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Across the endless expanse of the azure ocean, the passenger ship carved a long, foaming white trail through the waves.
Watching the ship's wake from the stern, Rover casually asked one of the deckhands how long the voyage would take.
The answer he received was pleasantly surprising: at the Black Shores passenger ship's top speed, traveling from the Seven Hills to their destination would only take a day and a half.
"Huh?! Only a day and a half?" Abu let out a dramatic gasp, slapping both paws over its little mouth. "Yours truly remembers that when we took that boat Aalto gave us to Rinascita, it took almost two whole days!"
Rover nodded, completely validating the little Echo's grievance.
Just thinking about that so-called "cutting-edge vessel direct from the New Federation Expo" Aalto had procured gave him a headache. He and Abu had drifted for two days and two nights just to reach the coastal waters of Laguna. To make matters worse, midway through the trip, a giant Tacet Whale had violently rammed them, completely capsizing the damn thing.
If it hadn't been for the Fool's Troupe "coincidentally passing by" to fish them out, he and Abu would have had to swim the rest of the way to Laguna.
Compared to that disaster, this passenger ship was a godsend. Even with the added distance from the Seven Hills to Laguna, the total travel time was still half a day shorter. It was undeniably fast.
Looking back, Aalto had completely botched the task The Shorekeeper had given him. The Black Shores was a massive, globally connected organization—yet somehow, they couldn't coordinate a proper ship for their actual Supreme Leader? Instead, he had been forced to take a sketchy private dinghy that got flipped halfway through the journey.
Rover later heard a rumor about that incident. Apparently, because the ship's final balance hadn't been paid off, and the "at-fault fish" flatly refused to provide a statement, the insurance company denied the claim since it occurred in international waters. The whole fiasco nearly bankrupted Aalto.
Rover wasn't sure if it was entirely true, but word on the street was that Aalto had recently resorted to flipping Jinzhou antiques just to cover his massive deficit. Clearly, the scammer was too terrified to ask Rover for compensation. After all, if Rover were to "accidentally" mention the shipwreck to The Shorekeeper, Aalto would probably lose his performance bonus for the next six months.
Putting those thoughts aside, Rover decided to go find Cartethyia to update her on their ETA. Since they had to spend the night on the ship, it was best to get their room arrangements sorted out early.
He found her standing alone by the railing. Her long, wheat-blonde hair whipped wildly in the salty sea breeze.
She was staring deeply into the horizon where the Seven Hills had long since vanished. Her icy blue eyes were completely devoid of the iron resolve she wore in battle; instead, they were clouded with the raw, unmistakable bewilderment of a young girl.
The breakfast table this morning... The completely unfiltered, clinging affection in Lupa's eyes at the harbor...
Scene after scene replayed in her mind. She had finally found the exact footnote for that nagging sense of "wrongness."
The inexplicable, bitter ache in her chest only grew clearer.
"Still thinking about the Seven Hills?"
A calm, steady voice sounded from behind her. Rover stepped up to the railing, leaning against it right beside her. He didn't look at her, instead casting his gaze out over the open ocean, as if it were just a casual question.
Cartethyia's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
She remained silent for a moment before giving a slow shake of her head. "…Just feeling a little sentimental. Sometimes, it feels as though human emotions are far more difficult to parse than the power of a Threnodian."
Rover turned his head, taking in her flawless side profile and the slight furrow of her brow. He understood instantly. A complex emotion rippled through his own chest; he had a pretty good guess as to exactly what was confusing her.
"You don't need to analyze emotions the way you analyze power," Rover said, his voice incredibly gentle. "Just feel them. Accept them for what they are. Whether it's joy, sorrow, anger, or… confusion."
Cartethyia turned to look at him. "Does the Righteous One also experience confusion?"
"Of course." Rover smiled, the brilliant light of the sea and sky reflecting in his golden eyes. "When it comes to emotions, I'm no different from you. Especially… when it involves people who are important to me."
"Though, I will say this trip to the Seven Hills helped me figure a lot of things out. I'm not nearly as confused as I used to be."
Rover's words clearly carried a deeper, hidden meaning, though he didn't explicitly spell it out.
A gentle sea breeze swept past them, weaving through the momentary, comfortable silence that settled between them.
"Righteous One… regarding the Black Shores," Cartethyia spoke up a moment later, intentionally shifting the topic. Her tone had relaxed significantly. "Could you tell me more about this organization in detail?"
"Of course." Rover nodded. He rested his chin on his right hand, pausing for a moment to consider exactly where to begin.
After a brief silence, he looked back out at the endless expanse of the sea. "Simply put, the Black Shores is an ancient research institution that has existed for thousands of years. We collaborate extensively with nations all over the world. It's a supra-national organization dedicated to observing and predicting The Lament, as well as providing disaster relief to those affected by it…"
Rover saw absolutely no reason to hide anything from Cartethyia. He candidly confessed his true identity as the founder and supreme leader of the Black Shores, explaining that he was currently operating in the outside world under the guise of a Senior Floramancer. He simply asked her to keep it a secret for the time being.
Knowing that her Righteous One was never the type to flaunt his status, Cartethyia naturally agreed to the small request.
As for the monumental revelation of his origins and true identity, she wasn't particularly shocked. As far as she was concerned, the Righteous One she had sworn to follow was always meant to be an entity of such incredible magnitude.
"Righteous One, you mentioned that the Black Shores is currently…" But when Rover mentioned that the organization was being managed by a woman who shared his near-immortal lifespan, the maiden knight's highly sensitive internal radar flared to life, compelling her to press further.
"Right now, it is being managed by a very important person named The Shorekeeper, correct? What… what kind of person is she?"
"Her?" Rover carefully weighed his words. "She is the very foundation of the Black Shores. She is the supreme administrator who maintains the Tethys System. In a sense, she is the Black Shores. But to me, personally… she is…"
"She is my incredibly important, unfathomably gentle family. You'll meet her soon. She'll be the one to help you figure out exactly what's going on inside your body."
"Family…" Cartethyia murmured the word softly, lowering her head as she drifted into her own quiet thoughts.
"All in all, the Black Shores is an incredibly welcoming place," Rover concluded, wrapping up his introduction to the organization. He looked at her with a warm, reassuring expression. "Until we determine the exact state of your body and find a solution, I hope you can stay there and rest easy."
"Yes. If it is a place you trust," Cartethyia gave a perfectly obedient nod, a small smile finally gracing her lips, "then I will gladly stay."
For the remainder of the voyage, the two chatted casually, mostly discussing the customs, culture, and basic rules of the Black Shores.
Under Rover's gentle guidance, the suffocating tightness in Cartethyia's chest miraculously began to ease.
Time passed quickly. Before long, night fell.
After sharing dinner together, the two bid each other goodnight and returned to their respective cabins.
Though both lay in completely different rooms, each harboring their own heavy thoughts, the night passed peacefully and without incident.
It wasn't until the late afternoon of the following day, just as dusk was beginning to settle, that the PA system crackled to life.
"We are approaching the Black Shores. This voyage is coming to an end. All passengers, please prepare to disembark."
The ship's horn let out a deep, resonant blast, signaling the end of their relatively brief journey.
As the silhouette of the Black Shores archipelago—shrouded in a veil of soft, ethereal energy—finally appeared on the horizon, Cartethyia stood by the railing at the bow, her posture instinctively snapping to perfect attention.
A brand-new life at the Black Shores was about to begin.