People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 500 Sea of ​​the Heart: It's no secret that Haiqi Island cannot fight against the gods, but without resistance, survival is impossible…

On the other side, there's Haigi Island.

After waiting for a long time in the Coral Palace, a long-dormant tension settled in his heart as he looked at the four "resistance army" leaders who appeared before him.
After hesitating for a moment, I finally offered my greetings politely:
"So, this is Mr. 'Harden,' and this is Mr. 'Gu Zhong,' your 'Rebel Army's' coach and strategist, respectively."
And this Miss Paimon is your deputy leader.”

"Hmm, then it's a pleasure doing business with you?"

Somewhat surprisingly, the leader of this extremely powerful team has such an appearance.
Leaving aside the "deputy leader" who seemed to have taken a lot of food at the welcoming ceremony,
Looking at the coach, who seemed quite old, and the rather thin scholar Inazuma beside him, Shinkai, with mixed feelings, never expected that the people who had taken away his helper would be like these.
"So, Umijima wants to join forces with us to fight against the Shogunate army, is that right?"

"No problem, no problem at all. But it seems we don't have that many people. What are you planning to have us do after we join forces?"

He was temporarily given the position of deputy leader, and he was always given a lot of food whenever he saw his own "resistance army" soldiers.
Having finally felt a surge of responsibility, Paimon worried that they might be required to engage in a war of attrition with the enemy on the front lines.

"No, please rest assured."

"Since it's a collaboration, we should naturally leverage the strengths of both sides. Haiqi Island will not intentionally cause any losses to you."

"According to Goro's previous report, your comrades and yourselves possess extremely strong combat capabilities, and your previous performance even surpassed that of the Shogunate army and the elite squads of Umijima."

"The resistance has been fighting the shogunate for so long that even the most ordinary commanders would know that it is an extremely unwise command to send small groups with such fighting power into the main battle."

"Unlike new recruits, every seasoned soldier is trained under extremely demanding conditions."

In terms of impact on the overall battle situation, special operations such as decapitation strikes, infiltration, and sabotage behind enemy lines are undoubtedly more suitable for you.

"—I, as the current goddess priestess, represent Haiji Island and the resistance army to make this guarantee."

Not only will you have the right to modify and discuss battle plans on an equal footing, but we will also do our utmost to provide you with assistance and intelligence on the main battlefield.

The promises made were extremely serious, and Xin Hai himself was exceptionally solemn.
Even the priestess who was taking notes noticed this and sensed her leader's unprecedented determination to facilitate this cooperation.

"."

He remained silent for a moment, patiently waiting for the responses from those in front of him, while also turning his head to look at the blonde girl in the center.

Although in the previous conversation, it was mostly this 'deputy leader' who did the talking,

However, judging from their positions and the attitudes of the two people next to them, Xin Hai could also realize that the one who truly had the decision-making power was the traveler lady whom he had previously tried to recruit.

"Sabotage and decapitation behind enemy lines"

"If the information provided is detailed enough, and we deem it appropriate after balancing the risks and benefits, we are not incapable of taking on the relevant work."

"But our soldiers are few in number, and they are not expendable commodities to change the course of the battle."

If the plan for the operation is unreasonable, we reserve the right to refuse participation under any circumstances.

After a moment's thought, and also seeking advice from the person in the valley beside him,

Ying believes that this collaborative model, which allows them to learn about the plan in advance and discuss it, is not unacceptable to them.

Currently, the "resistance army" with its headquarters at Yuanxia Palace is not particularly lacking in supplies, nor does it face much survival pressure.

But even the strongest warrior is still just an ordinary person, and she doesn't have two hundred God's Eye holders under her command.
The effectiveness of engaging such a small number of people in a large-scale, head-on war is extremely limited, and the casualties are very difficult to guarantee.

If we could obtain the latest intelligence and information on the movements of the Shogunate army from Umijima Island, then by laying ambushes at the ruins in advance, we could minimize manpower losses.
"Phew, rest assured, the intelligence system on Umijima Island is our greatest asset in fighting the Shogunate army until now. As extraordinary forces capable of changing the course of the war, the intelligence and support provided by the resistance army will be as accurate and timely as possible."

Finally, a relatively clear stance was obtained.

Xin Hai breathed a slight sigh of relief. He didn't underestimate the opposing team because of their smaller numbers, but instead made a guarantee based on complete equality:
Ordinary soldiers are easy to find, but elite, well-organized units of this caliber are extremely rare.

