Amphoreus, within Okhema.
"Hmm, these delicate Golden Threads... they must be some kind of sensing Skill."
"Should we block this Skill?"
As Herta stepped into Okhema, she sensed the city's near-total coverage by Golden Threads and turned to Lumina for guidance.
"Herta, do you care if others sense your presence?" Lumina replied with a counter-question, offering no direct answer.
"Why would I care about that?" Herta responded, genuinely puzzled.
"These Golden Threads are too weak; they can only sense our presence, not our thoughts."
"Even if I set up no defenses, it would merely inform her of our arrival in Okhema."
"Judging by the aura emanating from these Golden Threads, she's likely the leader of this city-state and an elegant woman. That's why I asked for your opinion."
Herta's voice was soft, her tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"As expected of Madam Herta," Lumina sighed, "to deduce from a single Golden Thread that its Master is an elegant and beautiful young woman." Hearing Herta's words, even Lumina couldn't help but sigh in admiration, marveling at Madam Herta's unparalleled intellect.
In response to Lumina's praise, Herta maintained her usual calm expression, showing no sign of pleasure at the compliment.
However, this time was different from all previous occasions.
In the past, Herta had always felt a quiet sense of satisfaction in her heart whenever Lumina praised her, even though her face remained impassive.
But this time was different. This time, no joy stirred within her.
"Hmph."
Instead, Herta let out a cold snort.
"I merely stated that the Master of the Golden Threads is an elegant woman. When did I ever say she was an elegant and beautiful young woman?"
"Uh..." Lumina stammered, caught off guard by Herta's retort.
After a moment of thought, she slowly replied, "It's quite simple, really. Such an elegant woman, serving as the leader of a city-state... For the sake of her public image, she would naturally take great care of her appearance."
"As the leader of a city-state, she's certainly not lacking in funds. She always uses the finest cosmetics Amphoreus has to offer, so her skin and complexion are undoubtedly flawless."
"Considering all these factors, she must be a beautiful young woman."
Lumina presented her argument with such logical precision that it was difficult to find any grounds for rebuttal.
"Hmph," Herta sneered coldly at this explanation.
If she didn't lack a proper reason to dissuade Lumina, Herta would have already knocked her unconscious with a swift blow to the back of her head, stuffed her into a burlap sack, and hauled her away. There would have been no need for this pointless conversation.
"Alright, alright, let's not get bogged down in the details," Lumina said with a faint smile, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender, completely unaware of Herta's slightly dangerous thoughts.
"As newcomers, getting in touch with the city-state's highest authority would provide invaluable insights into Amphoreus and Stelle's situation."
"Besides..."
Lumina gazed down Okhema's streets, her smile deepening.
"I can sense lingering traces of Stelle and Dan Heng's presence here in Okhema."
-
"Hmm... Little Herta," Lumina said.
"You know, we've been wandering around Okhema for so long now. Why hasn't the Master of the Golden Threads sent someone to summon us for a discussion?"
Walking hand-in-hand with Herta through the streets of Okhema, Lumina glanced at the Phantylia Kitten trailing behind them, looking utterly pitiful and yearning to snuggle in her arms for a nap. Ignoring the creature, she turned to Herta.
"How could I possibly know what's on someone else's mind?" Herta retorted, her tone icy. She was deeply annoyed by Lumina holding her hand while clearly thinking about another woman.
Good riddance if no one summons us. Even better if they never come at all.
Ideally, there wouldn't be a single beautiful girl in all of Okhema, or even Amphoreus, who could catch Lumina's eye.
That would save us a lot of trouble and allow us to speedrun Amphoreus.
"Ah, it seems even Madam Herta, Genius Society #83, has her weaknesses," Lumina remarked.
"For example, she's not very good at reading people's hearts."
Herta's frosty reaction was entirely predictable.
Lumina, unfazed, chuckled softly, her voice tinged with a hint of regret.
It was as if she pitied Herta for her weakness: her inability to read people's hearts.
"Heh, do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Herta rolled her eyes, speechless.
Lumina's words were clearly a provocation, an attempt to belittle her strength and trick her into revealing the Answer.
But alas, Madam Herta wouldn't fall for such a crude tactic so easily.
At the same time, Herta couldn't fathom the Master of the Golden Threads' true intentions.
Two Emanators, herself and Lumina, had brazenly entered Okhema, yet no one had been sent to monitor them or ascertain their purpose.
Even Herta struggled to comprehend the leader's logic.
Still, this worked in Herta's favor.
The more foolish the leader was, the easier it would be for her to manipulate him.
If she couldn't control Lumina for now, surely she could handle a mere [Data]?
"Fine, fine. Let's wander around a bit longer then," Herta replied, her answer meeting Lumina's expectations.
With another soft laugh, Lumina added, "If the leader still hasn't sent anyone after a while, we'll take the initiative and go find her ourselves."
"Heh heh heh," Herta chuckled emotionlessly, her expression completely unreadable.
"Hmph."
After her emotionless laughter, Herta glanced down at her small hand clasped in Lumina's, refusing to let go.
Withdrawing her gaze, she let out a cold snort.
"Let's go. I'm thinking about where to wander around."
"This Okhema doesn't seem to have any particularly interesting places."
Having witnessed Herta's earlier behavior, Lumina remained silent, gripping Herta's soft, slender hand even tighter. Lumina found the sensation of holding it remarkably pleasant.
The texture of this small hand was simply too comfortable.
If circumstances allowed, Lumina would gladly hold it for a lifetime!
Of course, she could never voice such thoughts.
Knowing Herta's temperament, such a declaration would likely cause her expression to sour instantly, and she'd snatch her hand away.
That would hardly be worth the risk.
Shaking her head, Lumina mentally placed Herta's hand on a pedestal before continuing to stroll through Okhema's streets with Herta, searching for anything that piqued their interest.
Trailing behind them, the Phantylia Kitten watched the two hand-in-hand figures ahead, a hint of discomfort flickering across her feline face.