Bai Ming wondered why Herta felt the need to suddenly emphasize that point.
Where could she possibly go?
Staring back with such a blunt, confused expression, Herta realized her words were, in fact, a bit redundant.
In the world of adults, a simple sentence like that wasn't a promise that could be kept forever.
Herta let go of the tips of Bai Ming's hair and rubbed the space between her eyebrows.
She felt it must be because she'd overthought things before bed last night. Even though she didn't think her concerns were misplaced, it really wasn't necessary to voice them to the current Bai Ming.
It was pointless.
"Never mind. Just get up, wash up, and tell me in detail what exactly you've been through these past two months."
Herta chose to drop the subject, refusing to dig any deeper. After all, she wasn't particularly keen on sharing those anxieties with Bai Ming.
Otherwise, wouldn't it seem like she liked the girl a bit too much?
While Herta certainly took a shine to Bai Ming, business was business.
Speaking in such a roundabout way would only make Bai Ming mistake her for someone who said one thing but meant another. That would truly be the death of Herta.
Abruptly ending the conversation, Herta gestured for the puppets to come over and help her dress and wash.
Bai Ming didn't press the issue when she saw this. However, just as she was about to climb out of bed, several puppets blocked her path.
"...?!"
Bai Ming looked back at Herta, but the moment she turned her head, she saw Herta slipping out of her nightgown, revealing a large expanse of porcelain-white skin.
Startled, Bai Ming whipped her head back around.
Sensing Bai Ming's reaction, Herta let out a soft chuckle from behind her. "There's no separate space for you to change here. Just leave it to the puppets."
"No—I mean, I get the logic, but why do we have to change at the same time?! And how did you get dressed so fast?"
"Huh? We've already slept together; are you really bringing this up now?"
Herta's baffled voice drifted from behind, accompanied by the rustle of fabric and the mechanical movements of the puppets.
"Besides, you're so easy on the eyes now. What's wrong with me taking a look?"
"You're doing this on purpose!"
Bai Ming wanted to snap back, but under Herta's direction, the puppets' hands were already reaching out to peel away her pajamas.
Then, Bai Ming felt it—that completely unshielded gaze coming from behind her.
This woman! She was actually, shamelessly ogling her!
Bai Ming felt like she was about to overheat.
Was Herta always... like this?
Bai Ming considered turning around to look back, but thinking of her own burning cheeks, she decided it was better to keep her back turned and pretend she didn't notice rather than let Herta see her completely flustered.
And so, the entire process of washing and dressing concluded to the sound of Herta's soft, amused laughter.
Herta even seemed considerate enough to walk ahead, avoiding a direct look at Bai Ming's flushed face.
"Ruan Mei messaged me just now. She said you didn't reply to her. Once we're done with breakfast, let's call Screwllum and we can all chat about your experiences. How does that sound?"
"Sure."
Bai Ming pulled out her phone and checked.
She realized Ruan Mei had messaged her right when the puppets were dressing her—and when Herta had been staring her down. She'd been too busy "overheating" to notice her phone.
She sent a quick reply to Ruan Mei and extended an invitation to Screwllum, preparing to satisfy the curiosity of several Geniuses later.
In the meantime, Bai Ming scrolled through the news online.
She found that there was already fresh news regarding the Vidyadhara of the Fanghu, and the engagement was incredibly high. However, the content of the reports was somewhat provocative.
The articles claimed that in order to ensure the survival of their race, the Vidyadhara had gone to great lengths to seek the intervention of the Aeon of Elation, and might even be switching their faith from The Hunt to Elation.
There were even a bunch of marketing accounts fearmongering, claiming the Vidyadhara intended to take the Fanghu and defect from the Alliance to join Bai Ming's side.
It was a classic case of making a mountain out of a molehill. The key problem was that a huge number of people were treating these rumors with dead seriousness, offering all sorts of "expert" analyses.
If Bai Ming hadn't been the one involved, she might have been swayed by the nonsense herself.
Of course, aside from the stir within the Xianzhou Alliance, many people were closely following the dispute between Bai Ming and HooH the Equilibrium.
They were curious how Bai Ming, who clearly belonged to Elation, could solve the issues of the Scions of Permanence.
Some thought Bai Ming was tricking the Vidyadhara.
They predicted that once the Vidyadhara believed the lie and left the Alliance, the ruse would be exposed, leaving them as the ultimate fools.
Others believed Bai Ming was eyeing the Path of Permanence itself—trying to have Elation swallow Permanence by meddling with the dragon kin.
There were even some Fools shouting on the internet, inviting Bai Ming to the Tavern to discuss the "grand matter" of completely replacing the Aeon of Elation. Bai Ming could only shake her head.
She felt it was a waste that these people with such vivid imaginations weren't Masked Fools themselves.
As for the Tavern...
She'd heard Sparkle mention it once. Apparently, the Tavern even banned Aha from entering, yet it still preserved Aha's divine miracles. It was basically the epitome of a rebellious teenage mindset.
Sparkle didn't think much of the Tavern's rules or the people there.
Then again, in Bai Ming's eyes, Sparkle wasn't exactly a "normal" person herself, so her words weren't necessarily gospel.
