"Humph, of course! A divine item granted by Akio is naturally effective," Paimon said proudly upon hearing Tighnari's astonishment.
"Akio?" Tighnari picked up on the name and turned to Paimon with curiosity.
"That's right!" Paimon said, crossing her arms. "Akio is Inazuma's God, the Great Divine Sovereign of Heaven! He's the grandest and most powerful god in the entire world!"
"The energy orb given to Collei is a divine artifact from Akio. You should know, he's a god capable of raising the dead and mending broken bones~"
"The Great Divine Sovereign? I think I've heard of him. He's Inazuma's new god," Tighnari said, shocked. "The Sumeru delegation even invited me to attend his ceremony, but I declined due to the severity of the Withering in the rainforest."
"To think it was him?" Tighnari mused. "But why would the Great Divine Sovereign choose to help Collei? They've never even met."
"When a god grants a blessing, just accept it gratefully. No need to overthink it," Paimon said. "How could we possibly understand a god's intentions?"
"You're right… I overstepped," Tighnari nodded, offering a respectful bow as an apology.
"Who are you?" Paimon suddenly asked, looking at Tighnari.
"Ah, my apologies… I forgot to introduce myself. This is my Master, Tighnari. He's the Forest Watcher here and the head of all the Forest Rangers," Collei stepped forward to explain.
After being cured of Eleazar, Collei looked visibly healthier than before.
"So, you're Mr. Tighnari," Lumine nodded.
"Please, just call me Tighnari. You've helped Collei escape her suffering, and for that, I'm deeply grateful," Tighnari said earnestly.
"No, don't thank me. It's Akio's power at work. You should be thanking him," Lumine shook her head.
"I'm sorry to ask," Tighnari began, shaking his head, "though this might be presumptuous, do you have any more of those energy orbs? Many people in Sumeru suffer from Eleazar. If you could…"
"I'm sorry, we only had this one Life Source," Lumine said with a shake of her head.
"Could you perhaps get in touch with the Great Divine Sovereign and ask if he might lend a hand?" Tighnari inquired.
"Lumine is Akio's beloved, so of course she can…" Paimon started to say.
"Paimon!" Lumine interrupted her, then turned to Tighnari. "I can ask for you, but I can't make decisions on Akio's behalf regarding whether he'll agree."
"I understand," Tighnari nodded. After all, who would dare force a god to act?
"Akio is Inazuma's God, so please be mentally prepared for his answer," Lumine said seriously.
Akio was Inazuma's god, not a neutral traveler like Lumine wandering through the Seven Nations. He had no jurisdiction over Sumeru. No one could demand he act, and it would be perfectly reasonable if he chose not to.
"I get it," Tighnari nodded, understanding such basic reasoning.
"Good then," Lumine nodded, then turned to Tighnari. "By the way, Tighnari, what exactly is Eleazar?"
"Eleazar…" Tighnari sighed, looking over at Collei.
"It's fine, Master. They've already helped cure my Eleazar," Collei nodded.
Tighnari nodded back and continued. "Eleazar is a disease unique to Sumeru. At first, patients only feel numbness in the affected areas. But as the condition progresses, they experience a loss of strength and occasional loss of sensation in their fingers or toes. Eventually, patients lose control over their bodies, becoming completely unable to move."
"That's… that's horrifying. Losing control over your body must be incredibly painful…" Paimon said, covering her mouth.
"Yes," Tighnari nodded. "There are only methods to suppress Eleazar, no cures. For centuries, the Akademiya has devoted itself to researching it, yet has found no solution."
"That's why I was so shocked when I learned Collei had been cured," Tighnari sighed. "Truly, the power of a god is unmatched."
"But… isn't Lesser Lord Kusanali a god too? Why haven't you sought her help?" Paimon asked.
"Her Excellency, Lesser Lord Kusanali, hasn't appeared in the public eye for a long time. I believe she might not have the means to cure Eleazar either," Tighnari shook his head. "Otherwise, she would surely come forward to help her afflicted subjects."
"So that's how it is…" Paimon said glumly. Did even Lesser Lord Kusanali lack the power to solve this issue?
"Alright, let's not dwell on this. It's getting late, and you must be exhausted from traveling. Why not rest here for the night and continue your journey tomorrow?" Tighnari suggested with a smile.
"That sounds good," Lumine agreed with a nod.
"Great, then rest up. Collei and I will prepare some food for you," Tighnari said before leaving with Collei.
As they left, Lumine pulled down the tent flap and turned to Paimon. "Paimon, I'm going to video call Akio."
"Mm-hmm, okay!" Paimon nodded.
Lumine activated her Bracelet, and a light screen appeared before them.
After a couple of seconds, Akio's face appeared on the screen, along with Raiden Ei and Raiden Shogun.
.....
"Akio! Sister Ei! Sister Shogun!" Lumine greeted them.
"Akio! Ei! Shogun!" Paimon waved enthusiastically as well.
"Lumine, Paimon. Looks like you've reached Sumeru," Akio said with a smile.
"Yes, we just arrived at Avidya Forest in Sumeru," Lumine nodded.
"Seems like you've already encountered that tree, Lumine," Akio said with a knowing smile.
"Huh? How do you know that, Akio?" Lumine blinked in surprise, looking at him. She hadn't planned to mention it since she didn't want him to worry about her fainting.
"Tree? What tree?" Paimon asked Lumine, puzzled.
"After I fainted, I actually entered a mysterious space. There was a giant tree there emitting a seven-colored glow," Lumine explained.
"Huh?" Paimon stared at Akio, stunned. "Then how did you know, Akio?"
"Hahaha, of course I knew. I also know you used the crystal I gave you, little Paimon," Akio laughed.
"Eh?!" Paimon's eyes widened. "So it not working earlier… was that your doing?"
"Haha, yes," Akio nodded. "That event posed no negative impact on Lumine, so I naturally wouldn't interrupt her chance to see such a beautiful sight. After all, you can't witness that kind of beauty in the real world."
"Beautiful sight? Wow… okay then~" Paimon nodded. Since Akio said there was no harm to Lumine, she felt at ease.
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol