Chapter 74. Furious Tighnari
Faruzan was also someone who cared greatly about her reputation.
Earlier, she had been the one questioning Futsu Mitama and the others. Now that they had presented "evidence," should she reluctantly agree, or simply agree outright?
For a brief moment, the esteemed Senior fell into contemplation.
Emotionally, she wanted to make things a little difficult for them first before agreeing. After all, she was a Senior. If she yielded immediately, where would her dignity go?
But the person standing before her had inherited Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's Inheritance.
Theoretically speaking, his status was even higher than that of the Great Sage and the Akademiya itself.
After all, an Archon's Inheritance was not something ordinary people could obtain.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had bestowed Inheritances in the past as well.
Unfortunately... those inheritances had long since faded from Sumeru.
The reason was simple. The Scholars of that era lacked sufficient ability, and then came Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's sudden passing five hundred years ago.
From that moment onward, Sumeru's line of Archon successors was effectively severed.
No, perhaps "Archon successors" was not even the correct term.
Those people would never call themselves that.
At most, they had only managed to crudely grasp a fragment of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's power over life.
But the person before her was different.
The energy contained within his hand was pure life energy. Combined with Tighnari's earlier statement that the unusually vibrant plants in the room were not cultivated by him, but by someone else—
Looking at it now, wasn't that "someone else" the mysterious figure standing before her?
"Sigh. I'm getting old. My heart has become too soft."
In the end, Faruzan chose not to make things difficult.
The other party had come to her with sincerity and had even displayed the Dendro Archon's Inheritance before her.
Although she still didn't know where his Dendro Archon's Inheritance came from, the fact that Tighnari had specifically instructed him not to reveal his appearance suggested something.
Most likely, he was someone she knew.
Or rather, someone so famous that he could be recognized at a glance. When the time was right, she would naturally learn his identity.
"Senior, do you mean?"
A pleased smile appeared on Tighnari's face. Faruzan's words had already all but confirmed her willingness to assist them.
Senior Faruzan's support was fundamentally different from that of other senior scholars within Sumeru.
She was a legendary figure from a hundred years ago and possessed extraordinary prestige within the present Akademiya.
The Sages did not dare order her around, and even the Great Sage had to show respect before her scholarly achievements.
"Yes, that's right. I'm willing to assist you."
Faruzan spread her hands helplessly, as though making this decision had forced her to compromise some principle she held dear. Soon afterward, however, she looked toward Tighnari and Futsu Mitama's group with evident curiosity.
"Since I've agreed to help you, why don't you tell me your general plan? To be honest, I'm not particularly interested in why you wish to enter Sumeru City, nor do I intend to pry into your identities."
"But what exactly you need me to do, and what your ultimate objective is—I would like to know."
The infiltration of Sumeru City.
Their identities.
Even the specific assistance she would provide.
Faruzan wasn't particularly concerned about any of those things.
Those weren't the important parts.
The truly important issue was their ultimate objective.
That was something Faruzan absolutely had to know.
"To save the Dendro Archon."
Futsu Mitama finally spoke.
Looking at Faruzan, he calmly said, "She has been imprisoned for five hundred years."
"The Akademiya has forgotten its former glory. And those who call themselves Sages have forgotten who it was that bestowed upon them the title of Sage."
Hearing those words, Faruzan's brows furrowed slightly. After a moment of silence, she quietly nodded.
"Cough, cough, cough."
At that moment, Tighnari suddenly began coughing again.
Turning toward Collei beside him, he said, "Collei, why don't you take Senior Faruzan around for a while? She still has other matters to attend to in Gandharva Ville."
Originally, Faruzan had intended to say that she had no such matters.
But the moment she heard that Collei would be accompanying her, she instantly lost all desire to object.
Collei was her favorite "disciple."
If she could truly take Collei as her apprentice one day, she would probably wake up smiling from her dreams.
Ah, right.
Sumeru people didn't dream.
"Yes, Master."
Collei obediently nodded. Naturally, she had no intention of refusing Tighnari's request. After all, he was the Master she respected the most.
"Let's go, let's go, Collei! Let's go for a walk!"
Faruzan immediately became spirited again. Beaming with excitement, she grabbed Collei's hand and headed outside.
For a moment, Collei was left somewhat overwhelmed.
Senior Faruzan was simply too enthusiastic.
Although she had always been like this whenever they met, Collei still found it difficult to adapt. Then again—If the enthusiastic person were Amber, she would probably be able to handle it.
