The Continuation of the Sabzeruz Festival

==Steps==
# Talk to Paimon
# Go to the appointed place and talk to Dunyarzad
# Follow the familiar figure
# Talk to the mysterious girl
# Ask around for clues about the current situation
# Talk to Dehya
# Bring Dehya to Nahida
==Gameplay Notes==
* The time cannot be changed while in Sumeru City during the quest.
* If the player leaves Sumeru City, the quest progress will be completely reset.
** However, all interpretation and association progress during is saved, so players can immediately resubmit the correct conclusion if desired.
* Co-Op Mode is disabled during the quest.
==Dialogue==
;(The Traveler blinks awake, with some blinks revealing a black and white ceiling)
: Paimon: *yawn* Why does Paimon feel so tired after so much sleep?
: Paimon: Anyway, we should go meet Dunyarzad right away.
;(Paimon leaves while the Traveler stretches)
;(Approach Dunyarzad)
: Paimon: Good morning, Dunyarzad! Sorry to keep you waiting.
: Dunyarzad: Not at all. I arrived early.
: Paimon: Huh? Paimon thinks you sound kinda tired... Did you not get enough sleep?
: Dunyarzad: I'm doing well. There's no need to worry. Shall we go? Let's start with the stalls over there.
: Paimon: Great idea! Let's get going. Traveler... Uh, hey, Traveler?
: This feels... all too familiar.
: What a strong sense of déjà vu...
;(A scene transition occurs)
:
: Vihar: Haha, it's all thanks to Miss Dunyarzad's sponsorship that the children can enjoy the Sabzeruz Festival.
: Vihar: Oh, are you interested in Yalda Candies? I have some boxes of candy here. Pick whichever one you want.
: Paimon: Hmm, not much of a choice... All these boxes look the same.
: Vihar: Haha, it's not that simple. Each box contains a random flavor — it's up to the luck of the draw. Flavors include Lavender Melon, Harra Fruit, Sunsettia...
: Paimon: Hm-hmm~ They all sound pretty tasty.
: Vihar: ...And there's also Lizard Tail and Onikabuto.
: Paimon: Huh!? What were those last two!?
: Paimon: Hmm... 'll help me choose. Paimon wants the Sunsettia flavor!
: Vihar: No problem. These boxes of candy are numbered one to five from left to right. Which one do you want?
: Number four.
: Number four.
: Number four.
: Number four.
: Number four.
:
: Vihar: Oho? I like your confidence — no hesitation at all. Ah, congratulations! Number four is indeed Sunsettia.
;(A short flashback occurs)
:;(The Traveler points at a box)
:;(The remaining child is shown with their hands over their eyes)
:;(Multiple boxes are briefly focused on)
: Paimon: Haha, Paimon knew always had incredible luck!
: Number one is Lizard Tail.
: Number two is Harra Fruit.
: Number three is Lavender Melon.
: Number five is Onikabuto.
: Paimon: Umm, Paimon's not really interested in the other flavors.
: Vihar: Ah... W—Wait, how did you know? Don't tell me that you already knew which flavor was in each box?
: Paimon: What? was right about all of them?
: Vihar: That couldn't have been luck. H—How is this possible? I packed all those boxes this morning, and they've been sealed ever since. You couldn't have known beforehand.
: Vihar: ...Mind reading? X-ray vision? Or some kind of magic trick? This is way too freaky...
: Paimon: Tell us what's going on! Since when did you get superpowers... Traveler?
:
: Just now, that was...
: Paimon: Hey! Where are you going?
:
;(After the dialogue)
: Paimon: What's going on? Did you see something?
: Paimon: Us leaving Dunyarzad without letting her know is kinda rude, you know.
;(Talk to Amal, optional)
: Amal: I picked all of these from the forest yesterday, so their freshness is guaranteed!
;(Talk to Kimiya, optional)
: Kimiya: This is divine wisdom...
;(Talk to Vihar again, optional)
: Vihar: Atten-tion! Any more requests, young soldiers?
;(After following the familiar figure to the northern residential area of Sumeru City)
: Paimon: What are you looking for? Why did we come here?
;(The Traveler looks around)
:
: Paimon: Traveler?
;(The screen flashes black and white, briefly showing the mysterious figure on the path behind the Traveler)
;(The Traveler immediately turns around and runs off)
: Over there.
: Paimon: That's...
