Lucian crouched down and said gently, "Little friends, was this something a man in red clothes just taught you?"
The little girl in white clothes nodded. "Yes!"
"That uncle said he was a playwright, and this is a script he recently wrote about the Saintess."
"So he wanted us to rehearse it a bit."
Lucian nodded slightly. "Then do you know where he went?"
Both little girls shook their heads. "No, after watching our rehearsal, he left directly. We don't know where he went either."
"But... he went in that direction."
The little girl pointed to the east, which seemed to be toward even deeper areas.
Zani also crouched down. "Excuse me, have you two been here all along?"
"Have you seen anyone from the Fisalia Family around here?"
These two little girls were also dressed exquisitely, and it looked like they were well taken care of.
They were probably members of some family too, and perhaps they could recognize the attire of the Fisalia Family.
The little girl in red clothes nodded slightly. "Mm, we've been here these past few days."
"We did see someone from the Fisalia Family wandering around nearby."
"His clothes had the Fisalia Family crest on them."
"But he looked a bit sneaky. He wouldn't be planning to do something bad, would he!"
"Our elders told us that the Fisalia Family doesn't have a very good reputation, and to steer clear of them..."
Zani patted the two little girls' heads. "Thank you, you've helped us a lot."
The little girl said happily, "No problem. The sun is about to set, so we'll head home first."
"By the way, can we use that big brother's lines? They sound really good!"
Lucian smiled. "Of course, no problem. Consider it a return favor for helping us."
After thanking them, the little girls bounced away.
Rover pondered for a moment. "It seems Gilberto should be around the Whisperwind Haven area. I wonder what scheme he's up to..."
Lucian suggested, "In that case, let's continue splitting up to act."
"Phoebe and I will go look for those Echo friends she mentioned. You all search the vicinity for clues related to Gilberto."
Rover nodded slightly. "Alright. Phoebe's Echo friends should also be connected to the Echoes going out of control and missing around here."
The group split up again. Lucian pinched Phoebe's little cheek. "Alright, where do you plan to go look?"
Phoebe's face turned slightly red, and she said shyly, "The missing Echo is called Spotty."
"It has two Echo friends named Rabby and Beni."
"I know the places they often appear. How about we go check there!"
By now, the sky had darkened, and nightfall had covered Whisperwind Haven.
Anxiety showed on Phoebe's little face, and her steps were a bit hurried.
Lucian patted Phoebe's snowy shoulder. "How about you tell me the story about your Echo friends while we walk?"
Upon hearing this, Phoebe calmed down, her eyes filled with reminiscence. "Mm..."
"When I was little, I liked going to Whisperwind Haven the most to find my friends."
"We would lie together on the flower-covered hillside and watch the clouds."
"Listening to Tytir play beautiful organ tunes, while Rabby and Beni wove all sorts of flower crowns, making even the running wind carry the scent of laurel."
"But now..."
As she spoke, Phoebe showed a hint of sadness, but after glancing at Lucian quietly listening to her story by her side, she quickly rallied herself.
Lucian had said that they were now in the same boat and could speak freely.
"...Now I go secretly."
"As a member of the clergy, one shouldn't hold emotions toward Echoes."
"But they are my important friends, and that will never change."
"So I will earnestly fulfill my duties as a priest while not abandoning this bond."
"This is the Sentinel's test, and also my own trial."
Lucian saw the determination in Phoebe's expression.
These words were enough to prove Phoebe's devotion to the Sentinel, as well as her fondness for Echoes.
After hesitating for a moment, Lucian said, "Actually, the Sentinel might like Echoes too."
Phoebe turned her head in a daze. "Eh?"
"But... why does the doctrine not allow priests to get too close to Echoes..."
Lucian said softly, "You've said it yourself—Echoes are the Sentinel's blessings."
"If the Sentinel didn't like Echoes, why would they bestow Echoes upon the people of Rinascita?"
"If the Sentinel didn't like Carnevale, why would they descend the Laureate?"
Phoebe fell silent. Earlier, in the cathedral, seeing the High Priest's behavior had already shaken her faith in the Order.
Hearing Lucian's words now, she did feel that the Order's actions contradicted the Sentinel they professed to worship.
But she only kept this suspicion buried in her heart. After all, she had been immersed in the Order's doctrines since childhood.
The original impression of the Order couldn't be overturned with just a few words.
Lucian didn't voice his own views, but instead comforted her:
"I believe that no matter what the truth is, Miss Phoebe will make the right judgment."
Phoebe nodded gently and drew a bit closer to Lucian.
Looking up at Lucian's figure, Phoebe's heart grew even more resolute.
Arriving by the stream, the two indeed spotted two Echoes.
One Diggy Duggy, one Lottie Lost.
Phoebe hurried forward. "Rabby, Beni!"
"Have you seen Spotty?"
Both Rabby and Beni shook their heads apologetically.
Phoebe lowered her head in disappointment upon hearing this. "Spotty..."
Lucian walked up from behind and crouched down to ask Rabby and Beni.
"When was the last time you saw Spotty?"
After recalling for a moment, the Lottie Lost Beni gestured animatedly. "Lonely lonely lonely..."
Lucian pondered upon hearing this. "So, you haven't seen it since parting at noon today?"
"That timing matches pretty closely with when Gilberto escaped from the cathedral..."
Phoebe looked at Lucian in surprise. "Mr. Lucian, so you can communicate with Echoes too?"
Lucian chuckled. "Naturally. I am the God of Universal Love, and my fondness for Echoes is part of that universal love!"
"You might not know, but in Jinzhou, I have an entire army of Echoes!"
"But from what you said, you can communicate with Echoes too?"
Phoebe's face turned slightly red. She hadn't expected Mr. Lucian to be able to communicate with Echoes as well.
It seemed Mr. Lucian was someone who liked Echoes very much too...
"Mm, originally I already felt an inexplicable closeness to Echoes, and after gaining the ability to resonate, it became even more so."
"After that, I could converse with the Echoes without any barriers."
As they spoke, the two suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps, but the sound was very light, not something a human could make.
The two looked toward the source of the sound, only to see a Hocus Pocus rushing out hurriedly from the other side...
Phoebe's face lit up with joy upon seeing it. "...Spotty!"
However, the Hocus Pocus named Spotty didn't stop its footsteps, as if something terrifying was chasing it from behind...