Genshin Impact: Towards Godhood

The meeting unfolded almost exactly as Rama had anticipated.

To be frank, he understood better than Mishal when the [Deshret's Relic] would pick up the trail of the elders of [Dakan Al-Ahmar].

"Mishal's actions were partly influenced by me."

With his opening statement, Rama chose to shoulder some responsibility.

Candace regarded Rama with mild surprise.

Rama wasn't the type to apologize. Someone like him probably never believed he could do anything wrong, let alone apologize for it.

There must be another motive behind this!

"After Kusayla's death, his old friends remained committed to avenging him, but Kusayla himself never took any action."

"He was preoccupied with saving the bigger picture and had no time for such minor troubles."

"Furthermore, after burning the records, he was not fully aware of the specific members of [Dakan Al-Ahmar], making it impossible to locate them to vent his anger."

This too was part of the original storyline.

Except for Kusayla, the others were not even deemed worthy of names in the eyes of the mercenaries of [Deshret's Relic].

You claim to be seeking revenge for someone, and they would blankly ask, "Who?" Were you opposing us just for his sake?

Some had even forgotten Kusayla's name altogether. They only remembered a cripple who had burned down [Deshret's Relic]'s archives.

Just from their attitude, it was clear they held no regard for the members of [Dakan Al-Ahmar].

But times had changed.

"But due to my actions, the situation has changed."

"Mishal has realized he cannot restore the Eremites to their former glory, so he has abandoned thoughts of reviving [Deshret's Relic] and instead turned to planning revenge."

"Moreover, because outsiders believe I inherited the relics of the Goddess of Flowers and the Scarlet King, and the Homayani are deeply interested in the Scarlet King's relics, they will attempt various means to test us."

Dehya fell silent. After a moment, she asked in a somewhat dry voice, "Is the latter the primary reason?"

Bashar and the others had been executing their revenge plan for so long, supported by many, and there was no reason they would suddenly all be captured.

"Perhaps it's difficult for you to grasp," Rama said calmly, "but that's how it is."

"This is one of the many probes the Homayani employ. Since it costs them nothing precious, they do it casually."

Dehya took a deep breath. "Is it all because of my relationship with Candace?"

"Indeed, it's as simple as that." Rama nodded.

Candace remained silent.

She had long realized that the position Rama had placed her in was not an easy one.

But to be dragged into such a mess just because of a friend's friend... it could only be attributed to fate.

It was just a casual test. Whether it succeeded or failed, the Homayani would lose nothing.

What you might consider precious might be just a trivial test to them, yet this trivial test could drag your life into darkness.

Candace looked at her friend with sympathy.

For Dehya, this was almost an undeserved catastrophe. She had done nothing wrong; it was simply because she had a good relationship with someone, and that someone was involved with someone else.

"Perhaps it's undeserved, but it doesn't mean I'm blameless, nor can I blame you," Dehya sighed. "Ultimately, this is the seed of hatred sown in my father's generation."

How else could she see it?

Should she blame Rama for suddenly rising and attracting the Homayani's attention, leading to all these events?

If you followed that logic, there was some sense to it.

But if you stuck to that logic, you could trace it back to the fundamental issues of [Deshret's Relic] from the beginning.

Certainly, there was a concept of collective responsibility, but not in this context.

This was something completely unrelated, yet it had happened. Dehya's only thought was that her luck had been poor recently.

But blaming Rama for becoming the king of the desert regime? That made no sense.

"If you think so, then this conversation can continue," Rama nodded. "Candace knows I never consider such things my fault."

Candace lowered her head and sighed.

Sure enough, he was raising the stakes.

A businessman in the marketplace; every explanation he gave hinted that you should pay a higher price to do business.

"Hah, so it's a test of sorts?" Dehya shook her head. "With your status, do you really need to test me?"

"Of course." Rama was direct. "I need to understand how you perceive the favors I bestow so I can negotiate the right terms for our business."

"Me, doing business with you? Haha, you really think highly of me."

Dehya ran a hand through her hair, her smile sharp. "I'm just a common mercenary of the Eremites. Doing business with me would be a waste of your time, wouldn't it?"

"It doesn't work that way. People always have a purpose in their actions. The gains depend on the situation, but gaining nothing would be my problem."

Rama stroked his chin, carefully considering Dehya's worth.

There didn't seem to be much he could take... but the deal itself was advantageous to Rama, so he had no reason to decline.

But he couldn't really take nothing, could he?

"This matter should have been kept confidential, but given Candace's status, it's not impossible for you to know."

Rama suddenly thought of someone. "The eldest daughter of the Homayani family, Dunyarzad, she is a follower of the Dendro Archon, correct?"

Dunyarzad wasn't the central figure; the key was her father, Shahzaman, and the Sumeru elite class he represented.

People had come knocking, after all; they should get something in return.

"The eldest daughter?"

"The Dendro Archon?"

The two women picked up on different keywords. Candace rubbed her cheek, sighing at her friend's delayed reaction.

"Are you suggesting that followers of the Dendro Archon might have different perspectives?" Candace couldn't help lowering her voice.

"Many believe the Dendro Archon is the god of the rainforest, but on the continent, the Dendro Archon is seen as the god of Sumeru," Rama disclosed openly. "And the desert has always been a part of Sumeru."

(End of Chapter)