Although the resistance army used Haiji Island as its base, a large portion of its fighters were actually civilians who had been displaced and unable to survive due to persecution by the magistrates.
With the continuous replenishment of soldiers, the numerical gap between them and the shogunate army was not as outrageous as it seemed.

Previously, after a problem occurred at the Mikage furnace core in Tamasa, Umijima rescued a large number of craftsmen and refugees trapped in the area contaminated by the evil spirits, and brought them back to Hachiyun Island for temporary residence.

Many of the people who had taken in victims of the Eye Hunt Order also chose to join the resistance because of the order's laissez-faire attitude.

The direct victims of the confiscation of the Eye of God, foreign visitors oppressed by the Enforcer of the Imperial Censorate, merchants whose property was seized by the Northern Bank, and refugees fleeing the exorbitant taxes levied by the Enforcer of the Heavenly Territory.
The composition of the resistance forces was very complex, and the sources of their manpower gradually increased as the intensity of the war rose.

Analyzing the previous wars in the most intuitive way, it can be said that the current decline is largely due to the fact that there are too few elite troops among these personnel, making it difficult to fight against truly well-trained shogunate samurai.

Regardless of where this force came from or how it came to possess so many unreasonable and elite soldiers,
In any case, as long as both sides share the same goal, their participation will completely change the unfavorable situation on Umijima Island, where it is powerless to resist the small elite forces of the Shogunate army.

"So, does Haiqi Island have any way to fight against that god?"

"Or perhaps, your reason for rebelling is the same as ours: you have no choice but to face the shogunate's army that comes to capture you?"

Having signed that cooperation agreement, it can be considered a confirmation of their shared allegiance.
Paimon thought about her and Ying's original purpose for joining the resistance, and was also curious about what gave them the confidence to rebel against the other side when they had gods.

"."

"To be honest, Haiqi Island has no means of countermeasures against the general. Our resistance is only to hope that the wishes of the people and the cruel reality of the people under the Eye Hunting Order can reach the ears of the gods."

“We may not be qualified to judge the general’s right or wrong, but everyone gathered here is in a situation where they cannot survive without resisting.”

"The actions of the gods, the decrees, and even the fools are far too blatant, as if they are ignoring the existence of the gods. This is extremely unreasonable."

"The root of the Eye Hunting Order and the people's plight lies in the gods. Therefore, only when the forces of resistance are strong enough and the desire to resist is intense enough can we obtain the opportunity to communicate with the gods and change everything."

"Based on my deduction, if our resistance really brings the gods to the battlefield, or even one day advances to the mainland of Narukami Island, then this could become the greatest crisis for the resistance army, and it could also become the opportunity to end the Eye Hunting Edict and the Seclusion Edict." At this point, there is no need to think about whether the Fools were behind the Shogunate's demand for huge taxes from Umijima Island, and it is extremely difficult to investigate whether there were any spies from other forces mixed in during the bloody conflict that gradually intensified.

However, the situation where survival is impossible without resistance is already set in stone, and only by obtaining the opportunity to communicate with the gods can this situation be changed.

The resistance needed to be strong enough that the shogunate could not conceal the true will of the people by embellishing battle reports.
If there is indeed a possibility that the gods are being deceived, perhaps only when the rebels reach the gods will the truth come to light.

"Oh, is that so? While I admire your courage, what if that god were to act unreasonably and just strike down with a single blow?"

Having witnessed firsthand just how outrageous the Thunder General's destructive power truly was, Paimon was certain that no matter how powerful the resistance, they would likely be wiped out with a single strike.
Considering the worst-case scenario, she cast a hesitant glance at the sea of ​​emotions before her.

“I have considered it. But I have no choice. Our gods are no longer here. All I can do is support those who trust me to continue the fight.”

"But the fact that Haiqi Island cannot stand against the gods is no secret, and I have never concealed it."

"Since they know they might be reduced to ashes by a single blow from the gods, why are so many people still willing to resist?"
So, in the eyes of these soldiers, perhaps their lives were originally much worse than this ending.

Whether one resists or not, destruction will follow; but at least compared to becoming a slave under the oppression of the shogunate, the latter offers a glimmer of hope.

It was clear that the people's wishes had completely strayed from the divine, and the shogunate had become utterly corrupt through its cooperation with the foolish masses.

It is clear that the resistance has been able to hold out until today largely because of the ever-increasing number of refugees.

Xin Hai was convinced that as long as they could convey this wish to the gods, their resistance so far would not have been in vain.

"."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. At least the general has never swung that sword at ordinary people outside of a duel in front of the emperor before, so the final result may not be so pessimistic."

