"Slow-playing a strong hand, putting on airs... You're making me impatient."
"To make things more exciting, everyone... I'm going all in!"
"Only by abandoning reason can one truly gamble!"
Penacony, Clock Studios Theme Park. The entire sky was awash in a sea of gold, the spectacle so overwhelming it sent a thrill of awe through onlookers.
One couldn't help but marvel: This is Penacony, the land of dreams. Even scenes like a rain of money—something straight out of novels and television—come to life here.
While the surrounding crowd was captivated by this magnificent golden downpour, they hesitated to intervene. After all... such massive coins falling from such a height would certainly crush anyone caught beneath them.
Though death didn't exist in Penacony's Sweet Dream, the pain would still be felt. There was no need to deliberately seek out suffering.
"Emanator, you'll match my bet, won't you?"
A gambler's manic voice echoed through the sky, leading the crowd to mistake it for a stunt orchestrated by the Family. Curiosity sparked fierce debate among the onlookers.
"No wonder Penacony is the land of dreams. I bet you wouldn't see a spectacle like this even in several Amber Eras outside."
"Whoa... What kind of special effects are these? They're so realistic!"
"Seriously! I feel like this money rain could smash me right back into the Dream Pool if I got too close..."
"Excuse me, excuse me! Clock Studios Theme Park is temporarily closed. Please evacuate in an orderly manner! Please evacuate in an orderly manner!"
"Huh? Why are they starting to evacuate? Is this money rain not just a special effect or some kind of promotional stunt?"
"This is huge news! Huge news!"
The evacuation only fueled the crowd's excitement. The once orderly crowd instantly erupted into chaos, with many reporters braving the risk of being pummeled back into the Dream Pool to get to the heart of Clock Studios Theme Park and report the story firsthand.
"Hey, Little Herta, he's calling you out to raise the stakes."
"Are you going to take him up on it?"
In a shadowy corner of Clock Studios Theme Park, Lumina repeatedly nudged Herta, urging her to cast Superposition Magic on Aventurine.
"Is the focus on that guy?" Herta glared at Lumina, her brow furrowed in irritation as she endured another elbow jab.
Taking a deep breath, she shifted her gaze toward the purple-haired woman standing beside the Astral Express.
"Who is she?" Herta narrowed her eyes, pointed, and asked Lumina.
"Her?" Lumina followed Herta's gesture, confirming that she was indeed referring to Acheron.
At this, Lumina's expression turned instantly serious. Under Herta's slightly exasperated gaze, she slowly began her introduction:
"Her name is Raiden Shogun, also known as Kiana Kaslana. She was once a renowned chef across the Cosmos, the ruler of Inazuma, and the Headmaster of St. Freya Academy. But through the vicissitudes of time, all her past identities have dissolved into the Nihility. Now, she's a Galaxy Ranger, the form you see before you."
"Galaxy Ranger Acheron—that's her current codename."
Herta: ...
Hearing this, Herta's lips twitched as she studied Lumina's expression.
While Herta preferred Lumina tell the truth, she wasn't afraid of her Avatar transforming into a History Fictionologist and spewing utter nonsense.
What Herta feared most was that Lumina's fabricated narrative contained a kernel of truth. Lies interwoven with truth were notoriously difficult to unravel, even for Herta herself.
The core of the problem was this: Herta's analysis of Lumina's micro-expressions, speech patterns, and phrasing clearly indicated she was making things up. Yet, deep down, Herta couldn't shake the feeling that most of what Lumina said was true.
"Acheron, the Galaxy Ranger?"
After a moment's contemplation, Herta decided to disregard Lumina's elaborate introduction and focus solely on the final statement.
This wasn't because Herta had fully deciphered Lumina's mix of truth and falsehood. Rather, during her earlier observation of Lumina, Herta had heard the name "Acheron, the Galaxy Ranger" in a promotional video for Penacony's Charmony Festival.
"Mm-hmm, Madam Herta, I wasn't lying," Lumina replied, slightly surprised that Herta had zeroed in on the key point so quickly. She dismissed it as proof of Madam Herta's unparalleled intellect.
Hearing this, Herta rolled her eyes in exasperation. Her gaze then shifted to Acheron, who stood motionless amidst Aventurine's relentless assault, seemingly lost in thought. Herta murmured with piqued interest,
"I never imagined even the Path of Nihility could give rise to an Emanator."
"Judging by her demeanor, Miss Acheron has experienced a great deal."
Unlike the other Aeons, the Nihility Aeon never deigns to cast its gaze upon mortals. It neither glances at nor deigns to look upon anyone.
Yet Acheron has somehow obtained the power of an Emanator of the Path of Nihility under such circumstances. The trials she has endured in her past must far surpass anything anyone could imagine.
"The trials I've endured in my past far surpass anything you can imagine, Madam Herta."
"Care to come to my room? I could tell you all about it."
"My bed's quite big, you know. After the story, you could simply stay and sleep over."
Hearing Herta's words, Lumina elbowed her again, bewildered.
"Ha? What does your past have to do with me?" Herta immediately retorted, making it clear she had no interest in Lumina's past.
Hmm... Though she said that, the slightly guilty tone in Herta's voice and her averted gaze betrayed that her true thoughts were quite different from what she let on.
"Then..."
"I have no interest in your past, but since you've addressed me so respectfully as Madam Herta, I suppose I could deign to sit down and listen briefly."
The moment Lumina opened her mouth to reply, Herta interrupted with a swift, almost instantaneous remark.
Pfft...
Hearing this and seeing Herta's haughty, averted gaze, Lumina couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at? I'm giving you a chance, and if you don't want it, I'll take it back!" Herta's expression remained impassive as she spoke, as if she truly intended to withdraw the "opportunity" she had offered.
"Alright, alright, I apologize, Madam Herta."
Seeing this, Lumina quickly suppressed her laughter and offered a sincere apology, shaking her head in amusement at the proudly tsundere Madam Herta before her.
I'm the elder sister, after all. What's wrong with indulging my slightly tsundere younger sister? Nothing at all!
While the tsundere archetype might be considered outdated these days, it all depended on who was wielding it.
In the hands of others, a tsundere character might seem as outdated as a caveman.
But when wielded by Herta, the #83 member of the Genius Society, the Emanator of Erudition, it was as if she were a Trisolaran—a being whose numerical stats and strategic prowess were both far ahead of humanity's!