Chapter 23: Such a Big Diamond, For You!
"You there. You weren't thinking of trying that just now too, were you..."
The Herta puppet narrowed her articulated eyes, her gaze sweeping over Caelus with the dangerous precision of a scalpel.
Had she, an Emanator of Erudition, truly lost her edge? Or were these newcomers simply getting entirely too bold? Why did every single one of them look at her and immediately harbor the overwhelming urge to pick her up and hoist her into the air like a toddler?
"No, no, absolutely not. I am an upstanding citizen," Caelus immediately declared. He arranged his features into a mask of absolute solemnity, though his head shook back and forth like a frantic rattle.
Watching Stelle's earlier encounter had etched a deep realization into his newly-formed brain: the petite doll standing before him was absolutely not someone to trifle with. If he wanted to avoid a severe beating, total honesty was his best survival strategy.
"Do not let Herta's youthful appearance deceive you. Her actual age is quite the mystery," Himeko explained. A light chuckle escaped her lips, her gloved hand rising gracefully to cover her smile. "After all, she successfully achieved cellular rejuvenation a long time ago through her own self-developed Herta Sequence."
"Wow! Rejuvenation!" Caelus gasped, throwing his hands up in a perfectly coordinated display of exaggerated amazement.
"So that explains it! No wonder she looks so tiny. It is the side effect of turning back the clock!" Stelle punched her palm with her fist, her face lighting up with sudden realization.
"And this is not even my original body. It is merely one of many remote-controlled puppets," Herta muttered, bringing a delicate, jointed hand to her porcelain forehead in a helpless facepalm.
She could not shake the feeling that the internal brain circuits of these two newly awakened amnesiacs operated on a completely different wavelength from ordinary humans. She was supposed to be the genius researcher observing her new subjects. Instead, she felt like an exotic zoo animal being poked and prodded through the glass.
Pushing her annoyance aside, Herta began to circle Stelle and Caelus. Her mechanical joints whirred softly in the quiet room as she leaned in, observing them with intense, unblinking scrutiny. "The physical constitutions of these two little ones are indeed peculiar. To actually accommodate a Stellaron perfectly without their bodies breaking down into cosmic dust... fascinating."
"We are not little ones!" Stelle immediately protested, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You have been awake for less than a week. How are you anything but brats?" Herta waved a dismissive hand, brushing off the complaint entirely. "Besides, my brain is far too precious to waste processing power on remembering so many trivial names."
"Then I suppose I should thank you for still remembering mine," Himeko offered, her tone laced with gentle amusement.
"That is entirely different. We have actual business dealings." Herta paused, tilting her head to the side as her artificial brows furrowed. "Wait, what was your name again?"
Before Himeko could answer, the puppet waved both hands in the air. "Forget it, back to the main topic." She pivoted sharply, her attention snapping right back to Stelle and Caelus. "Can I conduct some research on these two little anomalies who can house Stellarons?"
"I cannot make that decision for them. You will have to ask them yourself," Himeko replied, offering a graceful shrug that deferred entirely to the twins' own agency.
"What kind of research exactly?" Caelus asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.
"Researching your bodies, obviously. Walking around with a Stellaron inside your chest is no different from carrying an active, ticking time bomb." Herta planted her hands firmly on her hips, her chin lifting. "Who knows if it will suddenly destabilize and blow you both to smithereens? Now that a certified genius of my caliber is actually willing to help figure it out, you should be falling to your knees in gratitude!"
Her voice pitched higher, gaining momentum as the scientific thrill took over. "This offer only stands because I still have a shred of interest in you right now. Once my passion fades, I will not bother looking your way even if you beg me! But for now, I am willing to accommodate almost anything. Having a Stellaron safely contained inside a human vessel... how incredibly interesting! Give thanks! This is a premium service that the Interstellar Peace Corporation could not buy from me even if they emptied their entire corporate treasury!"
The Herta puppet raised her chin with supreme arrogance, striking a pose that, despite her haughty attitude, looked undeniably cute.
"Do you understand what she is offering, Stelle, Caelus?" Himeko stepped in, her voice a soothing contrast to the genius's rapid-fire demands. "Herta wants you to stay here on the Space Station."
"Ugh, do not put it so definitively," Herta corrected immediately, crossing her arms. "Just for a while. Once I am completely done with the research, or if I simply lose interest halfway through, these two brats will have to pack up and leave."
"And after that?" Himeko pressed, keeping her gaze steady on the puppet.
"What happens to them after that is absolutely none of my business," Herta replied, her tone entirely matter-of-fact.
As a member of the Genius Society with one of the highest IQs in the universe, Herta only ever cared about subjects that actively stimulated her intellect. The moment that stimulation vanished, she would withdraw completely.
Besides, she had completely handed over the daily operations of the Herta Space Station to Asta long ago. With the wealthy lead researcher managing the facility, these two little anomalies certainly would not suffer any mistreatment.
"Is there a reward?"
