People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 485 Valley: Welcome, Princess… cough, Miss Ying, we, the “Rebel Army,” have been waiting for you for a long time.
Northeast of Inazuma Castle, facing east of Shandong, is the Shrine Magistrate's Office, the Divine Village Office.

As noon approached, the historic courtyard house fully awakened in the sunlight.

After the storm, even though there were few pedestrians, the camellias planted in the courtyard still stretched out their leaves and bloomed with beautiful flowers mixed with red and white against the backdrop of many fallen cherry blossom petals.

"."

With the camellia flower, a symbol of resilience, as their family crest, the Kamisato family has never lacked the courage to rise again after adversity.
However, the current predicament, so dire that it is on the verge of being replaced by a separate family, is something that the Kamisato family has only faced a handful of times in its entire history.

"."

As spring transitioned into summer, a slightly damp sea breeze blew in from the east side of the courtyard, causing the snow-white hair of the young girl beneath the pavilion to sway gently.
After reviewing the latest report in her hand, Ayaka Kamisato, known to the outside world as the "White Heron Princess," looked troubled and glanced at her brother across from her:
"Since the last 'Eye Hunting Ritual,' Thomas's loss of his Eye of God seems to be seen as a public statement from the Shogun. Overnight, the Kamisato family has faced several times more hostility than before."

"Although Miss Ying helped, Thomas himself was unharmed. Faced with the petitions from the Kansei and Tenryo magistrates, the shogun, lacking evidence, did not hold the Sha magistrate accountable for the assistance he had provided to outsiders on the remote island."

"But after his mother's passing, the company had only recently emerged from its previous crisis."

The people are uneasy now, and many of those who have split up have tacitly made probing moves, which are likely supported by the Fools or the other two major factions.

Thomas's incident was merely a pretext; one could sense that it was actually a form of exclusion against those who "didn't fit in."

Since the country closed itself off, the hostility the Kamisato family has faced has been increasing day by day, and now it has finally reached a critical point.

"The family splits up. Ah, just as expected."

"Now that things have come to this, Ayaka, what are your thoughts? The current situation of the Shaka magistrate is not good. Are you going to accept the conditions of the Fools and the Tenryo magistrate?"

"It's probably because the general's attitude made them anxious. Judging from the conditions offered this time, at least the other side believes they are indeed very 'sincere.'"

He put down the paper cup in his hand, looked at his younger sister, shook his head and smiled, and asked for her opinion.

Seemingly noticing the girl's excessive anxiety, the blue-haired youth hesitated for a moment, then handed her a drink he was carrying.

—It didn't contain any expensive tea, but rather the dango milk tea he brought back from the town today as a perk before the opening of "Yuki no Tsutsumi" (Fuchi no Sweet Shop). His younger sister probably loved the taste of it.

"."

"Thank you, but brother, you should drink less sugary drinks, otherwise Granny Momoyo will start worrying again."

Suddenly interrupted by this, I realized that my brother had apparently drunk several glasses of alcohol while we were chatting.
Knowing this was one of the other party's rare attempts to relax, the dignified young woman sighed slightly, feeling somewhat helpless about the young man's habit of eating indiscriminately.

I'm very curious about where this drink came from that my older brother likes so much. Could it be some strange thing with a unique flavor, like octopus-tendon milk tea?

Ayaka Kamisato inserted a straw and took a sip with a slightly wary expression.

"."

Her movements paused slightly as the sweet milk dumplings and a unique aroma of unknown origin mingled on her tongue. The initially tense girl gradually relaxed and suddenly realized that this time it didn't seem to be a culinary disaster.

I glanced at the design on the cup and memorized the name "Yuanshang Dessert Shop".

Feeling inexplicably better, Ayaka Kamisato calmed her breathing and decided to get back to the main topic:
“Brother, please don’t joke. The Society’s leadership is the one closest to the people, and it would never agree to the cooperation plans of the foolish masses that are aimed at plundering wealth.”

"Moreover, this isn't the first time they've sent a letter. There have been many better opportunities before, but your attitude has never changed, brother."

Given his brother's abilities, if he truly wanted to seek cooperation with the Fools like the other two magistrates, then the Shaman magistrate's special position would not lack methods to seize the initiative.

