Chapter 99. Major Discovery
Black Aila looked at Alhaitham with faint surprise, clearly not expecting that the Scribe, who had still been assisting the Great Sage at noon, would now come to her Young Master seeking the truth behind everything unfolding in Sumeru.
Aila was equally surprised. She had not expected that even Alhaitham had become one of the so-called "rebels."
Still, the development was not entirely unexpected. Whether it was Tighnari or Faruzan, once they understood what was truly happening in Sumeru, both had immediately chosen to stand on Futsu Mitama's side.
However, Alhaitham was different. He had always carried himself with an upright and rational demeanor. Yet in less than half a day, he had quietly sought out the Young Master in pursuit of the truth.
To be honest, Black Aila's first instinct was that he might be an undercover agent.
"Why?" Aila asked, voicing the same suspicion Black Aila held.
Alhaitham was not surprised by the questioning. Had they accepted him without hesitation, he would have found that even more suspicious.
"Because Azar and the other Sages have lost themselves," Alhaitham answered calmly. "I can tell they have become completely immersed in that so-called experiment."
"They've been blinded by their pursuit of knowledge and truth, believing everything they do is justified. But from my perspective, their path has long since strayed from its original purpose. Sages consumed by knowledge will only lead Sumeru toward destruction."
At this point, Alhaitham looked directly at Futsu Mitama.
"So I want to know the truth. What exactly is the God Creation Project? What happened to Lesser Lord Kusanali? And what are the Fatui truly planning?"
Alhaitham was an intelligent man. He knew perfectly well that Futsu Mitama's group possessed information beyond his reach.
In pursuit of the truth, he had willingly risked infiltrating the inn to meet them. Moreover, Alhaitham had a vague feeling that the information he possessed might also prove useful to Futsu Mitama and his companions.
That was precisely why he had come.
On one hand, to obtain information.
On the other, to provide it.
"Very well." Futsu Mitama nodded. "I'll try to believe you."
Alhaitham had risked exposing himself just to come here tonight.
Even if he truly were a spy, there would have been no need to proceed with such painstaking caution.
Futsu Mitama's perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. The moment Alhaitham entered his sensory range, he had already noticed him.
He had quietly watched Alhaitham spend nearly three or four hours traversing a distance that should have taken barely ten minutes.
If he were merely an undercover agent, such elaborate precautions would have been completely unnecessary.
"Thank you."
A trace of surprise flashed through Alhaitham's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected to earn Futsu Mitama's trust so easily.
Internally, he breathed a sigh of relief.
At the very least, it meant they could avoid a great deal of meaningless probing.
"As for the truth—"
Futsu Mitama looked at Alhaitham before slowly recounting everything.
He explained how he had been entrusted by an Archon to deliver Maha Rukkhadevata's inheritance to Lesser Lord Kusanali.
He spoke of how the Fatui had stolen the Electro Gnosis and brought it to Sumeru to carry out the God Creation Project, and how his own objective was to reclaim it.
He also revealed that the Akademiya was secretly conducting experiments within Sumeru City, causing countless citizens to grow increasingly weak, while those suffering from severe illnesses and Eleazar experienced rapidly worsening conditions before ultimately dying.
Futsu Mitama laid out every detail.
Only matters concerning the Chat Group and Nahida's escape remained undisclosed.
Everything else that could be shared, he told Alhaitham without reservation.
Alhaitham listened in silence.
Occasionally, he would ask a concise question before taking out a small notebook and recording something.
Black Aila quietly activated her authority to glance at the pages, and an unusual glimmer flickered across her eyes.
"What did you see?"
Aila asked curiously through their shared thoughts. She, too, wanted to know what Alhaitham was writing.
Unfortunately, from her position, she couldn't make out the contents, and unlike Black Aila, she lacked an authority suited for discreet observation.
"He wrote quite a lot."
Black Aila answered calmly through their mental link.
"I looked more closely. Most of it consists of notes summarizing the Young Master's words."
That surprised Aila.
In an odd way, Alhaitham reminded her of Kuki Shinobu.
