Shock, confusion, fear, and doubt all surged through Collei's mind simultaneously.
At this moment, her thoughts were practically frozen.
There was no helping it. The sudden appearance of Futsu Mitama had impacted her far too greatly.
At the same time, another question inevitably surfaced within her heart.
Why would someone like Futsu Mitama deliberately conceal his appearance after arriving in Sumeru?
"There's a reason for that."
As though noticing the confusion in Collei's eyes, Futsu Mitama calmly explained,
"I was entrusted by someone to come to Sumeru and help resolve certain matters. As for what those matters are… I'll need to meet your master before I can explain further."
Collei's master was naturally the person Cyno had mentioned before—the Forest Ranger of Gandharva Ville, Tighnari.
Within the Akademiya, Tighnari was actually somewhat well-known. Anyone who had interacted with him would praise both his wisdom and his strong sense of responsibility.
Of course, speaking of wisdom inside the Akademiya sounded rather strange.
After all, Sumeru's Akademiya was practically overflowing with "wise" people.
But even among them, Tighnari remained unique.
Cyno held him in exceptionally high regard precisely because Tighnari possessed principles.
He respected the gods, respected life itself, and unlike many scholars within Sumeru, he did not possess that arrogant attitude of believing himself superior to everyone else.
This was also why Futsu Mitama chose Gandharva Ville as their first destination.
With Tighnari's assistance, their actions in Sumeru would at least gain direction instead of blindly stumbling through unknown territory.
Frankly speaking, Cyno's current situation was barely any different from being blind himself.
"Alright… I understand."
Collei nodded obediently.
"Then everyone, please follow me."
Although she still did not fully understand why Futsu Mitama specifically wished to meet her teacher, she ultimately chose to trust him.
The reason was simple.
Amber trusted Futsu Mitama.
And for Collei, that reason alone was already sufficient.
"Thank you."
Seeing that Collei did not continue questioning him, Futsu Mitama also quietly sighed in relief.
Because once this topic truly expanded further, things would become extremely troublesome to explain.
For example—
How was he supposed to explain matters regarding Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Lesser Lord Kusanali?
Or the Akademiya's secret cooperation with the Fatui?
It was not that he looked down on Collei or believed she lacked the qualifications to know these matters.
Rather, the situation itself was simply too complicated.
If he explained everything once now, he would only need to explain it all over again later to Tighnari.
"How should we deal with this group?"
Kuki Shinobu glanced toward the tied-up Scarlet Sand Scorpions nearby.
These Eremites who had attempted robbery were currently lying in a miserable heap.
"In Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma, the local authorities would naturally come handle this kind of matter. But I'm unfamiliar with Sumeru's procedures. So what should we do with them?"
Hearing the question, Collei shook her head slightly. She looked at Kuki Shinobu seriously.
"We will ensure they receive the punishment they deserve. For now… wake them up first."
The moment her words fell, Black Aila silently activated her shadow power.
Dark tentacles suddenly emerged from the ground and began repeatedly slapping the unconscious Eremites.
"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Accompanied by sharp sounds, the unconscious members of the Scarlet Sand Scorpions immediately woke up one after another.
The first thing they did after opening their eyes was look toward their leader.
Then—
"Please spare us!!"
The burly leader instantly dropped to his knees without the slightest hesitation. He began kowtowing frantically toward Futsu Mitama and Collei.
"We're first-time offenders! Please show mercy!!"
His kneeling speed was astonishingly fast. The other Eremites initially looked confused after seeing their boss kneel so decisively.
However, after noticing Collei's Forest Ranger attire, their expressions immediately changed.
Their legs weakened on the spot, and they all followed suit by kneeling without hesitation.
Everyone in Sumeru knew one thing very clearly.
The Akademiya's sages and scholars might hold the highest authority in theory—
But within forests like Avidya Forest, the truly terrifying individuals were the Forest Rangers and Forest Watchers.