;(Paimon follows the Traveler)
;(Camera pans to show that the bird in a nearby closed birdcage is now missing)
:
----
;(Approach the mysterious figure near the Bimarstan's Proverb Column)
:???: ...
: ...
;(The screen flashes black and white)
;(Dunyarzad appears on a nearby bed)
: Paimon: Look! That's... Isn't that Dunyarzad!?
: What!?
: She was still with us just a moment ago...
: Paimon: What's happening here? Why are there two Dunyarzads?
: ???: You already know that this isn't your first Sabzeruz Festival, don't you?
: ???
: (Alert)
: ???: I'm sure you already know how to use this.
;(Nahida holds out a yellow Knowledge Capsule)
: Paimon: A Knowledge Capsule? Where did you get it...? What's inside?
: ???: You should use it too, Paimon.
: Paimon: Ah... Y—You know Paimon?
: ...
: Let's use it together, Paimon.
: Paimon: ...Well, this seems kinda sketchy, but... Paimon feels like this is what we should do.
:
:;
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: Paimon: W—What the!?
: Memories!
: So many days' worth of memories...
: Paimon: This is our twentieth time at the Sabzeruz Festival? Hmm, no... The thirtieth? Fortieth? Just how many times have we been to the Sabzeruz Festival?
: Paimon: Have we been trapped in a single day? If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have even realized...
: Paimon: What the heck was inside that Knowledge Capsule?
: ???: Your memories are still scrambled? Try your best to remember. This isn't the first time we've met, and I answered that question a long time ago.
: Paimon: Uhh... Let Paimon think... Ohh, it's coming back... Meeting you was the real catalyst for restoring our memories, and... the Knowledge Capsule was just your means of showing our minds the way...
: Paimon: What about everyone else? Why are you only helping the two of us?
: ???: Your sense of déjà vu is stronger than everyone else's, yes? As for an explanation... You two received the blessing of Dendro, and you also have special, sensitive constitutions.
: ???: It was as if a single sheet of paper was separating those memories from your consciousness.
: What's wrong with the Dunyarzad over there...?
: ???: A familiar question. I think this is the seventh time you asked that.
: ???: As you can see, she isn't doing well. You probably sensed it, too — the Dunyarzad you were just with is different from the first Dunyarzad you met.
: ???: That "first" Dunyarzad is in front of you right now, and... she doesn't have a lot of time left.
: What I need to do right now is...
: Break out of this cycle...?
: ???: Hehe, looks like you're almost done sorting out your brain.
: Nahida: Oh yeah, I'm Nahida.
: I know; you introduced yourself before.
: Nahida: Good, you passed the test.
: Paimon: What's happening...? You can awaken our memories, and you seem like you know what's going on... Wait, please don't tell Paimon even you don't know!
: Nahida: Everything in this world runs in a loop... This cycle is called a "samsara." You, me, and everyone else are all stuck inside a one-day samsara...
: Nahida: As for the truth... That's on you to find out. If you were told the truth instead of discovering it yourselves... It would literally blow your minds. I don't know how you'd be after that.
: Nahida: I can only give you surface-level help, like bits of information and subtle hints. For the rest of the time, I'll be doing all I can to slow down Dunyarzad's illness.
: Paimon: She looks like she isn't doing well at all... Her illness gets worse after each Sabzeruz Festival...
: Nahida: If we can break out of this samsara, I might be able to save her.
: Nahida: ...But as things are right now, she's just a small bird in the sky that's about to lose its last feathers. All I can do is raise a gale to delay her fall.
: Paimon: You sure love to use weird analogies.
: Nahida: Analogies are wonderful tools. They let you use existing knowledge to understand unfamiliar things.
: Nahida: Okay, so... With what you know so far, what do you think the truth is?
: Hmm... Let me collect my thoughts...
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - The Sabzeruz Festival Samasara)
: : We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara.
;(Select - The Grand Sage's Speech)
: : The Grand Sage said, "Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content." Did he mean something more?
;(Select - Alchemical Divination Results)
: : The Moon, illusions, and lies... What do they all mean?
;(Select - Deja Vu)
: : What's happening right now seems to have happened before. This feeling has been getting stronger and stronger...
;(Select - Abnormal Mental Fatigue)
: : My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on?
;(Submitting the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submitting the wrong association)
: : Hmm... I can't seem to cohesively piece everything together.
