"Then I'll go to Amphoreus too. Whether it's about Stelle and the others or Little March's problem, I'll find out what's happening once I get inside and take a look."
"Miss Lumina, you're going to Amphoreus?" Hearing Lumina's words, a hint of joy immediately appeared on Welt's face.
"Hold on, don't go yet. Let me check it out first," Herta interjected, stopping Lumina.
"Hmm... What if something goes wrong?"
"How about I go first? To prevent any unexpected incidents."
Lumina expressed her concern about Herta's proposal.
While it would take at least an Emanator-level combatant to even threaten Herta—and even then, they couldn't kill her instantly, giving Lumina plenty of time to intervene—there was still a minuscule chance.
What if they encountered a being above an Emanator, and Herta was instantly killed? The probability was almost as low as discovering that your best friend of ten years was secretly the Aeon of Elation, but it wasn't zero.
That's why Lumina couldn't rest easy.
If there was even a chance, wasn't it practically a suicide mission?
"Hey, hey, hey, are you looking down on Madam Herta?" Although Lumina hadn't said a word, Herta, knowing her so well, instantly guessed what she was thinking: that Herta might step into Amphoreus only to be inexplicably slapped to death a moment later.
Setting aside why her imagination was so vivid, the mere fact that Lumina thought she might die was enough to seriously annoy Herta.
It's one thing not to wish me a triumphant return, but you're actually wishing for my death?
Has your brain gone haywire?
Hmm... A haywire brain might not be so bad.
Then she'd do whatever I say...
But alas, her brain isn't that broken.
Thinking this, Herta's gaze fell on Lumina's head, a flicker of regret in her eyes.
Lumina: ?
Feeling Herta's stare and seeing the regret in her eyes, a large question mark slowly materialized above Lumina's head.
Without dwelling on it, Lumina relented.
"Alright, alright. Just be careful."
"If you run into any danger, remember to retreat. I'll handle it."
As Lumina instructed Herta, she couldn't resist flexing her own power.
"Hmph, do you need an introduction?"
"Standing before you is Genius Society #83, an Emanator of Erudition, the true master of the Space Station, the Imaginary..."
Herta wanted Lumina to rely on her, not the other way around.
That's why Lumina's words grated on her so much.
Isn't she just underestimating me?
If it had been anyone else, Herta wouldn't have even bothered to react.
"Alright, alright, I get it~ Stop nagging, Madam Herta, stop nagging," Lumina chuckled, raising her hands in surrender.
"Hmph." Herta snorted coldly, then turned to Welt. "Give me the coordinates for Amphoreus."
Welt recited the coordinates and added a reminder, "Madam Herta, those are the Train's coordinates. You'll need to travel a bit further from there."
"Yes, I know. Leave the rest to the genius."
"You all just wait here. In a little while, the genius will solve all your current problems in one fell swoop."
With "confidence" written all over her face, Herta began inputting the coordinates Welt had given her into Herta's Magic Mirror, then started calibrating it.
"Miss Lumina, will Madam Herta be alright on her own?" Welt asked Lumina worriedly, watching Herta adjust the mirror, preparing to project herself to Amphoreus.
Amphoreus was home to three Paths. Extracting someone from such a place would be anything but simple.
"Don't worry. Herta's strength far exceeds her fame," Lumina said, shaking her head at Welt's concern.
Lumina didn't believe anything in Amphoreus could truly threaten Herta.
To be precise, Lumina meant that nothing in Amphoreus could harm Herta's main body by attacking one of her illusions.
Even Lumina herself couldn't do that.
Well, not entirely. Like with Polka Kakamond before, Lumina could use an illusion to pinpoint the true body's location and then—in a feat akin to hunting someone down through their internet connection—eliminate them.
But as for killing Herta's main body by attacking an illusion? That was genuinely beyond Lumina's abilities.
She could, however, cause some mental turmoil.
Although Lumina highly doubted anyone in Amphoreus possessed power equal to her own, she couldn't completely rule out the possibility...
"Alright, I'm off. Wait for my return."
Soon after, Herta finished her adjustments. After a quick word to the group, she stepped through the mirror-generated illusion and arrived at the Astral Express.
"Hmph, interesting."
Gazing at Amphoreus before her, Herta shot through the mirror once more.
"Just wait. Whether it's Stelle, Dan Heng, Little Swarm, or Little March, they'll all be fine." Lumina soothed Welt, noticing his growing anxiety.
A wisp of green gas silently flowed into Welt's body, calming his restless heart.
"Hah... Thank you, Miss Lumina." Welt said gratefully, feeling the change within him.
"You're welcome," Lumina replied with a gentle smile.
"Wait patiently. Herta will definitely bring back good news."
-
Time trickled by, and after an indeterminate period, Herta's consciousness, which had traveled to Amphoreus through the mirror's illusion, returned to her true body.
"Tch..."
"Lumina, do you have anything to pack?"
Herta's expression soured the moment she returned from Amphoreus, as if she'd just suffered a major setback.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Lumina asked, her curiosity piqued by the sight.
To see Madam Herta wearing such a look made Lumina intensely curious about what had transpired on Amphoreus.
"I was threatened by some Intellitron," Herta grumbled, her face etched with annoyance.
"Hmph. He kept spouting nonsense about 'our mutual destruction is assured.'"
"And kept calling himself 'a Lord Ravager.' Does he really think I'm scared?"
"If it weren't for the civilians on Amphoreus and the Stellaron Spirits, I would have already unleashed an Imaginary Collapse on him."
Herta snorted coldly. Just as she'd said, the only reason she hadn't lost her temper on the spot was because of the civilians on Amphoreus.
"A Lord Ravager?" Lumina's eyes widened in understanding.
She reached into her personal space and pulled out the sleeping Phantylia Kitten, dangling it in front of Herta.
"Herta, I think you need this."
"What is this thing?"
"Hmm?"
"Hmm?!"
At first, Herta was merely confused by the kitten Lumina had produced. But soon, under Lumina's deliberate manipulation, she felt the aura emanating from the tiny creature before her.
"Go on, Lord Ravager. Let out a meow to prove your strength," Lumina chuckled, addressing the bewildered Phantylia Kitten she held by the scruff.
"Meow? (What?)"
The Phantylia Kitten looked utterly baffled. It stared at Herta, then raised a tiny paw to scratch its face, looking utterly adorable.