Gatherings and Partings

Ah, you're here. Sorry, I was just about to send someone to inform you. I only just finished interrogating the suspects.

What did you find out?

Well... Lots of unexpected details, let's put it that way.

The mercs themselves were surprisingly easy to catch. We just had someone dress up as Sachin, and they took the bait.

But then it starts to get messy... During the interrogation, we learned that they were hired by Sachin's own child.

What? Why would someone wanna kidnap their own father? What's up with that?

It's anybody's guess at this point... In any event, apparently the guys we caught are just the tip of the iceberg. Most of them are still snooping around outside the city.

We're diverting manpower as we speak to try and round them all up. Would you like to come along?

Sure. Let's go get to the bottom of all this.

Boss, we got more company...

Look, we were just doing what we were paid to do. You're punishing the wrong people here. You want the real culprit? It's this guy. He hired us to kidnap Sachin.

...

What happened? Who beat you all up?

...Wait, you mean you aren't with them?

With who? Who did this?

First there was this flying brat. Didn't bother asking any questions, just started throwing punches. After that, some guy wearing green came along and interrogated us for a bit.

I've got the confirmation I needed. This is the one who masterminded this whole plot — Jiwani, Sachin's son.

If you have any questions for him, now's your chance to ask them. When you're done, I'm arresting them all and taking them back to the Akademiya for further interrogation.

So, why did you hire people to kidnap Sachin?

Hmph. Why do you think? Twenty years ago, he upped and left to go and live a carefree life, not giving a second thought for my welfare.

As if that's not bad enough already, he went and put his entire fortune in the care of the Akademiya, along with a contract saying that one day he'd pass it all on to a genius he admired.

That's my inheritance, by rights! You expect me to sit back and watch it go to someone else? If he won't give me what's mine, I'll just have to take it from him.

Were you seriously planning to...

Of course! Didn't he say he would be here somewhere, watching the Championship from the shadows?

So I figured I get some people to nab him, then I make him change the contract. And if the Akademiya doesn't agree to hand over the goods, I make him publicly announce that I'm his chosen genius!

So did you find him?

No. The old fart knows how to stay hidden, I'll give him that. He's probably cooped up somewhere watching all this go on and laughing to himself.

I already thought he'd gone mad twenty years ago. And who knows what a madman is truly capable of...

What do you know about the Diadem of Knowledge?

Diadem of Knowledge? You mean that thing he donated to the Akademiya?

Well, I can tell you that it's very expensive. He sold a lot of assets to purchase it back in the day.

Weird things started happening after he brought it home, too. For example, sometimes, we'd hear a high-pitched voice coming from the storage room.

Also, before donating it to the Akademiya, he once shut himself in that same store room and researched it non-stop for days.

Something was already seriously wrong with him by that point. Nothing he did shocked me.

What do you mean, something wrong with him?

I only have a vague memory of it, since I was very young at the time. But I have the impression that he went out into the desert for research, and didn't return for many years.

When he finally did return, he was a changed person — he would mumble incomprehensibly and write essays day and night.

I asked if I could see what he'd written, but he chased me out of the room. Later, he went out somewhere and took his written essays with him. When he got back, he signed his contract with the Akademiya.

...Part of me wonders whether he'd already stopped being my father by that point. Perhaps the man we called "Sachin" was a demon from the desert who was wearing his skin.

Okay, you can stop now! You're creeping Paimon out!

You can believe me or not, doesn't matter to me — I've told you all I know. But if you do see Sachin, tell him this for me.

Whatever it is that he's researching out there, he'll always be garbage in my eyes.

You finished? In that case, come with us.

Well, we finally caught the guy behind all this. Thanks for providing us with the critical information.

Do you still have any lingering concerns?

The "Diadem of Knowledge"...

Yeah, Alhaitham's notes do mention that item...

...Scribe Alhaitham looked into this matter?

