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Chapter 76. Encounter Old Acquaintances
Under Zilaro's guidance, Futsu Mitama quickly put on the Akasha Terminal and witnessed something rather interesting.
Unlike the Chat Group, the Akasha Terminal felt more like—Google.
Futsu Mitama experimented with it, beginning by searching for various topics. Basic information could easily be found, but anything more advanced was largely inaccessible.
As for events taking place within Sumeru City, it merely provided announcements and schedules, informing users when they would begin.
Most of them were academic activities, while entertainment-related events were practically nonexistent.
Just as Futsu Mitama was about to continue exploring, he received a response:
[Insufficient Permissions]
In other words, having only just obtained the Akasha Terminal, his current authorization level was insufficient to access more sensitive information.
Afterward, Futsu Mitama spoke with Zilaro and completed the registration of the Eremite group known as the [Scarlet Sand Scorpions] within the Akasha system.
As for the origins of the [Scarlet Sand Scorpions] or what Futsu Mitama and the others had done in the past, Zilaro did not ask a single question, appearing entirely unconcerned.
Once all the formalities were completed, Zilaro left as though he were escaping.
"Am I really that terrifying?"
Faruzan looked somewhat dejected, clearly not expecting Zilaro to flee so quickly. His behavior made it obvious that he was deliberately avoiding her.
To be honest, Faruzan did not think she was particularly frightening.
Why did all these juniors seem so afraid of her?
She had always treated them with a perfectly normal attitude. At most, she was occasionally a little strict.
But wasn't that simply what a Senior ought to do?
"No, you're not terrifying. It's just that they think you're terrifying."
Kuki Shinobu seemed to see through the situation entirely. Crossing her arms, she slowly said while watching Zilaro's retreating figure,
"It's the kind of fear that's difficult to put into words. To put it simply, how would you feel when facing your mentor and your seniors?"
Faruzan fell silent for a moment in thought. Gradually, she seemed to understand what Kuki Shinobu meant.
Because when she had first entered the Akademiya and become a qualified Scholar, she had indeed been rather intimidated by her mentor and seniors.
Later, as time passed, that fear gradually disappeared.
She had gained enough confidence to stand before them as an equal.
But now—everything she had once known was gone.
"Sigh~"
Faruzan let out a quiet sigh.
An old-fashioned weariness, utterly mismatched with her youthful appearance, surfaced upon her delicate and lovely face.
Though her appearance had remained unchanged, her heart had long since grown old.
At that moment, Faruzan could not help but think of the past.
Her mother's cooking.
The days spent exchanging knowledge with fellow seniors.
The countless miscellaneous questions she had eagerly asked her mentor.
Those cherished memories had ultimately become nothing more than fleeting bubbles.
Seeing the sigh escape Faruzan's lips and the complicated emotions hidden within her eyes, the perceptive Kokomi naturally understood what she was thinking and could not help wanting to comfort her.
"It's actually quite interesting, this Akasha Terminal. Faruzan, how can I increase my permissions?"
At that moment, Futsu Mitama suddenly spoke, immediately pulling Faruzan away from her memories.
"Increase your permissions?"
Faruzan blinked and looked toward him.
"Are you referring to the permissions of the Akasha Terminal? That's not something I can help with. Only a Sage or the Great Sage can elevate your permissions and grant access to additional information."
"To be honest, I've always found the Akasha Terminal somewhat strange. It was fine in the past... but nowadays, it always feels somewhat restrictive."
A hundred years ago, during her time in the Akademiya, the restrictions imposed by the Akasha Terminal were nowhere near this severe.
Nowadays, a great deal of information within the Akasha system had become inaccessible.
Faruzan had not refrained from questioning the Sages and the Grand Sage about this matter.
Their explanation was that too many incidents had occurred over the past century.
Some individuals had used knowledge obtained through the Akasha to commit crimes, while unrestricted access to information had led to numerous disasters.
Because of these incidents, the Akademiya had adjusted both the Akasha system itself and the methods through which knowledge could be acquired.
Unless an individual received official approval, became a scholar of the Akademiya, or rendered significant service, the Akademiya would not grant higher permissions.
Although that was their explanation, Faruzan always felt that something was not quite right.
