Rhodes Island does not exist.

“…I’ll go check if there are any of these compressed biscuits I have in my pocket on the shelves here.” After a brief silence, the doctor spoke.

“I’ll go with you,” Skadi said calmly. “If it’s not necessary, we’d better not split up.”

“Indeed.” The doctor nodded. “Then let’s go together.”

So the two walked side by side in silence.

Chapter 172, Chapter 171: The Tide of Memories

Maybe so, but now I'm the only Deepsea Hunter left.

So, since then, you've carried this responsibility alone until today?

It was a feeling that was both strange and familiar.

Skadi rested her right hand on the corner of the shelf, the brim of her hat pressing down on her silver hair, her gaze slightly lowered.

The memories in my mind were like a pot of boiling water, bubbling uncontrollably.

Strange conversations kept popping into her head, and she didn't even know when she had them.

You will eventually have to face the deep sea.

I know, Skadi.

Strange, why have I never had these thoughts before?

Skadi closed her eyes slightly, as if to resist motion sickness, and placed the fingers of her other hand on her temples, gently massaging them.

Hey, Skadi. If you really do leave Agor, leave Iberia...

"Impossible. As long as my people are alive, they can never escape Agor."

I understand that your bloodline is calling out; I've always known that. But I'm not talking about bloodline; I'm talking about geography.

What will happen?

【Um? 】

What would happen if I left those two places, the part you didn't finish in your first sentence?

It won't happen anything, I just want you to join me.

The sound of the ocean waves, along with those unfamiliar memories, surged through Skadi's mind.

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue.

The meaningless conversation I just had with the doctor was another example; my almost innate composure nearly crumbled over such a trivial matter.

Looking back now, it seems that my mental state gradually became unstable after I met the doctor.

So, is all of this the doctor's problem or his own?

Or is it a problem with Rhodes Island?

Finding your information is really troublesome.

[A few years have passed since then? You haven't been asking about me all this time, have you, Grand Master of the Knights of the Tower?]

They call me Doctor now.

In Victorian, "doctor" and "physician" are the same word; you're quite the old-fashioned person.

If possible, I hope you can use the phrase "never forget your original aspiration."

So you didn't come to me this time to ask me to join your Rhodes Island, did you?

You already know the answer.

But I refused.

Is that so? It's a shame, but since...

Honestly, you gave up so easily? This isn't like the you I used to know.

After all, I don't want to force you to accept my wishes.

When talking to women, think things through carefully. Often, a woman's rejection isn't as absolute as it sounds... she's just waiting for you to offer another option.

I'm sorry, I'm not very bright. I'm good at developing drugs and commanding troops, but I really lack confidence when it comes to communicating with women.

"Oh, really, it's really rude of you to let the woman state her requirements herself... although I certainly don't think so."

Then why are you acting so coy?

It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision; I wanted to imitate those young girls.

So what's your answer? Is it rejection or joining?

I refuse to join Rhodes Island, but—I can join you. After all, I'm a bounty hunter now.

That sounds really strange.

"Considering our past friendship, I can give you a discount because we're acquaintances."

Really? How much?

A bottle of seawater will suffice.

-

In the industrial pastry section, the doctor was searching along the shelves for the same brand of the half-eaten compressed biscuit he was holding.

"This...no, this isn't either..."

His gaze swept over row after row of goods, glancing over the cookies with packaging completely different from his own, as if he were a machine.

But just as his gaze reached the end of the shelf, he suddenly realized something.

Skadi, who was supposed to be following behind him, was nowhere to be seen.

"Skadi?"

He asked the question instinctively.

But no one answered.

In his memory, Skadi had been following him until he arrived at the industrial pastry district.

Although neither of them said a word to each other, at least they did not distance themselves from each other.

But now.

"I should go find her first." The doctor stuffed the compressed biscuits back into his pocket, then silently noted down the number of shelves he had checked, and turned back to walk in the direction he had come from.

"Skadi—"

He stepped out of the jungle of shelves, raising his voice a few decibels as he did so.

However, to his surprise, a familiar voice responded to him instantly.

"Why are you making such a loud noise...?"

That was Skadi's voice.

At that moment, she was half-squatting in front of a shelf, her face as pale as paper.

