Chapter Thirty-Seven

Kaveh checked the map again for the twentieth time. "It has to be around here somewhere!" He groaned, letting his head fall back. "There's no way it's anything but a treasure room at this point, right? We've been going in circles for the last hour!"

Alhaitham folded his arms, annoyed. "We know. It's not been any more fun for us than for you."

Nahida reached up and patted Kaveh's elbow. "Don't worry! We'll figure out how to get into it soon! I have faith in us!" For a moment Kaveh's spirits rose, until she added, "It may take a Rishboland Tiger several attempts to catch a Shroomboar, but eventually he'll be able to pull it off and feast on a full meal!"

He blinked at her. "That was… mildly insulting… I think. Also slightly disturbing. You, er, might want to brush up on some new analogies."

She nodded, undeterred. "That's what Lumine says, too. She already asked me to stop making dook-dook analogies."

Kaveh opened his mouth to say something and just gave up on the whole idea, shaking his head and going back to the map. He looked up at the wall in front of them. "Alhaitham, can you check it again?"

Sighing, the tall Scribe complained, "I've already scanned this wall, Kaveh. There's nothing here." Despite his grumbling, he set two fingers against his temple and activated his Akasha Terminal again. "I'm beginning to think it's a lost… cause… hm." His eyes narrowed. "Hold that thought. Flicker!" He vanished, reappearing an instant later on a ledge near the top of the wall. Kaveh watched him hopefully.

"Did you find something?" he yelled after a moment.

"Calm down and just wait," his landlord shouted back. Kaveh huffed and crossed his arms, wrinkling the map under his elbow.

Beside him, the Cryo user chuckled. He said something in an undertone to the tall redhead. Diluc smiled slightly and responded just as quietly. Kaveh watched them enviously. Why can't Alhaitham and I get along like that? If I have to share a home with someone, it would be marvelous if it was someone I was actually friends with!

"Here you are." Alhaitham flickered back from the top of the wall. He handed Kaveh a small stone slate. "I think this is the key for the door, wherever it may be."

The architect examined the slate, nodding. "Too bad we don't have Madam Faruzan here with us. I might study ruins for the architectural aspect, but they aren't my passion. Someone like Madam Faruzan would be much more adept at figuring out how these puzzles work."

"You're the Light of the Kshahrewar," Alhaitham said sarcastically. "I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Maybe I'll just leave it to the Acting Grand Sage," Kaveh shot back.

Alhaitham shook his head. "I'm off the clock. You could always send a file to my desk, though. I'll answer it once I'm back in town."

Kaveh snorted. "You're impossible." He looked over the slate again, then shoved it at his housemate. "Here, read this."

The tall Scribe rolled his eyes, but took the slate back and examined it. "This is in King Deshret's language, of course. It's not a particularly helpful message, however."

"Just tell us what it says already!"

Alhaitham huffed. "Very well then. It says, 'If lost, please return to King Deshret's Mausoleum. If you can't find the Mausoleum, get glasses.'"

Kaveh stared at the keystone in disbelief. "Did we just get insulted by a dead king?"

Beside him, Kaeya was doubled over, laughing. Nahida blinked up at them. "I don't remember very much of Deshret, but he did have a sly sense of humor sometimes. This seems quite fitting for him."

"Whatever." Kaveh nudged Alhaitham's arm. "Is there anything written on the back?"

He flipped it over, read the small glyphs, and let out a rare chuckle. "This side says, 'If you can read this, for heaven's sake you really should be able to find my Mausoleum.'"

This time even Diluc cracked a smile, while Kaeya burst into a fresh bout of laughter and Nahida tried to hide her giggles. Kaveh buried his hands in his thick hair, shoving blond strands out of his face. "So, wait, does this key even go to these particular ruins?"

Alhaitham shrugged. "Once we locate the door, we'll find out."

Groaning, Kaveh smushed the map back into his inventory. "Let's keep looking, then."

It took them another half an hour before Kaeya noticed a suspicious rock pile against one wall. Diluc destroyed it with a few swings of his claymore, and a ragged cheer went up at the sight of the door that had been concealed behind it. Eagerly Kaveh brought the keystone out. "Let's hope this works!" He pressed the stone against the swirling inset at the center of the door. The keystone clicked softly as it slotted into place, and for a second no one breathed. Then the great door shifted, and slid upward with a rumble and a shower of sand. Kaveh cheered, Nahida clapped, and Alhaitham dusted his hair with an annoyed look.

"Come on, let's check it out!" Kaveh bounded into the new room. "Oh look, treasure!" His eyes lit up at the sight of five impressive treasure chests poised proudly against the far wall. "Perfect!" He stepped forward just as the floor fell out from under his moccasin-shod foot. "Whoa!"