But over all this time, no matter how generous the promised returns or how blatant the threats, the organization's course of action has never deviated in the slightest.
Unlike his smooth and diplomatic approach to things, his older brother's attitude on this matter was far more resolute than it appeared to outsiders.

"Heh, Ayaka, you're right. We certainly can't accept this so-called cooperation."

"Giving up their principles and pursuing immediate gains like the other two old men might, in the short term, allow the Kamisato family to escape the crisis."

But they've probably gotten senile; they've forgotten what their family has relied on to survive for so long.

"They betrayed what they had always relied on, choosing to relinquish the power to control their own destiny."

"You know, our reputation as 'Winter's Friends' has never been very good. If we set aside our current greed, the outcome of cooperating with us was predictable from the start."

It wasn't surprising that his younger sister could understand this; Ayato Kamisato knew very well that even if he accepted the cooperation, it would still be a slow death.

Since the three major doctrines prospered because of their service to the gods, they will inevitably decline because of their betrayal of the gods.
While the foolish masses can choose to withdraw after acquiring sufficient benefits, the magistrates, who have lived here for thousands of years and have a complex and extensive family lineage, have never had the option to leave from the very beginning.

"So, according to my elder brother's wishes, our greatest hope now is indeed those two reinforcements from outside?"

"To fight against Lord Oogami to save Thomas, Miss Ying's martial prowess and character are certainly trustworthy."

The only problem now is that the events that have occurred are too far beyond comprehension. We don't know what the current human-god priestess of Haiqi Island thinks, or whether she dares to accept such a special newcomer.”

Previously, they had already found an opportunity to reconnect with Thomas and arranged for the ninjas of the final chapter to deliver information about what happened in Inazuma Castle and Ms. Ying's plan to find the resistance army to the Coral Palace.

Although the positions of the society and the resistance were too different, the two sides could never reach a mutual trust.
Even so, faced with such a powerful outsider, Miss Coral Palace, who lacks a capable general, shouldn't be willing to let this opportunity pass. "Heh, if nothing unexpected happens, she will accept such reinforcements."

The general has been much more active lately, and his interest in frontline battle reports has increased significantly.

The army under the command of the Heavenly Territory could no longer delay the attack as before, and the pressure on Haiqi Island was far greater than before.

He waved his hand, smiled, and answered his sister's question, while taking another sip of the milk tea in his cup.

Ayato Kamisato thought that ever since that eye-hunting ritual, Inazuma, who had been like a stagnant pool, seemed to have suddenly been injected with some vitality.
Turning his head towards the direction of Umijima Island, he inexplicably understood why the High Priest had said that the two visitors would be the only ones to change the situation in Inazuma.

Meanwhile, on the westernmost side of Inazuma territory lies Kaigi Island.

Perhaps it is the remnant of the power of the ancient demon god, or perhaps it is the contamination of the rich elemental energy, but the scenery of this island, inhabited by the descendants of the ancient serpent god Orobas, is exceptionally unique.

Blue-purple plants and flowers cover the center of the island, and numerous "sea moons" that resemble floating jellyfish drift slowly in the air. Coral remains and huge giant clams are scattered everywhere.

Boasting stunning scenery unique to the entire Teyvat region, the island's dreamy and tranquil atmosphere forms the foundation of its lifestyle.
Although it wasn't nighttime, and the floating moon and the plants below didn't emit light, at first glance, even though it was on land, it still gave people a sense of lightness as if it were floating in the ocean.

Coral Palace in the center of Haigi Island.

A lightly dressed girl with long pink hair that gradually turned pinkish-blue sat in the center of a side hall, facing a brown-haired boy with animal ears and a tail.

As the supreme leader of Umijima Island and the "Living Goddess of the Living," who inherits the will of the gods to protect the people, Coral Palace Heart Sea has been beloved by the residents since she took office at a young age.
It possesses a noble bloodline passed down from ancient times, and now governs everything, including politics, military affairs, wealth, and even the resistance army.
The young woman, who is both talented and beautiful, is undoubtedly seen as a "genius" by others. She has always shouldered the expectations and future of the people and has always been able to plan ahead without showing any signs of anxiety or difficulty.

However, nothing is absolute; even the calmest person has moments of emotional fluctuation.
At this special time, after receiving a letter from the final ninja of the magistrate's office...

