"Little Lumine, you useless trash! Sign these divorce papers already! You're not worthy of me anymore!"
A divorce decree slammed into Lumine's face, leaving a stinging pain. Her fists clenched tightly.
Lumine's rage blazed within her as she stared at her fiancé's vicious, loathsome expression.
"Hahaha! Look at the state of you! How could you possibly be worthy of our Young Master Nalan?"
"A mere sparrow trying to become a phoenix? Ptooey! Stop dreaming!"
Two attendants beside the man sneered, mocking Lumine relentlessly. Finally, she snapped.
Lumine raised her hand and pointed fiercely at the three of them.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! Never underestimate a poor young woman!
"Traveler!"
"Traveler, wake up!"
Lumine slowly opened her eyes, her head groggy as she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Suddenly, her eyes shot wide open!
Damn it! I was so close to completing my three-year revenge pact! Why did I have to wake up now?!
"Traveler! Thank goodness you're finally awake!"
Paimon flew into Lumine's arms, her face filled with excitement.
But Lumine's expression was one of pure disgust as she shoved Paimon away.
Every time, Paimon interrupted her. Lumine's heart was filled with resentment, and she even started considering whether they should sleep in separate rooms.
Paimon, pushed away, stared at Lumine in confusion. After a moment, she shook her head and flew toward Lumine again.
"Traveler, what's wrong?"
"You seem a bit strange. Did you have another weird dream?"
It would have been fine if Paimon hadn't mentioned it, but the moment she did, Lumine's anger flared.
She had been holding it in for three whole years, just waiting for that final moment of satisfaction. Yet, right at the climax, Paimon had woken her up.
It was like being constipated all day, finally about to find relief, when someone pokes their head over the stall wall and asks:
"Hey buddy, got any paper?"
Oh, for the love of—!
The shock would make you clench instinctively, sending everything right back where it came from...
"How are you feeling?"
Just then, Faruzan appeared in Lumine's line of sight, her voice filled with concern.
After all, if Lumine hadn't covered her retreat, Faruzan's injuries wouldn't have been nearly so severe. She was deeply grateful to the Traveler.
Lumine shook her head. Though still exhausted, she felt much better than before.
To avoid worrying the others, she put on a show of having fully recovered.
"It's good that you're all right. You can rest and recover here at my home for a while," Dunyarzad said, nodding at Lumine and letting out a slow breath.
"I've already sent Dehya to help Dr. Edward, so there shouldn't be any problems. Dehya is a renowned mercenary—you can rest easy."
Lumine nodded. Dunyarzad spoke again.
"Traveler, you looked like you were in great pain just now. Were you having a nightmare?"
Hearing Dunyarzad's question, Lumine quickly shook her head.
It wasn't exactly a nightmare... just that for a long time now, she'd been having these absurd dreams.
This time, she'd actually dreamed that her fiancé had broken off their engagement. It was utterly ridiculous
Lumine tried hard to recall her fiancé's face, but it was completely pixelated, impossible to make out.
She hesitated, unsure whether to tell the others about her dream.
After a moment's thought, she decided there was no harm in it and slowly recounted what she had dreamed.
They had barely started listening when everyone froze in shock.
What the hell? A broken engagement?
"I think you're just really desperate!" Paimon muttered under her breath.
Lumine immediately flew into a rage, grabbing Paimon's chubby cheeks with both hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please forgive me, Traveler! I'll never call you desperate again!"
After finally escaping Lumine's clutches, Paimon puffed out her cheeks and glared resentfully at her. She muttered again, even more quietly this time.
"See? I must have hit the nail on the head!"
Hearing this, Lumine gritted her teeth so hard they audibly ground together.
"Madam Faruzan, save me!"
Seeing Lumine about to pounce, Paimon immediately ducked behind Faruzan and shrieked for help.
Paimon's repeated cries of "Madam Faruzan" truly warmed Faruzan's heart. Looking at Lumine a little sheepishly, she began to mediate.
