Upon hearing Nahida's approach, Paimon couldn't help but look worried and asked, "Wouldn't Alhaitham tell the people of the Akademiya if he found out you knew about their god-creation project? Wouldn't that expose our plan?"
Nahida gently waved her hand, giving Paimon a reassuring look, and said, "Don't worry, Paimon. After I finished speaking with Alhaitham, I actually brought up that very concern you just mentioned."
"But Alhaitham said that he's just a humble scribe, and that matters of such magnitude aren't within his jurisdiction. Besides…"
At that point, Nahida paused briefly, then her expression brightened with confidence as she continued, "In short, it's certain that Alhaitham has already made his stance clear—he'll firmly stand with us, and that's beyond doubt."
"It's just that I haven't yet figured out how to get him to cooperate with us, so for now, he's still investigating the origin of the Divine Knowledge Capsule."
Though Nahida wasn't yet sure what role Alhaitham could play, Shao Yun thought that since he would one day become the Acting Grand Sage and suppress those mad scholars, that should count for something.
Seeing that Nahida finally had some meaningful progress, Shao Yun nodded in mild satisfaction and said, "Hmm, looks like you're finally doing something right. Did a pack of wolves chew on your head or what—you're suddenly smarter?"
Faced with Shao Yun's peculiar form of praise, Nahida added, "Actually, I was also planning to get in touch with the General Mahamatra, Cyno. I learned through the Akasha that he had a falling-out with the Grand Sage and exiled himself from the Akademiya."
"However, since he hasn't been wearing his Akasha Terminal lately, I haven't managed to contact him. Still, once I can reach him, I absolutely will."
When Shao Yun heard Nahida mention Cyno, his thoughts immediately drifted back to that day in the café with Lisa, when he happened to meet him.
"I know him—the guy who loves making cold jokes. He's Lisa's junior. Lately, he's been tracking some secret operations within the Akademiya, probably related to this so-called god-creation project."
Shao Yun furrowed his brow slightly, paused, then added, "But as it stands, if you want this to end without bloodshed, I still think it's not enough."
"Dunyarzad and Nilou definitely can't be involved in something so dangerous. As for Lumine and Paimon, there's no way I'm letting them risk their necks either. That leaves us with…"
He counted on his fingers, but by the end of it, he could only shake his head helplessly.
"I could easily wipe out that Corps of Thirty by myself, sure—but if this is all we've got, why are we wasting so much time?"
At that, Nahida smiled and gestured for Shao Yun not to worry too much.
"You're not wrong, but before you came, I'd already spoken with Dehya. She said that if we need reinforcements, she can secretly bring her mercenary band past the Wall of Samiel to help."
"And she's already gone to the desert to gather her people. When the time comes, Dehya will handle the Corps of Thirty—you, on the other hand, need to focus your strength where it truly matters."
The implication was clear: he would be responsible for facing the Fatui Harbingers—the Doctor, and Scaramouche. Everything else, Nahida had already planned out.
Shao Yun, seeing that Nahida even had manpower accounted for, teased, "She just got back from the desert, and now you're sending her back to rally troops? You sure know how to keep people busy!"
Though he complained, he actually found Nahida's preparations rather impressive.
At this point, the rebel squad was basically assembled—only Cyno, who had yet to be contacted, and Setaria, the soon-to-be inside informant, were missing.
Even without the Eremites' Blazing Beasts, having Dehya's mercenaries on their side was good enough.
If nothing went wrong, in a few days he'd finally get that "reward" Yae Miko had promised him in Inazuma.
Still possessed by Nahida's consciousness, Katheryne smiled lightly and said in a relaxed tone, "You can't put it like that—it's better than having no progress at all."
"Tomorrow, we'll start the operation. For today, get some rest. I'll leave Katheryne's consciousness now, but tomorrow I'll be back to help you all prepare."
Once Nahida's consciousness faded from Katheryne, Paimon reflected on the brilliant plan she'd just explained.
