Chapter 81. Lesser Lord Kusanali
Anxious.
Extremely anxious.
Within the Akasha Terminal, Nahida who had been studying tirelessly throughout the day feel this emotion right now.
For five hundred years, despite never being valued by the Akademiya, a voice deep within her heart had continually reminded her of one thing.
There were still many things she needed to accomplish.
She could not afford to rest.
The threat of forbidden knowledge was steadily approaching, and her people still needed her guidance.
Because of that, Nahida devoted every moment of her days to learning.
Study after study. Lesson after lesson.
She never allowed herself to stop. Only after night fell would she enter a relaxed state to dreams.
There, accompanied by sunlight and gentle breezes, she would befriend humans and animals alike, tell stories, play games, and sing newly learned songs together with them.
But today, Nahida had broken the routine she had maintained for five centuries.
For the first time, she had appeared in Sumeru City during the day. She had abandoned her studies for a single reason.
To save someone.
Dunyarzad.
The devout believer whom she had watched grow up since childhood.
No matter what happened, Nahida refused to allow her to die. The last time, Dunyarzad had nearly lost her life because of a mysterious Akademiya experiment. Fortunately, Nahida had noticed the danger in time and managed to save her.
Over the past several days, she had been investigating the Akademiya's activities.
Unfortunately, every lead ended in failure.
The Akademiya—or more accurately, someone behind the scenes—already seemed aware of her abilities and had been quietly guarding against her.
Realizing this, Nahida could only sigh helplessly.
There was little she could do.
Her true body remained imprisoned. She could only act by projecting her consciousness into Katheryne and moving through the city in that form.
Even then, her investigations yielded almost no useful information.
The most she had discovered was that the Fatui had recently begun cooperating closely with the Akademiya and that the Fatui Harbinger known as the Lady had established a particularly close relationship with the Grand Sage.
But none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was something else entirely.
The power she had left within Dunyarzad had disappeared.
That was an extremely dangerous sign.
At present, Dunyarzad's continued survival depended almost entirely upon that power. Now that it had been exhausted, she was undoubtedly facing a life-threatening crisis.
That was why Nahida felt so anxious.
Fortunately, she had left a mark upon Dunyarzad. Locating her was not difficult. Just as Nahida hurried toward Dunyarzad's location and realized she was about to arrive—
An Eremite woman suddenly appeared in front of her and blocked the path.
"Sorry. No passage beyond this point."
A calm female voice rang out. The Eremite woman spoke in an even tone.
"My companion is currently discussing important matters with an esteemed guest ahead."
The person standing in her way was naturally Kuki Shinobu. To be honest, she was somewhat surprised to see Katheryne. After all, this was the first time she had ever witnessed such obvious anxiety on Katheryne's face.
Whether in Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma, Katheryne always stood behind the Adventurers' Guild counter with a composed smile, efficiently helping countless adventurers with their requests.
Although Kuki Shinobu knew that Katheryne was actually a puppet from Snezhnaya, she still held a certain fondness for the diligent receptionist.
After all, who wouldn't appreciate someone who greeted others with a smile every day while handling their affairs so conscientiously?
Though admittedly, hearing "Ad astra abyssosque" every single day could become a little repetitive.
"An Eremite?"
Nahida looked at Kuki Shinobu and frowned slightly.
Then she noticed something. The other woman was not wearing an Akasha Terminal. At present, Sumeru City strictly enforced a policy requiring all citizens to carry one. Anyone entering the city without an Akasha Terminal would not even be permitted through the gates.
Truthfully, Nahida had never fully understood why the Grand Sage had implemented such a policy.
But now, for the first time, she felt grateful for it.
In the past, if she encountered someone without an Akasha Terminal, she might simply wonder whether they had some special reason.
Now, however, things were different. The woman before her was openly moving through Sumeru City without an Akasha Terminal.
That alone was suspicious.
In fact, it made her a likely candidate for the very people Nahida had been investigating.
After all, individuals without Akasha Terminals left behind far fewer traces and were significantly harder to monitor.
As this realization formed in her mind, Nahida made a decision.
She was not someone who enjoyed violence.
But Dunyarzad was in danger.
And the individual blocking her path was both suspicious and potentially connected to the conspiracy she was investigating.
