Lumine struggled to open her eyes, her forehead drenched in sweat. She'd had another nightmare.
Nahida's face filled most of her vision, her eyes brimming with concern.
Seeing Lumine finally awake, Nahida backed away slightly.
"You're awake, Traveler."
"How are you feeling?"
Lumine shook her head. She felt the same as usual; it seemed Nahida's treatment hadn't worked either.
Even an Archon can't cure me... It looks like this really isn't Dr. Edward's fault after all.
Until now, after Nahida's warning, Lumine's only suspicion of Dr. Edward had been that he was deliberately prolonging her illness.
After all, Dr. Edward was such a brilliant physician, yet he couldn't solve a minor problem like her nightmares.
But now, it seemed Dr. Edward had truly done his best. Perhaps her other symptoms were all part of his treatment plan.
Lumine couldn't fathom what Dr. Edward could possibly gain by scheming against her. Her silence? Her poverty?
Besides, Dr. Edward had been taken away by the Akademiya. If he were truly hiding something, how could he have fallen into their hands?
Her thoughts began to wander, and Lumine quickly reined them in, only to notice an indescribably strange expression on Nahida's face.
A wave of anxiety washed over Lumine, and she hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Nahida finally snapped back to reality, shaking her head quickly to reassure Lumine.
"Although I couldn't completely solve your problem, I did manage to regulate your condition. The effects won't be as severe from now on."
Hearing this, Lumine's expression lit up with excitement.
Even if her illness wasn't fully cured, she was content with suffering less.
But what puzzled Lumine was that Nahida's face showed no relief. Instead, she looked deeply worried, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to.
After a long moment, Nahida finally spoke.
"Traveler..."
"Do you have any wishes right now?"
Lumine: "?"
A question mark slowly materialized over Lumine's head. She couldn't understand why Nahida would suddenly ask such a thing, and it gave her a very strange feeling.
Before Lumine could reply, Nahida continued, "If there's anything you'd like to eat, you can tell me too."
"As the Dendro Archon of Sumeru, I haven't properly hosted you yet."
Although Nahida's words sounded relatively normal, a chill ran down Lumine's spine.
For some reason, she heard an unsettling undertone in Nahida's words—as if she were being asked for her last words.
Could it be... I have a terminal illness?!
Lumine's pupils constricted abruptly. The mere thought made her body tremble slightly.
Just then, Cyno and Alhaitham approached together, their expressions grim.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, Traveler," Cyno began, "we've just gathered some intelligence in Sumeru City. News of Dr. Edward's arrest has spread completely."
"The crowd surrounding the Akademiya has grown even larger," Alhaitham added. "There have even been a few minor physical altercations, though they were quickly brought under control."
"They're demanding the Akademiya release Dr. Edward immediately, and their stance is extremely firm."
"It seems there are also members of the Resistance organization among the crowd, fanning the flames of public sentiment and escalating the conflict between the people and the Akademiya."
Upon hearing this, Lumine temporarily set aside her earlier worries and, along with Nahida, stared at the two men in surprise.
Dr. Edward's current reputation had far exceeded their expectations; he could effortlessly mobilize such a large crowd.
Consider this: the entire Resistance organization numbered just over a hundred people. Yet, without Dr. Edward even making a personal call to action, thousands had surrounded the Akademiya simply upon hearing of his arrest.
Even if the Resistance was secretly orchestrating things, Dr. Edward's reputation played the most crucial role. Without it, the Resistance couldn't have incited so many people to rally for him.
At this moment, despite her suspicions about Dr. Edward, Nahida couldn't suppress a pang of envy and longing.
Dr. Edward had so easily won the hearts of so many, while she, the Dendro Archon, had barely any followers.
Nahida couldn't help but imagine: if people knew she was being held under house arrest by the Sages within the Akademiya, would they also surround it and demand her release?
A captivating light flickered in Nahida's eyes, but it quickly dimmed. She knew such a thing would never happen.
