Just as the topic was about to come to an end, Cyno once again fished out a special envelope bearing the Akademiya's emblem from inside his cloak and handed it to Shao Yun.
As he passed it over, he explained, "Oh, right! I almost forgot about this. Lesser Lord Kusanali asked me to deliver this letter to you."
"Originally, I even thought that if I couldn't find you in Aaru Village, I'd have to ask the Adventurers' Guild to deliver it instead."
Upon hearing that it was a letter from Nahida, Shao Yun muttered, "That little 'diaper fairy' actually wrote me a letter?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Cyno's expression instantly turned peculiar. He corrected him, "It is a letter from the Dendro Archon…"
When saying the words "the Dendro Archon," Cyno deliberately emphasized the pronunciation, reminding Shao Yun to watch his wording.
However, Shao Yun ignored Cyno's displeasure entirely. Without another word, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter to read.
"Greetings, Mr. Shao Yun! How have you and Lumine been getting along these past two months?"
…
Reading the opening lines, Shao Yun frowned in boredom and complained, "What did she even write… all of this is completely pointless fluff. Don't tell me Alhaitham ghost-wrote it for her?"
After saying that, he skipped all the irrelevant greetings and buildup.
Shao Yun read straight through to the end of the letter before finally finding the important part.
These lines were written there:
"Lastly, if possible, please help persuade your brother-in-law. As long as he can fully demonstrate and prove the practical feasibility of the plan he has devised, I will be willing to cooperate with him."
"Perhaps, by the time you read this, you will be utterly shocked—after all, who would've thought that I would even consider cooperating with the Abyss Order?"
"Yet that is indeed the truth. Just like how a cat cannot resist the allure of catnip, I am genuinely extremely interested in his proposal."
"Note: Burn after reading. You don't want too many people knowing about this, right?"
After finishing the letter, Shao Yun thought to himself, Nahida, you're thinking exactly what I was thinking…
He struck a match. With a shh sound, a small orange flame leapt to life.
Bringing the burning match close to the corner of the letter, the fire immediately spread.
Soon, the entire letter turned to ash, scattering away into the air.
"Well then, I'll do my best… but before that, I think I really do need to properly enjoy my vacation first…"
…
Just after Shao Yun finished burning the letter, Candace returned. She had already arranged accommodations for Jeht.
Now that Jeht had joined Aaru Village, its defensive strength had increased significantly. Shao Yun had found competent help for himself, and Candace was quite pleased about it.
She then began arranging resting places for Shao Yun and his companions. Even though they would leave soon, she couldn't let them sleep on the streets.
…
News traveled quickly in Aaru Village. The moment Kaveh heard that Shao Yun had returned, he immediately went to look for him.
Kaveh had barely stepped outside and taken a few steps when he spotted Shao Yun zoning out in the street. He immediately called out to him.
"Mr. Shao Yun, you're finally back! Let me tell you some great news—the library is completed!"
Shao Yun, who had been spacing out, snapped back to reality at once and quickly responded, "Oh, it's completed? That's wonderful. You've worked hard on this… Right, I almost forgot—how much is the remaining payment for the library construction?"
As he spoke, he was fully prepared to settle the bill on the spot.
However, completely contrary to his expectations, the moment he mentioned the remaining payment, Kaveh repeatedly waved his hands, replying, "There's no need, Mr. Shao Yun. I didn't even use up the twenty million Mora."
Hearing that even twenty million Mora hadn't been spent, Shao Yun thought, you didn't even use up the equivalent of 400 dollars? Kaveh, did you cut corners somewhere!?
His expression gradually darkened at the thought. With a tone carrying displeasure, he pressed, "Are you sure? Don't you dare cut corners on materials or craftsmanship just to save me money."
"If you built a shoddy tofu-block project, I'll have it torn down and rebuilt—and the very first thing during reconstruction will be using you as the foundation pile!"
Kaveh trembled from head to toe at the threat of being used as a living piling stake.
"W-Whoa, Mr. Shao Yun, you scared me! Don't worry, I used only the best materials. Miss Candace personally supervised everything—there won't be any problems."
The meaning behind Kaveh's words was obvious: even if Shao Yun didn't trust him, surely he trusted Candace?
Hearing Kaveh's explanation, Shao Yun's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
He then pulled out a bulging pouch of Mora, handed it to Kaveh, and said calmly, "In that case, all right. Inside is your design fee and commission payment for the project. You've worked hard, Master Kaveh."
However, when Kaveh saw Shao Yun pushing another large sum of money toward him, he recoiled as if burned, frantically shaking his head.
"No, no—this… this really isn't necessary, Mr. Shao Yun. I'll just take a small portion from the leftover budget as compensation."
