People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 532 Gustott: What is that? Someone's trying to steal the power of the abyss??
Northwest of Narukami Island, an island.

Monsters roam freely, and the island is located on the northernmost coast of Narukami Island, far from Inazuma Castle.

Due to the inconvenience of command, the connection between the outlying island and the interior was completely severed, and the original port to the outside world became an isolated island suspended outside Inazuma.

Merchants of Liyue, scholars of Sumeru, adventurers of Mondstadt.
As news of the attack on Inazuma spread, all those stranded left one after another with the help of the evacuation teams from the Church of Jesus and the Southern Cross fleet.

At this moment, aside from some Winter Merchants who still hoped to make excessive profits from the crisis, and smuggling groups like treasure-hunting gangs,

The island, much like its name suggests, has become a deserted island that everyone avoids.

"."

"Even now, you still want to propose cooperation?"

"You promised to implement and enforce the laws of the Heavenly Territory, but you haven't delivered on any of them. Your so-called elite forces have also vanished without a trace at the hands of those monsters outside."

“They have nothing but failure. I have reason to believe that the Fools do not have the strength to warrant cooperating with you.”

"."

"Ah, the Fools do not deny failure, but if our information is correct, the magistrate now has no other choice either."

“Head of the Hiiragi family, you know very well that it’s only a matter of time before you are purged. Even if there aren’t many monsters around the island, staying in Inazuma will only be a way to prolong your life.”

"As far as I know, the wealth accumulated over the centuries of surveying and enforcement is considerable."

"Compared to allowing these precious resources, which are the lifeblood of the nation, to be violently taken back by barbarians who do not understand the rules, and letting the efforts of dozens of generations vanish into thin air,

It would be better to bring them here to receive the protection of winter and enjoy aristocratic privileges in another country.”

At the highest point of the outlying island, the grand residence of the Imperial Envoy was established.

The elderly head of the Hiiragi family was negotiating with a semi-transparent blue phantom wearing a monocle in front of him.

As the magistrate in charge of finance and taxation, the Hokkoku Bank's expansion throughout Inazuma was inseparable from the strong support of the Kancho Magistrate.
After the wealth within the Northern Bank was confiscated under the absurd pretext of "disrupting national stability,"
Pantalone, who had suffered a huge loss, now didn't mind giving his two colleagues an opportunity to cause trouble for Inazuma.

"Taking all your wealth to Winter? Are you joking?"

"Ha, that's nothing more than handing fate over from the castle tower to your hands."

"Inazuma is currently in a precarious position and cannot withstand another power upheaval. Even the gods in the castle tower who never concern themselves with politics understand this."

“The magistrate may be punished, but as long as this wealth remains, even if a new head of the family is appointed, it is far better than believing in the infamous Fools.”

The image of the "rich" in winter has always been associated with greedy vipers in various countries, and they are never easy to get along with. Shinsuke Hiiragi knows this very well.

To believe that he will be safe and sound as he heads towards winter with his wealth? He'd be better off believing that he'll be promoted and ennobled after reporting to the castle tower.

"Oh? Head of the Hiiragi family is worried that Shifu will break the agreement? I thought you wouldn't have such concerns."

"Since we've all dealt with wealth before, some questions can be asked directly:"

—Reputation is an important asset in the process of acquiring wealth, and only excessive profits can cause a merchant to break his promises and contracts.

"The Kansei Magistrate is no nobody; the Hiiragi family, who control the Inazuma Port, has a considerable reputation throughout the seven countries."

"The fact that the prestigious Inazuma family, which had stood for hundreds of years, now accepted the Empress's protection was enough to mark a groundbreaking beginning."

"Compared to providing Shizuka with a benchmark to attract foreign dignitaries, what kind of benefit does the head of the Hiiragi family think could outweigh the gains from Shizuka choosing to keep her promise?"

"."

The scene fell silent for a moment, and the old man's face clearly showed hesitation.

The Hiiragi family, who have upheld the traditions passed down through generations and have stood at the pinnacle of Inazuma for hundreds of years, controlling the wealth and lifeline of the entire nation, wield power far exceeding that of the so-called Seven Stars of Liyue.

There are rumors that the "rich man" in front of us has been trying to control the economic heart of another country for centuries, and has been making plans for this continuously, but so far there have been no reports of him succeeding.

