"We've finally reached Sumeru! This journey has been so tiring!"
The Yellow-haired Silent Traveler and her emergency food gazed upon the lush, verdant forest stretching before them, instantly feeling their spirits lift.
Even the gentle breeze carried the damp, earthy fragrance of the trees, which they inhaled deeply with relish.
Looking at the towering, densely packed trees that seemed to block out even sunlight, the two were awestruck.
"Traveler, these trees are so dense! It feels like we could easily run into danger here," Paimon warned, flitting closer to Lumine. "If anything sudden happens, you'd better protect me!"
Lumine first offered Paimon a reassuring smile, then her gaze sharpened as she scanned her surroundings, as if searching for something.
The towering trees obstructed her view, so she climbed onto a nearby elevated vantage point to continue her search.
Lumine's eyes brightened slightly, and she immediately dashed with Paimon toward a place where a magnificent statue stood—clearly a Statue of The Seven.
Activating the corresponding Elemental Power upon arriving in a new nation was Lumine's consistent practice.
She quickly reached the Statue of The Seven, resonated with Dendro, and felt an overwhelming sense of security surge within her.
Having mastered three Elemental Powers, she had already defeated La Signora. With four Elemental Powers, she was practically invincible beneath the Archons!
Seeing Lumine successfully resonate with Dendro, Paimon's face lit up with excitement. After all, her safety depended entirely on Lumine, so the stronger Lumine became, the safer Paimon would be.
"Great job, Traveler! If we encounter that guy again, we'll definitely get our revenge this time!"
Paimon's words brought to Lumine's mind the memory of Scaramouche, The Balladeer, the formidable enemy they had faced in Inazuma.
He had not only effortlessly defeated her but also snatched the Gnosis from Yae Miko's grasp.
Yae Miko had used the Gnosis to buy back their freedom from Scaramouche; otherwise, that encounter might have ended in disaster.
Lumine never imagined that the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis would fall into Scaramouche's hands because of her own actions. It was a wound that would forever haunt her heart.
She nodded firmly, her resolve unwavering. If she ever got the chance, she would give Scaramouche a thorough thrashing and demand he return the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis.
Part of her reason for coming to Sumeru was precisely this. She had heard that Sumeru's Archon was the God of Wisdom, and she hoped to find clues about Scaramouche and her older brother here.
Older brother...
Lumine's mind drifted back to that figure who resembled her so closely, a pang of longing surging through her heart.
He had promised they would meet again after their last parting, but how long would it be? Would she never see him, even after traveling through all seven nations?
What exactly is he planning?
Lumine couldn't understand why her older brother refused to see her, why he wouldn't tell her the truth.
Even worse, he had allied himself with Abyss Monsters, creatures who had brought immense suffering to Teyvat.
"Traveler, what's wrong?"
Sensing that Lumine was acting strangely, Paimon immediately flew over, asking her anxiously what was wrong.
Lumine shook her head, offering no further explanation, and glanced around at their surroundings.
This is Sumeru, alright. Nothing but plants everywhere, obscuring our vision completely. If any danger is lurking here, it'll be nearly impossible to spot.
Lumine wasn't particularly worried for herself, but Paimon's combat prowess was barely a fifth of that of a wild boar. If she wasn't careful, Paimon might actually end up as emergency rations.
Their immediate priority was to find someone familiar with Sumeru's environment. Not only would this ensure their safety, but it would also allow them to gather information about the region and, most importantly, guide them to Sumeru City.
Just as Lumine was pondering how to locate a guide in this dense rainforest, a sudden commotion erupted nearby.
Without hesitation, Lumine drew her Dull Blade, her gaze fixed vigilantly on the source of the noise. Paimon immediately ducked behind Lumine, cautiously peeking out from behind her hair.
"Who are you? What brings you to Sumeru?"
A slender figure emerged from the direction of the disturbance, her voice as clear and bright as a songbird's.
She wore earthy-green clothing that blended seamlessly with the rainforest environment, making her nearly impossible to spot. Even her hair was a verdant green, further camouflaging her.
Lumine and Paimon couldn't make out her features clearly, not because of the dim light, but because of the green mask covering nearly half her face. Yet, her gem-like, crystalline eyes hinted at an undeniably striking appearance.
Though she had revealed herself directly and held her weapon casually without aiming it at them, Lumine remained vigilant.
"W-who are you?" Paimon asked cautiously, acting as the mute Traveler's voice.
"Hey, I asked you first," the woman retorted, slightly exasperated by Paimon's attempt to turn the tables. But after a moment, she relented and introduced herself.
"Never mind. You don't seem suspicious."
"I'm Collei, a trainee Forest Ranger. You're not from around here, are you?"
Hearing that Collei was a Forest Ranger, Lumine and Paimon immediately realized she was an official. Their inner guard relaxed slightly.
As Lumine lowered her Dull Blade, Paimon flew forward and addressed Collei.
"Hello, Miss Collei! I'm Paimon, and this is the Traveler."
"We're tourists from abroad, here to travel in Sumeru."
"Tourists?"
Collei scratched her head, looking puzzled.
"Visiting Sumeru at this time... you really couldn't have picked a worse time to come."
"Didn't you hear any news before coming here?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance, then shook their heads in unison.
Seeing this, Collei sighed helplessly.
"Sumeru has been plagued by a strange illness recently. Although it doesn't spread to people from other countries, it has placed a tremendous burden on our medical resources."
"The Akademiya's handling of the situation has been excessively harsh, gradually escalating tensions with the public and even leading to small-scale conflicts."
"Most of the travelers who came to Sumeru earlier have already left. You've arrived at a very unfortunate time."
After hearing Collei's explanation, Lumine and Paimon were left somewhat dazed.
