Camellya asked in confusion, "What did you see? Could it be the influence of the frequency?"
Lucian pondered, "The influence of the frequency, huh?"
Camellya stretched, her graceful curves on full display. "Let's hurry to the next Stabilization Anchor. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can wrap this up."
As soon as she finished speaking, Lucian's terminal rang.
"...Can you hear me?"
"Thanks to you, the anomalous frequency index in Haven of the Sprout has dropped."
"That small island ahead—Eye of Asteria—is the highest point on the Black Shores."
"Since it's responsible for monitoring the entire Solaris Etheric Sea, the Tacetite there operates at a higher capacity, and no artificial facilities have been installed."
"You should be able to reach it quickly from Haven of the Sprout."
Aalto hurriedly ended the call—it seemed he was quite busy on his end as well.
The two followed KU-Key to cleanse the pollution source at Eye of Asteria. This time, they neither saw nor heard anything unusual.
Upon returning below to regroup with Rover and the others, Rover immediately circled Lucian, scrutinizing him carefully.
Lucian asked, puzzled, "What are you doing?"
Rover leaned in and sniffed at Lucian's neck. "Hmm... Seems like you didn't get all lovey-dovey with Camellya."
Lucian, annoyed, retorted, "Rover, what kind of person do you take me for?!"
Rover smirked coldly. "The kind who seizes every opportunity to flirt, of course."
Lucian: "?"
Camellya was equally displeased. "Rover, I'm not like Changli—someone who knowingly pursues a married man like Lucian."
Changli: "?"
Changli smiled faintly. "You little Bloom Bearer, are you looking for a war of words with me?"
Camellya grinned. "I may not match you in verbal sparring, but if it comes to a real fight, the outcome isn't so certain."
After a moment of silence, Lucian said, "Rover, I'd also like to have a war of words with you... and then a real fight."
Rover pressed a delicate finger to Lucian's lips. "A real fight isn't appropriate right now, but if it's just a war of words, I'd be happy to oblige."
With that, the two began kissing passionately, completely ignoring their surroundings.
Changli: "?"
Camellya: "?"
Aalto and KU-Money, who had just arrived: "?"
KU-Money: "I'm just a child—why must I witness this?"
Lucian asked, "By the way, Rover, after cleansing the Stabilization Anchor's pollution, did you see or hear anything?"
Rover nodded slightly. "Yes... It seemed like scenes from when the Black Shores was first established..."
Aalto, standing nearby, shared Camellya's suspicion. "Could it be the influence of the anomalous frequency?"
"Actually, many people see strange visions when exposed to anomalous frequencies."
"Really, you've all worked hard. You just arrived at the Black Shores and already helped us so much."
"We should've shown you around properly, but who knew something like this would happen."
Lucian mused, "So... can our funding be increased a bit?"
Aalto: "?"
Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "I still haven't settled the matter of those five million Shell Credits with you!"
Lucian pulled out a black stocking and covered his eyes. "Sir, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm Lucy."
Aalto: "Even if you cover your eyes, I'd recognize you even if you turned to ashes!"
At the mention of funding, KU-Money chimed in, "You've already received your funding. Don't send any more bills to me!"
Rover sighed. "Looks like we'll have to let the Fractsidus foot the bill from now on."
Lucian had a sudden idea. "What if we send the bills to the Fractsidus under the Black Shores' name? That way, they won't be able to trace it back to us."
"Besides, the Black Shores is so mysterious—where would they even go to settle the score?"
Aalto massaged his temples. "To this day, I still don't understand why the Black Shores made you a consultant... They really picked up a troublemaker."
Just then, a woman emitting a red glow from her body suddenly appeared beside them.
Aalto was taken aback. "You're... Hoda?"
He whispered to the group, "Ah, I forgot to mention—Monica already helped us look into her."
"She really is a Bloom Bearer of the Black Shores, a battlefield medic..."
"And most importantly, she had already sacrificed her life centuries ago during The Lament that destroyed the Port City of Guixu."
"In other words... she shouldn't be alive."
Lucian studied the 'Hoda' before them—her frequency was wildly unstable. "Hmm... So this is what they mean by 'picking up a troublemaker.'"
Rover: "...Is that supposed to be some kind of dark joke?"
The 'Hoda' stepped forward, speaking as if her voice was an overlapping chorus of multiple people.
"Hoda is merely one of us. The name we bear in the Tethys System now... is Devourer of the Dead."
"We are forever suspended beyond the event horizon of that black hole, eternally falling into endless darkness."
"We are the dust beneath the wheels of The Lament, yet within this system... we bear the curse of the observed, forever denied the release of death."
"My mentor... the one I followed... I beg you... end this Möbius cycle..."
As she spoke, 'Hoda's' form gradually dissipated, replaced by a shimmering blue butterfly that transformed into the figure of the Shorekeeper...
Changli, watching thoughtfully, realized—this must be the legendary Shorekeeper...
...They probably still had things to discuss. Changli glanced at Lucian and Rover before leading Camellya and the others away to wait at a distance.
"Welcome home, you two."
The two exchanged glances. Rover was the first to ask, "Were you the one who helped me in the Port City of Guixu?"
Shorekeeper: "...I couldn't bear to watch you face danger."
"My apologies... for acting on my own..."
Rover pressed further, "Then... was it you on that beach earlier?"
The Shorekeeper didn't answer. Lucian noticed the blue core in her chest flicker faintly. She turned her head away, her blue-and-white headscarf obscuring her expression.
Rover noticed it too and asked, "You seem... sad?"
The Shorekeeper turned back, her blue core dimming slightly. "Me? I'm sorry... I shouldn't show such emotions..."
"Yes... it was me you saw."
Lucian frowned as he studied the Shorekeeper's face. Her expression remained mostly blank, though traces of emotion occasionally surfaced—subtle, as if she was deliberately suppressing them.