After Faruzan and Collei left, Kuki Shinobu quietly closed the door once more.
At the same time, Shenhe skillfully set up a soundproof barrier.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Tighnari coughed several more times.
Looking toward Futsu Mitama, he said, "With Senior Faruzan's support, there should be no major problems once you enter Sumeru City. However, regarding this trip to Sumeru City, I—"
"Wait a moment."
Before Tighnari could finish speaking, Futsu Mitama interrupted him. A green light flashed within his palm.
"You're sick. What's going on?"
As he spoke, he infused the green light into Tighnari's body. For an instant, Tighnari's complexion improved noticeably. But the improvement lasted only a moment before the weakness returned.
"Perhaps it's just a cold."
Tighnari didn't pay much attention to it. After all, he wasn't a god. Getting sick was perfectly normal. Although the energy Futsu Mitama had just infused into him felt exceptionally comfortable, elemental power was not omnipotent.
"If it were a cold, I would have cured it long ago."
Futsu Mitama withdrew his hand. Looking at Tighnari's pale appearance, he seemed to think of something.
"You've been affected by something."
Then he asked,
"Did you catch this 'cold' while you were in Sumeru City?"
Tighnari frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Yes. I stayed in Sumeru City for one night before visiting Senior. That night, I felt somewhat hot, so I left the window open. The weather happened to be quite cold, so catching a cold would be perfectly normal."
At present, Tighnari only felt somewhat weak and had no other obvious symptoms. Because of that, he had never taken the matter seriously. But now that Futsu Mitama had pointed it out, Tighnari suddenly felt that something was not quite right.
He had traveled all the way to Sumeru City, sleeping outdoors every night without catching so much as a cold. Yet after arriving in Sumeru City, he fell ill that very night.
It was illogical. Extremely illogical.
But Tighnari couldn't understand who would target him. Or rather... who would have the spare time to target someone like him.
Anyone capable of silently affecting him had to be an existence of extraordinary power.
After all, although Tighnari usually appeared gentle and approachable, seemingly harmless to both people and animals, he was still a Forest Ranger. His strength was far greater than most imagined.
Ordinary people could do nothing to him. Even those somewhat stronger than him would find it difficult to secretly scheme against him without leaving behind any traces.
Only an existence far beyond Tighnari's understanding could have silently acted against him.
But if such an existence truly existed, then merely giving him a "cold" was even more unreasonable.
Tighnari was confused.
Not only him—everyone present found the situation somewhat strange, and a trace of vigilance quietly surfaced in their hearts.
Shenhe had even already taken out several talismans, intending to perform a thorough examination of Tighnari's condition to determine exactly what was wrong with him.
"When you entered Sumeru City, did you wear an Akasha Terminal?"
Futsu Mitama asked again.
Tighnari's current state was somewhat similar to what had happened during the original storyline.
Naturally, that storyline referred to the Sazberuz Festival.
The storyline that had once made Futsu Mitama curse miHoYo for three days and three nights.
Of course, it could also be called another name.
The Endless August.
No matter what it was called, the core remained the same.
A loop. A loop. A loop!!!!!
Futsu Mitama didn't know how other people felt about it, but his own experience had been absolutely terrible.
There were times when he had already guessed the answer.
Yet the Traveler still couldn't figure it out.
There were only a handful of possible answers, but the Traveler insisted on stepping into every pitfall one by one before finally arriving at the correct conclusion.
The experience had truly exhausted him.
And now, seeing Tighnari's weakened appearance, Futsu Mitama couldn't help but associate it with that storyline.
"This—"
Hearing the question, Tighnari paused briefly.
Then he nodded and explained, "Yes. After entering Sumeru City, I put on an Akasha Terminal."
"No one forced me to wear it. It's just that I couldn't find Senior Faruzan immediately, so I could only rely on the Akasha Terminal to search for her."
In Sumeru, although the Akasha Terminal certainly had its drawbacks, such as surveillance, its convenience was undeniable.
Setting everything else aside, simply being able to search for information and communicate with others through the Akasha Terminal was already an extremely useful function.
As a native of Sumeru, even though Tighnari understood the problems surrounding the Akasha, he would still choose to use it when necessary.
It was much the same as seeking assistance from Acting Grand Master Jean in Mondstadt or requesting help from the Millelith in Liyue.
Tighnari then recounted his experiences in Sumeru City.
According to his memories, on that particular night, he seemed to have had a very long dream.
Although "dream" might not be the correct word.
After all, Sumerians did not dream.
