By late afternoon, the stone gates of Sumeru City tower above us, twin pillars joining in a magnificent arc. Tall palms line the road on either side, along with broad-leafed plants and bushes of yellow flowers. We join the line of foreign visitors awaiting entry, and Paimon flies over the sea of heads to report on the status ahead.

"The guards are processing visitors one by one," she reports overhead. "Oh! It looks like their head are lighting up as they enter the city!"

"Their heads are– what?!" I ask. I try to imagine my head turning into a lightbulb as I walk through the gates, but I cannot seem to put together this image. Then I picture Paimon bursting into a star, but that thought seems farfetched too.

"One moment please," a guard says kindly, stepping in front of me. I'm abruptly awoken from my reverie, and I notice that we're at the front of the line. "My name is Panah, a Mahamatra of the Akademiya. It appears this is your first time visiting Sumeru City."

"Yes, it is," I say. "How did you know?"

"There is currently no information on either of you in the Akasha," he replies.

The Akasha – Tighnari had showed us one of these glowing earpieces before we left, hadn't he? I see that Panah is wearing one, as well as the guard at his side.

Noting my gaze, Panah puts his hand to his ear and nods. "The Akademiya conveniently provides each traveler to Sumeru City with his or her own device. Perhaps you two have heard of the Akasha before. It's our beloved Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's lasting legacy, a treasure trove of collected knowledge. After centuries of tireless research on the Akasha, the Akademiya created one of its most ingenious inventions, the Akasha Terminal."

So the Akasha Terminal must be the earpiece, and the Akasha, its centralized network of knowledge.

"As long as you are within Sumeru's borders, you may use an Akasha Terminal to connect directly to the Akasha and access any knowledge you need," he confirms. "I should mention that due to technical limitations, the operation of Akasha Terminals will be much smoother and more effective in large cities such as Sumeru City and Port Ormos."

"That sounds fascinating," I say in wonder. Technology really has flourished in Sumeru, compared to the previous nations we've traversed.

"Yes, and you two are quite fortunate!" Panah says smiling. "Until recently, it was standard practice to only issue Akasha Terminals to outlanders who spent an extended amount of time in Sumeru. However, this policy was recently changed, and now all travelers are issued one upon arrival." He reaches into his briefcase and retrieves two dull earpieces. "Here are your Akasha Terminals. Please handle them with care."

Paimon and I each take one and hold it in front of us. "Looks like a leaf!" She says. "How does it work?" Ours don't glow like the one Panah wears.

"To activate the Akasha Terminal, simply hold it in your hand and repeat the following phrase: 'May the Mighty God bless us with their voice of wisdom,'" Panah instructs. "You may speak the words out loud or to yourself. Both are fine."

Looking at the fragile contraption, I close my eyes, and here goes: may the Mighty God bless us with their voice of wisdom or at least, please give us some useful knowledge. As if hearing my thoughts, the device lights up, and a slew of understanding floods my brain. All of a sudden, I know how to use this device – I clip it onto my ear – and it feels as if I have lived in Sumeru my whole life. Those fruits Haypasia ate yesterday were Zaytun peaches and Hara fruit, one sweet and firm, one tangy and juicy. That river that opened up to Sumeru City? It's known as the Devadaha Pool. "All of this world's knowledge is but a thought away," I murmur wondrously.

"Exactly. That is the power of the Akasha," Panah says. "Now let me officially welcome you both to Sumeru City. May the wisdom of the Dendro Archon always be your guide." He gestures for us to pass through, and we enter Sumeru City for the first time.

Paimon and I walk for some time, past the hustle and bustle of the city gates, before stopping in the shade of a tall palm.

"Let's check what the Akasha knows about Lesser Lord Kusanali," I say. I'm sure this has been on Paimon's mind too. She nods, and we query our respective Akasha Terminals. A story plays through my mind: five hundred years ago, the sages found a newly born deity from within some scorched ruins. This deity now resides in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Is this all?

"Why don't we ask the Akasha, how to find Lesser Lord Kusanali?" Paimon suggests. She seems to have received the same vague response. I form that question in my mind, but instead of an influx of knowledge, I feel my thoughts slipping away. I try again, but I'm met with a sense of deja vu – like I'm trying to remember something on the tip of my tongue, but what I cannot fathom. Paimon pounds her fists in annoyance.

"No luck for you either?" I say. She shakes her head angrily. "Paimon's brain is exhausted. Why won't the Akasha answer my questions?!"

The answer arrives from the Akasha, as if I had asked it myself: The Akasha doesn't unconditionally respond to every query. Even if the same query is requested by multiple people, the Akasha still imparts knowledge based on each person's identity, age, experiences, and other demographics. "Maybe we lack the permission to access such information, since we are outlanders," I say.

