Chapter 98. Night Visit
After a lengthy discussion, no one was able to reach a definitive conclusion. In the end, they could only agree to adapt to whatever circumstances arose. At the very least, Nahida had been rescued, and with the dendro gnosis in her possession, imprisoning Dottore would no longer be a difficult task.
Defeating him was another matter entirely, but sealing him away for a period of time was certainly within her capabilities.
The next priority was for Nahida to investigate everything the Akademiya had done. Now that she possessed complete authority over the Akasha Terminal, the entirety of Sumeru lay within her field of observation.
If time permitted, Futsu Mitama was willing to follow Maha Rukkhadevata's proposal and resolve Sumeru's crisis through the gentlest means possible.
But if circumstances no longer allowed such patience, then he would have no choice but to prioritize the safety of his own people and strike first, eliminating Dottore and Scaramouche before they could complete the God Creation Project.
After concluding their discussion, Futsu Mitama's group prepared to return to Sumeru City.
As for Nahida, she remained outside with Albedo and Klee.
Klee eagerly wanted to take Nahida bomb fishing, and Nahida happily agreed, while Albedo accompanied the two of them in the role of a guardian.
With the Teleportation Scepter in Nahida's possession, they had little to fear. If they encountered any danger, they could retreat immediately or summon reinforcements at any time.
In truth, however, the likelihood of trouble was rather low. Even if Nahida was among the weaker Archons, she was still an Archon, and one who possessed her Gnosis.
Unless she encountered monsters on the level of Raiden Ei, Venti or Zhongli, it would be extraordinarily difficult for anyone to overwhelm her in a short amount of time.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama and the others returned to Sumeru City.
Now that their identities had already been exposed, there was no longer any point in concealing themselves.
Their return to the city was, in itself, a declaration.
It served as a warning to both the Fatui and the Akademiya while simultaneously drawing the attention of Dottore, Scaramouche, Signora, and the other Fatui Harbingers.
Dehya accompanied them back into the city as well. Having fought Signora face-to-face, it was only a matter of time before her identity became known.
When they arrived at Sumeru City's gates, the members of the Thirty merely looked at Futsu Mitama with unconcealed apprehension. None of them stepped forward to stop the group.
Evidently, word had already spread throughout the city.
No one dared to obstruct their path.
After entering Sumeru City, Futsu Mitama's group headed back to the inn, while Dehya hurried toward the Grand Bazaar to find Dunyarzad.
Too much had happened throughout the day, and everyone needed a chance to rest. Even so, Dehya couldn't help worrying about her young miss.
Although Nahida had assured her that she had been watching over Dunyarzad the entire time and that nothing had happened, Dehya's concern never lessened.
After all, suppressing Eleazar was not the same as curing it.
Dunyarzad's body remained extremely frail. If anything were to happen while Dehya, her sworn bodyguard, was absent— She would never forgive herself.
With that, Dehya parted ways with Futsu Mitama and the others.
Futsu Mitama's group returned to the inn Kuki Shinobu had reserved for them, and everyone finally settled down for a brief rest.
"So much happened today..."
The moment he entered his room, Futsu Mitama collapsed onto the soft bed with a weary sigh.
Today's events had unfolded one after another without pause. What he had never anticipated was that Signora would already be waiting in Sumeru even not fleeing. Judging from her preparations, she had known in advance that he and his companions were coming.
As a result, they had been exposed on their very first day in Sumeru before eventually confronting both Dottore and the Great Sage.
Then, by sheer coincidence, Nahida had been invited into the Chat Group, where her first sign-in reward turned out to be an unbelievably powerful artifact that allowed her to bring Albedo and Klee directly from Liyue to Sumeru.
Looking back on everything, it truly had been an exhausting day.
"Young Master... there's still something I don't understand."
Black Aila spoke quietly.
Like Aila, she had always shared the same room as Futsu Mitama. As his maids, they naturally remained at his side at all times.
As for sleeping, neither of them had any real need to lie down. They could sleep while standing if necessary, and if they wished to rest on the bed instead, there was more than enough room for all three of them.
"What is it?" Futsu Mitama turned toward Black Aila with curiosity. "Are you asking why we aren't taking the initiative to attack?"
Black Aila gave a slight nod.
