"A paper?" Herta showed no interest. Though the theory she had just presented was revolutionary for Great Britain, it was merely something she had casually discovered on her first day of learning magic.
The scraps that fell through the cracks of a genius's fingers were priceless treasures to ordinary people.
Upon learning there would be no practical exam, Herta promptly left, entrusting the rest to the autonomous module.
With a thought, Herta relinquished control of Herta No. 002. The little Herta blinked rapidly twice, then seamlessly picked up the conversation. "What's so hard about writing a paper? As for the second and third author slots? Beg me! Beg me, and I might consider it~"
"Ha?" Newman was stunned. A child who hadn't even enrolled yet dared to speak to the principal of Great Britain's most prestigious academy like that?
Even more unbelievably, the principal didn't hesitate for a second. He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please!"
Little Herta decisively agreed. "Fine, you can have the second author slot."
Newman's face froze in a classic "old man on the subway staring at his phone" expression, his features twisted in bewilderment. The scene unfolding before him was simply too absurd.
Immediately afterward, Herta No. 002 turned to Newman. "Hey, you... what was your name again? New-something? Never mind. Anyway, to thank you for discovering this genius, I'll give you the third author slot."
Newman's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
While a promotion, a raise, and a place in Great Britain's history books might sound appealing, he wasn't British—he was a spy! What good was British fame to him?
Thus, the entrance exam had inexplicably transformed into a research seminar. Little Herta relentlessly lectured on her theories of Free-Floating Magic Power, while the Principal sat beside her like a diligent student, nodding and scribbling notes.
Newman understood none of it. He occasionally poured water for the Principal but spent the rest of the time gazing blankly at the clear blue sky outside, lost in existential contemplation. "What... what am I even doing here?"
Meanwhile, at the school's combat training grounds, a bored physical education teacher stared listlessly at the sky. "The Principal called for an urgent exam. Where are the candidates? Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Time passed quickly, and Monday arrived. Lily was already at her desk, book in hand, ostensibly preparing for class. However, a closer look revealed that she hadn't turned a single page in quite some time, and her lips occasionally twitched with odd, stifled giggles.
She was like a model student who had suddenly fallen in love, causing their grades to plummet. Lily, who had never had friends before, now had her first, and her focus was completely scattered. Her mind was filled with memories of watching a movie with Herta on Sunday afternoon, making it impossible to concentrate on her textbook.
Gradually, the classroom filled with students chatting idly. Just as the noise reached a peak, the homeroom teacher walked in.
In an instant, the familiar "mute button" was activated. The once-cacophonous room fell into absolute silence.
"Ahem!" The teacher cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the room before announcing, "Today, I'd like to introduce a new transfer student. I hope you'll all make her feel welcome."
The moment the words were spoken, exclamations of surprise and disbelief erupted throughout the classroom:
"A transfer student?"
"Seriously? At this time of year? The final exams are right around the corner!"
"I knew there was something fishy about that old witch arriving so early today..."
Bang! The sound of a palm striking the desk echoed through the room as the homeroom teacher, her face like thunder, snapped, "George! Get out here and stand in the hall as punishment!"
"H-hey!" The student who had been gossiping jumped in fright. Trembling, he shakily rose to his feet and tiptoed out of the classroom.
As he left, a remarkably cute little girl brushed past him and entered the room.
"So... so adorable!" That was his first thought.
"Wait, could this be the new transfer student?" That was his second.
Meanwhile, gasps of astonishment rippled through the classroom.
The homeroom teacher slammed her hand on the desk again, her expression darkening. Once everyone fell silent, she turned to Herta, her face softening instantly. "Please introduce yourself," she said gently.
The teacher knew nothing of Herta's background, but she had personally witnessed the principal escort her to the classroom with explicit instructions to grant all her requests.
"This isn't just a new student—this has to be the Principal's illegitimate daughter!"
Herta No. 002's gaze swept across the class, finally settling on Lily, who was still buried in her book. "My name is Herta," she said. "I have no interest in any of you. Don't bother me unless it's absolutely crucial."
The familiar name and voice jolted Lily out of her reverie. She set down her book, looked up, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy shit! Little Herta?!"
Lily had heard about the transfer student, of course, but she'd assumed it had nothing to do with her and paid no attention. Who could have imagined that the new student would be Teacher Herta?!
Lily's outburst rippled through the classroom like a pebble dropped into still water. Nearly everyone turned to stare at her, including the homeroom teacher. Red-faced and about to send Lily out to stand as punishment, the teacher was interrupted by Herta No. 002's addendum: "By the way, what I said earlier doesn't apply to Lily. You can come to me anytime."
The homeroom teacher immediately swallowed her words and said instead, "Well then, Herta, please choose a seat."
Herta No. 002 wasted no time, walking straight to the seat in front of Lily. Of course, the seat was already occupied. Little Herta nonchalantly said, "Hey, can you move? I want to sit here."
The student, initially stunned, frowned slightly. Even though the newcomer was undeniably beautiful and cute, this was incredibly rude. Did she really expect him to just give up his seat on demand? Who did she think she was?
Just then, the homeroom teacher, who had been trailing behind Little Herta, interjected, "Bertrand, you can take the empty seat in the second-to-last row."
Bertrand's frown vanished instantly. He sprang to his feet, quickly gathering his belongings. "Sure thing!"