Devantaka Mountain.
For some reason, Aether felt a faint sense of unease stirring in his heart.
The Electro Abyss Herald was busy trying to restore the Chaos Core's power. As Aether watched the Herald scurry back and forth, his thoughts had already drifted far away.
If my calculations are correct, Lumine should have arrived in Sumeru by now.
It seems it's time to leave.
It wasn't that Aether didn't want to see his sister; he just didn't know how to face her. That was why he subconsciously avoided any place she might appear.
He had initially assumed his unease stemmed from the possibility that Lumine had discovered his whereabouts. Yet, even after resolving to leave, the feeling didn't subside. In fact, it grew even stronger.
If there's anything in this world I still care about, it's my sister.
Could something have happened to his sister?
"Your Highness."
Aether slowly returned to the present, his gaze falling upon the Electro Abyss Herald bowing respectfully before him.
"How is the Chaos Core? Is it still usable?"
"No problem, Your Highness. The Chaos Core was merely sealed."
"Just give us some time. It won't take long to break the seal."
Aether nodded at the Herald's report and fell silent.
"Your Highness?"
After a long pause without further instructions, the Electro Abyss Herald cautiously raised its head to glance at Aether's expression.
Aether snapped back to reality again, his calm eyes fixed on the Herald. "She has arrived in Sumeru, hasn't she?"
So, he's worried about the Princess.
Hearing the sudden gentleness in Aether's tone, the Electro Abyss Herald immediately understood who he was asking about and replied swiftly.
"The Traveler arrived in Sumeru about half a month ago. She should be active around Sumeru City now."
"By the way, Sumeru has already issued a wanted poster for her. The charges are illegal infiltration of the Akademiya and attempted kidnapping of the Grand Sage."
Wanted again?
Aether was speechless. Thinking back, it seemed Lumine collected wanted posters in every nation she visited.
Once or twice might be a coincidence, but for it to happen in every nation... He suspected his sister was actively seeking thrills.
But was that the source of his intense unease?
He quickly dismissed the thought. After all, he hadn't felt this level of anxiety even when Lumine confronted the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial, or faced the Raiden Shogun, Baalzebul. This time, it felt like she was facing an unprecedented level of trouble.
Should I go see her?
Aether hesitated. He had resolved not to meet Lumine again until his mission was complete. Breaking his own principles like this wasn't a good idea.
But she was his only sister. If something truly terrible happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
The Electro Abyss Herald noticed Aether's hesitation. After a moment's thought, it spoke.
"Your Highness, that fellow Enjou has been obsessed with settling the score ever since his last defeat at the Traveler's hands. Shall we inform him that the Traveler is in Sumeru City?"
Aether seemed tempted by the suggestion.
"Do it. And tell Enjou that if he disgraces the Abyss Order again, he needn't bother showing his face to me."
"I'm going to Fontaine to investigate. There's been quite a stir there recently."
"Once you've finished your business here, come find me in Fontaine."
With that, Aether cast aside his remaining doubts, opened a spatial rift, and stepped through.
As soon as Aether's figure vanished, the Electro Abyss Herald straightened up. Without a moment's delay, it immediately contacted Enjou.
-
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"What?! 'Unconvinced'? Who said I'm unconvinced? I'm completely convinced!"
"An order from the Prince?"
"Don't come back until you've settled the score?"
Enjou's mind went blank.
Wait, is His Highness trying to kick me out of the Abyss Order?!
Don't you, as her older brother, know how terrifying your sister is?
Is there any outcome for me other than utter humiliation?
"Hold on, is this really the Prince's order? You're not just messing with me, are you?"
"Hey, hey, don't hang up!"
"Damn it!"
Enjou felt like crying but had no tears left. Last time, he'd barely managed to beg Lumine to spare him; otherwise, he would have been beaten to death.
And now they wanted him to go back for more?
I, Enjou, am seriously going to cry.
Worst case, I'll just defect to the Traveler. One's the brother, the other's the sister—what's the difference who I work for?