In the past, he had occasionally experienced similar feelings, moments that felt as though he had dreamed, yet could not be verified afterward.
When he awoke the next morning, his body felt weak, as though all his strength had been drained away.
However, because he needed to meet Faruzan, he endured the discomfort and went to search for her.
Later, his condition gradually improved. Although he still coughed from time to time, he was already much better than he had been initially.
"I see."
The more Futsu Mitama listened, the more convinced he became that the Akademiya was up to something.
Looking at Tighnari, he asked,
"Have there been any deaths in Sumeru City recently? Or rather—has anyone died due to sudden weakness, or suffered an abrupt deterioration of Eleazar after waking up and passed away?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Tighnari's expression became exceptionally unpleasant.
He silently nodded.
During the two days he had spent in Sumeru City, he had naturally learned about many things happening there.
No matter what, Tighnari was still a Forest Ranger, and his mentor was a Sage. He possessed channels through which he could obtain information unavailable to ordinary people.
On the very night he became weak, several people had indeed died.
Among them were two Eleazar patients who should have still had some time remaining.
Yet overnight, they had passed away.
When Tighnari first heard the news, he had merely sighed at the fragility and impermanence of life.
But now—
This was no accident.
Likely, this was murder.
A murder hidden from everyone's sight.
In truth, had Futsu Mitama not pointed it out, Tighnari would never have connected these events together. But now that the possibility had been laid before him—
His expression became incomparably grim.
Because within Sumeru City, only the Akademiya possessed the means to accomplish such a thing.
What exactly were they doing?
Conducting experiments?
But what kind of experiment would trample upon human life in this manner?!
Tighnari's hands trembled slightly.
As someone inherently kind-hearted, anger was already beginning to surge uncontrollably within him. At this moment, he wished he could immediately return to Sumeru City, stand before the Sages, and ask them face-to-face:
What exactly are you doing?! Greater Lord Rukkhadevata entrusted the Akasha and the Akademiya to you!
She entrusted them to you so that wisdom could continue to flourish, so future generations could benefit from it, and so Teyvat could continue progressing forward.
Not so that you could desecrate the lives of others!
"How... how could they?!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
The more Tighnari thought about it, the more furious he became, until he started coughing violently. He simply couldn't believe that the Akademiya was capable of such actions.
If outsiders had been pressuring the Akademiya, there would inevitably have been disturbances and information leaks.
Yet everything remained calm.
Everything remained silent.
Which meant only one possibility.
The people responsible were the Akademiya's highest-ranking officials.
The Sages themselves.
Thinking of his mentor's unusual disappearance, Tighnari couldn't help clenching his fists. At this moment, a thought emerged in his mind.
Had something happened to his mentor? Or had the experiment already reached a stage where communication was no longer possible? Was that why he had completely lost contact?
"Don't get angry. Don't get angry."
Seeing Tighnari's reaction, Futsu Mitama instead tried to calm him down.
"Maybe it's only my speculation. Don't get agitated yet. We'll investigate everything properly after arriving in Sumeru City. We can discuss it slowly afterward. For now, don't get yourself worked up."
Tighnari's condition was already weak.
His personality was upright and kind. Learning that the matter might involve the Akademiya naturally made it difficult for him to remain calm.
If he were to collapse from anger before they even reached Sumeru City, even Futsu Mitama would be left helpless.
After all, although the Dendro Archon's Inheritance embodied the power of life, it could not heal problems of the heart and mind through life energy alone.
"No need to investigate."
After a long moment, Tighnari gradually calmed himself under Futsu Mitama's persuasion. A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Because within Sumeru City, the only ones capable of doing something like this are the Akademiya. I've always known that the Sages could use the Akasha's power to subtly influence people's minds. Perhaps without realizing it, both I and the citizens of Sumeru City have already been exploited."
As he spoke, determination gradually appeared within his eyes. Looking directly at Futsu Mitama, as though having made a decision, he said firmly,
"If that's the case, then I cannot remain uninvolved. Futsu Mitama, I will gather my colleagues. I will tell them everything. And I believe they will stand with me."
"We will confront the Sages together and demand an explanation. We will ask them exactly what they are doing."
Originally, Tighnari had agreed to help because of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
But now—
He was genuinely angry.
Perhaps the Sages had once possessed reasons for restricting Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Perhaps those reasons had existed in the past, or perhaps they still existed now.
Tighnari had never wanted to escalate the matter unnecessarily. That was why he had quietly arranged for Faruzan to help bring Futsu Mitama into Sumeru City.