Hmm... Understood. Well, if you believe there to be an issue with the diadem, I'd suggest contacting the organizers and getting them to pause the competitions while we investigate.

That makes sense! Okay then, let's get back to the venue! We need to tell Kareena what's going on!

Kareena!

Whew... You're finally back.

Where have you been? I looked everywhere for you... The third round's already started.

We were out capturing some bad guys who wanted to kidnap Sachin...

But that's not important right now! We think there might be something wrong with the Diadem of Knowledge, and we'd like to investigate it!

The Diadem? That seems unlikely.

The Diadem of Knowledge has been used in every Extravaganza over the last two decades, always without incident... Why has this come up now?

Some new information has come to light.

Hmm. This is pretty serious. Let me think...

Okay, here's the situation: The diadem is currently in Mawtiyima Forest. We moved it there before the third round began.

In the third round, contestants have to go into Mawtiyima Forest, find the diadem, bring it back, and place it on the stand. The first person to do this gets 4 points.

Considering how close the scores are between our contestants, whoever wins this round is very likely to be the winner of the whole competition.

As such, I suspect competition to be very fierce. You might not make it in time...

We have to give it a shot.

I'll mark the diadem's location for you. Please head there immediately. Let's hope nothing happens...

Alright. Let's go!

At long last... Someone to inherit my estate... and with it, my research.

Come, Kaveh. Come to me, my child...

...How do you know my name? Who are you?

I am Sachin. Well, to be precise, I am but a fragment of Sachin's mind.

Fate is a curious thing... Seeing you reminds me of another I once met. But you are made of sterner stuff than he, more cognizant of the trials and tribulations of this world. It is you who are worthy to inherit all that I once owned.

We meet for the first time, children. But what I mean to say now is of utmost importance. So please, pay attention and bear witness.

You have all performed outstandingly in this Interdarshan Championship. The Akademiya has many rare talents among its ranks, and you are the creme of the creme.

But if I were to choose a successor, I would choose you, Kaveh. Not only because you were victorious, but also due to our similarities in character.

...Me? Similar to you?

Why, yes. Both of us have the misfortune to be idealists — and that is the source of our misery.

Twenty-eight years ago, I came to the desert and lived there for eight full years. What do you think I saw there? Alas, endless strife and slaughter...

Conflict over water sources, robbing of merchant caravans, exploitation of the people... relentlessly, day after day. Beyond the Wall of Samiel lay a completely different world from the one I knew.

The things I witnessed there tormented me greatly. I wished desperately to find a way to save them.

...So? Did you find a way?

As a Vahumana scholar, I tried to use Vahumana knowledge to find the answer.

I researched history and anthropology, performed countless experiments on human nature, and even sought out the scholars living deep in the desert who call themselves the "Lost Darshan"...

But in the end, I found that the answer I sought simply did not exist.

It was not possible to simply assign blame for these transgressions to any one party, for the sins are carved into humanity's very nature. Our nature begets conflict, and conflict begets destruction. This is the inexorable truth.

The aim of my research was to draw lessons from history, but what I discovered was that history offers no such guidance... Things can only ever go from bad to worse!

After this realization, I could no longer see the meaning in anything that I had ever learned. Consumed by an overwhelming sense of emptiness, I could no longer bear to face life... and so I decided to bring my life to an end.

But before I went through with it, a strange twist of fate led me to come into the possession of this diadem, which has the ability to preserve part of one's consciousness. Into it, I placed my experiences, before requesting that the Akademiya manage my estate.

As I thought, the contract you signed with the Akademiya was, in essence, your will.

But if you'd given up hope on this world, why did you feel the need to do this?

I mentioned that I had performed a great many experiments concerning human nature... You may regard this as the very last experiment of them all.

The Akademiya has no shortage of genius talents, nurturing the brightest minds of every generation. And so, with a handsome reward to draw out the worthiest of individuals, my hope was that one day, I would find one who could untangle the mystery of human nature once and for all, and help to move the world onto a better path.

