The next morning, Azar fulfilled Luo Qing's request. At the crack of dawn, he had someone escort Luo Qing to the Akademiya.
There, Luo Qing was given an honorary position as a Special Consultant to the Matra. This allowed him unrestricted access to the Akademiya and even authority to command the Matra to apprehend scholars guilty of academic misconduct.
In exchange, Azar demanded Luo Qing expedite his efforts to manipulate the Little Archon's emotions.
But with some clever excuses about the complexity of a god's psyche and the time needed, Luo Qing managed to delay the matter.
That day, Luo Qing assigned Natalia and the others to scout the environment around Sumeru City, leaving only Rosalyne—disguised as an ordinary citizen—by his side. He intended to test out the new position Azar had arranged for him and see if it might provide opportunities to collect Frustration Value.
The Akasha Network connected nearly all the residents of Sumeru City. If utilized properly, it could become a steady source of value for him.
Being punctual on the first day of work was important, of course.
Early in the morning, Luo Qing arrived at the Akademiya with Rosalyne in tow.
Before they even entered, Setare, the scholar who had previously guided him to the Purification Workshop, was already waiting in the plaza outside.
When she saw Luo Qing approach, she hurried forward to greet him.
"Mr. Brighella, the Grand Sage has arranged your position. Please follow me."
Setare bowed politely and then led Luo Qing and Rosalyne into the Akademiya.
Compared to the harmonious simplicity of Sumeru City, the Akademiya was grand and elegant, as though its gates marked the boundary between two entirely different worlds.
After navigating a series of winding corridors, Setare stopped in front of a somewhat secluded room.
"Mr. Brighella, please head inside. Someone will explain the duties of a Matra to you."
With that, Setare turned and left without another word.
"A superior, huh?"
Luo Qing muttered to himself.
Could it be that person?
Rosalyne, ever attentive, stepped forward and opened the door for him.
The office was decently spacious, with only a single desk and chair set in the center.
Seated in the chair was a pale-skinned, white-haired man wearing a wolf-shaped mask. His upper body was nearly bare, radiating an aura of cold indifference.
Upon seeing Luo Qing enter, the man frowned slightly, his expression tinged with displeasure.
"You're the Special Consultant sent by the Grand Sage?"
It didn't take much to guess—this was almost certainly another one of Azar's cronies, planted to extend his influence within the Akademiya.
"Hmm..."
Luo Qing nodded, his gaze dropping to the space under the desk.
There, he noticed that despite sitting down, this pale-skinned man still had to stretch his toes to reach the floor.
After a brief pause, Luo Qing commented matter-of-factly, "You're awfully short."
"..."
[+1 Frustration Value from Cyno.]
"I am Cyno, General Mahamatra," the man responded coldly, his voice laced with warning.
"Regardless of your intentions here, if you dare violate the rules of the Matra, I will not tolerate it—even if you're Azar's man!"
Cyno stood abruptly, his icy demeanor as sharp as a blade.
Striding up to Luo Qing, he made no mention of the height remark, instead pointing to a stack of documents on the desk.
"The rules you need to know are there. Read them yourself. I don't have time to babysit a political appointee."
With that, Cyno turned on his heel and stormed out, clearly unwilling to spend another second in Luo Qing's company.
It was evident the height comment had hit a sore spot.
"Tch, not the friendliest, is he?"
Luo Qing shrugged, unfazed. He stepped into the office and sat in the chair Cyno had vacated—without needing to stretch his toes to touch the ground.
On the desk was a specialized Akasha terminal for the Matra, along with a stack of documents detailing the rules Cyno had mentioned. Beside them lay a neatly folded Matra uniform.
As Rosalyne entered, she busied herself preparing tea while Luo Qing casually flipped through the rulebook.
Most of it was standard: guidelines on violations and corresponding punishments. A few pages in, Luo Qing lost interest.
In Liyue and Inazuma, he had to tread carefully because gods were still present.
But Sumeru had no adult deity. If he decided to go wild, no one could stop him.
The rules? He'd follow them if he felt like it.
After finishing the tea Rosalyne made, Luo Qing grew restless.
He donned the Matra uniform and decided to take a stroll around the Akademiya to see if he could stir up any Frustration Value.
---
Luo Qing and Rosalyne wandered through the Akademiya several times.
Whenever scholars spotted Luo Qing in his uniform, they instinctively stepped aside to let him pass.
After countless loops, Luo Qing hadn't encountered a single interesting target.
Just as he was about to give up and head back, hurried footsteps sounded from behind him.
"Excuse me, Mr. Matra, do you have a moment?"
The voice was soft and a bit listless, as if its owner lacked energy.
Turning around, Luo Qing saw a girl with curly, ash-blue hair standing before him, looking up with wide, tired eyes.
Her petite face was delicate and adorable, though marred by dark circles under her eyes that spoke of sleepless nights.
"Oh?!"
While the girl seemed devoid of spirit, Luo Qing immediately perked up, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"Miss, if there's anything troubling you, feel free to let me know!"
"Uh... my name is Layla..."
Startled by Luo Qing's enthusiasm, Layla shrank back slightly, her voice soft and hesitant.
"It's about... my thesis."
"A thesis? Did someone plagiarize you?!"
Luo Qing's tone turned stern as he grasped her small hand.
"Tell me everything, and I'll see that justice is served!"
This was a golden opportunity for Frustration Value—he couldn't let it slip away.
"N-no, that's not it..."
Flustered, Layla pulled her hand back and took a few steps away.
"It's just... something strange keeps happening when I'm working on it..."
Lowering her head, she continued in a timid voice.
"I've been staying up late every night to work on my thesis. But every time, even though I don't finish, I wake up the next morning to find it somehow completed..."
"My classmates say... maybe I've been possessed by the ghosts of students who couldn't finish their theses before they died..."
Her voice grew quieter and her head drooped lower with each word.
"Mr. Matra, can you help me?"
"Of course, I'll help!" Luo Qing declared enthusiastically.
He had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but he wasn't about to spoil the fun so soon.
"How about this," he suggested with a grin. "Tonight, find a place to continue working on your thesis. I'll stay with you. If any ghosts show up to haunt you, I'll deal with them personally. How does that sound?"
"Eh...?"
Layla hesitated, glancing at Luo Qing's Matra uniform.
Despite feeling overwhelmed by his energy, she couldn't deny the reliability associated with the Matra.
After a moment of deliberation, she nodded softly.
"Alright... let's do that."
---
Oh, hey there, Traveler! 🍃 My friend here is the one bringing these stories to you—quite the talent, wouldn't you agree? If anything feels off, just give them a nudge—they're always happy to make things even better.
Now, don't forget to take a moment to rest! Grab a drink (perhaps something as refreshing as Mondstadt's finest), and let the stories whisk you away.
Oh, and if you're feeling generous, you could check out [patreon.com/WiseTL]. Supporting them is like throwing a coin to your favorite bard—it keeps the magic flowing!
Here's to more adventures and endless inspiration~ 🎵