[Auto-reply: Hello, I'm currently unavailable and won't be contacting you for a while.]
Asta showed an expression that said just as expected. Even as the Station Director, this was the only reply she would ever get.
She sent another message: "The Families of Penacony attempted to revive an Aeon and failed. A new Emanator of Erudition has appeared."
Herta disliked having her precious energy occupied by matters she deemed unimportant, and for things she had no interest in, she wouldn't even spare a single second.
This could hardly be called a strange habit. It was simply the focus of a genius devoted to research—though Herta's case was admittedly a little extreme.
Even with so many puppets operating at all times, she would still pretend to be a low-level robot and issue automated replies.
[!!!]
[I know!]
The moment content that genuinely interested Herta was mentioned, the automated reply instantly turned into a real response.
It was obvious that Herta herself was quite startled.
"Lady Herta, are you still there?"
Asta shook her head slightly and sent the message with a smile.
[Auto-reply: Hello, I'm currently unavailable and won't be contacting you for a while.]
A trace of helplessness appeared on Asta's face. Sure enough, it was like this again.
So… had Herta already set off by now?
...
At this moment, at the platform of Herta Space Station.
A starship opened its hatch, waiting to board travelers. Its destination was the planet of grand festivities—Penacony.
Originally, this vessel was a dedicated business shuttle for the Department of Geosciences, already fully prepared with energy reserves, set to depart for a special planet to begin geological surveys.
However, just moments ago, the department received a notice of itinerary change. Their dedicated route would have to wait for the next starship.
No one expressed dissatisfaction, because the one requisitioning this ship was—
The very soul of Herta Space Station, the unparalleled Lady Herta!
Whenever anyone from Herta Space Station mentioned this name to outsiders, they would unconsciously straighten their backs, even if they had never seen Herta's true appearance.
A tall, silver-haired beauty walked toward the starship, her confident and proud face now carrying an eager smile.
She wore a luxurious black-and-purple dress that revealed her snow-white, smooth shoulders. High-quality black stockings wrapped up to her thighs, and knee-high heeled leather boots fit perfectly against her calves.
Her entire being radiated extreme confidence. Every movement was steeped in arrogance—wherever she stood, that place became the center of the universe.
She was Herta, though for now it was better to call her Big Herta.
Because beside her were two silver-haired little girls wearing black dresses and black berets, each carrying luggage nearly as large as themselves, their expressions serious and indifferent.
The two little girls had obvious mechanical traces on their bodies, and their appearances bore about seventy percent resemblance to Big Herta. They were the Little Hertas.
"An Emanator of Erudition in Penacony, an Emanator of Erudition not listed in the Genius Society. How interesting!"
Big Herta muttered softly as she reclined comfortably on a sofa, attended by the two Little Hertas.
The moment Asta caught her attention, she immediately began following the news, thoroughly reviewing all recent information regarding Penacony before decisively setting her itinerary.
Her personal starship required preparation time before departure, so she used her authority to intercept a fully prepared starship. As for how the people who were intercepted would deal with it, she couldn't care less.
Everything at Herta Space Station existed because of her. As Herta herself, her authority was limitless.
She had no interest whatsoever in the doomed resurrection of the Aeon of Order. If anyone tried to compare that farce to her research, she would only scoff.
Her Simulated Universe was flourishing—a top-tier project with a one hundred percent success rate. Up to now, it had helped her reproduce many secrets and observe numerous aspects of the Aeons' essence.
As for the so-called Aeon resurrection plans, she would toss them into the trash the moment she laid eyes on them.
There was absolutely no need to waste time putting such things into practice. Existing knowledge did not allow something that outrageous to happen, and existing forces did not allow someone that outrageous to exist.
And sure enough, the Aeon resurrection plan had failed in spectacular fashion.
"Tsk, a Giant of Hope, achieving ascension through the hope awakened within people's dreams, swiftly crushing the Harmonious Choir: Dominicus."
"Can there really be such an absolute crushing gap between Emanators?"
"And then distributing power at the end, causing some individuals to undergo very interesting changes."
"Interesting, truly interesting!"
Big Herta gathered and integrated all information circulating across the interstellar network.
Rumors, official reports, and all kinds of fragmented details were sorted and reconstructed in her mind, piecing together the true course of events.
However, there were still some crucial pieces missing, causing her line of thought to stall.
Big Herta picked up her phone, casually swiped a few times, found her designated partner in the Simulated Universe, and sent a message: "Brat, I heard you met a remarkable fellow in Penacony. Hurry up and tell me the full course of events."
In photos taken by random tourists, she had repeatedly seen Stelle standing beside that man.
And with the Astral Express Crew acting as the witness authority in Sunday's trial, it was clear they were deeply involved in this incident.
So, if there was anything to learn, asking this trouble-magnet of a kid was definitely the right choice.
"?"
"!"
Stelle, who had been acting spoiled toward Kafka, was instantly shocked and replied at once: "Herta, did you get hacked?"
It was always Stelle asking Herta questions and receiving automated replies, never getting a response even when requesting human assistance.
Unless Herta needed her to test the Simulated Universe, she would reluctantly lure Stelle over with Stellar Jades and similar treasures.
A Herta who proactively messaged her to chat was definitely hacked, right?
Could it be that Silver Wolf learned some super technology from Sol and hacked into Herta's system?
"I'm simply interested in what happened in Penacony. I heard you're quite familiar with that new Emanator of Erudition and want you to provide some research material."
Big Herta frowned slightly and said impatiently, "I'll give you 1600 Stellar Jades. Don't waste my time."
Her time was extremely precious. The few seconds just wasted on Stelle were enough to extract tens of billions of credits from the Interastral Peace Corporation, though she didn't actually care about such things.
"Whoa—Boss, I'll tell you right away! I'll make sure to cover every single detail!"
Stelle's eyes lit up, saliva nearly dripping onto Kafka's shirt. "My master and I first met on the Astral Express—"
She absolutely loved shiny things like Stellar Jades.
And this was the first time she had ever received such a massive tip—1600 Stellar Jades, a number with special meaning.
...
Big Herta ignored that strange form of address and focused on combining Stelle's account with her own intelligence.
A complete and coherent chain of events unfolded before her eyes, with all causes and effects laid bare.
She sensed something was off about Penacony. That Light of Hope was far too intense.
As for the specifics, she would need to conduct on-site investigations before making a final judgment.
At this moment, she had a premonition that Penacony truly had experienced an Aeon's revival.
But the one revived was not Order.
It was Hope, ascended through the tempering of dreams.
This ascension was incomplete, but it had clearly transcended the level of an Emanator, perhaps even reaching the stage of an Aeon's embryo.
For the first time, Big Herta truly felt pressure.
The impossible, absurd proposal she would have tossed into the trash at a glance seemed to have been picked up by someone else and was largely completed, as if it was slapping it across her face.
===BREAK===
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