Robin was struck by how efficient Lin Shuang was.
They had just arrived in Penacony, and it hadn't taken long before they fell asleep.
Now, Lin Shuang had made contact with both the Masked Fool from The Tavern and a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection.
Both groups were shrouded in mystery, rarely seen at all during ordinary times.
The Memokeepers, in particular, were elusive—if they didn't wish to be noticed, you wouldn't spot them, even if they stood right in front of you.
Lin Shuang's focus and swiftness in handling her matters was truly impressive, surprising Robin and reassuring her at the same time.
Perhaps Lin Shuang could really unravel the mysteries behind all this.
At that moment, Robin felt more certain than ever that bringing Lin Shuang to Penacony had been the right choice.
"No… the other side approached me first… I don't know their intention," Lin Shuang said.
She still felt that the Black Swan might be planning to strike her.
Reflecting on the events involving the Garden of Recollection, she recalled the strange memory bubbles at Herta Space Station.
Those scattered bubbles had been secretly created by Herta without informing the Garden of Recollection.
Although the in-game text was vague and the Garden's stance unclear, Lin Shuang still leaned toward the worst-case scenario.
"So, what clue did the Memokeeper give you? Was it a memory bubble?"
"No, she gave me a Light Cone."
Lin Shuang reached into her dream to pull out the Light Cone, and as she did, she was able to hold it in her hand.
She handed the dim, flickering Light Cone to Robin.
Robin had been expecting something more, but as she took the Light Cone into her hands and examined it closely, a sense of disappointment filled her.
"This… the memory in this Light Cone is too vague. I can tell it's set in Penacony, but beyond that, it's unclear."
"Of course, it's still a work in progress," Lin Shuang replied.
"…This might not help much."
Despite the blurriness, Robin didn't lose hope. There was still some imagery to work with. If she could locate the scenes in the Light Cone, it might lead to something useful.
Better than having no lead at all.
Seeing Robin's resolve, Lin Shuang smiled and put the Light Cone away.
"It's alright. We'll make progress by tomorrow. Just rest for tonight."
"Lin Shuang, do you have any ideas?" Robin asked, watching her intently. Lin Shuang gave a playful wink.
"I'll give it a shot."
Noticing that Lin Shuang didn't seem to be offering false comfort, Robin couldn't help but feel a flicker of confidence.
"I see. Then I'll wait for some good news."
...
After their conversation, Lin Shuang and Robin separated temporarily.
Lin Shuang left the dream, returning to the guest room of The Reverie.
The strange sensation lingering around her had her thinking, so she tried opening the transmission channel.
Stepping through, she quickly arrived back at her residence on The Blue.
She let out a sigh of relief.
"It seems… it's just an environmental anomaly? At least, there's no issue entering or leaving Penacony."
While she comforted Bella, who was left at home to watch the house, her mind kept drifting back to Penacony.
Just then, Acheron's message arrived, as though timed perfectly with Lin Shuang's return.
[Acheron: Have you arrived at Penacony? Is the environment treating you well?]
Lin Shuang took out her phone, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she read Acheron's message.
[Lin Shuang: It's fine. I felt a bit dizzy when I first arrived in the Asdana system, but I got used to it quickly.]
[Lin Shuang: Actually, I arrived at Penacony today and ran into a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection and a Masked Fool from The Tavern.]
[Lin Shuang: This Charmony Festival really attracts all sorts of people.]
[Acheron: Why would a Memokeeper approach you? And what's the Masked Fool's name? Is she alright?]
When Acheron asked for the Masked Fool's name, Lin Shuang couldn't help but feel there was some underlying intention in the question.
[Lin Shuang: What could happen? Don't worry, there was no conflict.]
She then took a moment to organize her thoughts before recounting the encounter with the Black Swan and Sparkle.
Acheron's response came swiftly, and it was clear her mood had darkened.
[Acheron: It seems your presence has caught the attention of a lot of people. Be cautious and stay away from dangerous places until I arrive.]
Acheron realized that Lin Shuang might be more of a target than she had anticipated.
This wasn't good. If these people were after Lin Shuang, things could get tricky, especially in Penacony, where various factions intersect.
Acheron knew Lin Shuang had come early because she had accepted Robin's request to investigate something.
But now, Acheron wanted her to hold off on the commission.
Otherwise, even if Lin Shuang had called her to Penacony, it would be too late for Acheron to support her in the dream world.
[Lin Shuang: Hey, have you been caring more about me lately?]
[Acheron: ...]
[Acheron: Let's talk business, stop fooling around.]
Seeing Acheron's reply, Lin Shuang couldn't resist teasing her a little more.
Especially since Acheron had said "I don't know" last time, but her actions had clearly shown otherwise.
Lin Shuang had always wanted to see Acheron's cold expression crack with some hidden emotions.
[Lin Shuang: How is this not business as usual? You don't know anything and still act like the expert. I'm talking about you.]
[Acheron: ...]
[Acheron: ...]
[Acheron: Open the door.]
Lin Shuang knew exactly which door Acheron meant, but thinking about Acheron's expression on the other side of the phone made her reluctant to give a direct answer.
[Lin Shuang: It's open, but someone doesn't seem to be at the door.]
[Acheron: ...]
After a long pause, Lin Shuang saw the "Typing…" notification next to Acheron's name.
Finally, an ellipsis appeared.
Lin Shuang grinned.
She wouldn't tease her anymore. She was curious about what Acheron's face looked like now.
Lin Shuang thought for a moment and then shouted:
"Help me, Mei-sister~"
The moment she finished, the portal opened, and a white figure stormed in, pinning her onto the sofa.
Acheron glared down at Lin Shuang, her cold expression sharp.
She unsheathed her long sword just a little, leaning dangerously close to Lin Shuang's face.
"Why don't you ask me now… what my mood is?"
"…"
Lin Shuang looked up at Acheron, half expecting her to strike, and smiled faintly.
Is she serious?
"… Angry?"
At that, Acheron's lips curved slightly.
"Well, you guessed right. So, are you ready for some long-awaited confrontation training?"
"Ah… Can we do it next time?"
Lin Shuang broke out in a cold sweat. No way, she's got a knife drawn. Is this really about training, or does she just want to chop me?
"No. I'm not letting people think I'm all talk."
"…"
--+--
T/N: You know, sometimes the word sword is translated into knife by google translate and I just imagine Acheron just swinging a kitchen knife around instead of her sword.