The reason is that without the cooperation of foreign political leaders, it is completely unrealistic to completely control the economic lifeline.
The Hiiragi family's status was prestigious enough to place them at the finish line that the other party had always dreamed of from the very beginning.

If they were to go to Winter not as asylum seekers, but as collaborators with the enormous wealth they had amassed over the centuries.
"I'll consider it, but in the realm of 'wealth,' the Hiiragi family only accepts the treatment of partners."

“State what kind of cooperation you need, and then produce proof that Queen Winter has agreed to this deal.”

"If Mr. Pantalone can demonstrate his sincerity in cooperation, then I would be willing to offer some assistance to your actions within my capacity."

Wealth alone cannot protect one, especially since Kansei chose to flee Inazuma after offending the gods.

If the situation truly deteriorates to the worst possible outcome, and the Hiiragi family can no longer enjoy their current detached power in Inazuma,

Therefore, compared to staying in this dangerous country and engaging in a foolish, endless battle with monsters, it's more practical to prepare to transfer wealth in advance.

"Ha, that's perfect. Her Majesty the Queen has the heart to welcome all collaborators."

"Given Hiiragi's strength, if this cooperation goes smoothly, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to have another executive officer in the Fatui?"

"."

With a gentle smile on his face, he looked incredibly trustworthy.

Having confirmed that the cooperation was now established, Pantalone shook his head and finally revealed Winter's purpose:

"My two colleagues' request is simple: you just need to make remote contact with your connections in Inazuma Castle and the army to help the Evil Eye circulate within the army."

"This power is so intense that it will burn away all the fools who are capable of supporting this nation."

"When you and I return, all that will remain are a bunch of cowards who opened their doors to welcome winter."

Few can refuse tangible power, especially in times of crisis like these.

His two colleagues only thought that Inazuma should ask Shifu for help from those soldiers whose vitality was withering away, in exchange for some benefits. Such thinking was extremely simplistic.

The Evil Eye's effects go beyond that; the spineless head of the Hiiragi family right before us is a prime example.

Once all the fools who were willing to use the "unprofitable" power of the Evil Eye to protect others are old and gray,

So, at this golden moment when the monsters have retreated and the entire national governance system is in a vacuum, the remaining "smart people" are the type that Zhidong and I enjoy dealing with the most.

"—You idiots who were scared out of their wits by monsters! Narukami Island is full of cowards like you who only know how to accept the protection of the gods. You're not even as good as the stray dogs at the village entrance!"

"—You defeated wretches, wagging your tails and begging for mercy, have the audacity to say such things? Divine protection? Your great gods are now in our hands!" "—Come and chop me down if you dare, I'd like to see!"

Paimon: "."

fluorescent:"."

They were paired together again during the operation, and almost came to blows just from their first meeting.

Because of their high mobility and that of their units, they were designated as one of the contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances in this conflict.

But sensing the fury on both sides, as if they wanted to draw their swords and chop each other to pieces on the spot, Ying and Paimon had absolutely no confidence in dissuading them.

"Hmm, how can this be? They're all comrades fighting monsters, but it feels like they'd rather slash each other with their swords."

"And those words felt really harsh; even the people behind us were getting angry."

Looking back at the crowds in the distance, some of whom had even come from Inazuma City to support their representatives, Paimon could see that the atmosphere among them was exceptionally tense.

Before news of this conflict spread, the two sides would greet each other amicably when they met, but now they mostly just mock each other.
"I don't know either; this behavior is clearly detrimental to both sides."

“Xin Hai has been frowning for a long time. Her explanation is very similar to Yuan Shang’s. It’s probably really because of the reason they mentioned.”

"That reason??"

"Ying, are you saying that 'both sides' residents lack a sense of security in the current situation, so they will inevitably seek out a weaker party subordinate to themselves'?"

"Although the people of Haiqi Island did become much more united when mocking the Shogunate army, Paimon felt very uneasy."

I simply can't understand why anyone would want to wage civil war when monsters are so powerful.
These guys even spoke as if they didn't take the monsters seriously at all, as if they could easily kill far more of them than the monsters.

I had heard Xin Hai say that once the results of the competition were announced, the relationship between the residents of both sides would be greatly affected, and it might even be impossible to mend it.

Paimon couldn't quite understand the reason behind it, but he was still very anxious:
"How about we try to tie the game?"