Finally, she couldn't suppress her excitement and said, "So if everything goes according to the plan, we'll be able to fix all of Sumeru's problems soon, right?"
At that moment, Shao Yun was still thinking about Nahida's dazzling plan.
With Alhaitham capable of temporarily managing the Akademiya and restraining the deranged scholars, Cyno likely joining them for legitimacy, and Setaria acting as their insider to lead them toward the Divine Creation Workshop—it all seemed perfectly arranged.
Then, with Dehya's mercenaries seizing the Corps of Thirty according to Nahida's plan, everything would fall right into place.
Thinking of this, Shao Yun rubbed his hands together in excitement and replied confidently, "Haha, you're absolutely right, Paimon! We can even start planning for our next destination."
Hearing that, Paimon's eyes lit up, but then she rubbed her round belly and said in a playful, pleading tone, "But before that, can we get something tasty to eat? My tummy's rumbling~"
Seeing her expression, Shao Yun waved his hand grandly and laughed, "No problem!"
Watching the cheerful exchange between the two, Lumine relaxed, a small smile tugging at her lips. Seeing Shao Yun's confidence made her feel like all their challenges were finally falling into place, to be solved through Nahida's flawless plan. All that was left was to wait.
As the three of them were about to head off for dinner, they suddenly noticed Nilou strolling leisurely down the street—notably, without her usual radiant smile. Instead, her face bore a look of deep worry.
With her sharp eyes, Paimon was the first to notice and waved energetically. "Nilou! Wow, it's been so long! How have you been lately?"
Hearing her name, Nilou slowly snapped out of her thoughts. When she saw the three familiar faces, she managed to smile faintly. "Oh, it's you—Lumine, Paimon, and Shao Yun. Hello."
Despite her attempt to appear cheerful, her downcast eyes and gloomy demeanor were hard to miss.
Paimon immediately asked with concern, "Nilou, what's wrong? Why do you look so troubled?"
Nilou sighed softly. "Ah, there are… a lot of reasons."
"But the biggest one is still about Lesser Lord Kusanali. The people at the Akademiya have treated her so terribly. It makes me so angry—but I'm powerless to do anything. All I can do is watch…"
"Every time I think about it, I just feel so useless…" Her eyes began to glisten with tears.
Before any of them could respond, the Akasha Terminal by Nilou's ear suddenly glowed.
The sudden light caught everyone's attention, and Nilou gasped softly. "Ah? It's Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
After a brief pause, she began conversing with Nahida through the terminal. The two spoke for a while; Nilou nodded occasionally, then smiled warmly as she listened.
By the time the exchange ended, her sadness had melted away, replaced with radiant joy.
She beamed and said to the device, "Yes, I understand now. Thank you for your kind words…"
When the conversation ended, the ever-curious Paimon floated closer. "Nilou, what did Nahida say to you?"
Nilou took a deep breath, her smile bright and sincere. "She comforted me. She said she was happy that I performed the Dance of Sabzeruz and reminded me never to belittle myself."
"She told me that all the bad things will soon pass—and to have faith!"
Hearing that, Paimon laughed brightly. "Hehe, that's exactly what I think too! Nilou, you have to stay cheerful and eat well every day! That way, Nahida will feel at ease—and she'll be happy too!"
Lumine folded her arms, half-amused and half-exasperated. "Paimon, why do you always bring everything back to food?"
Paimon giggled, rubbing her round belly innocently. "Hehe, what can I say? I'm just hungry…"
Seeing their lighthearted banter, Nilou couldn't help but smile again. Spotting that the three hadn't eaten yet, she suddenly had an idea and cheerfully suggested, "You haven't had dinner yet, have you?"
"How about I treat you to some delicious snacks at the Grand Bazaar? The local specialties there are really good!"
The moment Paimon heard the word treat, her face lit up with excitement. "Whoa, really? That's amazing! Thank you, Nilou!"
Watching Paimon's giddy joy, Nilou chuckled warmly. "Don't be so polite—we're all friends here."