The next day, Silaya and Chu Xi woke up early.
Today was the annual Sabzeruz Festival, the dendro archon's birthday. While many Sumerans might not care, for Silaya, Dunyarzad, and others like them, it was undoubtedly the most important day of the year in Sumeru.
As for why the Dendro Archon's birthday was called the Sabzeruz Festival, it stemmed from a time 500 years ago or even earlier, when Sumeru was jointly ruled by three gods: King Deshret Amun, the Goddess of Flowers Nabu Malikata, and the Great Lord Rukkhadevata Buer.
The Sabzeruz Festival originated as a dance offered by the Goddess of Flowers during one of Rukkhadevata's birthday celebrations, a tradition that has persisted as a form of commemoration.
This ancient festival, originally held to honor the Great Lord Rukkhadevata, continued after her passing, with the date shifted to the Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday—the very day the Sages discovered her.
On the Sabzeruz Festival, beyond the various festivities, the most anticipated event was Nilou's Dance.
However, before watching the dance, Silaya and Chu Xi decided to explore the Grand Bazaar, which was bustling with activity today.
As for Lumine and Paimon, Silaya decided not to follow them. She only needed to make her appearance at a crucial moment.
-
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon hadn't woken up quite as early.
Paimon yawned, rubbing her bleary eyes. "Did we oversleep? Let's hurry and meet up with Dunyarzad and the others!"
As they opened the door, they noticed a small note tucked beside it:
Traveler and Paimon, we've gone ahead to have some fun! We'll meet you at the Zubayr Theater later. Have a great time!
The note was signed by Silaya and Chu Xi.
"Ahh! I knew we'd overslept! Silaya and Chu Xi are already out having fun! Lumine, let's hurry too!" Paimon rubbed her hands together excitedly, wondering what exciting things awaited them today.
And there would definitely be lots of delicious food!
When they arrived at the agreed-upon meeting spot with Dunyarzad, they found her waiting.
"Traveler, Paimon! I've been waiting for you!"
"Good morning, Dunyarzad!" Paimon chirped. "We seem to have slept in a bit, heh heh."
Dunyarzad smiled gently. "No, I just arrived early. Ah... this day has finally come. Every moment feels as precious as gold."
"Oh, Silaya and Chu Xi already told me they left ahead of us."
"Mm-hmm! Let's get going too!" Lumine agreed.
While Dunyarzad and Lumine browsed the stalls, Silaya and Chu Xi had already finished their rounds. The two girls squatted in a corner, each with a handful of fruits and snacks.
"Um, S-Silaya, is it really okay for us to just squat here?" Chu Xi asked nervously.
The Sabzeruz Festival was crowded, and passersby occasionally glanced their way. Silaya didn't mind the attention, but Chu Xi, being more reserved, felt deeply embarrassed.
Silaya speared a piece of fruit and fed it to Chu Xi, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Look at that group of Eremites over there. They're acting suspicious—definitely up to no good. Probably here to cause trouble. We should keep an eye on them."
Chu Xi chewed the fruit thoughtfully and nodded earnestly.
"Quick, they're making their move!" Silaya noticed the Eremites suddenly stiffen, as if they'd spotted something, and then spring into action.
"It's Dunyarzad and Lumine! Hurry, let's go!"
[Caught! So the two beauties ran off here without waiting for me? As punishment, you'll come to my house and apologize in person!]
[Silaya and Chu Xi are so cute!]
[Chu Xi with her cheeks puffed out is just... I'm in love!]
[Something's off. Why does Chu Xi look at Silaya with such a sweet, adoring gaze?]
Sumeru, Grand Bazaar.
Lumine, Paimon, and Dunyarzad were walking and talking when a group of Eremites suddenly jumped out from ahead.
"Ah, perfect timing! We were just talking about this, and they deliver themselves right to our doorstep!" Paimon exclaimed.
"These Eremites don't look friendly at all!" Paimon added.
Dunyarzad stepped forward. "...Who are you? You don't seem to be hired by the Homayani Family, do you?"
"Heh, you're right. We haven't taken any money from the Homayani Family yet... but if we capture you now, how much would they pay to get you back?"
"So you're just kidnappers!" Paimon crossed her arms and turned to Lumine. "Lumine, protect Dunyarzad!"
Lumine wasn't worried in the slightest. She could handle this group easily.
Besides, she probably wouldn't even need to lift a finger. "Don't worry... the professionals are already here."
As soon as Lumine finished speaking, a heavy club suddenly crashed down on the Eremite leader's head. The leader, who had been swaggering and threatening moments before, let out a miserable cry, clutched his head, and staggered into the arms of his subordinates.
"Heh heh, that's right! We're the professionals!"
Having successfully ambushed the leader, Silaya dragged Chu Xi over to Dunyarzad's side and casually slung the club over her shoulder.
"D-damn it!"
The Eremite leader shakily stood up, glaring at Silaya through gritted teeth, blood still streaming down his face.
Silaya swung her massive club. These guys are tougher than I thought. How come they're not knocked out yet?
Dehya approached from a side path. "The 'professional' they mentioned definitely wasn't you. Leave this to me."
"You're... Dehya?! Flame-Mane Dehya... No wonder we haven't heard from you in the mercenary circles for so long. So you've been 'tethered to the house' all this time."
Hearing this, Dunyarzad immediately stepped forward to defend Dehya. "Please refrain from such disrespectful remarks. Dehya has been a benefactor to our Homayani Family, which is how our partnership began..."
Dehya waved it off. "It's fine, Miss Dunyarzad. This is just the usual posturing among mercenaries. Once the fighting starts, these wild dogs will show their true colors."
Silaya hoisted her club and stood beside Dunyarzad. "Exactly! Anyone can talk tough. Come on, let's clash!"
Dehya glanced helplessly at Silaya beside her, then at the massive wooden club she was carrying.
"Leave this to me. Someone as frail and scholarly as you isn't suited for this kind of situation."
Dehya hadn't known Silaya long, but in her eyes, Silaya was indeed just a scholar. Fighting was best left to her.
Silaya: "..."
A frail academic?
Why did that phrase sound so familiar?
And don't underestimate her staff! She spent half a day crafting it specifically for this purpose, and it will prove invaluable later.
Didn't they see how that guy got his head cracked open by it?
In the end, Silaya didn't stay behind with Dehya. She and Lumine escorted Dunyarzad to safety.
Dehya could handle those few mercenaries on her own.