She could not explain why.
After all, the original purpose of the Akasha had been to spread wisdom more effectively.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was the God of Wisdom. She had shared knowledge with the world for a reason.
Nothing had gone wrong during the first four hundred years.
So why had everything suddenly become a problem during the last hundred?
Faruzan had never found a satisfactory answer.
Yet she had also witnessed countless achievements created through wisdom during the past century, both among the people of the desert and the scholars of Sumeru.
Because of that, she ultimately chose to remain silent.
"Oh?"
Futsu Mitama casually continued fiddling with the Akasha Terminal before giving a slight nod.
He said nothing further.
In his view, the system had already been heavily restricted. There was little value in exploring it any further.
"What do you plan to do next?"
Faruzan looked toward Futsu Mitama and the others with curiosity.
"Will you act independently, or come with me to the Akademiya? Although the Akademiya normally prohibits Eremites outside the Thirty from entering, if one or two accompany me as bodyguards—Then it shouldn't be much of a problem."
Futsu Mitama shook his head.
"No. Now that we've entered Sumeru City, we'll find an inn first and settle down. After that, we'll begin our investigation."
For Futsu Mitama's group, entering Sumeru City already counted as a victory. Once they were inside the city, everything became considerably easier.
The hardest part was always the beginning.
Thanks to Cyno's guidance, they had found Tighnari.
Tighnari had introduced them to Faruzan.
Faruzan had then brought them safely into Sumeru City.
Now that they had reached this point, the next objective was simple:
Find Lesser Lord Kusanali.
"Is that so?" Faruzan sounded somewhat helpless, but she did not attempt to stop them.
"Then I'll return to the Akademiya. If anything happens, you can come find me. Hmm... no, perhaps not."
She suddenly remembered something and frowned slightly.
"It seems I'll be leaving the city rather frequently in the near future. Although I may not always be around... can I ask you for a favor?"
"Please tell us."
Futsu Mitama was naturally willing to hear her out. After all, Faruzan had personally escorted them into Sumeru City.
If the request was within his ability, he would help. If not, he would refuse directly.
"If possible... please try not to resolve everything through force."
Faruzan looked at him as she spoke slowly.
"Although I know that whatever you intend to do in Sumeru City will likely involve force sooner or later. But if possible—"
She hesitated slightly before continuing.
"If Greater Lord Rukkhadevata performs some miracle through you, similar to what you've already shown—"
"Then all of Sumeru will stand on your side. Even the Akademiya would not openly oppose Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
Faruzan spoke carefully.
She knew that Futsu Mitama possessed the Dendro Archon's inheritance.
The life-giving powers he displayed resembled the divine miracles that legends attributed to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata when she created the rainforest itself.
Moreover, after traveling together for the past two days, Faruzan had already concluded that every member of this group possessed extraordinary strength.
Whether the Corps of Thirty could stop them was another matter entirely.
With General Mahamatra Cyno absent, the Matra currently lacked effective leadership.
If these mysterious individuals truly chose to cause trouble within Sumeru City, very few people would be capable of stopping them.
That was why Faruzan made this request.
At the same time, she was subtly reminding him that if he revealed Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's inheritance, Sumeru itself would become his greatest ally.
"Alright. I understand."
Futsu Mitama smiled and nodded. After rescuing Lesser Lord Kusanali, he intended to reveal his identity sooner or later.
But now was not the right time.
The Akademiya had already rotted from within.
Revealing himself as Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's successor would not earn trust.
It would only attract suspicion and hostility.
"And..." Faruzan turned toward Sangonomiya Kokomi and smiled. "Although I still don't know your appearance or your name, if there's another opportunity in the future, let's continue discussing knowledge together."
Kokomi nodded gently.
"I would like that. There are still many things I wish to ask you."
With that, Faruzan departed. She still had her own matters to attend to.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama and the others headed toward an inn. Along the way, Faruzan had recommended several establishments.
Now they were making their way toward the one she had praised most highly.
At the same time, Futsu Mitama reported the day's events to Cyno and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata through the Chat Group.
[Futsu Mitama: "We've successfully arrived in Sumeru City."]
[Cyno: "Successfully arrived? Nothing unexpected happened, right?"]
