We left Candace behind with her calm blessing, and the desert stretched out in front of us like an endless stage waiting for the next act of chaos. I cracked my neck, inhaled deeply, and decided to break the silence with something dramatic.
"Listen well," I said, trying to sound like a wise old mentor even though Greg was the only one who actually looked ancient. "At this point, even though I know what will happen, there are things I simply cannot stop. I tried to change something, but I realized... I'm not strong enough to face people on a different scale."
The words came out heavier than I expected, lingering in the air. I looked at Lumine, at Nilou, at Paimon floating with her little fists clenched like she was ready to punch destiny itself. "But don't worry. Even if I lost a limb, I won't let anything happen to you guys."
Nilou's eyes softened, and before I could blink, she hugged me tightly. "I won't let that happen, you know? I'll be super upset if you do something reckless."
I let out a long sigh, then chuckled lightly, patting her head. "Alright, alright. I'll do my best."
Greg tapped my cheek with his little claw like he was saying You better. And honestly? It worked.
Lumine didn't say much, but the way she smiled at me... soft, steady, like the kind of smile that said no matter what happens, we'll always be together. And suddenly my chest felt both heavy and lighter at the same time.
Paimon, not to be outdone, zoomed right into my neck, hugging me so tight I almost choked. "Don't go talking like you'll die, you idiot! Paimon will get mad!"
I tapped her tiny arms, gasping. "If you don't let go, you'll kill me before Dottore even gets the chance!"
Paimon squeaked and let go, cheeks puffed. Nilou laughed softly, and even Lumine shook her head with that mix of fondness and exasperation she reserved just for me. Greg flicked his tail on my shoulder, clearly judging me for the dramatics but also silently agreeing with the mood.
Once I caught my breath, I straightened up. "Alright then. Let's move."
We walked on and eventually met Rahman and Alhaitham. Rahman looked serious, his hand stroking his chin. "...Hmm, sounds good. I'll go make some preparations."
Alhaitham, of course, didn't miss a beat. "Okay."
I tilted my head. "Preparations as in military prep? Or preparations as in—stocking snacks?"
Rahman gave me a blank look, sighed, then shook his head. "The first one." And just like that, he left quickly, probably relieved he didn't have to deal with me.
"See?" I muttered. "They always leave when I bring up snacks."
Nilou giggled into her hand. "Maybe because you bring it up too much."
"Alhaitham!" Paimon zipped forward, glaring at him.
"Have you finished saying your goodbyes?" He asked
"Yes!" Paimon said floating closely. "Also, Candace told everyone to be careful."
Alhaitham adjusted his gloves like he was lecturing a classroom. "Yes, she did. But I think my point also bears repeating. Our plan is not child's play. We won't achieve anything if we're simply careful. We must go beyond that and fully commit ourselves. I hope this is clear to you."
I raised my hand like a kid at school. "Crystal clear. But I still vote we bring snacks. Full commitment tastes better with peanuts."
Nilou stifled a laugh behind me, while Lumine elbowed my side. "Focus."
"I am focused," I whispered back. "Focused on survival snacks."
Greg tilted his head at me, tail flicking like he wanted to write me off his will.
Paimon tilted her head. "Huh? Shouldn't you be saying something more cheerful to boost our morale right now?"
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we already do that during the meeting?"
"You can never have enough words of encouragement!" Paimon crossed her arms.
"In that case," Alhaitham said coolly, "Candace can coddle you to your heart's content while I continue to remind you of the seriousness of our situation. We all have our jobs to do. It's like how some people handle logistics, while others fight on the front lines."
Lumine nodded after a pause. "Makes sense."
I leaned closer to Nilou and whispered, "Translation: he just called us cannon fodder."
Nilou tried not to laugh, whispering back, "That's not what he meant."
Greg angled his body toward Alhaitham, giving him the kind of reptile stare that said I'm watching you, book boy.
Paimon tapped her chin, staring at Alhaitham. "Speaking of the front lines... you don't look anything like a soldier."
"Of course not," Alhaitham replied smoothly. "Compared to mercenaries, I'm merely a feeble scholar. But the advantage of not being a mercenary is that I stay in safer places and offer strategic insight. Think about that mercenary who lost his mind—mercenary groups face constant danger every day."
I raised my hand again. "Counterpoint: you look less like a feeble scholar and more like a biceps model who lost his shirt. Safety doesn't really fit your aesthetic."
