[In the Celestial Screen, Himeko smiled gently upon seeing the group arrive: "Really, you always make things so thrilling. But it's good that you're back. Well done, March 7th, Dan Heng."]
["Himeko~ You should've come earlier," March 7th immediately whined with a pout upon seeing Himeko.]
["Those last few Antimatter Legion troops were like locusts. I use a bow, you know—fighting them was such a pain."]
["Coming earlier wouldn't have helped. My orbital cannon could wipe out a bunch, but if Herta came back and saw the space station like this, she'd definitely hold us accountable."]
[Himeko noticed Stelle behind March 7th and introduced herself: "Hi, first time meeting. I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express."]
["Which means she's the one who decides how the train operates," March 7th added with a grin.]
[Himeko smiled faintly, not denying it: "Did March cause you any trouble along the way?"]
["Think carefully before answering~" March 7th frowned slightly, her eyes hinting at a tiny threat.]
[Stelle simply shrugged: "Never met a girl this reckless before."]
["That's just how I am!" March 7th's lips curled up proudly. "And I didn't cause any trouble this time... You'll get used to it. Look, Dan Heng's already used to it."]
[Dan Heng simply closed his eyes: "I reserve the right to remain silent."]
["Hahaha, young people sure bond quickly. Seems like you've already gotten quite familiar." Himeko was pleased to see them like this. "Let's go meet Asta."]
[When the group arrived, Asta had just finished issuing a series of commands.
["You're back? It's such a relief to see you safe. Arlan was here earlier—he told me everything about the containment zone, including his injuries... Thank you for your help."]
[Seeing the Express crew, Asta's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.]
["Let's go talk to the researchers. At a time like this, no one wants any more accidents inside the station. By the way, have you tried contacting Herta?" Himeko suddenly asked.]
[A trace of melancholy flashed in Asta's eyes: "I've sent countless emails, but they've all gone unanswered. Ms. Himeko, you know how she is—the space station is just a warehouse for her followers and curios. She doesn't care about it at all."]
["I figured." Himeko sighed helplessly but still comforted her: "Don't worry, I'll also send Herta a message, telling her we've brought the curio she wanted. At least that might pique her interest."]
["That would be a huge help." A faint smile finally appeared on Asta's flower-like face. Compared to the constantly blaring alarms in the space station, this was rare good news.]
["Ms. Herta is a genius, but managing researchers or politely responding to the Scholars' Guild's provocations is beyond her capabilities. Fortunately, I can handle those."]
["No matter the problem, just say it's Ms. Herta's intention. After all, Herta herself is the symbol of wisdom." Thinking of the help Ms. Herta had brought her, Asta's eyes sparkled as if little stars were about to pop out.]
——
Hearing Asta's constant mentions of "Herta," Frieren also grew somewhat curious about Herta's identity.
"Lady Frieren, this 'Herta' seems incredibly impressive—probably someone who can influence the dynamics of another world, right?" Seeing Asta's reverent demeanor, Frieren couldn't help but think of Lady Serie.
The way the first-class mages spoke of Lady Serie, their expressions of respect and admiration were identical to this Miss Asta's.
"From the sound of it, this Ms. Herta has a terrible personality," Stark muttered as he slumped over a chair, frowning slightly. "She's the master of the space station, yet she doesn't care at all about the researchers who follow her, as if their lives mean nothing to her… What a cold person."
"Those called 'geniuses' usually have quirks ordinary people can't understand," Frieren said, her gaze drifting to the dusty grimoires on the bookshelf, as if recalling something. "You know, to many great figures, ordinary humans might not even rank above ants… Stark, do you pay attention to the ants underfoot when walking through the forest?"
Stark's mouth hung open in stunned silence.
"People with that kind of personality are usually those who charge headlong toward the truth," Frieren yawned. "I've seen too many of them."
Frieren noticed Sein in the corner, absentmindedly clutching a bottle of alcohol, and asked curiously, "Lord Sein, what are you thinking about?"
"Hmm, I was thinking… if this Ms. Herta is a young and beautiful lady, her terrible personality might not be such a downside."
"Uh…" Frieren's face twisted in disgust.
"Someone willing to devote all their time to wisdom and truth definitely isn't young. She's probably a shriveled old hag~" Frieren smirked mischievously.
Meanwhile, in Runeterra, seeing Miss Asta's reverence for "Ms. Herta," Jayce couldn't help but feel intensely curious.
To him and Viktor, Silver Wolf's reality-altering technology alone was something they could spend lifetimes studying. Yet, from the sound of it, this Ms. Herta seemed even more formidable than Silver Wolf.
Mention of the "symbol of wisdom" instinctively made Jayce think of Professor Heimerdinger.
Though the professor was the founder of Piltover, after centuries, his thinking had grown increasingly conservative. As his student, Jayce still maintained respect and humility toward him, but deep down, he no longer fully agreed with his mentor.
"I wonder what achievements this Ms. Herta has accomplished. Did she create an advanced city… or perhaps an entire nation?" Viktor's curiosity also grew harder to suppress.
[But just then, as if the pink-haired girl in the Celestial Screen had heard their thoughts, she began introducing this renowned genius.]
["'Ms. Herta?'"]
["'She's a member of the Genius Society, a prodigy favored by the Aeon of Erudition, Nous. Since Nous' birth, there have only been 84 such individuals in total.'"]
["'So, Ms. Herta is incredibly capricious… She only does what interests her, and the moment she loses interest, she walks away. This space station is just one of her passing whims…'"]
["'Not long ago, I borrowed one of her manuscript drafts for reference. It should still be in the Master Control Zone. If you're interested, you can take a look.'"]
The Aeon of Erudition?!
Jayce and Viktor both latched onto that name.
They had both heard legends of Gods in their childhood—stories of the Wind Goddess Janna, or the Forge God of the Freljord's undying furnace…
But compared to this Aeon of Erudition, those tales paled in grandeur!
Across different worlds, Jayce and Viktor could somewhat guess that Ms. Herta's research might not directly aid their studies on Hextech. But scientists are embodiments of curiosity—it was too hard for Jayce to resist learning more.
If Asta's words weren't exaggerated, this Ms. Herta was one of the 84 most intelligent beings in the universe. That title alone might already rival the gods of Teyvat.
And the value of her research manuscripts? Self-evident.
Unfortunately, Asta was speaking to Stelle, not them. At this moment, Jayce just wanted Stelle to hurry and find Ms. Herta's manuscript—so they could see it… even just a glimpse would suffice!