I see, so you desired a successor who was not only a genius, but who also understood the suffering of ordinary people. Such a person would have a clearer understanding of humanity, society, and the world.

...

But did you ever consider that wealth numbs the human heart to the pain in the world? Even an idealist may be incapable of following through on your wishes after inheriting your wealth.

You are highly intelligent... Yet you are not the sort of person who would understand my line of thinking. To me, this is also part of the experiment — part of my investigation into human nature.

Whether my successor suffers as a consequence of my research or succumbs to an indulgence in pleasure-seeking, my research will have progressed.

I grieve the fundamental sickness of the world, I regret the unbearable weight of its history, and I lament the research that I failed to complete.

And this, Kaveh, my dear child... is why you will be of great utility to me.

You're... you're absolutely certain that you want to give me everything you owned, for me to do with as I please?

I have faith in what I see in you. Now, wear the diadem, Kaveh, and complete the journey that I could not.

I guess that'll be the end of that.

Kaveh...

Are you alright? Any physical discomfort?

I'm... fine... Ugh...

Thanks, Tighnari. Don't worry about me.

Don't push yourself too hard.

Kaveh...

Kaveh may have broken the diadem, but he successfully completed the task prior to that.

According to the rules, this makes him the victor of round three. Points-wise, this also makes him the winner of the Interdarshan Championship.

As the champion, and Sachin's personally designated successor, Kaveh has obtained the rights to inherit the entirety of his estate.

For the avoidance of doubt, can you confirm that it is your intention to donate all of Sachin's wealth?

Like I said... he thought that the world is a bad place. Well then, let's use what he left behind to change it for the better.

Rejecting the world will achieve nothing. He and I... We're not the same.

Alright. As the scribe, I will make a record of this incident on file.

The sages will contact you in person for details on how exactly Sachin's estate is to be used.

...That sounds fine.

I don't know if his research findings were right, nor would I know how to finish his research for him.

But what I do know is that by ending this here, no contestants will have to suffer.

We won't be the last. There will be more championships to come... and countless future scholars will follow in our footsteps.

Sachin's words can only cause pain. But... not anymore. No one else has to hear them now.

We're all scholars here. I know full well that shutting down his views like this is autocratic and arrogant... Fine by me. I'll bear that responsibility.

It's the least I can do. And, well... it's the only thing I can do.

...

Well said. What you've expressed is a sense of justice and idealism that many aspire to, but few dare follow through with.

I say this despite the fact that, in my view, it's quite ridiculous. You have long been aware of what your flaws are, but your pride alone prevents you from admitting it.

Nevertheless, your perspective is well-suited to appearing in a victory speech. Contestant Kaveh, on behalf of the organizing committee, it is my honor to congratulate you on your victory.

What? Please. I don't need your insincere praise.

Anyway, this isn't the time or place for debates. Keep your commentary focused on the competition, not my views.

Congratulations, Kaveh! Also, you'll need to prepare for the award ceremony...

Why this year...

Alhaitham, Nilou, have you seen any of the other contestants?

No. No one's completed the task yet... Why, has something happened?

There might be a problem with the diadem... Oh, but Alhaitham, you must know something about it, right?

Whatever do you mean?

You...! Forget it! We'll go find it first. We'll ask you again later!

...Thank you all for your excellent performance. And that brings this year's Interdarshan Championship to a close!

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to invite our champion, Kaveh, to the stage to receive his award.

Typically, at this point, we would crown our champion with the diadem as well as presenting them with their award.

However, we have just received word that Kaveh has inherited Sachin's estate, and made the decision to donate it all to charitable causes.

Sachin's estate... is getting donated?

So much Mora... and he gave it all up?

Kaveh's generosity will give many struggling families the chance to change their lives for the better.

Of course, without the diadem and prize money to present, this makes the award ceremony a little more concise than expected. Would you like to say a few words, Kaveh? I'm sure many of our audience, like myself, are curious to learn why you decided to give all this wealth away.

