After the discussion, Rover stayed in the outskirts, waiting for nightfall.
Meanwhile, Aether entered Sumeru City to continue gathering information about the Lesser Lord Kusanali.
In the rainforest, Rover found a cave, gathered firewood, and lit a bonfire.
Watching the scattered sparks, his thoughts drifted back to Jinzhou.
Before arriving in Teyvat, Yangyang had mentioned that the Moonchase Festival would soon arrive—unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to attend.
I wonder how everyone's doing…
"Rover, Rover."
Abby suddenly appeared at some point, taking the grilled fish from the bonfire and waving it in front of Rover.
"Abby? Did you sense the Abyss again?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Rover took the grilled fish and took a bite.
Abby shook his head, crossing his arms proudly.
"It's another possibility."
If it wasn't the Abyss…
Rover's eyes lit up. He quickly finished the fish and followed Abby's flight path out of the cave.
Who else could have arrived on this mysterious continent this time?
Rover felt a faint sense of anticipation.
…..
On the other side, following the address given in Tighnari's letter, Aether finally found the scholar Rohawi.
"Hello, we came to you through Tighnari's recommendation."
"Tighnari!?"
The moment he heard Tighnari's name, Rohawi staggered back in fright, waving his hands.
"Stop, stop, stop—no need to say more. I admit the paper I wrote last month was shallow, and the data wasn't very convincing…"
Aether twitched his lips and quickly explained the purpose of their visit.
"Ah… so you're not here to reprimand me… Phew, you scared me. I almost had a stomachache from stress."
Rohawi let out a long sigh of relief. Suddenly, the world seemed brighter—but Paimon and Aether were both staring at him with strange expressions.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Rohawi felt he had to explain.
"Sigh, you wouldn't understand. Tighnari publishes three papers or articles a year—the kind with real authority. Meanwhile, I take years to squeeze out one paper, and even that's shallow."
He shook his head with a bitter smile, then agreed to Aether's request. Closing his eyes, he searched through the Akasha for a way to find the Lesser Lord Kusanali.
After a while, Rohawi's expression turned grim. He had no choice but to look at Aether and sigh.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any clues about the Dendro Archon in the Akasha."
Aether was puzzled.
"Is the Akasha your only way of obtaining information?"
Yes, Aether was gradually beginning to feel the same way Rover had.
What they both disliked was how most scholars in this nation lacked a spirit of exploration and challenge.
After traveling through three nations, Aether had grown accustomed to the adventurous journey. But seeing Sumeru—a land hailed as the "Nation of Wisdom"—where everyone relied on the Akasha left behind by the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, he felt deeply unsettled.
If someone could freely tamper with the Akasha's contents, wouldn't all of Sumeru be doomed?
Aether didn't understand, but like Rover, he chose not to voice his thoughts.
"Haha, humans are inherently lazy. If even the Akasha can't find information about the Lesser Lord Kusanali, then I'm out of ideas."
Rohawi awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Aether and Paimon had no choice but to seek another path.
In the end, they turned to a familiar face—Katheryne of the Adventurers' Guild.
"Understood. The Adventurers' Guild is always at your service. What kind of assistance do you require?"
Aether stated his purpose.
Katheryne nodded and began accessing the Akasha Terminal. As expected, she shook her head.
"My apologies. I couldn't retrieve any relevant information from the Akasha. In my personal memories, I also found no content related to this Archon."
Paimon nodded in disappointment. The next moment, Katheryne recommended someone she was close with—Asfand of the Thirty.
And so, they sought out a third person.
Unsurprisingly, Asfand's answer was the same as the previous two. However, unlike them, he provided new insight.
"Though I can't offer any leads, let me be blunt—it's not just me. Most people in Sumeru simply aren't interested in the affairs of the Lesser Lord Kusanali."
Paimon froze, eyes widening slightly in confusion.
In Mondstadt, people would say, "May the Anemo Archon bless you," as a blessing. The Knights of Favonius and the Church deeply revered the Anemo Archon. In Liyue, even after Rex Lapis' passing, people still mourned him. In Inazuma, it was even more extreme—the Raiden Shogun's authority was absolute, and no one dared question it.
But in Sumeru, most people didn't care about the Lesser Lord Kusanali—their own Archon?
Asfand understood the travelers' confusion and patiently explained.
"The Akademiya is Sumeru's true ruler. While its people believe in the Archons, many still revere the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
"To them, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata built Sumeru and left behind the Akasha, while the Lesser Lord Kusanali merely inherited it by chance. As for the common folk? Under the Akademiya's influence and propaganda, they naturally know and admire the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata more.
"Besides, the Lesser Lord Kusanali never appears, and the Akademiya doesn't share news about her. To the people of Sumeru, she's just a nominal deity."
Paimon crossed her arms, suddenly feeling sorry for the Lesser Lord Kusanali.
No one adored her. No one cared about her. She was merely a god in name.
Seeing their downcast expressions, Asfand chuckled and lightened the mood.
"Who knows? Maybe the God of Wisdom doesn't care about these things—or these empty titles."
After bidding farewell to Asfand, the two were left with no leads or paths forward. Lost, they wandered the streets—
Until a voice called out to them.
…..
Nightfall was still a few hours away. After calculating the time and route, Rover arrived before a spatial rift that continuously distorted the air.
So… who will it be this time?
Rover stretched out his hand, Spectro particles gathering in his palm before surging toward the rift.
Soon, a familiar black hole abruptly appeared before Rover and Abby.
A familiar figure stepped into view.