Nahida slowly raised a hand. A vibrant green light illuminated her eyes as divine power surged forth.
"What?!"
The moment she saw the green radiance, Kuki Shinobu immediately realized something was wrong. Several talismans instantly floated around her body.
"Om—!!!"
The Electro Vision hanging at her waist erupted with brilliant light. Without hesitation, Kuki Shinobu released her power.
Before entering Sumeru City, Futsu Mitama had already instructed them that if they encountered an enemy, they should immediately use their full strength.
The city was filled with hidden dangers. No one knew how many powerful individuals were lurking within its walls.
What if they accidentally crossed paths with Dottore?
If they held back, they might not even have the opportunity to fight back.
"Clang—!"
Kuki Shinobu decisively drew her tachi. Electro energy and talismans wrapped around the blade.
In the next instant, she slashed toward Katheryne. She had no idea who the person before her truly was, but the green radiance surrounding her was clearly abnormal.
She needed to subdue her immediately.
At least, that was what Kuki Shinobu believed.
Within the illusion Nahida had created, Kuki Shinobu had already launched her attack. Meanwhile, the seemingly defenseless Katheryne appeared completely incapable of resisting and was swiftly captured.
Seeing this, Kuki Shinobu frowned.
Was the opponent really that weak? Then what exactly had that green light been?
Unsure of the situation, she immediately tagged Aila in the group chat and requested support.
In reality, however—
The moment Kuki Shinobu drew her sword, her movements froze. Bathed in green light, she stood completely motionless.
No attack. No capture.
Nothing.
She simply stood there holding her sword like a statue.
"Hoo..."
Nahida quietly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had acted first and successfully restrained her opponent.
The woman was quite powerful for a Vision Holder.
Within the illusion, after all, she had already experienced exactly that outcome. She had been captured and subjected to interrogation.
At the moment, Nahida very much wanted to learn the identities of these suspicious individuals. But compared to gathering information, Dunyarzad's safety was far more important.
First save Dunyarzad.
Questions could come later.
"Is she a puppet?"
At that moment, a calm female voice sounded nearby.
"No."
Another equally calm voice responded.
"The puppet's methods don't rely on illusions. If my judgment is correct... she's our target."
Hearing the conversation, Nahida's eyes widened slightly.
She turned toward the source. Two more women dressed as Eremites had appeared nearby.
Dangerous. Very dangerous.
The moment Nahida saw them, a powerful sense of alarm rose within her heart.
Her first instinct was immediate.
Leave. Transfer her consciousness and escape at once.
Because these two women possessed the ability to trap her consciousness inside Katheryne's body.
Such a situation would not truly harm Nahida.
Archons were almost equal to immortal beings.
That much was certain.
However, she had no desire to expose her existence to unknown parties.
Was Sumeru City truly this dangerous now? Had three experts suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
She had already restrained the swordswoman in front of her, yet now two even more terrifying individuals had emerged.
For a brief moment, Nahida could not help but wonder—
If her true body were standing here and she forcibly controlled these two as well—
Would another Archon suddenly appear afterward?
Though the number of Archons remaining in Teyvat had diminished over time, there were still individuals who possessed combat capabilities comparable to theirs.
"Either way, let's subdue her first."
Aila spoke calmly. Purple lightning flashed from the bracelet on her wrist. In the next instant, she vanished from sight.
"Yes." Black Aila responded without hesitation. "Let's capture her first."
Several shadowy tentacles erupted from the darkness and surged toward Katheryne.
"No other choice."
Nahida's expression grew solemn. Things had already escalated this far. She could no longer afford to hold back.
Several minutes later.
Futsu Mitama stared at the tightly bound Katheryne before him. His expression became rather subtle.
What exactly was this situation supposed to be?
He had entered Sumeru City less than half a day ago and somehow, he had already found the Dendro Archon.
Futsu Mitama, who knew the course of events, naturally recognized that the "Katheryne" standing before him was actually Lesser Lord Kusanali—Nahida.
At the moment, however, she had been thoroughly restrained by his maids.
Her hands were bound, and a cloth had been stuffed into her mouth, leaving her able to produce only muffled sounds.
"Miss Katheryne? This... what's going on?"
Dehya was currently watching over Dunyarzad.