I'm... not entirely sure what I should say under these circumstances. I'm glad to have won, even though I'd say luck played a big part in that.

As for why I want to give the Mora away... I don't support Sachin's views, and I don't want to take his Mora. With a lot of things in life, people need to experience them for themselves. It shouldn't be up to one person to make a judgment on — not him, and not me either.

Anyway, this isn't really the time and place for such weighty and complicated topics. So umm... I guess that's all. I'll leave it there, thanks very much.

Oh, Kaveh... just one moment.

While this is a short-and-sweet award ceremony, we do still have a prize to present you with. Please take this limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG card.

Additionally, your champion status will be logged in your record. This means that the sages will give priority consideration to any future project proposals you submit.

Alright, I'll take the card. But as for project proposals... Eh, forget it.

In that case, I declare the award ceremony over. Let's give our champion, Kaveh one last big round of applause!

I still don't really get it. That sum of Mora would've been enough for me to live in luxury for my entire life.

That just means you're not strange enough to understand the way that geniuses think. Come on, we've still got the whole Wisdom Gala to explore!

*sigh* Glad that's over. I think I'm quite good at giving speeches, but this one was just so tiring...

Do you mean that you're still exhausted from the competition? Honestly, you don't look happy at all... But whatever else happened, you're the champion, you know? Don't you think you should be proud of that?

I suppose... *sigh* Oh, wait. Cyno said that he wanted the card, didn't he? And now I have it, right here!

So you're gonna give it to him? But, if it's a rare one, you should be able to make a tidy sum of Mora off it!

Why would I do that? It's of no use to me whatsoever — I may as well just give it to him. Could you pass it on to him for me when you next see him?

Whoa, whoa, this is a super big deal. You should do it yourself! Come on, let's go find Cyno!

Huh? But I was gonna rest for a while longer— hey, hey, stop pulling my hair!

Whatcha looking at, Cyno?

I'm still thinking about the Sachin issue. What brings you here?

Well, they gave me this limited-edition Genius Invokation card, and I figured you'd have more use for it than I.

...But it's a limited edition. Are you sure you want to give it to me?

What else would I do with it? I have no use for it.

...

But... it's limited-edition... Kaveh, are you in trouble? You don't have to do all this. Just tell me what's wrong, and I will help.

That's not what I meant at all! Yes, I have all sorts of problems, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this card. I'll figure my own issues out by myself.

Alright. In that case, I accept your generosity.

But now that I realize that you have no concept of its value, I cannot simply take it from you.

...How about this? I shall buy it from you at a fair price — namely, the price that the previous limited-edition card sold for.

Oh, come on. It's just one card, how much could it really be worth?

1 million Mora at the very least.

...H—How much!?

A million Mora!?

If you feel that's too low, I can go a little higher.

1 million Mora for a card!? But you already have a whole bunch of these... uh, shiny ones, don't you? I saw your deck last time we played...

Not every card is this valuable, and some cards are exquisitely designed, but not rare.

Huh. Well, I guess they must pay you plenty to be General Mahamatra if you're splashing out on things like this...

But really, it's fine. I'd feel bad taking Mora from a friend.

Don't feel bad. I save a lot. I can spare the Mora for this card.

...Uh, you don't spend all your savings on your hobbies, do you? You should watch that, you know... You definitely don't want to end up borrowing money in a moment of impulsivity... Living with debt is miserable.

...Sounds like you're speaking from personal experience. I guess you've been through a lot?

*sigh* ...I don't want to talk about it.

In that case, maybe you're the one who should be listening to your advice.

In any case, I, Cyno, will take this precious card, and it shall join the deck of destiny! Kaveh, come with me in a few moments to collect the Mora. Thanks to you, I have achieved my goal for participating in this tournament.

