Chapter VIII: Act XVII

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More Questions than Answers
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Alhaitham stared at the group of four that walked up to him. "You four made it. And from the looks on your faces, you were successful," he state

Paimon looked around, taking notice of the many people that surrounded them. "Whoa, there are so many people from the Akademiya here! Why would you pick this place as our meet-up spot?" Paimon asked.

Alhaitham shook his head. "Well, Wikala Funduq is under the Akademiya's control, so naturally, the Akademiya has people working here. I came to Port Ormos under the pretense of conducting official business," he answered.

Paimon gazed at the male with a heavy stare. "You're a pretty daring guy..." She points out.

"Relax, no one here is interested in anything we say, and the matra won't come here. Okay now, tell me how your encounter with Dori went," Alhaitham points out.

Aether nodded his head as he told the other male what happened.

"Okay, we did what you asked. So, can you tell us about the Knowledge Capsule that the Akademiya lost now?" Paimon asked.

Alhaitham huffed as he raised a simple brow. "Before that, I have to ask – why are you four so intent on tracking it down? You don't have to answer, of course."

The group of four looked at each other before looking back at Alhaitham.

"It's not a secret or anything," Aether reassured.

(F/n) loomed over (Y/n)'s forearm for a few moments, before dropping their face into his side.

(Y/n) bit back a chuckle.

Paimon nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, he just wants to meet the God of Wisdom and ask her about something important. We've been in Sumeru for a while now, but we still haven't found a way," she answered.

Alhaitham hummed. "In that case, you're on the right track. A short while ago, the Akademiya lost a Knowledge Capsule in the desert. It's supposedly a Divine Knowledge Capsule – use it, and you'll gain the wisdom of the gods."

Paimon's eyes widened in fascination. "Wow, there's really such a thing as that!?" She gasps before turning toward her companions, "Hey if we find it, do you think we could learn how to meet the Dendro Archon? Ooh, or how to find your sister?" She exclaimed as she claps her hands together.

Alhaitham shook his head, silencing the white-haired girl. "I highly doubt it has any mystical properties, but it does indeed exist, and it's right here in Port Ormos."

Paimon tilted her head in confusion. "So... where exactly?" She asked.

"That's what we need to find out next," Alhaitham replied.

(F/n) tilted their head. "Your goal is to find it, too?" They asked as their tail swayed behind them.

Alhaitham's eyes narrowed upon the feline when he took notice of a slight shimmer in the light.

It was a second tail.

'So, your power is wearing out... Interesting. But the question is, when will it wear out?' Alhaitham wondered.

"I won't deny that. I am investigating because I'm curious as to what the Divine Knowledge Capsule truly is. As you know, the Eremites in Port Ormos also have their eyes on it. It is an extremely precious item. The knowledge contained within may bring great power or wealth to whoever has it in their possession. Several brigades have been vying for ownership of it as of late, but there is still no victor. My personal finances and connections cannot compete with those of the Eremites. After attempting various methods, I finally managed to reach a tentative agreement with several brigades. I agreed to forego ownership of the Divine Knowledge Capsule in exchange for the opportunity to study it. After all, there's much harm in understanding what it is. However, there are those who are less amenable to negotiation, such as those from Ayn Al-Ahmar. They adamantly believe that the Divine Knowledge Capsule contains King Deshret's power and that he will return to this world when they obtain it. They refuse to let anyone from the Akademiya tarnish their deity's soul," Alhaitham explained.

Paimon rubbed a hand against her chin. "So you kept hounding them because they refused to cooperate with you?" She questioned.

Alhaitham nodded his head. "Yes. Ayn Al-Ahmar isn't exactly wealthy, but its members are determined to get that capsule by any means necessary. To that end, they've resorted to many methods more foul fair time order to amass sufficient funds. So, I've been sabotaging their business to force them into negotiating with me. The Divine Knowledge Capsule should be up for a secret auction within the next few days. Each brigade will place its own bid, and the prize will be covertly given to the winner. To ensure the capsule's security and to evade the matra's notice, the winning brigade will not publicly disclose their victory. Unless I know whose hands the Divine Knowledge Capsule ends up in, my agreements with them will fall through. Dori is the most reliable source of information, but the avenue was previously closed to me. With you on board now, the situation is different," he states.

Paimon hummed. "In other words, you wanted us to befriend Dori so you could find out where the Divine Knowledge Capsule is?" She asked.

Alhaitham released a sigh from his lips. "Yes, you can say that, but this arrangement harms none of us. The day after tomorrow, go back to Dori and try to purchase information on the Divine Knowledge Capsule's whereabouts. If she has no information, wait two days and approach her again. If I get the opportunity to study the Divine Knowledge Capsule, I will relay my findings to you. Will that suffice as compensation?" He looked at the group in front of him.

Aether nodded his head. "Thank you," he replied.

Alhaitham huffed. "Okay. Then we'll meet up in two days," he agreed.

Paimon seemed to remember something as she raised a hand. "Alhaitham, before you go! We actually bought Knowledge Capsules for ourselves, but we're not sure how to use them," she piped up.

Alhaitham blinked as he stared at the group. "You four want to try using a Knowledge Capsule? Sure, I can teach you. Doing so right under the Akademiya's nose is a bit problematic, though. What do you say we head to the outskirts of town."

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