;(Submit the correct association - Sabzeruz Festival Samasara to Deja Vu)
;(Select - Time Loop)
: : That should be it... The flow of time is endlessly cycling within one single day.
----
:
: Nahida: A time loop... *sigh* You've given similarly wrong answers in the past. A pity.
: Paimon: Still the wrong answer... Paimon thought that made a lot of sense! It feels like time's just repeating itself.
: Nahida: A simple time loop can't explain some of the phenomena. You two are still missing a lot of information. Unfortunately, I can't give you any more hints...
: Dunyarzad: *cough* *cough*
: Paimon: Dunyarzad...
: Nahida: The Sabzeruz Festival is happening every day, but that doesn't mean we can waste an infinite amount of them. Hurry and find the truth before today's festival ends.
;(The Traveler and Paimon move to a different location)
: Paimon: Let's think about our current situation... To save Dunyarzad, we have to escape the samsara of the Sabzeruz Festival...
: Paimon: And to do that, we need to figure out what's happening — the "truth"...
: Paimon: Nahida rejected the idea of a time loop, so we must have missed something, right?
: Paimon: Paimon's memories say that we've already done this many times, but... let's go talk to people again. It's more productive than sitting here and scratching our heads... Why don't we start with... those stall owners?
;(Talk to Nahida again)
: Nahida: We don't have many more festivals to waste. Hurry and find the truth.
----
;(Approach Amal)
: Paimon: Hey there!
: Amal: Hey, it's you guys again. Where's your cultured friend?
: Paimon: She... She's feeling a little unwell.
: Amal: I see. Did you come back to buy something? I guarantee the freshness of my products. I harvested them from the forest just yesterday.
: Have you felt anything strange lately?
: Do you ever feel like you're reliving the same day?
: Amal: Huh? What brought this about? I hurried back from the forest yesterday, and I'm selling produce here today. I haven't felt anything strange.
: Paimon: Hmm... To put it another way, if you really, really think about it, was "yesterday" truly "yesterday"? Did you actually come back from the forest yesterday?
: Amal: What kind of philosophical nonsense is this? Are you two daydreaming?
: Amal: Didn't you know that no one dreams in Sumeru? Go somewhere else if you want to find someone to daydream with, hahaha...
;(The Traveler and Paimon leave)
: Paimon: Ugh... He actually has a point. Is this a dream? Is everyone dreaming?
: Remember what he said just now...
: No one dreams in Sumeru.
: Paimon: Hm, true. It's so weird that people here don't dream! Why is that?
: Paimon: Anyway, if this all really were just a dream, we would've woken up a long time ago. Let's keep asking around.
;(Approach Kimiya)
: Kimiya: Oh, it's you two! Was my divination so accurate that you felt compelled to compliment me in person?
: We actually did run into a situation.
: But I'm not sure if it's related to your divination.
: Kimiya: Oooh, I knew it! I told you, the gods' divination is highly accurate. You just hadn't fully understood its significance yet. Hahaha...
: Paimon: You're really excited about this, huh... That's exactly why we came back. Help us better understand it!
: Kimiya: Er... Help you better understand it...? W—Well, that isn't exactly what I excel at...
: Paimon: So you're admitting that you don't have a clue?
: Kimiya: Anyway, what kind of situation did you get into?
: We're all trapped in the day of the Sabzeruz Festival.
: You've actually divined our fortune many, many times.
: Kimiya: Huh? Hold on a second... I thought you guys just lost your wallet or fell for a scam...
: Kimiya: What you just said... Are you serious? Does that kind of thing actually happen in real life?
: Paimon: Paimon knew you weren't going to believe it!
: Kimiya: Marvelous, truly marvelous... I believe you. Recall the interpretation of your divination... The Moon, illusions, and lies... It really felt like an omen.
: Paimon: When you say it like that, the divination does sound like it's related to what's going on. Can you read any more into it?
: Kimiya: I believe that the Archon's revelations are never more than vague hints. Anything more specific is beyond the reach of mere mortals.
: Kimiya: The book only says, "If you trust your instincts and overcome your fears, the sun will surely rise."
: Paimon: So that's how it is... Looks like fortune-telling is just fortune-telling — it's no good for practical problems.
: Paimon: We haven't made any progress. Who else can we talk to?
: Let's try talking to Dehya again.
