The next morning (rooster crowing)…
Paimon: Now that we’ve confirmed Haypasia’s safety, let’s head to Sumeru City!
...
At the entrance of Sumeru City…
Paimon: Great! We finally made it to Sumeru City.
Qixuan: But it seems we don’t have an Akasha. How are we supposed to get in?
Paimon: Oh, right! Everyone on the road was wearing an Akasha, and Tighnari mentioned it too.
Just then, a Mahamata walked over.
Pana: Excuse me, Travelers. This must be your first time in Sumeru City, isn’t it?
Paimon: Yes, yes!
Pana: Just as I thought. There’s no information about you in the Akasha. Oh, you don’t need to worry. I’m not here to stop you from entering Sumeru City. On the contrary, the Akademiya provides every Traveler who comes to Sumeru with a convenient tool.
Lumine: Is it because of the Akasha?
Pana: It seems this Traveler has done their research. That’s right, the Akasha is the legacy left by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, a treasure trove that gathers wisdom. For hundreds of years, the Sages diligently researched and finally refined it into the Akasha Terminal. As long as you wear it, everyone can connect to the Akasha and obtain the knowledge they need from it.
Paimon: Even though I’ve heard about it, it still looks really impressive.
Pana: You’re lucky. In the past, the Akademiya only distributed them to Sumeru citizens and foreigners who stayed in Sumeru long-term. It was only recently decided to distribute them to all Travelers.
Qixuan: It seems we arrived just in time.
Pana: Here are your Akasha Terminals. Please take them.
Paimon: It looks like a leaf.
Pana: Just hold it in your hand and silently say, “May I be granted to hear the voice of the Divine's wisdom,” and it will activate.
Qixuan: Let’s try it.
After putting on the Akasha Terminals, everyone found that they could know all the basic information within Sumeru City just by looking at it.
Pana: Welcome to Sumeru City. May the wisdom of the Grass God always be with you.
The Mahamata then left.
Paimon: Okay, now let’s ask the Akasha for information about Lesser Lord Kusanali. I’ll try first… “Five hundred years ago, the Sages found the newborn god from the ruins of the scorched earth… Currently residing in the Sanctuary of Surasthana…” Hmm, it’s pretty much what Collei said.
Lumine: Next is to think about a way to meet the Grass God… Huh? I don’t seem to have found it. The Akasha didn’t respond to this question.
Paimon: Me too.
Qixuan: Hmm… Could it be that this type of information is confidential?
Paimon: Ugh… If I try to think about it forcefully, it’s like trying to remember something, but then suddenly forgetting it… Ugh… My brain feels so tired.
Lumine: Perhaps we can try a different angle. Let me think about Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
...
Lumine: Sigh… Still not much information.
Qixuan: Why don’t we go ask the person Tighnari recommended?
Paimon: That’s the only way.
...
After many twists and turns, everyone finally found the person.
Paimon: Hello, are you Rohawi?
Rohawi: Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?
Paimon: Actually, Tighnari sent us to find you.
Rohawi: What! Tighnari?! Ah, stop, stop, you don’t need to say anything, you don’t need to say anything at all. I admit that article I published last month was indeed a bit watered down, and the data wasn’t very convincing…
Lumine: We’re not here for an academic discussion.
Paimon: This is a letter from Tighnari.
Rohawi: Let me see… Phew, you scared me to death. I almost had a stomach ache. So you just want to ask me about something.
Haha, it seems even Tighnari has to admit that I have some Talents in gathering information. Go on, what do you want to ask?
Paimon: We want to see Lesser Lord Kusanali. Do you know how?
Rohawi: See the Grass God? Hmm… This isn’t my area of expertise. Alright, I’ll try for you in the Akasha… I’m sorry, the Akasha didn’t respond to my question.
Qixuan: Is this what you call having some Talents?
Paimon: Hmm… I thought with your arrogant demeanor just now, you’d definitely have a solution.
Rohawi: Oh, I already said it, this isn’t my area of expertise. I’m just a small researcher. The Akasha must think I don’t need to know about the Grass God’s information.
