People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 490 Shadow: Even if the price of eternity is myself

Yuanshang Dessert Shop, back kitchen.

Choose to make some quick and easy desserts and serve them to a female homebody while she's having a snack.

Upon arriving at the bakery, we told Kalibel, whose shift was already over, to go and rest first.
After Lin Feng took out the materials, he noticed that Hana Sanri, who had also come here, looked at him with some surprise:
"You're here too? Is there some dessert you'd like me to make?"

"However, I don't recall seeing you make anything other than fried tofu before."

Before, when it was filthy, it didn't need to sleep. But since it was brought back, probably due to the awakening of its bloodline instincts, every night this guy turns into a little fox and sleeps in some strange places in the yard.

All that is known is that this white fox prefers to use its magic to create a protective barrier outdoors to rest, and occasionally uses the kitchen to make fried tofu.
Lin Feng was genuinely puzzled as to why Hana Sanri had come with him this time.

"...They're just some ordinary snacks. Compared to you, I'm actually not very good at making these kinds of things."

Meeting the gaze, I noticed the surprise in the person's words.
Having temporarily reverted to her original form, Hana Sanri looked in the direction of the special guest in the hall and gently shook her head.

"Although, given Aying's personality, I know that once she makes up her mind to do something, the probability of being persuaded directly is very low."

"But there still seemed to be a trace of confusion in her heart regarding everything about 'eternity'."
"Consider it a small trial, and I'll also send a few small gifts."

Long, long ago, even "Zhen" (the true one) had no good way to persuade Aying when she became obsessive.
She was also well aware that she couldn't help her god overcome the fear of the abyss and loss in her heart.

However, the "treatment" plan needs to be implemented, and the current chat can also be tried.
If we could find out why Ah Ying is so insistent on pursuing "eternity," it would be much easier to find the right solution.

"Do you need my help?"

"You shouldn't have any problems suddenly making something other than fried tofu, right?"

Turning to the side, Lin Feng cast a worried glance at this guy, who was just like Shenzi in his previous image as a fanatical fan of fried tofu.

Hana Sanri: "."

I'm not the only person who can make fried tofu. What's with that distrustful look on your face?
The most basic requirement to be called a fox spirit is that you are good at the vast majority of things, okay?

Shaking her head, Hana Sanri sighed softly, thinking that she could make some other foods for breakfast in the future, and replied:

"Please rest assured, it's just some steamed buns and three-colored dumplings. These are simple desserts, and as long as A-Ying doesn't make them herself, it's generally not a problem."

He paused slightly, unconsciously glancing towards the shop door, his words interrupted.

"."

Meeting Lin Feng's probing gaze, Hana Sanri withdrew her eyes and said with a touch of nostalgia:
"Two guests have arrived at the door, and they seem to have the aura of a dream-eating Baku."

"Although I knew that five hundred years ago, they, who were not good at fighting, simply hid and did not disappear, seeing their existence in person now is still quite a shock."

Coming to my senses, I stopped focusing my attention on other things.

Hana Sanri took the ingredients Lin Feng handed her, intending to finish the dessert she was currently making first, and then find another opportunity to observe the two little guys next door later.

Meanwhile, in front of the dessert shop.

The moon hangs high in the sky, and the streets are gradually becoming less crowded with pedestrians.

Having finally finished their work at Qiusha Public Bathhouse, the two figures, not feeling particularly well, stopped and hesitated before standing in front of this newly opened dessert shop.

"Ah Zi, is this the 'competitor' you were talking about?"

"But no matter how you look at it, the dessert shop and our Qiusha Sauce Bath shouldn't be competing for customers."

With pink hair and pointed ears, and her pink ponytail carefully tied on the left side, the younger sister, Bai Ri Bai Yin, looked down at her older sister with a puzzled expression, unable to understand.

"Baiyin, you've heard Ruixi talk about this so many times already, don't you know the origin of this shop?"

"It's been vacant for so long, but suddenly a dessert shop opened recently. I don't think that Lord Kuji would do something meaningless."