"What about Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?" Paimon asks.

Good point. Maybe we can obtain some information through circuitous means. I pose the query to the Akasha, and I'm met with many bright dots of light. Feelings of affection, intimacy, nostalgia, sadness, and anxiety all come to mind. I suppose this is what the citizens of Sumeru feel, or are programmed to feel, about their former Archon.

"Paimon's getting all teary-eyed," she says softly, "but no matter how we try, the Akasha won't tell us about Lesser Lord Kusanali."

"I suppose we should visit this acquaintance of Tighnari's," I suggest. "He's a Sumeru native, and he has an appointment within the Akademiya. Maybe he'll be able to access more info from the Akasha." I retrieve Tighnari's letter of introduction, which is addressed to a certain Scholar Rohawi located at an address not far from the city gates (according to the Akasha).

Five minutes later, we've arrived at his home – a comfortable single-house, with a tile roof and stone walls. Though located on the outskirts of town, this scholar seems decently well off. As I approach the door, I notice a man leaning off the balcony outside.

"Hello!" I say towards him. "Would you be Rohawi?"

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He looks up in surprise and stares at us carefully. "Yes, that's me. Can I help you?"

"Nice to meet you!" Paimon says. "We're friends of Tighnari–"

"Tighnari?!" Rohawi jumps up in surprise and his face turns pale. "Please, d– don't say anything! I admit that the paper I published last month wasn't my best work, and the data didn't produce the most convincing results, but–"

"No, you've misunderstood," I say quickly. "We're not here to discuss academics." I hold out the letter. "Here, this is a letter from Tighnari."

"Oh," Rohawi says, catching his breath. He tears open the letter with trepidation, but as he reads its contents, the color returns to his complexion. "So you only want to ask some questions?" He says finally, breaking out into a wide smile. "It seems that even Tighnari acknowledges my innate ability for procuring information. What is it you two would like to know?"

"Sorry for scaring you," I say apologetically. I didn't know Tighnari's name would elicit such a response. "We want to meet with Lesser Lord Kusanali. Do you know a way we can do that?"

"You mean you want to meet the Dendro Archon herself? This isn't exactly my area of expertise, but let me see what I can find in the Akasha." Rohawi furrows his brow in concentration. "Nope, nothing."

"What about your abilities for getting information and all that?" Paimon exclaims.

"Well as I said," Rohawi explains patiently, "this isn't my area of expertise. I am but a lowly researcher, so the Akasha doesn't see a need for me to know more about the Dendro Archon. All I know is that ever since Lesser Lord Kusanali returned to Sumeru, she's never left the Sanctuary of Surasthana or made a public appearance."

"I didn't know she was such a mysterious figure," I say.

"The Dendro Archon is somewhat of a recluse," Rohawi adds. "Perhaps she just doesn't want to entertain visitors, which would explain the lack of information in the Akasha."

I suppose his words are a possibility, as the Dendro Archon herself controls the information within the Akasha. Still, this fact is not helpful. "What should we do then?" I ask.

"You could certainly try asking around and see if anyone else has ideas," Rohawi offers. "Besides, you two should consider the bright side of things. Not being able to see Lesser Lord Kusanali may not be a bad thing. In this world, there will always be information you cannot obtain from the Akasha, and things you can never accomplish. Knowing when to yield is a form of wisdom."

That's a surprisingly reasonable thought for a member of the Akademiya. What happened to the relentless pursuit of knowledge?

"Take me, for example," Rohawi continues. "It's a miracle if my brain cells can spit out one lackluster paper every three year, but Tighnari? That guy can publish three brilliant papers in just a single year."

"Thank you for your advice," I say. So he's accepted his identity as a less-than-successful scholar. At least he seems content with his life, which is more than I can say for the scholars we met yesterday.

"Don't mention it!" Rohawi says happily. "If you two ever want information about things like who's been promoted within the Akademiya or relations between The Six Great Sages, come find me."

"So by 'procuring information,' you mean gossip?!" Paimon exclaims. "Why did Tighnari send us to you?"

"Hey c'mon!" Rohawi protests. "This is a survival skill at the Akademiya."

"Tell us about the Six Great Sages," I say before Paimon can spout any more offensive comments.

Rohawi nods enthusiastically. "Sage is the highest rank for an Akademiya researcher. Since the institution's founding, each of The Six Great Sages represent the finest mind and leader of their respective Darshan. One Grand Sage is chosen from among the six sages to serve as the head of the Akademiya. The current one is Sage Azar of the Rtawahist Darshan. Since ancient times, the sages have contributed immensely to Sumeru. The widespread usage of the Akasha is thanks to their hard work."

