"Traveler… do you think that young Collei also fell victim to that bad guy—Grand Sage Idris?" Paimon whispered.
For all her childlike ways, Paimon had seen plenty on the road with Lumine. And the way Collei flushed at Idris's name… Paimon couldn't help where her mind went. Her own cheeks turned pink as she said it.
Lumine nodded slightly, worry tugging at her. Amber had once told her about Collei; Lumine had always seen the girl as a little sister. If Amber ever heard an ugly rumor… it would break her heart.
"Let's just hope," Lumine sighed, "that Grand Sage Idris has at least a few redeeming qualities."
"Tall order," Paimon huffed. "Let's review the bad stuff he's done in less than a month since taking office."
"One—he's imprisoning Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Two—he butchered elders from other Akademiya factions."
"And three—now he's luring innocent young girls."
"Also, judging from how Collei blushes when he's mentioned, he's probably the first 'tyrant' who's also ridiculously handsome. Traveler, you be careful and don't fall for some pretty-boy trap!"
"I won't," Lumine said, smiling. Idris was neither a treasure chest nor her long-lost kin—hardly her type.
Tighnari, who'd been standing by, tilted his head. "By the way, Traveler—how did you collapse?"
"I remember talking with a Sumeru scholar in a cave… then blacking out," Lumine said. "It might've been the incense—I breathed in too much."
Tighnari nodded. "Incense blends affect people differently. You likely reacted to a particular compound in the fumes."
"And the scholar?" Lumine asked. "Where did she go?"
Collei finally lowered her hands from her face, still rosy. "Scholar? I didn't see any scholar. I just found you passed out while patrolling the forest and brought you here. Aside from you and Paimon, there was no one else."
"...Huh?"
Lumine blinked. Haypasia saw her faint and just… left? Not what a good Samaritan would do. (In truth, Haypasia had fled before Collei arrived—dabbling in forbidden knowledge made one wary. Paimon, focused on Lumine, hadn't cared where the scholar ran.)
Tighnari spread his hands. "In any case, if this was an incense reaction, you should rest here in Gandharva Ville a few days. Let the symptoms subside."
"Alright…"
So they lingered near Gandharva Ville, listening to Sumeru tales and quietly looting a chest or two. In those days, Lumine came to know Collei better: painfully shy, yes, but kind to the core—and guileless.
Which only made their worry worse. Thinking Collei might have suffered at Idris's hands, Lumine and Paimon kept their suspicions to themselves; bringing it up would only hurt the girl. They didn't ask; Tighnari and Collei didn't volunteer.
When Lumine felt steady again, she strapped on her sword to take her leave.
At the gate, Collei—face as red as a berry—mustered her courage. "Traveler, if you happen to meet Grand Sage Idris… could you pass him a message?"
"Thank him for helping me before. My life is easier now. He might have forgotten—but I haven't."
The words made Lumine and Paimon's misunderstanding deepen another shade. This sounds exactly like a girl abandoned by a scoundrel…
What could they do? Lumine only hoped that, upon reaching Sumeru City, she could at least find some good in Idris—something to tell Amber, should she ask, "Have you seen Collei? How is she doing?"
So they pushed on, fast as they could—Lumine even ignored most chests. Along the way, she spotted a Forest Ranger beset by fungi… until the woman casually chopped a shroom-beast into the brush with one axe swing. Not needing help, Lumine moved on.
Right now, Idris mattered more. Even villains must have a virtue or two—right?
…
"Achoo!"
In the Grand Sage's office, Idris sneezed.
"Feels like someone's talking about me again," he murmured, accepting a sheet of paper and dabbing his nose.
A voice only he could hear teased from behind him. "Maybe it's a new admirer~ And I mean romantic admirer. You are of dating age, you know. Didn't you say you needed a break? Why not find a nice girl to—"
"Little Grass God," Idris said dryly, "I'm your Sage, not your junior. And Sumeru's full of young men. How would I know who it is?"
"…Hmm?" His gaze sharpened toward the door. A hostile presence approached. Idris smiled faintly. "See? One just arrived."
"You may all step out," he told the attendants. "An unexpected guest is coming."
"As you command, Grand Sage."
They filed out. Moments later, the door all but exploded inward under a savage kick, and a suffocating pressure flooded the room. If not for Idris clearing the office, the clerks would be unconscious on the floor.
He didn't rise. He simply glanced over, then idly rubbed his fingertips together as if calculating a number. "Il Dottore—that door is expensive. Will you be paying for it?"
"Shut up."
The newcomer—Fatui Harbinger, the Doctor—glared murder.
Idris flicked his fingers in a calming gesture—more for Nahida's benefit than Dottore's. "Doctor, I seem to recall we agreed that our cooperation would continue. And yet you're angry. Why?"
"Our cooperation—" Dottore snapped, "—so what is the meaning of this?"
"If memory serves," Idris said pleasantly, "you broke terms first. Or shall I list the hundred-plus backdoors and worms you snuck into the Akasha Terminal?"
"That's… separate," Dottore bit out. He had no wish to argue that front—he hadn't won that duel last time, and bringing it up handed Idris the momentum.
He slammed both palms on the desk and leaned in, eyes hard. "Where is the Balladeer?"
"Don't play dumb. I have eyes near the Sanctuary. They saw you take him below—and he never came back out."
"What did you do to him?"
It wasn't the puppet Dottore worried about. It was the Gnosis he carried. To win that prize, even La Signora had fallen to the Raiden Shogun. If it were lost now, the consequences would be… unacceptable.
"Doctor," Idris said lightly, "behave yourself. The dead don't come back—unless you'd like to go keep him company."
"Dead?!" Dottore's eyes widened. He'd expected, at worst, imprisonment. That Idris would kill a Harbinger of Snezhnaya…
"His condition," Idris replied evenly, "is indistinguishable from death. What then? Will you avenge him? I was under the impression Harbingers aren't so sentimental. Besides, I hear the Balladeer is your runaway."
"I removed a problem for your nation. You should be thanking me."
"He is still a Harbinger of Snezhnaya," Dottore growled. "How he is dealt with is not for you to decide."
"And yet," Idris said, smiling, "I already decided. What will you do about it?"
Dottore hesitated—and Idris's eyes gleamed. "Also… sending only a segment to meet me, Doctor? Lost your nerve?"
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