In Newman's home, the White Eagle's top spy, usually calm and collected, was at his wit's end because of the girl before him. "Why can't you just do it?"
Herta No. 002 replied coolly, "Who are you to act like my elder? What right do you have?"
Newman stared blankly. "???"
Oh, for crying out loud! We're on a mission! These identities are just covers—we're supposed to do whatever's most convenient!
Even a clay figure has its limits, and Newman couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation. "It's just an act! And how old are you anyway? What's so bad about pretending to be my niece?"
Herta No. 002 crossed her arms. "Absolutely not!"
Newman almost laughed in exasperation. "Then what do you suggest?"
Herta No. 002 stated, "Just say you happened to stumble upon an unparalleled genius and couldn't forgive yourself if you didn't recommend her to Cambridge."
Newman stared blankly. "???"
Seriously? That reason sounds completely absurd! But looking at the girl's confident, self-assured demeanor, he couldn't shake the feeling she was telling the truth.
Either this kid's got a serious case of Chuunii, or she's genuinely exceptional. Considering the nature of his mission, Newman suspected the latter was far more likely.
"Are you really a genius?" Newman asked.
"Of course!" Herta No. 002 replied instantly.
"Then what kind of magic can you use?"
This question gave Herta No. 002 pause. She knew very little magic; after all, she was just an autonomous program with no learning ability. Her abilities were limited to what Herta Herself had programmed into her.
Seeing Little Herta fall silent, Newman's doubts deepened. Finally, Herta No. 002 spoke up, "How about the magic to nullify the barrier between the Inner and Outer Worlds of Great Britain? Does that count?"
Strictly speaking, this wasn't magic at all, but rather a program Herta Herself had written when designing the Pocket Signal Station.
Newman's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what the hell?!"
Herta No. 002 tilted her head slightly. "What? Don't you believe me? Should I demonstrate?"
As she spoke, Little Herta raised her right hand. A vast, sea-like wave of Magic Power surged from her. The Energy Module activated, churning out massive amounts of Magic Power.
Newman nearly dropped to his knees. "No! My little prodigy, you can't just demonstrate that!"
He now understood why the mission brief had described it as a task capable of shaking the foundations of Great Britain. The sheer magical power emanating from Little Herta, combined with her absurdly powerful magic, was more than enough to justify the warning.
Thus began their plan: "Accidentally discovering a genius, feeling a duty to nurture her talent, and recommending her to Cambridge." Newman acted swiftly, bringing Herta No. 002 to Cambridge for her entrance exam the very next day.
As they approached the university gate, they spotted an elderly man with a beard nearly reaching his chest. Dressed in a voluminous gray mage's robe, he held a towering magic wand almost as tall as himself. He stroked his beard with his other hand, clearly having been waiting for some time.
This was none other than the Principal of Cambridge University. Newman's recommendation letter had instantly piqued his interest.
Normally, if a recommendation came through familial connections or back channels, the Principal wouldn't bother attending. He'd simply arrange a perfunctory exam as a courtesy.
In fact, given Newman's status as a Junior Councilor, the exam might even have been deliberately simplified.
This time was different. The unconventional recommendation had piqued the Principal's interest in Herta, this extraordinary genius, so he decided to personally oversee the exam. Naturally, the difficulty would be exceptionally high.
After greeting Newman, the Principal turned to the little girl beside him, his eyes lighting up. "Is this the exceptionally gifted child you mentioned? She's adorable."
Herta No. 002 immediately retorted, "Please put 'adorable' before 'exceptionally gifted'! My beauty is in no way inferior to my intelligence!"
The Principal burst into laughter. "Haha, what an amusing child! Very well, adorable genius, and Newman, follow me. The examination hall is ready."
With that, he led them toward an academic building.
It's worth noting that while Little Herta appeared quite young, Newman had specifically emphasized in his recommendation: "This child comes from a disadvantaged background with limited financial resources and cannot afford formal schooling. Yet, she bought textbooks herself and, in just three years, independently mastered the entire primary, middle, and high school curriculum."
Although Herta Herself had actually mastered the material in less than two days—even with some deliberate procrastination—Newman knew that claiming such a thing would be absurd. Even if he said it, the Principal would never believe him. Three years seemed far more plausible.
As for Herta's family situation—an orphan from a poor background—those details were genuine. Newman had personally investigated her identity and found the records so impeccably clean that he initially suspected his colleagues had fabricated them.
Unbeknownst to him, this oversight planted a small seed of future trouble. Herta No. 002 was enrolled using Herta Herself's real identity, which was classified in Great Britain as a top-secret "Outsider." This explained why Newman's investigation had yielded such spotless records: his security clearance didn't grant him access to the "Outsider" classification.
Therefore, if a high-ranking British official were to investigate Little Herta's background in the future, they would inevitably trace it back to Herta Herself. The contrast between a Cambridge prodigy and an unremarkable Outsider would undoubtedly raise suspicions.
Herta was naturally aware of this. The best solution would have been to design the Little Herta Puppet with a completely different appearance, allowing Newman to forge a new identity and name for her.
But Herta instantly rejected this proposal. What was the point of a Herta Puppet that didn't look like her?
So what if they found out? Did she care? Was she afraid?
Only the weak needed to hide their identities and live cautiously. But she was no weakling. As a strong individual, she had the right to be willful and do whatever she pleased.
Moments later, the trio entered the academic building and arrived at a classroom. The Principal personally handed the exam paper to Little Herta, then stood behind her, watching with a genial smile.
As Herta No. 002 stared at the paper, she immediately triggered her Autonomous Program and began calling out to Herta Herself:
"I can't answer this! Help!"