"Hello, I heard you're looking for the Lesser Lord Kusanali, correct?"
A gentle female voice snapped Aether out of his thoughts. He turned to look at the girl behind him and nodded.
"My name is Dunyarzad. Perhaps I can help you."
The girl named Dunyarzad gestured for Aether to sit with her on a bench.
"We'd love to hear more."
Paimon also quietly observed Dunyarzad.
Dunyarzad placed her hands on her lap and spoke softly.
"In a few days, it will be the Sabzeruz Festival. The Lesser Lord Kusanali might appear during this highly significant celebration."
Paimon scratched her head, puzzled.
"What kind of festival is the Sabzeruz Festival?"
Dunyarzad's face flushed slightly with excitement, but upon hearing Paimon's question, she realized her oversight and quickly explained:
"It's the birthday of the Lesser Lord Kusanali—the day the sages discovered Her."
Aether retrieved relevant information from the Akasha and confirmed that Dunyarzad's words were accurate, with even more details included.
When the Dendro Archon was first welcomed back to Sumeru, the people were overjoyed, and the festival was celebrated grandly.
But gradually, under the influence of the Akademiya, the celebrations dwindled.
Aether nodded and inquired further about the Sabzeruz Festival. Eventually, he understood Dunyarzad's purpose for seeking them out.
Preparing the festival required manpower, and naturally, they were approached for help.
...
Late at night, moonlight enveloped the city built upon the colossal Divine Tree.
With every citizen equipped with an Akasha Terminal, infiltration was exceedingly difficult.
So difficult that even if an intruder appeared in the line of sight of a single resident, their identity would be exposed.
After all, the Akasha had no records of Rover's identity.
After some deliberation, Rover decided to strike at the heart of the matter—infiltrating the Akademiya to investigate.
And he planned to fly straight up rather than enter through Sumeru City's conventional means.
It sounded absurd, but in Rover's world, it was commonplace. Unlike this world, where reaching great heights required painstaking climbing, Rover could ascend to the treetop through running, grappling, or Echoes.
Thus, it was unlikely that sentries would be stationed at the very top.
With this in mind, Rover consulted the Sumeru map, found a relatively high vantage point, and transformed into the Impermanence Heron before flying toward Sumeru City. (Among all the Tacet Discord holograms, this one feels the easiest to me. The other level six holograms took over a dozen tries to clear, but this one only took three. To this day, I still don't know all its attack patterns.)
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. After reaching the apex of the Divine Tree, Rover weaved through the crisscrossing branches and observed the Akademiya below.
The question remained: how to infiltrate? Rover was a cautious man. He needed to study the patrol routes and shift changes of the mercenaries, which required immense patience.
But Rover had already prepared enough rations and water. He had a premonition that the moment he was waiting for would soon arrive.
....
"To think there are still people who remember the Lesser Lord Kusanali..."
Paimon and Aether followed Dunyarzad into the Grand Bazaar, where everyone was preparing for the upcoming Sabzeruz Festival.
On the stage at the center, a dancer named Nilou was rehearsing her performance.
The festive atmosphere was palpable.
After exchanging glances, Aether and Paimon eagerly joined in.
But soon, an unexpected incident occurred.
A middle-aged man dressed in noble attire, accompanied by a scholar, stepped onto the stage.
"The Sabzeruz Festival... Holding large-scale private worship ceremonies for deities is explicitly forbidden, no? The authority to host such events lies solely with the Akademiya."
Nilou was taken aback and tried to explain, but the old man cut her off. A critical gleam flashed in his monocle.
"I am the Grand Sage Azar.
Art... dance... In this nation of wisdom and reason, to pursue such frivolous and hollow things—do you not feel ashamed?
For all scholars who seek truth, reality, and the principles of the world, the gods have created Sumeru as their paradise... And yet, people like you seek to defile it."
Aether, watching from the sidelines, finally understood how little regard the Akademiya had for the Lesser Lord Kusanali, as Asfand had mentioned.
Nilou clenched her teeth, standing firm in her beliefs.
"No, I believe the gods have never forsaken art. Just as the Goddess of Flowers once danced for our deity..."
Azar looked down at the dancer with disdain and stepped forward.
"With your level of education, I doubt you are qualified to debate me. What you should do now is quickly find someone to dismantle these laughable decorations."
Then, raising his voice so all present could hear:
"Upon my return, have the scribe draft a decree banning public artistic performances before the next Knowledge Capsule Day, then disseminate it to the public via the Akasha."
Everyone preparing for the Sabzeruz Festival instinctively stopped. A wave of despondency filled the air.
Before leaving, Azar deliberately turned back to glance at the dejected Nilou, his deep gaze laced with mockery.
"The Sabzeruz Festival... Enjoy celebrating the birth of your god."
...
Another morning arrived. This time, Rover, who had been lying in wait for days, furrowed his brows. His sharp instincts told him the moment he had been waiting for had come.
The areas usually patrolled by mercenaries were now completely empty. Even the normally hurried scholars had vanished, as if all sound in Sumeru had been snuffed out—no signs of human activity whatsoever.
This was far too abnormal...
Rover landed and swiftly scanned his surroundings, searching for any trace of people.
But soon, he made a shocking discovery: everyone was asleep.
Yes, you heard correctly. Whether mercenaries, scholars, or ordinary citizens, they had all eerily collapsed onto their beds or in shops, fast asleep.
More crucially, the Akasha Terminals they wore were flickering with light.
As expected, these Akasha Terminals were problematic.
Rover turned his gaze toward the Akademiya and quietly drew his blade. He would see for himself what tricks the Akademiya was playing.