"For example, we could have someone infiltrate both sides to ensure that the number of monsters killed is exactly the same."
Or we could have our warriors lure the monsters from a distance, trying to force the competition to a halt.”

"."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that won't work. It would be a pointless move."

“The burning rage will not be extinguished until it consumes itself or its opponent. Even if Your Highness and the Deputy Chief can stop it this time, they will start it countless times again.”

"Most importantly, their confrontation has progressed to this point, and it's too late to stop it now."

Arriving on the battlefield as a "strategist," Gu Zhong also refuted the statements of his deputy leader.

Looking ahead at the two ragtag groups that had just begun fighting scattered monsters, their formations already crumbling due to their competitive spirit,

Completely unable to bear watching, he shook his head, thinking that such an idiot would have been torn to shreds by the rampaging monsters in a real battle.

"This is so difficult."

"I heard that the people from the Church of Christ and the Southern Cross fleet came to the port to help with the evacuation. Paimon even thought about going with them."

"Although the shogunate was very generous with its military spending and even promised that the gods would personally reward us after we won the war."

The abyssal aura surrounding Ying is no longer a significant negative factor in the current environment. In fact, sometimes attracting too many monsters can even give the general a chance to wipe out a large number of them with a single strike.

Even if the shogunate's military spending wasn't as generous as it is now, Paimon felt that even just looking at those civilians in distress, she and Ying couldn't choose to leave without any burden.

"Phew, the battle has already started. We should catch up. The strength of these monsters that the general has cleared out shouldn't be a problem."

"You can stay in the back in the valley. You said before that you don't have much fighting power, and even the dessert shop owner could beat you more than ten times. If you encounter any danger, remember to call Paimon to protect you."

Long ago, in the Commandment Academy's combat strength evaluation system, Paimon's strength was rated as "one-fifth that of a wild boar," a fact that had always bothered him.

But after hearing Gu Zhong describe his own combat level, the white-furred ball of fur, who rarely felt a sense of superiority, patted his chest and suddenly felt a sense of responsibility to take care of the weak.

"Then thank you for your kindness, Deputy Chief."

"Be careful, and have the soldiers use the Evil Eye if necessary."

It is clear that the situation is not as simple as it seems, and many of the remaining two hundred or so soldiers will likely regretfully join the invasion team.

Having already sensed an extremely pure abyssal fluctuation, the valley looked up at the sky and silently offered his blessings to his two leaders.

"—The newly appeared dimensional gate is just ahead. Everyone, attack together and destroy these things as quickly as possible!"

"—There are a lot of doors appearing this time; judging from the timing, it should be a tough battle."

???

They received a notification from the little guy who calls out "Grandpa and Grandma" all over the tribe that a large number of Void Gates had appeared in the distance from the Yanmi Main Tribe.

The intelligence report highlighted that the doors landed in very bad spots, damaging a vegetable patch he had planted for Grandma Obsidian.

Invasions from the Abyss were commonplace, and this number of "gates" posed little problem for the tribe's battle-hardened warriors.

I had no desire to see the two-hundred-year-old Obsidian Granny lose her temper, nor did I wish to disturb her supposedly terrifying celestial spirits.

They arrived here as quickly as possible with a large number of people, but...
"No monsters? Where did the monsters that should have been teleported out go? Why are there only these doors?"

"Has the Abyss learned some new trick? Should we have the leader talk to Grandma about the Great Spirit?"

He tried attacking the illusory gates in front of him using the old method, but found that they were like empty phantoms that did not contain much abyssal power.

Thanks to the high level of spiritual vision generally among the tribe members,
I vaguely sensed a deep-seated malice and anger emanating from the passageway beneath the door.
This malice and anger, while chilling, also seemed to be mixed with a sense of confusion about the situation.
"."

"Uncle and Auntie, the vegetables."

"The 'door' is scary; it frightened the vegetables, and they stopped growing. You can take some home to eat."

They had no idea what the large black sphere underground was thinking at that moment, nor could they guess that there were people in this world who would rob the power of the abyss.

After exchanging a glance with the aloof, heterochromatic-eyed young man in front of him who was frantically trying to salvage things in the vegetable garden,

The warriors of the Smoke Lord touched their foreheads, unsurprisingly hearing this highly distinctive statement.

(End of this chapter)