Herta kept thinking about Tingyun and Wisteria Cake. Where were they? Why hadn't she heard from them in so long? Especially Wisteria Cake—her strategist. She had sent several messages, all read and ignored.
If it had been anyone else, Herta would have paid them a visit already—to persuade them with reason.
She turned to Ruan Mei. "Ruan Mei, are Tingyun, Wisteria Cake, and Ruan Mei Cake still at your lab?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Ruan Mei's eyes, gone in an instant. Her expression remained cool and detached. "Why do you ask? Do you need them for something?"
Herta stiffened, then quickly waved her hands. "No, nothing. Just curious. Wisteria Cake used to reply to my messages immediately. Now she leaves them on read. And Tingyun still carries that mark of Destruction."
Ruan Mei studied her. She knew that if she showed even a hint of weakness, Herta would press harder. The slightest hesitation, and Herta would guess the truth.
"What's there to be curious about? Are you interested in Phantylia's mark? Do you want to research it?"
Herta shook her head firmly. "Why would I be interested in the Destruction Path? I just want to know where they are."
Asta stepped in, sensing the tension. "Alright, alright. We're here to set ocean lanterns and make wishes." She smiled and handed a purple lotus lantern to Herta, a green one to Ruan Mei, and kept a blue one for herself.
They set their lanterns afloat on the Ancient Sea. The lanterns drifted with the breeze, eventually joining those left by Yukong, Feixiao, and other visitors.
Ruan Mei made her wish silently: May the bouquet from Fu Xuan and Qingque work. May Herta's personality improve. May her excessive tsundere value return to normal. May she confess to me someday next year, and may we walk down the aisle together. May we respect each other, see things from each other's perspective. May Herta learn empathy.
Asta made her wish sincerely: May Madam Herta and Madam Ruan Mei find their way to each other. May they always be healthy and happy. And may my own wish come true in the near future.
Herta, however, spoke hers aloud. "May Ruan Mei always stay by my side. And may the Simulated Universe grow ever more perfect. Machine Head has been a figurehead for too long. I will take their place and usher in a new era of Erudition."
In that instant, an ancient dragon's roar echoed through the Arbor. Herta's lantern—and then every lantern on the Ancient Sea—burst into flames. A chain of fire spread across the water, then faded into nothing.
The tourists and visitors, including Feixiao and Yukong who had not yet left, turned back, bewildered and complaining.
"What happened?! I just set my lantern!"
"Someone's wish must have been so outrageous that every lantern rejected it!"
"Maybe someone wished the Reignbow Arbiter and the Plaguesauthor would get together!"
"Or maybe the wish insulted the Lord of Changle, so divine fire punished it."
The crowd speculated. Who could have made such an outrageous wish?
Ruan Mei and Asta stared at Herta in disbelief.
Herta blinked. "What? Why are you both looking at me like that?"
Asta shrugged and sighed. "Madam Herta, you're not supposed to say your wish aloud. You're supposed to think it. And the ancient dragon spirits here aren't powerful enough to handle wishes about Aeons."
Herta's expression shifted. "Oh. I'll remember that."
Yukong and Feixiao returned, glancing at Herta and Ruan Mei. This had never happened before. The wishes must have been truly absurd.
Yukong smiled politely and handed them three new lanterns. "Here. When you make your wish, please don't involve any Aeons."
"Thank you." Yukong and Feixiao set their own lanterns again. The other visitors followed suit.
After Ruan Mei and Asta made their wishes again, they both turned to Herta. Her face was pale, her brow furrowed.
"Herta, what's wrong?"
Herta stared at the lantern in her hands. A vague sense of crisis gnawed at her—an unease she couldn't explain or calculate. Like she had lost something. Her home? She couldn't quite describe it.
"I'm fine. I didn't wish to replace Machine Head this time."
Ruan Mei handed her a freshly preserved plum cake. "Then set the lantern."
Herta nodded. Just as she was about to release it and silently wish to stay with Ruan Mei forever, a Herta puppet rushed toward her, panicked.
"Madam Herta! You have to save Herta Ninety-Nine and Herta #33!"
Herta frowned. "Who are you?"
"I'm Herta #22. Herta #3156 and millions of puppets have declared Lingsha the new Lord of Herta City. They've renamed it Lingruan City. Lingsha brazenly said she would win Madam Ruan Mei and make you live in endless regret and despair. Herta Ninety-Nine and Herta #33 refused to betray you, so Lingsha is using your own methods against them—persuading them with reason!"
Ruan Mei and Asta were stunned. They knew Herta treated her puppets poorly—arrogant, dismissive, tyrannical. Years of resentment had festered. It was only natural that some would rebel. But Lingsha becoming the new lord of Herta City? That was a different matter entirely.
Herta's face darkened. She set down the lantern and gripped her magic key. Around her, space-time rippled and frost gathered.
"Asta, take care of Ruan Mei. I'm going to meet this new lord."
"You don't need to come see me."