Because unlike the Akademiya, these people genuinely possessed direct authority in local regions.
And more importantly—
They were extremely dedicated when enforcing it.
Once targeted by the Forest Rangers, it was practically equivalent to having one foot already inside prison.
This was absolutely not a joke.
If the Forest Rangers casually added a few charges onto them, their lives would essentially be over.
"That decision isn't mine to make."
Collei's expression remained serious and stern.
"You blocked the road and attempted robbery. Even if you failed, you already violated Sumeru's laws. I will now escort all of you back to Gandharva Ville, where my master will determine your punishment."
As she spoke, Collei ordered them to stand up and follow everyone back toward Gandharva Ville.
However, after hearing this, the members of the Scarlet Sand Scorpions immediately panicked.
They repeatedly kowtowed while begging for mercy.
They swore they would never do such things again.
They begged desperately not to be taken to Gandharva Ville.
Most importantly—
Not a single one of them dared stand up.
Because once they willingly followed the Forest Rangers back, their crimes would effectively be confirmed beyond dispute.
At that moment, Kuki Shinobu silently drew the tachi hanging at her waist.
Without another word, she placed the blade directly against the leader's neck.
Then she calmly offered two choices.
"Option one. You obediently return and accept judgment."
"Option two. I kill you here right now."
Who was Kuki Shinobu?
She was an absolute all-rounder.
It was not as though she lacked knowledge regarding Sumeru's laws.
During her studies in Liyue, she had specifically discussed legal systems from other nations with Yanfei.
Among those discussions were the differences between Liyue's and Sumeru's laws.
For example—
In Liyue, robbery without murder was generally not punishable by death.
But Sumeru was different.
Here, if a robber successfully targeted travelers and was later captured, the victim possessed considerable rights regarding how the criminal would be dealt with.
In other words—
Kuki Shinobu genuinely had the authority to kill them on the spot.
And even Collei could not stop her.
This instantly terrified the Scarlet Sand Scorpions.
They exchanged panicked glances. They genuinely had not known such laws existed.
However, after seeing the cold expression in Kuki Shinobu's eyes, they understood one thing very clearly.
She was absolutely not joking.
Thus, this group of Eremites immediately gave up resisting. They obediently stood up and followed behind everyone, preparing to head toward Gandharva Ville.
Meanwhile, their burly leader let out a sorrowful sigh.
"My Scarlet Sand Scorpions—"
"It hadn't even flourished yet before collapsing—"
"How… amazing…"
Collei's eyes sparkled slightly as she looked at Kuki Shinobu with admiration.
As a trainee Forest Ranger, she had handled similar incidents more than once before.
However, the criminals she encountered were usually aggressive and stubborn. Even after being defeated, they would still insist they could continue fighting.
Dealing with them always exhausted her.
People like the Scarlet Sand Scorpions, who immediately knelt and begged for mercy without hesitation, were honestly rather rare among the Eremites.
Just now, Collei had genuinely been unsure how to handle them.
Yet Kuki Shinobu resolved the situation effortlessly.
"It's nothing."
Kuki Shinobu quietly sheathed her tachi again.
At the same time, however, she looked toward Collei with slight curiosity. Why did this girl possess the aura of Demon God Remnants within her body?
Aila and Black Aila's perceptions were exceptionally sharp.
As beings possessing authority comparable to half-Archons, they naturally would not mistake such an aura.
Not only Kuki Shinobu noticed this.
Sangonomiya Kokomi was also quietly observing Collei. Because from Collei's body, she could vaguely sense a strange and uncomfortable presence.
As the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island, Kokomi instinctively felt that something about Collei was deeply abnormal.
And perhaps—something within her was suffering.
However, since this was only their first meeting, Kokomi naturally did not ask directly.
She merely decided silently within her heart that after they became more familiar with each other—
She would try to help resolve whatever problem Collei carried within her.
