"Is this Okhema? I thought it would be some tiny village, but it's quite impressive."
Amphoreus, Okhema.
Accelerating their pace, the two quickly reached the outskirts of Okhema City.
Herta gazed at the bustling metropolis before her, a hint of surprise flickering across her brow.
But it was only a fleeting moment of surprise.
That surprise was quickly replaced by another emotion.
Because,
the prosperity of a city-state meant its people were living happily.
And happy people would naturally produce a variety of beautiful girls...
And with all these beautiful girls around, wouldn't Lumina...?
Herta pursed her lips, a faint wave of displeasure rising in her heart.
Yet she couldn't voice her feelings.
She was merely Lumina's friend—or, to put it more deeply, her best friend, her soulmate.
But these roles didn't give her the right to tell Lumina to stop meeting other beautiful girls.
After all, Lumina wasn't doing anything untoward with these girls—she was simply getting to know them.
Herta had no legitimate reason or logic to stop her.
Yet a strong urge arose in Herta's heart to prevent Lumina from meeting other beautiful girls.
"This is a shackle imprisoning a Lord Ravager, after all. How could a primitive society possibly contain such a being?"
Lumina hummed softly, then shifted her gaze to the Phantylia Kitten nestled in her arms, releasing Herta's hand. She gently teased the kitten's nose with her finger, whispering, "You agree, right? How could a Lord Ravager be so easily imprisoned?"
"Meow~ (Exactly!)" The Phantylia Kitten, sprawled in Lumina's embrace, paid no attention to her teasing words. After a few perfunctory meows, it curled back into its nap.
"Lumina, how did you manage it?" Herta pressed. "How did you tame a Lord Ravager so completely?"
Seeing the Lord Ravager behaving so docilely, Herta couldn't possibly pretend she wasn't curious. She was deeply intrigued by Lumina's methods—what tricks had she used to make Phantylia willingly become her pet?
"It's simple. All you need is... hmm..." Lumina had initially intended to give Herta a serious answer, but under Herta's curious gaze, a mischievous idea sparked in her mind. A sly smile curled her lips as she blinked suggestively at Herta, signaling, "Madam Herta, if you're truly curious, why not try it yourself?"
"You can't possibly understand just by hearing about it. Only by experiencing it firsthand will you grasp what truly happened."
"Wouldn't you agree, Madam Herta?"
With another playful wink, Lumina concluded.
"..."
"So, Madam Herta, are you willing to give it a try?" Seeing Herta's silent contemplation, Lumina pressed on relentlessly, as if she wouldn't let the matter drop until she received an answer.
"Very well. Come, unleash upon me everything you did to Phantylia."
After a moment of contemplation, Herta's true thoughts remained hidden. She smiled openly, accepting Lumina's "invitation" without hesitation.
"Uh..." Upon hearing this response, Lumina's expression, which had been that of a Witch relishing the manipulation of hearts, suddenly faltered.
Herta's unexpected agreement caught Lumina completely off guard. After all, no matter how you looked at it or thought about it, the means by which a Lord Ravager would willingly become a pet for a mere kitten could never be considered gentle.
Herta couldn't possibly have been unaware of this. Therefore, her agreement to Lumina's invitation came as a complete surprise.
Fine, she agreed.
This agreement would be the perfect opportunity for Lumina to take action against Herta.
Since Herta had willingly dug her own grave and jumped in, Lumina had no reason not to take advantage.
After all, Herta had no idea what Lumina had actually done to the Phantylia Kitten.
Given that, whatever had happened was entirely up to Lumina to define, wasn't it?
Thus, after a brief pause, Lumina began to speak: "Of course, you can—"
"Oh, I was just joking," Herta interrupted. "I'm not a Lord Ravager, why would I care about such things?"
Herta spread her hands, her innocent expression clearly laced with amusement.
Lumina: ...
Without a doubt, Lumina, who had intended to take advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly toy with Herta, had instead been the one played by Herta.
"Heh, I never imagined the esteemed Madam Herta would resort to lying," Lumina scoffed coldly, realizing she'd been outsmarted.
"As if anyone at our level doesn't lie," Herta retorted, crossing her arms and sneering disdainfully.
Lying is an inevitable part of human growth. Someone who has never lied would be a divine being, not a person.
Herta knew exactly what Lumina would do to her if she agreed, so she wasn't foolish enough to accept.
Herta liked Lumina—no, Herta had affection for Lumina, but she wasn't a masochist. Why would she ever agree to such an invitation?
Besides, Herta's goal was to become Lumina's older sister. If she accepted such a clearly "younger sister"-type invitation, she'd practically be possessed by the Aeon of Elation.
Shaking her head, Herta dismissed the thought and turned her gaze to the bustling Okhema before her.
As she observed, a flicker of realization crossed her brow.
"So that's it. This must be the Rule you mentioned in the Abyss of Fate earlier."
After a brief observation of the Okhema before her, Herta understood why Lumina had previously shielded the Rule.
If Lumina hadn't shielded the Rule and Herta had entered Okhema without observing it first, the entire Okhema would likely have been destroyed.
"This power... it's somewhat similar to Mystery, but not quite Mystery."
"Intriguing. I feel like I could completely repurpose this place as a second Simulated Universe."
As these thoughts swirled through her mind, a fiery glint ignited in Herta's eyes.
She even considered bringing Ruan Mei, Stephen, and Screwllum... well, Screwllum should be arriving soon, so that settles that.
"Madam Herta, I think we should refrain from causing trouble before entering the city," Lumina cautioned, noticing Herta's expression and divining her thoughts.
"Hmm, you're right," Herta nodded in agreement, then casually took Lumina's hand and pulled her toward Okhema City.
"Let's enter Okhema now."
"I want to see how far Amphoreus has progressed."