While Ryen and the others were traveling through the night to clear bosses,
Lumine had already arrived in the desert, and enjoyed a wonderfully comfortable night's sleep.
Although Sumeru still meant running around everywhere as usual, it was at least far better than her time in Inazuma.
After all, she had been invited here. Even though she was still busy out of necessity, Alhaitham and the others treated her with great importance and made thorough arrangements.
At the very least, food and lodging were never a concern.
Walking out of the room Candace had arranged for her and Paimon, Lumine stretched comfortably.
Paimon floated beside her with her hands on her hips.
"Who would've thought the desert scenery in Teyvat could be this beautiful?"
Lumine sighed softly.
"Even if the environment is a bit harsh, coming here occasionally to enjoy the scenery is still a great experience."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a gentle voice sounded behind her.
"Miss Lumine, did you sleep well last night?"
Lumine turned around and immediately beamed.
"Very comfortably! Thank you so much, Candace. Sorry to trouble you with all the arrangements."
Candace smiled and shook her head.
"You're a guest of Sumeru, brought here by Dehya. Naturally, I should host you properly."
"Though the desert can't compare to the rainforest in terms of environment, it has its own unique charm."
"That said, resources are scarce here in the desert. Please forgive us if our hospitality falls short."
Paimon waved her hands hurriedly.
"Not at all! The desert's specialty dishes were delicious! We should be thanking Candace for putting so much thought into our food and lodging!"
That was no exaggeration.
The desert itself lacked resources, and to host them, Candace had taken out quite a bit from her stored supplies.
And Lumine and Paimon's appetites were anything but small.
Just yesterday, the two of them had eaten enough to match over twenty people from Aaru Village.
"As long as you're staying comfortably, that's enough," Candace said with a smile.
"I've already arranged breakfast. Dehya and the others are at the village chief's house, you should come as well."
With that, she turned and led the way.
The night before, Candace had slept side by side with Dehya, chatting at length.
When she learned of Lumine's true identity, she had been genuinely shocked.
She never expected that this seemingly innocent girl had five Archons behind her, and a four-nation alliance.
Especially that small flying creature with the enormous appetite.
Blessed by seven gods, if anything happened to her, all four nations would mobilize at once.
Candace couldn't help but feel relieved that she had treated Lumine and Paimon well.
Lumine, however, felt a little apologetic for consuming the villagers' limited resources.
Scratching her cheek, she muttered,
"Don't worry, Candace. Once we resolve the Akademiya issue and Nahida returns, she'll help solve the desert's problems."
"Yeah, yeah!"
Paimon nodded confidently.
"Nahida is super nice! She's the kindest, kindest god Paimon has ever met, uh… besides Sister Makoto!"
"In short, once Nahida takes charge again, she'll help you fix everything."
The night before, Dehya had already spoken briefly with Candace about Nahida.
Though Dehya hadn't interacted much with her in Liyue, her keen judgment made Nahida's character clear.
A kind and gentle god.
If she were to govern Sumeru, her first act would likely be tearing down the desert wall, reconnecting the desert and the rainforest.
In Nahida's eyes, both desert and rainforest peoples were citizens of Sumeru.
With her return, desert folk truly would see better days.
As for the old hatred between the desert people's faith in King Deshret and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata,
Candace didn't care.
To her, whoever could give the people of Aaru Village a good life was a good god.
Besides, King Deshret had been gone for countless years.
The three chatted cheerfully as they arrived at the village chief's house.
Alhaitham and Dehya were already there. Seeing them arrive, Dehya waved cheerfully.
"Morning, Lumine, Paimon! Did you sleep well last night?"
"So comfortably!" Paimon replied with a grin, immediately digging into breakfast.
"The sand outside was blowing like music, Paimon fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes!"
Lumine rolled her eyes.
"You'd fall asleep anywhere, wouldn't you?"
"That's just Paimon's talent! Lumine can't copy that!"
Paimon mumbled through her food. Lumine couldn't be bothered to respond and instead smiled at Dehya.
"You seem pretty happy, Dehya."
Dehya shrugged.
"Of course. The desert is my home. The environment's rough, sure, but I grew up here, it's what I'm most familiar with."
"Besides, Sumeru City is full of scholars. They're so slow and obsessed with rules, it's exhausting."
Alhaitham didn't refute her, merely nodding calmly.
"That's also our failing. In a Sumeru where both upper and lower classes worship the Akasha, people have abandoned independent thought and merely chase its guidance."
"For scholars, that's a grave taboo. Perhaps that's why the brilliant senior Lisa left the Akademiya."
"After Azar is overthrown, the Akademiya must be reformed."
Lumine froze and gave Alhaitham a strange look.
"You even turn casual chatter into serious business? You're really boring."
Alhaitham didn't argue, replying lightly,
"An academic scribe's duty."
"Aren't you already dismissed and wanted?"
Dehya rolled her eyes.
Alhaitham faltered for a moment, but his impeccable composure didn't crack.
"Alright, let's eat," Candace said with a gentle laugh, stepping in to smooth things over.
