"What exactly… is Lady Herta doing?"
Out of curiosity, Topaz followed Asta into the laboratory Su Ran had commandeered.
Seeing Lady Herta trailing behind another Herta puppet like a lost child…
She could only think one thing:
This is bizarre.
Were the two geniuses working on some strange project together?
"Learning," Asta replied calmly.
If she hadn't already been mentally prepared, she would be just as stunned as Topaz right now.
"To think the proud Lady Herta would lower herself to learn from someone… this is truly a rare sight~"
Topaz had always assumed geniuses treated each other as equals.
Asta sighed.
"She can't help it—Lady Herta has always been like this.
She just never met someone worth humbling herself for before.
Don't forget, Lady Herta is also one of the top geniuses in the entire universe."
Without noticing, Asta once again began praising her idol.
Her admiration for Herta ran deep.
After all, Herta was the reason Asta could stay independent from the company's messy politics.
Herta was the perfect shield.
"And this Su Ran… what kind of genius is he supposed to be?"
Topaz remembered the name— Asta had mentioned him before.
This man who had dared to joke indecently at her the moment they met…
Unfortunately, with his special status, she couldn't retaliate.
In the IPC, not even the Ten Stonehearts—aside from Diamond— could compare to forming ties with a Genius Society member.
"He invaded one of Lady Herta's puppets and used it to infiltrate the space station.
But because of how much he improved the Simulated Universe, Lady Herta completely changed her evaluation of him."
Asta recalled their first meeting.
It had been… strange.
But at least Su Ran wasn't a bad person.
Somewhat odd, maybe.
But geniuses always were.
"After that, Su Ran asked Lady Herta for compensation.
He came to the station again less than two weeks later— and in that time, he made a crystal sphere that can contain an entire star system, and that teleportation device."
Asta tried to keep her voice steady as she explained.
Topaz, meanwhile, was increasingly horrified.
These geniuses were truly on another level.
"That crystal sphere…"
A star system was unimaginably large.
To fit one inside a crystal sphere?
That was beyond absurd.
"There."
Asta pointed toward a table.
Topaz followed her gaze.
A fist-sized crystal sphere sat casually on the desk— as if it were a random trinket.
Topaz leaned in.
The more she looked, the more terrified she became.
It really held a star system… and judging by how quickly Su Ran worked, he could probably mass-produce these things.
A completely unique artifact in the universe— and if he could teleport stars…
Too dangerous.
Too valuable.
Too genius.
Where did this freak of nature even come from?
"And because of those two inventions, the Aeon of Erudition has gazed upon him twice."
Asta smiled, clearly expecting a dramatic reaction.
Topaz did not disappoint— her entire face was pure shock.
"Asta… if I regret my decision now… do you think it's still possible for me to accept Lady Herta's suggestion… and get eye-color surgery to become red-eyed… so I can latch onto a thigh like that?!"
A genius like this— wouldn't following him guarantee a great future?
Teleporting stars.
Shrinking star systems.
These feats surpassed nearly every member of the Genius Society.
Only the legendary Zandar—who created the Erudition Aeon—might compare.
"Well… probably not," Asta said sheepishly.
"I heard he's already chosen someone."
Her tone was embarrassed— after all, Su Ran had once tried to poach her.
Didn't that mean he thought she was also a top-quality candidate?
A perfect match in everything except not being a white-haired, red-eyed beauty…
"That's really unfortunate," Topaz said aloud.
But her expression showed little regret.
Because she already had plans.
This needed to be recorded in the company database.
The IPC would definitely be interested in a genius like this.
To win over a genius, knowing their preferences was essential.
For now, all they knew was his…
XP preferences.
But finding a "pure original model" matching that description?
Nearly impossible.
The IPC had no shortage of rich people.
But girls who met that… specific aesthetic?
None.
Lower-ranked citizens might, but they lacked money— and weren't guaranteed to be pretty.
"He really is an incredible person…
I wonder what he actually looks like?"
Topaz murmured.
Herta's puppets looked somewhat like the original.
But Su Ran?
He had revealed nothing about his real appearance.
He spoke using Herta's puppet, even mimicked her voice.
"He must be a very handsome young man," Asta declared earnestly.
Given his shameless self-love, Asta was certain of it.
Topaz's mouth twitched.
If she didn't know better, she'd think Asta was fangirling.
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