"Where have you been? I couldn't sense your presence anywhere in Penacony!"
In Penacony's Golden Hour, Lumina tracked down Herta and immediately launched into a tirade.
Since Herta had entered Penacony before her, Lumina had been searching frantically for her location the moment she arrived. She found absolutely nothing.
If Lumina hadn't drawn graffiti on Herta's face at the Dream Pool, and Herta hadn't reacted at all, Lumina would have suspected she was faking her unconsciousness the whole time.
"I was wandering between The Reverie Hotel and Penacony's Sweet Dream, observing the structure of the Memetic Substance here," Herta replied smoothly. As a genius, her ability to fabricate plausible explanations was impeccable, leaving no trace of deception in her words or expression.
"Is that so..." Lumina remained skeptical, but considering Herta's evasive nature, there seemed to be no other logical explanation.
After all, Herta had already entered the Dream, and she wasn't in the Sweet Dream. So, the only other possibility was that she existed in the narrow space between the two.
It couldn't possibly be that Herta was actually faking being asleep in the Dream Pool, right?
"Forget about all this nonsense. Where's the Family's representative? Lead the way."
Observing Lumina's thoughtful and perplexed expression, Herta knew that with Lumina's intellect, she'd never figure it out. But she couldn't rule out the possibility that Nous, the Erudition, might have glanced at Lumina for some inexplicable reason while evaluating popular network entities.
Therefore, Herta decided to cut off Lumina's train of thought and abruptly changed the subject.
"I'm not your servant. Why are you shouting like that?" Lumina retorted, stopping her pondering and rolling her eyes in exasperation.
Still, she stepped forward to lead the way for Herta.
As the elder sister, I guess I have to give in to my younger sister sometimes.
-
Penacony, at the hour of dawn, Dewlight Pavilion.
This was Lumina's third visit to this place, even more frequent than her visits to the beautiful girl's room. (Strike that out)
"Let's go. Sunday's inside; I can sense his aura." Without hesitation, Lumina led Herta to the room where Sunday was.
Hiss...
Before Lumina could knock, the door swung open, revealing a disheveled blonde man stepping out.
"...Hmm?"
"...Miss Lumina, Madam Herta..."
My luck truly is something else...
In the entire Cosmos, who else could open a door and stumble upon two Emanators?
Aventurine inwardly scoffed at himself, then clutched his head, letting out a faint groan of pain. Forcing a strained smile, he greeted Lumina and Herta.
"You're... that subordinate of Diamond's?" Herta asked, eyeing the golden-haired man being assimilated by the Harmony's power. A faint memory flickered in her mind.
When Topaz had come to collect debts earlier, Aventurine had heard this voice through her phone.
"Ha ha ha... I... never expected Madam Herta to... to know me. What an honor," Aventurine chuckled weakly, his condition dire as he clutched a travel bag, looking like he might collapse at any moment.
"It seems Mr. Aventurine told a little fib under the radiant glow of Harmony," Lumina remarked, her gaze lingering briefly on the travel bag in his hand before she smiled teasingly.
"Ha ha ha... It can't be helped... As a representative of the IPC... lying is... inevitable," Aventurine replied with a weak laugh.
"Mr. Aventurine, please proceed. May you flourish under the radiant glow of Harmony," Lumina said with a nod, stepping back to clear a path for him.
Seeing this, Herta followed suit without hesitation, stepping back alongside Lumina.
For two Emanators to voluntarily yield to a "mere mortal" must be an unprecedented event in the Cosmos.
"Ha ha ha... Thank you, Miss Lumina and Miss Herta..."
As the central figure in this Event, Aventurine, continuously being assimilated by the power of Harmony, completely missed this detail. He chuckled weakly a few times, then shuffled off, clutching a luggage bag and stooping low as he departed the Dewlight Pavilion.
"Hmm?"
Just a few steps later, Aventurine noticed his luggage bag suddenly felt significantly heavier.
He didn't pay it much mind, assuming he was simply feeling drained, moving with the slow, deliberate gait of an elderly man as he gradually left the Dewlight Pavilion.
"You even stole his little stones?" Lumina's subtle maneuver might have eluded Aventurine's notice, but it didn't escape Herta's keen eyes. Spotting the several new green fragments in his luggage bag, Herta was mildly surprised.
"Who would have thought the esteemed Saintess would turn out to be such a petty thief?"
"Madam Herta, I think you've misunderstood," Lumina said, shaking her head earnestly. "Only talent that's been discovered counts as theft. Since I haven't been caught, what grounds do you have to accuse me of stealing?"
Herta: ...
"Heh heh heh."
Herta remained silent, her gaze dripping with disdain.
"Hmm~♪" Lumina, thick-skinned as ever, didn't flinch under Herta's contemptuous glare. Instead, she hummed cheerfully.
"Let's go inside. We've been standing at the entrance for far too long. We wouldn't want to keep Mr. Sunday waiting."
With that brief exchange concluded, Lumina and Herta entered the building.
Lumina had originally "borrowed" the Aventurine Stone to make contact with Jade and Topaz, but now that was no longer necessary.
Because Lumina had set her sights on a far more enticing target...
Sensing the presence beside her, Lumina mused inwardly.
Since the Aventurine Stone is useless now, I might as well return it to Aventurine. That way, he won't bother me later...