Genshin Impact | "The Last Night in Aaru Village" | Alhaitham x Lumine

Return of the Scarlet King, Part 3

Return of the Scarlet King, Part 3

Candace poured the Mahamatra his nilotpala tea. The teapot clinked on the saucer as she laid it down with visible worry on her face. The sweet aroma of the tea filled the village chief's home.

Although it hadn't been that long ago, Cyno felt nostalgic while sitting on the same spot in Aaru Village and talking to Candace, drinking the tea she used to offer them when they were planning to save the Dendro Archon from the Sages.

"Alhaitham did come here some days ago. At first I was hesitant to approve his request, but I figured it was probably necessary to fully document what happened in the Khaj-Nisut." She tilted her head as she stared into her own cup of tea, thumbs smoothing over the edges as she cradled it between her hands. "Though it did bother me why the Akademiya would send the Acting Grand Sage himself to do the task. That, added with the fact that he is- was- in a relationship with the Traveler... I thought about possible bias when he documents the incident. I should've listened to my own instinct."

"Nobody saw this coming." He lifted his teacup and sipped. "Alhaitham was never the type to go against the rules unless it somehow disturbed his normal life. Well... when you think about it the Traveler's death did disturb his life." No, for him, it brought disaster. "So, he requested you to help him find Jeht and arrange a meeting, saying he was doing it to record the full details of what happened in Khaj-Nisut?"

"Yes. Jeht is coming here shortly. I already called for her."

A knock on the door interrupted them. Candace sauntered to open it and welcomed Jeht inside. Next to her was a sentient floating machine she called Benben. Cyno already met the miniature pyramid that reminded him alot of Primal Constructs. He stood up to greet her and then dived straight to business after the formalities.

"Yes, the Acting Grand Sage asked about what happened in the Khaj-Nisut. He was most interested in the prayer you had to chant in order to enter the Eternal Dreamland. But I couldn't recite the entire prayer to him so..." Jeht said as Candace helped her with a fresh cup of tea.

"Bee-eeeep beep Bee-eeeep," Benben said.

Jeht shifted her gaze to the sentient pyramid. "Oh, my mother's journal? Right," she said to Benben, then turned to Cyno again. "Ufariah, my mother, was a scholar at the Akademiya and through her research she was able to infer that a prayer deciphered from Al-ahmar texts was needed to enter the Eternal Dreamland, the Scarlet King's promised land for his people." She opened the pack she had brought with her and pulled out a tattered journal. Handing it to Cyno, the leaves almost fell off as he received the book.

Cyno glossed over the journal's cover. He opened it and saw one of the most unintelligible writings he had ever seen. Jeht helped him flip through the soft pages and stopped at one containing glyphs and symbols.

"I think she copied that from one of Al-ahmar's texts. I still don't understand much about her journal because I'm still studying it, but... " she flipped the page and revealed a wall of text Cyno actually understood. Pointing at the corner of the page, she said, "this is the cipher. And this paragraph is the prayer my father recited in the Khaj-Nisut in front of the Scarlet King's throne."

The General Mahamatra nodded. "And you showed this to Alhaitham?"

"Yes." She recoiled after answering. The General had given her a look like she had done something problematic. "Is he perhaps planning to use this in Khaj-Nisut?" she asked.

"There is a great possibility, but, at the same time, I do not believe he is suicidal. Is there anything else he asked you? Anything else he mentioned that could help us stop him?"