With her dark purple hair tied into twin ponytails, Chai Yezi, who had similar physical features but was a good half the height of her younger sister, sighed slightly, feeling somewhat helpless about her sister's slow-wittedness.

"So, we're here to gather information on our 'competitors'? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Having never done anything like this before, the pink-haired girl became inexplicably nervous thinking about the consequences of messing it up.

"Do not."

"We're just working normally at Qiusha Qiantang, there's no need to worry about so much. Just leave the management issues to Lan Chuan."

"We're just here for a casual visit, maybe to see if there are any desserts that can help us relax."

His physique was similar to that of a child, but his speech carried a weariness unique to those who had worked for many years.
Her behavior and manners were far more mature than her younger sister, who was only physically mature. The purple-haired girl blinked her amber eyes and looked up at the still-lit sign in front of her.

"Baiyin, are you tired today?"

As they walked, without any warning, Chai Yezi asked her younger sister a question.

"Eh?"

"Yes, a little, but I can still manage."

"—Very good, but I don't want to insist."

He decisively interrupted his sister, and then made a declaration consistent with his work ethic.

Chai Yezi, whose physique and performance were vastly different, sighed slightly, her tone tinged with helplessness:
"Phew, so tired. I tried my best to stand in a secluded corner and even pushed the customers away, but I'm still in such a bad state."

“Not only the store’s employees, but also the people in the community have been feeling unwell lately. This is not something that can be resolved by simply persevering.”

"While being able to take sick leave is great, if this continues, I might have to ask Lord Mizuki to bring Mizuki back."

Perhaps it's because even after a full day at work, there are often ways to do nothing, making me more sensitive to physical and mental fatigue.

Looking at her younger sister, who was just working a part-time job but stubbornly persisting, Chai Yezi realized she didn't have her sister's inexhaustible energy, and felt a bit listless.
"Feeling tired after work is normal. Swallowing nightmares can also be a burden until they are fully digested. But if you still feel tired even if you do nothing, this may be the Dream Frontier."

"."

"Sigh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you, so let's not talk about it."

"Eating some desserts really does help relax me. But there probably aren't many customers in the shop right now, so I don't know if it's officially open yet. I guess I'll just treat this as a shop visit."

"."

Purple Leaf: ? ? ?

Before he could finish speaking, his movements froze.

I just said there weren't many customers inside, but when I arrived at the door, a pair of purple eyes stared at me. For a moment, I thought I'd been slacking off for too short a time today, causing a mental problem.
Completely bewildered as to why the general was here, a certain dream-eating tapir stood there, feeling utterly pressured and caught in a dilemma.

A moment later, the hall had two more dream-eating tapir backdrops.

The "gift" was placed on a wooden tray on the already empty desk of a certain homebody.
Unsurprised by the scene, Hana Sanri greeted them with a smile:
"—Lord Oogami, I apologize for the wait. This is part of the complimentary gift. Please enjoy it first."

"Several desserts are still in production. Please rest assured that Mr. Fuchigami's skills will not disappoint you."

Politely placed the three-colored dumplings, steamed buns, and rice pudding from the tray onto the table.
As if unaware of the complex gazes directed at her, just like the reaction of an ordinary person upon seeing a deity, Hana Sanri gave a slight bow and prepared to leave.

"."

"Please wait a moment."

"Is there anything else you need, Lord Oogami?"

I heard this plea to stay at exactly the expected time.

Looking at her "old friend" in front of her, Hana Sanri could already guess what she was going to say.

"It's nothing. Miss Fox Flower Scattering, would you mind staying here for a moment?"

Seeing the familiar dessert on the plate, and looking at that familiar face, a long-forgotten greeting welled up inside me.

But fully aware that her old friend who had left would never return, Shadow ultimately addressed him by his name.

"Hmm, is something troubling you?"

"Please don't be shy, it's my pleasure to talk to you."

Responding with impeccable manners, and seeing the purple-haired figure who seemed to want her to sit opposite, Hana Sanri smiled and nodded, readily accepting the invitation.

"You want to ask me about my past experiences and my views on 'eternity'?"

"Hmm, that is indeed a difficult problem."

Seeing that the shadow in front of him was eating desserts more and more slowly, and amidst the incomprehensible gazes of the two dream-eating beasts beside him, Hana Sanri calmly sat down opposite the general.

After answering some simple questions, Hana Sanri paused slightly, somewhat surprised to hear this overly direct and "dangerous" topic.

"I'm sorry, it might be a coincidence, but you reminded me of an old friend."

"Miss Hanahara, your speech and manners are no less than those of the noble families of the shogunate. I think you might consider going to the castle tower."

At first, Ying didn't intend to poach people like the general, but after recalling her experience at this small shop, and faced with the two who looked so alike, Ying finally couldn't help but ask and give it a try.

"The General's invitation... it's really hard to decide for the time being."

"But to you, I am just an ordinary person right now, and I don't even know how to make many desserts, so I really can't help you with your worries."

Instead of giving a direct affirmative or negative answer, Hana Sanri simply stated the facts in a gentle tone.

After a slight pause, recalling the two questions Ying had initially raised, Hana Sanri gathered her thoughts and answered:

"Neither of your questions can be answered in a short time, but coincidentally, I may be able to answer them together."

"I imagine you've heard Mr. Yuan Shang mention that I had a period of homelessness before. That's true, though a little incomplete."

With a sigh, Hana Sanri pushed the teacup across from her, looked at Aying who was staring at her, shook her head, and continued her story:

"Leaving aside my birth, which was neither fortunate to myself nor to others,

After being alone, my strongest memories are of a now-dilapidated shrine, with no family or friends around, only the lingering darkness constantly eroding my body.

"For a long time, I didn't know what the meaning of my existence was. To me at that time, perhaps ten days or a hundred days would not have made any difference."

"This went on for a long time. Finally, one day, I got tired of everything that was unchanging and made up my mind to end that kind of life."

"But things didn't go smoothly."

"I had the urge to greet others, but most ignored me. I even mustered up the courage to ask two passing travelers for help, but they also didn't respond."

"However, perhaps it was divine mercy that the failed attempt was not entirely meaningless. Mr. Fuchigami eventually found me, and after that, you should already know everything that is happening now."

He raised his head and looked at the shadow in front of him, which was looking at him with an apologetic expression.

Without forgetting her initial purpose, Hana Sanri also summarized her views on eternity:

"Actually, if you ask me what I think, 'eternity' is indeed beautiful, but I feel that necessary changes are inevitable. If I didn't have the courage to break away from the past, I might not be where I am today."

"Moreover, this is just my personal opinion, but I think 'eternity' might not come without a price."

"Over an excessively long period of time, every variable that could potentially disrupt eternity requires power to quell it. While those who enjoy eternity may find comfort in it, for those who maintain eternity, it is in fact an endless and solitary ordeal."

Hana Sanri could have gained the gods' approval simply by praising eternity, but instead, she gave a reply that might offend them.

"."

But just as the two dream-eating beasts beside him were casting incredulous glances, wishing they could transform back into their original forms and sneak away,

The gods, who should have been eternally devoted, did not show anger, but instead fell silent for a moment, revealing an exceptionally complex expression:
"Maintaining eternity comes at a price, and I am well aware of that."

"But 'this moment' is the most fragile illusion in the world; even the lightning that illuminates the heavens and earth will vanish silently in the next instant."

"This body is the most supreme and noble body, holding the great power of the world."

"The identity of a deity represents so much. As the expectation of my many subjects, and as the promise of inheriting this power, I should promise the Inazuma subjects eternal and unchanging prosperity for thousands of generations."

"Even if you have to pay the price?"

Even if the price is myself.

Without hesitation, a resolute answer was given.

This is the Inazuma that was loved by many of his friends. The moment he accepted it, he was taking on the hopes of all the deceased.

Eternity is not for one's own sake, but for the sake of Inazuma's existence and all those familiar to one's being, so that they will not leave one's side.

As long as she can find a way to slow down her own wear and tear as much as possible, she can help the people of Inazuma deal with external enemies for a much longer, almost infinitely long time.

(End of this chapter)