Edward sent an email before dark and researched the Rheinland family. When he searched for "Eidel von Rheinland" online, a flood of disturbing articles appeared.

Eidel's most recent misconduct was causing a disturbance at the Harcus Casino. Not only had he lost an unimaginable amount of money, but it was revealed he had used it without his family's permission.

The article even described how he beat someone with a pool cue demanding his money back, only to be knocked unconscious by security guards.

"He's much crazier than the rumors suggested."

And that wasn't all.

Five months ago, he threw a tantrum when a bar wouldn't let him in as a minor, and when that failed, he attempted arson before being stopped.

Six months ago, he secretly visited a hospital operated by the head of the Rheinland family and hurled insults at patients, calling them "cripples" before leaving.

Eight months ago, he ordered excessive deliveries through an app, then requested refunds and left 1-star reviews, eventually getting sued for business interference.

A year and one month ago, he sexually harassed a woman on the street, and when caught by space police, he claimed "I'm a juvenile offender so you can't punish me," nearly landing him in juvenile detention.

The more Edward scrolled, the more disgusting articles appeared.

"Ugh."

Edward nearly threw up his dinner.

"How is this guy not in prison?"

Surprisingly, the boy named Eidel had only paid fines thanks to his family's influence, never serving any prison time. Edward couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

"The rich go free, the poor get punished."

Those with money face no consequences for their crimes.

"Damn Federation."

The Federation, which had expanded its influence across tens of thousands of light-years, had poor law enforcement. There was no shortage of police officers and prosecutors who would smile like prostitutes and prove innocence if given enough money.

But even so, it was infuriating that such a well-known piece of trash had never been arrested.

And now he had to work as this boy's tutor. Though it would only be temporary, Edward found even that brief period nauseating.

"If it weren't for the tuition fees, I wouldn't do this."

Edward packed his bags, grumbling.

As soon as day broke, he sought out the Rheinland family's spaceship. The email response had told him to come at a convenient time the next day.

Clunk.

After docking his old private vehicle to the main ship, a dreary grayish-white dock greeted Edward. The overwhelming vastness made him feel intimidated.

"Oh, Teacher! Welcome!"

A young man with black hair and golden eyes rushed over and bowed deeply.

It was a respectful greeting.

"You are..."

"I'm Eidel. I look forward to working with you this month."

"Y-you... I mean, you're Eidel?"

He looked much more normal than Edward had expected. Intelligence shone in his eyes, and he was dressed neatly. His bangs were trimmed cleanly.

His first impression was nothing like that of a troublemaker.

"Yes, I am Eidel Rheinland. And this friend here is Sonia, my personal android."

An android with short hair bluer than azure nodded slightly. She wore a headband with frills and a black apron decorated with hanging ribbons.

"...A maid?"

It was an outdated outfit. Clothes no one would wear unless cosplaying. Edward frowned slightly after thinking for a moment.

"Why is she dressed like that? Could it be... does he have some perverted taste for doing such things to androids?"

He couldn't figure it out. Yet Edward's thoughts kept drifting in that direction. Given what he'd read in the articles, and especially considering how beautiful the android was.

She might as well be an adult entertainment robot.

Edward shook his head. He became convinced that he couldn't judge someone by first impressions. Despite appearances, Eidel would likely reveal his true colors at crucial moments and make his life miserable.

There was no need to speak more than necessary. Edward decided to keep things strictly professional as he walked.

Eidel guided Edward to his room. It was a spacious area of about 50 pyeong, and Edward, who had only ever lived in rooms of about 5 pyeong, felt a sense of relative deprivation.

The room itself was modest and clean. Despite Eidel's reputation as a gambling addict, there wasn't a single playing card in sight. The bookshelves were packed with entrance exam workbooks and specialized textbooks.

On the electronic board facing the window were mathematical formulas commonly found in physics.

"What's going on here...?"

As Edward unpacked, he asked, "Is this the room you use?"

"Yes, this is the young master's room," answered Sonia, not Eidel. She adjusted her headband and continued matter-of-factly.

"Contrary to public knowledge, the young master is more scholarly than he appears. Currently, he's working hard every day to enter Stellarium Academy."

"...I see."

Of course, Edward didn't believe it.

Eidel might have instructed the android to say this, or this could be someone else's room.

But if that were the case, a question arose:

"Why, out of all the tutors available, did he choose me?"

Perhaps because Edward came from the frontier and had a humble background, plus his tutoring rates were cheap, making him an easy target.

In the worst case, he might end up being humiliated without getting paid for the tutoring.

Of course, Edward wasn't stupid enough to just take such treatment.

He secretly activated his recorder and spoke.

"Your goal is to enter Stellarium?"