"Yes, Young Master. I know Dottore very well. If he's deliberately stalling for time now, then his experiment must have reached a critical stage. If we launch our attack at this moment, we might be able to interrupt the God Creation Project completely."
"We could overthrow the Akademiya in one stroke, return Sumeru to Nahida, and fulfill Maha Rukkhadevata's request all at once."
In Black Aila's eyes, this was the perfect opportunity. She simply couldn't understand why everyone continued to hesitate.
The timing was almost ideal.
If she didn't genuinely believe that, she wouldn't have raised the same point twice.
Both she and Aila always placed Futsu Mitama above everything else.
Once he made a decision, they would obey without question. Only when they believed he had made an objectively unreasonable judgment would they attempt to persuade him otherwise.
"No."
Aila gently shook her head before looking directly at Black Aila.
"Even if the timing appears favorable, we still can't launch an attack. Because once fighting begins, the consequences will be enormous. We came here to solve problems—not create even greater ones."
"This is also a matter of relationships. Maha Rukkhadevata has helped both Young Master and me countless times through the Chat Group. She even entrusted Young Master with the Dendro Archon's inheritance. We can't allow that goodwill to end in tragedy."
"You've seen my memories. You shouldn't be unclear about any of this."
Aila looked at Black Aila with genuine confusion, as though asking why another version of herself could reach such a different conclusion.
"We're both the same person. So why don't you understand? You've seen my memories as well."
Black Aila met Aila's gaze without retreating.
"So you should understand Dottore better than anyone. If you've seen everything I've experienced, then you should know exactly how rare an opportunity this is."
"If we succeed...we'll no longer have to concern ourselves with Sumeru's affairs. We can simply leave this place and live the lives we want."
Aila fell silent.
She couldn't deny that the prospect was tempting.
Ever since arriving in Liyue, she had devoted herself entirely to train.
Black Aila's existence placed too much pressure on her.
She simply hadn't dared to relax.
Then, after Black Aila's matter was finally resolved, Futsu Mitama had immediately come to Sumeru at Maha Rukkhadevata's request.
Thinking back—
It really had been a long time since she had been able to enjoy an ordinary, peaceful life beside Young Master.
"Alright, alright."
Seeing that even Aila was beginning to waver, Futsu Mitama let out a helpless sigh. Looking at his two devoted maids, he smiled wryly.
"I know this looks like a perfect opportunity. But have either of you considered... that this might be exactly the opportunity Dottore wants us to see?"
Futsu Mitama had never lowered his guard around Dottore.
That man had committed far too many atrocities.
If Signora stood at the pinnacle of manipulation and political scheming, then Dottore occupied an entirely different level altogether.
Leaving everything else aside, sacrificing Fatui soldiers simply to create an opening to seize the Electro Gnosis was enough to demonstrate just how ruthless he truly was.
More frightening still—
He could even deceive himself.
Through Black Aila's memories, Futsu Mitama understood that every Slice represented a unique version of Dottore, each one exceptionally difficult to recreate.
Yet even so, Dottore discarded his own Slices without the slightest hesitation whenever it suited his goals.
The Dottore who had attempted to seize the Memory of Dust in Liyue was a perfect example.
After that Slice's death, Zhongli personally stated that "Dottore" should come to Liyue to serve his sentence. In response, Dottore calmly handed over one of his own Slices as compensation.
To this very day, that younger Dottore remained in Liyue, serving his punishment.
Precisely because he understood just how ruthless Dottore truly was, Futsu Mitama remained exceptionally cautious.
The more perfect the opportunity appeared—
The more convinced he became that it might actually be bait.
Perhaps Dottore was simply waiting for them to seize what looked like the perfect opening.
Since he couldn't determine whether it was a trap, the only prudent choice was patience. Besides, the advantage currently rested entirely with them.
Nahida possessed the dendro gnosis.
She held the highest authority over the Akasha Terminal.
As long as someone in Sumeru wore an Akasha Terminal, they would never escape her perception.
Even if those participating in the God Creation Project deliberately avoided wearing one during the operation itself—
Eventually, someone would have to sleep.
Sooner or later, one of them would wear an Akasha Terminal while resting. When that happened, information would inevitably begin flowing into Nahida's hands.
At that point, every move made by both the Fatui and the Akademiya would gradually be laid bare. Even assuming they were cautious enough to avoid wearing Akasha Terminals while sleeping—
Once Faruzan and Tighnari reunited and exchanged intelligence—
The two of them would undoubtedly begin gathering Scholars throughout Sumeru before marching upon Sumeru City to confront the Sages directly.
