We followed Cyno through the desert, the scorching sun beating down on us like some judgmental spotlight. My sandals were full of sand, my brain was full of questions, and my stomach was full of regret. Mostly for that third kebab.
But something was different this time.
Something... clearer.
I muttered under my breath.
"This time... it's a bit vivid in my mind."
Nilou, walking beside me, tilted her head with that sweet concern of hers.
"Shigeru? Did you say something?"
I looked up at the sky dramatically, as if pondering the mysteries of the universe or maybe just avoiding her eyes. Then I let out a sigh — the kind that says life is complicated but I'm still hot so it's fine — and turned to her.
"Don't worry," I told her. "Once we get back to the teapot, I'll tell you everything. Even the parts where I looked super cool. Especially those."
Lumine, walking silently beside me, didn't say a word. But her quiet presence said everything. Like: I'm watching you, idiot.
Greg the Lizard, majestic as ever, climbed onto my shoulder like a wise guardian of chaos. His tail flicked into my face.
Thanks, Greg. Love the support.
Finally, we reached the spot where Cyno came to a halt. He looked like someone who hasn't smiled in 20 years, which is impressive considering he's probably not even 30.
"Alright, Egyptian Midget," I said with all the respectful elegance of a diplomatic walrus, "let's deal with the current situation."
Cyno's eye twitched, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Watch your words," he said, voice low with a warning edge that made even Greg stop flicking his tail.
And that was it. That was the moment. Lumine flared up like a volcano that finally snapped.
She actually stepped forward, fists clenched, her golden eyes sparking like lightning.
I jumped between them immediately.
"Chill, my favorite blondie," I said, flashing a grin. "I know you love me and all, but Cyno's a cool guy! With terrible jokes... but still cool."
"My jokes are good," he said with the flatness of a deflated balloon.
We ignored him.
Lumine's face flushed a beautiful pink.
"H-Hmph. As if!"
"Tsundere," Paimon muttered from above.
Lumine immediately turned her glare to the floating snack. Paimon, being Paimon, zipped behind me with all the speed of someone who just poked a bear.
"Hide Paimon!"
I crossed my arms smugly as Greg climbed on top of my head like a crown of stupidity. I embraced the look.
"Don't worry, Paimon. I'll protect you with my abs."
"You mean your flab?"
"...Excuse me? This is emotional support tissue."
Cyno ignored us with the patience of a saint who regretted every life decision that led him to this moment.
"Although I've sent myself into exile," he began, eyes serious, "I'm still doing essentially the same things as before."
"Like what? Brooding under the moonlight?" I whispered to Nilou.
She giggled, but politely.
Cyno ignored me (rude) and continued.
"Do you still have any questions for me before we start our investigation?"
Lumine, back to being calm and collected like the world's most elegant hurricane, stepped forward.
"Why do they refer to the mad scholars as Village Keepers?"
Cyno nodded.
"One of my former subordinates told me that this title has its origins in a strange incident..."
And then, like a history teacher that actually cared about the lesson, he began his tale.
"The Akademiya has long exiled mad scholars to Aaru Village. A mysterious phenomenon exists there. When mad scholars first arrive, they are incoherent and deranged. But after some time... they begin to calm down."
Paimon floated closer, blinking. "That's weird."
"Initially," Cyno went on, "the people of Aaru Village resented having to take them in. But a strange incident one night changed that."
I whispered loudly to Greg. "Bet it involved aliens."
Greg licked his eye.
"Good theory, buddy."
Cyno didn't even pause. He was a rock.
"A powerful earthquake struck. The village chief was preparing to evacuate when he saw a mad scholar crouched down, caressing the ground. A soft green light radiated from him..."
Nilou's eyes sparkled. "Like Dendro energy."
Cyno nods.
"...And despite the tremors, no buildings collapsed. Not one person was hurt. From that day on, they were no longer 'madmen' — they became the Village Keepers."
Paimon floated upside-down, arms crossed. "A soft green light... A mad scholar protecting Aaru Village... Hmm... What do we make of it?"
Lumine's voice came out firm. "It must've been Nahida's power. Only she could've done that."
Paimon gasped. "Yeah! And Cyno, do you know if any of those scholars still wore their Akasha Terminals while there?"