With Futsu Mitama's strength, secretly rescuing Lesser Lord Kusanali should have been a simple matter.
But things were different now.
The Akademiya's actions had completely ignited Tighnari's anger.
And this time, he intended to gather his companions and march directly before the Sages.
He wanted to demand an answer from them face-to-face.
Tighnari left once more.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but inwardly, he was already burning with fury.
Futsu Mitama could understand why. Because the gentler a person was, the more terrifying they became when truly angered.
Perhaps, in Tighnari's eyes, this matter had originally been relatively simple.
As long as Futsu Mitama successfully rescued Lesser Lord Kusanali, and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was eventually "resurrected"—
Then aside from the Akademiya and the current Sages losing some face, the final outcome would still be a good one.
After all, Lesser Lord Kusanali knew where Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was.
Futsu Mitama would rescue her.
Then they would find Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
And Sumeru would welcome a bright future under the guidance of two Archons.
But now—
Although Tighnari still didn't know what the Akademiya was secretly doing, the mere possibility that they were desecrating human life was enough to completely ignite his anger.
"Tighnari like this..."
Sangonomiya Kokomi watched the departing figure and could not help but let out a soft sigh.
"I have a feeling that what happened in Inazuma is about to happen again in Sumeru."
Kuki Shinobu nodded slightly. She agreed with Kokomi's judgment.
Even with the Raiden Shogun presiding over Inazuma personally, discontent had still been suppressed for centuries before finally erupting.
As for the current Akademiya—
It wasn't that Kuki Shinobu looked down on them.
Rather, based on the information they currently possessed; the situation was already extremely dangerous.
Lesser Lord Kusanali had been imprisoned by them.
Although nobody knew what method they had used to restrain an Archon—
The fact remained that the Akademiya no longer had an Archon standing behind them.
At the same time, Sumeru was filled with intelligent people.
Or more accurately—
The Sumerians they had met so far were all intelligent people.
Cyno.
Tighnari.
Collei.
Faruzan.
Each of them seemed vaguely aware that something was wrong within the Akademiya.
Although they did not know the full truth, they all harbored varying degrees of dissatisfaction toward the current Akademiya.
Cyno was investigating evidence related to the Akademiya in the Desert.
Tighnari had now discovered that the Akademiya was secretly harming innocent lives.
If things continued developing in this direction, then even without Futsu Mitama and the others arriving in Sumeru—
A brand-new Sumeru "Resistance" would likely emerge sooner or later.
"Alright." Futsu Mitama clapped his hands lightly. "Let's go find Faruzan."
Tighnari's problem wasn't something he could solve. Because ultimately, this was Sumeru's internal affair.
Futsu Mitama had accepted Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's commission to rescue Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Not to interfere in Sumeru's politics.
Even if fighting eventually became unavoidable, his targets would only be Dottore and Scaramouche.
That was personal.
It had nothing to do with anyone else.
Soon, Futsu Mitama and the others left Tighnari's house.
Not far away, they spotted Faruzan and Collei.
At this moment, Faruzan seemed to be enthusiastically explaining something. The expression on her face was practically glowing, as though she had discovered some priceless treasure.
Meanwhile, Collei wore an awkward and helpless smile.
Faced with such overwhelming enthusiasm from a "Senior," she clearly didn't know how she was supposed to refuse.
"Hmm?" Faruzan noticed them approaching and blinked in surprise. "Finished talking already?"
Her gaze swept across Futsu Mitama and the others.
Then she asked somewhat curiously,
"Where's Tighnari? He's still inside? He's not even planning to see us off?"
This trip to Gandharva Ville had been quite rushed for Faruzan. Likewise, she needed to return to Sumeru City as quickly as possible.
As a respected Senior of the Akademiya, she was surprisingly busy in many ways.
That was why she found the situation somewhat strange.
Hadn't Tighnari been the one who invited her here?
So why wasn't he coming to see them off?
"Yes." Futsu Mitama nodded. "We've finished talking."
Then he asked somewhat puzzledly,
"Tighnari rushed out just now. Didn't you see him?"
"I saw Master."
Collei nodded. Her expression gradually became concerned.
"Master looked very angry. What happened?"
Tighnari had indeed passed through this area moments ago. As his disciple, Collei understood him very well.
There had been no trace of his usual smile. Instead, his expression had been unusually grave.
It was obvious that he was angry. Very angry.
As for the reason—
Collei didn't know.
