The Past, Family

"Sigh. As expected of Solaris's great hero. Your senses are sharp."

Seeing Rover stand firm, Aemeath finally gave way.

That wasn't like her.

If she still had a body, she never would have backed down like this.

Facing the truth, finding clues, and growing from them—

That was the trial nearly every "Protagonist" faced, and the reward they earned.

But in her eyes, Rover didn't have to become that "Protagonist."

What was so bad about being a protagonist? These days, protagonists got countless cheats and enjoyed power and wealth without lifting a finger.

Ask anyone, "Would you cross into another world and become its protagonist?"

Ninety-nine percent of them would choose yes without hesitation.

But Aemeath didn't want that for Rover. A "Protagonist" was always running from place to place.

And in Solaris, the treatment a "Protagonist" received was nowhere near as wonderful as people imagined.

She didn't want Rover to work so hard, much less go anywhere dangerous.

Unfortunately, she was only a Digital Ghost now. A Digital Ghost couldn't stop the great hero of Solaris standing before her.

Humm—

Once Aemeath stepped aside, Rover raised her right hand, and the frequencies in the little house resonated with her on their own.

She didn't even need to release her own frequency to make a connection.

A single gesture was enough to awaken some of the unusual frequencies lingering there.

Humm, humm—

The frequencies then took the form of two translucent figures before Rover.

One was an adorable girl with pink hair in twin tails. The other...

Was a black-haired figure in an old Star Torch Academy uniform.

Rover recognized them both.

The girl's distinctive pink hair and golden eyes were impossible to miss.

Even as a little girl, she was unmistakably Aemeath.

As for the black-haired figure...

"Aemeath, did