Chapter 296: Crown of the Mundane and Divine 『 Part Ten 』
「 "Memories… dissipated?" Stelle failed to react for a moment.
"There are no walls in this world that do not have ears. Due to certain past events I prefer not to mention, I find it difficult to trust anyone other than myself. If one wishes to prevent a secret from leaking, the most thorough method is to destroy it. The aftertaste of the anti-truth serum will cause you to forget this brief time we shared."
"It will not take effect immediately, but rather through a slow, hazy process—much like the delicate fragrance of lotus leaves, plum blossoms, sticky rice, and frosting."
"In this way, the ties between lives will be erased. Friendship, secrets, entanglements, deception—all will vanish into smoke together." Ruan Mei smiled faintly. "This will make things… easier for us."
"If that is what you wish, I will do it."
"Yes, I believe you." Ruan Mei looked out the window at the Blue Planet. "Occasionally, I think of # 55 Yu Qingtu. Whenever we parted ways, she would always concoct some delicious beverages for me. I hope I do not run into #4 Polka Kakamond; that could be quite troublesome."
"I wonder when the next gathering of geniuses will be. Stelle, is there anything else you wish to say to me?"
"Do you trust me now?"
Ruan Mei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly shook her head. "…I find that difficult to answer. Thank you, my dear assistant. But if the opportunity arises, and if you are willing, when we meet again, we can travel together to a 'No Man's Land,' sailing upon tranquil glaciers."
"But in that case, it would no longer be a 'No Man's Land' for the two of us. Truly a difficult problem."
...
The scene shifts. Having left Stelle, Ruan Mei arrived alone in the containment laboratory below.
Her fingertips brushed over the cold paper of the experimental records. Just as she was about to examine them closely, she suddenly felt a subtle sensation at her ankle—
Looking down, Bean Paste was nuzzling against her fair ankle, while Sesame Cake blinked its round eyes, its shumai-like body bouncing vigorously. It seemed they were incredibly excited by her arrival.
The corners of Ruan Mei's lips curled upward unconsciously.
She gently set down the logbook, turned her back, and elegantly clasped her hands behind her. No one saw her fingers, hidden behind her back, twitching slightly, beckoning the two little creatures to follow her every step.
The Molten Cheese Tart and Gray Bean Paste bounced happily, leaving a trail of their passage on the laboratory floor, following that silhouette—forever rational, yet in this moment, soft—until they disappeared into the halo of light around the corner. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
"So, does this mean they're breaking up?"
Chu Zihang asked.
"Your question has a premise, which is that they were in a relationship to begin with."
Caesar sighed.
"—But obviously they weren't. And not only that, this Ms. Ruan Mei intends to make the other party forget everything about her. But didn't Ruan Mei call her 'dear'? Whether now or in movies, that term of endearment usually only appears between couples. Could there be some other meaning?"
"…There is absolutely no other meaning. Ruan Mei just said it casually. Look, the moment their collaboration ended, her address for Stelle changed to 'Miss Assistant'."
Caesar was starting to feel that it wasn't worth it for Stelle. To do her a favor, she not only nearly lost her life, but in the end, she couldn't even keep the memories of their time together. No matter how you looked at it, it was a massive loss.
However, seeing that she ultimately took her creations with her, Caesar felt she wasn't as heartless and irresponsible as he had imagined—perhaps she still didn't understand what 'love' was, but when she saw those two little creatures nuzzling her, surely a corner of that iceberg in her heart must have melted?
—
「 Stelle arrived at Asta's location, intending to inform her of Ruan Mei's departure, when suddenly her phone rang. Opening it, she saw a flood of messages in an anonymous chat group named Herta Surveillance Team.
The content posted by the group members was highly unusual, mainly involving a major event that had just occurred within the space station, with many clamoring for accountability.
A user named Bill Portcullis sent a news briefing. Not knowing what to expect, Stelle tapped it open and was nearly frightened enough to drop her phone.
"Madam Herta Solo-Stan Flash News—Good evening, anti-fans! We interrupt with breaking news."
"Recently, the great Genius Society # 83, Madam Herta, was attacked on the space station, and her whereabouts are unknown. As of now, no organization has claimed responsibility for this incident."
On the screen, a man was frantically making accusations to a reporter, venting his rage.
"A large number of anti-fans have issued strong protests and severe condemnation regarding management's negligence and inaction."
The group was in an uproar over Madam Herta's disappearance; it was clear the entire space station had been thrown into chaos because of Herta's situation. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Baki World〜
"Madam Herta is missing? Could she have been kidnapped?"
Retsu Kaioh's eyes widened. He truly couldn't imagine many people in this universe would dare to kidnap an Emanator of 『 Erudition 』. This was equivalent to someone on Earth daring to kidnap Yujiro Hanma—leaving aside whether it was possible, the motive itself was a mystery.
Kidnapping Herta? Did they want to invite the Emanator to wipe out the kidnappers in one fell swoop?
"Hahaha, I'd actually like to see who has the guts to challenge an Emanator."
Yujiro Hanma smiled, revealing his fangs.
"This counts as a provocation, right? Given Herta's personality, she'll definitely accept it."
"But only her puppet was kidnapped, right? Not her true body. No one has even seen what her true body looks like yet."
Miyamoto Musashi took a sip of tea and spoke slowly,
"I suspect this won't be an ordinary 'kidnapping.' Assuming someone really dared to move against Herta, her true self would certainly pinpoint the puppet's location immediately and swiftly eliminate the opponent… With her power, that shouldn't be difficult."
"Indeed, I can't imagine Madam Herta ever being at a disadvantage,"
Kaoru Hanayama suddenly said.
"Gentlemen, is there a possibility that the kidnappers aren't human?"
Tokugawa looked serious.
"Hanayama, do you have any basis for saying that?"
"No basis."
Hanayama shook his head honestly.
"I just feel that normal humans wouldn't do something like provoking an Emanator. If the opponent truly possessed strength rivalling Madam Herta's, why would they sneak around to steal her puppet?"
—
「 Stelle was planning to head to Herta's office to check the situation when suddenly her vision went black, and she lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, Screwllum and Asta seemed to be discussing something in front of her.
"Mr. Screwllum, this was a premeditated attack…"
"Conclusion: The enemy's target is the space station. However, the methodology… remains unknown to us."
Asta was about to say something more when a familiar male voice interrupted her.
"Correct."
As the voice fell, a young man with a tall, slender figure walked slowly toward them. His golden pupils shimmered with a faint light in the gloom, like imperishable stars in the night sky.
"Which is precisely why we need her." 」
「 ..... 」
( Translator-kun: Trust me, Penacony is around the corner... )