"Mistress… mistress, does… does it feel good?"
"Sister Herta, press harder! If you use so little strength, Clara won't feel much at all, you know."
"Huff… well, if it hurts, you must tell me."
"Don't worry, as long as it's Sister Herta, Clara won't feel any pain."
"Then… then I'll begin?"
"Mmm~"
Feeling the pleasant, tingling numbness spreading across her body, Clara couldn't help but let out a soft moan of contentment.
"So, how's this pressure?" Herta's hands rested on Clara's shoulders, the articulated fingers of her puppet body applying gentle, measured force as they kneaded.
"It's perfect, perfect. Sister Herta, you have quite a talent for this." Savoring the comfortable sensation in her shoulders, Clara closed her eyes and surrendered to the enjoyment.
Hearing this, a smile broke through Herta's somewhat stifled and awkward expression, her tone tinged with pride:
"Naturally. As a genius who has personally beheld the Aeon of Erudition, such a trivial matter is but a trifle to me."
"Sister Herta, I swear by the Aeon of Elation, with your talent, you'll undoubtedly become the universe's most renowned massage master within ten years."
Herta: …
For a moment, she couldn't tell if Clara was complimenting or insulting her. As an Emanator of Erudition, if word got out, she'd become a laughingstock across the cosmos.
Though, it wasn't as if anyone would dare laugh at her, of course.
Herta didn't dwell on it; she had no intention of becoming any so-called "most renowned massage master" anyway. After Clara's teasing, most of Herta's initial shyness and discomfort had faded, and she focused earnestly on kneading Clara's shoulders.
Clara's shoulders were soft, her frame petite. Even through her clothes, Herta could sense the slightness of her body.
Quiet and still like this, Clara resembled nothing more than an adorable little girl, making one instinctively want to protect her, to hold her close.
If Herta didn't know Clara's true nature, she, too, might have been fooled by that appearance…
Herta continued the massage in silence, and Clara quietly relished the tingling sensation Herta's fingers brought to her shoulders.
For a time, the air grew still, so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
But the massage didn't last much longer. Soon, Herta withdrew her hands, her expression inscrutable, her tone flat and devoid of emotion as she said:
"That's one system hour. Surely you've had enough enjoyment?"
In response, Clara grinned. "What if I said it wasn't enough? Would Sister Herta massage me some more?"
"No." Herta shook her head decisively.
Herta had learned by now: when speaking with Clara, one must never use polite formalities, or she'd seize upon them and teach you a harsh lesson.
"Hmm… so decisive. Sister Herta, you've wounded my heart, you know /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~" Watching Herta's reaction, Clara placed a hand over her heart with exaggerated drama.
"Your heart is on the right side?"
"Hehe~? As a Masked Fool, my heart can be by my feet, too." Clara chuckled without a hint of embarrassment.
To emphasize her point, she even lifted her foot to show Herta.
Herta: …
"Haaah…" Herta took a deep breath, ignoring Clara's antics, and said with a hint of implication in her tone:
"The massage is done, you've been… attended to. So, about my Simulated Universe…?"
"Don't worry, Sister Herta. Clara is a good girl who keeps her promises."
"Which means, I'm definitely going to help with the Simulated Universe!"
Hearing this, Herta let out a small sigh of relief. If Clara made any more demands, she'd really have to consider finding a different test subject.
But as an Emanator of Elation, finding someone even remotely comparable to Clara was next to impossible.
Since the Simulated Universe was still in its testing phase, the requirements for test subjects were quite high. Those in the universe who met her standards probably wouldn't agree to her invitations anyway.
Though she herself was an Emanator of Erudition, her influence wasn't vast enough to compel other Emanators to help test her Simulated Universe.
'If only that Stellaron could develop a spirit of its own…' Herta thought of the Stellaron she'd left in the space station and muttered under her breath.
Stellarons were things of Destruction. If one gained self-awareness, it might just meet the Simulated Universe's testing criteria.
Of course, even if a Stellaron did gain sentience, it would be far less troublesome than Clara. Compared to Clara, a 'Stellaron spirit' would be much easier to handle.
Not like Clara, where one misstep could land you in deep trouble…
But it was all just wishful thinking. If a Stellaron truly developed consciousness, the Simulated Universe project would have to be temporarily set aside for a thorough study of the Stellaron spirit instead.
"But, Sister Herta." Seeing Herta lost in thought, Clara cheerfully waved a hand in front of her face, pulling her back to the present.
"What is it?" Herta refocused, looking at Clara's expression with a growing sense of foreboding.
"Sister Herta, think about it. My appearance fee is very high. So, expecting me to keep helping you test the Simulated Universe in exchange for just one massage is obviously very unreasonable."
"Aren't you a Stellaron Hunter? The space station has a Stellaron in its collection. I'll give it to you. How about that?" Remembering Clara's affiliation, Herta proposed this solution.
"Huh?" Clara tilted her head in confusion.
"What would I want with that thing?"
Herta: …
Watching Herta's silent reaction, Clara slowly continued:
"How about this: every time Sister Herta… attends to me in the future, I'll help you test the Simulated Universe once."
"Well? That's fair, and perfectly reasonable, right?"
"..." Herta took a deep breath. Clara wasn't wrong. To have an Emanator help you, simply 'attending' to them once could be considered quite fair, quite reasonable…
Fair my foot! Reasonable my foot! Damn it, I'm an Emanator too! Who knows what other conditions Clara might come up with later…
I feel like an Emanator of Erudition, yet I'm being completely played by Elation…
Haaah… I'd better focus on figuring out how to make that Stellaron gain sentience…
…
Regarding Lady Herta's Research Progress on Stellaron Sentience:
None.
…
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