Cartethyia.
Or for the people of Ragunna, the name Fleurdelys was far more familiar.
She had once been the Order of the Deep's Saintess, and more importantly, the hero who had stepped forward to save everyone during the catastrophe that swept across Rinascita twenty years ago.
Phoebe had read about her in the Order of the Deep's archives and heard stories from bards, countless versions, each different from the last.
But in every single story, the Saintess was described as noble, beloved, and an exceptional student at the theological academy.
As a devout priest, Phoebe knew these tales by heart.
Tales like "Saintess Fleurdelys knocked a tacet discord out of the sky with a stone," "The Saintess tamed the weather," "The Saintess was the sun of Ragunna"—she had heard them countless times.
In her heart, the Saintess had long been an all-powerful figure.
But now...
she was meeting the Saintess who had fallen twenty years ago while protecting Ragunna?
How could this be?
Hadn't Saintess Cartethyia died fighting?
No, wait—hadn't she ascended into the sky with the Avinoleum Theological Seminary while resisting the Dark Tide?
Then why...?
Phoebe's mind was in a tangle, completely unable to make sense of it.
Her eyes were wide with disbelief, her tone full of incredulity: "Saintess, you didn't die? You're still alive?"
Cartethyia was momentarily taken aback. Faced with Phoebe's blunt question, she didn't know how to respond. She opened her mouth slightly, a flustered look in her eyes. "Well, I..."
"Saintess, why haven't you returned to Ragunna?"
"Everyone would be so happy to know you're still alive!"
Phoebe was overwhelmed with excitement. She moved closer to Cartethyia, her emotions running high.
This sudden enthusiasm was too much for Cartethyia, who had long grown accustomed to solitude. She shot a helpless look at Ray.
"Phoebe." Ray chuckled helplessly, shook his head, and stepped forward to gently pat Phoebe's shoulder. "Cartethyia is indeed that Saintess, but for certain reasons, she's lost many of her memories. So when you suddenly get so excited, it leaves her at a loss."
"Huh?" Phoebe realized she had overstepped. A flush of red spread across her pretty face. She quickly stepped back a few paces and hastened to apologize. "S-Sorry, I just got too excited. It's just that before, I'd only heard about the Saintess's legendary deeds from books and bards, so..."
She pressed her lips together, looking at Cartethyia apologetically and timidly. "Saintess, you're not upset with me, are you?"
Cartethyia watched Phoebe's adorable, flustered demeanor, sighed softly, and a gentle smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "Of course not. But am I really that famous now? Back when I was at the Order of the Deep, no one got this excited when they saw me."
"Mm, mm, mm!" Phoebe nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "The most popular opera in Ragunna right now is about you, Saintess!"
"Really?"
Cartethyia paused, then lowered her head in thought, her brow slightly furrowed. After a long moment, she still couldn't recall any events from her memory that could be adapted into such a compelling story.
Though she had lost many memories, specifically those related to her identity as "Fleurdelys" she still had some impression of her past experiences.
Were my experiences really dramatic enough to be turned into an opera?
If so, why don't I remember anything like that?
Could it be about what happened at the Carnival?
But no matter how you spin that, it hardly seems popular enough to be made into an opera.
Aside from the great battle twenty years ago, there's really nothing else worth mentioning.
Too bad I can't remember most of the details of that battle.
So, driven by curiosity, Cartethyia looked at Phoebe and asked softly, "Could you tell me what the opera is about?"
"Let me think..." Phoebe tilted her head, pondered for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "I remember a recent performance about the Saintess knocking a tacet discord circling above Ragunna out of the sky with a stone!"
Phoebe looked at Cartethyia with admiration, stars in her eyes. "You're so strong, Saintess! You just picked up a stone from the ground and took down a tacet discord in the sky! And with the bards' retelling and the actors' wonderful performance, the audience was completely captivated by the story!"
"Huh?"
Cartethyia was utterly confused.
Wait, what did she say?
She knocked a tacet discord hovering over Ragunna out of the sky with a stone?
When did that happen?
Why didn't she remember anything about it?
Hearing Phoebe's words, Ray felt something was off, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Cartethyia, whose expression was somewhat strange.
Cartethyia looked as if she had just heard a fairy tale, her brow furrowed tightly.
Yep, just as he thought.
He wasn't the only one who found it strange.
"So, did that actually happen?" Ray lowered his voice and asked quietly.
Cartethyia was momentarily taken aback, then turned to look at Ray, her face full of surprise as she shook her head gently. "I don't remember anything about that."
"Huh? How can that be?" Cartethyia's denial caught Phoebe off guard. "This is a classic opera that's been performed in Ragunna for over a decade. How could it be fake? Maybe you've forgotten, Saintess?"
Cartethyia's expression remained blank. She was about to shake her head in denial, but seeing Phoebe's devout and innocent look, she couldn't bear to shatter her expectations.
So, the young woman tilted her head slightly, a resigned yet subtle smile curving her lips, and spoke in a hesitant tone.
"Maybe... perhaps... I forgot?"
"Forgot?" Though Cartethyia's answer was cautious, Phoebe couldn't help but look puzzled. "How could that be?"
Cartethyia let out a soft sigh and slowly turned around, facing this upside-down, bizarre world. Her voice was somewhat ethereal. "I'm not sure, but the disaster twenty years ago made me forget many things."
Phoebe's shoulders trembled slightly. It suddenly struck her: this Saintess was actually much older than she was, yet now she looked about the same age.
Questions surged through her like a tide, overwhelming her earlier excitement and allowing reason to take hold once more. She looked around and asked tentatively, "Oh, by the way, is this... the Avinoleum Theological Seminary?"
"Mm, I think so." Cartethyia nodded slightly, a note of uncertainty in her voice. "If my memory isn't failing me."