People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 518 Heart Sea: The general's governing abilities have been severely underestimated; going to Narukami Island should be...

On the east side of Haizhi Island, there is an unnamed fortress.

The mist dissipated, the sky cleared, and the gods annihilated a vast number of demons with a single stroke.

As if suddenly put on pause, they were pulled away from the state of fighting to the death against the monsters.

Gazing at the dark remnants left behind after the demons vanished, all the warriors on the entire island of Haiqi fell silent for a moment.

"."

"Lord Coral Palace, the elemental residue left by that strike just now was very high."
If we stay here any longer, many soldiers will suffer further damage to their bodies. Please tell us…

With a single swing of the blade, it was as if a thunderstorm had been unleashed on the spot.

Although the gods eliminated all threats in the vicinity with extremely high efficiency, even the remnant of that one strike would still be difficult for ordinary people to withstand.

"."

"The front line was withdrawn, leaving a small number of soldiers stationed there."

"The warriors who used the Evil Eye have returned to the island to recuperate and need not participate in any further battles in the near future."

Never before had I so clearly felt the gap in combat strength between the General and Haiji Island.
Even Xin Hai, who had anticipated this, felt extremely complex emotions upon seeing the scene before him.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"Don't worry about my feelings. I probably already guessed it."

Seeing that Ruko hadn't left after giving her report and seemed hesitant to speak,
Xin Hai sighed softly, feeling that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

"."

"The soldiers are currently discussing the general's last words, and the debate among them is quite heated."

"Our warriors on Haiji Island are unwilling to compromise, but many of the soldiers who defected earlier have the hope of setting off for Narukami Island now."

"The conflict between them has intensified compared to before, and I'm worried."

In front of the wounded soldiers' camp, Ruko, dressed in a blue and white shrine maiden outfit, lowered her head slightly, clearly worried that the internal conflict would escalate rapidly.

"Tell the soldiers that I will give them answers to their concerns as soon as possible, and that the resistance will not stop anyone who wants to leave."

"But going out in a small team is still too dangerous right now. To avoid needlessly losing your life in front of monsters, please do not act on your own."

I had long sensed signs of internal division, and today's sudden visit by the deity only brought the problem to the forefront.
With a long sigh, Xin Hai looked at the purple token floating in front of him and felt genuinely troubled by the current situation.

"Xin Hai, is it really a headache?"

"Although I don't know why, that god seems to have become a different person, completely different from the fierce, people-killing guy he used to be."

"But if the other party really becomes much friendlier, then temporarily moving everyone to Narukami Island would be a good option."

The following morning, in the center of Haiji Island, at the Coral Palace.

Paimon, who had come here early at Xin Hai's invitation to discuss their next move, was startled when he saw the figure with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

I could immediately guess that Xin Hai had probably stayed up all night again.

Somewhat puzzled as to why the other party was so hesitant, she scratched her head and asked in confusion.

"Is it because of a lack of trust in the gods?"

"Or is it, as we saw when we arrived, because the protests from the residents of Haigi Island were too intense?"

Unlike the carefree Paimon,

Having served as a leader of a power for some time, Ying had some idea of ​​why Xin Hai was hesitant.

"."

"Phew, I hate to admit it, but it's really difficult."

"Due to the brutal rule of the previous shogunate, many residents of Inazuma Castle fled here to join the resistance."

"In the past few centuries, the military strength of Umijima Island has never been so abundant, which is why it was able to hold out against the shogunate army for such a long time."

"Hmm, but this should be a good thing, right?"

"After all, without these troops, we might not be able to fight against the monsters around us."

Blinking, Paimon scratched his head, unable to think of any downsides to having more troops.

"."

He let out a long sigh.

Xin Hai looked up at the two friends in front of him who cared about him but clearly lacked some governance experience.

Continuing from the previous paragraph, he began to explain:

"While increasing troop strength is something we have been pursuing, every advantage has its disadvantages."

The sudden increase in personnel brought not only enhanced combat capabilities, but also many hidden internal conflicts.

"Due to the relentless advance of the Shogunate army and fatal problems such as the mixed composition of its own ranks, the resistance was pushed into a barely noticeable corner by the 'foreign invasion.'"