However, as far as I know, Lesser Lord Kusanali has never left the Sanctuary of Surasthana since she returned to Sumeru, nor has she ever appeared in public.
Paimon: Huh? I didn’t expect her to be so mysterious.
Rohawi: That’s right. The Grass God lives in seclusion. Perhaps she doesn’t even wish for anyone to see her. If that’s the case, it’s only natural that we can’t find any information about meeting her in the Akasha.
Paimon: Then what should we do…
Rohawi: Don’t worry. Even if you can’t see the Grass God, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Not necessarily. There are always things in this world that the Akasha can’t apply for.
Paimon: Hmm… Alright, thank you for your help… and guidance.
Rohawi: You’re welcome. If you want to know other information, such as the Akademiya’s scholar promotion list for this year, or the interpersonal relationships between the six Sages, feel free to come find me.
Qixuan: So it’s the gossip domain.
Rohawi: Oh, well, it’s also a survival skill in the Akademiya.
Paimon: Sigh, even though I considered a similar situation before, I didn’t expect the information we couldn’t find to be even less than I imagined.
Qixuan: Did we forget someone?
Lumine: Could it be?
Qixuan: *cough cough*… “For the Stars and the Abyss.”
Paimon: Ah, right! The Adventurers' Guild has its own information sources. Let’s quickly go ask him.
...
Katheryne: “For the Stars and the Abyss,” Traveler, Paimon, and Miss Qixuan, hello.
Paimon: Katheryne, we need your help with something.
Katheryne: Alright. The Adventurers' Guild is always at your service. What specific help do you need?
Paimon: Katheryne, we want to see Lesser Lord Kusanali. Do you know how?
Katheryne: Alright, you wish to see Sumeru’s Divine Lord. Please wait a moment…
...
Katheryne: I apologize, I cannot obtain the relevant information from the Akasha, and I haven’t found any content related to this god in my personal memories either.
Paimon: Alright, same outcome. We really don’t know who to ask now.
Katheryne: Please don’t worry. I might be able to recommend someone to you. In Sumeru, our Adventurers' Guild is not the most well-informed organization. There are many mercenary groups of all sizes active here, known as the Eremites.
They accept various commissions and travel all over Sumeru, so they naturally have a lot of information. The Eremites’ Thirty Member Group, which is responsible for Sumeru City’s defense, is not only one of the oldest Eremite groups, but also manages and mediates affairs between the various groups.
Paimon: The Thirty Member Group? What a strange name…
Katheryne: It’s said that this was their initial number when they were founded, so they used it as their group name. The Thirty Member Group has an advisor, Mr. Asfand, who has a good relationship with us. Although he has retired, he still has a lot of prestige in the Eremite street and speaks with a lot of weight.
I’ll help you contact him. You can meet him at the Thirty Member Group’s headquarters, the Sand Gathering Hall.
Lumine: Thank you, Katheryne!
Qixuan: Alright, now we have a goal.
Katheryne: You’re welcome. I wish you good luck. The Adventurers' Guild is very much looking forward to your performance in Sumeru.
...
Paimon: Okay, let’s go to the Sand Gathering Hall next.
Sand Gathering Hall…
Asfand: Welcome, welcome. I’ve already received the contact. You are guests introduced by the Adventurers' Guild.
Paimon: Hello, Mr. Asfand. We would like to ask you about something.
After some questioning…
Asfand: I see. So Katheryne sent you to me. Heh heh, indeed, we Eremites have wider connections, but we can’t help much with seeing the Grass God.
Paimon: Wait, isn’t that too direct?
Asfand: Haha, I can’t help it. Because we Eremites have no faith and no understanding of gods. The information we can get from the Akasha is probably even less than yours.
We originated in the Desert, where the gods fell long ago. After that, the Eremites made a living by their own abilities and never sought help from gods. But it’s not just us; in my opinion, most Sumeru people are actually not very interested in Lesser Lord Kusanali’s affairs.
Paimon: Huh? Why is that?
Qixuan: Compared to the newborn god, the Sumeru people still believe in Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, right?
