Cyno nodded. "I've had contact with those people before. I'll find a way to look into their situation."
Alhaitham chuckled. "If I recall correctly, it was the Mahamatra who carried out the exile orders. Feeling guilty, so you're trying to make amends? Your mindset is quite interesting."
[Paimon: Cyno wakes up one day and realizes he was the bad guy all along.]
[Cyno: They were already mad. At the time, I didn't think anything was wrong. Now, perhaps I should investigate more seriously.]
Cyno shot a sideways glance at Alhaitham. "Mocking me won't get you anywhere. If you're guilty, regardless of your position, I'll deal with you."
[Lumine: They're really at each other's throats.]
[Furina: I know, I know! I've read about characters like this in novels. Their relationship in the future is definitely going to be special—they'll develop a friendship beyond the ordinary—male edition.]
[Cyno: That's absolutely impossible.]
[Alhaitham: That's absolutely impossible.]
After a brief discussion, the group decided to investigate together.
On the way, Lumine asked, "Why are the mad scholars called 'village guardians'?"
Cyno explained, "That term comes from an incident I heard from a former subordinate."
"Aaru Village has long been the place where the Akademiya exiles mentally unstable scholars. There's a strange phenomenon here—when mad scholars first arrive, they're just as delirious and incoherent as before. But after staying here for a while, they gradually calm down."
"At first, the people of Aaru Village were unhappy about receiving these mad scholars. But then one night, something unexpected happened. A stronger earthquake than usual struck the village. Houses were about to collapse, and the former headman was preparing to lead everyone to safety. That's when he noticed a mad scholar crouching in a corner, stroking the ground with both hands. A faint green light emanated from him, looking especially sacred in the darkness. No matter how violent the quake was that night, all the houses seemed rooted to the ground—not a single one collapsed, and no one was hurt."
"From then on, the people of Aaru Village treated those mad scholars with great kindness and began calling them 'village guardians.'"
[Paimon: Green light—that must have been Nahida's power.]
[Lumine: In times of need, Nahida probably takes control of those people's consciousness.]
[Nahida: Protecting my people is my duty. Though my power is still far from enough, I will keep trying.]
[Lumine: Nahida...]
[Cyno: Those despicable Sages. I'll make sure they pay.]
[Lumine: We will. We'll make sure they pay.]
[Furina: I've always been passively waiting—waiting for the final moment to arrive. Rescuing Nahida will be the first major plan I take the initiative on! Sumeru, I'm coming...]
[Yae Miko: Ei still has some things to handle in Inazuma, but I can set off first...]
[Arataki Itto: How could the Arataki Gang miss out on a rescue mission?]
Lumine thought for a moment and said, "That must have been Nahida's power. Only she could have done something like that."
Paimon then asked, "Did those mad scholars wear Akasha Terminals?"
Cyno rested his chin on his hand. "Theoretically, they still do—so the Sages can monitor them. Though the Akasha itself no longer interacts with them."
Paimon smiled. "I knew it. The scholars going from being delirious to gradually calming down—that must have been Nahida soothing them."