Once Nahida appeared before everyone—
Everything would naturally come to an end.
Waiting another day or two would not change the overall situation.
Black Aila fell silent after hearing Futsu Mitama's explanation. She, too, could no longer say with certainty whether Dottore had deliberately exposed this apparent weakness.
"So let's wait another day or two."
Lying comfortably on the bed, Futsu Mitama spoke at an unhurried pace.
"Besides, there really isn't much for us to do right now. With the Teleportation Scepter, Nahida can travel freely throughout Sumeru. As long as someone exists somewhere in Sumeru, and the Akasha Terminal can perceive them, she can reach that location."
"So everything from here onward is her responsibility. You could even consider it part of her training."
As he spoke, Futsu Mitama couldn't help feeling slightly envious.
The Teleportation Scepter truly was an enviable artifact.
As long as you had visited—or even merely seen—a location before, you could instantly travel there. Because of that, the next stage of events no longer required much involvement from him or his companions.
Coordinating with Faruzan and Tighnari was Nahida's responsibility as the Dendro Archon.
His own group's role was much simpler.
Remain within Sumeru City.
Deter Dottore and the Great Sage from making reckless moves.
Beyond that, they were free to eat, drink, and relax as they pleased.
After all, Dottore wouldn't dare make a move against them so lightly.
Black Aila nodded silently, offering no further objections.
Time passed quietly.
Minute by minute, the sky gradually darkened as night descended over Sumeru.
Not far outside the city, beside a peaceful river, two girls of similar age laughed as they enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content.
Unfortunately, the fish inhabiting the river couldn't share their happiness. None of them could understand why such an unprecedented calamity had suddenly descended upon them that day.
Meanwhile, back at the inn where Futsu Mitama's group was staying—
A figure clad entirely in black quietly approached the rooms occupied by Futsu Mitama and his companions.
Third floor... I'm certain of it.
The masked figure silently calculated.
The only problem is which room are they staying in?Should I search each room one by one or deliberately make some noise?
He hesitated.
Searching quietly would take longer.
Creating a disturbance would be faster, but it also risked attracting the attention of the Thirty, the Matra, and the Fatui.
Ever since Futsu Mitama's identity had been exposed, the entire area surrounding the inn had become heavily guarded.
Members of the Thirty stood watch nearby.
Fatui operatives blended into the streets.
Even several Matra continuously patrolled the vicinity.
Futsu Mitama was now receiving the highest level of attention in Sumeru. If anyone foolishly attempted to provoke him, the Thirty and the Matra would intervene immediately.
Even if they somehow failed to react—
The Fatui certainly would.
After all, if anything happened to Futsu Mitama—the Fatui would undoubtedly become the primary suspects.
To avoid such an absurd accusation falling upon them, they had no choice but to guard the area carefully.
It was protection. It was surveillance.
And it was precisely because of that overwhelming security that infiltrating this far had required an unimaginable amount of effort.
Every step had to be taken with extreme caution.
After weighing his options, the man in black decided to search room by room.
With Futsu Mitama's strength, simply standing outside the correct door would probably be enough for the occupants to notice his presence.
As long as they didn't kill him immediately everything else could be discussed.
Creak—
Just then, a nearby door slowly opened.
Aila stepped out into the corridor before calmly turning toward the stairway.
"Young Master already knows you're here. Come in."
After saying that, she simply turned around and walked back into the room.
The man in black paused briefly before silently following after her.
A moment later, he entered the room. He quietly closed the door behind him before removing the mask covering his face.
The visitor was none other than Alhaitham.
Looking toward Futsu Mitama with unconcealed surprise, he asked,
"You knew I was coming?"
To be honest, Alhaitham was genuinely astonished.
Not only had the other party anticipated his arrival... They hadn't even attempted to attack him.
After all, they had only met once.
And during that encounter— He had stood firmly on the Great Sage's side.
"I noticed you the moment you entered this inn." Futsu Mitama smiled faintly, looking at Alhaitham with a gentle tone, "Did you come to find me late at night for something?"
Alhaitham was silent for a moment, then looked at Futsu Mitama and said seriously, "I want to know what exactly is happening in Sumeru right now."
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