Chapter Text
Sethos was rushing down the hallway with papers that’s almost crumpled in his hands. He dodged several matras in swift movement before passing Shoreh who was standing up. He vaguely heard Shoreh saying something but ignored her in favor of opening the door that was Cyno’s office.
“Cyno, I found a way to bring Tighnari for questioning!”
Upon opening the door, there were two pairs of eyes staring at him passively. One was familiar, while the other was unfamiliar.
“Matra Sethos! I said the General is having a guest now!” Shoreh scolded from behind the brunette. “Now if you would kindly step out and schedule an appointment beforehand.”
The General raised his hand and all attention went to him. “It’s okay, Shoreh. Let him in.”
The secretary sighed tiredly. “Yes, sir. Please excuse me.”
After the secretary excused herself, Cyno beckoned Sethos to enter and close the door. Cyno raised from his seat and introduced the guest as his insider from Akademiya. “His name is Alhaitham and he’s the scribe of Akademiya.”
The man bowed curtly and they all went back to sitting in the available seats.
“Can you elaborate more?” Cyno asked Sethos who was seated beside Alhaitham. The grey-haired man turned his head to him. Face passive, not betraying any of his thoughts.
“I found a way to bring Tighnari for questioning. We can probe him about Fahru during this time.” Sethos put the crumpled papers on the coffee table. “I found out Tighnari had reported a break-in case three months ago. Initially it was considered a cold case since there’s no evidence of theft or anything, but a month ago, the third division finally found out that it’s probably not a simple break-in. They suspect it’s either harassment or a targeted attack case.”
Cyno narrowed his eyes at that explanation. He didn’t like both speculations linking to Tighnari.
“I assume there’s CCTV evidence for it, isn’t there?” Alhaitham asked.
“Yes, there is.” Sethos took a few pages to show it to Cyno. “Before the incident some CCTV around the area caught a figure lurking around suspiciously. The third division has been trying to figure them out but due to crappy footage, they couldn’t identify them. So they changed their direction into a street interview and voila!” The investigation leader pulled out a printed paper about a man from the stack. “His name is Hasan. He’s an eremite based in Port Ormos most of the time. We can bring him for questioning and call Tighnari for further questioning. How’s that?”
Cyno read the papers. His face might not betray anything, but the sour mood permeated from him was too obvious to be ignored. “What do you think, Alhaitham? Do you think it’s connected to Fahru in some way?”
“It’s worth investigating,” said the scribe. “He’s probably either using an alias or instructing other people to do it. Surprisingly he’s quite meticulous.”
“One question.” Sethos raised a hand. “Why is Tighnari even placed under Fahru in the first place? As far as I know they don’t even work in the same subjects.” Sethos inquired. A notepad in hand. Cyno also looked at Alhaitham curiously.
“Who knows. It’s all Azar’s decision after all. Everyone in the faculty was also surprised. Maybe they tried to poach him but failed. I do know Ghafiqi tried to poach Naphis but failed. It was a hot topic among mahamata at the time.” Alhaitham leaned back. Hands folded in front of his chest and legs crossed. Then his eyes were directed to Cyno. “Thinking along that line, it’s not surprising if Tighnari is used as a hostage in a way. But it’s still debatable.”
Cyno’s jaw hardened. “How about Azar? Is he really planning a coup?”
“It’s not unthinkable. With lots of powerful and corrupted men he has allied with, it’s really not a far-fetched idea. The problem is how to prove it.”
The three men went silent. Deep in their own thoughts.
“Mulling over it won’t solve any problem,” said Cyno in the tone of finality. “Thank you for your cooperation, Alhaitham. We’ll inform you when we manage to arrest the eremite.” Then he turned to Sethos. “Send division three to catch the guy.”
“Yes, sir!” The matra saluted and excused himself.
When the door clicked shut, Alhaitham raised from his seat and stared down at the general. “Informing Tighnari about this case is easy. The hard thing is to make sure he doesn’t strangle Fahru in the first chance he sees him. You might have noticed that they have a difficult relationship.”
“His examination is soon, I believe.” Cyno had offered to take Collei back, but the Valuka Shuna insisted that it’s okay.
“In two weeks to be exact. We’re in the final exam period after all.”
“Is after the exam a good time to reveal the truth?” Cyno asked back.