Shinobu also had the habit of carrying a small notebook, frequently recording important information. If Alhaitham possessed a similar disposition, then perhaps he truly would become an exceptionally dependable ally.
After all, Aila knew better than anyone how reliable Kuki Shinobu was.
Aside from her comparatively modest combat ability, there was almost nothing she couldn't handle. The title of an all-purpose Kuki Shinobu was no exaggeration.
Now, Alhaitham seemed much the same.
Simply from the meticulous way he documented Futsu Mitama's explanations, it was obvious he was someone who paid close attention to detail.
And meticulous people were often the most dependable.
"I see." After a long silence, Alhaitham finally closed his notebook. "I think I understand the overall situation now."
He slowly exhaled.
Even though his expression remained composed, the revelations Futsu Mitama had shared had genuinely shaken him.
The information was simply too explosive.
It was enough to overturn everything Sumeru currently stood upon.
Originally, Alhaitham believed that even if the Akademiya's Sages had gone astray, there had to be limits.
For instance, preventing Futsu Mitama from meeting Lesser Lord Kusanali might have been motivated by reasons he simply didn't yet understand.
But now, he realized he had likely been gravely mistaken.
The Great Sages had not merely restricted Lesser Lord Kusanali.
They had imprisoned her.
What surprised him even more was learning that Futsu Mitama possessed Maha Rukkhadevata's inheritance.
Although reclaiming the Electro Gnosis remained his primary objective, he had also come to fulfill Maha Rukkhadevata's final request by passing that inheritance to Lesser Lord Kusanali.
When Futsu Mitama mentioned this, Alhaitham couldn't help asking where Maha Rukkhadevata was now.
Having grown up listening to countless legends about her, Alhaitham held immense respect for the former Dendro Archon.
Though rational by nature, he was also a sincere believer. He fully understood Maha Rukkhadevata's greatness.
As for Lesser Lord Kusanali—it could only be said that she had never truly been given the chance to accomplish anything.
Although Alhaitham respected every Archon, it was difficult for him to develop genuine admiration for one who, in the eyes of the public, had achieved nothing.
However, regarding Maha Rukkhadevata's whereabouts, Futsu Mitama merely replied that she had never truly left Sumeru.
Only her successor would be able to find her.
That answer left Alhaitham silent.
Because the successor of Maha Rukkhadevata was currently imprisoned by the Akademiya itself.
"What are you thinking?"
Futsu Mitama asked, studying Alhaitham with curiosity.
Both Aila and Black Aila also looked toward him.
His expression remained astonishingly calm, as though everything Futsu Mitama had revealed were merely ordinary facts.
"To be honest..." Alhaitham spoke expressionlessly. "I'm quite angry."
"I simply don't know how to describe what I'm feeling. Azar and the others have been completely consumed by their obsession with knowledge. They've become arrogant, self-important, and utterly lost within themselves."
Futsu Mitama offered no response.
After all, Cyno, Tighnari, and Faruzan had all expressed nearly identical sentiments.
What interested him far more was what Alhaitham intended to do now that he knew the truth.
"I have some information for you."
Alhaitham suddenly looked at Futsu Mitama with complete seriousness.
"I believe I've found a clue regarding the true location of the God Creation Project."
Those words immediately drew everyone's attention.
Futsu Mitama, Aila, and Black Aila all looked at him in surprise.
None of them had expected Alhaitham to possess information related to the God Creation Project. Wasn't he supposed to have been excluded from the Akademiya's inner circle?
Indeed, while Futsu Mitama had been explaining everything earlier, Black Aila had specifically asked whether he knew anything.
Alhaitham had honestly admitted that, having never entered the Akademiya's true center of power, he knew very little.
Yet now—
He was claiming to know where the God Creation Project was taking place.
"Really?"
Even Black Aila couldn't hide her surprise. If they truly learned the project's location, the initiative would immediately shift into their hands.
Whether they chose to strike preemptively or wait until Tighnari and Faruzan had completed their preparations before launching a coordinated assault under Nahida's command, either option would become far more viable.
