"At that moment, a beam of light pierced the clouds, and a voice resounded from the heavens, telling them—"
"'You may build your homes here, living like seabirds, dwelling across the waters, like stars in the night sky.'"
"'The land you inhabit, built only with wicker and wood, will surely withstand the ferocity of the waves with such fragile barriers.'"
"Thus, the exiles were drawn by that divine voice, and strangers formed a fleet, escorting one another."
"A gentle breeze always guided their course, filling their sails and leading them to where the storm subsided."
"After passing through the storm, the people saw that light rising from an unnamed island at the horizon—that was the light of the Resonance Nexus."
"It imparted the knowledge of Echoes to them, enabling the exiles to build their own city-state, and they named this land Rinascita."
"They built a sanctuary here, inscribing its teachings to commemorate the divine voice that guided them."
"And so, the divine voice revealed its true form in the light, and the believers learned the name of the god they loved—the Sentinel Imperator."
Phoebe smiled, "This is the most widely circulated origin legend among the people of Ragunna City, though the true origins of Rinascita remain hidden in lost corners of history, and the scholars of the Order have never ceased their efforts to trace its source."
Lucian nodded slightly, "I see…"
But even the most widely circulated origin legend could still have been altered or embellished.
"So who built the Resonance Nexus? The Sentinel?"
Phoebe pondered for a moment, "The Sentinel guided the people here and bestowed the blessing of Echoes through the Resonance Nexus."
"I suppose the Resonance Nexus was built by the Sentinel, wasn't it?"
Abby asked, "So, does that mean you can only meet the Sentinel by winning the Laureate at the Carnevale?"
Phoebe's beautiful eyes showed a hint of confusion, "You wish to meet the Sentinel?"
Lucian nodded slightly, "We heard that if you win the Laureate at the Carnevale, the Sentinel will send down a miracle, and the one who wears the Laureate can speak with Her."
Phoebe mused, "Yes, the Carnevale prompts the Sentinel to bestow the miracle of the Laureate, and those who wear it can hear Her voice."
"But the only one who has truly met the Sentinel is the current Leader of the Order, Lord Fenrico, the Enlightened One."
"He is also the only Enlightened One in history, able to directly connect with the Sentinel and receive Her divine oracles."
Lucian looked at the top of the Resonance Nexus, where the whale's tail fin gleamed under the light.
Back in Jinzhou, Jinhsi had said that Rinascita's Sentinel took the form of a pegasus, so what did this whale's tail represent?
And since entering the city, he hadn't seen any statues of Imperator, so he had no idea what She looked like…
But hearing Phoebe's words, he became even more convinced that the Order of the Deep was hiding something.
As a man who had clashed with Jue, Lucian knew what a Sentinel should be like.
Even if each Sentinel's personality and methods differed, they all shared one common trait: protecting and guiding the people of their region.
Yet the series of decrees issued by the Order of the Deep, along with the so-called 'pilgrimage' they witnessed on the island with the Beacon of Dawn…
Even without Brant's claims about Penitent's End, Lucian would still question the Order's actions.
The priests had their exclusive armed Echoes, the La Guardia … wasn't that blatant martial suppression?
It seemed the Order of the Deep couldn't tolerate dissenting voices…
Any hint of opposition would be labeled as a 'Fool' and sent off for 'pilgrimage.'
And this so-called Enlightened One…
If Imperator could deliver oracles directly to people like Jue did, why would She only share them with Fenrico to relay?
Could Imperator really be some socially anxious shut-in?
Lucian thought it unlikely. He even suspected Fenrico wasn't an Enlightened Oneat all.
Instead, he might be using that title to monopolize authority over Ragunna City.
Of course, these were just Lucian's speculations. Perhaps the Order of the Deep and Imperator had their own reasons?
Meanwhile, Rover said, "It sounds like a Resonator of the Sentinel?"
Phoebe nodded, "Exactly. Lord Fenrico is the Resonator of the Sentinel Imperator. In Rinascita, those who receive this honor are called Enlightened One."
"Lord Fenrico will appear on the day of the Carnevale to announce its opening."
"Until then, please continue to enjoy your time in Ragunna City."
"If you have any more questions, feel free to ask—answering the queries of guests from afar is also my duty as a priest."
Lucian raised his right hand, "I have a question."
Phoebe looked over, "Please, Mr. Lucian."
Lucian cleared his throat, then said sheepishly, "Miss Phoebe, I have sinned."
Phoebe's expression froze, and she tilted her head cutely, "Eh?"
Rover crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes into crescent shapes, curious to see what Lucian was up to now.
"It's like this. Since you watched the livestream, you should know I'm called the God of Universal Love."
"But in truth, I've never had any thoughts of universal love—that's not my true intention!"
Phoebe scratched her cheek with a delicate finger, "Is that so? Then what is Mr. Lucian's true intention?"
Lucian declared passionately, "Pure love!"
"Yes, compared to the God of Universal Love, I prefer the term pure love."
"What I didn't expect was that those cunning women, to get close to me, led me astray from the path of pure love."
"But I know there's one thing that can bring me back to the path I've always dreamed of!"
Phoebe's eyes widened curiously, "What… what is it?"
She hadn't expected Mr. Lucian to admit to the title of God of Universal Love and even denounce it so vehemently.
It seemed she had misunderstood Mr. Lucian. He didn't actually want ambiguous relationships with those women.
Instead, those women had proactively entangled themselves with him…
Lucian pointed at Phoebe's legs, "It's those pure white stockings!"
"Miss Phoebe, can you use the white stockings on your legs to cleanse my already tainted soul?"
Phoebe's thoughts froze, and she stood there stunned, "Huh?"
Phoebe's mind couldn't comprehend—what did pure love have to do with white stockings?
And could white stockings really cleanse a tainted soul?
Phoebe felt that hitting Lucian's head with her staff would be more effective than using stockings.
"Miss Phoebe, the white color carried by those stockings is a hue untainted by worldly matters."
"Their purity is not just a visual symbol but a sacred object embodying material divinity, cultural metaphor, and spiritual salvation!"
"Miss Phoebe, please use your white stockings to purify me!"
Phoebe covered her mouth, standing there dumbfounded, "This… this…"
Though she knew Lucian was spouting nonsense,
for some reason, Phoebe found herself conflicted.
This was entirely due to an effect Lucian had previously gained: it made it easier to request stockings from others.
Phoebe couldn't help but wonder—stockings were just socks, so how could they be a sacred object capable of purification?
But as a priest, facing Mr. Lucian's earnest request to purify him with her stockings, should she really refuse?
Phoebe's shapely legs tensed, and she instinctively rubbed them together, caught in a dilemma…