Which was why she looked toward Futsu Mitama and the others, hoping to find an answer. After all, Tighnari had been talking with them just moments earlier.
Could it be that he had learned some shocking news?
However, Collei never once suspected that Futsu Mitama's group had made her master angry.
Because both her master and Futsu Mitama were gentle and kind people.
There was simply no way they would clash with each other.
"That's..."
Futsu Mitama shook his head slightly.
"It's difficult to explain."
It wasn't that he didn't trust Collei or Faruzan.
But they were standing outside. There were Forest Rangers nearby.
There were villagers nearby.
If they openly discussed matters related to the Akasha and the Akademiya here, it would only create unnecessary trouble.
"Difficult to explain—"
Collei hesitated slightly. But she was a sensible and obedient girl. Although curiosity remained in her heart, she ultimately chose not to ask any further questions.
"Can we leave now?"
Futsu Mitama looked toward Faruzan. They had already spent more than a week in Gandharva Ville.
It was time to head for Sumeru City.
Hearing his question, Faruzan nodded.
"We can leave whenever you want."
Then she subconsciously added,
"But are you really leaving now? Wouldn't you like to stay for a meal first or something?"
After all, she herself had only arrived in Gandharva Ville less than three hours ago.
And now they were already leaving again.
Of course it was possible. It just felt rather rushed.
"Yes."
Futsu Mitama nodded seriously. Looking at Faruzan, he spoke in a solemn tone.
"Something very dangerous is happening in Sumeru City. As for the details—we can discuss them on the way."
Although Faruzan couldn't see his face beneath the mask, she could clearly sense the seriousness in his voice.
So she stopped asking questions and quietly nodded.
"Oh, right."
Just as they were preparing to leave Gandharva Ville, Futsu Mitama suddenly turned toward Collei.
"Tell your master not to let anger consume him. If he truly intends to resist—"
"Then have him find Cyno. He'll provide help. And he has a way to contact me."
Hearing those words, Collei nodded earnestly.
"I understand."
Faruzan blinked her beautiful eyes. For a moment, confusion surfaced within them.
How had this matter suddenly become connected to General Mahamatra Cyno?
"Hasn't the other party been out of contact for a long time?"
Compared to other Akademiya Scholars who feared Cyno, Faruzan, as a "senior," did not fear him at all. She had even spent time trying to decipher the meaning behind his jokes.
Yet even someone as intelligent as Faruzan could not help but feel a little dizzy when faced with the current situation.
Tighnari, Cyno, and this mysterious individual who possessed the Dendro Archon's Inheritance.
The relationships connecting them were so tangled that they were enough to give anyone a headache.
Although Faruzan still felt somewhat confused, she nevertheless led Futsu Mitama and the others on their journey toward Sumeru City.
Collei was responsible for seeing them off. After accompanying them for some distance, she reluctantly waved goodbye.
Along the road, Futsu Mitama walked at the very front. Aila and Black Aila followed at the rear, while Shenhe and Sangonomiya Kokomi guarded the left and right flanks.
In the center were Kuki Shinobu and Faruzan.
This arrangement completely protected Faruzan. After all, with her temporary addition to the group, Kuki Shinobu was no longer the weakest member.
"Sigh, I didn't expect that after arriving at Gandharva Ville, we would immediately set off for Sumeru City again without even having a proper meal."
While traveling, Faruzan could not help but sigh. She then looked toward Futsu Mitama ahead of her and asked, "By the way, I'm still very curious. What exactly happened to Tighnari?"
They had already left Gandharva Ville for quite some time, and there was no one else around. Thus, Faruzan asked the question directly.
"Don't you think Tighnari's condition is rather poor?" Futsu Mitama no longer concealed the matter. "When he went to Sumeru City, he was energetic and completely healthy."
"But after returning from Sumeru City, he became strangely weakened. I treated him and found no physical abnormalities. But if there's nothing wrong with his body, then where does the problem lie? And why did it only happen after he entered Sumeru City?"
At that point, Futsu Mitama stopped speaking. He merely revealed several key details, which were already enough for Faruzan to understand why Tighnari had become so angry.
"..."
As expected, Faruzan was a smart person. After hearing Futsu Mitama's explanation, she was briefly stunned before her expression gradually darkened.
If that was truly the case, then Tighnari had not been weakened by an ordinary cold. Rather, someone had used some unknown method to weaken him—or perhaps even everyone within a certain area.
Was this a conspiracy directed against the Akademiya? Or was the Akademiya itself conducting some dangerous experiment?