Someone caught the back of his cape, hauling him back from the void gaping in the floor. Panting, he looked up to find Alhaitham's fist tangled in the back of his cape, keeping him upright. "T-Thanks, Alhaitham. Really didn't expect you to save me, haha!"

The platinum-haired man released the cape, dusting his hand off and nodding shortly. His eyes held the barest hint of an unusually warm look for a moment. "Can't have you falling off a cliff. You haven't seen the new bookends I bought."

All thoughts of Alhaitham's unexpected intervention vanished in an instant. Kaveh's jaw dropped. "You bought bookends?! Please tell me they're not hideous and expensive!"

Alhaitham shrugged. "My Liyue friend assured me they were worth the cost."

The architect face-palmed. "That means they're horribly expensive and totally tasteless!"

"Regardless, it wouldn't do to lose you before I can show them off." Alhaitham's eyes sparked with malicious mischief. "That would be a true disaster."

Kaeya sauntered past the pair, chuckling. "You two are worse than Diluc and I, and that's really saying something."

Nahida was scanning the room with her skill, and she dropped back to the ground after a moment. "I suspect that most of the floor is set to collapse when you step on it, but there might be a safe path through…"

"You're right." Diluc stood thoughtfully at the edge of the chasm where Kaveh had nearly fallen. He looked up at his companions. "We have a few options here. Alhaitham can use his Akasha Terminal, activate Elemental Sight, and let us know which tiles are safe. Or, I can send my phoenix across it and just trigger everything at once."

Kaeya leaned over and hissed at him, "You and your art of violence. You desperately need a hobby."

Diluc hissed back, "I have one. Isn't dispatching threats with lethal force considered a hobby?"

"No!"

"Well, there is another option," Kaveh interrupted. "Mehrak."

Everyone blinked at him. Alhaitham, however, nodded. "Surprisingly that actually isn't a bad idea."

Kaveh wrinkled his nose indignantly at him before drawing his toolkit out. "This is Mehrak. I modified some ancient technology to help me with my diagrams, with carrying tools, and generally being helpful. He's actually of more use than I originally intended. He can scan the area and mark the safe course through the room." He patted the toolbox, smiling proudly.

One of Diluc's brows rose, but he seemed intrigued rather than skeptical. "Very well, we'll go with your plan."

Kaveh relayed the commands to Mehrak, then dispatched the little briefcase on its mission. It hovered over the ground, scanning with bursts of green energy. Kaeya's eye lit up with sudden understanding. "Ah, Mehrak is part of your skillset, isn't he?"

Crossing his arms proudly, Kaveh nodded. "He helps me a lot, really!"

"How else could someone like you wield a claymore?" Alhaitham interjected dryly.

As Kaveh sputtered indignantly and planted his fists on his hips, Nahida spoke. "Oh look, Mehrak is done!"

The little toolbox hovered breezily back to them, chirping once or twice. Looking past him, Kaveh noted all the tiles with bright green markings around the edges. "Here we go! Well done, Mehrak!" Confidently he stepped onto a marked tile, letting out a tiny breath of relief when it stayed solid beneath his foot.

It didn't take long for everyone to cross the room. Thanks to Mehrak's help, no more tiles fell out from under them, and finally they stood beside the large chests. Diluc spoke first.

"Despite Kaveh not being on the team, I think he deserves a share of the rewards for all the work he put in to getting us here. Does everyone agree?" When the team nodded, he continued, "We can split the treasure evenly, or according to preference. Which do you prefer?"

"I'll take the books," Alhaitham said.

Diluc nodded. "I'll take the Sigils for Miss Lumine."

"Does anyone mind if I take the weapons?" Kaeya asked.

Nahida shook her head. "I don't mind at all. I don't need anything, really. I'm just here to make sure everyone stays safe and succeeds in the mission. I wouldn't mind taking any artifacts, though."

Diluc smiled at her, then looked at Kaveh. "That leaves the Mora for you. Is that all right?"

He laughed. "Sure, that would actually help a lot. I could treat you to a meal in Sumeru after this if you'd like!"

Chuckling, Diluc agreed. "That sounds like a good way to finish the mission."

The treasure chests sprang open at a touch, dispensing their precious contents easily to the long-suffering adventurers. Kaveh laughed. "What a lucky find! Bet that made your day!"

Diluc distributed the rewards accordingly, then stood silent for a long moment, looking at the bright green Dendro Sigils in his gloved hand. When he looked up, Kaveh blinked at his serious expression. "These are the last ones we needed," the tall redhead said quietly. "I believe this signals the end of the mission."