Herta City
'Yu Qingtu' was mixing a Talah Wyrmflame with a yawn when Herta stormed in, still fuming from her conversation with Asta.
"Hey Herta, want to try this?"
Herta shot her a withering look. This whole mess is her fault for not sticking to the plan.
"Go cool off somewhere else. Leave me alone."
'Yu Qingtu' just smiled that infuriatingly cheerful smile.
"You seem upset. Try this Talah Wyrmflame—I guarantee it'll make you forget all your troubles."
Herta glared at her. Forget my troubles? This stuff is as lethal as Himeko's coffee. Are you trying to send me to the next world so I can forget everything permanently?
She smoothed her hair and replied coolly.
"No time. I'm going to rest."
'Yu Qingtu' grabbed her sleeve.
Herta raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
That sunny smile never wavered.
"I want to go home. Mix some new cocktails for my family."
Herta's brow furrowed. She's getting too deep into this Yu Qingtu role.
If I let her leave now, she'll run into Yu Qingtu's old acquaintances: her family. Trouble.
Her tone turned cold, edged with threats.
"Step outside right now, and you'll probably get hunted down. You don't want to end up like the others, do you?"
'Yu Qingtu's' smile faltered. After a moment, she nodded and resigned herself to staying put.
"Good. See you later. In a few days, there's a wedding. You, I, and Ruan Mei are all going."
Herta waved her hand.
A magic carpet appeared. Several puppets approached with casual clothes for her to change into. She flew off toward Herta Fortress.
Leaving 'Yu Qingtu' alone, bored and bewildered.
Can't go home. Sigh. Might as well keep mixing. Drown my sorrows in drink.
A wedding, though. That calls for wine. Better prepare some in advance.
---
Back in her quarters, Herta closed her eyes. Ruan Mei's image filled her mind.
That cool, aloof face. Those rare, subtle shifts in emotion.
And the sleeve pendant she'd promised.
Her eyes drifted to her own hand. Asta's face flashed through her memory.
"Fourth Mirror! Show yourself!"
A mirror materialized on the ceiling.
"Madam Herta. What do you need?"
Her voice was ice.
"Show me Asta. Right now."
"At once."
Through the mirror, Herta watched Asta's every move.
In the space station's master control zone, Asta had removed all her other accessories. Only the starry sleeve pendant remained.
Researchers approached with data and budget reports. Asta glanced through them, her pendant-adorned hand occasionally turning pages.
One sharp-eyed researcher gasped.
"Station Master Asta! Your pendant—it's shaped like a starry sky?!"
Asta smiled and nodded.
Another chimed in.
"Absolutely unique. Perfect. It must have cost a fortune. Designed by countless interstellar master artisans."
The others quickly agreed.
"Yes, yes! The materials alone must be priceless. The craftsmanship, the details—simply indescribable!"
Asta basked in their praise.
"This pendant cost nothing. And no master artisan designed it."
The researchers blinked, confused.
If not a master artisan, then who has the standing to design a pendant for Asta?
One recovered quickly.
"Then it must be from someone very special to you!"
The room erupted.
"Could it be Madam Herta?!"
"No way—Madam Herta never gives gifts. Her personality's terrible."
"Then that Trailblazer who defeated the Doomsday Beast?!"
"Please. She was asking me if we had any trash cans a few months ago. No way it's her."
"Yeah, she tried to loot my belongings right in front of me."
(A/N: Some researchers' belongings are in chests.)
The gossiping crowd chattered on. Herta watched, frowning.
These people have too much free time. Too high a salary.
And some of them act all respectful to my face, then trash-talk me behind my back. Unforgivable.
She screenshotted the offending researchers and sent them to Herta Ninety-Nine.
"Deal with these. Send them to the IPC's frontier planets. Land reclamation."
Herta Ninety-Nine, enjoying her leave, blinked. She wanted to ask why, but her ambition won out.
"Understood. I'll contact the IPC immediately."
After hanging up, she couldn't help but sigh.
Madam Herta holds grudges like no one else. Those poor researchers—caught in her line of fire while she's in a mood.
Their futures are bleak. Frontier planets. Wastelands.
Herta continued watching Asta through the mirror.
Compared to when she'd first taken her from home, Asta had matured. Grown steadier.
But should her youth be wasted here, in my space station?
Maybe I should send her to travel the stars. She likes watching them, after all.
A sharp bark cut through the chatter.
"Woof!" (Quiet! Asta has something to say!)
The researchers fell silent instantly, turning to Asta.
She smiled. The light caught her face—so like Robin's—and the station's glow made her look almost divine.
"This pendant is from someone I deeply care about. Someone I respect. Someone I admire."
The researchers exchanged glances. Their eyes went wide. One word echoed in their minds: "Someone"?!
A brave one spoke up.
"Station Master Asta... is it Madam Herta?"
Asta shook her head gently.
"It's Madam Ruan Mei."
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Power Stone Progress: 276/325 (5 Chapters)
Power Ranking: 43/10 (15 Chapters)