"Whether it's ourselves or the refugees who have come here, the original intention of gathering together is to find a way to survive in a desperate situation, and the main reason for the desperate situation is the inhuman general."

"But when the object of resistance suddenly changed its usual tactics, forcing the army to go from a desperate 'last-ditch struggle' to a choice between surrender and resistance, internal contradictions and chaos inevitably emerged."

He got up from his desk, which was piled high with documents.

Invite the two people next to you to go outside the shrine and get some fresh air.

The cause of the problem was briefly explained.
As Xin Hai gazed at the sun gradually rising from the sea in the distance, he sighed softly and then spoke of the real headache he was facing:
"There are some things I can't say to the residents of Haizhi Island itself, but in fact, I never had much hope for the future of the resistance from the very beginning."

"As leaders of your factions, those of you who have personally witnessed the general's martial prowess must know..."
Faced with that level of power, no matter how many people there are, they will be easily swept away like roadside weeds.

"So, I actually trust the goodwill sent by the gods this time. After all, the general has no reason to deceive us, the already disadvantaged resistance fighters."

Paimon: ? ? !
Completely unexpectedly, the one who trusted the general the most was actually the leader of the resistance army. Paimon blinked, full of question marks.

Growing increasingly confused as to why Xinhai had a headache, she couldn't help but ask:
"Since there's no issue of trust, why don't we all just accept the invitation?"

"The fact that the general didn't attack me and Ying directly probably means he wasn't lying to us."

The response from everyone in Yuanxia Palace was, "It's entirely up to the two leaders to decide."
Therefore, she and Ying actually preferred to go back to Narukami Island to take a look, since their initial goal was to get some news about Ying-gege or past secrets from the gods.

And because they have relatively few people, and most of their members are elites, they won't encounter too much trouble on their way there.
!!!

"—Huh? Could it be that Xinhai, the reason you have a headache is because of the other people on Haizhi Island?"

"Thinking about it carefully, it does seem to make sense. It's such a long distance; what if someone doesn't want to go?"

As he spoke, Paimon suddenly realized something, clapped his hands together, and looked at the sea of ​​emotions before him as if waking from a dream. ? ?
At the same time, he received surprised glances from his companion and the girl in front of him.
Sensing that she was practically about to blurt out, "You actually thought of that?", she couldn't help but blurt out her own comment:

"What kind of looks are those? That's so mean!"

"Paimon is pretty smart, okay? He can figure out this kind of problem!"

I finally guessed the answer correctly, but I didn't expect the other people to react this way.
The speechless white furball puffed out its cheeks, angrily wanting to fly over and eat the hair of these two right there and then.

"In short, that's the situation."

"The current situation is too special. Even the dark disaster recorded five hundred years ago may not be as stressful as the one Haiqi Island is facing now."

"There are so many warriors on Haiqi Island, but they still have to rely on the Evil Eye to hold off the attacks of these monsters. Of course, I know that delaying is not a good choice."

"But many of the elderly and soldiers on Umijima Island are steadfast believers in the Great God."
If we accept the invitation, there will definitely be residents on the island who would never want to leave.

She is a "living human-god priestess," meaning the one who "takes over the protection of Haigi Island after the gods departed."
The belief in Oomami has been passed down through generations within families and bloodlines.

But even as the high priestess of the shrine, what she cares about most are still these living, breathing "people" in front of her.

In her calculations, the current situation, where the gods have taken the initiative to extend an olive branch, is an unprecedentedly good outcome.

Not only can the hopeless journey of resistance end peacefully ahead of time, but the divine protection can also ensure that the existing inhabitants of Haiqi Island are not slaughtered by the abyss.

But even though her prestige on Haiqi Island has never been questioned.

However, when it comes to faith in the Great God, even she, the "human god priestess," cannot make everyone obey her decisions.

"."

"Leaving Umijima Island, where we have lived for generations, this place that Lord Omikami built for us at the cost of his power and the destruction of coral, is undoubtedly a betrayal in the eyes of the people of Umijima Island."

"Although I can persuade as many people as possible to come with us to Narukami Island for refuge, what if we just abandon the remaining residents?"

