Cyno took a deep breath. "Your grandfather isn't a local, but you are a child of this village. Why do you call him grandfather?"
Isak spread his hands. "Grandfather is just grandfather. He's my family."
"I heard everything you said to the village headman just now. Please take me with you! I want to help find my grandfather. I'll be useful—I definitely won't hold you back."
Cyno crossed his arms and questioned him. "So you were the one eavesdropping on our conversation near the headman's house earlier."
"I was about to go deal with the eavesdropper, but I vaguely sensed that the person meant no harm."
Isak said, "I... I wasn't lying. I only eavesdropped because I wanted to know where my grandfather was. I'm sorry. If you don't believe me, you can ask Sister Candace."
Cyno looked at Lumine. "Then let's go ask Candace..."
[Paimon: He's actually going to ask? Children don't lie, do they?]
[Cyno: Lying has no age limit. Every piece of evidence should be verified carefully.]
[Paimon: That does seem quite rigorous.]
[Alhaitham: If you were truly rigorous, you wouldn't have attacked me before investigating properly.]
[Paimon: That's true...]
[Lumine: Selectively rigorous.]
[Cyno: It's called bold questioning—apprehend first, investigate later. If you're innocent, I'll let you go home.]
[Alhaitham: I hope you'll be just as aggressive when confronting the Grand Sage.]
[Cyno: Of course. When the time comes, I'll be at the front.]
[Alhaitham: Funny, considering someone chose self-exile not long ago.]
[Cyno: I was investigating the truth in secret. I never gave up.]
[Paimon: Why are they arguing so fiercely?]
[Dehya: Maybe they should just fight it out. Winner takes all, loser submits.]
[Lumine: That's certainly direct.]
[Dehya: It's the simplest way, isn't it?]
On the way, Paimon whispered to Lumine, "Cyno really is cautious. Is this how all Mahamatra operate?"
When Cyno entered the room, he asked, "I need to confirm something with you. Do you know a child named Isak?"
Candace smiled. "So he came to find you after all?"
"That child is careful, but I noticed him crouching outside the window eavesdropping. He's really anxious to find his grandfather. Isak's parents are both Eremites—they almost never return to the village after going into the city. He was raised by his grandfather."
"But unfortunately, his grandfather passed away just a few years later, when Isak was still very young. The villagers of Aaru Village took turns helping him get by."
"Later, an elderly mad scholar came here. Isak thought the scholar looked a lot like his grandfather, so he often went to sneak a peek. But the scholar was always delirious and mumbling incoherently. Isak was scared—though he called him 'grandfather,' he didn't dare approach. Then one summer night, the grandfather—who was always muttering and making exaggerated gestures—suddenly grew quiet. He even noticed Isak hiding in the distance."
"That mad scholar walked over to Isak, patted his head, took him to the village entrance, and taught him to identify the stars one by one. He stayed with him until Isak fell asleep."
[Paimon: Nahida, I didn't know you were good with children.]
[Nahida: I wouldn't say I'm good at it. Children are lovely and well-behaved.]
"The next morning, when Isak woke up, he wanted to find his grandfather. But he found that his grandfather no longer recognized him. However, this time, the grandfather's expression was still very calm."