Led by Collei, everyone headed cheerfully toward Gandharva Ville.
Since both Futsu Mitama and Kuki Shinobu had met Amber before, they began recounting everything that had happened in Mondstadt half a year ago to Collei along the way. Although Collei had already heard many of those stories through Amber's letters, hearing them again from a different perspective still felt fresh and novel to her.
Before long, everyone arrived at Gandharva Ville, the settlement built within the rainforest where Forest Rangers and Akademiya Scholars gathered to handle various crises occurring throughout the rainforest region.
Many ordinary civilians also lived there, and the moment Futsu Mitama and the others stepped into the settlement, they immediately felt the warmth and vitality of the place.
"Sister Collei! Sister Collei!!!"
"Did you catch more bad guys?!"
"It's the Eremites again. Why are they always doing bad things and thinking about stealing from people?"
"Not all Eremites are bad people! Some of them are good! But the ones who do bad things always get caught by Sister Collei!"
A group of children immediately ran over the moment they saw Collei return, surrounding her while chattering noisily.
When they looked at the tied-up Eremites, their eyes were filled with obvious disdain.
Although they were still young, they already understood that these Eremites were bad people. Otherwise, Sister Collei would never have captured them.
Looking at the children before her, Collei revealed a bright and gentle smile. She softly told them to step aside for now.
After all, these Eremites still needed to be locked up properly. Letting everyone crowd around and stare at them like animals in a cage wasn't appropriate.
Soon afterward, several other Forest Rangers arrived as well. After briefly greeting Collei, they turned their gazes toward Futsu Mitama and the others, who were still concealing their appearances beneath robes and masks.
Their outfits were undeniably suspicious.
However, since Collei had personally brought them here, the other Forest Rangers chose not to question them further.
If someone did not wish to reveal their appearance, then they likely had their own reasons. There was no need to force the matter.
"Everyone, I'll leave these people to you," Collei said seriously to the other Forest Rangers. "I need to bring these travelers from afar to meet my master."
"They're planning to head toward Sumeru City afterward, but since they aren't familiar with the roads here, they'll probably stay in Gandharva Ville for a day or two first."
Hearing Collei's explanation, the other Forest Rangers simply nodded.
There were far too many travelers passing through Gandharva Ville every day. Situations like this were already commonplace to them, which was also why the Forest Rangers here were perpetually busy.
Afterward, Collei continued leading Futsu Mitama and the others deeper into Gandharva Ville.
Along the way, she repeatedly emphasized that her master was a very kind person and told everyone not to feel nervous.
"If there's anything important, Master will definitely help however he can," Collei said earnestly. "And if even Master can't solve it—then there probably really isn't anything anyone can do."
Collei clearly held immense confidence in Tighnari.
After all, even many renowned Scholars and several Sages from the Akademiya had personally invited Tighnari to leave Gandharva Ville and return to Sumeru City.
They believed someone as talented as him shouldn't remain hidden away in the rainforest as a Forest Ranger.
But this time, the one who had come to visit was Futsu Mitama.
The next Raiden Shogun.
Just thinking about that title alone made Collei instinctively nervous. She had no idea what kind of "matter" someone of his status wanted to discuss.
So she could only quietly give him advance notice that although her master was indeed very capable, he wasn't omnipotent.
Futsu Mitama simply smiled and nodded.
"It's fine. It's not some major issue. Don't worry."
Hearing his calm response, Collei finally let out a small sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't something catastrophic, that was good enough.
"Knock. Knock. Knock."
At that moment, Collei arrived in front of Tighnari's room.
She gently knocked on the wooden door and spoke respectfully.
"Master, I've brought some guests to see you."
"Come in."
A gentle voice sounded from inside the room.
Collei pushed open the wooden door and walked in first.
Futsu Mitama and the others followed closely behind her.
The moment they entered, they saw a young man with an exceptionally youthful appearance gently shaking a test tube in his hand.