“It’s better for his nerves,” said Alhaitham. The taller man went silent like he’s debating something. In the end, he decided to say it. “After all he’s bound to fail anyway. He might pass the written test, but the presentation? Azar would surely fail him regardless of his topics.”
“That’s really unfair.”
“It is unfair. But Azar and fair are two words not meant to be together.” Alhaitham shrugged. “So am I done?”
“Yeah, you can go now. I’ll inform you if we manage to get anything from the eremite.” Cyno stood up and walked to his door with Alhaitham. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
“No problem. I just hope it is resolved quickly. I’m tired of overtime.” Alhaitham bowed his head a bit and went away.
Cyno still couldn’t believe the reason Alhaitham was involved was so that he would get his nine-to-five work hour back. The man was truly one of a kind.
⁂
Tighnari was hit by the full swing of winter wind when he walked out from Amurta’s building shivering. The cloudy sky with no sunshine made people rush towards their destination faster. There’s no snow in Sumeru, so the only other option for the dark sky was only rain.
Since Fahru had promised to take care of the exam, Tighnari was left with ample time for himself so he’s using it for personal use. His plan for today was to continue his presentation and for that he needed a quiet place. House of Daena was not an option since next week was the exam period for students and usually it’s packed during that time. The other option was café but with his sensitive hearing, it was never his first choice. In the end, he had settled with somewhere uncommon for studying and right now he’s going to fetch Collei so that they could go together.
During his walk, the assistant lecturer texted Cyno about his plan but was responded with a call from the man instead.
“Hello?” Tighnari started. Not sure why the man even called.
“Do I need to drive you?”
“What?” Tighnari stopped in his tracks. “You don’t need to do that. There’s a bus running to Gandharva Ville. We’ll be back on nine at the very max.”
“I’m done at six. I’ll come to pick you and Collei up.”
Tighnari continued his walk. He greeted the security with a wave and the middle aged man raised his hat in return. “You don’t need to. Really.”
“I insist. We can also have dinner outside. My treat.”
“It should be my turn.” Tighnari hit the close button and the lift was running. “And I insist.”
“Alright. See you at seven.”
“Yeah, see you.”
The moment the call ended, Tighnari had arrived on his floor. Lately, he noticed that Cyno was trying to stick with them as much as possible. His visitation had increased from three times to five times a week—in which Tighnari didn’t complain if he could see the man more often. It was actually Collei who pointed it out when they accompanied the general to the nearest bus station last week. Her exact words were, “Why does Mr. Cyno seem clingy lately?”
Tighnari raised an eyebrow at her choice of words and she explained that she had learnt it from Alhaitham. He probably could guess what kind of situation at the time and asked for no further explanation needed.
Differently from Collei, Tighnari saw Cyno’s new behavior as something akin to protectiveness. After the man had been released from Birmarstan, Cyno texted him during lunch break and after he got off from the Akademiya everyday, without fail. The text mostly was asking about Collei’s condition and occasionally lunch menu served at the Matra Headquarter’s cafeteria, which Tighnari replied with his own crappy lunch menu; the Akademiya really needed to upgrade their menu seriously.
Initially Tighnari brushed Collei’s comment as a child using a new word they had learnt. But when Fahru teased him about finally having a partner, the assistant lecturer stopped mid-type and saw the older man with wide eyes. They were eating in the cafeteria when Cyno texted and Tighnari immediately replied. The older man, who rarely ate at the cafeteria saying the food was crappy, gave him a playful smirk and said something along the lines of spring had finally graced his cold heart.
“Hey, Tighnari.” The door was opened to reveal Kaveh, Collei with a backpack, and Mehrak with hair tied like an antenna.
“Hello, all of you.” Tighnari smiled and stroked Mehrak’s head gently.
“The kid is so excited about your little excursion.” The blond man snickered as he messed Collei’s hair by stroking it.
“Mr. Kaveh, this is real forest. Of course I’m excited.” Collei argued as she tidied up her hair. “Now my hair is a mess.”
The thirteen-year-old went back inside and rummaged her backpack for a brush. For some reason, there’s a full body mirror in Kaveh’s living room.
Tighnari pointed at the mirror but was beaten by Kaveh. “Don’t ask me. I bought it when I was drunk.”
