Chapter 94: Herta: Right Now, You're Just Like... Like Someone from the Genius Society
Leon tapped the screen, cutting the connection with Topaz. A faint, calculating smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Inviting the fiery IPC executive to Belobog wasn't merely a quick fix for the frozen planet's debt crisis. It was the opening move on a much larger chessboard. He had long since noticed the Interstellar Peace Corporation's lingering, watchful gaze fixed upon him. Having Topaz come down in person was a deliberate play to force the corporate giants to re-evaluate their risk assessments and choke out any future thoughts of unnecessary interference.
Leon understood the cold, mechanical logic of the capitalist universe perfectly: as long as the profit margins were high enough, someone would always be willing to stick their neck out.
He needed to ensure the IPC wouldn't dare entertain even a fleeting thought of crossing him. And having Topaz witness his capabilities with her own eyes—feeling the absolute disparity in power—was the most persuasive argument he could offer.
Just as he pocketed his device, it vibrated against his thigh.
Herta: You there? The Simulated Universe is updated. Come test it! Bring Stelle and Caelus along while you're at it.
Leon raised an eyebrow at the glowing screen. The Simulated Universe was already updated? That was suspiciously fast, even for a member of the Genius Society.
Leon: Beg me.
Herta: Please.
Leon chuckled softly. The absolute lack of hesitation from the proud genius was highly amusing.
Leon: I can head over, but the two little ones are busy with the Jarilo-VI Trailblaze. They can't make it for now.
Herta: No wonder I couldn't reach them by phone.
Taking the opportunity, Leon quickly typed out a brief summary of the situation on Jarilo-VI, casually mentioning his recent negotiations with Topaz.
Herta: You can decide on those matters yourself. I'll notify Asta.
Leon locked his phone, the smile returning to his face. Herta's text was entirely indifferent to the fate of a planet or the IPC's movements, but he could read between the lines. The fact that she was brushing off administrative duties to Asta so quickly meant she was in an exceptionally good mood right now.
With a single thought, the space around him warped.
In a flash of displaced energy, Leon stepped onto the pristine, metallic floors of the Herta Space Station.
Almost immediately, his senses picked up on a few unique signatures. He tilted his head, glancing down the sprawling corridors. Silver Wolf was here? And that distinct, rhythmic whirring of refined gears... Screwllum was here as well?
Did he just walk right into the 'Punklorde Mentality' companion mission?
Leon stuffed his hands into his pockets, thoroughly amused by the coincidence. His mind immediately flashed to the mental image of Silver Wolf having a complete gamer breakdown, crying and throwing a tantrum because Herta had mercilessly frozen seventy-six of her precious gaming accounts.
Boohoo, how pitiful.
Not wanting to miss the show, Leon didn't delay. He strolled directly toward Herta's private office.
The heavy doors slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss. Inside, a jointed Herta puppet stood with her hands on her hips, facing the tall, elegant mechanical aristocrat, Screwllum.
"You got here so fast?" The Herta puppet turned her head, her synthetic voice carrying a note of genuine surprise.
Herta had, of course, noticed Silver Wolf causing chaos across her Space Station. That bratty hacker had even dared to leave holographic graffiti right on the wall behind her prized portrait—graffiti that only showed up under a specific scanner. It had thoroughly displeased her.
Naturally, Herta had devised a method to "repay" Silver Wolf's little prank. She had called Screwllum over to set a very specific stage. Her original script included Stelle and Caelus as the audience, but since those two were tied up in the snow, Leon's sudden arrival worked just as well.
"This must be the Mr. Leon that Herta and Ruan Mei have mentioned so frequently."
Screwllum turned smoothly toward the door. His brass-and-steel chassis gleamed under the office lights, and his glowing optical sensors curved in a polite, gentlemanly greeting. His voice was a rich, modulated baritone, dripping with aristocratic elegance. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Screwllum."
"I've heard much about you," Leon replied, stepping forward to shake the mechanical genius's hand.
Feeling the cool, polished metal against his palm, Leon felt a brief wave of gamer sentimentality wash over him. As a mechanical lifeform, Screwllum possessed a refined cultivation that ironically made him the most "human" among all the eccentric members of the Genius Society.
Leon's inner gamer couldn't help but sigh. There had been rumors since version 2.0 that this dapper robot would finally be added to the gacha pool, yet here they were, practically knocking on version 4.0, and there was still no sign of his banner.
Screwllum, for his part, was deeply fascinated by the man standing before him. The mere fact that Leon had successively drawn the gazes of Nous, Fuli, Aha, and Nanook upon entering the Simulated Universe was more than enough to pique the mechanical aristocrat's boundless curiosity.
"By the way, what were you two just talking about?" Leon asked, casually leaning against a nearby console to smoothly enter the scene.
"I was discussing with Madam Herta whether we should temporarily shut down the Simulated Universe," Screwllum stated, his tone perfectly measured and calm.
"Don't even think about it." The Herta puppet snapped back almost instantly, her joints clicking as she crossed her arms. "I'll say it one last time. I don't care what you think, but shutting down the Simulated Universe is absolutely impossible."
"Herta, this is a proposal I have made after careful evaluation." Screwllum's voice remained a steady, unbothered stream of logic. "Question: What have we invested in this project?"
He raised a metallic finger. "Hundreds of system hours, the resources of an entire planet, and the most advanced technology in the known universe."
He lowered it, his glowing eyes dimming slightly. "And what have we gained? The unknown, doubts, and a continuous series of errors."
Screwllum turned slightly, pacing a single step. "Initially, we defined the Simulated Universe in the hope of creating a miniature world to glimpse the traces of the Aeons. But now, it is drifting further and further from that original goal."
Leon kept his face perfectly neutral, though he was chuckling inwardly. The little play Screwllum and Herta were putting on was incredibly convincing. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought the project was actually in jeopardy.
But Leon, fully aware of the plot and the invisible hacker currently eavesdropping on them, knew they were just acting.
Of course, the logistical problems Screwllum pointed out were entirely factual. But for a group of geniuses who yearned to dissect the deepest mysteries of the Aeons, the Simulated Universe would never be abandoned here. Why else would Herta, Stephen, Screwllum, and Ruan Mei have pooled their massive intellects together in the first place?
"The Simulated Universe needs errors... those were your exact words." The Herta puppet retorted, her voice pitching up in feigned indignation. "The current situation clearly fits that premise perfectly! So why are you the one acting dissatisfied now?"
"I appreciate knowledge flowing through the process of trial and error, but I do not agree with the Simulated Universe remaining forever as a piece of pending contract on a to-do list." Screwllum's counter was gentle, yet completely unyielding. "Herta, think about it. How many surprises has this project given you? Then think again... how many disappointments has it given you?"
"The Simulated Universe never disappoints me. The only one who disappoints me is you... Screw."
For the first time, a flicker of something resembling actual, unscripted emotion bled into the puppet's synthetic voice. "Do you think you're so great? Right now, you're just like... like someone from the Genius Society!"
Hearing the Herta puppet deliver such an absurd, coquettish-sounding insult, Leon's composure finally cracked. A loud, genuine laugh escaped his lips, echoing sharply in the tense office.
Both the Herta puppet and Screwllum stopped dead, turning their heads to stare at him simultaneously.
"What are you laughing at?" The puppet's face remained frozen in its doll-like neutrality, but Leon could easily picture the real Herta sitting in her hidden room, her face flushing red with absolute fury at having her dramatic scene ruined.
"Nothing," Leon said, though his wide grin completely betrayed him. "I just think your cursing sounds a lot like you're acting spoiled."
"You... you bastard!" the puppet snapped, pointing a jointed finger at him. Yet, even the curse lacked any real venom.
Leon's grin only widened. A pampered genius like Herta had probably never needed to learn how to properly curse someone out. No matter where she went in the cosmos, she was treated as an honored guest. Who would she ever need to hurl vulgarities at?
"Sigh..." Screwllum's mechanical gears whirred softly, pulling the derailed script back onto the tracks. "Herta, I have no intention of questioning you, nor will I deny everything you have sacrificed for the Simulated Universe."
He placed a hand over his chest, bowing his head slightly. "It is just that I hope you can give knowledge and inspiration more space to grow freely."
"Enough!"
The puppet threw her hands up, sounding genuinely irritated this time—though whether it was at Screwllum's acting or Leon's teasing was up for debate. "If you don't want to do it, then quit! And you can explain it to the other two yourself."
She spun on her heel, her dress flaring out. "Oh, and remember to take your technology with you when you leave. I don't care for it."
She marched toward the door, throwing her words over her shoulder. "I can go find Elias Salas! I can go find the Red-Nosed Old Man of Epsilon! I can even go find the Intelligentsia Guild... at least they won't drop out and run away halfway through a project."
She didn't look back as the doors slid open, leaving behind one final, icy taunt.
"Screwllum, I've known you for so long, and this is the first time I've truly felt... you're just a block of cold iron."
The doors hissed shut, leaving a heavy silence in their wake.
Screwllum stood perfectly still for a moment before turning back to Leon. His optical sensors dimmed in a remarkably human display of regret.
"My apologies, Leon, for making you witness such an unpleasant scene." Screwllum sighed, the sound a soft rush of filtered air. "This matter started because of me. I unilaterally proposed to Herta my wish to terminate our academic collaboration."
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]