[Venti: "If nothing unexpected happened, then something unexpected is probably about to happen."]
[Paimon: "Exactly! The Traveler and I always run into all sorts of unexpected situations. Sometimes I even complain about the Traveler's terrible luck."]
[Traveler: "??"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "[Image][Image][Image][Image][Image][Video]. These are some photos and a video I took of Sumeru City. Everyone can have a look."]
[Bosacius: "Sumeru City? It looks quite impressive."]
[Raiden Ei: "It brings back memories. I once accompanied my sister here as a guest."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Sumeru City welcomes your arrival."]
[Eula: "By the way, Futsu Mitama, I told Amber about Collei. She said she'll write a letter in the next few days and asked you to deliver it."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Understood. I'll give it to Collei when I have the opportunity. But something else happened in Sumeru City. We almost couldn't get in."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Couldn't get in? Why?"]
[Cyno: "What happened? Security in Sumeru City shouldn't be that strict."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "It wasn't stricter security. It was the Akasha Terminal."]
[Aila: "Anyone entering the city must wear one."]
[Shenhe: "Yes."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "If Faruzan hadn't helped us, we probably would've been stuck outside and forced to sneak in later."]
[Cyno: "If you sneak into Sumeru City, you absolutely cannot be discovered. Anyone not registered through the Akasha will automatically be identified as an intruder. It seems Tighnari finding that senior was truly fortunate. With her reputation and status, bringing you into the city was a simple matter."]
[Cyno: "But the requirement to wear the Akasha Terminal means something. It seems your arrival has already been anticipated."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Perhaps not completely exposed. They may simply know that we're coming and have started taking precautions."]
[Klee: "Huh? Who knew that Brother Futsu Mitama and the others were coming to Sumeru?"]
[Albedo: "The Fatui. Dottore is not someone to underestimate. He committed countless atrocities in Mondstadt and still walked away unscathed. That alone speaks volumes about his methods. He may already know that Futsu Mitama intends to retrieve the Electro Gnosis."]
[Keqing: "If it's Dottore, then we truly need to be careful."]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Alas... seeing what Sumeru has become now fills me with complicated emotions."]
[Azhdaha: "I understand your feelings, but there's someone I want to mention."]
[Raiden Makoto: "..."]
[Azhdaha: "@Raiden Makoto, Hm? Why did you come out on your own?"]
[Zhongli: "..."]
[Guizhong: "Azhdaha, is that really necessary?"]
[Azhdaha: "Nothing much. I simply learned that my neighbors have suffered greatly, and it made me appreciate how peaceful and stable Liyue has been. Hahahahahahaha!"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "Azhdaha, Alas, I can hardly argue with that."]
[Raiden Makoto: "It's alright. Inazuma is already moving in a positive direction."]
[Venti: "As for Mondstadt, I don't particularly care. As long as history doesn't repeat itself, I won't interfere."]
[Eula: "Lord Barbatos…"]
[Futsu Mitama: "This topic has become rather heavy."]
[Aila: "Yes, Young Master."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Regardless of their plans, the fact that we've entered Sumeru City means half of their preparations have already failed."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Indeed. Once we're inside the city, finding Lesser Lord Kusanali should only be a matter of time."]
[Shenhe: "Hm? No... that person is..."]
[Futsu Mitama: "Everyone, stop for a moment. We've encountered an old acquaintance again."]
[Azhdaha: "What happened?"]
[Raiden Ei: "An old acquaintance? Is there someone in Sumeru City whom Futsu Mitama knows?"]
[Maha Rukkhadevata: "No. But this 'old acquaintance' is probably an enemy rather than a friend."]
Outside the Chat Group, within Sumeru City itself, Futsu Mitama and the others had just begun making their way toward the inn when they noticed two figures standing at a nearby corner.
One was a woman with a striking figure and an expression filled with pride and arrogance.
Beside her stood a middle-aged scholar, and the two appeared to be discussing something.
The woman was naturally an old acquaintance.
The Fatui Harbinger, La Signora.
As for the scholar standing beside her, Futsu Mitama and the others did not recognize him. However, judging from the respect shown by passing scholars and citizens alike, his status within the Akademiya was clearly far from ordinary.