After bidding farewell to Collei, Lumine, Dehya, and Nilou mounted their dragon and rose straight into the clouds. Before long, they arrived near Gandharva Ville.
Nilou and Lumine might not have recognized the route, but Dehya, one of the most renowned warriors of the Eremites, was intimately familiar with every region of Sumeru. Knowing the terrain was basic training for her kind.
Besides, there was no need to navigate on foot. From the sky, all it took was setting a direction and flying straight ahead.
With the dragon's speed, they reached their destination in just a few minutes.
They landed silently on the outskirts of Gandharva Ville. Lumine put her hands on her hips and looked around.
The environment was beautiful, lush, vibrant, and brimming with life. Considering the research focus of the Darshan of Spantamad, it really was an ideal place for study.
They didn't linger. The three immediately headed deeper into Gandharva Ville.
Before reaching the entrance, they spotted Tighnari standing not far away, staring absentmindedly beyond the gate.
They quickened their steps. Nilou called out first.
"Mr. Tighnari, we're here."
Tighnari snapped back to attention and swept his gaze across the three, lingering briefly on Lumine.
Lumine was just about to speak when she noticed Tighnari's subtle look. Understanding immediately, the three of them fell silent and followed him further inside Gandharva Ville.
Along the way, they passed quite a few scholars. Most merely glanced at them once before returning their attention to their research, as if nothing unusual were happening.
Before long, under Tighnari's guidance, they wound their way into a secluded room.
Tighnari finally relaxed and turned to them with a slightly apologetic expression.
"Sorry. There were too many people outside, I couldn't speak freely just now."
He then turned to Lumine and spoke softly.
"Nice to meet you, Traveler. I'm Tighnari, the Forest Ranger of Gandharva Ville. Inviting you here so abruptly is because we truly need your help."
"As for compensation, once everything is resolved, we'll make sure you're properly rewarded."
Lumine waved her hand, unconcerned about payment.
With Ningguang backing her, Mora was the last thing she lacked.
"We ran into Collei back at Gandharva Ville," Lumine said. "She asked us to come here and find you."
Dehya added the detail casually. Tighnari nodded.
"How is Gandharva Ville?"
"Collei's managing it very well. There are no issues there."
"I see…" Tighnari sighed with relief. "That's good to hear. Ever since her Eleazar was cured, she's been much more energetic, and she's been able to help me handle quite a few important matters."
As he spoke, his expression turned weary.
"Still, this isn't something Collei should have been involved in. We simply don't have enough people we can truly trust…"
Dehya handed over the two letters Collei had given her.
"One is Collei's report on Gandharva Ville."
"The other is from Cyno."
Tighnari frowned and opened Collei's letter first. After reading for a moment, his expression eased.
In the current situation, Collei keeping Gandharva Ville stable was genuinely the best news they could hope for.
As for the second letter,
A faint green glow flickered from Tighnari's Vision as he quietly stepped outside the room.
Perhaps worried they might misunderstand, he explained softly,
"I just notified Alhaitham. He's hiding within Gandharva Ville right now. What Cyno mentioned, we'll discuss it once Alhaitham arrives. It won't take long."
Lumine blinked and grinned.
"So this place belongs to the Akademiya, which makes this a classic case of hiding in plain sight?"
Tighnari chuckled and nodded.
"That's one way to put it. Gandharva Ville has always been under my mentor's supervision. At the very least, until something happens to him, this place is safe."
"Most of the scholars here are my juniors. With them helping to cover things up, it's relatively secure."
Lumine scratched her head, puzzled.
"Juniors? But a lot of them look pretty old…"
Tighnari shook his head.
"My mentor accepts students without regard for age or background, only academic ability."
"It may sound a bit boastful, but I did graduate earlier than most. Of course, that's excluding Senior Lisa."
"So calling them my juniors isn't inaccurate."
Just then, Paimon's voice suddenly rang out.
"Oooh… so you're a top student!"
Lumine turned to see Paimon floating nearby, having popped out of subspace at some point. She was rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep.
Lumine immediately shot her an annoyed look.
"You're awake, you lazy pig!"
"Hehe… eating well and sleeping well is the secret to staying young!"
Paimon perked up instantly, hands on her hips as she zipped around the room.
"So, so! What's the situation now? Are we fighting yet? Are we fighting the Doctor, or Azar?"
"We just arrived in Sumeru less than a day ago," Lumine snapped. "How could it be that fast?"
"Huh? Paimon only slept for that short a time? What a shame…"
Lumine rolled her eyes and ignored her.
Dehya rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"I noticed you were standing guard at the entrance earlier. Were you on alert for something?"
Tighnari's expression darkened as he nodded.
"The Fatui… have been probing around Gandharva Ville recently."
"The Fatui? The Doctor's people, right?"
Lumine pouted.
"Don't tell me that guy has already caught onto your plans?"
"Perhaps."
A calm, unfamiliar voice came from outside the door. A moment later, Alhaitham stepped inside.
"The Fatui aren't our immediate concern. Matters here fall under Tighnari's responsibility."
"Each of us does our part. The most important thing in solving problems is trusting your companions."
He nodded toward Lumine and the others.