Alright, if you insist, far be it from me to refuse your courtesy any further. Well... At least I'll be able to keep on top of my bills this month. Maybe I'll even have some left over? In fact, lemme treat you all to a meal later. Bring Tighnari and Collei, too.

Well, this is what they call "all's well that ends well"!

Paimon wonders how the other contestants are doing! Let's go check in with them, shall we? Since we're Guest Commentators and all!

I'm telling you, you can't go wrong taking advice from me on what to wear. Back in the day, my fashion style was considered cutting edge by everyone in the Akademiya.

Really? Well then, uh, sure... M—Madam Faruzan. Maybe you could pick out a few fashionable outfits for us.

Faruzan, Nilou... even Dehya and Candace are here! What are you all up to?

Candace and I bumped into these two while we were strolling through the streets.

Madam Faruzan here's pretty friendly — when she heard that we were buying clothes, she decided to give us some help.

Hmm... I don't really see anything I'm familiar with. Never mind, we can purchase some textiles and make the clothes ourselves.

Let's go with a plain fabric as our base, and embroider red and pink flowers on. Oh, and some green leaves...

Wait a sec... You sure that's the latest style? That sounds a lot like what the older folks back home would wear...

Don't worry, this style is a timeless classic...

Uhhh, no thanks. This is actually sounding pretty weird.

Wait, wait, wait... Madam Faruzan's right, that style is a classic, and used to be mainstream fashion. But these days, there are some other options, too.

If you don't mind, how about I pick some clothes out for everyone? It's not often that we get to meet up, especially since Candace rarely makes it to Sumeru City. Also, I know a few places where I can get a great bargain!

Sure, I'm happy to leave it to you.

I'll come with you to have a look. One always has to keep on top of what the youth of today are into...

Madam Faruzan? ...Come quick, she's over here!

Hmm? Who are you...?

We're new in the Akademiya. We saw all the amazing things you did during the competition... Do you have any classes we could sign up for?

Ahem! Of course I do — and you're both very welcome to join.

That's great! We can't wait... Um, what's your area of research? Precision mechanics?

...I'm from Haravatat.

Huh? But you seem like an expert in machines... Wait, sorry, I remember now. You were representing the Haravatat Darshan in the Championship...

Their classes are so boring, though! I'm sorry, Ma'am... let me know if you run any other classes in the future, I'll be there!

Hmph! I knew it... What about you? Aren't you going to leave with your friend?

I think you're amazing, Madam Faruzan, and I'd like to learn from you for a while if possible.

I can take the class you're teaching as an option, even though cross-Darshan lessons might be a little tough to arrange... But I look forward to learning from you!

I see... you're a good egg, child! Don't worry, study under me, and I promise you you will get the best teaching available!

Thank you so much, Ma'am. Well, I won't disturb you any further. See you in class!

I don't quite understand what happened there, but... congratulations, I think?

Traveler, Paimon, would you two like to come and pick out some clothes?

Sorry, we can't. We've got a meal with Kaveh later, and we have to check in with all the other contestants before then!

Oh! By the way, have any of you seen Hat Guy or Layla?

I don't know where Hat Guy went... We just saw Layla not too long ago, though.

But she was hanging out with some other Rtawahist students, so we didn't get a chance to speak with her. Are you gonna go and see what she's up to?

Rtawahist students... They must be the ones who voted for her to enter the competition, right?

She didn't end up winning, so Paimon wonders how they feel about that. Let's go take a peek.

Are you sure you have enough to cover this? Don't blow it all at once.

Don't worry. I budgeted very carefully, and this is well within my means. Anyway, I've lost count of how many times you've treated me. It's high time I returned the favor.

Traveler, Paimon, over here!

Ooh, look at all this! Good food, here we come!

I heard that you went to see the other contestants. How's everyone doing?

Faruzan found herself a student, and Layla's classmates are bowled over by how well she did. We couldn't find Hat Guy, though. Who knows where he's gone.