Recently, having been leading a resistance army far weaker than the enemy against repeated attacks from the shogunate army, the already exhausted Sangomiya Kokoro suddenly perked up. Looking at the dog-eared boy before her, she made arrangements with lightning speed:
"Goro, our reinforcements will be here soon. While the shogunate army's offensive is temporarily slow, please take the most elite swordfish squad and bring them to the Coral Palace as quickly as possible."

"—This is the highest priority task. Please be sure to greet our guests with the utmost courtesy."

The pressure from the shogunate army's general Kujo Sana was immense, and their side lacked a capable commander to counter him. Meanwhile, Kujo Sana had been constantly drafting strategies and giving speeches, and his "energy level" had long since plummeted to negative numbers.

Having long awaited this day, Coral Palace Heart Sea was eager to see the traveler who had fought the God of Thunder for so long in front of a large crowd.

"Yes, in the name of 'General,' I promise to reach the destination as quickly as possible and ensure the mission is completed."

Nodding, he straightened up and solemnly made a promise. Knowing how much his leader valued this matter, Goro decided to go and greet them as quickly as possible.

He took the token, the portrait, and turned to leave.
But just as he took the "secret book" from the girl in front of him,
Considering the importance of Lord Coral Palace to the entire Sea God Island, the brown-haired boy paused, and finally voiced his doubts:
"Actually, I've always looked forward to seeing such a powerful figure who can fight against the gods."

"However, Lord Coral Palace, as someone introduced by the magistrate of the company, and such a powerful person at that, isn't the timing of the reinforcements we are about to welcome a bit too coincidental?"
"Wouldn't it be dangerous for you to meet like this?"

The shogunate army's offensive grew increasingly fierce. Although the resistance forces gathered at the Coral Palace still had many skilled fighters, many of them now had their divine eyes embedded in the statues, and their strength was beginning to wane.
With the addition of the unmatched Tengu, it could be said that this was the most difficult time for the resistance to hold out, and it was at this critical moment that...
"Phew, don't worry, it's normal for you to think that way."

"However, I have carefully researched the relevant experience of this reinforcement, and there is not much risk involved."

"Not only is she powerful, but she is also an honorary knight of Mondstadt. The reason she is wanted is most likely because she injured a Fatui enforcer and was falsely accused of a crime."

"To be fair, the resistance forces are far weaker than the shogunate army. The only reason they've held out this long is because of serious internal conflicts; otherwise, they would have had virtually no chance."
But precisely because of this, we need to gather as much power as possible, and ensure we have as many capable personnel as possible when we engage in battle.

"."

"Well, if there's anything to worry about, the biggest concern is probably that the other party isn't willing to join us."
After all, the other side was not a native of Inazuma, and the resistance forces could not offer any decent compensation.

Having considered the matter many times and weighed the risks before deciding to accept this extremely rare and powerful individual,
One's energy is ultimately limited, and ingenious strategies and schemes are not omnipotent; I'm now nearing my limit.
If they do not receive a strong replenishment, the resistance is already in the process of a slow death. In that case, they might as well take a gamble.

"I understand. Since this is your opinion, I will do everything in my power to complete the mission."

"--Please rest assured, Lord Coral Palace, the speed of the Swordfish Squad is unmatched. We will find Miss Ying the moment our reinforcements arrive."

They also discovered that managing everything on Haiqi Island was an overwhelming burden for the person before them.

Goro, who had been promoted to "General" by his own hand, pressed his fist to his chest and solemnly promised that he would do everything in his power to bring the person back as soon as they arrived.

At the same time, on the other side.

After a long journey from Narukami Island, they finally arrived at Kannazuka under the escort of the final episode, but there was still some distance to go before reaching their final destination, Umijima Island.

After waving goodbye to the ninja magistrates who were unable to continue their advance due to territorial disputes, Ying and Paimon hadn't even had time to consult the map to find their way to Umijima.

The next second, an exceptionally excited and enthusiastic voice, as if it had been waiting for a long time, appeared in their ears:

"Oh, Princess... cough, Miss Ying, we've been waiting for you for so long, you've finally arrived!"

"We, the Resistance Army, have been waiting for you for quite some time in the Valley."

(End of this chapter)