For Paimon’s food expenses and their future travel costs, Lumine stated that they couldn’t always rely on Qixuan, so she planned to take on more commissions.
Although freeloading was tempting, Qixuan said, “Alright, I’ll go with you after we eat.”
After breakfast… at the Adventurers’ Guild…
“Katheryne: To the stars and the abyss, welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild. We meet again, everyone.”
“Qixuan: (Hmm? Nahida?)”
“Katheryne: (Shhh~~)”
Qixuan understood instantly.
“Paimon: Katheryne, do you have any commissions suitable for us today?”
“Katheryne: Commissions, hmm… Let me think… How about this: please recite a love poem at the Akademiya’s academic report sharing session this afternoon.”
“Qixuan: Huh? I’m good at this! Listen to me…”
“Lumine: No, you’re not!”
“Paimon: Huh?”
“Katheryne: It would be best if you also used a Kamera to capture the audience’s reactions after the recitation.”
“Paimon: How can there be such a commission…?”
“Lumine: This is too embarrassing even for me, the Queen of Shenanigans.”
“Qixuan: I told you I could do it too.”
“Katheryne: Is that so… It seems this commission isn’t to your liking. Then… how about going to Port Ormos to persuade the local Eremites to do odd jobs at the children’s welfare institute?”
“Qixuan: physical persuasion? I’m good at that too!”
(Aichan: Hehe… What is the Captain thinking about all day long?)
“Lumine: ???”
“Paimon: …Uh, we’ll get beaten up, won’t we?”
“Katheryne: Not satisfied?”
“Paimon: …May I ask, who issued these commissions?”
“Katheryne: The client? Hmm… (Her tone suddenly changed) Actually, I just wanted to see you do these things.”
“Lumine: You… are Nahida?”
“Paimon: Qixuan-jie, did you find out again and not tell us?!”
“Qixuan: I was just testing your eyesight, hehe.”
“Nahida: Hehe, I was hoping you would actually accept the commissions. Such a good opportunity to 【observe humans】…”
“Qixuan: You went back?”
“Nahida: Yes, but don’t worry, I kept the 【me】 you left behind, and I can come out and see anytime.”
“Paimon: Hmm… What are you talking about? What ‘me’ and ‘you’? But when did Nahida start invading Katheryne’s consciousness?”
“Nahida: Hmm… From the phrase ‘To the stars and the abyss,’ perhaps?”
“Paimon: Alright… So, have you rested well, Nahida?”
“Nahida: Yes, ever since we parted ways last time, I’ve been asleep and had a very, very long dream.”
“Lumine: What did you dream about?”
“Nahida: It was also a dream about The Sabzeruz Festival, but this time it was a beautiful dream. In the dream, I was sitting in the center of a flowerbed, and everyone in Sumeru City held hands and danced in circles around me… Everyone looked very happy. I also dreamed that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata came to participate.”
“I got onto a giant float, and the Flower Knight lifted me very high, and I kept scattering Yalda Candies to the children…”
“Paimon: Nahida… Perhaps The Sabzeruz Festival should have been celebrated like in your dream, with people happily celebrating your birthday together…”
“Lumine: But reality is…”
“Qixuan: (Don’t worry, everyone will celebrate your birthday, and your mom will come too).”
“Nahida: Eh? I was clearly telling a very happy dream, so why do you all have such expressions? Could it be… this is 【sympathy】?”
“Qixuan: How pure.”
“Lumine: I’m purer.”
“Qixuan: I don’t believe it.”
“Paimon: You two! Nahida, don’t listen to their nonsense, but… sympathy just makes it sound even more pitiful. As long as Nahida herself doesn’t feel too sad, that’s good.”
“Paimon: Speaking of which, how is Dina doing now? Afterwards, the Humai family never allowed outsiders in or out, so we never had a chance to see her. Since she’s recovered, shouldn’t she go out and relax?”
“Nahida: Yes, I visited her after I woke up. She was resting then. Her family members were somewhat disbelieving when they heard her illness was cured, and it took them a long time to believe it. However… Eleazar, this 【Dead Zone】 on humans, can only be completely cured by finding a way to solve the problem of Irminsul’s decay. But recently, I’ve felt that the Dead Zones in Sumeru are gradually disappearing, which is a good thing.”
“For now, the priority is to figure out what the Sages are doing, or rather, what they are planning.”
