Alhaitham fell silent.
Lumine emphasized, "It's not the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—it's Scaramouche."
Alhaitham said to Lumine, "You must have realized by now that the Akademiya doesn't care who the deity is. They only crave the authority to control wisdom."
"The words 'omniscient and omnipotent' are like a curse that burns in their blood."
"Some creatures are phototactic—they spend their whole lives chasing light. For the Sages, only the existence of a deity who embodies the pinnacle of wisdom can give them hope."
[Klee: But isn't hope something you give yourself? As long as you work hard, there's hope.]
[Dehya: The desert people, struggling to survive, know they have to rely on themselves. But these Sages, who live in comfort, don't understand that.]
[Alhaitham: Being overly dependent on a deity is absolutely harmful. The only person you can truly rely on is yourself.]
[Lumine: Yes. Relying on your own strength is what matters most.]
[Cyno: Disrespecting a deity is a sin.]
"This is also a form of phototaxis. If the God of Wisdom doesn't exist, for many scholars, it means they will grope in the darkness for their entire lives."
Cyno asked, "Then what is the Lesser Lord Kusanali to you?"
Cyno looked coldly at the two Akademiya men. "Isn't she a real, existing deity? Since you already have a new god, why create another?"
Morghi shook his head. "The Akademiya never intended to treat her as a god from the very beginning."
"Initially, the Akademiya found the newly born God of Wisdom—the Lesser Lord Kusanali. The Sages hoped she would be as wise as the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. But in truth, her intelligence was no different from that of an ordinary child. The Sages had never been so clear-headed before. They realized that the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was truly dead."
[Furina: Though I never met the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata in person, she must have been a very kind and gentle deity.]
[Zhongli: The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was indeed a very gentle woman—kind, wise, and elegant.]
[Lumine: Zhongli, were you friends?]
[Zhongli: Yes. We used to meet every year back then.]
[Paimon: Maybe we should revive the tradition of the Seven Archons meeting?]
[Lumine: That's a good idea.]
[Furina: But Fontaine no longer has a deity.]
[Paimon: Furina, you will always be Fontaine's deity!]
"What's more, the Lesser Lord Kusanali's Gnosis is being used to sustain the Akasha. She herself has neither the power of a deity nor exceptional wisdom."
"Gradually, people forgot about her."
Cyno asked angrily, "So this is the Sages' choice, isn't it?"
Lumine noticed the problem. "Even at this point, they've never truly acknowledged the Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"I never imagined a deity could suffer something so cruel."
[Paimon: This is infuriating.]
[Lumine: Power is important. Without power, you can't protect those you cherish, nor can you protect yourself.]
Dehya stepped in to mediate. "Alright, alright. Everyone calm down."
"Since tensions are running high, let's find somewhere else to talk."
Dehya looked at Rahman. "Rahman, lend us a few people to help escort the Village Guardians back to Aaru Village. I'm also taking the two scholars with me."
Rahman nodded. "Fine. Whatever you say."
Aaru Village.
Candace said, "The Village Guardians who were returned have all gone home. They're being looked after. The two scholars are under tight guard. Everyone, you've worked hard."