"Lesser Lord Kusanali, we want to go to the scene and keep watch. We need to prevent the Akademiya from doing something desperate."
"After all, the Akademiya was behind that previous incident. Now, no one can guarantee they won't do something similar again."
Hearing their words, Nahida snapped back to reality. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickly said, "Alright, let's go immediately!"
Worried for the safety of the ordinary people surrounding the Akademiya, the four of them wasted no time and hurried toward the Akademiya's second...
"Release Dr. Edward!"
"Damn Sages! Dr. Edward is our only hope! Release him now!"
"I'm telling you right now, we're not leaving until you release Dr. Edward!"
"That's right! We won't leave until Dr. Edward is free!"
The Akademiya was now surrounded by a dense crowd, three layers deep. The people's faces were filled with fury.
When they heard that Dr. Edward had been taken by the Akademiya, they flocked to its gates like a maddened swarm, united in their condemnation. With various plagues rampant, most of them were currently healthy, but no one could guarantee what the future held.
If they were unfortunate enough to get infected, their only hope would be for Dr. Edward to find a cure.
That's why the moment they heard Dr. Edward had been taken by the Akademiya, they immediately swarmed its gates, surrounding the building so tightly that not even a drop of water could get through.
The Akademiya's main gates were now bolted shut, as if they were trying to hide like cowards in their shells.
The sheer number of people was overwhelming; the guards at the gate could never have dreamed that a single ordinary man could command such influence.
But today's situation clearly couldn't be resolved by simply shutting the gates and pretending not to see.
While most people still hesitated to confront the Akademiya directly, a small but determined minority had thrown all caution to the wind. They saw this as an opportunity to tear the Akademiya down a peg.
This group included members of the resistance organization, as well as the families and friends of those who had died in the previous incident.
Once they recovered from their grief, they quickly realized the truth behind the matter and now sought justice from the Akademiya for their lost loved ones.
"Great Sage A... Azar! Get out here and face your death!"
"Don't think you can hide like cowards behind closed doors! Your crimes are too numerous to count! Today is the day you pay the price!"
"If you don't get out here, we're breaking down the doors!"
"Get out here! The Akademiya must give us an explanation today!"
Screeeech—the great doors of the Akademiya finally swung open.
Several Matra, accompanied by mercenaries from the Corps of Thirty, marched out from within.
Everyone assumed the Akademiya was finally backing down, sending people to appease the crowd. They never imagined these forces had appeared under direct orders from Great Sage Azar himself.
When the Matra first saw the order, they thought Azar must have sent it by mistake. But as time passed with no clarification from the Great Sage's office, they understood his true intentions.
The Matra and the Corps of Thirty mercenaries formed two grim, imposing lines outside the Akademiya's gates. One of the Matra cleared his throat and, with arrogant disdain, bellowed at the surrounding crowd.
"By order of the Great Sage, disperse at once!"
"Anyone who remains will be charged with treason. Those who resist will be executed on the spot!"
The threat stunned the crowd. Many began to think of backing down.
They remembered the recent incident. Though no one knew what methods the Akademiya had employed, the crowd utterly disbelieved the official story. They were certain the Akademiya was responsible for those deaths.
Faced with the fresh memory of over ten thousand vengeful souls, few among them were willing to risk their lives. But not everyone was deterred.
"Don't be afraid! The Akademiya is just bluffing! They wouldn't dare attack us!"
"I'll go test them!"
"Don't! What if you don't come back?"
"Then I won't come back!"
"Wait! We'll go with you!"
A few individuals broke away from the crowd and marched straight toward the Matra and Corps of Thirty mercenaries guarding the Akademiya's gates. Acting on Great Sage Azar's orders, the Matra showed no mercy, moving to brutally suppress the "rebellion" with bloodshed.
The crowd froze as flashes of blood erupted before them. When they finally snapped out of their shock and realized the Akademiya was serious, the scene descended into utter chaos.
