"Speaking of which, have you been to see Dunyarzad? How is she doing? Her parents have been refusing to let us visit."
Nahida nodded. "Yes, I went to see her right after I woke up. She was resting at the time."
"Though Eleazar—this form of withering afflicting humans—can only be truly cured by resolving Irminsul's withering issue, for now the priority is to find out what the Sages are doing, or rather, what they're planning."
Paimon agreed with this idea. "Right. If another loop happens, the consequences could be dire."
[Zhongli: The withering of Irminsul concerns the fate of all Teyvat. All nations have reason to offer whatever help they can.]
[Paimon: Earlier, Inazuma's ley line anomalies—could they also be related to Irminsul's withering?]
[Nahida: That's very possible. Sumeru is the worst affected region, but other regions may also show feedback and effects.]
[Paimon: This is terrifying. We need to resolve it as soon as possible.]
[Nahida: In the future, this matter will definitely be resolved. We don't need to worry.]
[Lumine: I just wonder what price will be paid this time to resolve the Irminsul issue. After all, in the unaltered future, Focalors...]
[Paimon: You mean, Nahida might also...]
[Nahida: If sacrificing myself could save Irminsul, then I would not hesitate.]
[Lumine: It may not come to sacrificing Nahida. I believe there must be other ways.]
Nahida said, "Yes. Let's make investigating and stopping the Sages our top priority. As for the specifics, let's find another place to talk—there are too many adventurers coming and going here."
The two found a quiet corner.
Nahida said, "I've already tried some approaches in investigating the Sages, but I'd like to hear your ideas first."
Lumine said, "How about possessing a student's body and infiltrating the Sages' office?"
Nahida immediately shook her head. "That won't work. It's too dangerous. We absolutely cannot involve innocent students and risk ruining their lives."
"Wouldn't that make us no different from the Sages—disregarding the people's safety for our own purposes?"
Paimon praised her, "I see. As expected of a deity!"
Lumine suggested, "Then what about taking over a Sage's consciousness?"
Nahida said, "I've already tried that. But key figures within the Akademiya, including the guards of The Thirty, have deliberately avoided wearing Akasha Terminals."
[Ningguang: They're truly cautious.]
[Keqing: The Grand Sage does have some capability, which is why he can present such a difficult problem.]
[Zhongli: When capable people go astray, the harm they cause is even greater. One person alone can only harm a few, but the Grand Sage can easily plunge Sumeru into crisis.]
[Paimon: And the Tenryou Commission—that old clan head plunged all of Inazuma into crisis for the sake of his family's power.]
[Ei: Personnel appointments are truly very important.]
"They seem to have started avoiding information leaks through the Akasha Terminals long ago. Of course, it's also possible they're deliberately guarding against my existence. If they've paid any attention to the folk tales about me, it wouldn't be surprising if they're wary. So directly taking over their consciousness probably won't work either."
Lumine asked, "Then how about we capture one of the Sages' people and interrogate them?"
Nahida shook her head again. "We're in the dark right now. Without knowing the other side's true intentions, any rash action would alert them prematurely. The consequences would be difficult to predict. After all, everyone in Sumeru City is their hostage right now."