“Alright.” Tighnari didn’t ask further.
“I’m ready!” Collei came back and took Tighnari’s hand.
“Let’s go then. Bye, Kaveh.”
“Bye, Mr. Kaveh.”
“Be careful, you two.” Kaveh waved his hand back while leaning in the doorframe.
⁂
The commute to Gandharva Ville was quiet and uneventful since no one really went there in the middle of the week. Tighnari had briefed Collei about some rules at the forest ranger headquarter and her perimeter to wander around. Her limit was only the small village. Beyond that was forbidden. Despite the relatively small area, Tighnari still could feel the excitement coming from Collei’s body language.
When the bus finally stopped, Tighnari led Collei to disembark. Unlike the bus shelter in the city, this bus shelter stood among the trees and grasses with a background of a small village. Making it a picturesque landscape.
“That’s Gandharva Ville. It’s located on the edge of Dharma Forest. It serves as a hub between Liyue and Sumeru.” Tighnari explained as they walked into the said village.
The river under their path was so clear that Collei bet it also felt refreshing to dip her face into it. The trees and grasses around them were covered with dews that hadn't dissipated due to the persistent rain lately. It’s also the first time Collei had heard a real bird chirping instead of squawking for food. Without her realizing, they had arrived at the entrance of Ghandarva Ville where a man wearing a dark uniform waved at her. Or more like to her mentor as he waved back and greeted the man.
“It’s been ages, Tighnari.” The man, Amir, grinned widely.
“Sorry about that. With my examination getting closer and personal life, I don’t have the capacity to come here as often as I used to.” Tighnari threw a taut smile. “I do miss the forest though.”
Amir guffawed. “Of course you do! You’re a plant nerd.”
“Hey!”
“And who is this little one?” Amir lowered his gaze to Collei and she unconsciously hid behind her master.
“This is Collei, my student. She’s been curious about the forest since our last visit to Pardis Dhyai last month.” Tighnari nudged Collei’s shoulder. “Collei, he’s one of the forest rangers. His name is Amir. You can ask him anything about the forest.”
“Hey, you’re the expert here.” Amir punched Tighnari’s shoulder lightly.
“Why, I’m just a volunteer.” Tighnari put on his best pitiful face. “You, on the other hand, is actually a fulltime forest ranger. You’re actually my senior!”
Amir turned to Collei and conspiratorially said, “Don’t let him fool you. I might work longer as a forest ranger, but he literally changed the system.”
Tighnari coughed to get the attention back to him. “Anyway, I’m not here for volunteer work. I hope I can borrow one of the rooms to study.”
Amir snorted. “You’re the only one who studies in the middle of the forest, to be honest. Let’s ask the village chief. Maybe he has an empty room in his office.”
Amir led the way deeper to the small village. Because of last night’s rain, everything was still wet and the smell of water hitting the soil permeated around them. Collei decided that was the best smell she ever encountered in her short life. Soon they stopped in front of a small building with a yellow wall and red roof. An old man greeted them as he’s about to enter the building.
“Ah, Tighnari. You’re back!” The old man said as excited as he could with his hunched back and frail voice.
“Actually I’m hoping I can borrow one of your rooms to study.” Tighnari repeated.
“Fortunately, there’s an empty desk. Is it alright with you?” The old man raised his head to stare at the Valuka Shuna.
“Perfect. Thank you, Village Chief.”
“How about the little one here?” The chief was rummaging through his pockets before handing Collei alijenakh candy.
“She’ll stay within the village. I’ll introduce her to everyone before I study.” Tighnari put his bag on the desk, while Collei was still with her backpack since she’s planning to explore the area.
“How about accompanying me on a patrol?” Amir offered.
Tighnari frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I have a shorter route today. And Sag will be coming too. It’s a shame she cannot enjoy the forest when she’s already here,” argued Amir.
Collei looked back at the adult while petting the dog called Sag. She actually didn’t mind just wandering around the village. But if someone offered her to enter the forest, she would be happy to accept since the forest in Sumeru was different from Mondstadt’s open field greenery and Sumeru’s dry desert. When Cyno brought her back to Sumeru, they passed the forest and Cyno always warned her to be careful because the forest was dangerous.
“Let me see.” Tighnari looked at the forest ranger log book where they kept their patrol route. True to his words, Amir’s route was shorter and relatively safe. “Alright, she can go with you. Collei, come here.”
