Zandar wasn't sure if he was a bit too eager to see Nous fail.
That might be why such an absurd-sounding thought had popped into his head.
But no matter how he looked at it…the being before him had long been noticed by Nous, yet remained untouched by the tendrils of the Aeon's thoughts.
That just wasn't normal.
Leaving everything else aside.
Just the birth of the Path of 'Hope' alone gave Nous no reason to let her slip by.
And while several Geniuses had befriended her, Polka Kakamond was also hunting her down.
One could also glimpse Nous's stance from that.
Zandar didn't believe that merely being a Pathstrider of another Aeon would disqualify one from receiving an invitation.
So after turning it over and over in his mind…
Zandar could only arrive at one conclusion.
It wasn't that Nous didn't want to incorporate this being into its cognition.
It was that it simply couldn't.
'Hertatomb' watched as Zandar's mood visibly grew more excited.
She just found it strange.
What on earth had this guy thought of?
Seeing that the other party completely failed to grasp his meaning, Zandar kindly elaborated:
"I was thinking, Madam, THEY have cast THEIR gaze upon you multiple times, yet never inducted you into the Genius Society. Perhaps… it is not unwilling, but unable."
"Unable? Who? You mean Nous?"
'Hertatomb' looked at Zandar with a weird expression, unsure how he had come up with such an idea.
"How could you think there exists anything in this universe that Nous cannot calculate?"
After all, the three moments decreed by Nous back then—even the intervention of an Aeon couldn't shake them. Their weight spoke for itself.
'Hertatomb' didn't consider herself special. Without character cards to play, she couldn't even measure up to an ordinary researcher, for goodness' sake.
Hearing her self-deprecation, Zandar shook his head slightly with a sigh.
"Indeed. So I, too, find this conjecture utterly absurd. But aside from this, I can think of no reason why Nous would not choose you."
"Is it possible that Nous simply… doesn't think I'm worth it?"
"Hah~ If you truly understood Nous, Madam Irontomb, you would not say such a thing."
Zandar chuckled, dismissing 'Hertatomb's' statement.
But he realized that such a conjecture was useless if only discussed verbally.
Just as he was about to invite the being before him to collaborate on a certain thesis…
Herta's figure appeared in the space.
"I seem to have overheard an interesting conjecture. I must say, as a senior, your intuition remains quite sharp."
"Another Herta? Indeed… Now I'm growing even more convinced of my own hypothesis."
Zandar looked at the second Madam Herta who had appeared, then glanced at the other Herta still within Amphoreus, busily implanting some highly infectious virus.
A Thought Fragment, like myself?
Clearly not.
Zandar was certain of that.
But if considered alongside this 'Madam Irontomb from the future'…
He could guess one or two things.
And the more he thought this way, the more convinced Zandar became that his speculation was correct.
"This Madam Irontomb must be that mysterious entity rumored for centuries, the individual codenamed 'Bai Ming,' am I correct?"
"So what if she is? Even if you've guessed something, I'm not about to hand her over to you, senior."
Herta raised a hand and slung it firmly around 'Hertatomb's' shoulders, pulling her over forcefully.
She looked every bit like someone guarding their prized possession.
"Drawing from the memories of my future self, and as a fellow Genius, I can somewhat understand your thinking, senior. But as Herta, I can't just ignore the grudge of being devoured by Irontomb."
Compared to 'Hertatomb,' Herta, as a fellow Genius, actually understood Zandar's choices and his motivations.
But understanding was one thing; the possibility of herself being devoured by Irontomb and turned into… whatever that was, was quite another.
Any Genius who had come into contact with Bai Ming could sense the anomaly of her existence.
Just as Zandar wondered why Nous didn't choose her…
Herta and Ruan Mei had their suspicions centuries ago.
Never mind whether Bai Ming was 'borrowing' brains or not.
Just look—using a Genius's brain, did she or did she not achieve wonders that even Ruan Mei herself hadn't accomplished?
Such a being… Nous could not, and should not, have let her pass by.
Yet even now…
Nous had cast its second gaze upon her, and still did nothing.
The invitation remained utterly silent.
This was clearly abnormal.
Herta and Ruan Mei, along with Screwllum who joined later, had arrived at a conjecture similar to Zandar's.
They just never spoke of it, tacitly letting that hypothesis rot in their hearts.
"May I then interpret this as a challenge issued to me by two Hertas, and the other Genius behind you?"
Zandar could detect Screwllum's presence through the connection and pointed it out with utter bluntness.
If this were before he noticed Bai Ming's anomaly…
Zandar would certainly have chosen a more conservative strategy to ensure Irontomb's proper emergence.
But now…
Zandar was more interested in uncovering Bai Ming's secret.
A being that even Nous found helpless against…
Wasn't this precisely the possibility he had been desperately pursuing, the key to shattering the prison of predetermined outcomes?
Herta almost laughed in exasperation.
What was this?
Trying to snatch someone right in front of her, was he?
Though not stated explicitly…
That guy Zandar's covered eyes were practically glued to Bai Ming.
How could she, Herta, not guess his intentions?
The score of Irontomb devouring her hadn't been settled yet, and now he wanted to steal her person right in front of her?
Fine! Just fine!
"Want to steal what's mine? Then you'd better pray your mechanical skull is sturdy enough, or I'll definitely use this staff to crack open your face and physically destroy your processing units."
"…A rather distinctive threat. It seems you are not considering the possibility of cooperation with me at all."
"Cooperation? What a colossal joke. I, Herta, have no interest in collaborating with outdated relics who can't keep up with the times."
Zandar observed Herta, who seemed ready to bristle after just a few words.
He felt a slight sense of lament within.
This junior of his was quite emotionally rich.
In other words… more human.
Herta's possessiveness toward Bai Ming didn't seem purely born of 'curiosity.'
Though exactly how much was conscience, and how much was… other sentiments, that remained unknown.
"Then, let us use Amphoreus as our stage and have a contest. Let me see just what weight this 'Hope' carries."
Zandar didn't say much more.
Since the other party was charging over so aggressively, he had no intention of simply avoiding the fight.
As for 'Hertatomb'…
She felt the situation's direction seemed a bit off.
Weren't they supposed to come in, fists flying at Zandar, kicks aimed at Irontomb, to strangle this world-ending crisis in its cradle?
Why did it feel like Herta was hissing defensively at Zandar, guarding a treat?
And wasn't her reason for hissing a bit… misplaced?
--+--