"Nice to meet you, Traveler. I'm Alhaitham, scribe of the Akademiya. Or, more accurately now, a fugitive of the Akademiya."
"Dehya, Nilou, thank you for traveling to Liyue and bringing the Traveler back."
Dehya curled her lip slightly. She had never particularly liked Alhaitham.
She opened her mouth to reply,
"Dragging us into something this dangerous out of nowhere," Dehya said coldly, "but since Dunyarzad's Eleazar really has been cured, I won't ask for more compensation."
She stared at Alhaitham for a long moment before speaking again, her voice calm but edged with steel.
"When all of this is over, let me punch you once. That'll count as my payment."
Alhaitham showed no reaction to her hostility.
If he put himself in her shoes, being calculated into a dangerous plan without warning, he would have been irritated too.
"Let's skip the small talk," he said evenly. "What did Cyno mention in his letter?"
Tighnari handed the letter over. Alhaitham opened it and read through it carefully, then nodded.
"It aligns with what I expected."
"What did it say?" Lumine asked, curiosity written all over her face.
Alhaitham shook his head slightly.
"The Spantamad sage has been secretly detained by Azar and three other sages. The exact location is unknown, but judging by the circumstances, they're not in immediate danger. Azar hasn't lost his mind to the point of openly executing a fellow sage."
Tighnari let out a sigh.
"As expected… Knowing my mentor's personality, I knew he'd run straight into resistance."
"That's actually good news, isn't it?" Nilou murmured, scratching her cheek.
"If the Spantamad sage wasn't detained, that would mean he'd sided with Azar."
"Then when everything settles, holding people accountable would become far more difficult for you, Mr. Tighnari."
Tighnari nodded.
"From that perspective, yes. At least my mentor can avoid being swept up in Sumeru's current chaos."
"What else did the letter say?" he asked.
Alhaitham passed the letter back and replied calmly.
"I've been secretly declared a traitor and placed under a covert manhunt by Azar."
"The god-creation project has resumed. Its progress is unknown."
"As for Cyno, he's likely being watched as well. In the short term, he won't be able to maintain contact with us."
"He says he can no longer act as our inside collaborator. When the opportunity arises, he'll leave Sumeru City."
"We don't need to inform him of our whereabouts. When it comes to tracking, Cyno is the strongest person in Sumeru."
Lumine clicked her tongue.
"So… not a single piece of good news? Everyone's either wanted, monitored, or being interfered with by the Fatui. You've basically been completely exposed."
"There is good news," Alhaitham said quietly, turning toward her.
"Dehya bringing you here is the best news we could have hoped for."
"Hmph!" Lumine puffed up.
"Flattery won't reduce my fee even by one Mora!"
After a brief pause, Alhaitham nodded.
"Understood."
"From here, our objectives are straightforward."
"First, identify the new base of the god-creation project."
"Second, allocate manpower to handle the Fatui and the core combat forces of the Corps of Thirty."
"And finally, "
Before he could finish, Paimon raised her tiny fists, striking an exaggeratedly fierce pose.
"We storm their lair, beat up all the bad guys, and pound the bullies who messed with Nahida into the ground!"
Alhaitham blinked once.
"It seems the Traveler and her companion are very confident in their strength."
"Of course!" Paimon declared proudly.
"I'm Ryen's most beloved Paimon!"
Something flickered in Alhaitham's eyes as he gave Paimon a discreet once-over.
Lumine spoke up calmly.
"Paimon exaggerates, but the idea isn't wrong."
"Even though only the two of us came this time, the Doctor has made enemies everywhere."
"When Mondstadt heard he was in Sumeru, everyone there was furious. Master Diluc and the others said that once the Doctor becomes a target, they'll come personally."
"At that point, Diluc and the Anemo Archon will handle him."
"As for the Fatui's manpower, that's not a problem either."
"Just know this, Mondstadt has a blood feud with the Doctor. When the time comes, Acting Grand Master Jean will absolutely lead a force to settle it."
Hearing how deep Mondstadt's grudge ran, Alhaitham finally felt at ease.
The laws of Teyvat forbade official intervention, but they didn't forbid vengeance.
With Mondstadt taking responsibility for the Fatui, that front was no longer their concern.
Alhaitham exhaled quietly.
"Then asking Dehya to bring you here was the best decision I've made."
"In that case, the situation isn't yet critical. We still have roughly ten days."
"For the Traveler to arrive in Sumeru and immediately deal with our mess is hardly fair."
"Miss Nilou, would you mind showing the Traveler around?"
"We'll use that time to discuss the next phase of the plan."
He made no effort to hide his intention to send Lumine away.
Despite her appearance, Lumine was sharp. Trying to conceal motives would only earn her distrust.
As expected, Lumine stood up immediately, stretched, grabbed Paimon with one hand and Nilou with the other, and headed toward the door.
"You guys talk. I'll go get some fresh air."
"By the way, the air quality in Sumeru really is amazing."
The two girls, and one floating companion, left the room.
As they departed, Dehya's expression grew serious. She turned toward Tighnari and Alhaitham.
"The situation has escalated," she said gravely.
"We must resolve this quickly, otherwise, all of Sumeru will be destroyed."