"Now, now," she said soothingly. "Paimon was only joking."
"Besides, you just woke up, so you probably don't know what's been happening lately. Let us fill you in."
Faruzan skillfully changed the subject, and it worked perfectly. Lumine, already aware of her recent strange dreams, was more concerned about what she had missed.
"After our failed attempt to kidnap Great Sage Azar, the Akademiya erupted into chaos," Faruzan explained.
"They seized control of public opinion, completely omitting their deep collaboration with the Fatui. They branded me a traitor and labeled you spies from other nations..."
Hearing this, a flicker of guilt appeared in Lumine's eyes as she looked at Faruzan.
If they hadn't dragged Faruzan into this, she would still be an instructor at the Akademiya. While the position might not be extraordinary, it was still considered a prestigious profession by ordinary people.
Moreover, Faruzan had won the Outstanding Scholar Award, authored famous works, and possessed exceptional qualifications.
Now, she had been branded a traitor, her reputation utterly ruined.
"Madam Faruzan, this is all our fault," Paimon said, lowering her head in guilt.
"You don't need to feel so guilty. This was my own choice," Faruzan replied, her expression perfectly calm. She had anticipated this outcome and had made her decision with a clear mind.
"Besides, the Akademiya can't completely control the narrative. Many people won't believe their official story," Dunyarzad added, speaking up at that moment.
"Madam Faruzan is right," she continued. "Not everyone in the Akademiya is like Great Sage Azar. Many are still in the dark, and some outright refuse to believe the Akademiya's official statements."
"Just a short while ago, a conflict erupted within the Akademiya. Some students who had previously been mentored by Madam Faruzan refused to believe she was a traitor. Suspecting a hidden truth, they demanded that Great Sage Azar reveal the facts. However, they were all arrested by the Matra and imprisoned."
Faruzan's fists clenched, her body trembling slightly.
Normally, she wasn't particularly kind to those students. She found them slow and annoying, constantly pestering her with simple questions. They weren't nearly as sweet-tongued as Paimon and even whispered behind her back that she was just an old woman pulling rank.
Faruzan never imagined that so many students would still stand by her at a time like this. She was deeply moved.
If they ask for leave again in the future, I'll definitely be a little nicer...
"Then, the situation in the Restricted Zone was also exposed. The Akademiya shifted all the blame onto the ordinary people inside, claiming they were plotting a rebellion..."
Dunyarzad wasn't sure what expression to make. The whole affair was simply too absurd.
On one side were the well-equipped Matra and Fatui soldiers; on the other, ordinary Sumerian citizens with almost no heavy weaponry. And yet, the Akademiya claimed the people in the Restricted Zone struck first.
So then, Dunyarzad thought with biting sarcasm, why were the Matra and Fatui soldiers inside the Restricted Zone in the first place? Did they get drunk and wander in by mistake?
She had to admit, she was almost impressed by the Akademiya's talent for blatant lies.
"The Restricted Zone is now surrounded by the Matra and the Corps of Thirty," Dunyarzad continued. "But don't worry too much. They won't dare to go inside, and the Akademiya won't let them."
Lumine and Paimon were momentarily confused, but then they understood.
The people who had previously entered the Restricted Zone were already infected, but their conditions were suppressed by sufficient medication. This was also why the Matra had been short-staffed and had to bring in a squad of Fatui soldiers for support.
However, the forces now surrounding the Restricted Zone were all healthy. If they were to breach the quarantine and get infected, it would put an even greater strain on the Akademiya's already scarce medicinal supplies.
Realizing this, Lumine and Paimon felt a wave of relief.
"So, does that mean the people inside the Restricted Zone are safe?" Lumine asked.
She noticed that neither Faruzan nor Dunyarzad looked relieved. Realizing she must have overlooked something, she quickly re-evaluated the situation.
Suddenly, a chilling thought struck her.
"The Fatui," she said, her heart sinking. "They won't get infected."