With his escape plan settled, Enjou quickly packed all his belongings and hurried through a spatial portal to Sumeru.
-
Considering Lumine's poor condition, Alhaitham and Cyno patiently waited another day.
Although Lumine repeatedly insisted she had just been groggy from waking up, Alhaitham and Cyno weren't convinced.
If she had merely been half-asleep, her morning temper was far too intense.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the three of them stealthily approached the walls of Sumeru City.
"I've already scouted the area," Cyno said, leading the way and explaining what he'd learned. "The Homayani family is being held in a separate location from the other three, but we don't need to worry about their safety for now."
"The Homayanis are a prominent family with considerable influence."
"While they opposed the Akademiya, their crime isn't severe enough for a harsh sentence. At most, they'll be exiled to the desert."
"We can resolve this before they're sent away."
Lumine nodded, relieved to hear that the Homayani family's lives weren't in danger.
After she and Ann had been severely injured, the Homayanis had taken them in. If anything happened to them, she would live with the guilt for the rest of her life.
"As for Dr. Edward, there's been no movement. I didn't dare investigate too deeply for fear of exposing myself," Cyno continued.
"However, the Resistance has seized this opportunity. They've incited a large crowd to protest outside the Akademiya and are apparently planning to storm the building to rescue Dr. Edward."
Hearing this, Alhaitham spoke up. "It's pointless. With their strength, trying to break into the Akademiya to save someone is nothing but a fool's dream."
Neither Lumine nor Cyno refuted Alhaitham's assessment; they secretly agreed.
"Still, their actions have given us an advantage," Cyno added. "I blended in with them yesterday under a disguise to gather this intel. With them drawing attention, our own operation should go much more smoothly."
"We're here. Let's enter the city through this spot."
Cyno stopped in front of a dog hole in the wall and turned to Lumine and Alhaitham. "Make sure to conceal your identities."
Lumine nodded and put on a half-mask and a face mask. There's no way anyone can recognize me like this, she thought.
With her disguise in place, Lumine swiftly crawled through the dog hole and into Sumeru City.
The dog hole was a bit small, and Lumine's clothes got dirty as she squeezed through. She'd tried her best to make herself smaller, but it was unavoidable.
As Lumine was brushing the dust off her clothes, she heard a noise beside her. She turned to look and saw Alhaitham and Cyno vaulting over the wall.
Lumine: "..."
Seeing this, Lumine almost lost her composure.
Weren't we supposed to crawl through the dog hole?
My spirit is broken!
Lumine shot Cyno a look filled with utter resentment. Cyno, puzzled by her glare, quickly dismissed it.
"According to the plan, let's first try to contact Lesser Lord Kusanali," Cyno said.
He and Alhaitham had only recently learned about Nahida's situation from Lumine. If they could secure her help, their chances of success would be much higher. If they were exposed, they could at least push Nahida forward to stall Dottore before he made his move.
Nahida: ...
Soon, the three of them found Katheryne at the Adventurer's Guild and began observing her from a hidden spot.
Nahida: ...
"You can come out now."
Hearing that tone of voice, Lumine was almost certain the person before them was Nahida herself.
"Are you Lesser Lord Kusanali?" Cyno asked.
Nahida nodded lightly. "Yes."
"Currently, my consciousness is possessing Katheryne. I'm using her body to speak with you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alhaitham, Cyno."
After saying this, Nahida turned her attention to Lumine, quickly reassuring her that she was fine and that Lumine shouldn't worry anymore.
Nahida then recounted what had happened earlier.
When Lumine heard that it wasn't Nahida who had stalled Dottore, but rather that Dottore had simply chosen not to act, she was stunned.
Dottore willingly let her go?
Meanwhile, Alhaitham and Cyno were still reeling from the surreal experience of finding Sumeru's Dendro Archon. After all, the Dendro Archon hadn't been heard from in five hundred years. The people of Sumeru had grown accustomed to living without their Archon—except, of course, for some desert dwellers who, due to their harsh lives, constantly clamored for the return of Deshret.
After exchanging some information, Nahida warned Lumine again.
"Even Dottore noticed something was amiss this time. There's almost certainly something wrong with Dr. Edward. Traveler, you must be extremely careful."
As Nahida spoke, she couldn't help but recall the time she'd taken the blame for him. A wave of helplessness washed over her; she knew that even if she tried to explain, few would believe her.
Lumine took Nahida's warning to heart, remaining vigilant, but she still leaned toward believing Dr. Edward was a good person.
Afterward, Alhaitham and Cyno explained their plan to Nahida.
Having listened to their audacious proposal, Nahida nodded.
"It is indeed a good plan."
"May I see the Divine Knowledge Capsule?"
At Nahida's request, Alhaitham hesitated for a moment before retrieving the capsule and handing it to her.
Nahida examined the Divine Knowledge Capsule, then addressed the group.
"You've already calibrated it exceptionally well. Even I have nothing to add."
"However, the biggest problem is that there's no guarantee Great Sage Azar will actually use the Divine Knowledge Capsule."
"Although Azar has offered a substantial bounty, I don't believe he's seeking it for his own use. He likely has other plans for it."
Upon hearing Nahida's words, Alhaitham immediately furrowed his brow.
He had originally assumed that a self-serving individual like Great Sage Azar would undoubtedly use the Divine Knowledge Capsule for himself upon obtaining it. However, he had overlooked one crucial detail: they still didn't know the specifics of the collaboration between the Akademiya and Dottore.
If Nahida was right, their entire plan might be fundamentally flawed.
"Furthermore," Nahida continued, "the Divine Knowledge Capsule has severe side effects for ordinary people. The average person's mental fortitude simply can't withstand it."
"Even if Azar has some method to mitigate these risks, I doubt he would dare to be the first to test it himself."
Nahida's analysis cast an even heavier gloom over the group.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Nahida spoke again. "Of course, this is all just my speculation. And given how much Azar values the Divine Knowledge Capsule, even if he doesn't use it himself, he'll surely apply it to some critical research."
She handed the Divine Knowledge Capsule to Alhaitham and continued,
"Please, continue with your plan. There's only so much I can do, but I will do my best to help wherever I'm needed."
"We do indeed need your help, Lesser Lord Kusanali."
Upon hearing Nahida's words, Cyno recomposed himself and quickly spoke.
"If possible, Lesser Lord Kusanali, could you stir up the emotions of the people outside the Akademiya? That would draw the Akademiya's attention and create an opening for us to act."
"Then, when chaos erupts within the Akademiya, we hope you can have everyone evacuate the area immediately to prevent unnecessary casualties."
After listening to Cyno, Nahida nodded in immediate agreement.
Unnoticed by anyone present, the moment Alhaitham produced the Divine Knowledge Capsule, Lumine's eyes locked onto it instantly.
An intense craving surged within Lumine—a feeling difficult to describe, as if the Divine Knowledge Capsule contained a missing piece of her very being. It was a primal, instinctual yearning.
Lumine subconsciously reached for the Divine Knowledge Capsule, but she quickly retracted her hand, clenching her fist as reason regained control.
The Divine Knowledge Capsule was now a crucial part of their plan. If anything happened to it while in her care, all subsequent plans would be impossible to execute.
Only after seeing Alhaitham safely store the Divine Knowledge Capsule away again did Lumine's tense body finally relax. She was drenched in sweat, as if she had just fought a fierce battle.
"Traveler, are you alright?"
Hearing the concerned question, Lumine looked up to find that the other three had all turned their gazes to her. Nahida's eyes, in particular, were filled with deep worry.
Lumine forced a smile and shook her head, unsure how to explain. Even she didn't know what had just happened to her.
Just then, the space before them began to distort. A young man stepped out from a spatial rift.
"The coordinates should be right here... right?"
The moment the young man's eyes met Lumine's, they both froze, staring at each other in utter shock.