Razak's behavior was completely consistent with that of a mad scholar.
Alhaitham said, "He is living proof."
"He became like this after coming into contact with a Divine Knowledge Capsule. And the Akademiya is the mastermind behind it all."
"Based on this, it's not difficult to guess their logic."
Alhaitham explained methodically: "First, the Akademiya spread false news that King Deshret was about to be resurrected, emphasizing that the Village Guardians—the mad scholars exiled to Aaru Village—would be the key."
"This incited radicals everywhere. Those in Aaru Village immediately began to act, secretly helping to deliver those scholars into the Akademiya's hands."
"The rumor served two purposes: it maximally mobilized the radicals, and it cleverly shifted all risk onto King Deshret's followers."
"King Deshret has been dead for many years. The desert people have suffered greatly. Their emotions are like a powder keg in the desert—easily ignited. Mobilizing people driven by emotion is as simple as setting a wild horse loose."
"Even if things went wrong, outsiders would only find King Deshret's followers. On the surface, it would appear to be a faith-based incident. Behind the scenes, it would just be another ethnic conflict. No one would suspect the Akademiya. The method is simple, but in today's Sumeru, it's remarkably effective."
[Paimon: I never expected the Akademiya to be this clever. They've created such a meticulous plan.]
[Alhaitham: Though I'm reluctant to admit it, they are among the most intelligent people in Sumeru.]
[Ningguang: They've told a colossal lie.]
[Dehya: If there's one thing the Akademiya excels at, it's the art of deception.]
[Lumine: They've deceived all of Sumeru and the desert people alike. That's quite impressive.]
[Yae Miko: These are just petty tricks of spreading rumors. Is that really so impressive? Most people lack the ability to discern truth from fiction. They're easily swayed by rumors. They're only fooling ordinary people. I'm sure no one in this livestream would fall for such a scheme.]
[Lumine: Paimon would definitely fall for it.]
[Paimon: Lumine, how can you say that about me?]
[Lumine: I'm stating a fact.]
[Ningguang: Lumine's not wrong.]
[Alhaitham: Miko is right. It's just a minor tactic of manipulating people through rumors.]
Paimon nodded repeatedly. "So that's how it is. That makes a lot of sense. It also matches perfectly with the headman's guess."
"But there's still one important question left unanswered. Wasn't it the Akademiya itself that sent those scholars back to Aaru Village in the first place? Why do they want them back now?"
Alhaitham blinked. "One thing has changed in this process—the scholars' identity."
"First they were scholars. Then they became madmen. Then they became exiles. And finally, they became missing persons."
"A exiled mad scholar is still a human being. But a missing person is a different matter entirely. You can't find a specific person, and you have no way of knowing what happened to them. In other words, missing people make for ideal resources."
[Cyno: What a ruthless method. First, turn normal people into people no one cares about. Then they can disappear silently without anyone noticing. No one cares about them. They just didn't expect that there are people in this world—us, and the people of Aaru Village—who do care.]
Paimon spread her hands. "Resources? What use could these people possibly have?"
Alhaitham closed his eyes. "There is one possibility. Their brains could be used to extract Divine Knowledge Capsules."