"As for the rest of the money, I plan to donate it all to Aaru Village to help improve the villagers' living conditions or build some public facilities."
And so, despite Kaveh's repeated refusal and firm stance, he ultimately couldn't overcome Shao Yun's insistence.
Helplessly, Kaveh accepted the design fee and commission.
With this transaction concluded, Shao Yun no longer had any reason to remain in Sumeru.
The library in Aaru Village had been successfully completed, and Lumine's Deadeye had been upgraded to Level Three. Everything had ended on a joyous note.
All matters had been resolved perfectly—everything felt harmonious and bright.
After Kaveh stored the Mora away, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "By the way, Mr. Shao Yun… you're heading to Fontaine next, right?"
Hearing this, Shao Yun blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, that's right. We're planning to go to Fontaine. Why? Is there something you need?"
Kaveh took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and said, "Well… if it's convenient, once you arrive in Fontaine, could you help me look in on someone?"
Shao Yun looked at him with interest and asked, "Oh? Who? What's their name? A man or a woman? And where in Fontaine?"
Faced with the string of questions, Kaveh seemed a little overwhelmed. He glanced around to ensure no one nearby was paying attention, then lowered his voice.
"Faranak… she's a woman. I'm not exactly sure where she is now—only heard that she might… possibly be somewhere in Fontaine. When you get there, you could start by asking around the Palais Mermonia. Could you… please help me?"
By the end, a hint of pleading crept into his voice.
Then, as though afraid Shao Yun would continue questioning, he hurriedly added, "Please don't ask me why I'm asking you to find her. Really. Just… just help me check that she's doing okay."
Seeing how earnest Kaveh was, Shao Yun didn't press further. Instead, he simply extended his hand and asked, "All right. But you should at least have some clue—like a picture of her or something?"
The moment Kaveh heard Shao Yun agree, he was overjoyed. He immediately started patting down his clothes, searching frantically.
After a moment, he pulled out a palm-sized photograph from his pocket and handed it over at once. "Here! This one!"
Shao Yun accepted the photo, glanced at it, and remarked with interest, "Wow, your mother is really beautiful! Like a noble lady stepped straight out of a painting."
"And this Akademiya scholar's attire—it really brings out her intellectual elegance."
Hearing this, Kaveh froze, bewildered. "Huh? I don't recall telling you that Faranak is my mother!"
Shao Yun tapped the photograph—the three-person family portrait—and calmly said, "It's a group photo. Once you see the little you standing in the middle, it's easy enough to guess."
After hearing the explanation, Kaveh blanked out for a moment before suddenly realizing. He immediately fumbled through his pockets again.
Soon, he pulled out the photo he meant to give Shao Yun—the proper single portrait of his mother.
Looking devastated, Kaveh slapped his own forehead and muttered, "Ugh! I actually gave him the wrong photo."
Seeing his exasperation, Shao Yun said, "All right, since I already figured it out, no need to hide it anymore. Tell me about your mother…"
Knowing he could no longer conceal anything, Kaveh took a deep breath and slowly began.
"Faranak… my mother. The truth is like this…"
Kaveh briefly recounted his past: how he once encouraged his father to participate in the Akademiya's Interdarshan Championship.
Though considered a favorite to win, his father failed to take the championship and disappeared for a time afterwards.
Later, his father died unexpectedly in the desert. The news was so sudden that both he and his mother were thrown into chaos.
His mother, naturally sensitive, was devastated. His father's death left her crushed, trapped for a long time in anxiety and depression.
Kaveh himself felt guilty, believing he had been the cause of his father's death.
When he reached school age, he entered the Rtawahist Darshan of the Akademiya.
To ease her grief, his mother traveled to Fontaine to heal her heart. There, she received a job offer—essentially a remarriage proposal—and upon returning to Sumeru, she told Kaveh about it.
Though he knew he would live alone once she left, Kaveh agreed with a smile and personally saw her off on the day she departed.
At the end of his story, Kaveh raised a hand and wiped the tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.
"Ever since she remarried, I've never disturbed her… but… I—I really miss her…"
When Kaveh finished, Shao Yun nodded in understanding.
"Mm. I understand. A child missing his mother—that's only natural. I'll stop by and check on her for you."
Hearing this, gratitude flickered in Kaveh's eyes, but was quickly replaced by worry.
After hesitating for a moment, he made one more request.
"Please… please don't tell her that I asked you to visit, all right?"
"I don't want to disrupt the peaceful life she has now. If my concern brings her trouble, that's the last thing I want!"
Shao Yun shrugged and replied calmly, "All right, I'll try."
"But life is unpredictable—no one knows what the situation will be like when the time comes. Still, I'll respect your wishes."
===BREAK===
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