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Within the tallest structure at the heart of the Black Shores sat the Glasshouse. It was the organization's official botanical garden, as well as the highest seat of power on the island.
Atop an elevated platform inside the Glasshouse rested a grand white piano. Seated before it was a woman in a short, blue-and-white dress.
She possessed beautiful short blue hair and striking purple eyes, wearing a headpiece that was blue on the left and white on the right. In the center of her chest sat an outward-branching crystalline fissure that pulsed with a faint, luminous glow—the raw, fundamental energy that sustained her very existence.
Mysterious, aloof, and utterly transcendent.
That was the universal first impression of anyone fortunate enough to meet The Shorekeeper.
In truth, The Shorekeeper did once suffer from emotional defects.
As the second recorded instance of an entity constructed entirely from highly concentrated reverberatory energy crystals, she had never experienced the natural human cycle of life. She had never known the vulnerability of childhood or the frailty of old age, nor had she ever felt the myriad of emotions that accompanied growth and decay.
It wasn't until Rover left and eventually returned that everything changed. After tens of thousands of years of silent companionship and unwavering waiting, a profound emotion called "love" finally bloomed within her. In that singular moment, she truly became human.
Her fingers danced across the keys, filling the Glasshouse with a crisp, ethereal melody.
Whenever she had free time, The Shorekeeper loved to sit here and play the piano, performing a piece that he had once taught her.
As the absolute highest authority of the Black Shores, she was deeply respected and feared by everyone. Whenever she played, her subordinates would only stand quietly to the side, listening in reverent silence, never daring to interrupt her precious leisure time.
Everyone, that is... except for one specific Floramancer.
"Shorekeeper, I'm requesting a day off today!"
A girl with white hair tied into twin tails, dressed in a red and white outfit, had materialized behind her at some point.
She wore an inscrutable, enigmatic smile. The two camellia vines protruding from her back—a manifestation of her Resonance Forte—swayed lazily as she walked, exuding the same wild, untamed energy as their master.
Hearing the twin-tailed girl's voice, The Shorekeeper's fingers paused on the keys. The music abruptly stopped.
She didn't turn around. She simply raised her head slightly, her ruby lips parting to speak in a crisp, ethereal voice. "Camellya, your reason for requesting leave?"
"I heard he's coming back." Camellya's tone was incredibly joyous, bordering on hyperactive excitement. "Based on the time, his ship is about to dock at the Black Shores. I'm going to see him!"
The Shorekeeper didn't need to hear a name to know exactly who Camellya was talking about, nor was she ignorant of the profound, bordering-on-obsessive affection the twin-tailed girl harbored for him.
However...
"Denied."
"Eh...?" Shocked that her request was flatly rejected, Camellya's twin tails instantly drooped, along with the camellia flowers wilting on her vines.
"Why?! Boss, you have to give me a valid reason."
"He didn't even say goodbye before he left for Rinascita. He just up and left! It's been forever since I last saw him..."
"I really..."
"I know you miss him," The Shorekeeper interrupted, cutting off the complaints of the subordinate bold enough to talk back to her. She slowly stood up from her chair and gracefully smoothed out her skirt.
Her voice remained flawlessly ethereal, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "But you have something far more important to do today."
"What could possibly be more important than him...?"
Just as Camellya was pouting and muttering under her breath, The Shorekeeper turned around. A faint, nearly imperceptible smile finally broke across her usually placid face.
"Today, you are coming with me to pick him up."
"Huh? Pick who up?" Camellya froze, her brain momentarily short-circuiting.
"Our Lord Rover, of course. The Supreme Leader of the Black Shores."
"..."
"Boss, that joke wasn't funny." Camellya was speechless at The Shorekeeper's completely unnecessary buildup.
"Oh? Was it not funny?" The Shorekeeper rested her hands gently in front of her skirt, her fingertips steepled together as she tilted her head in genuine confusion. "I thought setting it up that way would make you happier."
"Alright, alright, my wonderful boss." Camellya had absolutely zero interest in entertaining her AI-like superior's attempts at learning human humor. She walked up behind The Shorekeeper and began physically pushing her toward the exit of the Glasshouse. "Let's go, let's go! His ship should be arriving any minute now!"
"Mhm. He is arriving shortly." The Shorekeeper closed her eyes, seemingly sensing something. In the blink of an eye, she connected to the Tethys System and accessed the closed-circuit surveillance cameras on Rover's passenger ship. It took her mere seconds to locate the man she was looking for.
"I see them. They are standing at the bow of the ship. The edge of the Black Shores archipelago is already visible to them."