Lumine muttered, "Stop poking him."
"I can't. His logic has holes, and I must patch them with sarcasm."
Paimon crossed her arms. "Well, being a scholar is also a high-risk occupation... and you are a scholar!"
"I'm not like the rest of them," Alhaitham said calmly. "Even among the same species, some will exhibit far more potential than others."
I gasped, clutching Greg dramatically. "Greg, did you hear that? He basically called himself the shiny limited-edition scholar! Meanwhile, we're the common drops."
Greg flicked his tail and gave me the cold-blooded stare of agreement. Traitor.
Nilou giggled softly. "You're definitely not common, Shigeru."
That hit harder than I expected. My chest squeezed, but I laughed it off. "Yeah, I'm at least... a five-star idiot."
Paimon huffed. "This guy... Paimon still remembers when those mercenaries in Port Ormos called you a lunatic!"
Alhaitham adjusted his vision holder, his expression unfazed. "All intellectuals are lunatics in the eyes of fools. I'll take that as a compliment."
I grinned. "Good. Then when I call you a lunatic, it's just my way of saying you're smart."
Lumine sighed, Nilou laughed softly, and Greg bobbed his head like a sage lizard approving of my nonsense. Perfect ending to the conversation.
Alhaitham adjusted his gloves again, his eyes sharp as ever. "Traveler, do you remember the record we saw in the King Deshret Ruins? It mentioned forbidden knowledge."
Lumine nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I remember."
Alhaitham gave her the faintest of approving glances. "You have a good memory."
I leaned forward dramatically, clutching my chest. "And what about me? Do I have a good memory, Professor Muscles? Because I clearly remember you owing me an explanation for why your shoulders look like they belong in a gladiator arena."
Greg flicked his tail, clearly voting in favor of my point.
Nilou tilted her head at me with a playful smile. "You always remember the strangest things, Shigeru."
Lumine sighed. "Shigeru, please."
Paimon floated closer, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah! This is important, stop asking about shoulders!"
I gasped. "Paimon, you don't understand! One day we may all perish, but Alhaitham's shoulders? Eternal. They'll be found in some museum, labeled: 'Weapons of Mass Distraction.'"
Greg gave me a slow blink, which absolutely translated to please stop before we get arrested by the logic police.
Alhaitham ignored me entirely and continued. "Forbidden knowledge has the power to drive people insane, but this fact has never been shared with the public. Even I, who has worked in the Akademiya for some time, was never once informed of this."
Paimon gasped, floating closer. "Wait—seriously?"
"Indeed." Alhaitham's voice was calm, but there was weight behind every word. "I think... those mad scholars and mercenaries we encountered may have all fallen victim to the corrupting qualities of forbidden knowledge."
Nilou pressed her hands together, worry clouding her expression. "That's... terrifying. To lose yourself because of something you read..."
I stroked my chin like a fake detective. "Or, and hear me out—maybe they just had bad cafeteria food. Trust me, I once ate three-day-old noodles and saw my ancestors tap-dancing."
Greg lifted one claw slowly, like he was about to object, then just sighed internally and curled his tail. Silent resignation.
Lumine pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shigeru, can you take this seriously for once?"
"I am!" I pointed at Greg. "Even Greg thinks it's food poisoning."
Greg tilted his head, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. Betrayal.
Alhaitham pressed on, unbothered. "The Akademiya has always believed that symptoms of madness are a side effect of human contact with divine knowledge as mere mortals. But perhaps the Akademiya has also never understood the true nature of forbidden knowledge, and thus always approached the issue from the wrong direction."
Nilou tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "So... you're saying the root of it all isn't just divine punishment, but actual corruption spreading through knowledge itself?"
"Exactly." Alhaitham gave her a small nod, his voice softer with approval. "The Withering, Eleazar, and the sandstorms... Don't you think what is happening right now across Sumeru is rather similar to the forbidden knowledge pollution that occurred in the desert thousands of years ago?"
I leaned back, arms crossed. "Great, so knowledge is literally toxic. Which explains why I failed math class. Numbers weren't hard—they were just forbidden knowledge in disguise."
Lumine gave me a flat stare. "That's not how it works."
Paimon jabbed a tiny finger at me. "Yeah, don't use forbidden knowledge as an excuse for being bad at fractions!"
