Lora shook her head slowly. "Did you forget? I only suppressed the Eleazar in Collei's body to stop it from getting worse. I can't cure it."
Then she turned to Dunyarzad. "I can help you suppress it as well, but your body is even weaker than Collei's. The process will be more painful. And even if we suppress it… I'm afraid it still…"
She trailed off.
Dunyarzad's condition had already reached a point where it was nearly beyond recovery. And Lora was not the Dendro Archon—there was simply no way to cure it.
After hearing that, Dunyarzad only smiled and shook her head. "It's alright. As long as I can have a little more time. Just enough to do what I want to do. What I need most… is time."
"So, Miss, what exactly do you want to do?" Dehya asked.
"I want to organize a 'Flower God's Birthday.' It's her birthday," Dunyarzad said. "It's an ancient festival that was once held to celebrate Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. After she passed away, the tradition continued, but the date was changed."
"When she was first brought back to Sumeru, everyone was overjoyed and celebrated it enthusiastically. But under the Akademiya's influence, people gradually stopped valuing the festival."
"There are many festivals dedicated to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and the Akademiya always takes part in organizing them. But when it comes to this one, they don't offer even the slightest support—let alone funding. To them, her birth means the former Archon is truly gone. So they don't want to celebrate it at all."
"That's outrageous!" Paimon burst out.
Dunyarzad nodded. "Exactly. It's completely unfair. She founded Sumeru, yes—but hasn't the current Archon been protecting it for hundreds of years as well?"
"Hey, you two. There are other people here. Try not to get so worked up," Dehya said with a helpless sigh.
At that, the two finally calmed down a little. Lora pressed her fingers to her forehead and sighed.
"Let's find somewhere quiet first. After we suppress it, we can eat, get some sleep, and rest properly for the night."
Where did they get all that energy from? She was already tired.
Paimon looked at her. "Huh? You get tired?"
"?"
What did she think she was? A machine?
Lumine, hearing this, fell into thought as well. Do gods get tired?
Dehya spoke up again. "If you need a quiet place where no one will disturb you, I've got one."
Under her lead, they arrived at an unremarkable courtyard in Sumeru City. It had once been used as a meeting place for mercenary groups, but after the Akademiya banned unauthorized mercenaries from entering the city, it had been abandoned. Now, it made for a perfect temporary shelter.
Dunyarzad lay on the bed while Lora stood beside her. For a moment, Lora felt dazed.
Ever since coming to Sumeru, she had either been saving people or on her way to save them.
She wasn't a doctor.
…Was she?
Lora let out a self-mocking chuckle and looked at Dunyarzad. "Are you ready? It has already seeped deep into your bones. Suppressing it will bring unimaginable pain. You may not be able to endure it."
"I can. I definitely can." Dunyarzad's voice was firm. "To offer my most sincere devotion to my god, I will endure it."
It sounded like she was answering—but also reassuring herself.
Lora studied her determined expression and said nothing more. The process followed the same method as before. But this time, the pain was far greater, and Dunyarzad's body far less resilient.
During the suppression, she nearly lost consciousness more than once.
When it was finally over, Dunyarzad looked at her weakly. "Did I… manage to hold on?"
Lora gave a slight nod. "Yes. You did."
"That's good…" Dunyarzad exhaled softly. "I think… I should rest for a bit…"
The exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Lora gently brushed a hand over her forehead, then turned to Dehya. "Don't worry. She'll sleep well."
The blessings of the Primordial Sea often carried a subtle, wondrous power.
Dunyarzad slept peacefully through the night.
By morning, when she woke, she felt lighter than ever before.
Lora stood by the doorway, watching as the girl carefully unwrapped the bandages around her hands. When the dark scales that had once covered her skin were gone, her face lit up with pure joy.
But she quickly composed herself.
She knew it was only temporary.
Everyone was waiting outside.
After stepping out, Dunyarzad took a deep breath. "Every moment from now on is precious. Let's go. At the Grand Bazaar, there are people who share my faith. We'll definitely be able to hold a perfect 'Sabzeruz Festival.'"
"Yay! I'm so excited for it. I wonder what it'll be like!" Paimon said eagerly.
Led by her, the group headed to the Grand Bazaar and met Nilou.
After exchanging greetings, Dunyarzad asked, "Do you still need any support to prepare for it?"
"You know our situation," Nilou sighed. "Relying only on the people of the Grand Bazaar to host a festival in honor of a god would cost an unimaginable amount of money."
"And recently, the Akademiya has already caught wind of it. They might try to stop us."
"I see… As for the funding…" Dunyarzad frowned.
"I'll handle the money," Lora said. "I have some business in Fontaine. I can provide the sponsorship."
"Huh? Really?" Dunyarzad and Nilou both stared at her in disbelief.