Man, it had been a while since I punched someone. My fist was shaking like it was on withdrawal. I whispered dramatically to the group, "Guys, I think my knuckles are itching. That's a sign of destiny. Someone's face is about to meet the Shigeru Special."
Lumine didn't even miss a beat. She turned her glare on me so fast I swear the desert got colder. "If you don't shut up, my fist will meet your face."
I shivered so hard Greg nearly fell off my shoulder. "Your love language is terrifying, you know that?"
Greg flicked his tongue twice, which I translated as: She's right, you idiot.
Nilou giggled from the side, her cheeks pink. She hooked her arm around mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Mine is cute."
My brain short-circuited. I almost combusted on the spot. My soul actually tried to evacuate my body. "W–well, I guess I'll just... combust quietly then," I muttered, clutching my chest like some tragic hero. Greg flicked his tail against my cheek, which I swear meant pathetic.
Paimon squinted at me. "Why do you always act like you're starring in a bad play?"
"Correction," I whispered back, "I'm tragic, Lumine's terrifying, Nilou's cute, you're bossy, and Greg's judgmental. That's balance. Perfect team composition."
Nilou covered her mouth with her hands, giggling again. Lumine rolled her eyes, but I didn't miss the tiny smirk she tried to hide.
Cyno stopped in his tracks and raised a finger to his lips. "Quiet. We're here."
I slapped my mouth shut instantly. But only because I didn't want to be the first casualty of Cyno's 'serious mode.' Greg smacked my ear with his tail for extra measure.
We stepped into the courtyard, the guards stationed ahead of us. Cyno's voice carried, calm but commanding. "Guards."
One of them—Gaete—straightened so fast you could hear his spine crack. "General Mahamatra!? T–to what do we owe the honor?"
Cyno's tone didn't waver. "Keep your voice down. This is a secret operation. I'm going to arrest a large criminal gang near this location. According to the Akademiya's Guide and Regulations on Secret Operations, I have the right to ask for the cooperation of Caravan Ribat."
Gaete nearly tripped over himself bowing. "Ah, of course, of course! Mahamatra Cyno's order is the Akademiya's order. Just let us know what you need."
I leaned toward Nilou and whispered, "See? That's charisma. No bicep rating required."
Nilou giggled again, which honestly didn't help my whole combustion problem. Greg slapped my forehead with his tiny claw, like focus, idiot.
Gaete cleared his throat nervously. "But who exactly are you planning to arrest, and how many people are you expecting? Depending on the scale of this operation, we may need to report it to our superiors."
Cyno was stone as always. "They're a squad of Eremites whose number is comparable to Ayn Al-Ahmar in Port Ormos. They're involved in the theft and resale of supplies from the Akademiya."
Gaete's eyes nearly bulged out. "As many as Ayn Al-Ahmar!? This should definitely be classified as a joint operation."
Cyno didn't blink. "Then I suggest that you report this to your superiors as soon as possible, and treat it as a top-priority desert operation. I will need personnel."
"Got it!" Gaete saluted. "Please wait a moment. I will contact them immediately."
Lumine tilted her head at Cyno. "You look so commanding when you're working."
Cyno replied flatly, "Because this is work."
"You're much more friendly to us," Lumine pressed.
"Because I trust you," Cyno answered.
I squinted at them. "Wow. So you can be smooth. I'm stealing that line later."
Greg slapped my chin with his tail like, don't even try.
Paimon flapped her arms dramatically. "Paimon can't believe you're still in the mood to chat. This whole thing has Paimon scared stiff! Aren't you even a little worried? What if these guards already know that you have betrayed the Akademiya, and are no longer their General Mahamatra? Even if that guard doesn't know, their superiors might, right?"
Nilou tilted her head, confused. Lumine did the same.
Cyno exhaled slowly. "We discussed this, remember?"
Flashback time. Don't ask me how the desert has flashback filters, it just does. I swear the wind even slowed down for dramatic effect.
Alhaitham's voice was as smug as always. "The Caravan Ribat operation is of great importance. But don't worry, the guards there shouldn't know that Cyno has stepped down."
Dehya crossed her arms. "How can you be so sure?"
Alhaitham gestured like a professor mid-lecture. "First, the other matra still don't know why Cyno has left, which proves that the Akademiya has been covering up the matter. Second, this is a crucial moment for the Akademiya's god creation plan. If something were to happen to the General Mahamatra, it's bound to attract a lot of unwanted attention. No matter how you look at it, they don't seem interested in sharing the news of Cyno's departure."
Cyno nodded. "A reasonable inference. I agree."
Alhaitham adjusted his cloak like he was about to drop a thesis. "Which brings us to our next issue: I'm sure some of you have been wondering if the prediction function of the Akasha will affect our operation."
I raised my hand like a student desperate to ask a dumb question. "Does it predict my bad decisions too? Because if so, that's a full-time job."
Dehya sighed. "Focus."