He possessed large ears and a long, fluffy tail, giving him the impression of some rare forest creature.
However, none of them underestimated him.
Because this was precisely the person they had come here to find.
Tighnari.
The Forest Ranger of Gandharva Ville, as well as a botanist Scholar belonging to the Amurta Darshan of the Akademiya.
"Hmm?"
When Futsu Mitama and the others entered, Tighnari paused slightly.
He slowly placed the test tube down on the nearby table.
His instincts were telling him that the people before him were far from ordinary.
"Hello, Tighnari."
Futsu Mitama removed his mask.
At the same time, Kuki Shinobu, who stood at the very back, quietly closed the wooden door behind them.
Shenhe also silently took out several talismans and activated a soundproof barrier throughout the room.
From this moment onward, even if someone outside attempted to eavesdrop, they would hear absolutely nothing.
Unless someone forcefully broke the barrier.
But if that happened, Shenhe would immediately notice.
"?!"
Seeing this scene, Collei's expression instantly stiffened.
The atmosphere suddenly became far more serious than she had imagined.
The matter they were about to discuss—it couldn't possibly be something extremely important, right?
At this point, was it still too late for her to quietly leave the room?
"You're the next Raiden Shogun?!"
The moment Tighnari saw Futsu Mitama's face clearly, surprise immediately appeared in his eyes.
He was not ignorant of outside affairs.
On the contrary, he knew quite a bit about Inazuma's newly appointed successor to the Raiden Shogun position. He had even seen portraits and records regarding him before.
But that only made the situation more confusing.
Why had someone like Futsu Mitama specifically come to Gandharva Ville to seek him out?
After all, the two of them should have been complete strangers.
Futsu Mitama's name was famous no matter which Archon nation one looked at.
The reason was simple.
Within every nation, the Archon stood at the absolute pinnacle of reverence.
Below the Archon came the Archon's retainers.
Only after that did human powers such as the Knights of Favonius, the Liyue Qixing, the Tri-Commission, and the Akademiya enter the hierarchy.
However, Futsu Mitama's existence had forcibly created an entirely new class.
The candidate for Archon.
Or rather… the next Archon.
His status already surpassed that of ordinary retainers and stood second only to the Archon themselves.
In a certain sense, he was already equivalent to an Archon.
So for someone of that stature to suddenly appear before him, it would have been impossible for Tighnari not to feel shocked.
As for why Collei had brought him here, Tighnari wasn't particularly surprised.
Even before Futsu Mitama became famous throughout the nations, Tighnari had already learned about many of his "great deeds" through the letters Collei received from Mondstadt.
Thinking of this, Tighnari gradually calmed himself after the initial shock.
Although he still did not know why Futsu Mitama had specifically come to find him, since the other party had sought him out personally, he would naturally explain his purpose sooner or later.
If it was merely a minor matter, Tighnari was willing to help.
But if it was some enormous affair—
Then he might truly be powerless.
Because Tighnari understood his own limits very clearly.
One should only undertake responsibilities that match one's abilities.
"Mm."
Seeing the surprise in Tighnari's eyes, Futsu Mitama could not help but feel somewhat emotional internally.
Without realizing it, he had already become a major figure in the eyes of others.
Still, after briefly feeling emotional, Futsu Mitama looked toward Shenhe, who had already completed the soundproof barrier, before turning back to Tighnari and speaking seriously.
"Actually, I came from Liyue under the commission of an Archon to handle several matters in Sumeru."
Collei remained completely confused.
Because what Futsu Mitama had just said was completely different from what he had told her earlier.
Earlier, he had said:
"I was entrusted by someone to come to Sumeru and seek Tighnari's help."
But now, it had become:
"I was entrusted by an Archon to come to Sumeru and handle certain matters."
"Entrusted by an Archon?"
Tighnari blinked slightly, surprise appearing in his eyes once more.
In his understanding, Futsu Mitama possessed unusually close ties with three Archons.