Collei stood up and went back to Tighnari to be lectured about the danger of forest, rules needed to abide, and warning to stick to Amir all the time. Collei nodded and Amir laughed claiming that Tighnari was overreacting, which earned him a dead glare from the Valuka Shuna.
Although their plan had changed, Tighnari still introduced Collei to the rest of the forest rangers and the villagers who were too eager to meet the kid Tighnari had tutored. He accompanied them until the village’s gate where they would start their patrol.
“Remember to stick to Amir and Sag. Do not eat anything from the forest and do not touch any vibrant looking plants because it’s probably poisonous. If you’re tired, ask Amir to stop and rest. Do not push yourself.” Tighnari rattled on about other dangers and Collei glanced back at Amir, in which the man just shrugged back and let Collei be lectured. She hadn’t even started yet!
“Master, I get it.” Collei interrupted with a shout. She blinked and immediately apologized.
Like magic, Tighnari stopped his ramble and looked at Collei. Right, she probably had encountered more dangerous situations than this in the past. But it doesn’t mean he could let her go without preparation. The off duty forest ranger smiled ruefully and stroked the little girl’s hair. “It seems like I treat you like a child too much. But I don’t do this only to you. Both adults and children, who want to enter the forest, have been lectured by me. So..” Tighnari continued on and Collei looked back at Amir incredulously.
“You’re not the first and you’re not the last.” That was Amir’s reply as the three of them stood by the gate waiting for Tighnari to finish.
“Can I go now?” Collei asked with a tired voice.
“Don’t wander off without Amir or Sag.” Tighnari emphasized as he crouched down to be on the same eye level with Collei. At that moment, it hit him that Collei had probably gotten taller since the little girl was staring down at him, pouting. Tighnari needed to inform Cyno immediately! Maybe they needed to keep track of Collei's growth too!
“I understand.”
“Now off you go.” Tighnari stood up and put both of his hands on his hips with a smile.
“Finally.” Collei muttered quietly but remembered that her master had a super hearing. Amir laughed as Tighnari raised one of his eyebrows. “L-let’s go!” Collei ushered Sag towards the forest’s entrance.
Tighnari tapped Amir’s shoulder. “Please look out for her. She’s sick. I can’t tell you the details but her sickness affects her limbs so if she looks tired, suggest resting please.”
“Sure. Sure.” Amir patted Tighnari’s back. “You know what, I know you’re a nag. But I never thought you’re a mother hen too.”
Tighnari gave Amir his unimpressed look.
“Okay, off we go before the sky darkens.” Amir led Collei and Sag into the forest.
Tighnari lingered for ten minutes before turning back to the village chief’s office. He texted Cyno about his discovery and plan to make a chart of Collei’s growth. He also informed him that he wished to bring Collei for a medical checkup if he could.
The reply was immediate with agreement on the former suggestion and further discussion for the latter. Just to be cheeky, Tighnari sent a picture of Gandharva Ville to Cyno before pocketing his phone. He kept studying even though there’s a notification ring that he’s sure it’s from Cyno.
⁂
Cyno put his phone down and looked back at the presentation in front of him. The slide was showing their recent raid to the illegal hospital which landed him in Birmarstan for a month. The photo was taken after the explosion and it didn’t paint a good picture with black residue all over the ground.
“Since the explosion was massive and came from the underground facility, most of it was burnt down without traces. Our investigators and forensics cannot stay for too long before the land around them collapses. The Doctor is very thorough in hiding his tracks.” Sethos clicked on his remote and the slide changed.
“After questioning the survivors, we conclude that there’s one perpetrator acting as the Doctor’s man, supervising the facility.” A familiar photo popped up with a name under it. “His name is Fahru.”
Cyno clenched his hand upon seeing the photo. He still couldn’t believe the man Tighnari had complained about problematic work ethic was actually a criminal.
“We’ve identified that he’s currently working in the Akademiya as a lecturer. His track record in Akademiya is clean though. It seems like he’s good at separating both of his lives.” Sethos looked at Cyno for more elaboration since they’re actually presenting the case to the queen of the nation.
