Collei quickly led Ryen and the others to the wooden house where Tighnari was staying.
At the moment, it wasn't just Tighnari inside. There was also a young man with bronze-toned skin and a peculiar outfit—likely the "General Mahamatra" Collei had mentioned.
Besides him was another unfamiliar figure, but the Dendro Vision hanging from their side indicated they weren't just anyone.
The three of them wore serious expressions, as if they were troubled by something.
"Master?"
Collei cautiously called out, sneaking a glance at Cyno.
"These guests are from Liyue, and this is the little Klee I mentioned earlier…"
Tighnari paused for a moment and glanced around.
He didn't recognize Ryen and the others but gave them a friendly nod.
Cyno and Alhaitham, however, were stunned.
They took a closer look at Ganyu, and Alhaitham furrowed his brows.
"You must be Miss Ganyu, the secretary to the Liyue Qixing... a half-adeptus?"
"An adeptus?!"
Collei jumped in surprise and looked at Ganyu in a bit of a panic.
Ganyu smiled gently and nodded.
"It's just a title. You can treat me as a normal person. I came to Sumeru this time with my husband and Nahida for a little sightseeing."
Hearing this, Alhaitham turned to glance at Nahida.
She was gazing around with wide, curious eyes, full of affection for every plant and tree.
She looked simply like a little girl admiring her favorite scenery.
But a strange unease suddenly rose in Alhaitham's heart.
His Vision pulsed unexpectedly, arousing his suspicion.
Thinking of the recent commotion in Sumeru City about the "Dendro Archon's disappearance," and the resemblance between this girl and the countless Archon statues around...
Alhaitham's heart skipped a beat—he had a hunch.
He quickly gave Tighnari a meaningful look. The latter understood at once and said softly:
"Collei, can I trouble you to go check the rangers' logbook? There are still some materials I haven't sorted out."
Collei didn't suspect anything. She simply thought her teacher was finally giving her something important to do.
She immediately nodded confidently.
"Leave it to me, Master!"
With that, she waved to Ryen and the others and hurried off.
Ryen didn't stand on ceremony. He casually found a seat, then picked up Nahida and Klee.
"Sorry to barge in. We're here in Sumeru for a vacation. I'm Ryen, and these are my wives, Ganyu and Hu Tao."
The trio nodded in acknowledgment. Alhaitham's gaze was complicated. As clever as he was, even he couldn't make sense of what was unfolding.
"Mr. Ryen, you came from Liyue, correct?"
Tighnari, unaware of the deeper implications, asked softly.
"There's been quite a stir in Liyue these past few days. I heard there was a god attacking the region? Is Liyue alright?"
As he spoke, he passed a cup of tea to Ryen and the others.
It seemed to be brewed from Sumeru's local herbs, exuding a light, unfamiliar fragrance.
Ryen took a sip and replied calmly:
"Liyue is quite safe. The invading god has already been defeated by the people of Liyue. Rex Lapis just officially abdicated yesterday, and now the region is under human governance."
"I imagine news of this will soon spread throughout Teyvat."
Upon hearing this, Cyno frowned slightly.
"Liyue subdued a god on their own? Without relying on the adepti or Rex Lapis?"
Ryen nodded.
For a moment, the three of them were filled with emotion.
Tighnari sighed.
"I didn't expect Liyue to have grown so powerful... To slay a god with mere mortal hands? That's truly a great feat."
"Indeed."
Alhaitham finally spoke, with a meaningful tone:
"It's just unfortunate that the Akademiya somehow provoked Liyue, and now they're being suppressed from all sides. Not even the other nations dare collaborate with us anymore."
"I had originally planned to visit Liyue and see it for myself."
As the topic suddenly shifted, Cyno and Tighnari exchanged a look.
They knew Alhaitham never spoke without reason—this wasn't just casual chatter. He likely suspected that the Akademiya's suppression had something to do with the guests in front of them.
Immediately, Cyno and Tighnari became more serious.
Ryen, however, wasn't bothered by Alhaitham's probing. He smiled and said casually:
"Maybe the Akademiya violated some Orbital taboo. But Liyue doesn't suppress others without cause."
"Currently, the only forces being targeted in Liyue are the Akademiya... and the Fatui."
"The facts speak for themselves. During the recent god invasion, the Fatui were involved and attacked Liyue. Though they didn't stir up much trouble…"
"And even the Fatui aren't being suppressed as harshly as the Akademiya. So, just what did the Akademiya do to deserve this level of backlash?"
"Let me tell you—right now in Liyue Harbor, the moment people hear someone is affiliated with the Akademiya, they stay as far away as possible."
Alhaitham's heart sank. The Akademiya's situation in Liyue was far worse than he had imagined.
But truth be told, he didn't really care. The Akademiya's fate wasn't his concern—that was the sages' headache.
What he did want to know was this: What exactly had the Akademiya done to provoke such outrage from all of Liyue?
The Akademiya scheming against Liyue? Even with the courage of nine sages combined, they wouldn't dare.
So why were they being treated this way?
Liyue must know something—some secret.
That was what Alhaitham needed to uncover.
Seeing that Ryen wasn't hiding anything intentionally, Alhaitham decided to be direct.
"Mr. Ryen, though I haven't heard of your name before, I can tell you're no ordinary figure."
"Would you be willing to tell us—what exactly did the Akademiya do to enrage Liyue to this extent?"
Ryen narrowed his eyes slightly and replied in a calm tone:
"You haven't introduced yourself yet, have you?"
"Ah... that was my oversight."
Alhaitham nodded slightly.
"I'm Alhaitham, the scribe of the Akademiya."
As soon as those words fell, the atmosphere turned subtly tense.
Ryen studied both Alhaitham and Cyno with an unreadable smile.
"The Akademiya's General Mahamatra and its Scribe, huh?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that makes you both part of the Grand Sage's faction?"
Cyno was just about to respond when Alhaitham subtly held him back.
"And what if we are?"
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