"A small accident?"
Rover's brows knitted slightly, her willow-like eyebrows instantly twisting together.
"Yeah." Cameliya nodded, hands behind her back as she turned around and skipped toward the distance, as if what she was talking about wasn't her own experience, but that of a complete stranger.
"I lay in a medical pod on Black Shores for half a month, almost died from severe overclocking, so I had no choice but to stop regretfully."
Rover's eyes widened in an instant, staring at Cameliya in disbelief as she spoke like it had nothing to do with her.
"…That's a small accident?"
"If I didn't die, then it is."
Even Rover had to admit that, aside from fun, nothing could really make Cameliya take anything seriously.
Not even her own severe overclocking.
But putting it that way…
Rover glanced at Zane, who had no idea why he had suddenly fallen into deep thought. For some reason, she suddenly felt that when it came to "not taking their own body seriously," Cameliya and a certain someone were somewhat similar…
Of course, Cameliya had no idea what Rover was thinking. Even though Rover hadn't asked, she still went on explaining on her own, as if afraid she might forget to tell her some important clue.
"Mmm... my memories were probably sealed by the 'Flower Maiden' using some special method. Triggering them through familiar scenes doesn't work."
"I only remember waking up at the beginning in a karst cave, with my mind completely blank."
"After that, I wandered aimlessly around Solaris for several years, and then by chance came to Black Shores."
"And what do you know, I found out that my past self had lived here~ That kind of thing definitely makes you want to investigate, right?"
As she spoke, Cameliya tilted her head slightly, glanced at Rover, then showed a faint smile.
"Of course I did the same. As for what happened in the middle… I'd already forgotten it by the time I woke up in the medical pod." She rested her hand under her cheek, a habitual gesture when she was thinking.
Though she was smiling, there was a faint trace of contemplation in her eyes. "But I should have already succeeded once in uncovering the truth behind my amnesia."
"I succeeded, but also nearly died from overclocking, so in the end I had no choice but to seal my memories again. That's about it, I guess?"
"Even though I don't know why the 'Flower Maiden' did this, anyway… it doesn't really matter. Compared to remembering the past, being with you guys seems more fun."
Rover let out a long breath and turned to look at Cameliya. "The way you just said that doesn't sound like you were talking about your past self."
With her hands behind her back, Cameliya met Rover's gaze without avoiding it at all and said as if it were only natural, "Because I don't remember anything~"
"To the current me, the 'Flower Maiden' is more like a stranger. Like watching images on a screen. No matter how touching the joys and sorrows are, they belong to the story."
Hearing Cameliya talk about herself like that, Rover's smooth brow creased slightly into a frown. She felt a bit uncomfortable listening to it.
At that moment, Zane, who had been deep in thought beside them, suddenly had a flash of insight. If things were really as he had guessed, then everything would make sense.
Cameliya investigating the 'Flower Maiden' only to lose her memory again, and why that star chart connected to the 'Flower Maiden' had escaped.
'Everything connected!'
Zane suddenly jumped up, startling Rover. She shot him an annoyed glance.
"What did you think of?"
"Heh heh." Zane smugly put his hands on his hips and didn't waste time. He immediately prepared to tell Rover about his new discovery, to show her that he was definitely not that dumb Zane.
"I've seen through everything."
"Seen through… everything?" Rover looked a little doubtful, but thinking about it, Zane did occasionally have moments of quick wit.
"That's right! Cameliya investigating the 'Flower Maiden' and losing her memory again, and the fact that that erroneous star chart escaped, I've seen through all of it."
Cameliya, standing to the side, curled her lips with interest. She also wanted to see just what kind of intelligence this "gardener" her instincts had chosen actually possessed.
Facing the questioning gazes of the two girls, Zane proudly put his hands on his hips. Somehow, he even pulled out a pair of glasses. A glint flashed across the lenses.
"There's only one answer, and that is... the 'Flower Maiden's' memories can hit people! And they beat Cameliya into losing her memory."
"And after hitting someone, that star chart became an erroneous star chart, and because it was afraid of being punished by the Tethys System, it started escaping."