I can see Paimon's rage visibly diffusing as Rohawi speaks on. "You mentioned drama amongst them?" I say encouragingly.

"I knew you'd be curious about that!" Rohawi laughs. "Although the Six Darshans conduct research in different disciplines, their sages frequently interact with one another when managing Akademiya affairs. In the Amurta, our leader is Sage Naphis. His temper is legendary – we researchers are terrified of him, and even the Grand Sage gives him some leeway. He hasn't shown his face lately, though. Rumor has it that he's currently involved with some major project. Thankfully, he's been so busy that I was able to publish a paper."

That last tidbit makes me laugh too. "Thank you for these stories," I say. "We'll be off then."

"Take a page out of my book and learn to look on the bright side of things," Rohawi says, waving goodbye. I offer my plentiful gratitude and drag Paimon away.

"Paimon's expectations were pretty low, but this is so low it's like digging holes in the dirt," she says when we're out of earshot. "Ugh!" She crosses her arms and stares in the direction from whence we came.

"Don't be so petty," I say quietly. "We still have one more option."

"Hm?" Paimon turns her head around. "Who?"

"Ad astra abyssosque," I say, trying to imitate a certain someone's voice.

Paimon's eyes light up again. "Katheryne! You're right. The Adventurers' Guild has its own intel network. Let's hurry and find her." The Akasha is happy to provide us with the location of the Adventurers' Guild in Sumeru. Located farther up the Divine Tree, the Adventurer's Guild is but a short hike away.

As we walk through the streets of Sumeru City, I'm amazed at the sheer number of students. "So many people in Sumeru want to become scholars," I note to Paimon. "Look at all the young people in robes, rushing off with their book bags. What do you think the first ever scholar's ambition was?"

"Maybe to pursue the highest and loftiest knowledge or something?" Paimon suggests.

"I bet they just wanted to finish their research papers as quickly as possible," I say in jest. That does seem to be the metric of scholarly quality around here.

"But what about seeking the highest and loftiest knowledge of all?" Paimon asks. "Isn't that what research is all about?"

"It seems the tradition here that you need a research paper to prove that your original thesis indeed focused on the highest and loftiest knowledge of all," I say. It sounds convoluted coming out of my own mouth.

"Oh come on!" Paimon says. "Now I'm all confused. But look up ahead!" She points to a building, built in the Sumeru style, but adorned with familiar signs. At the front of the house stands a familiar figure, with her iconic short hair and forest green uniform.

"Ad astra abyssosque!" Katheryne calls out. "Hello, Lumine and Paimon. Welcome to Sumeru."

"Katheryne! How lovely to see you," I say. It's been some time since we last saw her in Liyue.

"We need your help with something," Paimon says simply.

"Understood," Katheryne replies. "The Adventurers' Guild is always ready to serve you. With what do you require assistance?"

"We want to meet with Lesser Lord Kusanali," Paimon continues. "Do you know a way we can do that?"

"You two wish to meet with Sumeru's archon," Katheryne repeats, unfazed. "Understood. Please wait." Her eyes seem to zone out for a second before refocusing on us. "I apologize, but I am unable to call up any relevant information in the Akasha. I'm also unable to locate any pertinent information in my personal memory."

"That's too bad. Well, if Katheryne can't help us," I say to Paimon, "then I really don't know anyone else to ask now." Are we out of leads already?

Katheryne smiles apologetically, but adds, "please do not worry. I may know of someone who can help you two. In Sumeru, the Adventurers' Guild does not serve as the vanguard of information. Rather, there are numerous active mercenary groups, collectively known as The Eremites."

"Oh?" I say. I query the Akasha, which replies: The Eremites are a group of people who hail from Sumeru's desert region. Most of them are mercenaries by trade and conduct business across Teyvat. These must be some of the darker-skinned soldiers we saw on our way into the city then, born of the desert sands.

"The Eremites take on various contracts and work all across Sumeru, so they naturally accrue intelligence," Katheryne confirms. "An Eremite brigade called the Corps of Thirty oversees Sumeru City's defenses. Not only are they the oldest brigade, but they are responsible for managing and coordinating the affairs of all other mercenary brigades."

"Corps of Thirty? What a weird name," Paimon says. "Do they have thirty members at all times?"

"Supposedly, they are named as such because their ranks numbered thirty at their inception," Katheryne explains. "Asfand, an adviser with the Corps of Thirty, maintains good relations with the Adventurers' Guild. Though he's already retired, he and his words carry great weight within mercenary circles. If you'd like to get in contact with him, you can find him at the Corps of Thirty's headquarters, the Citadel of Regzar, located in the northeast part of the city."

"Thank you Katheryne," I say. "We don't know what we would do without you."

"I wish you two the best of luck," she replies. "We look forward to your exploits in Sumeru."