"You little girl—no, Bronya—you truly have given me an unimaginable surprise."
After the construct dissipated, a sharp glint flashed in Herta's beautiful eyes, and her tone held a hint of barely perceptible excitement.
At this moment, Herta no longer looked at Bronya as just a little girl.
Instead, she saw her as a genius on par with herself.
The mere fact that the girl could replicate the miniature mechanical head without batting an eye was enough to earn Herta's profound attention.
This was because the Erudition figure she constructed wasn't just a simple physical manifestation.
Though incomplete, it carried the faint, oppressive aura of an Aeon.
With this level of ability, Herta made a declaration.
Without her, the Simulated Universe project would take an unknown amount of fruitless effort to complete. Even if Herta had to tie her up, she was taking her today!
"Bronya clearly wanted to make the entire mechanical head, though."
Bronya had mobilized all her Divine Qi to utilize the Authority of Truth, yet she had only managed to create a miniature version.
And it didn't seem to have much power; did it feel like it was only good for keeping as a pet?
It seems this power of 'I think therefore I create' still has its limits for now... Bronya shook her head, contemplating.
"Pfft... you really are amusing, wanting to copy the entire mechanical head."
Herta chuckled, then put one hand on her hip and extended the other hand toward Bronya.
"If you truly want to perfectly replicate an Aeon, then you are perfectly suited to join the development of the'Simulated Universe.' Now, the genius Herta is extending an invitation to you."
"The benefits you mentioned aren't just an invitation for Bronya to join your... whatever development project, are they?"
Bronya made a face of distaste.
"Is this not a benefit? You should know I've invited several other geniuses to participate in this development."
"No interest. I'm leaving now; Seele is waiting for me to get back."
Bronya waved her hand and turned to walk away.
"This little brat..."
Herta raised an eyebrow. This was the first time anyone had shown her absolutely no courtesy.
"Pfft..."
"..."
Herta put both hands on her hips, pivoted, and glared unhappily at Kiana, who had suddenly covered her mouth.
Under Herta's gaze, which usually reserved for looking at a slipper bug, Kiana awkwardly cleared her throat and feigned seriousness.
"Ahem, how about you beg me? Maybe I can convince Bronya to participate in the'Simulated Universe' project?"
"I beg, you. This is the only request I will ever make in my entire life, ah."
Herta maintained her unhappy expression, reciting the plea in a robotic, deadpan voice, then spread her hands in resignation.
"Never mind. It's not like the Simulated Universe can't function without her."
"Lady Herta, you look really beautiful."
"Hmph, as if I needed you to tell me that."
Herta flipped her long hair over her shoulder, regaining her confident demeanor, and stated proudly.
"So..."
Kiana drew an Imaginary Gate, reached her hand inside, and pulled out a Bronya who was still mid-stride.
"...?"
Bronya, realizing her feet were no longer touching the ground mid-walk, looked down, then twisted her head to stare at Kiana, who was holding her up.
"Dummy Kiana, why are you holding onto Bronya? (ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)"
"Bronya, just agree to Herta. It's not like you have much else to do right now, is it?"
After all, the technology behind the Simulated Universe would be quite beneficial for Wangshu's future development.
Benefits included cyber training, enhancing the computing power of the Grand Derivation Array, and more.
That was why Kiana was urging Bronya to accept the offer.
After all, she couldn't protect this realm forever.
Just like Liyue, Wangshu would eventually usher in an era belonging to the next generation, and she would eventually step back into the shadows.
"Emmmm"
Since Kiana had put it that way, Bronya pondered for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
Seeing Bronya agree to the Simulated Universe development, Herta's lips curved up by a few pixel points.
But her proud and tsundere nature prevented her from overtly showing her joy; instead, she adopted a look of indifference and flipped her hair.
"In that case, remember to accept the friend request later. I'll add you to the group chat, and we'll discuss the follow-up details there."
Having said that, Herta immediately cut off the communication.
She had to tell Ruan Mei this news!
"How decisive she is."
Kiana sighed as she looked at the spot where Herta had vanished.
"Kiana, quickly send me back. Seele must be getting impatient."
"Bronya, did it ever occur to you to use your Authority to create a personal teleportation device?"
"ᗜ ˰ ᗜ...ᗜ _ ᗜ...ᗜ □ ᗜ"
Bronya's expression cycled through several changes before she froze, turning entirely grayscale in shock.
She had completely forgotten the convenience offered by the Authority of Truth!
"..."
Bronya's cheeks flushed slightly. She then constructed a teleportation device and returned to the house she had been assigned.
"Big Sister Bronya is so cute, hahaha."
Little Lisa, who was clinging to Kiana's arm, giggled happily.
Kiana nodded in agreement.
Although little Bronya often went against her, Kiana couldn't deny the fact that the girl was petite and adorable!
Furthermore... Kiana suddenly recalled Bronya's future appearance from her memories, and a single, 'unworthy tear' of drool slipped from the corner of her mouth.
Putting everything else aside, she was truly tall, truly well-endowed, and truly pale!
Perhaps, when she wasn't so busy later and wanted to pursue romance, Bronya might be an option... By then, Bronya would likely have grown into the figure Kiana remembered!
As for Mei?
What are you talking about? Of course, the answer is (clenching her fist fiercely).
I want them all!
But right now, she was so busy every day that she simply didn't have enough time for dedicated dates! Blast it!
It had been ages since she had a proper moment of affection with Mei!
"Big Sister, why are you drooling?"
"Ah... Ah! Nothing, I was just thinking about what I'm going to eat later, and I couldn't help but drool. Haha... hahahaha..."
Hearing this, Kiana quickly wiped the corner of her mouth, scratched her head, and laughed awkwardly.
She certainly couldn't voice her inner thoughts; little Lisa was still young, and Kiana couldn't corrupt her.
Lisa nodded after hearing Kiana's explanation.
It was true that thinking about delicious food made you drool uncontrollably; she was the same way!
Kiana watched little Lisa, who seemed to have also fallen into a fantasy, transparent liquid dripping from the corner of her mouth as she chuckled adorably.
"This little girl..."
Suddenly, a person flashed through Kiana's mind: Lisa from Mondstadt in Teyvat.
At first glance, this child looked like a miniature version of that Lisa; they were likely alternate spacetime counterparts.
"Maybe I can send her to study with Herta for a while?"
Considering their similar witch aesthetic, Kiana muttered silently to herself.
She temporarily shelved the idea, planning to introduce the child to Herta the next time they met.
"General, once you've had enough rest, you can start working now~"
"Yes, yes, yes, my dear Chief Strategist..."
Kiana sighed helplessly, then picked up the official documents and began reviewing them one by one.
While reviewing the documents, Kiana suddenly thought of her dear older sister, Bianca.
Since she intended to train Bianca to become the next General, Kiana promptly pulled Bianca over.
Bianca, who had just arrived home (Kiana's residence) with Rita, was yanked by a suddenly appearing arm and found herself back in the Taiyin Palace.
"Big Sister, help your adorable little sister handle some official duties, won't you~"
"I don't know how..."
"It's fine. If you don't know how, you can ask me. The more you handle, the more naturally you'll learn."
"..."
Just like that, Bianca was forcefully detained by Kiana in the Taiyin Palace.
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