Episode 182: Just as the script dictates, the 'Sabzeruz Festival' is being performed.
『 Having made up her mind, she politely turned to Dunyarzad and said, "Excuse me, I need to leave for a moment, Miss Dunyarzad."
"Hmm, it's alright," Dunyarzad replied casually, seemingly not minding.
Little Lumine, with her suspicions, didn't notice anything amiss…
Upon receiving the response, she resolutely turned and walked straight in a certain direction.
Paimon, looking bewildered, exclaimed, "Hey! Where are you going? Why did you suddenly leave?"
An anxious Paimon quickly followed, resulting in the candies they had just received being forgotten.
But Paimon wasn't worried; after all, Dunyarzad was still there, and when they returned, the candies would naturally still be available.
Little Paimon was like that, following closely behind Lumine, the two quickly moving through the streets with a clear destination.
Before long, they arrived at a small tavern that was currently rather quiet.
And this tavern was precisely the one they had first visited when they met Dunyarzad.
Upon reaching the tavern's main door, Little Lumine decisively pushed it open and walked in, with Paimon close behind, flying in just as the door was closing. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Shizuka Hiratsuka (Oregairu): "This is a tavern?" ]
[ Eriri Spencer Sawamura (Saekano): "Why did we suddenly come to a tavern?" ]
[ .....]
『 Inside the tavern. Upon entering the tavern and finding a seat, Lumine began to explain her sudden, unusual behavior.
"You mean, you have a sense of déjà vu?" Paimon asked, tilting her little head, her eyes full of confusion. She wondered; they had been inseparable, so why would Lumine have such a strange feeling while she herself noticed nothing?
Of course, Paimon was no stranger to the term 'déjà vu.'
"I've heard of that phenomenon, where you see certain things and feel like you've experienced them before, even though they're clearly happening for the first time."
"Wait!" Paimon seemed to have caught onto something: "Now that you mention it, I recall that something felt subtly off today too, but perhaps that was just our imagination?"
Lumine herself was unsure of the situation and naturally couldn't determine if Paimon's guess was correct, so she remained silent. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "If I hadn't watched this livestream, I would have always thought it was an illusion." ]
[ Kaeya (Genshin Impact): "So, the Traveler is the only special existence." ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "Perhaps I'm just a bit more sensitive." ]
[ .....]
『 At this moment, after Paimon finished speaking, her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked around: "So why did you rush me here, anyway?"
"Because," Little Lumine whispered, "I also want to try doing something I would never normally do, to see if I can shake off this feeling of déjà vu."
Perhaps doing something that one's instincts resist could truly break this repetitive cycle?
Even tiny Paimon understood this logic. After hearing Little Lumine's explanation, her eyes rolled thoughtfully:
"So, if we intentionally act out of the ordinary, we can test whether we still have that familiar feeling about things we've done before?"
Just as the two were engrossed in their discussion, "Welcome, distinguished guests." The tavern owner appeared at the opportune moment, greeting them with a smile, "Are you here for a meal at this hour? Is there anything you'd like to try?"
At this very moment, not only was Sumeru secretly preparing for the Sabzeruz Festival, but it was also not breakfast time. Logically, the tavern shouldn't have customers looking for drinks or food at this hour.
But Little Lumine, she simply didn't follow the usual path.
As soon as the owner finished speaking, Little Lumine responded briskly, "One Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake, please." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "What's a Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake? Is the Traveler hungry?" ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "It's probably something we've seen before but would never actually try." ]
[ Natasha (Honkai: Star Rail): "Sounds like a type of pastry." ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Charcoal-Baked flavored?" ]
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "Why would anyone think of eating something like that?" ]
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "Oh? Sounds like it's not a good thing?" ]
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "Let's just say, it's merely edible." ]
[ Aqua (KonoSuba): "Isn't edible good enough?" ]
[ Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba): "Stupid, she means it tastes terrible." ]
[ Aqua (KonoSuba): "Oh, oh." ]
[ .....]
『 "Alright, though you two seem to have traveled far, you certainly have good taste." The tavern owner closed his small notebook with satisfaction and said with a smile, "I'll tell the kitchen to prepare it right away."
With that, the owner, having secured a sale, turned to go to the kitchen to place the order.
However,
Despite the owner's praise, the Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake was famously a "dark cuisine."
In Sumeru, it was usually the reluctant choice of those with empty pockets. Little Lumine remembered hearing about it for the first time on the day she met Dunyarzad.
To her, the existence of Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake felt like a misunderstanding, making one wonder if a piece of pure charcoal had been mistakenly served.
Paimon, still a little scared, whispered, "Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake! Isn't that that dark, unappetizing-looking thing?"
That kind of thing, its appearance alone screamed "unpalatable," so why did Little Lumine choose it?
Paimon suddenly understood, her eyes lighting up: "Hey! I get it, I finally understand what you're trying to do."