"It is." Alhaitham nodded firmly. "I'm absolutely certain."
"About three months ago, I noticed that certain Scholars frequently moved around the Akademiya without wearing their Akasha Terminals. This wasn't an isolated occurrence. Even several Akademiya Sages would remove their Akasha Terminals during specific periods."
Aila frowned slightly.
"We already know that. They avoid wearing Akasha Terminals to prevent Nahida from monitoring them. They cannot be certain whether she can control the Akasha network, so whenever they're carrying out the God Creation Project, they deliberately disconnect themselves."
Indeed, Faruzan and Nahida had already provided them with that information.
At most, it only proved that the Akademiya had begun guarding against Nahida, the second Dendro Archon, over half a year ago.
"Are you saying..." Futsu Mitama narrowed his eyes. "The God Creation Project is being conducted inside the Akademiya itself?"
He immediately grasped the implication.
After all, the phenomenon Alhaitham described occurred exclusively within the Akademiya. If that were true...
Then the experiments were most likely being conducted there.
"Yes." Alhaitham nodded. "I'm about eighty percent certain."
"After our meeting today, I conducted a discreet investigation. Neither Azar nor the other key Scholars ever left the Akademiya. There are no large-scale research projects currently underway, nor any significant academic initiatives."
"Which leaves only one reasonable conclusion."
The reason he had risked coming here tonight was precisely because of that conclusion.
First, he wanted to uncover the truth behind everything happening in Sumeru. Second, if he got the information or even the truth, he wanted to deliver this information to Futsu Mitama.
"Inside the Akademiya..."
Black Aila frowned.
"I already investigated every accessible area. Aside from the Sanctuary of Surasthana, which remains beyond my reach, I found nothing. Even with the lingering protection left behind by Maha Rukkhadevata, it shouldn't have been enough to completely obstruct my authority."
While they had been inside the Akademiya, Black Aila had secretly explored its interior using her authority.
The result had been... nothing.
Although the residual divine power left behind by Maha Rukkhadevata was formidable, it ultimately belonged to a deceased Archon.
No matter how powerful those remnants were, they could not surpass the authority of a living Archon.
As one of the strongest beings beneath the level of an Archon, Black Aila possessed more than enough capability to investigate the Akademiya thoroughly.
Yet apart from the Sanctuary of Surasthana, she had discovered nothing unusual.
Aila, however, seemed to realize something.
"Perhaps..." She spoke thoughtfully. "The experiments really are inside the Akademiya."
"But are we certain we actually know how large the Akademiya truly is? It's just like when Young Master, Kuki Shinobu, and I explored those mines in Liyue."
"We thought it was an ordinary mining operation. But unexpectedly, we stumbled into the lair of a Primo Geovishap."
She didn't believe what they could currently observe represented the whole truth.
Just as their earlier expedition had revealed an enormous underground world hidden beneath an ordinary mine, the Akademiya might likewise conceal far more than appeared on the surface.
"It can't be above ground." Futsu Mitama slowly considered the possibility. "So that only leaves underground."
He looked toward Alhaitham.
"With the Akademiya's resources would it be possible for them to secretly excavate a passage leading to a hidden underground research facility?"
Alhaitham stroked his chin.
A thoughtful glimmer flashed across his eyes before he slowly nodded.
"It's entirely possible. If that's the case, it would also explain why so many Scholars and Sages have remained 'missing' all this time."
Over the past three months, numerous Scholars and several Sages had seemingly vanished from public view. According to the Great Sage, they had all been participating in an important academic project and therefore wouldn't appear for some time.
Back then, Alhaitham hadn't given the explanation much thought.
Now, however...
It seemed increasingly likely that those missing Scholars and Sages had never left the Akademiya at all. They had simply descended into the hidden depths beneath it to carry out the God Creation Project.
This was good news. If the location of the God Creation Project was roughly determined, then taking action would become much more convenient.
The information Alhaitham brought was very valuable.
As long as the location of the God Creation Project was roughly determined, the subsequent matters would be much easier to handle.
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