Under Ruan Mei and Herta’s expectant gazes, Little Herta imported her record of Nous’s calculations into the space station’s main computer.
The two geniuses renowned across the cosmos immediately crowded around the console like children who had just received candy and began studying it.
They even left Little Herta, the person directly involved, off to the side.
“No, the data package is too large. We can’t decompress it.”
Herta discovered a problem almost immediately: what Little Herta had imported into the computer was a compressed file.
The file was simply too large.
The space station’s computer lacked the processing power to unpack it completely.
“Herta, didn’t you create a virtual world for studying Aeons?”
Ruan Mei offered Herta a suggestion.
Herta had created a virtual world composed entirely of code to study the universe’s Paths and Aeons.
Ruan Mei and another genius, Screwllum, had both helped with it.
The resources it consumed and its computing power far surpassed the space station’s main computer.
“You mean the metaverse? That is a good idea.”
Herta immediately stood up.
“I suggest you change the name.”
Ruan Mei followed her.
“Why?”
“It’s too dated.”
And just like that, the two geniuses walked straight out of the research room, exchanging remarks as they went.
‘There was also the copyright issue.’
Watching the two geniuses leave, Little Herta silently added that thought before glancing around the research room, where she was now the only one left.
“Did they forget about me? Does that mean I’m free?”
[Herta: If you want to play, go play. Just don’t leave the space station. Your quantum jump device and its accompanying goggles are in the third drawer of the workbench to your left.]
Just as Little Herta thought she was free, her core suddenly received a message from Herta.
“…Tch!”
‘Why has my unreasonableness module been restricted?!’
Little Herta tried activating her unreasonableness module, only to discover that although it was still present in her core, external restrictions prevented her from using it.
In other words, she could no longer run away like before.
As long as she remained within range of the long-range telemetry link, Herta could take control of her body at any time.
Left with no choice, Little Herta opened the drawer Herta had mentioned.
Inside, she found the quantum jump device she had previously made and its accompanying goggles, which should have already been broken.
“She fixed them and even upgraded them?”
Little Herta put on the device and goggles and ran a check.
She discovered that Herta had not only repaired her goggles but also upgraded and optimized both little gadgets.
The quantum jump device could now connect directly to her machine-intelligence core.
A single command was enough to teleport.
The same went for the goggles.
She didn’t need to wear them over her eyes; they would function as long as they were somewhere on her body.
“Then I’ll wear them on my head!”
After confirming that the goggles didn’t need to cover her eyes, Little Herta found a polished mirror.
Imitating Silver Wolf, she pushed the tactical goggles onto her head, right beside her little beret.
“Perfect!”
After striking several poses, Little Herta nodded in satisfaction.
They looked somewhat out of place with her outfit, but she was quite pleased with them.
“So, what should I do next?”
Looking at herself in the mirror, Little Herta crossed her arms and began thinking now that she no longer needed to flee and finally had some free time.
In the past, whenever she was bored, she would usually take out her phone, play Honkai: Star Rail, and start a round of Currency Wars.
But now that she was already inside Honkai: Star Rail, forget launching the game—she didn’t even have a phone.
Admittedly, she could connect directly to the internet now.
But downloading things from the internet directly into her core…
Little Herta was afraid of catching a virus.
Star Rail might look like a vibrant, flourishing world, but this place was known as the anime War Hammer.
Countless civilizations were born and destroyed here every day, and there were just as many Path-obsessed lunatics wielding terrifying power.
If she caught some bizarre virus or visited a shady website like a certain twin-tailed girl in red and took out an Interastral Peace loan, she wouldn’t even have anywhere to cry.
Oh, wait.
If it was the Interastral Peace Corporation, she could invoke her identity as a Herta puppet and probably resolve the issue using Herta’s name.
‘Yeah, I should still get a phone.’
With that thought, Little Herta sent Herta a message.
[Puppet 4423: Mom!]
[Herta: ?]
[Herta: Get to the point.]
Although she was studying the data Little Herta had provided together with Ruan Mei, Herta still made time to reply.
Little Herta changed her nickname, then sent another message:
[Little Herta: I want a phone.]
[Herta: Ask Asta.]
Herta didn’t understand why Little Herta needed a phone when she could connect to the internet, but she still gave her a solution.
[Little Herta: Oh.]
[Little Herta: By the way, I’ve seen the big machine now. Does that mean I’m a genius too?]
[Herta: …]
“Hah.”
Herta, who was conducting research with Ruan Mei, let out an exasperated chuckle. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“What is it?”
Ruan Mei noticed and asked.
“Some little idiot made me laugh from sheer exasperation.”
After answering, Herta composed a reply and sent it to Little Herta:
[Herta: Set foot upon a Path first.]
“…”
‘So I haven’t even set foot upon a Path?’
Little Herta felt a little disappointed as she read Herta’s reply.
She had assumed that since she had already met Nous, even if she wasn’t a genius, she must at least have set foot upon the Path of Erudition.
But it turned out she wasn’t even a Pathstrider…
“Forget it. So what if I’m not?”
Little Herta quickly came to terms with it.
She wasn’t the protagonist.
She didn’t need to punch the Iron Curtain or elbow Nanook.
All she wanted was a carefree life.
Whether she was a Pathstrider hardly mattered to her.
She might as well go find Asta and get herself a phone.
Master Control Zone.
“Ask, don’t ask, ask, don’t ask…”
Three days had passed since Madam Herta left the infirmary.
During that time, Madam Herta had remained in the space station’s research room and even summoned Madam Ruan Mei.
She seemed extremely busy.
Asta had been hesitating over whether to disturb Madam Herta and ask what had happened to the special Herta puppet she had been chasing.
She still remembered that when she found the injured Madam Herta, the device that had been on the Herta puppet’s wrist was strapped around Madam Herta’s wrist instead.
She remembered that the little puppet had to tap that device every time she teleported with Asta.
Could that adorable little puppet have died, or perhaps been dismantled by Madam Herta?
“Sigh, I’m so worried…”
“Worried about what?”
A familiar voice came from beside her.
“That special Herta puppet from before… Huh? You’re that little puppet! How did your hair get so short?”
Asta was delighted to discover that the one questioning her was the very puppet she had been worried about.
Although her hair was shorter, the device on her wrist and the goggles on her head were still there.
Their appearances had merely undergone a few minor improvements.
★ ★ ★
T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me!