"A strange illness?"
"Exactly. See this mask I'm wearing?" Collei pointed to her mask before continuing. "Now all Sumerians must wear these masks when they go out, and even staying at home isn't entirely safe."
"This illness is highly contagious. If it hadn't been discovered in time, most of Sumeru would likely have been infected. But the current situation is far from optimistic—at least ten thousand people have already contracted this strange illness."
Hearing this number, Lumine and Paimon immediately grasped the severity of the situation.
"This illness sounds terrifying!" Paimon exclaimed, nervously covering her mouth and nose before turning to Lumine. "Traveler, quickly get me a handkerchief to cover up!"
Observing Paimon's deathly fear, Lumine placed her hands on her hips and gave her a deadpan stare.
"Oh, right! This disease only infects Sumerians. I'm not Sumerian!"
Paimon understood the look in Lumine's eyes, clapped her hands in sudden realization, and immediately turned to Collei to ask, "Miss Collei, do you know how this infectious disease first appeared?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Collei replied, shaking her head. "The Akademiya hasn't released any official findings yet. But I've heard the initial patients were members of the Akademiya itself."
"Hmm, could it be because the Akademiya is secretly conducting some kind of research?" Paimon speculated aloud.
"It's not impossible, but that's beyond our control. You should really hurry back to your own country. Be careful not to get into any trouble in Sumeru," Collei advised sincerely.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, silently conferred, and then declined Collei's suggestion.
"I'm sorry, Miss Collei, but we have important business in Sumeru and can't leave so soon."
"Important business?"
Faced with Collei's questioning look, Paimon quickly jumped in to explain.
"We want to meet Sumeru's Lesser Lord Kusanali. We have some questions we need answered."
"You want to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali?" Collei asked, her voice surprised. She shook her head. "Then you should definitely go back. You have no chance of meeting her."
"It's not just you—even we Sumerians haven't seen Lesser Lord Kusanali in a very long time."
"The Akademiya seems to be deliberately downplaying her existence. Many Fontainians don't even know that Sumeru's Archon is Lesser Lord Kusanali; they believe Greater Lord Rukkhadevata is our sole Dendro Archon."
Collei tried again to persuade them to leave, but Lumine and Paimon remained steadfast. After all, when had meeting an Archon ever been easy?
"We're not afraid of challenges," Paimon declared. "No matter how difficult it is, we'll try. We really have something important to ask Lesser Lord Kusanali."
Hearing Paimon's resolve, Collei realized she couldn't dissuade them. She abandoned her inner reservations.
"If that's the case, then come with me."
"I'll take you to Gandharva Ville to register your visit, and I can also introduce you to my Master."
"My master is quite renowned in Sumeru. Perhaps he could offer you some assistance."
Upon hearing Collei's words, Lumine and Paimon beamed.
"Thank you so much, Miss Collei!"
"Just call me Collei."
"Venturing into the dense forest without a Vision is incredibly dangerous. Moreover, you're unfamiliar with Sumeru's environment. I can't imagine how you even made it here."
Collei's confusion was evident, but seeing they lacked a Vision lessened her apprehension.
With that, Collei took the lead, guiding the pair forward. Lumine and Paimon hurried to follow, maintaining a cautious distance.
Having only just met, neither side had fully let down their guard, making close proximity inappropriate.
During their journey, the group fell into casual conversation. When Collei heard Lumine and Paimon recount their past adventures, she was left speechless with astonishment.
"Wait a minute—didn't you say this Traveler doesn't have a Vision?"
"Who told you that you need a Vision to wield Elemental Power?"
Paimon flew closer to Collei and whispered mysteriously, "Come on, Traveler, show Miss Collei what you can do!"
Despite Paimon's annoying tone, Lumine cooperated, raising her hand and demonstrating each of the elements she had currently resonated with in turn.
The sight left Collei completely stunned. It took her a long moment to recover.
"Truly astonishing... how is this possible?"
Collei paused before continuing, "After all, being able to wield Elemental Power without a Vision is something I've almost never seen before."
"Hehe, the Traveler is special!" Paimon declared proudly, acting as if she had accomplished the feat herself. Lumine had long grown accustomed to this.
"Hey Collei, how much longer until we get there? I'm already tired," Paimon complained.
Lumine rolled her eyes. You haven't even walked a step! How can you be tired?
"Flying takes a lot of energy too, you know!" Paimon protested vehemently, making Collei chuckle softly as she watched their banter.
"You two have such a close bond."
"Of course!" Paimon replied matter-of-factly.
Collei smiled again and pointed ahead. "We're almost there. Gandharva Ville is just a short distance ahead."
Lumine and Paimon followed Collei's gaze and spotted several wooden houses with distinctive Sumeru architectural features.
"Master's house is that one over there. Let's head straight there, though I'm not sure if he's returned from his trip yet."
Collei continued leading the way, bringing Lumine and Paimon to a small cottage.
"Master, I found two foreign travelers while on patrol earlier. To keep them safe, I brought them back here."
Seeing the door ajar, Collei knew her master was home. She spoke as she stepped inside.
"Oh, Dr. Edward is here too?"
"Yes, your master invited me to check up on you."
Lumine and Paimon followed Collei inside, where they were greeted by a young, handsome man with a gentle smile. Beside him stood a figure with long, pointed ears and a somewhat childlike face.
Before Lumine could decide which of the two seemed more like Collei's master, a strange, refreshing fragrance filled the air. Suddenly, her head swam, and the world spun around her.
"Traveler?"
"Traveler, what's wrong?!"
Paimon's concerned voice drifted from beside her, but it seemed to grow increasingly distant in Lumine's perception.
Finally, Lumine's consciousness slipped into darkness...