Greg flicked his tail against my cheek, probably agreeing with them. Traitor.
Lumine's eyes narrowed slightly. "But, It's definitely possible. Another occurrence of forbidden knowledge pollution..."
Paimon flailed her tiny arms. "But... but Paimon thought that Irminsul's disease is what caused the Withering and the sandstorms! At least, that's what Tighnari told us..."
"Wait a second," she gasped. "Could it be that—"
Alhaitham cut in smoothly. "Ah, you've connected the dots. The cause of Irminsul's illness may precisely be the pollution from forbidden knowledge."
Nilou gasped softly. "So everything is linked together... It's even worse than we thought."
Paimon's eyes widened. "...B-but if that's the case, what should we do? This is huge!"
I crossed my arms, my voice heavier this time. "We must tell Nahida about this as soon as possible."
Alhaitham's gaze shifted toward me. "Why do you think Lesser Lord Kusanali would have a solution to this situation?"
Lumine's eyes softened as she recalled something. "She said the key to saving Irminsul is... contained within the remaining consciousness of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
Paimon tilted her head. "You mean it's related to that scene you saw when you passed out in the Avidya Forest? That whole... 'the world... forget me...' thing?"
Alhaitham nodded once. "In that case, it's imperative that we rescue Lesser Lord Kusanali. Only by working with her to save Irminsul can we completely resolve the problems Sumeru currently faces."
"That's right," Lumine agreed firmly.
I raised my fist. "Then it's settled! Rescue the small but mighty radish goddess!"
Nilou covered her mouth to hide a laugh, her shoulders shaking. "Shigeru..."
Greg climbed on top of my head like a helmet, silently backing me up.
"See? Greg agrees."
Paimon crossed her arms. "This is serious!"
"And so is my headgear," I countered.
Alhaitham ignored my brilliance again. "To make sure we're still on track, I would like to check on the state of some of our preparatory work."
Paimon tilted her head. "Where are we going?"
"To an Eremite base."
Nilou blinked. "An Eremite base? Isn't that dangerous?"
I grinned wide, practically vibrating with excitement. "Eremite base? That means more punching faces, right?! Let's gooooo!"
Greg raised both little arms dramatically like a gladiator accepting cheers. My lizard bro knew when the hype was real.
Lumine facepalmed so hard I swear I heard it echo through the desert. "Archons help me..."
Nilou shook her head, smiling despite herself. "You really do get excited over the strangest things."
Paimon muttered under her breath. "More like the dumbest things..."
Greg flicked his tail dramatically, like he was ready for war. My lizard bro always knew when it was go time.
__________________
End of Chapter 134
Quests Completed:
*Survive Alhaitham's intellectual monologue without falling asleep.
*Learned the terrifying link between forbidden knowledge, Irminsul, Eleazar, and sandstorms. Counter-theorized that it might just be cafeteria food poisoning.
*Deliver dramatic promise to protect party no matter the cost.
*Suggest snacks during Rahman's military talk.
*Comment on Alhaitham's shoulders during crucial lore dump.
*Get ignored by Alhaitham, validated by Greg, entertained Nilou, exasperated Lumine. Critical success in distraction.
*Rebrand yourself from "common drop" to "five-star idiot."
*Blame math failure on forbidden knowledge.
Rewards:
*Adventure EXP +9,000*Companionship EXP: +800 (Lumine, Nilou, Paimon, Greg, Alhaitham, Rahman)
*+1 Nilou Hug of Encouragement – grants temporary HP to Shigeru's soul.
*+1 Paimon Chokehold – activates whenever death flags are raised.
*+1 Greg's Therapist Tap – restores sanity, adds +1 "Don't be dumb" stack.
*+200 Exasperated Sighs (Lumine) – passive, always active.
*+3 Betrayal Stacks (Everyone vs Shigeru on snacks issue)
*+1 New Title: Five-Star Idiot – permanent, unremovable.
*+1 Helmet Greg (Battle Cosmetic) – boosts hype, no actual defense.
*+500 Forbidden Sarcasm Points – earned from comparing math to toxic lore.
*+1 Shoulder Lore Distraction – only effective against Alhaitham.
Achievement Unlocked:"Weapons of Mass Distraction"
-Interrupt a major lore reveal by pointing out Alhaitham's suspiciously gladiator-tier shoulders.