Lumine's dishes arrived at last, and the three simply ate while "chatting"—which mostly meant each spoke past the other.
Whenever Nilou talked to Idris, she acted like the seat to his side was empty. When the Traveler spoke, Nilou returned the favor.
Ironically, the only one with a clean heart at the table was the "villain" boxed in between them—Idris.
Watching the Traveler deliberately sway in his peripheral vision, Idris waved her off. "Enough. Weren't you here about the commission you took from the Adventurers' Guild?"
Lumine nodded, cheeks tinged pink, and leaned closer with a smile. "I was. Don't let my age fool you—I'm a very experienced adventurer. I'm sure my… technique will satisfy you."
Her lips parted slightly; color climbed her face. Anyone with a wandering mind would, at this point, be dying to know which technique she meant.
She was good. A little too good.
Idris didn't even bother to roll his eyes. "If an adventurer overreaches, the life they lose is their own. That part doesn't worry me."
"As for the details: head into the desert and search for Red King sites. While you're at it, seed a rumor—say the Red King is about to return. The tribes who feel 'oppressed' by the rainforest should gather and prepare to challenge Sumeru."
Nilou forgot her rivalry long enough to ask, uneasy, "Grand Sage, why spread a lie like that? Even a rumor will inflame tensions between rainforest folk and the desert."
Nilou had a mercenary friend from the sands; with her temperament, she hated the thought of conflict.
"To resolve a longstanding rift, a controlled clash is sometimes necessary," Idris said. "Don't worry—it won't become a full war. I'll keep it contained."
Relief softened Nilou's eyes. Whatever he planned, she trusted him—perhaps more now than she'd ever trusted Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Idris went on, "I've already sent word to a few reliable desert contacts. They'll help you pass the rumor along. They're from Aaru Village. Because they know it's false from the start, they'll cooperate."
The Traveler, steadily abandoning her honey-trap plan, asked frankly, "And when I'm done? When those people gather—what will you do?"
"Cull the ones who refuse to listen."
Idris had never coddled troublemakers. The rumor served one purpose: draw the radicals into the open, then force them to face the truth of the Red King's age. That would soften faith-born hostility. Fix the wealth gap next, let the Traveler untie the knot of belief and culture… and if, after all that, a few still spit on Sumeru?
Then his patience would end.
Lumine didn't know the whole picture—she only heard, "I'll kill the obstinate," and silently stamped him "tyrant."
But at least one thing cleared: he wasn't the lecherous fiend she'd come to test. She'd thrown herself into the act and he hadn't so much as looked.
Maybe a little flirtatious, sure—but who's perfect? she thought. He's handsome, young, and already at the top—clearly capable. Please just… don't hurt Collei. Don't make a fool of her feelings.
Dropping the shy mask, the Traveler inhaled her food like a storm, then rose. "I'm full. Thank you for the meal, Mr. Idris."
"I need to prepare for the desert. I'll take my leave."
She slipped away, snagged Paimon from the shadows, and hurried off.
"How'd it go?" Paimon whispered. "Did the plan work?"
"No." Lumine shook her head, still a little surprised. "He was warm with that dancer, Nilou, but he was ice to me—like I was just some passerby. No matter how forward I was, he didn't bite. Looks like he isn't the 'falls for every pretty face' type after all."
Paimon blinked, then sighed in relief. "Good! That means he didn't take advantage of you, and maybe Collei's feelings are just… complicated—not because he did something awful."
Lumine nodded. Even so, her opinion of Idris didn't swing sunny. "Anyway, we came to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali and ask about my brother. The Sanctuary of Surasthana won't let us in yet… so let's finish Idris's commission first, earn his trust, then think about entry."
"Smart," Paimon said. "Whatever else he is, the Grand Sage pays really well."
"Let's rest up tonight and head for the desert."
Lumine glanced back at the restaurant with a complicated look, then turned away.
At the table, Nilou—now that the "light bulb" was gone—couldn't help grumbling, "Please be careful of women like that, Grand Sage. You're young, and there are plenty who'd try to tempt you. You must resist them!"
Even Idris couldn't help laughing. Over his shoulder, the invisible Nahida hugged her belly and rolled through the air.
"It's fine," Idris said with a flick of his hand. "This won't be the last time. As long as these schemers get the job done, I don't care."
Truth be told, even with his brains and EQ, he still had no idea what the Traveler had been aiming at.
Then silver-bell laughter rang in his mind.
"Haha… I can't—pfft—I can't hold it in!"
"Lesser Lord," he muttered under his breath, "what now?"
He remembered—Nahida could read the thoughts of anyone wearing an Akasha Terminal. She rarely used it. Judging from the way she was about to die laughing, today had been an exception.
"Hehe… later," Nahida chimed, mysterious as a cat. "For now, enjoy your date with Miss Nilou."
"Cryptic as ever…"
Idris let it go and finished the meal at a leisurely pace with Nilou. She glowed; the "third wheel" was gone, and the evening felt like an honest-to-goodness date. Idris's mind stayed half on work, but she was happy all the same.
After dinner, he saw her off with the excuse of business and returned to his office.
"Alright, Little Grass God," he said at last. "You've been laughing since the street. Out with it. What exactly did you find in the Traveler's head?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Nahida relayed everything she'd read from Lumine and Paimon—whose inner monologues had been downright busy.
When she finished, Idris sat there, speechless. "I'll accept 'tyrant.' But where in Teyvat did 'lecherous fiend' come from?"
"Hehe, who knows what they've picked up—or from where?" Nahida covered another giggle. "Didn't you say you don't care about being misunderstood?"
"I don't. But this one's… bizarre even for me." Idris rubbed his temples. "And I can't shake the feeling the Traveler's got more than one misunderstanding about me."
Extended thinking
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