“Is this the planet’s auction house? It really is magnificent!” Himeko looked up at the grand architecture before her, her red hair gleaming under the lights.
The huge dome structure made her burst into admiration.
Welt pushed up his glasses: “Ms. Herta told us it’s Auction House No. 4. I’ll go ask the staff for the exact location.” He walked toward the front desk with steady strides.
“Hello, could you tell me how to get to Auction House No. 4?” Welt asked politely.
The receptionist looked up, seeing an elegant middle-aged gentleman, and smiled professionally: “An invitation letter is required to enter Auction House No. 4.”
“Wait a moment, I’ll go confirm.” Welt turned around and returned to his companions, “Himeko, did Herta send you an invitation letter?”
“Ah, there is indeed an electronic invitation.” Himeko realized, pulling up the email from her phone.
The three of them came to the front desk again.
When the receptionist lady saw Herta’s exclusive electronic seal, her pupils dilated slightly: “G-Guests, please follow me!” Her attitude immediately became much more respectful, and she personally led them toward the internal elevator, “This is the exclusive elevator directly to Auction House No. 4. I wish you all a pleasant auction!”
The elevator descended smoothly.
When the doors opened again, a luxurious and private box came into view.
Himeko walked to the floor-to-ceiling window first, overlooking the auction stage below: “The view is really nice.”
“It seems the auction will still take a while. We might as well rest first,” Welt suggested.
Kal’tsit nodded, a light green glow appearing on her fingertips, and mon3tr was instantly released from the Memory Spirit Space.
“Mmm~ Doctor Kal’tsit~” As soon as mon3tr appeared, she pressed close like a clingy kitten.
Kal’tsit pressed one hand against her forehead: “Want to be hung on the front of the Astral Express again?”
mon3tr froze instantly, sitting on the sofa reluctantly, yet still staying close to Kal’tsit, able to touch her with just a slight turn of her body.
Himeko couldn’t help but smile at this scene.
Although the interaction between this master and servant looked very much like a sweet couple, she knew Kal’tsit would never have that kind of thought.
Nevertheless, this didn’t stop her from secretly shipping this CP.
On the other side, Welt was using his phone to contact Dan Heng on the Astral Express:
Alahato (Welt): [Have you chosen your room?]
Dan Heng: [I’ve decided to stay in the Archives, which is convenient for organizing data.]
Alahato (Welt): [This…]
Dan Heng: [My mind is made up.]
Alahato (Welt): [Alright. If you aren’t used to living there, you can change it anytime.]
Dan Heng: [Thanks, but no need.]
“Has Dan Heng chosen his room?” Himeko noticed Welt putting down his phone.
Welt nodded: “Yeah, he chose the Archives.”
“The Archives, huh…” Himeko said thoughtfully, “As the Astral Express data archivist? Well, this is his own choice.”
Kal’tsit unwrapped a candy and casually popped it into mon3tr’s mouth: “Young people have their own thoughts, elders don’t need to interfere too much.” Her voice was calm, but mon3tr’s expression of squinting eyes in happiness softened the atmosphere of the entire box a bit.
Just then, the box’s communicator rang: “Respected guests, the auction is about to begin, please take your seats…”
mon3tr immediately sat up straight, but secretly scooted another half an inch closer to Kal’tsit.
Kal’tsit’s cat ears twitched slightly, pretending not to notice this little action.
Down on the auction stage, the host was already in place.
As the auction drew to a close, the host mysteriously announced: “Next is the finale lot of this event—the town treasure of the local famous antique shop ‘Xinghai Pavilion’: the Rating Pistol!” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
The lights in the venue dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the display stand.
The staff carefully carried out a quaint wooden box, opening it to reveal a strangely shaped pistol, with an eyeball on the muzzle rolling back and forth as if looking at something.
“This Rating Pistol,” the host said passionately, “can give a score from 0 to 100 to anything! It is a Curio.”
mon3tr leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, her emerald eyes sparkling: “Doctor Kal’tsit! This Engagement Gun is so interesting!”
Kal’tsit’s cat ears pricked up alertly: “Don’t move around, sit properly. That’s a Rating Pistol, not an Engagement Gun.”
Bidding had already begun below, and the price was rising rapidly.
Himeko glanced at the budget provided by Herta and calmly pressed the bidding device: “20 million credits.”
The whole audience was in an uproar.
Welt pushed up his glasses: “This price…”
“Rest assured,” Himeko said with full confidence, “Herta’s provided budget is very ample.”
In the end, as the hammer fell, the Rating Pistol was sold for 25 million credits.
The staff quickly delivered the lot to the box, and mon3tr eagerly leaned forward: “Let me try!”
mon3tr enthusiastically picked up the bizarrely shaped Rating Pistol, the large eyeball on the gun body spinning around.
She aimed the muzzle at the fruit plate on the table and shouted excitedly: “Score!”
The Rating Pistol’s large eyeball blinked, and after carefully scanning the fruit plate, projected a glaring red number above the gun body: [0]
“Wow!
It really can score!” mon3tr’s black hair fluttered with her turning movement, her emerald eyes sparkling, “Doctor Kal’tsit, you try it too!”
Kal’tsit took the Rating Pistol with slight helplessness, her silver-white cat ears twitching slightly.
She casually turned the muzzle toward mon3tr and pulled the trigger——
The gun body suddenly vibrated violently, the large eyeball spinning frantically, and finally projected a line of flashing text: [Unable to determine]
The entire box instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
mon3tr’s shadow form unconsciously manifested, her emerald eyes wide open.