"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go, or we're going to be late!" Hearing The Shorekeeper's confirmation, Camellya picked up the pace, practically shoving her boss out the door.
"Wait... They?" Camellya's eyes narrowed, her sharp instincts catching the exact wording.
"Yes. Rover is standing next to a blonde girl with elf-like ears. They are currently conversing and appear to be quite close."
"Hah?"
...
The massive passenger ship slowly sailed into the Black Shores' natural harbor, a beautiful expanse framed by colossal coral reefs and luminous crystal formations.
The air here was the complete opposite of the dry, scorching heat of the Seven Hills. It was humid, carrying the incredibly rich, intertwined scents of the ocean and blooming flowers.
Two beautiful figures were already waiting on the pier.
The one standing at the forefront wore a short, light blue dress and a blue-and-white headpiece. Her posture was flawless and elegant. She seemed to perfectly blend into the soft, radiant halo of the island, exuding an aura of profound, infinite tranquility.
Just standing there, she looked like a timeless painting, as if she had been waiting on this very dock for tens of thousands of years.
It was The Shorekeeper.
Beside her stood a completely different kind of scenery.
Camellya, dressed in her signature tailored red-and-white outfit, had her hands clasped behind her back. She was leaning so far forward she was practically tipping over, her high-heeled sandals tapping impatiently against the ground as she stared at the docking ship. Her signature smirk was plastered across her face, but her eyes were entirely consumed by a rabid impatience.
The second the ship anchored, Rover led Cartethyia down the gangway.
"Welcome back, Rover."
The Shorekeeper stepped forward, her voice as gentle as the seafoam brushing against the shore.
Her gaze landed entirely on Rover. Her purple eyes, which seemed to contain an entire galaxy of stars, flickered slightly. She instantly perceived many things, but chose to remain silent.
Then, her line of sight shifted to the blonde, elf-eared girl standing by his side. She offered a polite nod. "And who might this be?"
"This is Cartethyia," Rover introduced, gesturing to his side. "She's a companion I met in Laguna. There are some... unique anomalies within her body, and she needs to use the Black Shores' facilities for a proper examination."
He then turned to the knight. "Cartethyia, this is The Shorekeeper."
Cartethyia could vividly feel the terrifying, unfathomable power quietly thrumming within the woman standing before her—it was a power that felt as vast and all-encompassing as the ocean itself.
She immediately took two steps forward, placed a hand over her heart, and executed a flawless knight's salute. "Greetings, Lady Shorekeeper. I am Cartethyia. I am currently a wandering knight. Please forgive my intrusion."
"There is no need for such formalities. You may simply call me The Shorekeeper, Miss Cartethyia." The Shorekeeper offered a faint smile, one as pale and pristine as moonlight. "Since you are Rover's companion, you are an honored guest of the Black Shores."
At that moment, Camellya finally lost her patience. With a few quick, bouncy steps, she completely inserted herself between them. Right in front of Cartethyia, she aggressively linked her arms around Rover's, hugging his arm tightly against her side.
Her eyes scanned Cartethyia from head to toe like a radar, a sly, wicked smile curling her lips. Then, she looked up at the man who haunted her every waking thought.
"My, my, my... look who finally decided to come home! Our incredibly busy leader—"
She deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze doing another slow lap over Cartethyia's striking wheat-blonde hair and exotic features. Her smile grew absolutely radiant.
"So, where did you kidnap this pretty little 'blonde' from this time?"
"Blonde...?" Cartethyia had clearly never heard the term used in such a derogatory, slang-heavy context. She subconsciously reached up and touched the ends of her golden hair.
Rover could feel Camellya actively squeezing his arm, subtly communicating an intense, territorial possessiveness. He let out a helpless sigh and introduced her again. "This is Cartethyia. Cartethyia, this is Camellya. She is... also a Floramancer of the Black Shores."
"Hi there, little Carty!" Camellya beamed, suddenly letting go of Rover and leaning in so close her nose almost touched Cartethyia's. "I'm Camellya! If you ever run into any trouble at the Black Shores, you can come find your big sister anytime!"
The whiplash of her sudden attitude change and her overwhelming enthusiasm completely caught Cartethyia off guard. She could only give a stiff, bewildered nod, a faint flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Instinctively, Cartethyia reached out and lightly grasped the edge of Rover's coat, as if seeking a small anchor of safety.
The Shorekeeper had watched the entire exchange in silence. Her gaze drifted fluidly between Rover, Camellya, and Cartethyia before finally softening into a gentle, authoritative command.
"You must be exhausted from your journey. Let us return to headquarters first. I have already prepared a guest room for Miss Cartethyia."