Alhaitham's gone missing in action, too. Huh. The one time I'm actually in a good enough mood to treat him to a nice meal, he disappears without a trace.

...That guy... where the heck could he have gone? I still have questions about that note he left...

Well, whatever. He can do what he wants. Now, let's eat!

You shocked me a little when you hurled the diadem to the ground. On further reflection, of course, it made sense, but at the time I was expecting at least some amount of deliberation.

...Sachin's voice started talking to me inside my head from the moment I picked it up. I could feel his emotions, too... It was a mix of despair and horror swirling around inside my mind.

He bombarded me with his ideas relentlessly, like he was trying to brainwash me... It gave me a splitting headache that only got worse as he went on.

Like I was saying at the time, his views are not necessarily completely without value, but if all his research does is lead to misfortune, then we're probably better off without it.

If his forbidden research were to spread in a harmful form, and cause people to suffer, the matra would step in and ban it.

I think you did the right thing. I suppose another way to approach it would have been to claim that you agreed to inherit his research, but give up the research as soon as you've inherited the wealth. But that wouldn't have been your style.

I won't comment on his theories or experiments, but I don't believe that he was careless in his choice of candidate... He chose you. That means he knew what he was doing.

Perhaps. I just think that if you accept someone else's things, you should honor their wishes.

That's a good thing... It means that you have integrity.

Thank you, oh my god, thank you... See, you get me, Collei!

It's a good thing Alhaitham isn't here right now... He'd be quick to explain why you're wrong.

Seems like you always include him in the conversation, even when he isn't here...

Yep. No dinner with Kaveh is complete without a few words about Alhaitham.

I sense that Alhaitham has in fact been here with us all along...

He's here? Where!? Why didn't you tell me?

...He lives rent-free in each of our hearts.

...

...

That was horrifying. It literally sent chills down my spine...

Good thing he didn't say that before we started eating. That would've killed the mood in a heartbeat...

Alright, enough about Alhaitham. Tighnari, did you achieve what you wanted out of the Championship?

I did — in the first round, in fact. Word of mouth proved very effective. I spoke to a handful of people, they told their friends, and so on. Now, a record number of people have signed up to attend the next lecture.

Oh, are you free next month? You should come along. Maybe even say a few words.

About what? I don't know the first thing about anything Amurta-related.

Just play to your strengths. For instance, you could talk about the distinguishing features of rainforest architecture. Or ask everyone not to chop down too many trees the next time they're building a house...

Oh, well that's no problem. Sure, I'll make time.

Has everyone had enough to eat? I can order more if anyone's still hungry.

I'm full, thanks!

Paimon's super full too! If only we could eat like this every day, hehe!

Yeah, we should do this more often. Work will always be there, but seeing friends is important, too. This is a good restaurant. Let's definitely come here again.

Sounds good. We should pick a few other places as backup options, though.

There are other good places around here, too? Don't forget to invite us if you go! There's nothing we love more than good food!

I'm sorry, everyone. I could have done better in the third round...

Oh, stop it.

If you're going to beat yourself up after doing as well as you did, how bad does that make us look, huh? Heck, it's not like any of us had the guts to enter the Championship.

I didn't see the whole thing, but you were the only contestant who scored points in both the first two rounds, right?

And I heard that you actually found the diadem first in round three. You came so close to winning the competition!

I just got lucky, I think...

That can't be true — you had some really stiff competition out there! The renowned Tighnari from Amurta, even Cyno the General Mahamatra was there... You're amazing, all of you!

Getting points off them is a huge achievement! The way I see it, people aren't exaggerating one bit with the nicknames they give you. You are a genuine genius!

Thanks a lot. But I really don't think I qualify as a genius... In the second round, for instance, I dozed off and somehow found myself beside the device when I came to.

Ah, come on, don't be so hard on yourself. We've decided — we're taking you out to celebrate, and that's final!

Let's go! Cheer up, Layla, the rest of today's all about you!