"Yes."

Edward scoffed internally.

"The most important part of Stellarium's admission process is the interview. Even if you do well on the written and practical exams, the interview can overturn everything. Did you know that?"

"Yes, I'm aware."

"The interview is divided into specialty interviews and general interviews. The general interview mostly asks about your motivation and future plans, so we'll put that aside for now. I assume you're more interested in the specialty interview."

"That's correct."

Surprisingly, Eidel was listening attentively to Edward's explanation without making a single insulting remark.

"This is different from what I expected... Well, I'm fine if things continue like this."

Edward took out an interview question sheet and continued.

"The specialty interview is essentially a major interview. However, there's no major in the Academia course. So, you'll mention your area of interest there, and a robot will give you tasks to solve on the spot. After solving them, you'll write the solution on the board, and an AI will grade it."

He then pulled out several printed papers.

"These are entrance exam questions generated by AI last year."

The types of problems were diverse: language, economics, history, philosophy, biology, military science, and more. All were from last year's exams.

"Let's see your skills. What subject are you interested in?"

"...Hmm."

Eidel swallowed and moved his hand. Soon his fingertips pointed toward the physics test paper.

"Physics? He's choosing physics?"

Edward flinched.

Reflexively, he turned his head to look at the bookshelf again. Upon closer inspection, all the specialized textbooks had titles ending with either "Physics" or "Mechanics."

Then he glanced at the board with equations. F=ma and so on. The relationship between D'Alembert's principle and the Lagrange-Euler equation, and so on.

"...No, it can't be."

Edward's gaze returned to the desk.

"Wait a minute."

Eidel had already picked up a different subject test instead of physics.

It was mathematics.

The subject Edward planned to major in later.

And the subject he had chosen for his specialty interview.

"He picked up the exact same test paper I solved."

There was no need to check the answer key. He could just listen to the solution process and grade it himself. Edward twisted the corner of his mouth and asked:

"You want to go with that one?"

"Yes."

Let's see how good he is.

If nothing else, Edward became extremely strict when it came to mathematics. This was true even if the subject of evaluation was known as one of the universe's most notorious troublemakers.

Even if something major happened, Edward had two things to rely on: first, the presence of Sonia, an android presumably programmed with robotics principles, and second, the recording device secretly recording everything.

"If I end up getting beaten, I'll just extract compensation."

Edward clenched his teeth as he watched Eidel pick up a pen. Eidel skillfully twirled the pen, thought for a moment, then brought the tip to the paper.

Scratch, scratch.

A pleasant sound like piano keys filled the room. At this moment, Eidel moved his mechanical pencil as if in a trance. Every swallow, every line he drew on the side showed traces of deep thought.

Edward gulped at the sight of such concentration.

The solving time wasn't long. Eidel put down his pen and spoke.

"I've finished."

"...Would you explain it now?"

"Yes, but before that, you can speak to me informally. It actually feels uncomfortable being addressed so formally."

"No, I prefer it this way..."

"......"

Eidel nodded and stood up. He took the problem book and walked to the electronic board.

"This problem requires understanding the concept of function substitution from permutations. Students who can solve this will more easily understand how to derive generalized solutions for systems of linear equations later."

Saying it was important content, Eidel continued with his detailed explanation.

The explanation itself was clean and concise.

Why this logic should be applied here, what the examiner's intention was, what additional conditions might be needed for a more rigorous solution, and so on.

Eidel conveyed all these processes flawlessly.

"...This guy is no ordinary person."

Just as heroes recognize heroes.

Geniuses recognize geniuses.

"His skills are genuine."

It was a moment that changed Edward's perspective.

"How was it? Was it acceptable?" Eidel asked politely.

Edward moistened his dry palate with saliva and answered.

"The solution itself was flawlessly perfect. However, there are some parts where you drag on. For example, here, and this part..."

There were many instances where Eidel took the orthodox approach even though mathematical intuition could have provided an easier solution. Edward didn't view this intuitive approach negatively.

"Your solution method is too classical. If you use the decomposition property of commutation here, you can prove problem 3 without extending the formula."

"Wow."

"The same goes for handling set S. When studying set theory, one typically learns about equivalence classes, which are..."

Eidel kept expressing admiration as he listened to the explanation.

"Teacher, you're really smart."

Isn't there a saying that praise makes even whales dance?

Edward eventually lowered his guard against Eidel's barrage of compliments and began to smile broadly.

"You're quite exceptional yourself..."

Edward felt a disconnect. Someone this intelligent and capable of polite conversation wouldn't likely sexually harass a passing woman or try to set fire to a bar.

He began to wonder if this Eidel might be different from that Eidel.

"With this level, you'll pass with flying colors. But you know..."