Alhaitham ignored me completely. Rude. "The Akasha is still in operation, so I must remain on high alert. ...Actually, considering the power of the Akasha, it's quite strange that it hasn't already tried to interfere with my actions."
Alhaitham leaned in. "I've given that a lot of thought. For now, I don't think you'll need to worry. If you remember, when you first came to Aaru Village, all your actions and routes were predicted by the Akasha. It even gave that information to those who kidnapped the Village Keepers. But things like that never happened again after we met up with the Traveler."
Cyno frowned. "Hm... That's true. But why?"
Alhaitham smiled faintly, like a man who just won an argument no one wanted to have. "Look at it from a different angle. Why do you think the Akasha will predict your actions?"
"Because my personal data has been entered into the Akasha," Cyno answered.
"True," Alhaitham said, "but the key to this question is, how well can the Akasha make predictions about a person? Haven't you ever thought about it? Just how can it do this in the first place?"
Cyno crossed his arms. "...Because the Akasha controls the entirety of Sumeru."
"The Akademiya firmly believes that all human actions can be explained through logic," Alhaitham explained. "By sorting and analyzing entered data, the Akasha can derive behavioral logic, and predict the actions of those who fit an existing logic model. However, at the risk of sounding like an advocate for fallacies, can everyone truly be considered logical at all times?"
He paced a little, warming up now. "Emotions are a part of our behavioral logic. But can you guarantee that every experience of the same joy or pain would be equally intense? How can our feelings and opinions be predictable down to the letter in every single instance?"
I whispered to Nilou, "Translation: we're too chaotic to be math problems." She giggled, nodding.
Cyno was silent.
Alhaitham pressed on. "Cyno, in the past, you've always worked alone. In the absence of another person who could sway you or your thoughts, the Akasha could produce predictions that were similar to your real-life behavioral principles. Decisive and principled, you were used to solving problems alone. That's why the Akasha could figure you out. But now, you've joined a team. And I believe the Akasha hasn't yet figured out the full composition of it."
He glanced at all of us. "Our thoughts and logic have intermingled, and weaved themselves together to become a complicated, chaotic mess. Any one of us could potentially disagree with another. The Akasha lacks data on these interactions, and it's impossible for it to predict your actions in the future based on your decisions in the past. After all, there's probably a limit to just how much we can be modeled or controlled by data."
"So, in my opinion, you're probably safe for now," Alhaitham finished.
Dehya smirked. "Makes sense to me, I agree. The Akasha is not alive, and I don't think we can be completely controlled by something without a mind of its own."
Cyno's shoulders eased slightly. "...Hm, is that so. I guess there are things that even the Akasha cannot calculate, and people will not be forever trapped by the past."
Flashback done. Back to the desert.
I spread my hands. "Get it now?"
Paimon blinked at me. "Wow, you're surprisingly useful today. Paimon is impressed."
I gasped. "Did—did I just get a compliment from Paimon? Quick, someone write this down, engrave it on a monument, tell the Akademiya—history has been made."
Greg face-planted into my collar like he couldn't bear to witness my ego inflating. Lumine smacked my arm lightly just to keep my feet on the ground.
Classic.
Paimon fluttered up like she'd just solved world peace. "But anyway, Paimon's so glad that this is settled!"
I leaned forward with a smug grin. "That's why you better listen all the time, floaty." I smirked with the kind of smugness that could topple kingdoms.
Cyno gave me a single nod. Just one. But oh boy, that nod was like rocket fuel to my ego. My chest inflated so much Greg had to claw on harder to stay balanced.
Nilou giggled beside me, covering her mouth with her hand. "You really are something, Shigeru."
"Something legendary, yes." I winked. "Honestly, I'm thinking of starting my own religion. Praise be to me, the guy who finally got acknowledged."
Greg slapped my cheek with his tail. Translation: shut up before you embarrass us both.
Lumine shook her head, smiling despite herself. "I'm confident that we can do this."
"Confident enough to bet dinner on it?" I asked immediately. "Winner gets a free meal. Cooked by you."
Her smile vanished. "No."
Paimon chimed in like she was my backup lawyer. "Yeah! Because if you cook, we'll all die!"
I waved my hands frantically. "Whoa, hold up! Correction, everyone: Lumine's actually the good cook here. I'm the culinary disaster. My specialty is 'how did this catch fire?'"
Greg flicked his tongue, which I'm pretty sure meant accurate.
I gasped in betrayal. "How dare you three slander my future free meal dreams like this?"
Nilou giggled again, her tone gentle. "Maybe Lumine should be the one cooking for you instead."
I froze. "...Touché. But still risky. If Lumine cooks, it's guaranteed delicious. If I cook, it's guaranteed a health hazard. You do the math."
Before I could make a sarcastic comment about being the dictionary definition of vigilance, Paimon's ears twitched. She gasped. "Ah, footsteps!"
A group of guards rounded the corner, weapons glinting in the desert sun. Their leader stepped forward, saluting sharply. "General Mahamatra! We were not expecting your presence here."