"Exactly, normally, who would be so full they'd want to challenge that thing again?"
Before long, the owner emerged from the kitchen with a mysterious creation and placed it directly in front of Lumine.
This thing was pitch black, its appearance truly unappealing.
As the "delicacy" landed on the table, the owner went about his own business.
Paimon stared at the unidentified object, her heart fluttering: "That... thing... Are you really gonna eat it? Isn't this... going a bit too far..."
Even Paimon, a little foodie, dared not take a bite this time. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "Can this thing really be eaten?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Paimon dares not eat it." ]
[ Nilou (Genshin Impact): "Actually, the texture is quite good, worth a try." ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "I'd like to try the flavor Miss Nilou mentioned, too." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Eww~" ]
[ .....]
『 But surprisingly, Lumine announced without hesitation, "Here goes!"
Before her words even finished, she took a big bite of the Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake.
Miraculously, with that bite, Lumine actually felt the taste wasn't so bad after all.
She remembered last time, it was absolutely dreadful.
Why was it suddenly different?
Paimon explained that it might be a trick of taste, looking terrible but perhaps not so bad in reality.
But Lumine suddenly realized something even more amiss:
"This change from terrible to edible, it feels like I've experienced it more than once."
As soon as she said this, alarm bells seemed to go off in both their minds simultaneously, their CPUs overheating from thought. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Fu Xuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Not just once, meaning, in unknown memories, this has already happened more than once?" ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "My brain is overheating a bit." ]
[ .....]
『 Finally, after racking their brains without finding any valuable clues, the two decided to leave the tavern and continue their journey to find Dunyarzad.
Stepping out of the tavern, the scene before them left them dumbfounded.
Dunyarzad was sitting quietly on a bench by the door.
Little Lumine, sharp-eyed, darted forward, examining Dunyarzad from head to toe.
"What a coincidence, Dunyarzad!" Paimon greeted enthusiastically, "We meet again so soon! Why are you sitting here resting alone? Are you tired?"
Dunyarzad's expression was calm as she slowly replied, "Hmm, I encountered a small problem just now, but thankfully Dehya appeared in time to save me. But I'm feeling a bit unwell now, so I'm resting here for a bit." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Dehya (Genshin Impact): "I left Miss Dunyarzad alone here during that part, that's impossible, I wouldn't make such a mistake." ]
[ .....]
『 "Small problem! Oh my goodness, are you hurt?" Paimon, hearing the word "danger," immediately fluttered her wings and flew over to check her from head to toe.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. But Dehya got a small scrape on her arm protecting me. I'm just a bit tired, nothing else." Dunyarzad forced a faint smile and explained softly. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Dunyarzad Homayani (Genshin Impact): "Dehya's hand was still injured." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Why do I feel like all of this is like a script, running endlessly according to a pattern?" ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "A script, you say?" ]
[ .....]
『 Relieved that she was safe, Paimon finally let out a sigh.
But then, she noticed that Dunyarzad seemed a bit off today.
"Huh, why do I feel like you're a bit down today, Dunyarzad? You should be really looking forward to today's Sabzeruz Festival, shouldn't you?" Paimon was full of questions.
"Not really." Dunyarzad gently shook her head, her eyes full of tranquility: "I've always been like this. Too much strenuous activity or extreme emotional fluctuations can quickly worsen my condition."
"And no matter how special today is, it's still just an ordinary day."
"Who knows how many more ordinary days I have left; time for me is running out."
Dunyarzad's tone was calm, yet it revealed a puzzling meaning. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Dunyarzad's body looks weaker than when we last parted." ]
[ Dunyarzad Homayani (Genshin Impact): "On the day of the Sabzeruz Festival, the birthday of Lesser Lord Kusanali, I would not be like this, God of Wisdom, please forgive me." ]
[ Nahida (Genshin Impact): "It's alright, I understand." ]
[ .....]
『 Paimon was completely baffled by this, as she didn't yet know about Dunyarzad's Eleazar, and couldn't help but ask: "Dunyarzad, what do you mean by that? I feel like I can't keep up with your thoughts, but I can tell you're very sad."
At this moment, Lumine suddenly spoke up, apologizing for her abrupt departure: "I'm really sorry for leaving so suddenly just now."
Dunyarzad sat on the bench, her eyes calmly looking at Lumine, and replied softly, "It's alright, I don't mind."
Lumine's expression was slightly conflicted as she then asked Dunyarzad: "I encountered a situation, did you feel anything amiss?"
After all, Dunyarzad's state was the most unusual thing today.
If there truly was an anomaly, she should have noticed it, right?
However, after hearing Lumine's words, Dunyarzad turned to Lumine with a puzzled expression: "Hmm? Is anything different today?"
Her confused expression suggested that nothing out of the ordinary had indeed happened today.
