Back at Riccioli Harbor, Ray first carried Phrolova back to his room and carefully placed her on the bed. Then, he found the man who had lent him the gondola and returned the boat.
The man's eyes widened the moment he saw him. "Young man, y-you're alright? Didn't Serene Bay have some huge commotion?"
"What kind of question is that? Sounds like you were expecting me to get into trouble." Ray wiped his face with a wry smile. "Don't worry, it was just a Tacet Field, and it's been resolved. Everyone can go fishing there as usual from now on."
"Really?!" The man's face immediately lit up with joy, and he slapped his thigh hard. "Ah! That's wonderful! I'll go tell everyone right away. We must celebrate properly tonight!"
After that, Ray and Phoebe found a restaurant and ordered a table full of good food.
Having fought all day and drifted at sea for so long, both were already starving, their stomachs practically touching their backs. So when the steaming hot dishes were brought to the table, even the usually devout Phoebe couldn't help but swallow her saliva, her eyes fixed directly on the food.
"No, no, moderation is a virtue bestowed by the Sentinel... Phoebe, you can't forget your status because of momentary desires!"
Phoebe quickly clasped her hands together, murmuring softly as if bargaining with her own stomach.
As for Ray?
He didn't have so many rules.
When you're hungry, you eat.
Say no more, say no less, let's dig in!
Just as Ray picked up his utensils, the tacet mark on the back of his hand suddenly shot out a golden stream of light without warning.
The next second, the little creature that had devoured the Dark Tide in the sea's abyss actually emerged with the light, leisurely floating above the dining table. Ray and Phoebe instantly froze, both stunned on the spot.
"Woah!"
The little creature, however, remained completely oblivious, lazily letting out a yawn and rubbing its sleepy eyes. "So sleepy... Hmm? What smells so good?" Its little nose twitched a few times, and its gaze instantly lit up at the sight of the table full of dishes. "Wow! So much delicious food! Is it all for me? Then I won't hold back!"
Before the words had fully faded, the little creature had already transformed into a cheerful streak of light, pouncing toward the dining table. Before Ray and Phoebe could recover from their shock, they watched as the food on the plates vanished like a whirlwind, leaving behind only a pile of spotlessly clean empty plates.
"Mmm, so flavorful." The little creature patted its round, full belly, looking quite satisfied as it flew back and settled into Ray's hand, speaking very affectionately to him, "Hello there!"
Ray: "?"
Quite familiar for a first meeting.
He looked at the little creature in his hand, words dying on his lips.
On the other side, Phoebe's gaze had already gone straight, her eyes misty and hazy as if covered by a layer of fog.
Round, soft, squishy...
Too cute...
The girl had absolutely no resistance to such cute Echoes. With just one look, she was almost completely smitten.
But she immediately shook her head hard, driving away all those improper thoughts.
'No, no, Phoebe, what are you thinking!
As a clergy member serving the Sentinel, you must strictly adhere to the precepts!'
She quietly took a breath, trying to make her voice sound calm. "Mr. Ray, is this... the little creature living inside your body?"
Ray held the warm little thing in his hand and nodded. "Mm, it's definitely the one."
"Little creature?!" It flew indignantly between them, small paws on its hips, its round body puffed up tall. "I have a name too, you know!"
"A name? You have a name?" Ray raised an eyebrow, interested. "Let's hear it."
"Let me think... seems like it was... Anbu, Anby... Ksasala? Or Abraxas?" The little creature tilted its head, looking like it was trying hard to recall but getting more confused the more it thought.
Ray only caught the first few sounds, "Anbu, Anby."
He stroked his chin, squinting as he examined the little thing for a while, then suddenly spoke very seriously. "Could it be... you're the legendary ultimate life form, the warrior of the Absolutians—Absolutian Tartarus?"
"Huh? What kind of name is that? Sounds weird! That's not my name!" The little creature shook its head like a rattle drum. "I forgot my name too. Anyway, Anby... I feel like that's what I'm called. Yeah, just call me Anby!"
"Anby?" Phoebe tilted her head slightly, looking at it curiously. "You... have you always been living inside Mr. Ray's body?"
"Probably," Anby scratched its round head with a tiny paw, sounding a bit muddled. "I don't remember things before that. My earliest memory starts from the bottom of the sea. As for how I got into his body, I don't understand either..."
As it spoke, it deftly turned around, floating back in front of Ray, its tone candid. "Anyway, I was just sleeping inside your body all along. No idea what chaos was happening outside! I only wake up to look for food when I'm starving."
"Sleeping inside my body?" Ray raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't hear anything happening outside?"
Abby shook its head vigorously. "Couldn't hear, couldn't see! Ah, don't worry, I understand the rules. Personal privacy is most important! As soon as I whoosh back inside, I fall asleep instantly. Unless you specifically call me, I won't wake up."
That's quite understanding of the rules.
"Speaking of which, you swallowed that entire huge Dark Tide. Are you really feeling okay in your body?" Ray asked, examining it.
"How could I be okay!" Anby immediately put on an aggrieved expression, rubbing its nonexistent belly with its tiny paws. "I don't know what happened back then. I just felt this really strange frequency rushing at me. I completely lost control, whoosh—I shot out... and then, then I just ate it all up."
Its little face scrunched up as if recalling that awful taste. "When I first ate it, because I was so hungry, I didn't notice much. But as soon as I got back inside your body, that effect hit me... Ugh, don't even mention it. Felt like I ate... bleh, no, no, can't think about it anymore. If I say more, I really will throw up!"
"Oh..." Ray nodded thoughtfully, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "So you ate the Dark Tide because you were starving. If that's the case, if I starve you for a while longer, you could treat the Dark Tide as a feast?"
Hearing this, Anby shrank back in fright, hiding directly behind Phoebe, peeking out with its little head. "...Listen to what you're saying! Is that even human language?!"
"Just joking."
Ray couldn't help but laugh at Anby's expression. He straightened his playful expression, took a deep breath, and solemnly extended his fist in front of Anby. "Though the specifics aren't clear, to put it simply... from now on, we're partners."
Anby, still looking a bit huffy, was taken aback for a moment, then its eyes lit up.
It flew forward gracefully, extended its own tiny paw, and carefully touched Ray's fist.
"Mm!" It nodded emphatically, a note of delight in its voice. "Partners!"