That evening, after work, Newman abandoned his meticulously regimented routine. Instead, following the intelligence report, he hurried to the designated location.
Ironically, Newman's rise to his current position was largely due to his monotonous existence. His predictable, unremarkable life had lulled Great Britain into a false sense of security, allowing him to climb the ranks undetected.
Accepting this mission, however, would inevitably shatter his carefully constructed facade. This significantly increased his chances of exposure in the coming weeks. His best course of action was to complete the mission assigned by his superiors before his identity was fully compromised, and then immediately withdraw from Great Britain.
That was the logical plan.
But there was a problem: this mission appeared to be a long-term operation. After enrolling the girl named Herta at Cambridge University, he was expected to fulfill all her requests to the best of his ability.
Newman's mind raced with questions. What was Herta's true background? And why had she been sent to Cambridge University in the first place?
No wonder the intelligence report was so sparse; it simply wasn't necessary. The child was so strikingly conspicuous that she was impossible to miss.
Newman wasn't the only one captivated by the little girl's charm. Several passersby couldn't help but steal glances:
"What a cute child! Is she waiting for someone?"
"Hmm? Why does she look so familiar? Have I seen her somewhere before?"
"Come on, that's an old line. Every pretty girl looks 'familiar' to you, right?"
"No, seriously... she really does look familiar."
"Stop staring, or you'll be explaining yourself to the police."
Newman approached Herta, his face softening into a mature and gentle smile. "Little girl," he said, "you must be Herta."
She's so cute! he thought. Children are just adorable!
If this mission went smoothly, he'd return to White Eagle, find a virtuous wife, and have a daughter as sweet and filial as this one. What could be more blissful?
Herta No. 002 tilted her head slightly, and her first words shattered Newman's recent fantasies: "Hey, you're late."
Though her voice was as cute as her appearance, her tone was icily cold.
Newman had imagined this child greeting him with a sweet smile and calling him "Uncle." Who could have predicted this? His expression froze momentarily. "La... late?"
But the mission briefing hadn't specified a time! It had simply instructed him to come in the evening, and he'd rushed here straight from work.
Herta No. 002 explained, "You arrived after me and made me wait, so you're late."
Newman stared in utter confusion. "???"
Then, Herta No. 002 strode over to Newman and kicked his shin. "Stop dawdling and move! How are you going to get me into Cambridge University?"
"Hiss~!" Newman gasped, immediately crouching down to rub his shin. Looking up at the girl, he realized this wasn't some cute, well-behaved little girl—this was a tiny tyrant!
It's worth noting that Herta Herself wasn't present at any point. All of Herta No. 002's actions were governed by her Autonomous Mode, a program Herta had designed with a touch of "unreasonableness" and "self-importance"—a nod to the "true Herta" from the game.
While Herta couldn't personally replicate the original Herta's notoriously awful personality, creating a few Little Hertas as tributes was effortless.
Newman's lips twitched slightly. "I know the Principal of Cambridge University. I could ask him to pull some strings, but even then, you'd still need to take the entrance exam and pass it."
"The exam is notoriously difficult, but that shouldn't be a problem. I can give you the answers for the written section in advance, and for the practical assessment, I'll provide you with several specialized Magic Wands. Just activate the spells in the sequence I tell you..."
Before he could finish, Herta No. 002 interrupted him. "I don't need your help."
"What?" Newman blinked in surprise.
"I don't need you to help me cheat," Herta No. 002 declared. "I can pass it easily on my own."
"Well... I suppose that'll have to do." Newman remained skeptical. No matter how he looked at her, the Herta before him appeared to be a child, barely out of elementary school and just entering middle school. Yet, he reminded himself that he was on a White Eagle mission, making it highly probable that this girl wasn't ordinary but possessed some unique qualities.
After rubbing his leg, Newman stood up and said, "Anyway, come with me. Let's go to my house and discuss the specifics in detail."
The main issue was determining the identity under which Newman, as a Junior Councilor, could recommend Herta. Initially, Newman considered fabricating an identity for her, presenting her as a child from a distant relative's family. Logically, this seemed the most reasonable approach. It was perfectly normal for parents to pave the way for their children. As for the specifics of this so-called distant relative? He could leave that to his colleagues to handle—it shouldn't be too difficult.
However, Herta rejected this proposal the moment she heard it.