The Raiden Shogun naturally required no explanation.
She had personally and publicly declared Futsu Mitama to be the next Raiden Shogun.
As for Rex Lapis, he had also publicly announced that he possessed an heir, and during that exact period, Futsu Mitama had "coincidentally" appeared within Liyue Harbor.
Meanwhile, through Collei's correspondence from Mondstadt, Tighnari had also unexpectedly learned that Futsu Mitama had obtained the Anemo Archon Authority.
In a sense, he could already be considered the spokesperson of the Anemo Archon.
In other words, he was someone favored by three Archons simultaneously.
Which raised the question—
Which Archon had commissioned him to come to Sumeru?
Tighnari quietly became more vigilant.
It wasn't that he disrespected the other Archons. But the current situation within Sumeru was simply too delicate.
The Akademiya's recent movements had become increasingly strange.
The Fatui from Snezhnaya were also becoming unusually active throughout Sumeru.
Even the Eremites who worshipped the Scarlet King had begun causing chaos everywhere, from robbery to malicious assaults.
And now, with Futsu Mitama's sudden arrival, yet another powerful faction had entered Sumeru.
This immediately gave Tighnari a headache.
"Maha Rukkhadevata."
Futsu Mitama calmly spoke the name of the Archon most revered throughout Sumeru.
"What?!" Collei instantly cried out in disbelief, covering her mouth. "How is that possible?! Didn't Greater Lord Rukkhadevata pass away long ago?!"
"?!"
Tighnari's pupils also contracted sharply.
Shock filled his expression.
Because Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had indeed passed away five hundred years ago.
Unlike other nations, Sumeru was the Nation of Wisdom.
The existence of the Akasha System meant that the people of Sumeru possessed extremely clear records regarding historical events.
Moreover, information regarding "Greater Lord Rukkhadevata" could easily be searched through the Akasha.
Although the current Dendro Archon was Lesser Lord Kusanali, her presence within Sumeru was nearly nonexistent.
But Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was different.
To the people of Sumeru, she was the embodiment of wisdom itself.
The symbol of benevolence.
The symbol of omnipotence.
Throughout Sumeru's long history, countless disasters had descended upon the nation, and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had resolved every single one of them.
She created the rainforest itself, granting the people of Sumeru a peaceful land upon which to survive.
But several centuries ago, she disappeared during a great catastrophe.
Although the public phrasing was "disappearance," everyone understood the truth.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had died.
Afterward, the second Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali, was born.
Her birth itself symbolized the complete passing of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
And yet now—
What had they just heard?
A commission from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
How could a deceased Archon issue a commission to Futsu Mitama?!
"I'm sorry, but I…"
Tighnari instinctively wanted to say that he could not trust Futsu Mitama's words so easily.
Even if the other party had received recognition from three Archons, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's status within Sumeru was simply too extraordinary.
Without evidence, he absolutely could not acknowledge such a claim.
Unless—
"Buzz—"
A gentle Dendro elemental aura suddenly spread from Futsu Mitama's palm.
Immediately afterward, the Seed of Skandha appeared within his hand.
Now that Futsu Mitama had stepped into the Demon God Realm, researching the Dendro Archon's inheritance was no longer as difficult as when he had first studied the Electro and Geo inheritances.
Of course, the Seed of Skandha alone might not have been enough for Tighnari to recognize anything immediately.
The greatest characteristic of the Dendro Archon's authority was life itself.
As previously mentioned, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had created the rainforest and filled Sumeru with boundless vitality.
Now, Futsu Mitama could accomplish similar feats as well.
Although the vitality he could create was still far inferior to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's level, handling smaller-scale life creation posed no difficulty.
Futsu Mitama casually tossed the Seed of Skandha toward a small flower Tighnari had been cultivating nearby.
Immediately, the flower visibly began growing larger.
Its fragrance rapidly spread throughout the room.
And that was not all.
