Soheil's Wish

Soheil's Wish is the second quest in the .
==Steps==
Start the quest by talking to Soheil after completing Dual Evidence.
# Go deeper into the desert and explore according to Soheil's archaeology notes (0/3)
#* Complete Invisible Barrier, Hidden Mercenaries, and Desert's Remembrance.
# Talk to Soheil
==Dialogue==
;(Talk to Soheil)
:Soheil: Phew, it's a lot cooler here. Mind letting me see the slate?
:
:Paimon: Hey, you're spending too much time on this! You're not trying to commit the text to memory and skimp on our pay, are you?
:Soheil: Sorry, I was just so fascinated. This is my first time seeing writing like this...
: Any discoveries?
:Soheil: Hmm... Some of it looks like a construction log... It mentions "Aaru," but there's no way to know if it's in any way connected to Aaru Village. Too bad the records say little more...
:Soheil: But this discovery is certainly worth several pages of writing. Thank you very much. Here, as per our agreement.
: You're welcome.
: You should be thanking Tirzad instead.
::Paimon: That's right! If we weren't trying to prove Tirzad correct, we wouldn't have found this slate!
::Soheil: You're right. Tirzad's the one I should be thanking — yes, indeed!
:Soheil: My next step would be to find a bigger collection of primary materials, but that's going to be difficult without going into the desert...
:Soheil: Oh, I have an idea! If you have the time, please hear me out...
:Hulwani: Mr. Soheil, are you thinking...
:Hulwani: The sage prohibits any researcher from going into the desert.
:Soheil: Now, I wouldn't dare challenge the sage's authority, but I'm sure he never prohibited the giving of gifts, right?
:Paimon: Gifts? What are you going to give us?
:Soheil: Something very precious... My archaeology notes.
:Soheil: To be honest, I ventured into the desert more than a dozen years ago, but didn't find anything special other than noting the locations of several potential ruins.
:Soheil: I believe it's fate that brought me back here to make your acquaintance in these ruins, so I want you to have these notes!
:Hulwani: Are you trying to... I get it. That isn't against the rules, but I'm afraid your actions would...
:Soheil: My actions? I am simply presenting a gift as a celebration of my friendship with the big hero and Paimon the little hero. Isn't that more than fair?
:Hulwani: I suppose...
: It's fair indeed.
: It's not very fair...
::Soheil: Oh... Is it not enough? Well, consider it as a greeting gift. I'll have better ones for you later!
::Paimon: Paimon thinks it's pretty fair...
::Soheil: Well, the little hero certainly thinks so. What does the big hero think?
:: Okay...
:;(The Traveler and Paimon leave)
:Paimon: The world of researchers is way too complicated! He could just have come right out and said he needed our help! Instead, we had to go through this whole charade...
:Paimon: If you ask Paimon, he's just afraid that the big guy over there would rat him out to the sage.
: It's because your world is too simple, Paimon.
::Paimon: Is it? Paimon thinks her world's pretty complicated. Paimon has to remember what every dish tastes like, and all the ways to get different treasures...
: Wow, Paimon! You actually understood!
::Paimon: Of course! He was just short of writing "Help me!" all over his face! Hmm, if we help him now, I'm sure we'll get loads of rewards.
: He must have his reasons.
::Paimon: True, but Paimon feels these researchers always hide behind the pretense of "pursuing knowledge"...
::Paimon: As if that justifies everything they do and say.
:: Well, that's one thing you shouldn't turn into, Paimon.
::Paimon: Don't worry, Paimon's never been interested in knowledge at all!
:Paimon: Let's take a look at what's written in Soheil's gift!
:;(Open Soheil's Old Notes)
:Paimon: Mm... Looks like he's been having a pretty hard time. He explored the area around the Mausoleum of King Deshret for a month without obtaining any results. He didn't want to give up, and found the Transparent Ruins.
:Paimon: And then he found something a lot smaller than the Mausoleum of King Deshret — the Tomb of Carouses. Finally, he was attacked by a group of mercenaries in a place called Lamb-Devourer Rock.
:Paimon: Whoa... Even though he went through all that, he still wrote that "compared to the mockery, having no improvement in knowledge is more painful to endure."
: He sounded like a completely different person.
:Paimon: Yeah! Seems like he really was in it for the knowledge back then. Paimon's a little moved.
:Paimon: From that perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for him to call this a precious gift.
:Paimon: Let's visit each location mentioned in his notes. If we find something decent, let's bring it back as a gift to him in return!
:;(Obtain Soheil's Old Notes)
;(After the cutscene)
;(If the player has only completed Invisible Barrier before starting this quest)
:Paimon: But haven't we already been to the Transparent Ruins mentioned in the notes? We even found three stone slates!
:Paimon: Y'know what, let's just give the slates to Soheil. Paimon would love to see his awestruck face right now!
;(If the player has only completed Hidden Mercenaries before starting this quest)
:Paimon: But the "Lamb-Devourer Rock" mentioned in the notes is probably behind that secret door we found. You know, the one locked behind a password.
:Paimon: It's hard to remember the password, though. It was like "pashara" or something... We also found a slightly broken stone slate.
:Paimon: Never mind, let's just give the slates to Soheil. Paimon would love to see his awestruck face right about now!
;(If the player has only completed Desert's Remembrance before starting this quest)
:Paimon: But haven't we been to the Tomb of Carouses mentioned in the notes before?
:Paimon: Wasn't it the one that looked like a smaller version of the Mausoleum of King Deshret, but with easier-to-find treasure and stone slates?
:Paimon: Y'know what, let's just give the slates to Soheil. Paimon would love to see his awestruck face right now!
;(If two of the three child quests have been completed before starting this quest)
:Paimon: But haven't we already been to two of the three places mentioned in the notes?
:Paimon: And we found several stone slates with writings on them. Pretty sure they're what Soheil wants for writing his papers.
:Paimon: Let's just give the slates to Soheil. He'll be speechless in awe!
;(If all three child quests have been completed before starting this quest)
:Paimon: But the three places mentioned in the notes sound so familiar... Haven't we been to all of them?
:Paimon: And we found five stone slates with writings on them. Pretty sure they're what Soheil wants for writing his papers.
:Paimon: Let's just give the slates to Soheil. He'll be speechless in awe!
;(Use Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Soheil)
:Soheil: (Why didn't I meet such a good guide back then?)
;(Use Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Hulwani)
:Hulwani: (*sigh* It's better to just stay out of trouble. Just pretend that I didn't see anything.)
;(Talk to Hulwani again)
:Hulwani: Since the sage didn't specifically ban travelers from entering the desert... Yes, you may go ahead...
----
;(Talk to Soheil)
:Soheil: You're back. Did you find anything special in the desert?
: We explored the Transparent Ruins. (If all four Transparent Ruins were explored)
::Soheil: You went to the Transparent Ruins? Did you find anything?
::Paimon: Of course. Be prepared to be thunderstruck!
::
::Soheil: Aha! So King Deshret did indeed withhold a secret behind that unknown force. I shall get to the bottom of it.
::Soheil: ...
::Soheil: This is...
::Soheil: How could this be...?
::Paimon: Hey, you look pale... Did you discover something terrible?
::Soheil: Uh... No, sorry, they're not exactly "terrible"... The writings on the stone slates look complicated, but they're actually... Records of leave requests.
::Soheil: In addition, the recorded excuses are not any different from that of the young scholars today...
::Soheil: Phew, it's a good thing I failed to find a way to access the Transparent Ruins back in the day. I imagine that I would have been quite livid.
::Soheil: Anyway, I must thank you for bringing the slates back. Perhaps I should go ask around about the excuses people make in Mondstadt. That could be enough for me to write a paper...
::Soheil: "Time Out From a Busy Schedule: On the Evolution of the Perception of Off-Days in Different Societies."
: We explored the Lamb-Devourer Rock. (If the Record of Lamb-Devourer Rock has been obtained)
::Soheil: You weren't in any danger, were you? Not that I doubt you could handle any situation, even if you did encounter Thutmose.
::
::Soheil: So there is a secret base after all... No wonder Thutmose still managed to rob me despite all the precautions I took.
::Soheil: What a bunch of ignorant fools! They claim to worship King Deshret, and yet they randomly throw such important relics around! Inexcusable!
::Soheil: I must thank you on behalf of the Akademiya for getting such a valuable... Uh...