"These matters can be discussed after breakfast."
No one spoiled the meal by insisting on heavy topics.
They simply listened as Dehya and Lumine talked about the changes in Liyue.
Candace ate quietly, memorizing every bit of information.
Armies. Alliances.
She didn't care about those.
What mattered to her was something else entirely.
All Candace truly heard was this,
That the people of Liyue now lived without worry over food or clothing.
Medical treatment cost nothing.
Food came in endless varieties, abundant beyond measure, with famine no longer a concern.
Compared to the state of survival faced by the desert folk, it was like heaven and earth.
Candace's heart felt heavy.
Lumine and the others had only just arrived. They had no idea how difficult life was here in Aaru Village.
Without exaggeration, even bathing was a luxury.
Because water itself was an extremely precious resource.
Although merchants once ensured the flow of goods, the great sand wall still stood.
The desert was dangerous, and after upheaval struck Sumeru, merchants who went to Sumeru City rarely ever returned.
Life only grew harder by the day.
Candace's sole hope was that Lumine and her companions could resolve Sumeru's crisis.
That Nahida's return would grant the desert people a better life.
For people who could barely get enough to eat, faith in any particular god no longer mattered.
Survival mattered more than anything else.
Suddenly, Lumine clapped her hands.
"Oh! Candace!"
She turned to her, and Candace paused, responding patiently,
"What is it, Lumine?"
Lumine scratched her cheek with a sheepish smile.
"I heard that in the desert, water is more important than anything else. And last night, you even let us bathe…"
Candace smiled and shook her head.
"Life is difficult, but the hospitality of desert folk does not allow us to abandon our duties as hosts."
"You're here to help solve our problems. How could we let our hardships affect you?"
Lumine muttered,
"I know that's what you say, but the more you do this, the worse we feel about it…"
After a moment of thought, her eyes lit up and she clapped again.
"How about this, let me give you a gift too!"
"A gift?"
Candace was confused, and instinctively reluctant to accept.
Lumine was already helping them solve their problems. They had no reward to offer in return.
How could they possibly accept a gift on top of that?
Just as Candace was about to decline, Lumine continued,
"It's not important to us, but for you, especially for desert folk, it should be the most precious treasure there is."
"We have… an endless, inexhaustible source of clean water."
Candace's pupils shrank.
For a moment, she couldn't find the words to refuse.
In the desert, water meant life.
If such a thing truly existed, then at the very least, the lives of the desert people would become far easier.
Compared to food, what the desert lacked most was water.
Pressing her lips together, Candace recalled what Dehya had said about Liyue.
Unconsciously, hope bloomed in her heart.
"Lumine… water is far too important to us. Does such a divine object truly exist?"
"But… we have nothing to offer you in return. This is something we could never afford…"
Lumine waved her hand casually, grinning.
"I told you, it's not valuable at all. If it can help you, then it's just doing a good deed."
With that, Lumine wiped her mouth, grabbed Paimon, and headed outside.
The others hurriedly stood and followed.
By now, everyone in Aaru Village was awake.
They repeated their daily routines, faces weary, lives harsh.
And yet, there was no despair in their eyes.
Hope for tomorrow still burned.
Lumine sighed softly and turned to Candace.
"Um… is there a suitable open area?"
Candace thought for a moment and pointed toward a nearby square.
"How about over there?"
Lumine considered it, nodded, and walked over briskly.
Seeing the Traveler whom Candace valued so highly approaching, along with Candace herself, the villagers grew curious and gathered around.
Candace frowned slightly and whispered,
"Should I ask everyone to step back?"
"No need," Lumine replied lightly. "This'll be quick."
After a brief mental calculation, Lumine reached behind her and took out four wooden blocks.
Under the villagers' bewildered gazes, she jumped in place, stacking upward.
In just a short while, she was standing in midair.
Alhaitham's pupils contracted as he stared at Lumine in disbelief.
Others couldn't tell what had happened and only thought she had somehow climbed up.
But his keen observation told him otherwise.
The moment the wooden blocks landed vertically, they fused together seamlessly,
as if they had always been a single four-meter-tall pillar.
"No tools. No process. As if it was always like that…"
"You noticed it too?"
Alhaitham frowned and glanced at Dehya.
Her expression had turned serious as well, and she nodded slightly.
"It's probably related to the changes in Liyue… not sure yet. Don't say anything for now."
Such a blatant violation of common sense made Alhaitham's mind churn.
He was a scribe, but before that, a scholar.
How could something like this not make him curious?
Lumine, however, paid no attention to any of that.
She casually took out a bucket of water, glanced down, and poured it straight out.
Seeing this, Candace felt a pang of pain in her chest.
Water was the rarest resource in the desert, and Lumine had just poured it out like that…
Too wasteful!
And how could a single bucket possibly solve Aaru Village's situation?
Candace sighed, just about to speak,
When suddenly, a child nearby widened their eyes and clapped excitedly.
"Wow! That's amazing! The water's increasing!"
Water…
Increasing?