Cyno tilted his head. "In theory, yes. The Akademiya would still monitor them. But the system wouldn't really interact with them anymore."
"No wonder!" Paimon snapped her fingers. "That means Nahida could've still influenced them through the Akasha!"
Cyno narrowed his eyes. "If you can draw conclusions that easily from one story, you must know more than I do."
"We do," I said.
"Not helping," Lumine muttered.
"I'm always helping! I'm the mascot of usefulness."
"That's Paimon."
"...Rude."
Cyno pressed on, clearly immune to our banter by now. "So, what do you make of the story?"
"That mad scholar's power likely came from Lesser Lord Kusanali. She protected the village." Lumine said.
"She was the one protecting the village," I added. "Little Archon in Big Moments."
Cyno looked conflicted. It was like someone had told him his favorite card was banned from the meta.
"Really...? Lesser Lord Kusanali... Hmm..."
Paimon crossed her arms. "What, you don't believe us? She was using the Akasha to help those scholars!"
"It's not that," Cyno said, frowning. "I've never had reason to doubt the Akademiya's views. They worship the Greater Lord, and barely acknowledge the Lesser Lord. I've never heard of any of her deeds..."
Lumine said softly, "We saved Sumeru City together with her."
Cyno paused. Then looked at us — really looked.
"I've interrogated many criminals. I can tell when someone lies. And you... you're telling the truth."
He turned, clearly shaken.
"To think... our Archon has been among us all this time..."
Paimon did a dramatic pose, hands on hips. "Alright! Now it's our turn to put our skills to use for this investigation!"
I pointed a finger to the sky. "You betcha!"
Paimon's dramatic pose faltered. "...But we don't have any leads. Maybe we can start by knocking on some doors?"
Greg climbed down to my arm and gently slapped it.
"Greg says we should interrogate someone. Preferably someone with snacks."
Nilou smiled softly. "I'm sure the people here are kind. We'll just need to be gentle and respectful."
"Or," I offered, "we can use Greg. Everyone opens their door when a lizard starts breakdancing outside."
Greg yawned. Zero enthusiasm. Ultimate disrespect.
Lumine pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why are we like this."
"Because fate made me hot and hilarious," I said proudly.
She looked like she regretted every life choice that led to me.
Cyno simply turned and started walking toward the village. "Let's move."
And so we followed, with Nilou humming beside me, Lumine glaring at Paimon who was peeking from behind me, and Greg occasionally flicking his tongue like he was our team's lie detector.
Investigation mode: activated.
Success rate: probably doomed.
Fun meter: off the charts.
***
We were finally about to leave. The dramatic tension had settled, the sandstorm was still doing its thing outside like it was auditioning for the role of "Angry Weather Noises Volume III," and everyone had finally agreed on the plan. I was ready to sprint straight into plot progression like a man chasing after a buffet.
And then—
"Excuse me!"
A small voice called out behind us.
I froze mid-step.
"I sense... lore," I muttered, eyes narrowing like some sort of narrative-sniffing bloodhound.
Everyone turned.
It was a kid. Small, wide-eyed, and radiating that aura of "I'm about to tug your heartstrings and derail your mission."
"Oh no," I whispered, pointing. "It's the Budget Nahida kid."
Everyone gave me the look. You know the one. The one that says, What the hell did he just say?
Lumine sighed through her nose in that very specific way she does when deciding not to murder me.
Nilou tilted her head, hands behind her back. "Budget what?"
"It's the plot, alright? The plot demands a heartwarming side quest. I don't make the rules." I turned to Greg for backup. He blinked. Twice. Clearly in agreement.
The kid jogged closer, panting slightly. "Are you here to help me find my grandpa?"
Paimon floated over, squinting. "Huh? Who are you?"
Cyno narrowed his eyes. "By the sounds of it... a resident of this village."
The boy straightened up. "M—My name is Isak... You'll help me find my grandpa, right?"
Cyno replied, his voice as sharp as ever. "Is your grandpa a mad scholar?"
Isak puffed up like a defensive balloon. "Hey, don't say that! Grandpa is just Grandpa. Why do you have to call him that... It's not like he's a bad person or anything."
Cyno didn't flinch. The man could probably win a staring contest with a rock.