"Hoo..."
Faruzan slowly exhaled.
"Thank you. I understand."
A trace of determination flashed through her eyes. It was obvious that she had realized something and was already preparing to begin her own investigation after returning to Sumeru City.
"Don't do anything reckless," Kuki Shinobu suddenly said. "You're outnumbered. If you're not careful, you'll only put yourself in danger."
Sangonomiya Kokomi also nodded slightly and added softly, "If you truly intend to investigate, then you must first ensure your own safety."
As the former deputy leader and former leader of the Resistance respectively, Kuki Shinobu and Sangonomiya Kokomi immediately understood Faruzan's intentions.
Faruzan was clearly preparing to investigate the Akademiya's research after returning to Sumeru City.
Unlike Tighnari, who intended to gather allies before confronting the Sages directly.
Faruzan's approach was obviously to conduct a covert investigation on her own. Whether she succeeded or not, it was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous course of action.
"Don't worry." Faruzan smiled confidently.
"I'm very strong, and I don't believe this is the Akademiya's doing. Rather, I suspect someone is deliberately stirring up trouble. The number of Fatui in Sumeru City has increased recently. I believe they may be involved."
Across the continent of Teyvat, if there was any organization most likely to cause trouble within another nation's borders, it would undoubtedly be the Fatui.
Although Faruzan knew very well that even the Fatui could only operate from the shadows, Sumeru City was constantly monitored by the Akasha.
Therefore, unless something unexpected had happened, either the Fatui had reached some form of cooperation with the Akademiya, or she had wrongly accused them.
Regardless, the matter had to be investigated.
For now, however, helping these mysterious individuals blend into Sumeru City took priority.
Thinking this, Faruzan looked toward Futsu Mitama and the others before asking, "By the way, since you've decided to disguise yourselves as Eremites when entering Sumeru City, have you chosen a name yet?"
"A name?"
Shenhe's voice carried a hint of confusion.
"Ah?"
Futsu Mitama was equally stunned.
A name? What name?
He genuinely had not considered that.
"A name?" Sangonomiya Kokomi pondered for a moment before asking, "Is an Eremite name that important?"
"Mm." Faruzan nodded seriously, looking somewhat helpless. "'Eremites' is merely a general term. It includes both tribes and mercenary groups. Tribes are unlikely, because all well-known tribes in the desert region are already registered within the Akasha."
"As for mercenary groups, although many are registered as well, there are still countless new groups registering their names every day. So, if possible, when disguising yourselves as Eremites, you should still register a name. Doing so will significantly reduce the chances of your identities being exposed."
Hearing this, everyone continued walking while silently considering possible names.
"How about Akatsuki?"
Futsu Mitama immediately proposed a name. Since they were creating an organization, how could they not use the name of Asia's number one organization?
"No." Faruzan shook her head without hesitation. "That name immediately sounds like a mercenary group founded by foreigners."
"Herring Mercenary Group?"
Sangonomiya Kokomi offered another suggestion.
"?" Faruzan looked at her strangely before complaining, "Water is one of the most precious resources in the desert. Who would name a mercenary group after a fish?"
"It should be named after fierce creatures such as lions, tigers, or leopards. In other words, the name should incorporate a powerful beast that you admire."
As she spoke, Faruzan could not help but sigh.
Then she suddenly noticed that everyone had unconsciously stopped walking.
"Why did everyone stop?"
"Someone's coming." Futsu Mitama looked ahead. "They seem to be here to rob us. They've already surrounded us."
"This is the second time." Black Aila spoke calmly. "It's an old acquaintance."
"An old acquaintance?"
Kuki Shinobu tilted her head slightly, unable to immediately identify who it was. Her perception abilities were still somewhat inferior to those of the others.
She could only vaguely sense that several people had surrounded them, and their strength—was rather weak.
"Mm."
Aila and Shenhe also nodded.
It was indeed an old acquaintance.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
At that moment, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar burst of laughter echoed through the area.
A tall man wielding a curved blade stepped forward and looked at Futsu Mitama's group.
"Akademiya Scholars and their escorts, today is your lucky day. You've encountered our group, the Scarlet Sand Scorpions. Our Scarlet Sand Scorpions were only established recently, so you happen to be our second business transaction."
"As our second business, we won't kill all of you. Leave behind some valuables and you'll be free to go. After all, that young and beautiful lady is an Akademiya Scholar."
"I'd rather not make things too troublesome."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested for some advanced chapters, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>