Following the recent outbreak of Eleazar and the combined treatment provided by Futsu Mitama and Kokomi, Dunyarzad was finally out of immediate danger.
However, she had fallen unconscious and would likely need some time before waking up.
Even so, Dehya found the current situation extremely strange.
Why had they captured Katheryne? Not only had she been tied up, but she had even been gagged to prevent her from speaking.
As a mercenary, Dehya naturally knew Katheryne of the Adventurers' Guild. After all, she frequently relied on the Guild's services and had interacted with Katheryne many times.
The diligent receptionist who treated everyone equally was quite popular among ordinary people.
Because of that, Dehya sincerely hoped there had been some kind of misunderstanding. Perhaps Katheryne had simply passed by and become caught up in all of this by accident.
Of course, even Dehya knew that possibility was extremely unlikely. An ordinary passerby would not end up restrained like this.
"Be careful. She's not an ordinary Katheryne."
Kuki Shinobu had already emerged from Nahida's illusion. Her expression was serious as she explained the situation.
"Her abilities are extremely dangerous. The moment I made contact with her, I was subdued."
Although she had suffered no actual injuries, Kuki Shinobu understood perfectly well that if Aila and Black Aila had not arrived in time, the situation could have become troublesome.
What she could not understand was why it had happened in the first place.
Kuki Shinobu was confident that she had not done anything threatening. In fact, her attitude toward Katheryne could even be described as friendly. Yet the other party had attacked without warning and successfully controlled her within mere seconds.
That level of power was genuinely alarming.
Kuki Shinobu knew she was the weakest member of the team.
But she was not weak enough to be casually subdued by just anyone.
"Mm."
Black Aila nodded slightly in agreement Although the current Katheryne had been restrained, that did not mean she was weak.
On the contrary.
The only reason they had subdued her so easily was because Aila and Black Aila themselves were exceptionally powerful.
"Alright, it's a misunderstanding."
Futsu Mitama waved a hand.
"You can release her."
His words caused Black Aila to pause slightly. After all, she and Aila had only just subdued the target.
"Release her?"
Black Aila looked toward her Young Master, hesitation appearing in her eyes.
"Young Master, I don't mean to question your judgment, but I believe she's an enemy, not a friend. Someone capable of remotely controlling Katheryne is most likely either Sandrone the Marionette or Il Dottore."
"If that's the case, then our presence here may already have been exposed."
As someone who had once come close to becoming a Fatui Harbinger, Black Aila possessed a very clear understanding of the Fatui's overall strength.
Theoretically speaking, the Marionette—Sandrone—was unlikely to appear in Sumeru.
She was primarily a researcher and rarely involved herself in matters outside her own interests.
Yet even Signora, who should have been among the least likely Harbingers to appear here, had already arrived in Sumeru.
Black Aila had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
As for the strange powers Katheryne had displayed, Black Aila simply assumed that either Il Dottore or the Marionette had developed yet another bizarre technique.
After all, both of them had a habit of creating things that defied common sense.
"No." Futsu Mitama smiled and shook his head. "She is exactly the person we're looking for."
Then he looked directly at the bound Nahida.
"Isn't that right, Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.
Their gazes immediately shifted toward Katheryne.
No one had expected her true identity to be Lesser Lord Kusanali. The Dendro Archon who had been imprisoned by the Akademiya.
"W-What?! Lesser Lord Kusanali?!"
"The Dendro Archon?!"
Dehya was utterly shocked.
As a native of Sumeru, she had never expected the Dendro Archon herself to suddenly appear before them.
Although, a rather awkward—blasphemous— thought surfaced in her mind.
Why had the Dendro Archon been defeated so easily?
Dehya felt somewhat guilty for thinking such a thing, but she genuinely had not expected an Archon to be subdued this quickly.
It made Lesser Lord Kusanali seem... unexpectedly weak.
Meanwhile, Aila's eyes flashed with surprise. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and removed the cloth from Nahida's mouth.
Black Aila, however, made no move to untie the restraints. For the time being, she still did not trust this so-called Dendro Archon.
"How did you do it?"
The first thing Nahida asked after regaining the ability to speak was not about her own situation.
Instead, she looked directly toward Dunyarzad. Curiosity was evident in her voice.
"You should know that even I would need to expend a tremendous amount of power to heal Dunyarzad."