After reaching its apparent limit, the Seed of Skandha floated away from the flower and drifted toward the surrounding vegetation.
Every plant within Tighnari's room began growing rapidly, becoming lush and vibrant with astonishing vitality.
"This—?!"
Tighnari's eyes widened once more.
As both a Scholar and a Dendro Vision holder, he naturally understood exactly what this phenomenon represented.
The power of life itself.
Such a sight was no different from a miracle.
Although he, as a Dendro Vision wielder, could achieve somewhat similar effects, being capable of doing something and doing it to this extent were two completely different concepts.
But life naturally withers over time.
Forcefully accelerating its growth merely squeezes out its latent potential, pushing it into a temporary peak state.
Although such a condition could be maintained briefly, it would never last long.
However, what Futsu Mitama was doing now was completely different.
He was not overdrawing the plants' vitality.
He was enhancing their very potential.
If these plants were properly cultivated afterward, they might even become graduation research projects worthy of the Akademiya itself.
And all of this had merely been a casual action from Futsu Mitama.
He had not even exerted much effort.
Yet he had effortlessly accomplished something that countless Akademiya Scholars might spend half their lives attempting to achieve.
Even Collei realized that the power Futsu Mitama had just displayed did not belong to the domains of the Anemo, Geo, or Electro Archons.
It belonged to the Dendro Archon.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Confusion.
Astonishment.
All sorts of emotions simultaneously surfaced within both Tighnari and Collei.
The master and disciple pair stared at Futsu Mitama with incomparably shocked expressions.
He wasn't lying.
He had truly come to Sumeru under the commission of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
But that only made things even more unbelievable.
Why would Greater Lord Rukkhadevata entrust Futsu Mitama with such a task?
Where exactly was she now?
Tighnari was no ordinary Scholar.
His mentor had once been one of the Akademiya's Sages, and Tighnari himself was aware of many hidden matters within Sumeru.
Although Sumeru currently appeared peaceful on the surface, Tighnari knew very clearly that beneath that calm exterior, an invisible storm was quietly brewing.
So after the initial shock faded, an unusually anxious expression appeared on Tighnari's face.
Looking at Futsu Mitama, he quickly asked,
"May I ask… where is Greater Lord Rukkhadevata right now?!"
Her location was extremely important.
If the Akademiya learned that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata still existed, then no matter the cost, they would mobilize every available force to welcome her return.
And as long as Greater Lord Rukkhadevata returned, no matter how chaotic Sumeru's current situation became, it would no longer be a problem.
Although Sumeru still appeared outwardly to be a nation governed by a god, even Tighnari understood the truth.
The Lesser Lord Kusanali who appeared five hundred years ago…
Could not currently be relied upon.
Because the matter involved an Archon, Tighnari had once privately discussed this issue with his mentor.
And even his mentor could only sigh helplessly regarding Lesser Lord Kusanali.
He had merely said that everything should be left for time itself to decide.
He did not possess the qualifications to make such judgments himself.
Now, after witnessing the seemingly divine Dendro abilities Futsu Mitama had displayed, combined with the undeniable fact that he was favored by three Archons, Tighnari naturally began trusting his words.
Seeing this, Futsu Mitama nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
Indeed, speaking with intelligent people was easy.
Sometimes, a slight hint alone was enough.
"Regarding this matter," Futsu Mitama said calmly, "I can only tell you that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata is still within Sumeru."
"She contacted me through a secret art. She asked me about Sumeru's current condition… and whether her successor was doing well."
Tighnari opened his mouth slightly.
For a moment, he seemed unable to speak at all.
Because his situation was exactly the same as Cyno's.
What was Sumeru's current condition?
Tighnari knew very clearly.
The current Akademiya—was no longer the Akademiya of five hundred years ago.
But that was merely a secondary issue.
The real problem was—
Was Lesser Lord Kusanali doing well?
The answer was absolutely not.