Looks like things are going well for Layla. This is great!

We haven't seen Hat Guy since the end of the competition... Oh well, it's almost meal time. We'd better go meet up with Kaveh and Cyno now.

Phew! Well, it looks like this Interdarshan Championship's a wrap.

All that stuff with Sachin and the diadem got sorted, too... Have you still got anything else on your mind?

Sachin's research...

Oh, right... Yeah, Sachin said that he'd placed his research materials at somewhere beginning with "A," but Kaveh smashed the Diadem of Knowledge before he could finish.

It might be dangerous if someone finds his old research stash, right? "A"... "A"... Where do you think it could be?

"Aaru Village"?

Holy smokes, you're right! He said he spent all that time researching in the desert, didn't he? So it's very possible that that's where he'd leave all his notes!

Alright then, let's head off to Aaru Village and try our luck!

Didn't expect to run into you here.

Alhaitham!? What're you doing here?

And what are you reading? Are those—

Sachin's notes. Yes.

I came across his profile while I was organizing some documents, and became interested in his research.

If it wasn't for that, I never would have agreed to being a commentator. I had a hunch after seeing the fragment of his mind, and sure enough, I came here and found his research.

W—Wait, so you've read it already?

Are you alright? How do you feel?

I think you may have misunderstood something. The reason Sachin chose that architect to inherit his research was that only he could really empathize with both the calamity and the humanity that these notes seek to convey.

Only one who resonates with these sentiments would suffer, and begin to think of history as bleak, the present as perplexing, and the future as pessimistic.

Empathy is a double-edged sword. Clearly, I am not the same sort of person as Sachin was.

Empaths have many friends, and their wide social circle comes with certain societal advantages. But this also makes it hard for them to achieve their goals.

Why's that?

All important things in life involve other people. As such, it's extremely difficult to live a life that causes no harm whatsoever to others.

If you really want to achieve your goals, you have to be prepared to make enemies along the way. Not everyone can deal with that reality.

And that reality is like the material here... objective, heavy, negative... But at the end of the day, for all these experiment results and conclusions, it's just one person's perspective — Sachin's.

So, what are your thoughts now that you've read it?

As a scholar, Sachin was, without a doubt, a genius.

He laid the blame for the darkness in the world squarely on humanity, experimented extensively with reliable results, and drew logical conclusions... In that sense, one might say his views were "correct."

So... people are bad, and things can only ever get worse? All of that's true?

That is not a question for me to answer. Someone else will arrive shortly — you can ask them instead.

All I will say is that the world is not built on "correctness" alone. Sometimes, being correct means nothing at all.

"Lofty ideals may provide no defense at all against nihilism, but perhaps little decisions can."

"By their own choice, the idealist seeks to bring happiness to all, while denying themselves the same. Thus they shall never reach even the borders of truth until they wipe away the ignorance that blinds them."

I have never been able to agree with certain philosophies. Even Sachin himself struggled to comprehend the notion of sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

But sadly, all viewpoints will find their supporters, and the way we see the world largely decides our fates.

Alright, then. I got what I came for — these research materials are yours to look after. I'll be off.

Wait. So you came here just to read this stuff? You missed out on a big get-together, you know!

A get-together? ...Ah. Yes, that makes sense. This is a good opportunity for that sort of thing.

Guess what? Kaveh treated everyone this time.

Then I'm sure he packed up the leftovers for me. See ya.

And there he goes... Well, it seems like he really wasn't affected by this research.

He said that someone else would answer our questions. Who do you think that'll be?

Traveler, Paimon, you're already here.

Nahida... oh, and Hat Guy.

Wait, so you asked him to take part in the Championship?

Yes, it was me. Are you surprised?

A little...

Did you know that there was something wrong with the diadem from the start? And if so, why didn't you switch it out for another one?

Because Sachin's research is not mistaken. He spent his entire life researching this topic, and these materials are a result of that.

