“Hey, Puppet big sis, I’m leaving this place. Do you want to come with me?”
Although Little Herta had decided to pack up and bolt, she didn’t immediately turn around and leave.
Instead, she asked the Herta Puppet who had helped her.
“Come with you? Where are you going?”
“I’m running away from here. Being Madam Herta’s kitchen assistant is too dangerous!”
Little Herta made no attempt to hide her intentions and added earnestly:
“Madam Herta will definitely be angry when she realizes I’m gone. Then, once she discovers that you helped me, she might take her anger out on you. My conscience wouldn’t be able to bear that.”
“So let’s run away together!”
“…”
The Herta Puppet looked Little Herta up and down as though she were an idiot, then waved a hand.
“I’ll pass. Come back soon.”
Her tone was like that of an older sister shooing away a younger sister who wanted to invite her out to play.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean Madam Herta will definitely catch you and bring you back. Good luck.”
“I… Tch!”
Little Herta wanted to argue, but when she remembered that her opponent was Madam Herta, she lost confidence in her escape.
In the end, she could only click her tongue and say:
“Fine, then. I’m leaving.”
Little Herta turned and walked away.
“Wait.”
“Have you changed your mind?”
Little Herta stopped and looked back at the Herta Puppet.
“The exit is over there.”
The Herta Puppet pointed at a door in the opposite direction from where Little Herta was heading, then added:
“If you don’t know the way, connect to Herta City’s network and follow the navigation.”
As a transmigrator, she had actually gone the wrong way.
“…I knew that!”
Little Herta shouted, trying to conceal her embarrassment with sheer force of personality, then hurried toward the door the Herta Puppet had indicated.
[Beep—Authentication complete. Herta Puppet No. 4423.]
As soon as she reached the entrance, the door automatically scanned Little Herta and opened.
Looking at the open door, Little Herta turned back toward the Herta Puppet standing ramrod straight inside the room, watching her.
“I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”
“…”
The Herta Puppet didn’t respond.
Little Herta didn’t wait for one either and decisively stepped through the doorway.
“Number Seven.”
Just after Little Herta walked out, the Herta Puppet suddenly spoke.
“What?”
“My designation. Herta Puppet No. 0007. Goodbye, Herta Puppet No. 4423.”
As Herta Puppet No.
0007 finished speaking, the laboratory door closed.
Little Herta stared blankly at the tightly shut door.
She hadn’t expected that seemingly ordinary Herta Puppet to have a single-digit designation.
She was one of the first Herta Puppets Madam Herta had ever created.
Of course, surprised as she was, Little Herta wasn’t about to let that stop her!
Step One: Leave the laboratory—complete!
Step Two: Escape Herta City before Herta returned!
“Let me see the route out of here…”
Remembering Herta Puppet No.
0007’s reminder, Little Herta connected to Herta City’s network and searched for a route out.
So Herta City was in space?
And the only way to leave was aboard a spacecraft from the spaceport?
She might as well check out the spaceport first.
Through the network, she quickly confirmed the route to Herta City’s spaceport and set off in that direction.
“There really are as many Herta Puppets in Herta City as there are Pikachu by the roadside.”
As Little Herta headed toward the spaceport, she observed the scenery along the way.
The enormous Herta City was filled with technological structures.
Overhead was a simulated sky like the Xianzhou’s, while orderly, busy Herta Puppets could be seen everywhere.
It didn’t look at all like a structure floating in space.
If she hadn’t been destined to work in Herta’s kitchen, she would’ve quite liked to stay in Herta City, with its countless Herta Puppets, and live alongside them.
But now, no number of Herta Puppets could stop her!
Once she reached the spaceport, she would steal a spacecraft, warp away into the sea of stars, and lose herself in the vast universe.
She refused to believe there wasn’t anywhere she could hide from Herta!
And with the hardware specifications and combat capabilities of her Herta Puppet body…
At that thought, she strode forward and couldn’t help humming a song:
“I’ve got courage, I’m not afraid~♪ Be it winter or summer~♪ I’m so strong, taking big strides~♪ Nothing can stop my steps~♪”
“What is she doing?”
Little Herta’s behavior drew curious looks from some of the Herta Puppets in Herta City.
“Who knows? Don’t block the way.”
Most of the Herta Puppets merely glanced at the Herta Puppet singing a strange song before returning to their work.
Even the curious Herta Puppets had no intention of stopping Little Herta for a chat.
And so, with the access privileges Little Herta already possessed as a Herta Puppet, she traveled through Herta City without obstruction and could even use all kinds of transportation.
Before long, she arrived at Herta City’s spaceport.
“Let me find a spacecraft with warp capability~”
As soon as she reached the spaceport, Little Herta began searching for a spacecraft capable of warping.
Then she encountered an even greater obstacle than when she’d been unable to move without a body!
[Beep—Authentication complete. Herta Puppet No. 4423. Insufficient access privileges. Spaceport spacecraft cannot be dispatched!]
She, Herta Puppet No.
4423, did not have permission to leave Herta City!
“How could this happen…?”
Little Herta OTZ.jpg
“Move, move!”
“Out of the way!”
“Don’t just stand there!”
Just then, a huge crowd of Herta Puppets suddenly converged and swept past her.
They shoved and bumped into Little Herta, who was blocking the way, dragging her along in the same direction.
“Wait, where are we going?”
Caught in the crowd—or rather, the swarm of Puppets—Little Herta voiced her confusion.
“Madam Herta is coming back! We’re obviously going to fight for a good spot! Hurry up!”
Huh?
She was coming back already?
The moment Little Herta heard this, she tried to break away from the swarm of Puppets.
Unfortunately, there was strength in numbers.
In the end, she was swept all the way to a spacecraft berth and left standing among the many Puppets.
Then she saw an enormous spacecraft slowly descend from the sky and land before them.
The hatch gradually opened, and Herta emerged with elegant steps.
She really was back…
Looking at Herta, Little Herta felt somewhat anxious.
She knew Herta would soon discover she was missing.
“Madam Herta!” xN
Just as Little Herta was growing nervous, all the Puppets suddenly shouted in unison.
“Huh?”
Little Herta froze for a second among the crowd of Puppets, then heard them continue:
“Peerless beneath the heavens!” xN
Oh, it was automatic praise!
Once she understood what was happening, Little Herta hurriedly joined in to avoid being discovered:
“Madam Herta is supremely intelligent!” xN
“Madam Herta’s beauty makes fish sink and wild geese fall!” xN
“Hmm?”
Had one of the Puppets been half a beat late just now?
After listening to the Puppets’ cheers, Herta swept her gaze over them and said:
“Again.”
“Madam Herta is peerless beneath the heavens! Madam Herta is supremely intelligent! Madam Herta’s beauty makes fish sink and wild geese fall!” xN
Their voices were perfectly synchronized.
Not a single Puppet was half a beat late.
Had she heard wrong?
Forget it.
She should first check on the Puppet she’d left lying on the assembly table.
“All right, everyone, dismissed~”
She decided to inspect these Herta Puppets later, when she had time.
For now, she was more concerned about the special individual born today.
After all, although every Herta Puppet had a personality simulation system, not every Herta Puppet possessed such a strong sense of self and individuality.
★ ★ ★
T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me!