Alhaitham said, "No wonder you were so confident, Cyno. But I'm curious—what does this thing mean to you?"
"Furthermore, as the General Mahamatra of the Akademiya, you've come to the desert alone. From what I know, the other Mahamatra are all discussing your disappearance, Cyno."
"So are you on some secret mission? And if I were your target, you could have easily used your authority and resources to have me judged within the Akademiya. Isn't that right?"
Lumine was also curious and guessed, "Could it be a mission assigned by the Sages?"
Cyno lowered his head but didn't answer the question. Instead, he said, "You really are difficult to deal with."
[Paimon: What kind of non-sequitur is that?]
[Lumine: Maybe even the speaker doesn't know what they're saying.]
[Furina: We usually call people like that 'riddle speakers.']
[Paimon: Riddle speakers are the worst. They always leave you hanging, making you itch for answers.]
[Dehya: In Fontaine's storyline, Lady Furina was the biggest riddle speaker of them all.]
[Neuvillette: Indeed. Furina's secrecy was extremely frustrating. Even without experiencing the future firsthand, just watching the livestream made me angry. But after understanding the reason, all I felt was guilt.]
[Lumine: Neuvillette, the term 'riddle speaker' will probably never be associated with you.]
[Paimon: Neuvillette says whatever he means. He never speaks in riddles.]
Paimon was also confused. "Lumine, we can't trust either of them. What should we do?"
"Hmph, ahem." Dehya walked over from the path. "Quite the aggressive pair, aren't you?"
Paimon exclaimed, "Dehya! What are you doing here? Finally, someone we can trust!"
"Quick, help us out—otherwise, these two are about to come to blows."
Dehya spread her hands and said mockingly, "Oh, yes. Two big shots from the Akademiya about to fight. How impressive."
"Spouting all those self-righteous principles, uttering empty rules and morals. You dare bring your boring conflicts into the peaceful land of Aaru Village?"
"It seems someone needs to beat some sense into you so you can properly respect the ground you're standing on."
[Paimon: Dehya, you really do just fight whoever gets on your bad side.]
[Dehya: It's not that random. I trust my instincts—they've never been wrong. I don't hit the wrong people.]
Alhaitham and Cyno fell silent, one after another.
Lumine said, "Both of them are just waiting for an opening."
A sandstorm swept in with a howl.
A beautiful young woman emerged from Aaru Village and called out loudly, "Hey, you there! Over here, quick! Take shelter!"
Paimon also suggested, "Someone's calling us. Traveler, the wind is too strong. Let's hurry over."
Dehya urged them as well, "What, are you two Akademiya types idiots? Move it!"
Eventually, everyone entered the village. Inside the room, Alhaitham, Cyno, and Dehya each wore grim expressions, occupying their own corners in cold silence.
[Paimon: Even though it's a hot summer, the room feels freezing.]
[Lumine: Paimon, your senses are sharp.]
Paimon whispered in Lumine's ear, "The atmosphere... it's so awkward right now!"
"The three of them were about to come to blows just a moment ago, and now they're forced to face each other in this tiny space."