For the past five hundred years, Lesser Lord Kusanali had remained confined within the Sanctuary of Surasthana under the watch of the Sages.
To the outside world, she was merely a god in title.
A successor who inherited Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's legacy but had accomplished nothing for Sumeru herself.
Under the Akademiya's deliberate manipulation and propaganda, Lesser Lord Kusanali's presence within modern Sumeru had become nearly nonexistent.
Futsu Mitama naturally understood why Tighnari could not answer.
Because any Sumerian who knew even slightly about Lesser Lord Kusanali's current situation would instinctively lower their head in shame.
So Futsu Mitama continued calmly,
"I didn't understand Sumeru's internal affairs very well, so I told Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to seek someone else. In the end, she used a secret art to contact a Sumerian named Cyno and learned about Sumeru's current situation, along with certain things concerning her successor."
Collei's eyes immediately brightened slightly.
Because she possessed an extremely deep impression of Cyno.
Not only was he her master's close friend, he was also the person who had once helped her seal the remnants of the Demon God within her body.
Normally, Collei rarely mentioned Cyno.
Not because she disliked him.
But because the sealing process itself had left too deep an impression on her.
Whenever she thought about him, the back of her neck would subconsciously begin aching again.
Still, what truly relieved Collei was the appearance of someone familiar.
Topics involving Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Lesser Lord Kusanali were simply far too heavy for her.
Meanwhile, Tighnari's expression became increasingly dim.
Because he knew very clearly—Cyno would absolutely tell Greater Lord Rukkhadevata everything.
Tighnari was intelligent enough to understand the deeper meaning behind all of this.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata specifically wanted to know about Lesser Lord Kusanali's condition.
That alone proved how much she cared for her successor.
But Lesser Lord Kusanali's current circumstances…
There was no need to elaborate further.
And now, Futsu Mitama's appearance in Sumeru already represented something in itself.
In a certain sense, it symbolized Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's dissatisfaction with Sumeru's current state.
Naturally, Futsu Mitama himself did not realize Tighnari had already interpreted things this far.
He simply continued speaking.
"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata used a secret art to connect me with Cyno. He told me to come find you and said that you could be fully trusted."
"He also mentioned that he has already discovered some clues regarding your mentor and is currently continuing his investigation into the Akademiya's activities within the desert."
"Once his investigation there is complete, he'll find an opportunity to regroup with us."
Hearing this, Tighnari nodded once more.
Because the matter regarding his mentor—was something he had only ever discussed privately with Cyno.
He had specifically asked Cyno to investigate whether his mentor had become entangled in something dangerous.
Now, it seemed his mentor truly had been caught within some massive conspiracy.
Futsu Mitama continued calmly,
"As for me, I came to Sumeru under Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's commission to rescue Lesser Lord Kusanali and free her from her cage. Because there is one matter that only the Dendro Archon herself can accomplish."
"And the crisis is already approaching."
"We no longer have time to wait."
These words were originally spoken by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata herself.
Although her forbidden knowledge had been suppressed after becoming an administrator within the Chat Group, Irminsul itself was different.
Irminsul had not entered the Chat Group.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could currently only be considered an existence barely surviving through her connection to Irminsul.
Therefore, even if her own condition improved somewhat, it did not mean Irminsul's condition had improved as well.
Which meant rescuing Lesser Lord Kusanali was absolutely necessary no matter what.
"Something that only the Dendro Archon can accomplish—"
Tighnari softly repeated those words, his brows tightly furrowing.
He did not immediately answer.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama and the others also remained patient, quietly waiting for his response.
Because if Tighnari still refused after hearing everything up to this point—
Then either Cyno had misjudged him.
Or Tighnari was merely a coward who only knew how to avoid trouble.
Finally, after a brief silence, Tighnari slowly spoke.
"I understand."
His tone was calm, yet firm.
"Tell me what kind of help you require. And I will do everything I can to assist you."