: Paimon: Hm, Paimon remembers that we've tried talking to her a couple of times, but she always thinks that we're playing pranks on her. You think she'll brush us off again?
: She cares a lot about Dunyarzad...
: Let's try taking her to see the real Dunyarzad.
: Paimon: Yeah... If we tap into Dehya's strong sense of responsibility as a mercenary, then she'll definitely take us seriously.
: Paimon: At this time of day, Dehya's probably just finished beating up those kidnappers. Let's go find her!
;(Approach Dehya and Dunyarzad)
: Dehya: ...I'm fine, my lady. It's just a scratch.
: Paimon: Perfect timing! Both of you are here.
: Dehya: Paimon, Traveler, you came at just the right time! Listen, there was a dangerous—
: A gang of kidnappers had just ambushed you.
: You just defeated a gang of kidnappers.
: Dehya: Huh, you saw? Then why didn't you jump in earlier? If someone was protecting Miss Dunyarzad, I could've went all-out. Anyway, can you do something for me?
: Paimon: You want the Traveler to take Dunyarzad somewhere to rest up while you check to see if there are still any kidnappers around. Did Paimon get that right?
: Dehya: ...How did you know what I was going to say?
: Paimon: We need to say something convincing...
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - People in Sumeru Do Not Dream)
: : People in Sumeru don't dream. What a strange phenomenon.
;(Select - Alchemical Divination Results)
: : The Moon, illusions, and lies... What do they all mean?
;(Select - Dehya's Claymore)
: : Dehya sold her greatsword to raise additional funds, and then she was injured because she wasn't used to her new weapon.
;(Select - Abnormal Mental Fatigue)
: : My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on?
;(Submitting the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submitting the correct conclusion - Dehya's Claymore)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Paimon: Tell her, Traveler!
: You got injured because you aren't used to your current greatsword.
: You sold your greatsword to support the festival.
: Dehya: ...
: Dehya: I didn't tell anyone about that, including Miss Dunyarzad. You couldn't have known... And just now, you literally took the words right out of my mouth. What's going on?
: Paimon: Alright, so this is the situation...
:
: Dehya: It's kinda hard to believe what you just told me... First, let me make something clear: Most of us desert-dwellers might not be the scholarly type, but we do have basic common sense...
: Haven't you noticed something off about Dunyarzad?
: Paimon: She's quieter than usual, uninterested in anything, and really gloomy...
: Dehya: Yeah, she isn't the same as before, but...
: Dehya: ...Her parents said that this is how she was like at first.
: Paimon: Eh? At first?
: Dunyarzad: I don't quite understand what you are all talking about. I'll go rest on the bench over there.
;(Dunyarzad leaves)
: Dehya: My lady... Are you angry...?
: Come with me. I'll show you some evidence.
: Dehya: ...Alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you knew about my greatsword. Let's make this a quick trip — Miss Dunyarzad isn't completely safe here.
;(Talk to Dunyarzad on the bench)
: Dunyarzad: You all seem to have a matter to attend to. Don't worry about me. I'll be sitting here.
;(Talk to Nahida)
: Paimon: Nahida, we brought a friend. Are you busy?
: Nahida: ...I thought I told you that it won't help to bring anyone here.
: Paimon: We just wanted her to see the real Dunyarzad's condition...
: Dehya: The real Dunyarzad? ...Where? And who are you talking to?
: Paimon: Huh?
: Nahida: *sigh* I told you that you two are special. Other people can't see me or Miss Dunyarzad here.
;(Dehya focuses, then pays close attention to the nearby bed)
: Dehya: Hold on... Over there, is that...
: Y—You can see her?
: Nahida: Wow, how perceptive... Does she have invisible antennae?
: Dehya: Miss Dunyarzad... she's lying down here, isn't she? How's she doing?
: Paimon: Her condition's really bad, and she's basically in a coma. How did you know she was here?
: Dehya: I can sense her aura... There are also lingering feelings of something like regret or disappointment. What happened...?
: Paimon: Do you believe us now? The Sabzeruz Festival has been repeating itself...
:
: Paimon: ...So you think the sages are behind this?
: Dehya: Yeah. They've always been against us. It wouldn't surprise me if they're using the Akasha to intentionally repeat the Sabzeruz Festival as a sick joke.
: Paimon: Hmm, you have a point... Aside from the Dendro Archon, the Akademiya's sages are the only ones in Sumeru who could pull off something like this.