Stelle rubbed her chin, her golden eyes gleaming as she dropped the question completely out of the blue.
Herta froze. "You understand the concept of haggling right after being born?"
Stelle kept her expression perfectly blank. 'I was raised by the Stellaron Hunters, what do you expect? I only keep it real.'
"Did you people teach them this?" Herta swiveled her head to glare accusingly at the Astral Express crew.
Himeko simply maintained her elegant, friendly smile. Dan Heng crossed his arms, his face twisting into a rather complicated expression. Off to the side, March 7th grinned brightly and shot Stelle an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Of course there is a reward!" Herta agreed readily, her mechanical joints clicking as she nodded. "I did not realize you had such a sharp head for business."
She was already planning to drag Stelle and Caelus into the Simulated Universe to act as her personal test subjects anyway. Tossing them a few shiny rewards to keep them compliant was absolutely nothing to her.
"Stelle, Caelus," Himeko said, turning her attention back to the twins. Her voice carried a warm, inviting gravity. "You do have another choice. The Astral Express is currently parked at the platform. If you are willing, you can leave this station and come with us."
"The Express has dealt with the anomalies of Stellarons many times across our journeys. The very problems you are worried about are the exact answers we are actively searching for. And," she added, her lips curving into a knowing smile, "we can always route the train back here anytime for Herta to conduct her research, provided her interest remains high."
"Hmm, that is actually a highly logical suggestion. Distance will keep the data fresh," Herta nodded in immediate agreement. "When active research is not required, I will not have to waste time worrying about their upkeep."
"Either get on the train or stay here..." Caelus muttered, rubbing his chin as he weighed the options with deep seriousness.
"I highly suggest you choose the Express," Herta stated bluntly, completely devoid of sentiment. "Staying here would be somewhat beneficial to my immediate data collection, but overall, having you loiter around the station is not a huge help. But if you leave, remember to come back often. Make an appointment with Asta or Arlan in advance so I can clear my schedule to properly study you."
"I want to go too! Count me in! I want to get on the train too!"
A loud, energetic voice suddenly echoed from down the corridor.
The Herta puppet remained perfectly still, its porcelain face locked in a neutral expression. However, the real Herta, currently linked to the proxy from her private office, felt her expression darken considerably. This absolute nuisance of a man sure arrived fast.
Leon came jogging into the room, taking the lead with a wide, carefree grin plastered across his face. Asta hurried right behind him, trying to keep pace, while Welt Yang brought up the rear, his measured, slow strides projecting an aura of seasoned calm.
"The Astral Express welcomes anyone who possesses the true spirit of the Trailblaze to join our journey..." Himeko responded, greeting the newcomer with a gracious smile.
Although Leon was heavily suspected of being a Masked Fool—a chaotic entity who lived entirely to seek amusement—his recent actions during the invasion had all been rooted in genuine goodwill. That alone had been enough to earn a measure of Himeko's trust.
March 7th blinked, looking at Himeko in sheer surprise. Was it really a good idea to just casually invite a suspected Masked Fool onto the train?
"Awesome!" Leon cheered, pumping his fist into the air with exaggerated excitement.
March 7th squinted at him. 'Why does it feel like this guy is completely copying my entire personality?'"Wow, Old..." Stelle opened her mouth, fully prepared to shout'Dad' across the room. At the very last second, she remembered Leon's strict previous instructions regarding their cover story. She swallowed the word, pivoting smoothly. "Wow, Big Bro! You were really way too cool just now!"
"That terrifying, powerful giant in the sky—you actually flew up and punched him right in the face. So cool!"
Caelus nodded repeatedly beside her, his face practically glowing with undisguised admiration.
Back in that bizarre, starry void of their awakening, when the oppressive shadow of that cosmic giant had loomed over them, they had both been paralyzed by an instinctual, soul-crushing terror. They never expected their 'Big Bro' to be so insanely brave, literally charging into the heavens just to deliver a bare-knuckle punch to a god.
That unknown, golden-eyed giant had radiated an aura of absolute destruction, yet he had been struck squarely on the jaw by Leon's fist.
Even though the shockwave of that blow had not been aimed at them, the sheer kinetic force rippling through the void had left their minds completely dazed. Their Big Bro was truly too fierce, too ridiculously strong!
"Wait, what do you mean 'punched a giant'?" March 7th blinked her blue-and-pink eyes, her head tilting in utter confusion. "What giant?"
She was fairly certain she had not missed a single second of the recent battle, so why was she completely failing to understand a single word Stelle and Caelus were saying?
Off to the side, the atmosphere shifted. Himeko, Welt Yang, Herta, and Asta all fell into a heavy, contemplative silence.
A giant?
A giant entity had absolutely not appeared anywhere on the Herta Space Station during the invasion. So where exactly had these two newly awakened vessels seen one?
Welt adjusted his glasses, a grim realization settling over his features. Could it have been... a manifestation within the abyss of a Path? A direct, terrifying glance from an Aeon?
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