Although her skin was already exceptionally fair, at this moment, her fair complexion was not a sign of health, but rather a sign of weakness.

"Since you didn't follow, I had no choice but to come find you." The Doctor walked towards Skadi and crouched down to be at her level.

In terms of height, the Doctor is a few centimeters taller than Skadi, but this height difference disappears when she squats down.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Skadi shook her head.

The greatsword behind her had been removed and laid flat on the ground, while her hands gripped the shelf as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

"Can you really call this good?" The doctor's eyes held a hint of worry. "Aren't our definitions of 'good' a little different?"

“Never mind the details… By the way.” Skadi raised her head listlessly, looking at him with her red eyes under the brim of her hat, “After meeting me, have you recalled any chaotic memories? You know, the kind where you know it’s you, but you don’t know when it happened… memories.”

"Yes, there is." The doctor nodded.

Although Skadi wasn't around when he recalled those things, Skadi was referring to the time after they met, so the Doctor will just accept those memories as fact.

"So, what exactly is it? Can you tell me?" Skadi's gaze was no longer focused on the Doctor, but began to wander.

“Before I tell you, you shouldn’t rest in this weird position.” Looking at Skadi’s stubborn look, the Doctor sighed. “Sit down properly on the ground, and I can tell you slowly.”

-

Thank you segment.

Thank you for the monthly pass.

Chapter 173, Part 172: The Deep-Sea Hunter and Lollipop

What to say.

The Doctor felt like a storyteller, while Skadi was a silent listener, neither clapping nor cheering, only nodding slightly when the story reached an exciting point to show her approval of the storyteller.

"...But even after saying all this, I still can't connect all those strange memories together."

Skadi leaned against the shelf, relaxed. The Doctor sat beside her, also leaning against the shelf, and began to speak.

"Just now."

Skadi's breathing gradually became even.

Compared to when I first met her as a PhD student, she is now in much better condition.

“…Just now, I suddenly remembered a lot of things,” Skadi said slowly, her voice unhurried. “But just like you said, although those memories are clear, they can’t be connected with my own experience.”

“After all, losing your memories is equivalent to losing the experience, so even if you know that you are the protagonist in those memories, you can't get that sense of personal reality,” the doctor said with a smile. “But is the reason you're so tired because of this?”

"what."

Skadi nodded.

"I felt like my brain was suddenly filled up, making it difficult to think. The oxygen was taken away by the sudden activity of my brain, and I couldn't even keep breathing... To be honest, I almost suffocated."

She raised her eyes and gazed at the opposite shelf, her red eyes now showing a slight return of vitality.

The shelves were filled with a bunch of colorful items.

These are candies that are very popular among young people in Terra. Although they taste ordinary, they are loved for their cute and colorful appearance and have even become a fashion trend.

“That… what is it?” Skadi raised her still somewhat weak right arm and pointed to the shelf.

"It's a food called lollipop," the doctor replied.

"Oh...you still have memories of this kind of snack? I never would have guessed." Skadi retorted.

“No,” the doctor smiled. “It’s just that there were labels on the shelves; you probably didn’t notice them.”

“Labels?” Skadi sighed. “My vision is still blurry, I can’t see those things. I can only see a bunch of colorful little things.”

"Would you like to try these colorful little things?" the doctor asked.

Skadi did not answer.

She maintained her dejected posture with the brim of her hat pulled low, as if she was still holding back something.

But in the end, she spoke up.

"……think."

The sound was as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito or fly.

-

"Bah-"

The professor tore off the cellophane, revealing the rainbow-colored candies underneath.

This is lollipop.

“So it was supported by a small stick.” Skadi held the lollipop with her three fingers, which had regained their strength, and carefully observed the appearance of this cute thing. “I can imagine that its production process was probably not difficult.”

“So the price is also very cheap.” The doctor sat back down next to Skadi and said, “It’s precisely because of its two major advantages—cheapness and good looks—that it has a place in the supermarket.”

"But how does it taste?" Skadi asked, her red eyes fixed on the lollipop in her hand.

Her expression remained calm as always.

"Try it and you'll see," the doctor said. "Anyway, the wrapper is already torn open, so you can eat it whenever you want."

"So, how do we taste it?" Skadi turned her head and looked at the Doctor.