Herta was so eager to see Lily's practical exam that she even considered attending in person. However, as one of Great Britain's top universities, Cambridge strictly prohibited unauthorized visitors. Watching the exam in person was simply impossible.
This led her to contemplate other options: Should she build a miniature drone to sneak into the school and live-stream the exam? Or perhaps she could modify and upgrade Lily's sword, adding a recording function?
Or... since unauthorized visitors weren't allowed, what if she enrolled as a student herself and took the exam?
Of course, Herta Herself couldn't actually attend classes. While she might learn something new at Cambridge, it would only last for the first few days. She couldn't possibly go through the trouble of enrolling, watching the practical exam, and then finding a way to drop out. That would be far too much hassle.
But... if Herta Herself couldn't enroll, she could simply send a Little Herta puppet in her place! Lily didn't have any friends at school anyway; sending a puppet would give her some company.
When Herta was bored, she could switch to the puppet's perspective and watch the live stream. When she was busy, she could just put the puppet in Autonomous Mode. Either way, it wouldn't affect her at all.
Herta acted on her idea immediately. Three days later, the Herta Puppet Manufacturing Factory at White Eagle was nearing completion, and Little Herta No. 002 had been successfully manufactured. As soon as it was finished, Elysia sent No. 002 back to Herta.
Herta made some subtle modifications to No. 002. She smoothed out the obvious joint seams on the puppet's body, making it indistinguishable from a normal person. Then, she integrated the results of her research from the past three days: a Virtual Personality Module.
This was the previously mentioned "Autonomous Mode," which allowed No. 002 to interact with others according to a pre-programmed behavioral pattern.
Finally, she enhanced No. 002's Energy Module, adding a function similar to the Sword of Promised Victory. This enabled the module to convert its energy output into Magic Power, allowing the puppet to cast spells.
With all preparations complete, the next challenge was how to transport No. 002 to Cambridge.
One morning, a man in his early thirties, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase, walked down a clean and orderly street. His gaze was resolute, and his every movement exuded confidence and composure, marking him unmistakably as a successful professional.
Indeed, he was Newman Gregory, a junior member of Parliament representing the London District in Great Britain. Although the nation was currently ruled by a queen, the traditional parliamentary system of the House of Lords and the House of Commons remained intact.
Newman's life followed a strict routine. He woke at seven every morning, washed and dressed, and headed to his favorite café downstairs for a coffee to invigorate himself before starting work. He left the office promptly at five, returned home to prepare a hearty dinner, watched a movie to unwind, and was always in bed by nine, ensuring a full night's rest and avoiding fatigue the next day.
Today, like every other day, he arrived at his preferred café. But just as he sat down, bad news arrived.
The waiter bowed slightly, his voice tinged with apology. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're temporarily out of your usual latte. Would you like to try something else?"
"Hmm?" Newman raised an eyebrow, his tone deliberately nonchalant. "Then I'll have a cappuccino instead."
But inwardly, a tempest of excitement raged within him!
Beyond his identity as a junior member of Parliament, Newman harbored another, far more clandestine role: he was a spy for White Eagle.
It was hardly unusual for one nation to plant spies in another. Newman had infiltrated Great Britain long ago, using every means at his disposal to climb the political ladder until he secured his parliamentary seat.
Further advancement seemed nearly impossible. As a junior MP, he already held the highest position among all White Eagle spies in the country.
The coffee order had been a coded signal: his mission had arrived!
After years in the shadows, his moment to act had finally come. Newman couldn't suppress his excitement, especially since mobilizing someone of his status implied the mission was of extraordinary significance.
While waiting for his coffee, Newman excused himself to use the restroom. There, he stealthily retrieved his Magic Wand, waved it subtly a few times, and discreetly cast the spell "Invisible Shadow."
Instantly, an almost imperceptible phantom detached from his body and sped toward the rendezvous point. This wasn't a typical Great British spell; it was a creation of the "Wizard," a former member of the White Eagle Eight, known for its extreme stealth—perfect for this kind of operation.
In mere moments, the shadow traversed several kilometers, arriving at a private dressing room on the second floor of a shopping mall.
Sensing its arrival, the woman inside swiftly opened her handbag and revealed a portion of an envelope. Encrypted code covered its surface, detailing the mission:
Newman, the time has come for you to serve your homeland. This mission is immensely critical—it could even destabilize all of Great Britain!
Reading this from the café, Newman couldn't help but swallow hard. What kind of mission could be this outrageous?
Yet, hadn't he been infiltrating Britain for this very moment?
Newman's resolve quickly hardened as he continued reading:
[Tonight, on XX Street, a lovely girl named Herta will be waiting for you. Your mission is to arrange for her to enroll at Cambridge as a transfer student and, from then on, fulfill all her requests to the best of your ability.]
Newman: "???"
He froze, utterly dumbfounded. Confusion, disbelief, and utter bewilderment couldn't begin to describe his state of mind. He rubbed his eyes and reread the message. The mission objective was indeed just that simple, with no further details provided.
Wait, what the hell is this?!
This top-secret operation, for which he had been positioned as the key spy capable of destabilizing all of Great Britain, boiled down to... getting a girl into Cambridge?
[ Which incompetent superior issued this absurdly vague order? ] (Elysia: Achoo! )
He even wondered if his colleagues were playing a prank on him. But Newman knew better: the possibility of a joke was practically zero. No matter how ridiculous the mission seemed, he had to carry it out!