While Welt and Himeko were still lost in thought,
Astro, at the center of the vortex, found his thoughts racing like a runaway horse toward a bizarre direction.
Wait... He stared at the exquisite and beautiful Herta Puppet (Shota version) before him.
A bold idea suddenly popped into his head.
This little puppet was speaking clearly and aggressively now.
It must be The Herta herself controlling it remotely, right?
Absolutely! Then if I take this chance to... touch him... Once this thought emerged, it could no longer be suppressed.
In his mind, the still-gray icon representing "Herta (Five-star • Erudition)" seemed to emit an enticing golden glow.
If I can light this up... that would be the true power of the Genius Society! It's way stronger than a puppet, right?!
Astro's breathing involuntarily quickened slightly, and the way he looked at the Herta Puppet instantly changed.
His previous nervousness and guilt were replaced by a surge of intense desire.
That gaze was so scorching it was as if he were sizing up a peerless treasure.
This sudden change in his gaze naturally did not escape the Herta Puppet's perception.
Herta, who was waiting for the Astral Express Crew's response, was clearly taken aback for a moment.
He had anticipated that Astro might panic, make excuses, stay silent, or even get angry.
But he never expected the other party to, under such high-pressure confrontation...
...suddenly cast this kind of... eerie, hook-like fiery gaze at him.
That gaze swept back and forth across his delicate little face, his short brown hair, and his entire puppet body.
The implication made even the well-traveled genius scientist Herta feel a sudden, inexplicable... chill.
"...What are you looking at?"
In the Herta Puppet's originally calm shota voice...
...a rare hint of wariness surfaced, and he even subconsciously took a small step back.
Astro hadn't fully snapped out of his "Collection grand plan" yet; when asked, he blurted out:
"Huh? N-nothing... I just thought your puppet... is really well-made, quite... quite unique..."
His tone was dry, but his eyes still hadn't moved away.
To Herta, this reaction practically confirmed an unpleasant suspicion.
"...I see."
The Herta Puppet fell silent for two seconds; when he spoke again, his tone had become extremely strange.
"I take back part of my earlier suspicion about the tavern clown.
Your abnormality might point toward another equally troublesome possibility."
Crossing his arms, he used that expressionless shota face to say something to Astro that made everyone present freeze instantly:
"It seems you have an extraordinary... interest in puppets, especially a specific type like mine?"
"I do not! Don't talk nonsense!"
Astro's face flushed red instantly; he was truly panicking now—this misunderstanding was way too big!
"Data doesn't lie."
The Herta Puppet interrupted him unhurriedly.
"Although the surveillance didn't capture clear images, I can feel that you've had unauthorized contact with my spare bodies.
And now, with my own consciousness connected...
...you're showing this kind of... perverted gaze toward my Main control puppet."
He watched Astro's predicament of being unable to defend himself.
Then, in a flat tone, he threw out a ground-shaking proposal:
"How about this. Since you seem to have a soft spot for puppets..."
"Why don't you cooperate with me for some basic, harmless observations?
In return... I can give you an identical, brand-new, unactivated custom puppet."
With that shota face as beautiful as a porcelain doll, the Herta Puppet spoke devilish words:
"How about it? Isn't this deal... very attractive?"
The Master Control Zone suddenly fell silent.
March 7th's mouth hung wide open.
A rare change appeared on Dan Heng's usually cold face.
Sister Caelus blinked blankly, clearly not fully understanding, but feeling like it was something impressive.
The corner of Mr. Himeko's mouth twitched subtly.
Even the consistently steady Ms. Welt Yang couldn't help but reach up and adjust her glasses.
The way she looked at Astro was as if she were looking at some kind of... pervert.
Astro felt like he'd been struck by lightning, standing frozen on the spot.
"I'm not! I didn't! Don't listen to his nonsense!"
However, seeing the Herta Puppet's "I've seen through you" gaze...
...and the shocked yet subtly knowing looks from his companions...
Astro felt his soul slowly leaving his body.
Dammit... Now I won't be able to clear my name even if I jump into a black hole..."}],