::Paimon: Hmm? What's with the sudden frown? Did you run into something difficult to decipher?
::Soheil: Just the opposite, really. It's a love poem.
::Soheil: Perhaps this slate would be more valuable to those from Haravatat. I can already imagine what titles they'll come up with...
::Soheil: "On the Relationship Between the Development of Rhetoric and the Progress of Civilization."
: We explored the Tomb of Carouses. (If the Record of the Tomb of Carouses has been obtained)
::Soheil: So you went to the Tomb of Carouses... It's a miniature version of the Mausoleum of King Deshret, just like I said, right? So, any new discoveries?
::
::Soheil: It sounds like you didn't find anything special. I guess size isn't the only difference between the two locations.
::Soheil: And as for this slate...
::Paimon: What is it, what is it? It has so many words, so it's got to be valuable, right?
::Soheil: From what I can tell, it's an ordinary fable that features some animals.
::Paimon: Eh? How can this be?
::Soheil: But that's okay, I can still squeeze a paper out of this, albeit a short one...
::Soheil: "The Retreat of the Sheep: A Preliminary Study of Environmental Change in the Desert."
: Not yet.
::Soheil: Alright. If you do find anything, please share them with me and quench my thirst for knowledge.
----
;(After any slate has been returned to Soheil)
;(Use Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Soheil)
:Soheil: (I'd really like to go to the place where these slates were unearthed.)
;(Use Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Hulwani)
:Hulwani: (Heh, forget it. Guess I'm not gonna return to Sumeru City anytime soon.)
----
;(Talk to Soheil after completing all three quests)
:Soheil: Now that the three ruins have been fully explored, I can finally put my thoughts to rest.
:Soheil: Well then, to celebrate the strengthening of our friendship, I shall prepare more gifts of gratitude for our big hero and little hero.
: You're welcome.
::Paimon: It's nothing, really! Plus, we found lots of treasure based on your notes! So, how's your paper going?
: You scratch our back, we scratch yours.
::Paimon: That's right! We got treasure and you got inspiration for your papers.
:Soheil: The papers... Yeah, even though I've collected enough materials, I no longer depend on churning out volumes.
:Soheil: It's a breakthrough I'm after... I must still go into the Mausoleum of King Deshret myself.
:Hulwani: But the sage said...
:Soheil: Yes, I get it, it's always about the sage with you... I'm just griping, that's all.
: What do you need a breakthrough for?
:Soheil: To become a candidate for the next sage, of course.
:Soheil: To outsiders, the difference between a researcher and a sage is that of a small fruit and a larger fruit.
:Soheil: In reality, the gap is even greater than the difference between a hilichurl and slime.
: Those are two completely different things.
::Soheil: That's exactly it. They are two different things altogether.
: How are they different?
::Soheil: The difference is that they're completely different.
:Soheil: The sages, with the power they control, virtually have all of us researchers by our throats. They could make or break us with just one word.
:Soheil: So many people have labored and fought over papers, some even as old as me. We'd give up our dignity just for a chance to be deemed worthy by the sages.
:Soheil: Therefore, I must become a sage myself, or all the suffering I've endured would've been for nothing. I'm sure you'd understand if you were a researcher!
:Paimon: No, Paimon thinks would be more like the you in the notes.
:Soheil: Notes?
:Paimon: Yeah! Remember what you wrote in your notes? "Compared to the mockery, having no improvement in knowledge is more painful to endure."
:Soheil: What? I wrote that?
:Soheil: Hmm... The experiences I've had are indeed true. But if it weren't for your reminder, I would have never looked at things from that perspective again.
: So you've forgotten all about it...
: It's good to remember everything again.
:Soheil: ..., Paimon. This is a bit abrupt, but there's one more favor I'd like to ask.
:Paimon: Huh? Do you want us to look for more stone slates?
:Soheil: No no no, I have enough stone slates... I just... feel like reading my old notes again.
:Soheil: Please allow me to take back the archaeology notes I gave you. I'll prepare something else as a gift for you.
: Sure.
:Soheil: Thank you for all your help, and may your travels be smooth.
:Soheil: Also, thanks for reminding me of a time when I was younger. It's a pretty good feeling.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:El deseo de Soheil