"The person you're referring to is not a local, yet you are. Why do you call him 'Grandpa'?"
Isak blinked rapidly. "Grandpa is just Grandpa! He's my family."
I leaned over to Nilou and whispered, "He said that twice now. This is some real Disney-tier sincerity."
Nilou smiled gently. "It's kind of sweet."
Greg suddenly climbed up my shoulder like a living scarf. His tail tapped my ear twice.
"You smell plot too, huh, buddy?" I whispered.
"I heard everything you said to the village chief," Isak continued. "Please, you gotta take me with you! I wanna find my grandpa, I swear I'll help... I won't be a nuisance!"
Cyno exhaled loudly, arms crossing like a teacher about to assign homework.
"Ah, so you're the one who was eavesdropping on us around the village chief's house," he said slowly.
Isak took a step back. "Sorry... I was only listening in because I wanted to know where Grandpa went, honest! If you don't believe me, you can ask Miss Candace."
Paimon threw her hands up. "Whoa, Alhaitham wasn't kidding about Matra having sharp senses... Cyno, he's just a kid! All he wants is to find his grandpa. Let's find a way to help him!"
Cyno's eyes narrowed further, and I half-expected thunder to rumble.
"I was planning to go out and take care of whoever it was," he muttered darkly, "but I had a vague feeling that they didn't harbor any ill intent..."
Nilou stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Isak's shoulder. "We'll help you. Don't worry."
I stepped forward dramatically, almost tripping over a rock that looked so smug. "Yeah! And besides, this could be an important turning point in our journey! A brave young boy searching for his only family, a stoic warrior with a bleeding heart, and—"
Lumine bonked the back of my head.
"Shut up."
"Right, shutting up."
Greg nodded sagely. He was getting into it too.
Lumine then turned to Cyno, her tone surprisingly soft. "Please help him."
Cyno hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "...Alright. But first, let's confirm the facts with Candace."
I clapped my hands once. "Great! Side quest accepted! Time to find Grandpa and maybe accidentally discover a hidden temple or unleash some ancient curse."
Nilou giggled. "Let's try to avoid the curses, please?"
Paimon groaned. "Shigeru, why would you say that out loud?! Now it's definitely going to happen!"
Greg leapt down and did a slow circle around Isak, tail swishing. I could tell what he was thinking.
This one smells like main character energy.
Or maybe he just liked the kid's shoelaces.
Either way, our merry little party had grown by one. And me? I was already imagining the title of the next chapter:
Chapter 116: Grandpa, Lore, and Probably More Sand.
Bring it on.
__________
End of Chapter 115
Quests Completed:
*Dug deep into the history of Aaru Village and uncovered the tale of the mad scholar with green light powers.
*Gained insight into the scholars' connection with the Archon and won Cyno's reluctant trust.
*Engaged in a serious team meeting only to be intercepted by a plot-relevant child. Ended up adopting a side quest because you're weak to big eyes and emotionally charged sincerity.
*Successfully deduced Nahida's influence over the scholars using deductive reasoning, emotional memory, and minimal internal combustion.
*Balanced dangerous tension with humor and mild idiocy.
*Prevented internal party conflict through self-deprecation and deflective comedy.
Rewards:
*+800 Lore Points
* +300 Compassion Points
*+1 Synaptic Spark
*+400 Humor-Based Diplomacy
*Cyno's Glare, Level 1 – (I survived it. That's a badge in itself.)
*Nilou's Trust Buff (Lv. 2) – (Increases morale when within 3 meters of Nilou. Passive effect: Feeling slightly warm and fuzzy inside.)
*Greg's Vibe Check Blessing
*Lumine's Tolerance +1 – (I still exist in her general area. Congrats!)
*4000 Mora (There's a better hole to dig)
*1x Desert-Cooled Kebab (Spicy)
*1x Cracked Akasha Terminal (looks like junk, might not be)
*2x Cactus Fruit (Greg's stash. Don't ask.)
*1x Ornamental Sandstone Pebble (worth absolutely nothing but feels plot-relevant)
*1x Rifthound Fur Tuft (smells bad. Use for crafting or haunting enemies)
*3x Emotionally Complicated Glances
*Cyno's Disapproval Stamp – (Collect 5 to unlock bonus pun resistance.)