The Tsaritsa felt utterly wronged.
She hadn't done anything— absolutely nothing.
Yet that puppet girl was staring at her like she was some kind of criminal.
Why?
Why the contemptuous eyes?
And what was this "little wolf cub" nonsense?
If she really had something to do with that child, how could she not remember?
"I think you misunderstand. I don't have a child."
She could only assume the puppet resented her because of that supposed child.
Herta folded her arms and said coldly:
"Eyes, face shape, hair—
If you told me that kid isn't Su Ran's, I'd actually believe you.
But if you tell me that kid isn't yours, do you honestly expect me to buy that?"
Even without genetic testing there were no coincidences like this in the universe.
Looking similar was one thing.
Looking like a copy-paste of someone? Same hair, same eyes?
Impossible to chalk up to chance.
It was like seeing the exact same person—
one as an adult, one as a child.
"…Or," Herta's eyes narrowed, "is that little wolf cub your gene-cloned product?"
Seeing the Tsaritsa's bewildered expression, she began to suspect Su Ran again.
"How could that be? Silver Wolf is a naturally born child, not a clone."
Su Ran instantly rejected the idea.
Silver Wolf was born before he ever came to this universe.
How would she have anything to do with him?
Even Herta couldn't just accuse him without evidence.
"Whatever," she waved the matter away.
"Not my problem anyway."
Both denied it.
Since it wasn't her business to begin with, Herta wasn't about to waste more brain cells on it.
She wasn't that nosy.
And this wasn't within her research interests.
Parents or no parents— did Silver Wolf pay her rent? No?
Then who cares?
"So what are you doing here this time?"
Herta placed her hands on her hips, chin raised.
Su Ran gave her forehead a light flick with one finger, sending her stumbling back.
"Isn't this my space station? Why would I need your permission for anything?"
"…Fair. Okay then. I'll just tag along."
Whether it was hers or not didn't matter.
She could still run around here like she owned the place.
After all, Su Ran did that in her station all the time.
Consider it even.
Herta slipped effortlessly into her role as his little shadow again.
This made the Tsaritsa increasingly curious about the puppet.
She tugged Su Ran's sleeve.
"Who is she?"
Compared to Scaramouche, this puppet's artificial structure was obvious—far more so.
"Genius Society number 83," Su Ran said casually. "She's also a genius."
The Tsaritsa:
(Completely lost.)
What Genius Society?
What does "83" mean?
But she understood one thing:
this… puppet… was apparently also a genius like her genius.
And—worse—
puppets could be mass-produced.
"With all my achievements, wouldn't calling me simply 'Herta' be more useful than just '83'?"
Again with the number—83.
"What's the point of bragging?" Su Ran retorted.
"And compared to my '85,' what's so impressive about your '83'?"
Herta froze.
"…What did you say?"
Her ranking was low enough already.
But Su Ran's ranking was even lower.
"So you're saying you're stronger than he is?" the Tsaritsa asked, shocked.
She had assumed this puppet was Su Ran's creation.
Never imagined the puppet might actually surpass him.
"Of course I am!"
Herta proudly puffed out her nonexistent chest.
If someone wanted to praise her, she would absolutely accept it—
even if it meant stepping on Su Ran's toes.
"83 and 85 are entry numbers, arranged by order of joining," Su Ran sighed.
"In terms of talent? I could beat up ten Hertae."
He emphasized every word.
Herta nearly short-circuited.
"Ten?! That's ridiculous!
At most you could beat two of me!"
"Nine."
"Three!"
"Eight?"
"Four! I won't budge past four!"
The Tsaritsa watched the two "geniuses" bicker like children and began seriously doubting the prestige of the title.
Weren't researchers supposed to be stoic?
Or at least deranged in a distinguished, Doctor-like way?
Why did these two feel like… preschoolers fighting over crayons?
But in the end, they reached a "compromise."
Su Ran: can beat five Herta.
No more, no less.
Neither side looked pleased.
One felt she was being underestimated.
The other also felt he was being underestimated.
A perfect mutual dissatisfaction.
"…So," Herta said, arms crossed again, "are you free now? When are you making my bomb?"
She was still obsessed.
The bomb capable of blowing up half the universe—
she needed to see it.
Last time he'd said "next time for sure"—
and now he was here.
Was this not "next time"?
"Later."
Making bombs was troublesome.
If he had that much free time, he'd rather develop his own infrastructure.
"I'm planning to build a stargate network," Su Ran said instead.
"Connect a few worlds. Collect tolls. You think there's profit?"
Herta's eyes lit up immediately.
"There's definitely profit.
But… you already have teleporters, right?"
To her, if you could move stars with a teleporter, a simple stargate was redundant.
"The better tech stays with me," Su Ran shrugged.
"I'll only release downgraded versions."
Stargates were glorified relay points, with size restrictions.
His teleporters had none.
"I'll assist you!"
Herta declared instantly.
If she couldn't touch the teleporters, she could at least reverse-engineer a stargate.
It might even help her crack his teleportation technology someday.
"Great," Su Ran nodded.
"Then come back in a month."
"…Why not now?"
"Because I just created a new project folder.
Also, bring me materials like the ones used for the space station—I'm making mining robots."
Herta tilted her head in disbelief.
"What do you take me for?"
A servant?
A resource mule?
"You still want to be my assistant, don't you?" Su Ran asked.
"...Yes."
Herta was checkmated.
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer