Chapter 10: The Arrival of Herta

Asta turned to Dan Heng, smiling and nodding before warmly greeting March 7th. Her gaze then shifted to the little girl, and she stared in awe at the beautiful and adorable Theresa.

"March 7th, Dan Heng, who are these two?" Asta asked, looking at Stelle and Theresa with genuine curiosity.

"Huh? Isn't she part of your Space Station staff?" March 7th asked, pointing at Stelle beside her. Stelle looked equally bewildered, turning to Asta.

"Absolutely not. As the acting head of the Space Station, I know all my staff, and I've never seen them before. Besides, who could forget such a cute young girl?" Asta replied with a smile, her beautiful eyes fixed on Theresa.

Theresa's fair face flushed crimson. It was the first time she'd been complimented by another girl in this world.

"Ooh, the cute little sister is blushing! Don't be shy—this big sister is very nice," Asta chuckled, pulling Theresa into a warm hug. The Oath of Judah had already transformed back into its necklace form, resting around Theresa's neck.

Everyone couldn't help but smile at the sight of Asta holding Theresa, especially Welt. Having watched the magical girl version of Theresa grow up, the mature man found it endlessly amusing how she was still treated like a child.

"Welt seems rather amused," Himeko remarked, noticing his stifled laughter.

"Ahem! No, you're mistaken, Himeko!" Welt quickly denied, unwilling to admit he was teasing Theresa. After all, few could withstand the Oath of Judah—except for Otto's Soulium-reinforced skull.

"Ugh, let me go~" Theresa whimpered, her cheeks being squished by Asta's relentless pinching. She dared not struggle too forcefully, given Asta's position as the Herta-authorized acting head of the Space Station and the daughter of an Interastral Peace Corporation director. For now, Theresa wisely avoided provoking her.

"Miss, she's not just some cute little girl. In a way, she's even my savior," Arlan said to Asta, his face pale.

"Huh? Arlan, are you serious? This adorable little thing?" Asta asked incredulously, kneading Theresa's cheeks like dough.

"Seriously, Miss Asta, I advise you to stop teasing her," Arlan said to Asta, who was excitedly ruffling Theresa's hair. "You don't want her pulling out that massive, heavy cross."

Himeko and Welt, barely suppressing their laughter, chimed in with explanations. Embarrassed, Asta reluctantly released Theresa, whose face was flushed crimson—partly from the pinching, partly from the teasing.

"Hmph! I told you all already, but you never believe me. I'll say it again: I'm not a child!" Theresa huffed indignantly, her high-pitched, childish voice betraying her words and making it hard for anyone to take her seriously.

"It's true, she's over forty... Ouch!" Welt's words were cut short as Theresa bit his hand. He winced and shook his hand, trying to dislodge her tenacious grip.

"Welt, a lady's age is a secret," Himeko chided with a smile, watching Theresa's grip on his hand. "You're being quite rude." The other women nodded in agreement.

"Pah! I need to rinse my mouth," Theresa grumbled after finally releasing Welt's hand. She took the bottled water March 7th offered and swished it around thoroughly.

"Alright, let's get back to the matter at hand," Dan Heng said, his gaze wary as he turned to Stelle. "If Acting Head Asta doesn't recognize you, then who exactly are you, Stelle?"

The others stared in astonishment at the bewildered young woman.

"I... I don't know who I am either," Stelle explained, looking troubled. "All I know is my name is Stelle."

"And what about this lovely young lady?" Asta asked, turning her curious gaze to Theresa.

"She's a Nameless passenger on our Astral Express," Himeko explained. "Her name is Theresa."

Asta nodded, her attention now focused entirely on Stelle.

"Stop guessing," a beautiful young girl said as she approached, her delicate features expressionless. "I know who she is."

"It's Madam Herta!" some of the staff exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, it really is you!"

"Madam Herta, welcome," Asta said respectfully. "I apologize for the Antimatter Legion's intrusion into the Space Station, but fortunately, the damage was minimal."

Herta, Genius Society member #83

"Asta, this isn't your fault," Herta said. "It's the Stellaron Hunters who caused this mess. And this troublesome collectible of mine, the Stellaron, has now transformed into Miss Stellaron herself. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Herta looked up at the tall Stelle, her expression unreadable.

"Hello, Madam Herta. My name is Stelle, but that's all I can remember," Stelle said, gazing curiously at Herta's doll-like form.

"Who is she?" Theresa asked, feigning ignorance to avoid suspicion, though she already knew Herta's identity.

"Oh, another newcomer! You're quite charming," Herta remarked, sizing Theresa up and down. She seemed pleased with their similar heights.

"This is Madam Herta, the eighty-third member of the Genius Society and the true owner of Herta Space Station. I'm just the acting head here," Asta said with a smile, introducing Herta.

The true owner of Herta Space Station, Herta had successfully reversed her aging process using her self-developed Herta Sequence. Her true age remained a mystery. As the most intelligent human on her Planet, she only pursued what interested her, abandoning projects the moment her enthusiasm waned—the Space Station itself being a prime example.

Herta typically appeared through remotely controlled dolls, which she described as "barely seven-tenths as cute as I was as a child."

Unsatisfied with the mundane laws of the world, Herta of the Genius Society had turned her gaze toward the unresolved mysteries of the galaxy, hoping that these distant enigmas would quench her insatiable curiosity.

To this end, Herta spearheaded the construction of a museum-like interstellar vessel, launching it into planetary orbit to begin her research project: "Sealing all anomalies within the starry sky." In recent Amber Eras, interactions with other worlds had become increasingly frequent.

She forged a partnership with the Interastral Peace Corporation, assisting the Xianzhou in battling Abominations. She also acquired numerous artifacts from the Astral Express and engaged in minor skirmishes with the Garden of Recollection. This period marked a remarkable departure from the previous hundred Eras, filled with unprecedented experiences. To safely preserve a Stellaron, she established the Herta Space Station.

"Wait a minute! If Stelle is made from a Stellaron, doesn't that make her a Stellaron spirit?!" March 7th exclaimed, staring in astonishment at the bewildered Stelle.

"Won't you introduce yourself, little darling?" Herta asked, intrigued by Stelle. Yet she instinctively sensed Theresa—who bore a striking resemblance to herself—also harbored secrets.

"Hello, Madam Herta. My name is Theresa. I recently joined the Astral Express as a Nameless. You can verify my identity with Old Yang or Himeko," Theresa replied, meeting Herta's gaze. The surreal spectacle of two mature young girls facing off amused everyone present.