Where exactly had Noah gone? This was the question Carlotta had just been pondering.
Logically, after the performance ended, Noah should have come looking for her first.
Even if he didn't look for her, going to Brant and Roccia to handle the post-performance matters would be understandable.
Even sharing the joy with Phoebe would make sense.
But Noah wasn't at any of those places. He couldn't possibly have gone chasing after the Fractsidus, right?
With all sorts of doubts in her mind, at the edge of Ragunna City, the hurried Carlotta finally found Noah.
She slowed her steps, beginning to calm her slightly rapid breathing, pretending she was just casually "passing by" as she walked toward Noah.
Closer, even closer. It turned out he was sitting alone on a swing, talking to himself, saying something she couldn't quite hear.
Could he be rehearsing some private words that were inconvenient to say out loud?
The moist sea breeze blew aside Carlotta's hair strands. As if thinking of a certain possibility, the girl couldn't suppress the secret joy surging in her heart.
What kind of private words would be inconvenient to say out loud, even requiring solitary rehearsal? And who would those rehearsed words ultimately be said to?
Haha, so hard to guess. Was there anyone in Ragunna more suitable than her?
From the second day Noah arrived in Ragunna, she had been grinding his favorability, and after this Carnevale performance, the favorability she had grinded seemed to finally take effect.
As expected of her—with just a slight move, she reached heights other women couldn't achieve in a lifetime.
Finally, unable to hold back her curiosity, Carlotta stepped forward and lightly patted Noah's shoulder with a cheerful tone:
"Tall Chestnut, why are you here all alone?"
Carlotta smiled brightly, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Noah on the swing, pretending to ask casually:
"You just now... who were you talking to?"
"A woman I can see but you can't."
"Huh?!"
Carlotta's beautiful eyes widened uncontrollably, and an incredulous sentence burst out:
"What do you mean, a woman you can see but I can't!"
...
Montelli Quarter.
"Raise your glasses, shout, friends!"
Sitting on the sofa, Brant raised his favorite drink, Divine Droplet, and recited loudly:
"To us, to Carnevale, and to our Laureate—Noah!"
"Stop it, that's too exaggerated."
Having failed to find Phrolova, Noah glanced around awkwardly, seeing only members of the Troupe of Fools surrounding him.
Clearly, to celebrate claiming Carnevale's Laureate, the wealthy Montelli family had booked this entire open-air bar to host a banquet.
Roccia sipped her milk in small mouthfuls, rolled her eyes at Brant, and explained softly to Noah:
"Don't mind Brant looking the same as usual—he's already drunk."
Not far away, Carlotta held a microphone and declared boldly: "Everyone, drink freely—it's on me."
Troupe of Fools members: "Yay!"
"Ugh." Watching Carlotta put down the microphone and walk toward them through the crowd, Noah inexplicably recalled a saying.
Carlotta hosting a banquet—full of distinguished guests.
"I've already asked Phoebe to investigate."
Carlotta sat down on the single sofa beside Noah, her brilliant eyes fixed intently on him:
"All high-ranking priests appointed by the Order receive a new title. And that woman you mentioned—you can see her, but I can't."
For some reason, every time she recited "a woman you can see but I can't," she felt a green glow on her forehead.
Had she been cuckolded?
"The former Maiden of the Order, Fleurdelys—her original name before receiving the new title was Cartethyia. But she martyred herself ten years ago."
Saying this, Carlotta's face showed concern as she reached out to touch Noah's forehead:
"Tall Chestnut, did you get poisoned by the Fisalia Family's toxins? Is that why you're hallucinating such a person?"
"I'm perfectly fine, Little Potato."
Noah gently pushed away Carlotta's hand:
"By the way, speaking of Fisalia—any recent news about them?"
"Yes, brother, yes!"
Brant jumped in to answer:
"I just heard some news. The Fisalia family head will return to Ragunna tonight and hold a sword-drawing marriage contest tomorrow."
"It's said that whoever can pull the sword from the stone can marry the family head, gain vast Fisalia wealth, and reach the peak of life."
"But after so long, no one has ever pulled out that sword. It's probably just a scam with unknown purposes."
Sword-drawing marriage contest?
Hearing this term again, Noah couldn't help but frown.
Even now, he still didn't know why Cantarella had made such a decision.
As he pondered, his terminal vibrated slightly with a message. Noah took it out.
[Sebastian (Fisalia Butler): Esteemed Laureate, as you previously instructed, I must contact you upon the family head's return. Coincidentally, the family head also wishes to invite you to Porto-Veno Castle for a discussion...]
The message was long, but stripping away the polite formalities left only one core point: Cantarella invited him to Porto-Veno Castle tomorrow.
Noah nodded slightly, his fingers tapping quickly to transfer 50,000 Shell Credits as information reward to Sebastian, but the other party declined and returned it.
Carlotta personally poured a glass of fruit wine and placed it in front of Noah:
"Tall Chestnut, what are you looking at? So absorbed?"
"Nothing."
Noah took the fruit wine and sipped a little, shifting the topic:
"By the way, where's Phoebe? I haven't seen her."
"Right after the performance ended, Sister Phoebe was still with the troupe." Roccia answered in a soft, delicate voice:
"But not long ago, she seemed to receive some message and left hugging the flower she's been raising."
So that's how it was. Noah nodded.
He knew the reason behind Phoebe raising flowers: Fenrico had selected a group of young talents from the Order, giving each a flower pot and seeds.
He had originally planned to use Verina's ability to help Phoebe quickly grow the seeds, but Phoebe refused, so he didn't push.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since he'd seen Fenrico. He wondered how Fenrico was doing now.
The thought had just arisen when he saw a priest pass through the crowd, heading straight toward their seats without deviation.
Seeing a priest from the Order of the Deep, the festive atmosphere of the Troupe of Fools' banquet cooled noticeably. Countless gazes turned over, wanting to probe the Order's intentions.
They were all people sent by the Order onto pilgrimage ships—of course they held no goodwill toward the Order.
"Sorry to interrupt everyone's enjoyment."
The taciturn priest approached, bowing slightly to the group, finally facing Noah:
"Esteemed Laureate, His Eminence Fenrico hopes to invite you to the Cathedral of Mercury for a discussion."