"The Shogunate army's offensive has temporarily stalled, and the horde of monsters gathered near Musou no Hayabusa is also able to halt their advance."
Considering the impact of the deity's leak on the lives of ordinary people, we would like to invite you to participate in the rescue of the people of Hiki Village, and at the same time, to find a way to repair the talisman on Hachiyū Island.”

After a moment of silence, they finally decided to shift the topic away from the more serious issues.

This rare respite allows us to briefly shift our focus from the war back to relief and people's livelihoods.

Thinking back to the misunderstanding that Hikimura had about the resistance forces due to the accidental sinking of the shogunate's rescue ship,

After a moment's thought, Xin Hai decided to entrust this task to the new ally in front of him.

"...This is...a letter of aid? Providing supplies needed to fight the Tokugawa army free of charge?"

"I never expected that even we were involved. Is there really such a kind person in Inatsuma?"

After leaving the Coral Palace, they prepared to reunite with the other warriors still participating in the victory celebration.
Paimon looked at the letter of aid in his hand, which had been suddenly brought in by a messenger at the end of the conversation, and had no idea who would provide them with support.

"Xin Hai doesn't know who the assisting party is either, so the possibility of a scam cannot be ruled out. We need to be careful."

"But the first batch of supplies has reportedly already been delivered to Haiqi Island, and it includes Mora, food, medicine, weapons, and all sorts of other things."
Regardless of their identity, based on the current situation, they are indeed providing assistance to the resistance against the Shogunate army, so there should be no need to worry too much.

Not only Paimon, but also Ying, who was standing to the side, looked at the letter of aid that hoped they would "fight the shogunate army with all their might," and was also somewhat puzzled:
—This resistance group has only just appeared; theoretically, news of them shouldn't have spread much yet, but someone is already willing to provide financial assistance.
Judging from this alone, this mysterious funder is clearly extraordinary in terms of both intelligence and financial resources.

"Well, okay, Paimon also feels that the person delivering the food can't be a bad person."

"Wait a minute! Come to think of it, didn't we forget to tell Xinhai that our base is located in Yuanxia Palace? She didn't even ask."

Halfway through the conversation, I suddenly remembered something.
Not forgetting that their own base was borrowed from someone else's ancestral land, Paimon was also puzzled as to why their ally had only agreed on a meeting place, without even asking where they were now.

"Don't be surprised, 'Deputy Leader,' this is just a necessary understanding."

“We are different from the resistance forces on Haizhi Island. With such a small force, it wouldn’t be surprising if we stayed anywhere. So our base is our biggest secret.”

"Logically speaking, if we were to easily reveal our encampment, and there was any possibility that the Shogunate army would find out, we would only be met with a large-scale encirclement and annihilation."
Although our soldiers are not afraid of death, engaging in combat in this manner within an encirclement will undoubtedly maximize losses.

"As for the current situation, perhaps the other side has discovered that there are spies within the resistance, so in order to prevent leaks, it is also possible that they are simply trying to reassure us and express their sincerity."

He took the initiative to continue the conversation with his deputy leader.

Gu Zhong, who had barely spoken except during the final signing of the alliance agreement, was clearly not surprised by the current outcome.

"."

"To put our relatively weaker selves at ease, it seems that Miss Xinhai is indeed sincere."

Hearing this analysis, and looking at the white fur ball beside her who suddenly understood, Ying nodded in agreement.

Let's shift our focus away from the issue of borrowing from Yuanxia Palace.

Looking at the handover location of the supplies indicated on the letter in her hand, Ying pondered for a moment and decided to go and get the food and supplies that Paimon had been longing for first:

"Let's go and get the aid provided by this mysterious ally. It's said that the supplies clearly indicate which portion belongs to us and which portion belongs to the resistance forces on Haiqi Island."

"I don't know exactly what's in it. After we get the funding, we'll rest for a bit and then go to Bayun Island to complete our first commission since we started this partnership."

I only vaguely know that someone had previously ventured deep into the vicinity of Hiki Village and spread the word that the shogunate would rescue the residents of Hiki Village who were deeply affected by the vengeful spirits and help them leave Hachiun Island.
But after the people actually boarded the boat, the rescue vessel inexplicably sank into the sea.

For some reason, rumors later circulated in the area that "the rebels scuttled the rescue ships to prevent the shogunate from providing further aid."

Therefore, Xin Hai entrusted this new resistance force to carry out the rescue in place of Coral Palace.
(End of this chapter)