I haven't considered how much the marching speed would be slowed down by bringing the elderly and children; I've only analyzed the issue from a religious perspective.

Even in the most optimistic scenario, a significant portion of the residents will still be unwilling to leave.

As a priestess responsible for protection, she could not simply take all the troops with her and watch them become victims of the abyss's invasion.

"."

"Phew, as expected, I get stuck on this problem as soon as I start thinking about it. I'm sorry to have worried you."

"However, it's not entirely without a solution. I wonder if you would be willing to grant me a request?"

After bowing his head and pondering for a moment, it seemed he had finally made a decision.

Trusting in the character of the Mondstadt "Knight of Honor," Xin Hai solemnly looked up at his two allies.

"Huh? A request?"

"There's no need to be so formal, Xin Hai, just tell me."

Paimon, who rarely saw Xin Hai with such an expression, felt a little uncomfortable, having already come to regard him as a friend.
Curious about the solution, she looked up at the girl in front of her who had taken on responsibilities far too early.

"The general has cleared out many monsters on the way to and from the camp, and now is the perfect window of opportunity for a large-scale troop movement."

"I have decided to start organizing the group that is willing to migrate to Narukami Island and to collect everyone's thoughts in the next few days."

"Taking advantage of this opportunity, I will send all the rebels and people of Haiqi Island who are willing to leave to the land under the protection of the gods. Please take that token with you."

? ? !

"Huh? Wait!"

"Xinhai, you told us to bring the token the general gave us, so why don't you yourself..."

A terrible possibility immediately came to mind.

Considering the other party's identity as a "human god priestess," and combined with the scene of her heroic sacrifice that appeared in his mind, Paimon felt a little sad for a moment.

It's not that I can't understand the importance of faith to some people, even more than life itself, but to part ways with friends like this...
"Yes, this is the last resort. Although I don't want to do this, it is my responsibility and destiny as a living goddess priestess."

"To prevent those who were willing to leave from following my choice, I will feign departure and then return to Haiqi Island to gather all the loyal believers who insist on staying here."

"No! There must be another way, Xinhai, don't die!"

Xin Hai: ? ? ?
"Eh?"

"Death? When did I say I was going to die?"

"But you said you wanted to go back to Haiqi Island."

The scene in his imagination was interrupted, and Paimon tilted his head, his emotions momentarily disjointed.

"It's true I'm going back to Haizhi Island, but that's because I want to stay with those who don't want to leave."

"—But without an army, you would definitely..."

I can already picture the scene of everyone gathering together, choosing death for their beliefs.
Paimon was determined to stop his friend from doing something so foolish, no matter what.

"Yes. Without the army, the remaining people will undoubtedly have to hide here and there, and their living locations are extremely scattered, making them very difficult to find."

“If I were no longer here as a living, divine priestess, then no one would have enough authority to bring them together.”

"Although I know they won't blame me if I just leave, I'll definitely regret it if I really ignore them."

"I have made all the necessary preparations. I'll leave the rest to you when the time comes."

"—I know faith is more important to you than life itself, but to gather everyone together to die..."

"I'd like to trouble you to knock out everyone I've tricked into coming together, and then secretly put them into that Dust Song Pot."

Xin Hai: ?
fluorescent:? ? ?

Paimon:? ? ?
They finally reconnected after chatting on different channels.
The group of people, who seemed to have misunderstood each other, looked at each other with a lot of questions on their minds.

"How could I possibly choose to die?"

"If the current resistance loses me, won't everyone fall apart in this unfamiliar environment?"

"Although I feel a little embarrassed to lie to them, since the intelligence says that the general has recently undergone a significant change, even personally punishing villains within the shogunate..."
Perhaps life on Narukami Island won't be as bad as you imagine.

From a background figure who only received reports from the shogunate and did not handle any problems, to a model of diligence who now handles everything personally.

Although I always felt that this change happened too suddenly
But after Xin Hai calculated how much work was involved in the entire process, he realized...

Considering the general's recent large-scale purge, which he clearly carried out with confidence,
The thought that the other party alone had the ability and confidence to handle all of this was incredibly moving.
She felt immense admiration, believing that this deity's ability to govern had been severely underestimated for a long time due to its excessive concealment.

(End of this chapter)