[High-value gacha target detected: Herta]
[Current distance: 10 meters]
[Status: Not within the optimal extraction range]
The translucent blue interface of the system materialized in the air, casting a faint glow over Kazuki’s unbothered expression.
He skimmed the floating text without a single ripple of anticipation, holding absolutely zero hope for drawing anything worthwhile from Herta’s Destiny Cards.
After all, his previous attempts with the members of the Astral Express Crew had yielded nothing but a pathetic pile of useless junk.
There was no reason to assume the great genius of the Space Station would be any different.
The heavy metal door slid open.
Herta stepped inside, her movements unhurried and precise.
She didn’t speak immediately, choosing instead to leisurely sweep her gaze across the sterile layout of the room.
Her eyes lingered for a fraction of a second too long on the shadowed corners, calculating the probability of an ambush.
“Madam Herta, let’s skip the tedious pleasantries,” Kazuki said, gesturing lazily toward a bare table.
“I’ve only just moved in.
I have nothing but plain water to entertain a genius of your caliber.”
He noted the absence of her usual entourage of mechanical puppets.
She was scrutinizing him with the piercing intensity of an interrogator sizing up a thief.
“If you have something to say, just say it,” Kazuki continued, getting straight to the point.
“I have plenty of time to chat.
Besides, I know my place—I can hardly pull any tricks right under the nose of an Emanator of Erudition.
There’s no escaping you.”
Hearing this, Herta found a chair and gracefully took a seat.
Kazuki’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She had positioned herself exactly a few meters outside his optimal card-drawing range.
Not an inch more, not an inch less.
“You don’t seem the least bit unfamiliar with what my real body looks like,” she observed, her voice cool and melodic.
From the moment she crossed the threshold, she had been studying his face, searching for the micro-expressions of awe or shock that usually accompanied her rare physical appearances.
Finding nothing but placid indifference only deepened the suspicion pooling in her mind.
She rested a finger casually against her shoulder, lifting her chin.
The sheer, suffocating arrogance of a universe-renowned genius radiated from her posture.
“Even so, formal introductions are in order.
My name is Herta.
If you wish to distinguish me from those puppets, you may refer to me as ‘The Herta’.”
“That’s a rather casual introduction for someone so grand,” Kazuki retorted, leaning back.
“So, Herta.
Why are you looking for me?”
“Oh?
We’ve reached this stage of the game and you’re still playing dumb?” Herta casually crossed her legs.
The dark, sheer fabric of her black stockings whispered against itself.
A finger, painted with immaculate purple polish, lightly traced the curve of her knee, producing a faint, rhythmic scratching sound that seemed to amplify the tension in the quiet room.
“Before I arrived, I detected two distinct signal sources inside this empty room,” she continued, her tone dropping into a dangerous register.
“Originally, I couldn’t be bothered to make the trip myself.
But then, one of those signals suddenly slipped completely out of my control and vanished without a trace—while you sat here, perfectly calm.
Tell me, isn’t that a rather blatant provocation?
I was left with no choice but to grace you with my presence.”
She leaned forward, closing the physical distance slightly, the edge in her voice sharpening like a drawn blade.
Kazuki didn’t flinch.
Instead, a half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Isn’t your conclusion a bit arbitrary, Herta?
That was just a friend of mine.
You can’t produce a single shred of substantive evidence, yet you insist there’s another ‘you’ running around the universe?
Just because I recognize your real body?
That’s a bit laughable, don’t you think?”
“I naturally have my evidence.” Herta let out a soft, dismissive breath and leaned back into her chair, reclaiming her aura of nonchalant superiority.
“I came here to dig out exactly what secret you are hiding.
Satisfy my curiosity, and I might just pardon you for the crime of offending a genius.” She tilted her head.
“Or do you need me to recite my findings before you’re willing to confess honestly?”
Kazuki pondered for two seconds, offered an indifferent nod, and extended a hand toward her.
Please, be my guest.
This was his first real interaction with her.
Regardless of the outcome, he had nothing to lose.
He simply wanted to measure the weight of this genius’s intellect head-on.
Taking the invitation, Herta opened the floodgates.
She spoke endlessly, her words a torrential downpour of data inferences, encrypted signal tracking, and the traceability analysis of the Black Tomb Puppet.
As he listened, Kazuki’s brows gradually knit together.
“So,” he interrupted when she finally paused for breath, raising a single eyebrow, “you’re absolutely certain that no one in the vastness of the universe could possibly replicate your puppet network?”
“That goes without saying.” Herta spread her hands, the absolute certainty in her voice bordering on the divine.
“In the entirety of the cosmos, aside from myself, no one can perfectly replicate my network.
I have at least that much confidence.”
Truly arrogant to the bone, Kazuki thought, rolling his eyes internally.
Based on a mere deduction, she dared to insist an alternate version of herself existed, going so far as to cross star systems to confront him personally.
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the woman sitting across from him—a face that practically broadcasted I am the smartest being alive.
A sudden, mischievous urge seized him.
He hooked the corner of his lips into a sly grin and beckoned her with a curl of his finger.
“Fine.
Then, Madam Herta, lean in a bit closer.
I’ll tell you personally exactly where that ‘other Herta’ is hiding.”
She didn’t hesitate.
Driven by insatiable curiosity, Herta stood and closed the distance, stepping right into his space.
A faint, unexpectedly pleasant fragrance drifted from her—something reminiscent of fresh bellflowers.
[Entered optimal extraction range.
Extract Destiny Cards of target Herta?]
Extract, Kazuki commanded silently.
[Extracting…
100%]
[Extraction complete]
[Obtained card: Emanator of Beauty]
[Card ownership: Herta]
[Card Wishes: 1.
A sense of being alive.
2.
Obtain a piece of the extraordinary Mirror.
3.
Require Kazuki to recite and perfectly perform the “Coronet of Light Dust: Hymn of the Knights of Beauty”.
4.
Have at least three beings at the Emanator level or above sincerely praise “Madam Herta’s beauty is peerless”.
5.
Cleanse evil, resolve an evil event that would at least affect an entire star system.]
[Difficulty: Extremely difficult]
[Card Status: Transformable, wishes unfulfilled, can be stored in card slot]
Kazuki’s eyelashes twitched violently.
His pupils contracted to pinpricks, and his entire body locked up, frozen in absolute stillness.
Holy crap?!
It actually turned gold?!
Panic flared in his chest.
Wait!
This is bad!
He snapped back to reality, acutely aware that he was standing mere inches from Herta’s face.
A massive emotional fluctuation like that was impossible to hide from someone so perceptive.
Just as he feared, Herta blinked her beautiful, purple gem-like eyes.
She reached out, her cool finger nonchalantly lifting his chin.
The playfulness in her tone was thick enough to cut.
“Little one, why are you suddenly so scared?” she murmured, her gaze dropping to his chest.
“Your heart rate is accelerating.
What, could it be that my charm is just too much for you?
Making your little heart flutter?”
“Your thoughts are very dangerous, you know~”
As she spoke, she casually brushed a lock of hair over her shoulder.
The corners of her eyes narrowed slightly, painting the perfect picture of a wicked woman who finally had her prey cornered.
She’s so pretty.
ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭
“Your thoughts are very dangerous, you know~”
Kazuki’s muscles pulled taut.
Even though he had been the one to invite her closer, he now reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stomped on.
He stumbled two steps backward, looking exactly like an innocent, naive boy caught completely off guard by a predatory older sister.
The plan had changed.
It seemed…
he was going to have to pay another visit to the Herta Space Station.
[Elysian’s Note:
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