Paimon, standing nearby, tried to explain: "It's just… do you feel like something has happened before? Like a sense of déjà vu?"
Dunyarzad didn't think much of it and replied directly to Paimon:
"Déjà vu? No. For so many years, I've repeated similar routines every day, so even if I had that feeling, I would have gotten used to it by now."
"Could it be that this déjà vu only affects the Traveler?" Paimon looked somewhat bewildered as she turned to Lumine.
Just as the two were about to delve deeper, Dunyarzad suddenly stood up and calmly said, "It's about time."
Paimon was startled by this action, but upon realizing it was Dunyarzad, she quickly regained her composure.
"…Oh dear, what's wrong? Is something about to begin?"
"Nilou's Dance of Sabzeruz is about to start, let's go quickly." With that, Dunyarzad resolutely rose and walked towards the Grand Bazaar not far away.
Paimon and Lumine exchanged glances, then followed suit.
At this very moment, in the bustling heart of the Grand Bazaar.
As Dunyarzad and Little Lumine followed Nilou into the Grand Bazaar's stage area, Nilou's conversation with the Grand Sage had quietly concluded.
The Grand Sage cast a disdainful glance at Nilou, a slight sneer on his lips: "Given your knowledge, I do not believe you have the standing to argue with me."
"What you should do now is quickly find someone to dismantle these ridiculous decorations."
With that, the Grand Sage turned and prepared to leave with the female scholar beside him. Upon reaching a secluded corner, he whispered:
"When we return, have the Scribe draft an ordinance before the next Jnagarbha Day that prohibits public art performances. We will announce it to the public later via the Akasha."
"Understood, I will convey it immediately," the female scholar, Setaria, responded.
"Hmph, Sabzeruz Festival, you should just celebrate the birth of the deity," the Grand Sage said in a final, enigmatic sentence before leaving.
With his words, he did not linger and left the Grand Bazaar stage directly.』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "What does the Grand Sage mean by that? Could all of this be their doing?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "But that's not right, they themselves also fell into this plan, so are they sacrificing themselves?" ]
[ Tighnari (Genshin Impact): "Impossible, the Grand Sage values his life greatly." ]
[ Haibara Ai (Detective Conan): "Then it doesn't make sense." ]
[ Rimuru Tempest (Tensura): "But no matter what, this guy definitely has something to do with this strange situation." ]
[ Rimuru Tempest (Tensura): "I thought it was strange last time, and now that he's said this, he's definitely involved." ]
[ Tighnari (Genshin Impact): "This…" ]
[ .....]
『 "Nilou, are you alright?" Seeing Nilou's downcast expression, Paimon cautiously approached and asked softly.
As usual, Nilou's gaze, upon meeting theirs, immediately fixed on Dunyarzad.
"Oh no! Dunyarzad, the Grand Sage, and they want us to stop the performance immediately." Nilou looked at Dunyarzad with a wronged expression.
Nilou wanted to say more, but Dunyarzad instead comforted her:
"It's alright, this is unavoidable, isn't it?"
"But you were so looking forward to it, I don't want you to have any regrets…" Nilou was full of grievances, as if she had a thousand words to say.
Unexpectedly, Dunyarzad remained unusually calm: "No, although I also have regrets, the more important thing is not to cause trouble for everyone, isn't it?"
"Moreover, the Grand Sage just mentioned that the organizers might be held accountable, right?"
"That's true, well, then for the next Sabzeruz Festival, we must make it a complete success no matter what." Nilou finally nodded helplessly.
"Next time? I might not be here then…" Dunyarzad whispered, as if with a deeper meaning.
The sound was so faint that Nilou didn't catch it, so she curiously lifted her small face.
"Huh? Did you just mumble something?"
"Nothing, I plan to go back and rest. Everyone worked hard today, too." Dunyarzad didn't explain, dropped these words, and left without looking back. …
Watching Dunyarzad's retreating figure, Paimon grumbled discontentedly.
"These insensitive Sages, they just left like that."
But since things had come to this, what else could be done?
"It's such a pity, though,h for some reason, it feels expected."
In the end, Paimon could only let out a helpless sigh.
"Alright, Dunyarzad has gone back to rest, so let's adjust our mindset and prepare to head back home to sleep."
As soon as she said this, the other two also expressed their agreement.
The scene shifts
As the scene shifted, they also returned to their small dwelling.
"So, in the end, we still have no clue. Could it really just be that we're too tired?"
"My head does feel a bit dizzy, even though I haven't done much thinking. Why am I so tired?"
"I feel that way too! That's why I already gave up thinking at noon, hehehe."
"Since that's the case, let's get some rest early. Let's just consider it an illusion caused by being too tired. We can think about anything else tomorrow!"
As the conversation ended, the screen gradually darkened.
And at that moment, a voice sounded again. 』
『 .....』