Faruzan shook her head grimly. "As long as the Akademiya suppresses the news, few will know about their collaboration with the Fatui. And the people inside the Restricted Zone can't speak out for themselves."
"The reason they're staying in the Restricted Zone isn't because of the Akademiya's decree," she continued. "It's because they don't want to spread the disease to others."
"Having endured this suffering themselves, they don't want anyone else to experience the same torment."
"Otherwise, they could have easily left through another exit."
A heavy silence fell over the group as Faruzan's words sank in.
After a long moment, Dunyarzad sighed softly and spoke again.
"But now that the Akademiya has ordered the Restricted Zone to be surrounded, the people inside have no chance of escape."
"There shouldn't be any problems in the short term," Faruzan said. "But if this drags on, the Akademiya will likely issue new, more extreme decrees."
"After all, they can't maintain this stalemate with the Restricted Zone indefinitely."
"I think the most likely outcome is forced relocation."
"Just like they've done with disgraced scholars in the past, they'll drive them into the desert to fend for themselves."
"Many of the desert people are already hostile toward the Akademiya. By forcing the infected into the desert, they can use the COVID outbreak to significantly weaken the threat the desert people pose."
"We can't let them do that!" Paimon exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm as she pictured the tragic fate awaiting the people in the Restricted Zone.
"They haven't done anything wrong! Being trapped in the Restricted Zone is already miserable enough—they can't see their families, and their living conditions are terrible..."
"If the Akademiya tries to take away their right to survive, that's going too far! We won't stand by and let that happen!"
"Right, Traveler?"
Paimon turned to Lumine, who nodded firmly.
They had seen the Restricted Zone with their own eyes—how miserable the people's lives were. Yet, they were surprisingly united, and most were filled with hope for the future. Some even willingly endured their illness, saving medicine for the elderly and children.
These people, with their Golden Spirit, didn't deserve to have their right to survive stripped away!
That had been their conviction before, and it remained unchanged even after their attempt to kidnap Great Sage Azar failed.
This time, they had been caught off guard by a hidden mastermind within the Akademiya. Next time, their plan would not fail!
"Thank you," Faruzan said, looking at Lumine and Paimon.
Lumine and Paimon were foreigners; they could have easily stayed out of Sumeru's affairs. Yet, they were still fighting for this cause, which only deepened Faruzan's disappointment in her own people's Akademiya.
"Don't mention it, Madam Faruzan," Paimon said, waving her hands quickly.
"We just can't stand by and watch this happen!"
"Those guys at the Akademiya are going way too far!"
Paimon placed her hands on her hips and huffed.
Just then, the Akasha Terminals everyone wore chimed, and their attention immediately shifted to the Akasha.
"The Akademiya's latest announcement is out?!" Paimon exclaimed, then immediately began reading it carefully.
After they finished reading the announcement, strange expressions appeared on everyone's faces.
"Am I seeing this right? This announcement from the Akademiya doesn't sound like they're trying to settle scores at all," Paimon said, completely bewildered.
The others were just as stunned. The Akademiya's announcement was far beyond anything they had expected.
The Akademiya wasn't expelling the people from the Restricted Zone to the desert. Instead, they were offering surprisingly generous terms.
All residents of the Restricted Zone could return to their former lives, but they would be required to wear special Akasha Terminals that monitored their movements and could never be removed.
Additionally, the Akademiya would provide enough medication to suppress their illness, preventing them from spreading the disease to healthy individuals...
The rest of the details were less important, and the group didn't pay them much attention.
"The Akademiya suffered such a huge loss, yet they're offering these terms?!"
Lumine and Paimon were both astonished, even feeling as if they were dreaming.
Although it seemed their personal freedom would be severely restricted, it was an infinitely better life than their current one. They believed almost everyone in the Restricted Zone would agree to these terms.
But this was just too strange. The Akademiya had lost so many people, and even Great Sage Azar had nearly been kidnapped. Yet this was their reaction?
The group frowned, deep in thought...