Sylvia never imagined that Stelle would actually grab her and ask something like this.
Not that Sylvia minded Stelle trailing after her everywhere.
After all, judging by the previous situation, Sylvia's involvement hadn't disrupted the overall script.
Stelle still received Nanook's gaze and embarked on the Path of Destruction.
So, in Sylvia's understanding, with Elio backing things from behind and without any specific warnings…
It meant that whatever Sylvia did shouldn't matter and probably wouldn't affect Stelle's growth.
But here's the thing, Sylvia was a lone wolf. For Stelle, this clearly wasn't the best path to take.
If there were no other options, that would be one thing, but the Astral Express was obviously a solid choice.
There really was no need to drift along with her.
Besides, Sylvia didn't exactly consider herself a respectable influence.
Having Stelle tag along every day might just lead her astray, and that wouldn't be good.
"I'm just a lone wolf, I don't have any faction or backing," Sylvia said with a laugh, explaining her situation to Stelle. "If I had to say, I guess I'm just on pretty good terms with the Xianzhou."
"So… can you take me in then?" Stelle tilted her head, blinking as she stared intently at Sylvia, looking like she really wanted to follow her.
Her words might not have been serious, but…
Sylvia shot her an amused glare. "I don't mind you following me, but I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of person. Sticking with me definitely won't make it easy to investigate your own matters. So, if you still have things you're searching for, I'd recommend you go to the Astral Express."
"...Alright." Stelle looked a bit disappointed.
Of course, how much of that was because of first impressions, even she wasn't sure.
But Stelle wasn't one to agonize over decisions.
Besides, she noticed Sylvia seemed rather keen on that Astral Express.
"You'd rather recommend I go to the Astral Express?"
"That's right. But for the specifics, you should go ask Himeko. She definitely understands the meaning of Trailblazing better than I do."
Honestly, when it came to the interpretations of the various Paths in this world…
Even back in her past life when she was still playing the game and reading all those lore analyses, Sylvia had never fully wrapped her head around them.
Each Path represented complex philosophical ideas with layers of meaning.
Just thinking about them made Sylvia's head hurt.
So even though she roughly understood the meaning of Trailblazing, asking her to explain it clearly was a bit of a tall order.
--+--
The meeting with Himeko went quite smoothly.
After learning about Herta's invitation, Himeko very directly pointed out Herta's intentions.
Of course, considering Station Master Asta was here, even if Stelle stayed at the space station, a carefree life was more than possible.
But clearly, Stelle wouldn't be content with just that sort of thing right now.
Her own origins, Kafka's matters, the Stellaron… all these were puzzles plaguing Stelle.
If she was willing to just stay put, that would be truly bizarre.
"Moreover, we've had our fair share of dealings with Stellarons. If you're willing, you can always return to assist Herta with her research. It's not mutually exclusive. And I think that might even help Herta maintain her interest for a bit longer," Ms. Himeko extended the invitation naturally.
Stelle nodded, accepting the Astral Express's offer.
She decided to board the Express.
"Speaking of which, how long will the Astral Express be staying at the space station?" Sylvia asked curiously.
In the game's storyline, they basically just said their goodbyes to the space station crew and left that same day without much delay.
But in reality, Stelle would probably head to Herta's place now, likely to test the Simulated Universe.
Who knew how long that would take?
Sylvia wondered if it would delay the Express's departure.
Himeko, connecting it with the earlier mention of Herta, naturally understood Sylvia's meaning.
She smiled and said, "You two still need to go see Herta, right? That's fine, go ahead. I'll be waiting for you at the platform. No need to rush."
After parting ways with Himeko, both Sylvia and Stelle received some urging from Herta.
Though they chatted with Asta for a bit on the way and even teased the space station's mascot, Peppy.
Finally arriving at Herta's office.
Though called an office, both sides were lined with projected portraits of the Genius Society members, with no proper work desk in sight.
And Herta's puppet was at the far end of the room, waiting for the two of them.
"Well, you two finally decided to show up," the puppet said.
Stelle, ever polite, replied, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Enough with the formalities. I, along with several colleagues, have embarked on a major project. If successful, we could solve the ultimate mystery that has perplexed us for thousands of Amber Eras in one fell swoop: the secrets of the [Aeons]."
Once she started on her project, Herta's mood clearly became more animated.
A completely different reaction from when she was speaking with Sylvia before.
She tried to make Stelle and Sylvia understand the wonder of the Aeons.
Among the Aeons, there were those who were once ordinary people, yet somehow, inexplicably, they obtained power beyond imagination.
Eerie, mighty, silent—they were shrouded in mystery, the ultimate enigma that every researcher was curious about.
"How were they born? Why were they born? And for what purpose did they come into being? I ask you, have you ever pondered this question?"
Herta's tone even grew somewhat impassioned.
This also gave Stelle a rough understanding of Herta's personality.
"Day and night!" Stelle's reply was resolute. After all, Stelle's life could be considered as starting only today. So thinking about it now was equivalent to having thought about it since birth.
Thus, Stelle answered with absolute conviction, making Sylvia beside her unable to suppress a smile.
As for Sylvia herself…
"I've only wondered why the Permanence disappeared."
"Oh? The Permanence… wait a moment, let me take a closer look…"
As she said this, Herta seemed to activate some device, scanning Sylvia thoroughly.
The look she gave Sylvia then became rather peculiar: "You had something this interesting on you and didn't tell me? Using Nihility to refine Permanence, then relying on Permanence in turn to resist Nihility… such a radical method, I can't believe you came up with it. Tsk tsk tsk, even I'm a little envious of this body of yours."
She hadn't been able to see it before just with the puppet's scanning equipment.
But after a professional inspection, Herta finally discovered the astonishing aspects of Sylvia's physique.
Never mind how a non-Vidyadhara managed to tread the Path of Permanence in the first place.
Just the fact that she could use controlled Nihility for 'body forging' was something ordinary people couldn't achieve.
That was Nihility, the most dangerous Path, not something like Preservation.
On top of that, this person had also crammed the power of a Great Heliobus and an Emanator of Destruction into her body.
You really aren't afraid of dropping dead on the spot, huh.
"No, I need an update for Permanence… I might actually uncover the secret of its disappearance."
Muttering to herself, Herta suddenly slipped into a monologue.
Seemingly entering thinking mode, completely tuning everyone else out.
"…"
Stelle watched this scene, hands on her hips, turning her head to look at the 'culprit,' Sylvia.
Sylvia simply spread her hands, opting to play dumb: "Don't look at me, she's the one who wanted to scan."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.