Kal’tsit also rarely showed an expression of surprise, her light green pupils contracting slightly.
“Ahem…” Himeko cleared her throat tactically, her eyes beneath her red hair carrying a smile, “It seems mon3tr’s strength is very strong, even the Rating Pistol can’t evaluate it.”
Kal’tsit quickly regained her composure and put the Rating Pistol back into the box: “Hmm… As a summon of the Emanator of Memory, mon3tr’s power indeed exceeds the conventional measurement range.” Her tone remained calm.
Afterward, Himeko and Welt also curiously tried it.
When Himeko got a score of [47], she pouted: “It seems I still need to work harder.” Welt pushed up his glasses, looking thoughtful at his score of [53].
And when Kal’tsit tested again, the Rating Pistol still showed [Unable to determine], and the large eyeball even closed as if scared.
“It seems Emanator-level ones cannot be determined.
Alright, it’s time to go back,” Welt put away the Rating Pistol and said steadily, “Don’t let Conductor Pom-Pom and Dan Heng wait too long.”
Himeko stood up gracefully, her red hair cascading down like a waterfall: “We still have to go to the Herta Space Station first and hand this Curio over to Ms. Herta.”
mon3tr floated over to Kal’tsit’s side, muttering softly: “Doctor Kal’tsit, that big eyeball seems really scared of you…”
Kal’tsit glanced at her indifferently: “Speak another word and you’ll be hung on the system for another hour.”
When everyone left the box, no one noticed that the Rating Pistol’s large eyeball secretly opened a crack, fearfully watching Kal’tsit’s receding figure…
Returning to the Astral Express, Pom-Pom had been waiting for a long time: “You all came back just in time, per! Dinner is ready, per!”
Dan Heng poked his head out from the Archives: “Was the auction smooth?”
Himeko shook the metal box in her hand: “Very smooth.
But…” She smiled mysteriously, “Some interesting little episodes happened.”
mon3tr eagerly floated in front of Dan Heng: “Dan Heng, Dan Heng! That Rating Pistol gave me [Unable to determine]! Just like Doctor Kal’tsit!”
Kal’tsit gave a light cough: “mon3tr, quiet.”
“Yes~” mon3tr obediently floated back behind Kal’tsit, but when no one was paying attention, she quietly grabbed a corner of the doctor’s lab coat.
“There’s only one warp left until the Herta Space Station, per! Please get ready, passengers, per!” Pom-Pom walked with its short legs, bouncing all the way to the Observation Car to notify everyone.
A few minutes later, everyone had gathered in the Observation Car.
Kal’tsit stood by the porthole, her silver-white short hair reflecting the starlight; mon3tr turned back into her shadow form, wrapping around the doctor’s neck like a scarf; Dan Heng stood quietly in the corner, his eyes beneath his dark hair thoughtful.
“Warp countdown starting—” Pom-Pom’s voice came from the broadcast, “3… 2… 1…”
The familiar blue light enshrouded the entire Astral Express once again, all scenery instantly stretching into gorgeous flowing light.
mon3tr’s shadow fluctuated excitedly: “Doctor, look! The stars outside have turned rainbow-colored!”
After the warp ended, Welt pushed up his glasses and looked at the magnificent building suspended in the orbit of the azure planet outside the porthole—the Herta Space Station.
The silver-white main structure gleamed under the stellar irradiation, and several circular module sections rotated slowly, displaying an astonishing level of technology.
“That is…” Dan Heng showed an expression of surprise for the first time.
“That’s right,” Himeko explained with a smile, “The private Space Station of Genius Society #83, Ms. Herta, one of the top scientific research facilities in the universe.”
Kal’tsit’s cat ears twitched slightly: “Prepare for docking. mon3tr, don’t wrap so tightly.”
“Oh~” mon3tr loosened up reluctantly, but still maintained a distance that was close yet apart.
Pom-Pom was busy in front of the console: “Sending docking request, per… Ah! The other party has replied, per!”
The Space Station’s docking bay slowly opened, and the guiding beam pointed the way for the Astral Express.
With a slight vibration, the Astral Express docked steadily inside the Space Station.
“Let’s go,” Welt picked up the metal box containing the Rating Pistol, “Ms. Herta should already be waiting for us.”
As everyone walked toward the cabin door, mon3tr suddenly asked as if remembering something: “By the way, that Ms. Herta… is she easy to get along with?”
Kal’tsit adjusted the collar of her lab coat: “She has many puppet bodies, and her personality is… quite special.”
The moment the cabin door opened, a petite figure was floating on the docking platform—it was an exquisitely crafted puppet, its long purple hair fluttering without wind, its purple eyes flashing with non-human wisdom.
“Ah, you’re finally here.” The Herta Puppet’s voice carried an electronic texture, “Let me see that little thing…”
Her gaze locked directly onto the metal box in Welt’s hand, the corners of her mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
mon3tr unconsciously hid behind Kal’tsit, her emerald eyes full of vigilance.
“Isn’t it very sincere for this first transaction to be met by my Herta Puppet? The money has already been transferred to your account, and subsequent calibration of the Curio will be handled by my Station Manager Asta. Alright, I have other things to do so I won’t chat with you anymore.”
The Herta Puppet went offline, carrying the box as she walked toward the Curio Collection Room.