the Nightmare Spell. More precisely, we are trying to understand its causality."