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“My name was Orthus.” Seletina said, not uttering a word more.

This was the first time she’d spoken her past name. After saying it, Seletina was gripped by a strange sensation. She had no intentions of going back to living as Orthus.

After being reborn as the daughter of the Aldelight, Seletina had decided to keep living her life as Seletina, rather than Orthus. The difference might have seemed trivial, but it was crucial. She could have definitely stuck to living as her past self. After all, that too had been one of the lives she’d led.

However, now as a woman, Seletina had been brought up by her parents as a noble lady. She had been forced to live as Seletina, learning how to wear skirts and behave as a woman in the process.

It wasn’t as if she’d been a proper lady from the start. When she walked, she’d do so in a large strides and when she sat down, she’d spread her legs wide. When she spoke, a brave tone would follow, so she’d had to learn to naturally use honorifics on a regular basis.

All of these had been thoroughly beaten into her by her mother, Melia. Seletina had accepted being Seletina. It wasn’t neither Melia’s wish, nor anyone else’s, it was something she, herself, had chosen. Her own way.

She had ditched her boots and chosen to walk her path in high heels.

It was also important to note that Orthus had never been feminine in the first place. He liked women, he’d never worn a skirt, and he had lived with very normal views and values for the world.

However, after the vessel known as Orthus had shattered, the soul had transferred into the vessel known as Seletina. And a soul could be dyed in any color.

As such, it chose Seletina. It chose Seletina to be its vessel. As such, Seletina felt strange referring to herself as Orthus. A strange sensation filled the entire vessel, and for a moment, she didn’t know if what she was saying was right.

Although in her mind she knew that she had been Orthus, saying it aloud wasn’t the same. However, that didn’t change the fact that Seletina had been Orthus and that she had been Imitia’s friend.

Seletina looked back on her words and then looked at Imitia with a powerful gaze.

Imitia, on the other hand, “You, what did you just say?” Had an air of caution when she asked that.

The gray hair on her head was slightly bristled, and her orange eyes’ pupils were dilated. Seletina could also hear a faint growling escaping from behind her clenched teeth.

(Well I guess that was to be expected.)

Yet Seletina was not distraught. That was because she had expected something like this.

Imitia was a kind woman. She was friendly, compassionate, and single-minded. One male trait she carried about her was her unwillingness to let anyone make fun of her deceased friend.

After all, who would believe a ridiculous story about someone being reincarnated…

Seletina knew that, and it was also why she had to unravel the threads one by one, as carefully as possible.

“I am a reincarnate, bearing Orthus’ soul. ”
“Orthus’ soul? It’s still too early to be sleep talking you kno–”
“I believe the last time we met was some time before the Disaster. I think it was around 3 months before it.” Seletina spoke up, interrupting Imitia.

However, this forceful approach of hers slightly shook Imitia. Without giving Imitia any time to recover Seletina continued. She recalled her memories as vividly as she could and laid them out.

“You were extremely reluctant to leave the Kingdom at the time. You kept saying, ‘One more day, one more day.’ I recall that Woodback had to forcefully drag you onto the ship.”
“W-What are you–”

Imitia’s memories showed the same events. She’d been drunk and had thrown a tantrum because she wanted to stay by Orthus’ side.

There were no falsehoods in Seletina’s words. Seletina then continued, “That time I remember you brought me a bottle of my favorite southern wine as a souvenir. I was surprised that you’d remembered that I like that specific dry wine.”

Seletina’s words were all true.

“Y-You…”
“You used to say that you didn’t like the kingdom’s wine because all of them were sweet. I recall we struck up a conversation about wine at a bar in the capital, where we realized that we had the same taste in alcohol. Do you remember that place with the turtle sign?”

That too was true.

“Wa…”
“The pickles the owner had there were the absolute best. I remember you loved them as well. Don’t you remember the owner? He had like this huge brown beard, making him seem like a lion.”

The truth that Seletina spoke vividly appeared in Imitia’s mind as if it were yesterday.

“S-Stop…”
“Still I was surprised to see that you hadn’t changed at all. Back then I used to treat you like a child because I hadn’t seen that many Beastians, but I’m shocked to see that you haven’t changed at all in fourteen years. Beastians really age slow. You’re the only thing that has remained the same in this ever changing world.”
“Stop it!!!” Imitia yelled, interrupting Seletina.

Imitia didn’t understand.

She didn’t understand what she was looking at. She didn’t know what was real, she didn’t know what the girl before her was saying.

The memories Seletina was recalling were the same ones that Imitia had.

Imitia couldn’t comprehend.

Fiction and reality… Her doubts, and her desire to honestly accept Seletina’s words… Everything was stuck in Imitia’s chest forming a destructive vortex.

Her heartbeat quickened, she began to sweat, and her eyes couldn’t stop fidgeting.

(Now, now. Calm down, Imitia…) Imitia thought while holding her temple and exhaled, (Let’s first organize all of this.)

Imitia thought and closed herself in her thoughts, completely removing Seletina from the equation. Seletina, in turn, simply watched and waited.

(First, all of what this Seletina girl has said is true.) Imitia thought, starting with that.

Next she began to ponder where those memories had come from. Imitia believed the reincarnation thing was impossible. Anyone who had even the slightest knowledge in magic or spirits could say the same thing.

If something like it had really happened, then it must have been an act of God. Coming into contact and twisting the reason of the world was something that no amount of power could achieve.

This thought led Imitia to thinking that someone had implanted Seletina with Orthus’ memories. She could somehow make sense of that, but even that would require someone tremendously powerful.

She believed that even that witch would have trouble with it.

However, Imitia quickly realized that if only Orthus’ memories had been transplanted then it wouldn’t explain the swordsmanship and movements Seletina had shown during their defense of the gate.

(Is reincarnation really possible? There’s no way it is, but… Still…)

“……”

Seletina quietly waited for Imitia.

She softly looked at Imitia with her deep blue eyes, as if she were looking at an old friend. Imitia couldn’t help but be reminded of Orthus.

“AAAA! I don’t get it!!!” Imitia exploded.

Scratching her gray hair she screamed towards the floor.

After rummaging through her mind for a bit she just found it impossible to believe that
Seletina was, in fact, Orthus. Theoretically it was impossible, yet her heart rejected that.

Her heart screamed, it screamed that it wanted to believe Seletina’s words.

Imitia’s mind and heart began to diverge.

Imitia grabbed the propped up Elyutinias and threw it at Seletina.

“Come outside!” Imitia yelled, and Seletina looked at her with a slightly surprised face, but quickly agreed.
“If that is what you wish.”

Imitia would always say that whenever she and Orthus couldn’t come to a conclusion.

The loser would deem the winner to be right and buy them a round of drinks.

Imitia herself didn’t understand why she had ended up challenging Seletina to a match, however, for Seletina this was a truly nostalgic experience.