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After Shao Yun and Candace left the house, Lumine took a deep breath and turned toward a closed door inside the room—Nahida was behind it.
Biting her lip, she finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly.
"Nahida, tell me the truth! Does Shao Yun have… Eleazar?"
Her voice quivered with emotion.
"The only explanation I can think of is back in Caravan Ribat—when that Withering suddenly broke out. Don't tell me… that's when he got infected, isn't it?"
Just then, the door opened, and Catherine—the puppet Nahida controlled—stepped out quietly.
She shook her head softly. "I'm sorry… but I truly don't know anything about that."
Lumine froze, stunned by the answer.
Her voice rose sharply, disbelief and desperation bleeding through.
"How could you not know? You're the God of Wisdom! You should at least be able to tell what's wrong with him!"
Her usual calm shattered completely, replaced by fear and frustration.
Nahida was momentarily speechless, her small mouth opening and closing helplessly.
"I… I…" she stammered, unable to give a proper explanation.
Realizing she'd lost control, Lumine forced herself to breathe deeply, steadying her voice.
"I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "But please… is there anything you can do to help him?"
Nahida hesitated—she wasn't a doctor, after all—but she thought carefully before answering.
"For now," she said gently, "we should go to the meeting. After all, what you said about 'Eleazar' is only speculation. To know what's really wrong, we'll need to ask Shao Yun himself. Once we understand, then we can look for a treatment."
She was right. Even if she were a healer, she couldn't prescribe medicine without knowing the illness.
Lumine nodded slowly, understanding her meaning.
Turning to Paimon, who hovered anxiously beside her, she sighed.
"Alright… let's go to the meeting."
…
Meanwhile, outside Aaru Village, Shao Yun followed behind Candace along the quiet desert path.
As they walked, he asked, "So, what herbs are we looking for?"
Candace didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked at him apologetically.
"I'm really sorry, Shao Yun. I honestly thought you'd already told Lumine and Paimon about your condition."
Shao Yun waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. They were bound to find out sooner or later anyway. It's just that…"
He paused mid-sentence, reconsidering, then shook his head and changed the topic.
"By the way—how did you find me?"
Candace tilted her head slightly, recalling the events from earlier that evening.
"Your horse ran into the village, pushing everyone away as it tried to head back out. We knew something had happened to you."
"We followed it to where you'd collapsed."
"When we arrived, there were several vultures watching you—but an eagle was standing over your body, protecting you. If not for that eagle, you might've been their dinner."
"When we approached, both the vultures and the eagle flew off. But honestly, I was surprised—since when do eagles live in the desert?"
Shao Yun smiled faintly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Probably one that built its nest near the Sand Barrier."
Candace nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe so. Anyway, we just need some Henna Berries. You know what that is, right?"
Shao Yun blinked.
To his knowledge, those were used as dye ingredients, not medicine.
Still, he nodded. "Yeah, I know them. Anything else you need?"
Candace smiled. "No, five should be enough. Don't go too far, though—there've been a lot of sandstorms lately. The God of Wisdom says it's because of the World Tree's deterioration."
"Got it. I see some near the village entrance—I'll pick them there."
She nodded again, caution in her tone. "Once you're done, wait for me at the gate, okay? And… thanks for helping."
With that, she turned and headed north.
Shao Yun watched her go, then made his way to the village entrance.
Under the moonlight, the red fruit glowed faintly atop the cacti.
Thanks to Lisa's alchemy pendant, which doubled harvests, he only needed to pick a few—six fruits were more than enough.
After collecting them, he sat down on a large stone, gazing at the starry desert sky while waiting for Candace to return.
After a while, he saw her approaching quickly.
Shao Yun stood and held up the six crimson fruits. "These should be enough, right?"
Candace took them from his arms, making them disappear into her pack with practiced ease. "Perfect," she said with a warm smile. "Thank you so much."
Just as Shao Yun was about to turn back toward the village, Candace called out again. "Wait—can I ask you something?"
He turned to face her. "What is it?"
Raising her chin slightly, she asked, "How did you get sick?"
Shao Yun hesitated. If she could already tell he was ill, perhaps there was no harm in telling her.
But still cautious, he decided to test her first.
"Before I answer," he said seriously, "I need you to promise me one thing—that everything we discuss from this point stays strictly between us. Can you do that?"
Meeting his intense gaze, Candace nodded solemnly. "Of course. I swear I won't tell anyone."
Satisfied, Shao Yun exhaled, but then glanced warily around and asked, "Can you say for sure that it's just us here? That there's no one—and nothing—else nearby?"
Candace frowned, puzzled but instantly alert. "What do you mean by that?"
Shao Yun didn't answer directly. Instead, he said calmly, "Open your eyes. Focus. Use your senses. Really look around."
Though confused, Candace obeyed.
She stood still, concentrating—but aside from the cool desert breeze and the faint crunch of sand beneath her feet, she sensed nothing unusual.
Still, something in his tone made her uneasy. She raised her guard, scanning the darkness.
"You think there's an Eremite ambush? Or Treasure Hoarders?"
When she failed to perceive anything, Shao Yun ended the topic abruptly.
"If you can't sense it, then it's better you don't know."
The sudden end left Candace baffled. "What's out there, exactly?"
He waved dismissively. "Forget it. Dehya's mercenaries still need you to brew that medicine."
She frowned slightly but chose to let it go. "I'm no healer, but I can tell your condition's getting worse. The God of Wisdom suspects it's tied to the World Tree's decay. Do you agree?"
Shao Yun, walking ahead, didn't turn around. "I'm no healer or scholar either. Whatever it is, I'll leave it to those who understand such things."
…
When they returned to Aaru Village, Candace went to prepare the medicine—and along the way, they ran into Cyno.
He had already heard of Shao Yun's illness. This time, his usual habit of telling deadpan jokes was gone; his tone was calm, even solemn.
"Shao Yun," Cyno said, "I heard you're unwell. How are you feeling?"
Shao Yun thumped his chest a few times. "Don't think I'm that fragile. I'm no weakling!"
But his pale face and trembling hands told a different story.
Cyno noticed, frowning slightly. "Still, health is your greatest weapon. Rest if you need to."
Shao Yun sighed. "Rest? We don't have time for that…"
Quickly changing the subject, he asked, "By the way, Cyno—where are Lumine and Paimon? Is the meeting over?"
Cyno nodded. "Yes, just finished.
"The situation's as follows: Lady Nahida and I will investigate the disappearance of the village guardians. Lumine, Paimon, and Alhaitham went to the House of Life to look for a way to cure your illness."
"The God of Wisdom believes your disease may be a mutated form of Eleazar."
"Dehya went to the Wall of Samiel to observe the Akademiya's movements."
At the mention of the missing guardians, Candace's eyes widened with gratitude. "You're helping look for them? Thank you—I've been so worried about that!"
Cyno shook his head calmly. "No need to thank me. It's simply our duty."
Shao Yun chuckled lightly at Nahida's theory. "Eleazar, huh? That's quite the imagination she's got. Anyway—Lumine and Paimon are at the Bimarstan, right?"
Cyno nodded again. "Correct."
Hearing that, Shao Yun let out a sharp whistle.
Moments later, his pale pink Andalusian horse came galloping toward him, stopping obediently in front of him.
He swung himself onto her back, patting her neck affectionately. "Thank you for saving me again, my good girl."
As if understanding, Carrot neighed softly, pawing the ground with her front hooves.
With a firm tug of the reins, Shao Yun turned her southward—toward the Bimarstan.
A cloud of dust rose behind him as horse and rider vanished into the horizon, swallowed by the night.