: Paimon: Maybe there's more to the Akasha than we know?
: Nahida, can you tell us anything about the Akasha?
: Paimon: Right! Didn't you awaken our memories using something that looked like a Knowledge Capsule? That means you must know something about the Akasha!
: Nahida: The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people.
: Paimon: A Gnosis can do that!? No wonder the Akasha is so magical — it's being powered by the Gnosis of Sumeru's Archon.
: Dehya: So, this Nahida you mentioned... What did she say?
: Paimon: She said, and Paimon quotes: "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people."
: Dehya: Compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and grants knowledge to the people... Wait...
: What's up?
: Dehya: I get the "grants knowledge" part — that's what people have always used the Akasha for. But compiling the entire populace's wisdom? How does that work?
: Paimon: Did she mean that the sages enter new knowledge into the Akasha?
: Doubt it...
: Most information in the Akasha comes from Irminsul.
: Paimon: Oh yeah, that sounds about right. What do you think?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - People in Sumeru Do Not Dream)
: : People in Sumeru don't dream. What a strange phenomenon.
;(Select - Information on the Akasha)
: : Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people."
;(Select - Abnormal Mental Fatigue)
: : My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on?
;(Select - Deja Vu)
: : What's happening right now seems to have happened before. This feeling has been getting stronger and stronger...
;(Submitting the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submitting the correct conclusion - Abnormal Mental Fatigue)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Dehya: You mean... The Akasha is causing our mental fatigue? Now that I think about it, my head's been feeling unusually heavy.
: Dehya: When the desert-dwellers set off on their quest for knowledge, a sage once said, "Knowledge always comes at a price."
: Dehya: Compiling the entire country's knowledge...You think the Akasha pulled a 180 and is extracting information from us?
: But how would it do that...?
: Dehya: Who knows? The Akasha can put knowledge into our heads, so who's to say that it can't also poke around in there? We don't know any specifics.
: Paimon: What's the point of doing something like that?
: Dehya: Just think about it... If you could combine the knowledge of every single person in Sumeru, then you can basically turn Sumeru City into a single, massive brain...
: Dehya: ...This hivemind could make breakthroughs in problems that even the smartest geniuses can't crack.
: Nahida: An excellent deduction. And the analogy comparing Sumeru City to a massive brain? Ahh, I love it.
: Paimon: In that case, we should take off our Akasha Terminals right away! Maybe that'll solve this problem?
: It's worth a shot.
: Somehow, I don't think it'll be that simple.
: Dehya: Yeah. I was only wearing this for show in the first place. Didn't expect the Sages to cook up such a conspiracy... Mark my words, when this is over, I'm getting evidence and exposing this whole thing to the public!
:
: Paimon: How does everyone feel?
: Actually, I also noticed something else.
: Paimon: Huh? What is it?
: I feel like at the end of every day...
: There is always the sound of a beep.
: Paimon: Oh, that! Paimon knows what you're talking about! It's a single, soft beep that sounds like it's coming from the Akasha Terminal.
: Dehya: The sound of a beep... Could it be a prompt tone for when the Akasha is operating?
: I heard the same sound in Port Ormos.
: Paimon: That's probably an important clue. We weren't using our terminals, but we heard a beep anyway...
: ???: *beep*
;(The screen now starts to become darker with every line of dialogue)
: !!!
: Paimon: Traveler, did you hear that!?
: Dehya: I heard it, too! Our ears aren't messing with us. There was definitely a beep, but it sounded like it was coming from inside my head!
: Dehya: We took off our Akasha Terminals... How...?
;(The screen flickers to grayscale and then becomes completely black)
:
: ???: Phase runtime has exceeded its expected length. At this rate, there may be casualties...
: ???: But... we cannot lose all of our progress.
===Attempting to leave Sumeru City===
==Tutorial==
==Soundtracks==
==Trivia==
*During Where the Boat of Consciousness Lies, Nahida mentions that the total amount of Sabzeruz Samsara cycles ended with the 168th, meaning that during this quest the Traveler and Paimon experienced the 163rd loop, far higher than Paimon's final guess of "fortieth."
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
==Navigation==
es:Una edición más del Festival Sabzeruz
ja:流れ延びゆく花神誕祭
vi:Lễ Hội Sabzeruz Vẫn Còn