“Paimon: Exactly, if there’s another 【cycle】, I can’t take it.”
“Nahida: Yes, investigating and stopping the Sages is the top priority. As for how to do it, let’s talk somewhere else; it’s not convenient here.”
“Paimon: You’re right. Excuse us, Adventurers~ We’ll be borrowing Miss Katheryne for a bit.”
“Qixuan: No need for that much trouble.”
Qixuan snapped her fingers, and everyone was teleported to a hidden corner.
“Lumine: Still very convenient.”
“Paimon: Then this spot is fine. Nahida, do you have any ideas?”
“Nahida: Actually, I’ve already made some attempts, but now I’d like to hear your thoughts first.”
“Lumine: Just grab a sage and ask him?”
“Qixuan: Breaking into the Akademiya is much easier than getting admitted to the Akademiya, right?”
“Paimon: ……”
“Nahida: No, that’s too risky.”
“Paimon: Lumine’s plan is better; Qixuan-jie’s… uh.”
“Nahida: While that method could work, it would involve ordinary citizens. If we do that, wouldn’t we be just like the Sages, disregarding the safety of the populace for our own goals?”
“Paimon: You’re right, as expected of a god.”
“Lumine: Then, Nahida, have you tried possessing key figures?”
“Nahida: I’ve already tried that method, but key figures within the Akademiya, including the tail end of the Thirty Member Group, deliberately don’t wear Akasha Terminals.”
“Qixuan: Simple. I’ll just use 【clones】. They won’t see them.”
“Nahida: Hmm… That’s a good, foolproof method.”
Qixuan sent two clones to infiltrate the Akademiya. Since no one was at the Akademiya, the two Qixuans searched for a while and finally found a booklet titled 【God-Making Project】. To avoid alerting anyone, Qixuan left a replica there and then disappeared.
“Qixuan: Found it. Come and see.”
Saying that, she took out the booklet.
“Paimon: This is?”
“Lumine: God-Making Project? God-making?!”
“Paimon: Can… can gods really be created by humans?”
“Nahida: I think… even if one is created, it might not necessarily be a god. However… what’s drawn here looks more like a huge machine, and one with great destructive power.”
“Paimon: Are the Sages planning to build this thing?”
“Nahida: Using dreams as energy… to power a new god.”
“Lumine: That’s too much.”
“Qixuan: Now that we know the Sages’ plan, does Nahida have any ideas?”
“Nahida: The machine’s location is still unknown; it’s not clearly marked here. So… we still need to get close to the Sages. I have a suggestion: start with the people closest to the Sages.”
“Paimon: You mean cultivate an 【inside man】? That’s certainly a method.”
“Nahida: Do you remember a female scholar named Setaria?”
“Paimon: Hmm… I remember! I recall now, she’s that follower who always trailed behind the Grand Sage of the Akademiya, right? After all, she’s an old acquaintance from the cycle.”
“And she always spoke to Miss Nilou in a haughty and fierce manner.”
“Nahida: Yes, Setaria is very special. She was born in the Desert area and is the top academic genius among the Desert people, which allowed her to exceptionally enter the Akademiya and stay by the sage’s side, becoming an assistant.”
“Paimon: She’s from the Desert? That is indeed quite special. I feel like most of the Desert people I’ve seen in Sumeru City are mercenaries or similar.”
“Nahida: Her name means 【star】, and in the Desert, she was like the brightest star in the night sky. Later, the sun chose her, and she came to the daytime sky as a star, reflecting the sun’s light. However, soon after, she saw the scorching sun burn the land, bringing many disasters.”
“The star began to hesitate. Rather than helping such a sun, it would be better to return to the night and light up a starry sky. But in the end… she was still too greedy for the light of day and chose to hide her shame deep inside… And so… the star closed her eyes.”
“Qixuan: Desert… There’s nothing wrong with her coming here, and nothing wrong with her being fond of this environment. After all, who doesn’t like a place with a good environment?”
“Lumine: Is that her true feeling?”
“Paimon: She’s just fond of the academic environment here… But she actually opposes the Akademiya’s methods, right? And she still feels indebted to her hometown in the Desert… She’s clearly just avoiding the problem.”
“Nahida: Indeed, but she is just a scholar. Human relationships are complex. Some people will turn a deaf ear and go with the flow until things become irreversible. Although she feels guilty, she has unknowingly become an 【accomplice】 of the Sages and cannot escape blame.”
