『 "You are that Memokeeper?" Dan Heng frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the woman in front of him as he asked.
Black Swan nodded slightly. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dan Heng. I have seen you in the memories of others."
Having said that, she looked helplessly at Boothill beside Dan Heng, her tone somewhat resentful. "And Mr. Boothill… this can also be considered our first meeting. I hope you like that bottle of Asdana White Oak. Sigh… you really know how to order hard-to-find liquor." 』
『 ....』
〘Black Swan〙: Hundreds of thousands of Credit Points… even for a Memokeeper, my wallet would take a hit.
〘Stelle〙: Couldn't you just use your abilities?
〘Black Swan〙: I have my principles.
〘Dahlia〙: That's hard to say, darling~ After all, your moral baseline is quite flexible.
〘Black Swan〙: Oh? Finally speaking? I thought you were so devastated after seeing your "father's" death that you were left speechless.
〘March 7th〙: You two know each other?
〘Black Swan〙: She is a Cremator. Her favorite thing is to join an organization, sincerely help them, and then betray them in the end. Quite a twisted taste, indeed.
〘Dahlia〙: Likewise~
....
『 Ignoring Black Swan's slightly resentful tone, Boothill spoke up directly: "You sure made me look all over for you, Memokeeper! I'll get straight to the point. Tell me everything you know."
"My thoughts exactly." Black Swan nodded slightly. "But before that, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Black Swan, a Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection. And as for the story of that lady, Acheron…"
"Perhaps she knows it better herself."
Before her voice could fade, a figure slowly walked over from the back of the carriage. When she reached everyone, she stopped, looked at Dan Heng and Boothill, and said calmly, "Hello, you two. I am Acheron."
Seeing this, Boothill immediately whipped his head around to glare at Black Swan, cursing under his breath, "What?! Son of a nice lady—you Garden of Recollection folk, you sold me out?!" 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: How about it? Remember what Lady Hanabi said? Watch out for backstabs~
〘Dahlia〙: How about that? Isn't it just the same?
〘Boothill〙: Son of a nice lady.
....
『 Seeing this, Black Swan looked at Acheron helplessly, and Acheron nodded slightly upon catching her gaze.
She took a few steps forward and explained, "My apologies, this was my request. For certain reasons, I was exiled from Penacony. Fortunately, this Memokeeper traveled with me, giving me the opportunity to escape the Family's control without a sound."
After hearing Acheron's explanation, Black Swan couldn't help but shake her head. "Actually, it wasn't traveling together, but stalking. And the process was by no means 'without a sound'…"
At this point, she looked at Acheron's perpetually icy face and smiled faintly. "But forget it, have it your way." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: You can tell Black Swan is truly helpless against Acheron.
〘Belle〙: That smile… It's completely a smile of letting go.
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: As expected of Mei.
....
『 "I asked her to guide me to a place beyond The Family's reach and to contact a few trustworthy individuals, namely all of you," Acheron continued to explain.
"Trustworthy? Ha... hahahahaha! Son of a nice lady! You think I'm dumb or something?" The next moment, Boothill drew his pistol with extreme speed, aiming the dark muzzle right at Acheron.
"How about this? I'll put a few bullet holes in your head and see what secrets spill out, then we can talk about 'trust'..." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: You're so brave.
〘Boothill〙: Son of a nice lady, who knew that her "suspected" status as an Emanator of Nihility was so misleading.
....
『 Facing Boothill's gun, Acheron shook her head slightly, indicating she meant no harm. "There is no need for this. I will tell you everything you want to know, but not now… If my identity hadn't been exposed, perhaps we would have had more time, but right now, this is our only option."
"Only option? What only option?" Boothill's eyes showed some confusion, while Dan Heng stood aside, quietly waiting for Acheron's next words.
Acheron looked serious and replied solemnly, "Only by doing this can I guarantee everyone's safety…"
At this point, Acheron paused slightly and raised her voice.
"Please have the Astral Express warp immediately and leave the Asdana star system."
Dan Heng's expression changed instantly.
Pam looked at Acheron, then at Dan Heng, and finally back to Acheron. "What this passenger means is…"
"In my opinion, she harbors no ill intent, and she is telling the truth," Black Swan suddenly spoke up.
Acheron looked at Dan Heng. "Mr. Dan Heng, I once traveled briefly with your companions, and I know where they are. Please believe that the Nameless are still safe, but they also need our help."
Then, Acheron looked directly at Boothill, and the gun pointed at her, her tone calm. "And Mr. Boothill, you have perhaps already guessed… I was waiting for your arrival. The Galaxy Rangers have elusive tracks and rarely contact one another. Forgive me for only being able to establish 'contact' with you this way."
"Only in this way could I find a true Galaxy Ranger. And only by doing so can I fulfill a long-standing promise…"
"…To return his 'relic' to its rightful owner."
As soon as she finished speaking, the screen was engulfed in blackness, leaving only Acheron's calm voice narrating.
"Someone once told me… every rainfall is heaven's mercy upon the world."
"Raindrops are said to be the tears of the Gods, shed in response to the sorrows of the world. Their constant pouring is a reminder that the Gods haven't abandoned us yet."
"So..."
The scene shifted. Acheron was holding a red umbrella, standing beside a hunched figure wearing a bamboo hat. Before them lay a vast ocean, but from the surface of the water, which should have been calm, black hands stretched out one by one, like the final lingering attachment of drowning souls to this world.
In the sky above the ocean, there was a sun shrouded in black. The dark substance was still flowing downward, complementing the scene on the sea to form a bizarre and eerie picture.
Acheron looked forward, feeling the rain falling on her umbrella. "How long has this rain been falling?"
An old voice came, but he did not answer Acheron directly.
"I used to believe, just like you, that it would eventually stop. Years and decades passed... and in the end, such hope faded away before the rain did."
"Looks like the God you mentioned doesn't exist after all."
As he spoke, the old man's gaze remained fixed on the distance. Amidst the fine drizzle of black rain, countless shadowy hands emerged from the sea, shrouded in an ethereal mist, reaching out towards the sky one by one.
"Well, let me share a story with you..."
"Mortals who walk the Paths are like sailors on a vast ocean, leaving behind a trail that creates countless ripples of possibilities. These ripples last longer than the fleeting lifetimes of humans."
"And among them, some leave traces of existence so strong that they cast their own reflections within these clusters of waves." 』
『 ....』