Sumeru, Akademiya, House of Daena.
As the largest library in the Sumeru region, it is only open to scholars and students employed by or enrolled in the Akademiya. For some general knowledge books, they can be borrowed for research.
However, some collections are only accessible to senior scholars, serving as documentary evidence for their theses.
In Sumeru, this nation of wisdom, the published thesis represents one's status in Sumeru City and is the most valued possession. All resources are easily linked to academics, and academic resources are equivalent to social resources.
Some scholars, to complete their thesis, do not hesitate to travel across oceans to foreign lands to find suitable thesis materials. Some even form family relationships with others to obtain thesis materials.
Because of this, the countless materials and documents stored in the House of Daena have become highly coveted by students and scholars. Every day, a large number of students and scholars immerse themselves in the House of Daena, quietly studying and researching until closing time.
Compared to the bustling first floor of the House of Daena, the top floor space is not much smaller. Although, like the first floor, the bookshelves are filled with various materials and documents, the preciousness of the materials and documents here is far beyond what the books on the first floor can compare to.
Most of the documents and materials placed on the top floor are extremely precious, rare, and even dangerous. To borrow materials from here, one must at least hold the title of Kōbanḍa or higher to be eligible to apply.
For Akademiya students or lower-level scholars, the top floor of the House of Daena, let alone reading the documents inside, they do not even have the qualification to go up.
Because this is the office of the current Grand Sage of the Akademiya—Azar.
Apart from that, it appears very quiet, with a sense of desolation. The vast office area only has one desk and one chair.
On the chair, a spirited old man is engrossed in handling affairs, dressed in a luxurious and noble blue robe, fully displaying the demeanor of a profound scholar.
This person is none other than the current Grand Sage of Sumeru—Azar, the head of the Akademiya in Sumeru City.
Just then, the Akasha Terminal on Azar's ear, as he was engrossed in his documents, suddenly lit up, interrupting his work.
He slightly raised his head, seemingly waiting for something. Not long after, the only elevator that could go to the top floor started, and a young woman, also wearing a blue scholar's robe, appeared before Azar.
Azar merely glanced at her and asked, "Setaria, is something the matter?"
Setaria, standing before him, is Azar's assistant, a genius scholar from the Desert. Because of his talent, he was exceptionally admitted to the Akademiya and eventually became the Grand Sage's assistant.
Setaria: "Grand Sage, according to the message from Master Kavaja, Master Naphis's attitude remains firm and he is unwilling to participate in the Project."
Azar snorted coldly: "Hmph! That old stubborn man, still as ill-tempered as ever. If he were that easy to persuade, he wouldn't be Naphis.
Forget it. He is, after all, a sage of the Amurta School and has made outstanding contributions to Sumeru. He should not be overly criticized. However, since he is unwilling to help, then let him not cause trouble."
Setaria: "Yes! Master Kavaja also said that since Master Naphis is unwilling to help, he would settle for the next best thing and sought out Master Naphis's esteemed disciple, Mr. Tighnari, to intervene. Unfortunately, Mr. Tighnari declined Master Kavaja's invitation, citing the need to deal with the Withering Zones in Mawtiyima Forest."
Azar: "Tighnari?"
No sooner had Azar finished speaking than his Akasha Terminal lit up, retrieving all data and reports about Tighnari from Akasha.
After quickly reviewing Tighnari's resume, Azar nodded and said, "So it's him. What an excellent talent, no wonder he could become the beloved disciple of that old stubborn Naphis, even inheriting three parts of that old stubborn man's temper.
A top student from Amurta Academy, running off to Mawtiyima Forest to be a Forest Ranger, what a waste of talent.
Clearing Withering Zones? Hmph, his method is merely a temporary solution, not a permanent one. Everything we are doing is the truly lasting solution."
Setaria: "Then, Grand Sage, should we teach that unappreciative Tighnari a lesson?"
Azar simply waved his hand and said, "Geniuses, you know, always have their pride. Let him be tempered in Mawtiyima Forest for a few years, kill off his arrogance, and he'll be easier to control."
Azar's words were spoken without intention, but heard with meaning. Setaria immediately recalled his own past and couldn't help but feel sorrow for Tighnari's future predicament.
He was born in Aaru Village in the Desert and showed genius academic talent from a young age. Unfortunately, Sumeru's sand barrier not only blocked the invasion of sandstorms but also erected a huge barrier in the hearts of the Desertfolk and rainforest people.
Even though he was exceptionally admitted to the Akademiya, because of Setaria's background, and coupled with the fact that the deity he worshipped was the Scarlet King, not Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, he suffered greatly from discrimination and ridicule in the Akademiya.
At first, Setaria merely scoffed at this discrimination and ridicule, dismissing it as the jealousy of the weak. However, as time went on, he discovered that not only his classmates but even his mentors began to make things difficult for him, creating all sorts of challenges.
He had worked tirelessly, neglecting sleep and food, to complete his research and thesis. Yet, when he submitted it to his mentor for review, the mentor very naturally erased his name from the position of first author and wrote his own name instead.
If the first author had been his mentor's name, Setaria felt he could still accept it. But everything that happened next completely broke Setaria's resolve.
His mentor wrote another classmate's name in the second author position, while his own name was relegated to the third author. Without Setaria's knowledge, it was directly submitted and approved.
Seeing that the thesis was beyond retrieval, the indignant Setaria decided to bypass his mentor and submit his next thesis directly for review. However, to his surprise, the Mahamata responsible for reviewing the thesis directly rejected it and even suspected Setaria of plagiarizing his mentor's academic achievements.
After several setbacks, Setaria finally succumbed to reality. He not only converted to worshipping Greater Lord Rukkhadevata but also began to avoid discussing his Desert origins, instead learning to act like a rainforest person.
Coupled with learning flattery, sycophancy, and other tactics, Setaria's situation in the Akademiya underwent a dramatic change. He not only graduated quickly from the Akademiya but also, due to his excellent abilities, quickly distinguished himself in the Akademiya, earning the appreciation of Grand Sage Azar and becoming his assistant.
Because of this, Setaria earned the respect and fawning of Akademiya students and scholars, and even the mentor who had previously made things difficult for him began to curry favor with his former student.
Azar asked again, "By the way, how are the preparations for the Project coming along?"
Setaria: "Reporting, Grand Sage, everything is proceeding according to plan. It will officially launch on the day of the Sabzeruz Festival."
Azar: "The Sabzeruz Festival… It's time to properly celebrate the birth of the deity."
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