The man puffed up his chest like a rooster. "I am Luxembarbo, Security Officer of the Great Red Sand District."
Cyno's expression didn't move an inch. "Mm. This is my assistant, the Traveler. She and her team will be working with me. The construct next to her is for her work."
"Beep! Construct! Beep!" Paimon chirped like an unconvincing robot.
I pinched my nose. "Not convincing enough, floaty. Even Greg could've done better." I straightened my back and flourished like I was on stage. "And I am Shigeru, traveling genius, hero, occasional disaster. Also part-time motivational speaker, in case anyone needs pep talks."
Nilou bowed politely. "I'm Nilou. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Luxembarbo's eyes nearly popped out when he looked at Lumine. "What a great honor to meet you, Traveler, and company! Your golden hair is as bright as the sun! And… uh, is this the latest technology from the Akademiya?" His eyes darted nervously toward Greg, who was now licking his eyeball like a bored god.
Lumine smiled gently. "Nice to meet you, too."
Greg flicked his tongue in Luxembarbo's direction, which I'm 90% sure meant I could eat you but I won't.
I leaned over to Nilou and whispered, "See? That's my secret weapon. Pure intimidation via lizard tongue."
Nilou stifled a laugh. "He does have presence, that's for sure."
Cyno wasted no time. "Have you made a decision regarding the matter I mentioned to your subordinate?"
Luxembarbo nodded rapidly. "It seems to be a dire situation, so of course, you will have our full cooperation. To be perfectly honest, I've always longed to go on a mission with someone as well-known as yourself…"
"There's no need for flattery," Cyno cut him off flatly.
Luxembarbo's shoulders shot up to his ears. "Y–Yes, sir!"
Cyno's tone didn't change. "Take your most elite platoon and follow me to the eastern side of the district. We will carry out the operation there."
"Understood!" Luxembarbo snapped a salute.
Cyno sighed. "Map?"
"Bring the map! Hurry!" Luxembarbo barked.
One guard nearly tripped over his own spear to fetch it. Cyno circled the location with calm precision. "In two days, we will engage Rahman's Eremites, and capture all of them. Any questions about the time or location?"
"None at all, sir!" Luxembarbo squeaked.
"Good. See you then." Cyno closed the map.
"Yes, sir!" Luxembarbo saluted again, sweat dripping down his forehead.
As the guards scrambled off, Paimon floated up, her grin wide. "Maybe hanging around the General Mahamatra isn't so bad after all! Everyone's so respectful towards us."
Lumine crossed her arms, smug in her own way. "Yeah, it does feel pretty good."
I raised a hand dramatically. "At last, I am among equals. Respect flows through me like fine wine."
Greg slapped my forehead with his tail. Translation: shut up, you're drunk on ego.
Cyno, of course, had to ruin it. "This is all due to the absolute authority of the Akademiya. And now, we're going to strike back against that massive pillar of power. Get ready. We will move out in two days."
I groaned so loud the guards probably heard it from down the hall. "Right. Another two days of sitting around waiting. Time to slowly die of boredom again."
Nilou smiled softly, tilting her head. "At least we'll all be waiting together."
I clutched my chest like she'd just proposed marriage. "That's it. I can survive anything now."
Greg slapped my face with his tail again.
"…Okay, almost anything."
Lumine shook her head, amused. "You never change."
"Wrong," I corrected. "I adapt. Like sand. Like water. Like a man desperately trying not to lose another argument."
Nilou's laugh rang out softly, and Paimon clapped her hands. "Then let's all adapt together!"
And just like that, the weight in the air shifted—battle plans were heavy, but with everyone here, the desert didn't feel so suffocating. Just annoyingly hot.
__________
End of Chapter 137
Rewards:
*Resist urge to randomly punch someone in the desert. Barely. Survived only due to Lumine's terrifying threat.
*Watch Cyno work his authority magic while you provide zero actual help, except commentary. Operation passes without immediate disaster.
*Get saluted, bowed to, and respected by guards who definitely don't respect you. Ego inflates dangerously.
*Survive the flashback of Alhaitham's logic lecture without falling asleep. Translate for Nilou, get bonus giggles.
*Unlock a compliment. Cry about it. Frame it in the museum of miracles.
Rewards:
*+1 Itchy Knuckles (Passive Buff: Face Punch Probability +25%)
*+2 Nilou Giggles (Rare Drop, Combustion Guaranteed)
*+1 Lumine Death Threat (Romance Language, Untradeable)
*+1 Greg Tail Slap Combo (Critical Ego Reset)
*+1 Cyno Approval Nod (Legendary Rarity, lasts 30 seconds)
*+1 Compliment from Paimon (Epic Achievement, never happening again)
*Disguise Skill: "Construct Mode" Learned (Paimon performance: D–)
*Map of Desert Operation (Marked with Circle of Doom)
*Luxembarbo's Eternal Fear (Bound to Cyno, cannot be equipped)
*+10 Ego Inflation (Stacking debuff, reduced only by Greg)