These are the crystallization of his wisdom. Yes, I was worried that the material might cause some disruption, but I didn't want to wipe away all his hard work searching for the truth.

So instead, I had Hat Guy here help me keep an eye on things.

Seriously? I think you can stop calling me that now.

Why? Don't you like it?

...*sigh*

...Well, anyway — if Sachin's chosen successor hadn't been able to handle his research, or if it had brought pain to more people, he would have intervened at a suitable moment.

And after all that, the person Sachin chose, turned his nose up at his life's work. Pretty hilarious.

I was also hoping that this could be an opportunity for you to learn how to interact with people normally... But it looks like that didn't work out.

That wasn't necessary. I'm still paying you back for your help, and the last thing I need is more reasons to be indebted to you.

Nahida, what did you mean by "Sachin's research is not mistaken"? Does that mean that you approve of his research?

Hmmm. Put it this way instead. Truth, to me, is like a Shroomboar.

Some people only see the mushroom on the Shroomboar's back, and they conclude that a Shroomboar is a mushroom.

Others see only the Shroomboar's body, and they declare that a Shroomboar is a boar.

Still others look deeper inside, and determine that a Shroomboar is... meat.

These conclusions are all correct in their own way, but none of them objectively describe the Shroomboar.

Paimon kinda gets it... but also not really...

The world is the same way. No one, not even I included, can understand it in its entirety. All of us are somewhere on the path toward truth.

Within the confines of our limited knowledge, some may blindly believe in the beauty of this world, and others may focus only on its evils.

In truth, the most important thing isn't what state the world is in now, but what people hope it will become. But of course, I don't mean that as a criticism or a call to action.

Ultimately, my duty as the God of Wisdom is to guide every form of wisdom to a place where it can find its purpose.

That was a long speech. So what are you actually going to do with these research materials?

Because Kaveh, as the successor of this research, does not wish to see these ideas disseminated, I will seal it up.

But even though Sachin's research could be considered "negative" wisdom, it is still a building block of the truth. If someone wishes to follow in his footsteps in the future, I will not stop them.

I also look forward to the day that a member of the Vahumana Darshan can not only comprehend his theories, but also find a way out from the despair as well.

Hmph, Vahumana doesn't have that kind of talent... Wait, you're not intending to keep me in Vahumana long-term, are you?

Hah, I don't remember signing up to become a scholar. Don't you think I'm useful enough to you as a prisoner?

Oh boy, here we go again...

You think so? Well, to that, I would say that in Sumeru, even prisoners have the right to an education.

I hope that your studies in Vahumana will help you deal with your own fate, and learn how best to settle old debts from your past.

I will review your final thesis myself. I am expecting great things from you, Mr. Hat Guy.

...Tsk.

If you don't come to Sumeru City often, classic floral designs aren't a bad choice. Those don't really go out of style.

And of course, since you're putting this on your body, you need to consider the type of fabric the clothes are made from. Some materials might look stunning, but they can be terribly uncomfortable to wear...

Agreed. After all, is fashion not the constant phasing in and out of classics? In that sense, you could always consider the style I suggested, too...

Wait. Sorry, Ma'am, but I think it could be quite a while before the style you recommended comes back into fashion...

I actually think the style recommended by Madam Faruzan is quite beautiful.

Isn't it just? You have a discerning eye, my dear!

I can't believe it, but in the end, no one was disappointed in me. What a relief.

Finally, I can get some good sleep...

Since everyone is free, why don't we play a few matches of Genius Invokation TCG?

Eager to show off your new limited-edition card, are you?

Not to show off. This is my way of thanking you for your help. Only my best friend will have the honor of seeing this card's debut play!

Alright, sure. I didn't bring my deck with me, though, so I'll need to borrow one.

Actually, Master, I made a new one a few days back...

...Don't tell me you've been spending all your study hours playing cards?

Come on, no need to be so stern. They do say that your innate interests are your best teacher, don't they?