“Lumine: She’s the one!”
“Nahida: Yes, we must find a way to make Setaria confront the problem again… This is also giving her a chance, and we can get the information we want.”
“From my past observations, she takes leave every ten days to leave the Akademiya alone and come to the city to do some shopping. Tomorrow happens to be her 【shopping day】, and that will be our opportunity. As preparation, let’s first go to a few places she frequents and talk to the people there.”
… … … … … …
Nahida led everyone to a fortune-telling stall.
“Nahida: This is the fortune-telling stall Setaria often visits.”
“Paimon: Are we going to ask her for information about Setaria?”
“Nahida: No, I already have enough information about Setaria. The most important thing now is for you to pay attention to the stall owner’s 【way of speaking】 and 【key information】.”
“Paimon: 【Way of speaking】 and 【key information】?”
“Lumine: Alright, Qixuan-jie, let’s go… Huh?”
Lumine turned her head and found that Qixuan was already chatting at the stall.
“Nabiya: This… big sister, do you want a fortune reading?”
“Qixuan: Is it accurate? If not, there will be a penalty.”
“Nabiya: ……”
“Lumine: Cough, cough.”
Nabiya suddenly became mystical.
“Nabiya: O lost lamb, the wisdom of the gods often graces my ears. If today you are favored by the gods, perhaps I can guide you.”
“Qixuan: If it’s not accurate, you’ll be kidnapped.”
“Nabiya: Eh?… (Scared).”
“Paimon: Alright, alright, Qixuan-jie, stop teasing him.”
“Nahida: Cough, cough… My friends here are a bit confused about their future. Could you give them a reading?”
“Nabiya: Phew… That… that scared me. Hehehe, alright… then…”
Suddenly, the cat next to her meowed.
“Nabiya: Oh dear, it seems Harut and Marut don’t like you very much. Have you done anything to offend the gods?”
“Qixuan: No, definitely not. It doesn’t even resist me, see?”
Qixuan reached out to pet the cats, and the two cats were very well-behaved.
“Nabiya: This… this.”
“Paimon: Hmm… Actually, maybe. Speaking ill of the God of Wind, calling the God of Geo nicknames, fighting with the God of Electro, do these count?”
“Nabiya: Hmm?”
“Nahida: Nothing, nothing… Lumine, choose a topic you want to have read first.”
“Lumine: Then let’s do love fortune.”
“Nabiya: No problem. Hmm… hmm, I hear it… Hmm, huh? Wh-what’s going on? Why so many? So many… I can’t count them all.”
Nabiya turned to scold the two cats. He said he had never seen such an outrageous result.
“Qixuan: It would be stranger if there was only one person or a few people. This is normal. You’re quite accurate.”
“Nabiya: Alright, alright… I admit I’m not in good form today, so I’ll make an exception and not charge you.”
“Nahida: Is that so? Then thank you.”
“Nabiya: Next time, bring some cat food for Harut and Marut. If they’re happy, maybe they’ll help you turn your luck around?”
“Qixuan: Then, what about my love fortune?”
“Nabiya: Alright, alright, let me… calculate… Hmm? What are those? Stars? No… those are… people destined to be with you?! The whole sky is full of shining stars? What’s going on today… why is everyone like this?”
“Qixuan: As expected of me.”
“Paimon: It seems Qixuan-jie is even more formidable than Lumine.”
“Lumine: There’s actually such a divine person. Whose subordinate is this?”
“Nahida: Hehe, thank you, boss. We’ll bring cat food next time.”
“Paimon: Goodbye! Nabiya.”
Everyone went to the next shop.
“Paimon: Does Setaria often come to this shop?”
“Nahida: Yes, when Setaria first came to Sumeru City, she received a lot of care from the shop owner Akim’s father, so she often comes to visit when she has time. Pay attention to my tone of voice later.”
“Akim: Oh, everyone, looking for some pottery?”
“Katheryne: I heard your craftsmanship is excellent, so we specially came to have a look.”
“Akim: Oh~ I know you, aren’t you Miss Katheryne from the Adventurers’ Guild? This is a big business coming to me.”
“Katheryne: Speaking of which, where did you learn your craftsmanship?”
Akim was silent for a moment, then finally spoke with some embarrassment… The result was shocking.