Wails and screams filled the air. Many were so terrified by the sight that their only thought was to flee.
Parchamdar Rukh Shah watched as the Matra struck down ordinary citizens, his eyes betraying his wavering resolve.
To everyone's surprise, amidst the panic, a small group defied the fleeing crowd and charged toward the Matra.
"Charge, brothers! Let's take these Akademiya bastards down!"
"They might dare to kill a few of us, but will they dare to kill dozens? Hundreds?!"
"Go on! Kill us all if you have the guts!"
"Aaaah—"
The Matra had never heard such a strange request before, and they were more than happy to oblige the charging group.
Against these powerless civilians, the Matra cut them down like reaping wheat.
This wasn't a battle; it was a slaughter.
As Parchamdar Rukh Shah witnessed the massacre, the struggle in his eyes intensified.
As the scent of blood spread, the crowd fled even faster, running as if their lives depended on it.
When the four of them arrived outside the Akademiya, they were met with a horrific scene: thousands fleeing in terror, and the ground before the main gate littered with corpses.
The sight sent a tremor through them all. Nahida's face twisted with confusion, sorrow, and rage. Even learning that the Akademiya planned to create a new god to replace her hadn't shaken her as deeply as this massacre.
Nahida didn't know if her centuries of actions had been right, or if she had been a worthy god. But she knew, with absolute certainty, that the Akademiya was wrong.
Snapping back to reality, Cyno drew his weapon. The plan they had discussed no longer mattered. All he wanted now was to save every single person still alive.
"Pay for your sins!"
A bolt of violet Electro energy shot through the crowd, crashing onto the platform outside the Akademiya's gate. A powerful aura erupted, saving two civilians just moments before the Matra could execute them.
"General Mahamatra Cyno!"
Upon seeing the familiar figure and feeling his familiar aura, the Matra's faces twisted in panic. In that instant, they recalled the terror of being under Cyno's command.
"Why are you here?! Weren't you sent to capture the Akademiya's traitor, Alhaitham?!"
"The Akasha's calculations about you were wrong... This is impossible!"
The Matra stared in disbelief, while Cyno's gaze pierced them with bone-chilling cold.
At that moment, the other three pushed through the crowd, ready to support Cyno at a moment's notice.
Just as Cyno was about to strike, someone else moved faster.
Parchamdar Rukh Shah spotted Lumine and the others rushing toward them from a distance. As if making a momentous decision, his eyes regained their calm.
Rukh Shah raised his hand and gave a signal. After a brief hesitation, the Corps of Thirty mercenaries pressed their weapons against the Matra's necks.
Their attention fixed entirely on Cyno, the Matra were completely oblivious to the Corps of Thirty mercenaries behind them. They froze, utterly dumbfounded by the cold steel pressed against their necks.
"Rukh Shah, what are you doing?!"
"I'm simply doing what I must," Parchamdar Rukh Shah replied calmly.
For now, the Akademiya held far greater power. They had already driven off or captured several waves of protesters. His current choice would almost certainly lead to retribution from the Akademiya later.
But in the end, Rukh Shah could no longer stand by and watch the Akademiya's actions. He chose to follow his conscience.
"Go and do what you must," Rukh Shah said to a slightly surprised Cyno. "I'll keep these men under control for you. You can decide their fate when you return."
At that moment, the four finally reunited. After casting a grateful glance at Rukh Shah, they charged into the Akademiya together.
Although they hadn't yet confirmed whether Great Sage Azar had used the Divine Knowledge Capsule, plans had to adapt to changing circumstances. If they didn't act now, Rukh Shah and the Corps of Thirty would undoubtedly face the Akademiya's wrath—a fate they couldn't bear to watch unfold.
Watching the four retreat, Parchamdar Rukh Shah sighed deeply. He didn't know if his choice would bring annihilation upon the Corps of Thirty, but it was too late for regrets.
Setting the matter aside for now, Rukh Shah directed the Corps of Thirty mercenaries to tend to the wounded survivors.