As for how to get to the Tavern, it wasn't difficult for the current Bai Ming.
She could directly pinpoint certain miracles left behind when Aha ascended to Aeonhood; near some of these miracles, large groups of Masked Fools were clearly gathered. That was undoubtedly where the Tavern was.
The Tavern didn't belong to the physical world; it was more like a pocket dimension attached to it. But Bai Ming had no intention of going.
Simply put, Bai Ming wasn't "elated," nor did she believe in Elation. Thinking of the Masked Fools she knew—Sparkle, Sampo, Giovanni, and the like—their thought processes were all incredibly bizarre.
Only that one guy who liked making games was relatively sane.
Having to face a whole crowd of those Fools sounded like a massive headache. She'd rather the Fools just add a new rule: [Bai Ming is not allowed in the Tavern].
Speaking of Masked Fools...
Bai Ming suddenly wondered what Sparkle had been up to lately.
Now that Oswaldo had fallen and become a pariah everyone wanted to kick, Sparkle would likely lose interest in him soon.
Although the IPC hadn't officially announced Sparkle's firing or put her on a wanted list, it didn't feel like she was the type to stick around the Corporation for long.
So, while eating breakfast, Bai Ming took out her phone and sent Sparkle a message to check in.
[Sparkle: My, my~ If it isn't our dear second Aeon of Elation. I thought you'd forgotten all about little old Sparkle.]
[Nameless: You want me to keep you on my mind? How about I just snatch you up and keep you by my side every day?]
As she typed, Bai Ming quietly peered through Sparkle's mask, locking onto the coordinates of her true body.
She then began to condense "Aha's Great Hand," making a move as if to drag Sparkle into a wormhole.
Sparkle was so startled by the sudden appearance of the giant hand that her features nearly flew off her face. Her fingers became a blur as she typed, frantically rejecting Bai Ming's "kindness."
[Sparkle: That won't be necessary!!]
[Sparkle: I was wrong! Little Sparkle just escaped from the Corporation and is currently off to find some fun.]
[Sparkle: Please please please please~]
[Nameless: You resigned?]
[Sparkle: Not quite. I left a mask back at the Corp. Even so, this Vice-Director title is quite handy sometimes. In exchange, I gave Diamond an invitation to the Tavern.]
Bai Ming didn't spy on the specifics of the clones Sparkle had created with her masks.
However, she knew Sparkle had many masks and loved tossing them around randomly.
Did the girl of a thousand faces still remember her original self? Or did she even care?
Bai Ming couldn't be bothered with Sparkle's personal affairs; if anything, she simply couldn't comprehend that brand of madness, so there was no point in trying to manage it.
[Nameless: Aren't you afraid Diamond will conquer the Tavern and turn it into a transit station?]
[Sparkle: Now that sounds like an interesting plot twist! I'll have to keep an eye out for that.]
[Nameless: Forget it... where are you planning to go next?]
[Sparkle: Who knows? Just wandering around some remote places. Oh, I get it—do you miss Lady Sparkle? How about I leave a mask with you?]
[Nameless: Can I customize the personality? I want a tsundere, sharp-tongued, flat-chested "mesugaki" maid persona who's actually a softie that cries when she loses.]
[Sparkle: ?]
[Sparkle: Little Sparkle feels like her innocence is in danger. I take back what I said.]
[Nameless: Then I'll compromise. How about I just watch your travels through your eyes?]
[Sparkle: Please enter text]
[Nameless: Boring. I'm out. Have a nice trip.]
[Sparkle: Heehee, bye-bye~]
Sparkle had left a mask and a Tavern invitation at the Corporation.
While Bai Ming didn't know the full plan, she doubted it was as simple as leaving a clone to hold a spot. Still, the executives of the Interastral Peace Corporation weren't her problem.
She finished breakfast just as the chat ended. Seeing Bai Ming finally put down her phone, Herta asked nonchalantly, "Who were you chatting with so intensely?"
"Sparkle."
"That Fool?" A look of distaste crossed Herta's face.
She didn't like Aha, and by extension, she wasn't fond of the Masked Fools as a collective. Aha was abstract enough, but that group of Fools was full of eccentric "god-tier" weirdos.
Herta skipped over the topic of the Fools entirely. "If you're done eating, get ready. We're having a video conference; everyone is waiting for you."
The puppets cleared away the dishes, and soon, a new tablecloth was laid out. Holographic projections of Divine Herta, Screwllum, and Ruan Mei appeared in the chairs beside them.
"It has been quite some time, Madam Bai Ming. I heard you recently crossed paths with the Aeon of Equilibrium. I am glad to see you have returned safely."
"Long time no see, Screwllum. Ruan Mei, Divine Herta—how have you all been?"
The group exchanged looks and nodded, indicating they had been focused on their respective research as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Then, Ruan Mei looked at Bai Ming and smiled.
"Though, after today, I suspect we'll be quite busy. I've been studying Permanence and Propagation; I'd like to hear your thoughts on how the Vidyadhara intend to solve the Propagation issue."
"Sure, let's get into the details."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL