A young boy sat delicately at a popular cafe. Short grey hair and violet eyes that sparkled like jewels. He wore a simple white shirt with purple diamond patterns and a black sweater vest adorned with a small lock. On top of his head sat a simple black beret with a purple flower attached to the sides.
Many stares were drawn in by the boy as he closed his eyes.
He stared into the dark as he observed a panel.
[Herta Template] [20%]
[Traces: Level 4]
[Eidelon: 0]
[Lightcone: Geniuses' Repose]
[Stellar Jade: 980]
[Extra Skills: Rules are Meant to Be Broken, Dreamdiver]
He opened his eyes and gazed at the sky longingly, when would he be able to pull Into the Unreachable Veil Lightcone? His eyes narrowed as his gentle demeanor was cast aside by a haughty stare.
"You called me here and then made me wait? My time is precious you know? I could have just left-" The boy stopped talking as a suitcase was placed on the table.
"I've left extra to make up for my lateness. I've already accounted for my offense to you Herta." The blonde noble looking man shook his head, "I still till this day have no idea why your parents gave you the name Herta."
Herta stared at the blonde noble man, "I have no idea what type of noble inbreeding the El Melloi family went through to produce a specimen with such receding hairline in his mid-twenties." He snarked.
The blonde noble's face twitched with exasperation, "Herta that's a little bit over the top no? Perhaps you're taking your annoyance out on the wrong person."
Glimmering violet eyes met green eyes. "How dull." Herta thought. He could only sigh, it wasn't a bad name of any sorts. But it's just, in his mind he could only be glad that his little brother was still in existence.
Herta snorted before standing up and waiting by the door. "Let's go pick up your order Kayneth," He directed the noble man to follow him.
Soon they reached a giant tower building with a purple and black themed entrance and a large sign on the front door, "Herta Research Station".
Kayneth read the sign out loud with increasing detachment from reality. This was what the number 1 public enemy of magecraft was like? A giant self absorbed twat?
However as a seasoned magus, he had long accepted that nothing was ever as it seemed. He heard stories about this Herta, established the genius society an exclusive club for geniuses in every field, magecraft included.
Yet if there was one thing he had never heard about, it was anyone trying to take Herta's research or drag him into politics.
In fact, he only managed to contact Herta due to calling in a favor from Barthomeloi. Yet this was not how he imagined his visit to go.
The supreme genius, the researcher who dissects magecraft itself. The creator of the Herta sequence and currently working on another theorem. Seen very rarely and is often sought out to give lectures at the clocktower.
"This little-" Kayneth's thoughts died out soon as he walked into the building where many researchers were scrambling about on the first floor. He overheard their conversations as his forehead continued to crease.
"We had our research approved by Professor Herta!" The man cried while sobbing on the ground while holding a stack of papers that had been stamped with a purple flower.
Many crowded around him and celebrated while also crying tears of joy. Kayneth's face grew darker, what type of cult did he walk into?
He froze as he noticed something odd, perhaps it was because his brain had subconsciously dismissed it. But he looked around one more time, Herta?
Another one?
"What in the world?" Kayneth muttered under his breath. The more he looked the more he noticed, there were many Herta's standing about on the first floor.
They were just stationed there.
"Those are my dolls. The one you are talking to is also a doll." Herta stared at the speechless Kayneth.
"How did you know?" Kayneth asked with confusion as he realised he had been talking to a doll the entire time.
The doll looked up at him and gave a smug smirk, "It's hard not to tell when your forehead exposes your throbbing veins of confusion. It's alright, not everyone is as much of a genius as me."
And true to his word, Kayneth's forehead had throbbing veins exposed in frustration. Perhaps this was what Waver felt, maybe he should go easier on him. Kayneth sighed as they approached the elevator.
"Professor Herta! Please before you go... Check this." A girl came running in disarray as she hoisted a paper into Herta's hand.
Herta gave a quick skim before giving her a confused look, "Research on a tablet that increases waste production and reduction of calorie intake?"
The girl nodded, "Yes! When coming up with a research proposal, me and some other ladies noticed that all of us tend to have to use diets to keep our weight in control. But despite tha, we desperately want to taste certain foods. So we thought why not find a way to come up with a pill or tablet that decreases the calorie intake and instead produces more waste instead."
Her mouth continued to rattle off explanations as Herta looked at her in a new light. "I like your thinking... Your research seems promising. When you have tangible results just contact one of my dolls. I'll have it approved for testing and marketing."
The girl squealed in joy as Herta took out a stamp to approve the paper for research funding.
He could almost see the money raining in from the research proposal.
Kayneth looked stupefied as he followed Herta into the elevator. They soon arrived to see many more Herta dolls moving about and performing different tasks. One had arrived and brought them tea while another brought over small baked snacks.
Kayneth sat down as another Herta doll brought over two boxes, each the size of a table. "Two magic reactor cores, enough to fuel that pointless war you're about to attend."
Kayneth opened the boxes expecting it to contain parts. His face turned ashen as he glanced at the Herta doll. "It's..."
"Small?" Herta finished his statement. "I took the liberty to shrink it down for better mobility. No need to worry, it was an easy task for my genius." Kayneth sighed as Herta produced a contract. "Here just sign the papers and be on your way. My time is precious and I'm busy."
Kayneth read through the papers as he stared at the so called genius while also looking at the terms and waivers on the contract.
4.3: All Herta Research Station products do not come with a warranty. All products are quality checked by Hertas' #275 to #281. A product will not be faulty. If a product faults, blame lies within the customer for handling incorrectly.
5.7: All products come with instructions and operation manuals. Extra consultation on instructions will be charged extra.
12.1: Herta Research Station reserves the right to selling of products and is a private institution not liable for biased marketing and selling.
12:2: If you believe yourself to be a wrongful bias and the product you receive is faulty, submit an enquiry to Herta #100 who is in charge of customer service.
Special Clause: Due to current circumstances, requests to be the sole distributor or sole holder of the right to purchase Herta products will be denied. Customer confidentiality will be maintained, however rights to purchase are free and will not be restrained.
Signed: _________
Signed: The Herta & Herta #2
The doll looked at Kayneth whose face continued to contort and scrunch with amusement. But overall there were no exact unreasonable clauses so Kayneth signed it.
Signed: Kayneth El Melloi Archibald
Herta hummed as he tucked the contract into a folder and handed it off to another random Herta doll. Kayneth stared at the doll before asking, "Has anyone see your true form?" It was curiosity, that brought him to ask.
"Yes, a few have. Though I'm mostly busy and use dolls to move about and communicate."
At the same time another Herta was in another private room staring at a dead fish eyed assassin who was leaving with a long and slender suitcase.
This Herta stared at the contract before placing it into a folder.
Signed: Kiritsugu Emiya