———
"Huh?" Hearing Zane's deduction, Rover nearly fell flat on her face. Cameliya, standing beside them, was already clutching her stomach and bending over laughing.
"What do you mean the 'Flower Maiden's' memories can hit people?"
To this, Zane calmly pushed his glasses and asked Rover in return, "Rover, put yourself in her shoes. If I investigated you for no reason, wouldn't you get angry? Wouldn't you beat me up?"
"What are you even talking about!!!" Rover instantly felt her cheeks heat up. Her eyes widened in anger as she angrily lifted her foot and kicked fiercely at Zane's leg.
With just one kick, Zane fell to the ground.
"Help! Murdering your husband!" But the moment Zane hit the ground, he grabbed his knee, rolled around, and wailed loudly.
"You…!" Zane's shamelessness made Rover both embarrassed and furious. She instinctively glanced around.
Fortunately, after Cameliya found the two of them, the Shorekeepers, who had already anticipated this based on past patterns, had reassigned everyone nearby to other posts.
Within a dozen meters, aside from Rover and Cameliya, there wasn't a single living being.
Shorekeepers, This household is going to fall apart sooner or later without me.
Seeing there was no one else around, Rover rolled up her sleeves and kicked Zane's backside twice with a "bang bang."
Still not satisfied, she pulled out her sheath and unleashed a flurry of "Featherfall, Annihilate All Laws" on his butt.
———
[A Few Minutes Later]
Rover wiped the fine sweat on her forehead, put away her sheath, and let out a long breath.
"Refreshing!"
Cameliya, standing to the side, smiled as she clapped her hands. "As expected of a destined seed, your swordsmanship is very sharp."
After saying that, she picked up a twig from the ground, crouched down, and poked Zane's face with it…
"Oh my, looks like he's already completely cold~"
Hearing that, Zane immediately felt dissatisfied.
What do you mean completely cold? At a time like this, you should say the corpse is already stiff.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Zane immediately opened his eyes, jumped up from the ground in an instant… and then promptly sat… fell back down again. Then he covered his backside and whimpered.
At the same time, deep within the Tethys System, the Shorekeeper received a notification, "Distress detected, originating from… Zane…"
Life isn't easy, the Shorekeeper sighed, This household might as well fall apart.
But Zane was still Zane. Even if he lost physically, he wouldn't lose in spirit. Even if his backside had been beaten to pieces, his mouth was still stubborn.
Being stubborn is a kind of toughness too.
"See, see? I didn't even investigate yet and you already beat me. So what's impossible about Cameliya investigating the 'Flower Maiden' and getting beaten into amnesia?"
"If you say one more word, I'll beat you into amnesia."
Facing Rover, who was smiling gently, sweetly, and warmly, Zane swallowed. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to act tough for once.
"Fine, I'll say it. It must be because I didn't eat today and was talking nonsense out of hunger. This will definitely never happen again in the future!"
Although Zane craned his neck and used the toughest tone to say the softest words, leaving Rover speechless, what made her even more speechless was... 'Was that why I hit you?'
'Forget it, no point getting mad at an idiot.'
But after Zane's antics, the heaviness Rover had felt earlier because of Cameliya's experience eased a little.
Cameliya laughed so hard her stomach hurt. She didn't even know how long it had been since she had laughed this happily.
Before… it seemed like there had been times like this, but she couldn't remember.
"Compared to those memories I can't grasp, I trust my instincts more." Cameliya wiped the tears from laughing and extended her hand toward Rover. "Even if I've lost my memories, as long as my instincts still exist in this body, that is 'me.'"
As if sensing the atmosphere becoming a bit heavy again, Zane, who had been lying on the ground, forced himself up and casually wrapped an arm around Rover's shoulders.
Feeling the restless hand on her shoulder, Rover only glanced sideways at him but didn't say anything.
"Talking about this doesn't really help. Why don't we split up and search for other items left behind by the 'Flower Maiden'?"
"A small competition, huh…" Cameliya blinked, a slightly unhinged smile appearing on her face. "I like it."
"Then, let the competition begin..."