Thanks for _______ ________ and Nefasturis for becoming as Supporters!
===BREAK===
"Then what?" Lisa asked. "Who won in the end?"
"Kaveh."
Victor Wang described the scene as it happened.
"In the final round, there were very few restrictions. Whoever placed the Diadem of Knowledge onto the designated platform first would receive 4 points. All the contestants were Vision holders, so they ended up having a friendly spar.
The first to find the Diadem of Knowledge was Layla. Faruzan stopped her, and the two fell into a stalemate. Then Cyno suddenly appeared and snatched the Diadem of Knowledge away. Faruzan tried to pursue him, but her mechanical device was struck by Electro and went out of control.
Cyno carried the Diadem of Knowledge and charged toward the finish line at full speed. Tighnari refused to give up and provided long-range interference. Kaveh also caught up—he took a risk and grabbed onto Faruzan's mechanical device, rapidly closing the distance on Cyno. The impact sent the Diadem of Knowledge flying.
At the critical moment, Kaveh's briefcase knocked the Diadem of Knowledge toward him. The finish line was right in front of him. Kaveh won."
Sipping her hot tea and listening to the story, Lisa commented, "The Akademiya really is full of outstanding talents."
"The biggest surprise of this competition actually came afterward. You probably wouldn't guess it—Kaveh shattered the Diadem of Knowledge and donated all of the prize money."
"The Diadem of Knowledge… If I remember correctly, it was purchased at great expense twenty years ago by a Spantamad scholar named Sachin and donated to the Akademiya. He also signed a contract entrusting his entire estate to the Akademiya's management, with part of it used to sponsor the Akademiya Championship," Lisa said thoughtfully. "Donating the prize money is understandable, but smashing the Diadem of Knowledge… Does that mean something was wrong with Sachin?"
"As expected of you, Lisa—you immediately arrived at the correct conclusion."
Victor Wang praised her without missing a beat, then continued.
"Before donating the Diadem of Knowledge, Sachin lived in the desert for eight years. He said that during those years, he witnessed many grim realities.
Conflicts over water sources among desert dwellers, raids on caravans, exploitation of civilians… The world beyond the sand walls was vastly different from the one he had known. It caused him immense anguish, and he sought a way to save the people of the desert.
So, as a scholar of the Spantamad Darshan, he studied history and analyzed society, conducting countless experiments related to human nature. Yet he found no answers. He couldn't place the blame solely on any single faction.
In the end, he concluded that sin is etched into human nature itself—that human nature breeds conflict, conflict leads to destruction, and this was an irreversible trend. Everything would only grow worse.
Unable to find meaning in his life's work and powerless to change the state of the world, nihilism consumed him, and he chose to end his own life.
That Diadem of Knowledge was capable of storing consciousness. Before seeking death, Sachin placed part of his consciousness within it and signed a contract with the Akademiya, entrusting them with his estate.
All of this was done for his final experiment on human nature. He intended to choose, from among the geniuses of the Akademiya Championship, someone he deemed suitable, and then pass on all his research results and wealth to that person.
Whether that person suffered because of his research or indulged in the pleasure brought by wealth, his research would still advance—that was how he put it.
But Kaveh fell into neither outcome. He shattered the Diadem of Knowledge and decided to donate all of Sachin's assets to help those who were suffering.
Furthermore, according to later investigations, Kaveh's father had been influenced by Sachin during an Akademiya Championship many years ago, which led him to venture into the desert—where he ultimately died in quicksand.
Of course, Kaveh wasn't aware of any of this at the time. Shattering the Diadem of Knowledge was simply his own judgment."
"So, once again, the Akademiya truly is full of outstanding talents." Lisa took another sip of her tea, then suddenly changed the subject. "I heard a school has already been built in the desert?"
"Yes. Aaru Village even has a full commercial street now. When we arrived there for the second round and saw all the shops open at once, even I was shocked… though most of the shop owners were actually the same person."
"Hehe, that does sound like a big change. The desert should only get better from here on out."
"Definitely."
"By the way, about the underwater breathing potion…"
Victor Wang hurriedly protested, "I didn't come this time to rush you! It's just that last time, during dinner, you said you didn't want to participate in the Akademiya Championship but were curious about what this year's would be like, so I rushed back as soon as possible to report!"
Lisa laughed helplessly. "Look how nervous you are—I haven't even said anything yet."
"Ahem… Actually, I'm curious about something. Catching butterflies, searching for Ley Line Disruptors, competing over the Diadem of Knowledge—if all those events stayed the same, and you had participated in this year's Akademiya Championship, how many points do you think you could've scored?"
Lisa did a bit of quick mental math, then replied, "Seven points."
"Seven?"
"Yes. I'd skip the final round—fighting others is the most exhausting part… You're not doubting that I could take first place in the first two rounds, are you?"
"No, not at all! I really wasn't—forget it… I'll treat you to a meal!"
...
"The Wanderer said he personally went to apologize to everyone affected by the Raiden Gokaden incident. I wasn't entirely sure, so I came to verify—did he come to see you?"
"He did. Back then, the Kamisato Clan suffered a tremendous blow because of that incident, but that's all in the past now… Heh, there's no need to dress it up when talking to you. Realistically speaking, killing him would bring us no benefit and would only invite unnecessary trouble. He likely understands that himself, so I said a few polite words and then turned him down."
…
"The Wanderer said he personally apologized to everyone affected by the Raiden Gokaden incident. I'm not sure whether he was telling the truth, so I came to confirm—did he visit you?"
"He did. He said that if I wished, I could kill him on behalf of my ancestors… Without him, perhaps my life would've turned out differently. When the heart is empty, all things between heaven and earth are empty; when the heart is clear, all things between heaven and earth are pure. I let go of the past long ago. But I also told him—my letting go doesn't mean what he did never happened. Letting go is my choice. Bearing the burden is his."
"So… he really did come…"
…
"How rare—so you're the one in charge of the Grand Narukami Shrine. Where's Hanachirusato?"
"Hanachirusato? She went to Sumeru. She said she wanted to watch a meteor shower—and stop by to see you while she was at it. If you ask me, she's got her priorities completely backwards. Judging by the timing… she should already be there by now, shouldn't she? And yet here you are instead. Honestly, hahaha~"
"A meteor shower… One more thing—did The Wanderer come to see you?"
"What, did that guy cause trouble again?"
"No, it's nothing."
…
"Who? What did you say? My hearing's not great—say it louder!"
"I SAID, WHERE DID YOIMIYA GO?!"
"Yoimiya? She said she was going to Sumeru to see the grandest meteor shower in all of Teyvat! Long ago, our Naganohara ancestors witnessed such a meteor shower, and that's what inspired a new kind of firework. Inspiration comes from the fusion of what one sees and what one knows. Even when people see the same scene, their associations can be completely different. If Yoimiya gets to witness that kind of meteor shower, she'll definitely create fireworks unlike anything before."
"Did anyone go with her?!"
"Yes—there was also a girl wearing a mask."
"Got it! Thanks, Dad!!"
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa