Murata Himeko's Return

As long as he was not as insane as Rupert, Herta felt she could accept it...

After all, if a third of the entire Universe were destroyed, her experiments would likely be greatly affected as well.

Still, Herta thought that Hermes had come from the Nameless, so he probably would not turn out like that, would he?

"Come to these coordinates. Once you arrive, I'll go out and meet you."

Likewise, Hermes did not care what Herta might infer. That was simply the nature of the Genius Club.

"I've already begun establishing the Simulated World Barrier system in the Blue Star System. Even if you're an Emanator, breaking in won't be so easy."

"Got it, got it."

Herta replied absentmindedly. One look at her expression was enough to tell what she intended to do.

"...Remember not to make too much of a commotion. Otherwise, I'll have to spend time repairing it."

That was all Hermes could say in response.

As night fell, Hermes returned to the garden after a long absence. He brewed himself a pot of tea and stared blankly into the distance.

By then, Donghua Nation outside had fallen completely dark, with the faint sounds of a few Slimes stirring now and then.

He quietly watched Blue Star change.

The Sea of Quantum continuously drew in and fished up all sorts of anomalous items. Blue Star had long ceased to be an era dominated by conventional technology supplemented by a few quantum black technologies.

Compared to its former heavy technological atmosphere, Blue Star now possessed an increasingly fantastical air.

What was more.

Whenever people looked up now, they could see the reflected images of the Life Stars governed by the Star Lords...

As time passed and the Star Lords continued advancing in their cultivation, those Life Star reflections had grown ever brighter!

"It's rare to see you set aside your experiments and work to quietly admire the moon in the garden."

At that moment, a mature and composed woman's voice, carrying a faint huskiness, sounded beside Hermes.

Then.

Without waiting for Hermes to respond, the newcomer silently stepped forward and began gently massaging him.

"I truly didn't expect you to come back."

Hearing that familiar voice, Hermes looked toward the long-unseen visitor in surprise.

After Murata Himeko had awakened and remained for some time to understand the situation in this world, she had left directly.

Hermes had originally thought she would live on in this world that resembled her Hometown.

After studying her carefully for a moment, Hermes discovered that after being apart for some time, the strong warrior's aura Murata Himeko once possessed had faded considerably. In its place was an unmistakable gentle, intellectual temperament.

At first glance, he had thought he was seeing Himeko, the Stellaron Train's Navigator.

Of course.

There were still differences between the two Himekos.

Murata Himeko had become gentle and intellectual, while Navigator Himeko was dignified and composed.

Yet both Himekos possessed the same steadfast resolve to face hardship head-on!

One could easily imagine just how much Murata Himeko had changed.

"Hehe, I can never repay the debt of saving my life. How could I simply leave like that?"

Murata Himeko looked at the man before her, as though he were the world's most perfect creation, and tenderness welled in her eyes.

He was the man who had rescued her from endless darkness. How could she possibly leave him behind?

What was more, he had told her about the perfect ending on Earth.

Her student Kiana had been saved, and her other students had each grown into legendary Valkyries.

They had even truly saved Earth and brought an end to the Honkai!

Because of that, she felt that her life on Earth had already been perfect. She had done everything she possibly could and could finally set her mind completely at ease about Earth!

Now, she only wanted to remain by the side of the man who had given her a second life, doing whatever she could to repay even a small part of that kindness.

Hermes looked at the tenderness in Murata Himeko's eyes and fell silent for a moment.

Then, he could not help but reveal an equally gentle smile. "In that case, why not sit down and enjoy some tea and the moon with me?"

For some reason, despite having isolated the infiltration of the Paths, Hermes seemed at that moment to form a subtle resonance with the Pure Beauty Origin within the Universe.

The faintest smile of his surpassed every magnificent sight in the world.

"Mm!"

Murata Himeko's ears turned slightly red before that unfair smile. She could not help but chide him, "Your Excellency Hermes, has no one ever told you that your smile is a little too unfair?"

After briefly concealing her lapse in composure, Murata Himeko fetched an identical chair and sat down directly beside Hermes.

"Is that so?"

Hermes thought back for a moment, rendered speechless.

It seemed that ever since his mother passed away, he had rarely smiled.

The last time he had laughed like that was beside the Stellaron Train, when he reunited with Paimon and met Navigator Himeko.

"Just keep calling me Hermes. Using honorifics makes us seem a little distant."

With a faint sigh in his heart, even the smile on Hermes's face dimmed somewhat.

Why had his mother stopped him from extending her lifespan after she passed one hundred and fifty?

He had already mastered more than a dozen life-extension techniques back then. Even if his mother had worried that living on would twist her mind and make her no longer herself, it was not as though he had no solutions!

For instance, the Sumeru Clan's reincarnation cycle. Though he had never studied it specifically, he was confident that, given a little time, he could invent something similar.

Why had she been unwilling to keep walking forward with him?

Remembering the deeply satisfied smile on his mother's face before she passed away—

Even though Hermes had already let go, and had come to somewhat understand how his mother had felt back then, he still could not stop himself from missing her smile.

Watching Hermes grow somewhat subdued, Murata Himeko seemed to understand something. Without drawing attention to it, she gently took one of the man's hands, as if trying to offer him a trace of comfort.

"All right, Himeko. There's no need for that. I just happened to remember a few things from the past."

Glancing at Murata Himeko's gesture, Hermes came back to himself and laughed softly. Yet he did not pull free from her hand, instead gently squeezing her palm.

"That's good, Hermes."

Murata Himeko seemed not to notice what his hand had done, replying with outward composure.

Yet the faint blush spreading across her cheeks seemed to reveal something.

The night was as fluid as water. The two in the garden did not discuss any profound subjects or grand plans. Instead, they naturally chatted about interesting happenings beneath the Universe's starry sky, as well as unforgettable memories from their respective pasts.

Only after a long while did Hermes watch Murata Himeko's departing figure with a gentle expression.

Thinking back on the time they had just spent together, Hermes could not help but tease himself. "Sure enough, I still can't quite endure loneliness and solitude."