Asfand: Haha, that’s right. Take the Akademiya, for example. They are Sumeru’s true administrators. Although the people there believe in gods, many still believe in Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to this day.
In their view, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata created Sumeru and left the Akasha, and Lesser Lord Kusanali just happened to inherit these.
(Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: I left this property for my daughter. Any objections?)
Asfand: As for the common people, under the influence of the Akademiya, they naturally understand and love Greater Lord Rukkhadevata more. Moreover, Lesser Lord Kusanali never shows herself, and the Akademiya hardly releases any news about her, so for the Sumeru people, she is just a god who “exists.”
(Nahida: Old man, say that again?)
Paimon: Really? Listening to this, I feel like Lesser Lord Kusanali is a bit pitiful…
Asfand: Heh heh, who knows? Perhaps this is just our wishful thinking. The God of wisdom doesn’t care about worldly false fame.
Paimon: Mr. Asfand, thank you for telling us this.
Asfand: Heh heh, you’re welcome. Of course, I have to give face to the Adventurers' Guild.
After leaving the Sand Gathering Hall, everyone went to ask a few more Sumeru people.
Paimon: Sigh, everyone’s attitude is indeed similar to what Mr. Asfand said. Not only are they completely uninterested in the Grass God, but they also say things like, “The Akasha thinks I don’t need to know.”
Qixuan: Don’t be discouraged, Paimon. Maybe these are just isolated cases? There are always people in Sumeru City who are interested in Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Paimon: Hmm… That’s true…
Just then, someone nearby suddenly said, “Oh? Are you interested in Lesser Lord Kusanali?”
Paimon: Huh? Who are you?
The person walked over and said, “It sounds like you’re foreigners who just arrived in Sumeru City, and you seem to be asking about Lesser Lord Kusanali.”
Dina: Ah, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dina, and I’m actually a loyal worshipper of Lesser Lord Kusanali!
Qixuan: See? Here he is.
Lumine: It actually worked!
Paimon: …Alright, I spoke too soon. Do you know how to meet her?
Dina: I definitely can’t do that, but your conversation just now reminded me of a legend about the Grass God.
Lumine: Can you tell us?
Dina: No problem. The legend goes like this… A long, long time ago, a person heard a prophecy that a great disaster was about to befall him. So, in fear and anxiety, he sought help from the Grass God, hoping she could share her wisdom with him to help him escape the crisis.
He traversed the Desert, walked through the rainforest, and endured all sorts of hardships, yet he still couldn’t find any trace of the Grass God.
【Ah—the god must have abandoned me!】 he thought in despair, and then sadly prepared to accept his fate.
Paimon: And then!
Dina: Then, the disaster indeed befell him, but what he didn’t expect was that the sights and experiences from his journey inspired him. He successfully overcame the difficulties with his own strength.
At this moment, a bird landed on his shoulder. It was the Grass God’s incarnation. She said, “O seeker of the Divine, do you now understand that you had already found me, and the traces of wisdom, all along?”
【We are in every flower and blade of grass along the way, in the brilliant sunshine, in the elusive wind. As long as you don’t stop thinking, we are everywhere.】
(Old friend, I am everywhere—a classic quote)
Lumine: What a good story.
Paimon: Thank you. After hearing this story, I feel much lighter.
Qixuan: So, what’s next for us?
Dina: Ah… I’m sorry, I have something to do. I’ll be leaving now. Let’s talk another day!
Dina suddenly dropped a sentence and ran off.
Paimon: Huh? Wait, what happened?!
Qixuan: It seems they’re recruiting over there. Maybe they’re here to catch Dina?
Paimon: Ah, we finally have a clue. We absolutely can’t let them succeed.
Just then, two people walked over from that direction.
Muruwa: Hey, you guys, did you just see a young girl with brown hair in a bun, wearing a purple top and a light blue long skirt? We’re looking for her.
Paimon: Does she also have bandages wrapped around her wrist?
Muruwa: That’s right, that’s her. Did you see which way she went?
Paimon pointed in a random direction.
Muruwa: Let’s go, quickly chase!
Lumine: They’re gone. Let’s go find her.
...