Paimon exclaimed, "Dehya, you're amazing!"
Lumine was about to ask a question when Dehya's gaze stopped her. Her eyes flicked discreetly toward a corner.
[Paimon: As expected, she noticed.]
[Dehya: Of course. Don't underestimate me. I'm Dehya, the Lion of the Mane. When it comes to knowledge, we never had a chance, so we had to become stronger and more street-smart out of necessity.]
[Paimon: All mercenaries are desert dwellers?]
[Dehya: Yes. Mercenary work is a high-risk, low-income profession. The people of Sumeru City would never stoop to such work. We can only do the dirty, heavy jobs they don't want to do.]
[Ningguang: Do mercenaries have any security?]
[Dehya: Hahaha, no. We eat when we can, and we go hungry when we can't. So we spend our money when we have it.]
[Ningguang: In Liyue, if a citizen joins the Millelith, their income is enough to support their whole family. If they fall in battle, compensation is provided, and the Qixing take responsibility for their children's upbringing.]
[Dehya: No worries at all... When will Sumeru ever be like that?]
[Ningguang: I think it will be soon.]
Dehya laughed heartily. "Hahaha! In this line of work, you can't afford to neglect intelligence gathering. Not a single Mora spent on drinks has been wasted."
Cyno said, "We shouldn't delay. Let's head out immediately."
Dehya smiled. "Cyno, it's better if you stay in the village."
Cyno spread his hands. "Why?"
Dehya explained, "Well, Aaru Village is a small place. Outsiders stand out here. News about you has probably already spread. The desert environment is harsh, life is difficult—not like on the other side of the Wall of Samiel. In a place like this, you get things done through connections."
"Compared to you, I'm just a third-rate mercenary. My combat ability isn't worth mentioning, but that has its advantages—it's easier to earn people's trust."
[Paimon: Dehya, your combat ability isn't worth mentioning?]
[Dehya: Haha, Cyno might not even beat me. I was just saying that for the spy's benefit.]
[Cyno: I don't believe I would lose to a woman.]
[Dehya: What's wrong with being a woman? Does that make us weaker? Even without using elemental power, I can take on an entire mercenary group by myself.]
[Paimon: That's amazing.]
[Dehya: Just years of practice, day after day.]
"Besides, I need to ask around later. If you're with me, it'll be hard to explain."
Cyno nodded. "I understand."
Dehya then looked at Lumine. "Alright, it's settled. The Traveler and Paimon will come with me to the outpost and try to find the whereabouts of those mad scholars as soon as possible. Cyno will stay in the village and continue investigating."
"Let's do it that way."
Following Dehya to the border between the desert and the oasis, Paimon once again marveled, "Every time I see the Wall of Samiel, I wonder why there's such a massive wall in the world. It feels so unreal."
Dehya nodded. "Yes. Every time I passed by here as a child, I had the same question."
"What is this wall really for? Can sandstorms really be blocked by a wall? I only understood after I grew up. The Wall of Samiel doesn't just block the wind and sand—it also shuts us out. Sumeru is ruled by the great Sages. In their eyes, the people of the desert are insignificant—just tools to be used when needed."
"Cheap labor, easy to command. Nothing more."
[Furina: Add that to the list of reasons to take down the Sages.]
[Paimon: We need to strike hard.]
[Ningguang: Yes. We must strike hard.]
"Even if children in the desert get their hands on an Akasha Terminal, almost every request for knowledge is rejected. In the Akademiya's eyes, we're not worthy."
"Aside from rare geniuses like Setaria, who appears once in a century, ordinary children have no chance to turn their lives around. Even though they know we're just as human as they are."