The said queen was seated at the head of the long meeting table that gave her the advantage of seeing the screen clearly. On her right side was her secretary, a man with Inazuman features in a sharp suit with cyan tie, while on her left side was Cyno dressed in his military garb. Queen Nahida’s constant smile disappeared when the name of Akademiya was brought up. She looked contemplated.
“Is there any chance that Azar is involved?” Queen Nahida inquired.
At this question, Cyno raised his hand and the queen gave him a nod. “Before this raid, I was actually investigating an illicit meeting of Azar. We got an anonymous tip about it.” Cyno handed the petite woman a folder. She flipped it and Cyno continued, “It was indeed an illicit meeting between Azar and the fatui involving the trade of armed weapons. Unfortunately, I cannot make an immediate arrest since I lack manpower at the time.”
Queen Nahida closed the folder and passed it to her secretary. “Good. There’s no need to engage in a useless fight. The photo itself is quite incriminating, but it’s not enough ground to make an arrest if there’s no evidence.”
“We could still charge him with illegal smuggling though. Why haven’t you done it?” The secretary threw the folder back into the table with narrowed eyes. “At the very least, bring him in for questioning.”
“Considering that he’s a public figure, he won’t stay quiet if we knock on his door with a badge in hand. He’ll make a big fuss and probably has hidden those weapons somewhere safe so the action will only paint the matra in the bad light.” Cyno answered diplomatically despite the harsh tone the secretary used.
“He’s right, Kuni. Azar is meticulous and cunning. We cannot just barge in or he would use it against us.” Queen Nahida’s gentle yet stern voice soothed the secretary’s temper. “Playing the long game is also not advisable though. What a conundrum."
The secretary, Kunikuzushi, snorted. “Two years into your tenure and there are two big cases under your nose. Way to go, General Mahamatra.”
The jab was met by Cyno’s unreadable expression and it lost its heat soon after. The meeting proceeded to explain about Fahru’s background that the matra managed to get; which was a lot, yet not a single information how he could meet the Doctor.
“That’s why we try another angle.” Sethos explained. “The anonymous tipper suggested that we look into Fahru’s mentor, Ghafiqi.” Another photo popped up, showing an old man around Azar’s age with a long goatee. “And indeed we got an answer. Ghafiqi is a long time friend of Azar. They met during their student days and keep good contact with each other. Ghafiqi’s interest has always been consistent, stem cells for medical purposes. Running with that idea, it’s not weird to see how the Doctor approached him and it’s not long before Azar was involved too.” The last slide showed Azar, Ghafiqi, and a very blurred photo of the Doctor.
“The problem is how to bring them out from their hiding.” Cyno continued the momentum from Sethos. “Currently I have dispatched a few teams to check all of the places Azar frequently visits. We’re yet to hear back from them, but I’m expecting the news around next week.”
“How about Ghafiqi?” Kunikuzushi asked. Arms folded as if challenging him. Which probably was the intention knowing his personality.
Cyno noticed Sethos’ glance and answered diplomatically. “We’re currently concocting a plan to lure his mentee, Fahru, in hope Ghafiqi would move if something were to happen to him. The details about the plan are still in discussion. I will report back once we have a solid plan.”
Kunikuzushi clicked his tongue in annoyance, but Queen Nahida looked at Cyno with a kind smile. “Let me know when the plan is set. In case of emergency, you have all authority to mobilize Corps of Thirty too. Kuni, please look into it.”
“Right.”
The harsh reply didn’t bother the queen. Instead she clapped her hands with a smile and adjourned the meeting. Kunikuzushi helped move her chair and she hopped down. Cyno also raised from his seat to salute the queen, followed by the rest of the matra presented.
“The Tsaritsa is lenient towards her favoured army. Unfortunately, this doctor is one of her high-ranking operatives. If there’s any international dispute, tell me and I’ll look into it personally. I hope we can resolve this problem quickly. Best of luck and be careful, General Cyno.” The queen cheered as she walked out with her secretary and members of Corps of Thirty. Cyno bowed down to show her respect.
Once the double door closed, Cyno looked back at Sethos who was still standing in the podium. His eyes determined and face resolved.
“Call Tighnari after his test. He deserves to know as much as he might be an accomplice.” Cyno ordered as he crumpled Fahru’s photo.
“Yes, sir!” All of the matra inside the meeting room, including Sethos, saluted as the general went out.