"You graduated from Amurta? A former full scholar of Sumeru's Akademiya?" a Kanjou Commission official asked, eyeing Dottore.
"Yes, I graduated from Amurta. Exiled for my research direction," Dottore said plainly, laying it out. "I specialize in human physiology. Medicine too, to some extent."
"Human physiology and medicine? Rare fields," the official mused.
Unlike Sumeru's diverse research, Inazuma's studies were heavily skewed. Most focused on herbology and agronomy.
The rest leaned into alchemy and pharmaceutics, where Inazuma's secret remedies had made breakthroughs.
Celestial and oceanic studies were common too, mainly to optimize Inazuma's shipping routes.
"Research in Inazuma? Not impossible," the official said. "We need to test your level. Don't worry, it's basic stuff. Any Amurta grad should pass."
The Kanjou Commission handed Dottore a set of test questions.
He blazed through them. Simple, sure, but they required broad knowledge to ace—something average students wouldn't manage.
"Perfect score. Impressive," the official said, pleased. "It's been a while since a scholar scored full marks."
"Here's your settlement fund and basic research budget. You can join a team or work solo."
"I'd recommend joining an official team, though."
"Like the Tenryou Commission's research group. They're good with human physiology."
"For higher aspirations, the Shogunate's own research division is better. Lord Reisen himself occasionally guides their work."
"If those don't suit you, there are smaller groups, but their research is… less orthodox. Like the Final Watch or the Rock-Shadow-Thunderlight Brigade."
"I'll look around first," Dottore said.
"Fair enough."
"Here's your travel pass. It'll get you from Ritou to Narukami Island."
The official wasn't fazed by Dottore's choice. Most Sumeru scholars, like him, played it cautious, scoping things out first.
They'd pick a lab eventually, so the official wasn't worried.
…
"First, I'll check out the research vibe in Inazuma City," Dottore planned his next few days.
"Then visit some public labs to gauge their researchers' level."
"Finally, decide which lab to join."
He hadn't forgotten his goal. He circled labs tied to Zexi, the Distant Wisdom.
From his intel, Zexi's guidance was rare but game-changing, pushing experiments forward with just a few words.
But Zexi rarely mentored others. He had his own lab, closed to outsiders.
A few years back, Zexi went quiet. From two years to six months ago, he was completely off the radar.
Then, around a major event half a year ago, he started popping up again.
Recently, he'd gone fully active.
"Complicated guy," Dottore said of Zexi. "But his wisdom's the real deal."
The next day, Dottore joined a merchant caravan to Narukami Island as a physician.
On the road, samurai hauled odd machines.
"What're those?" Dottore asked.
The caravan boss, a born-and-bred Inazuman, was delivering fresh produce to Inazuma City.
"Not from around here, huh, doc?" the boss said. "Those are the One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine. Looks like the Shogunate finally unsealed them. Honestly, without the Machine, everything feels dull."
"The One System, Ten Thousand Minds Machine? The legendary learning device?" Dottore had heard of it even in Sumeru. "Tell me more."
"No problem," the boss said, launching into a passionate spiel.
From what Dottore knew, Sumeru once had a similar project, scrapped for a plan to unlock human brain potential, making everyone a genius.
That project was led by Amurta's dean, the Vitalist sage—Dottore's mentor. It got shelved, and the research sealed.
Many of Dottore's theories came from that mentor's notes.
"Back to the Machine," Dottore said. "I heard it's used for experiments in Inazuma. How does it work?"
"Just rumors," the boss admitted. "They say it connects to a great being who knows all of Inazuma's past and present knowledge—and will know its future too. Maybe a youkai or something, with crazy-fast thinking, helping people access knowledge."
"You're no ordinary merchant," Dottore said with a grin. "How's a produce guy know so much?"
"Haha, I'm just a regular merchant," the boss laughed, touching a noble crest on his cart. "My Kawakawa family was among the first in Inazuma to use the Machine."
"We've fallen on hard times lately, but it's mostly because Teyvat's trade is in the dumps."
What he didn't say: the family's decline was also because the Rock-Shadow-Thunderlight Brigade poached their best talent.