Rover looked at the woman before him. He could sense that beneath her brief words lay deeply concealed emotions.
"Who are you?"
A fragment of deliberately buried memories surfaced in his mind. Rover felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity—they must have met somewhere, in some unknown place.
"I am Shorekeeper, the administrator of the Black Shores."
Her azure eyes trembled slightly, yet her gaze never left Rover.
The wind lifted the blue hem of her coat behind her, allowing golden light to dance across her face. Countless emotions flickered in her eyes, but in the end, they settled into the stillness of a tranquil lake.
"I've finally... found you again."
Shorekeeper tried to force a smile but then felt warm tears streaming down her cheeks. For a moment, she seemed at a loss.
"Here."
Rover took out a tissue and handed it to her. The faint tear stains seemed to tell him that they had shared more than just a passing connection.
Shorekeeper steadied her emotions and shook her head at the offered tissue.
"The me you see now is just a virtual construct—an image formed from data. You could say I'm a fragment of information drifting outside the system."
Rover nodded, then glanced at the corner. At some point, Aether and Paimon had crouched there, eyes sparkling like eager spectators.
"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."
Putting the tissue away, Rover finally began a proper conversation with the mysterious woman before him.
Though the opening line sounded like a cliché pickup attempt, both of them knew it was the truth.
Shorekeeper walked to the railing, gazing at the growing silhouette of the city in the distance.
"Yes. You established the Black Shores. Back when you were still here, I assisted you as its administrator."
In just a few concise words, she clarified their identities and relationship.
The sense of familiarity brought by his memories made Rover instinctively trust the woman before him. He stepped forward and stood beside her at the railing.
The sight of that familiar figure next to her made Shorekeeper feel as if she had returned to the past—when they once stood together on a black reef, watching the clear blue waves crash against the shore while the structures of the Black Shores rose in the distance.
He had walked to the edge of her vision, sat before a piano, and played that melody...
Meanwhile, Rover's head throbbed faintly. He had many questions for Shorekeeper, but as the port drew nearer, he knew now was not the time for reminiscing.
"Can I stay within you?"
Shorekeeper turned to him. It was as if she had glimpsed his thoughts through the depths of his gaze—or perhaps she had seen the void churning inside him.
"Okay."
The answer that should have been a refusal instead came out as agreement, startling Rover. It felt as though a similar scene had played out countless times in his fragmented memories.
If that was the case, then he might as well trust his instincts.
[Unknown data intrusion detected... Activating firewall...]
[Ding... Administrator access granted... Firewall deactivated...]
[Connection successful. Unknown data modifying administrator permissions...]
"Thank you... for trusting me."
Shorekeeper closed her eyes, then opened them again. She clenched her fist over her chest, her gaze growing resolute.
"This time, I won't miss the journey. Please let me travel with you."
Rover didn't answer. Instead, he placed his hand on the railing, letting the cold metal sting his nerves—as if to confirm that this absurd and surreal situation was truly happening to him.
"I hope you'll tell me everything you know."
After standing there for a long while, Rover finally left those words behind and walked away, disappearing from Shorekeeper's sight.
...
"Um... what's your relationship with that woman just now?"
Aether cautiously peeked out and asked Rover, who had fallen completely silent.
After that encounter, Rover had grown quiet. Even the usually carefree Paimon didn't dare to speak. In the end, out of concern, she nudged Aether to approach him.
"I don't know."
His calm tone left no room for further discussion. Aether scratched his head and wisely took a few steps back, leaving the quiet cabin to Rover—now filled only with the sound of waves against the hull.
A long time passed. Outside the window, the morning port, shrouded in thin mist, was now covered in a thick shadow.
Under the warm sunlight, the shadow transformed into a bustling crowd. The sight of the ship sent them into a frenzy, their voices piercing through time and space, faintly echoing in Rover's ears.
When he opened the door, Shorekeeper stood before him, her face full of guilt.
"Did I... do something wrong?"
After steadying his turbulent emotions, Rover patiently explained:
"No, I'm not angry. It's just that your presence has stirred up my sealed memories, causing them to become chaotic. I need some time to sort through them. That's why I prefer to think alone."
Shorekeeper's expression grew worried. Unconsciously, she took a step forward.
"Do you need my help?"
Rover forced a gentle smile, but it only made Shorekeeper feel a sense of distance. Her raised hand slowly lowered again.
"It's fine, I can handle it. By the way, what are your plans?"
The question made Shorekeeper pause for a few seconds before she made her decision.
"By accessing the void's permissions, I can appear within your retina. You don't have to worry about my presence causing you any trouble."
Rover sighed. That wasn't what he had meant.
"According to my calculations, we'll arrive at our destination in approximately four minutes and thirty seconds. Information on the God of Justice, Furina, and the Chief Justice, Neuvillette, has been extracted."
With practiced ease, Shorekeeper pulled up the data provided by the void and displayed it before Rover. She had analyzed and summarized details about the two—their personalities, preferences, methods—and even constructed relevant behavioral models.
Rover was surprised. She had only just gained access to the void, yet her proficiency already far surpassed his.
Shorekeeper smiled faintly, pleased to see a different side of the person she cared about—and happy that she could be of help.
"Because I'm an artificial intelligence, currently specialized in maintaining the Tethys System, I have some experience with similar platforms."
After Rover finished reviewing the information, he expressed his gratitude.
At the very least, the data Shorekeeper provided would be a great help in his interactions with them.
"Thank you."
Watching Rover's retreating figure, Shorekeeper acted like a sneaky kitten, quietly retrieving records of Rover's past adventures.
Even if the Rover was traveling in another world, she could still watch every story and experience he had gone through.
"This time... I won't lose you again."