People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 579 Dain: Help me find someone; her master is "Surtroch".

"—Rich or poor, people with wine glasses or with nothing, raise your glasses! If you have nothing, use your arms instead."

"—As you can see, the brand-new sea train is now complete! To our esteemed allies and your great gods!"

"—A new chapter in history is unfolding. Under my leadership, 'Water Goddess' Frinina de Fontaine, all future interactions between the seven kingdoms will be guided by the theme of 'freedom'!"

"."

Fontaine, the central square below the Palace of Moman.

Elegantly dressed deities stood on the stage at the highest point of the square, participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the "Fontaine-Sumeru" sea train.

The blue and white track rises from the square in front of the public, eventually crossing the ocean in the air and winding into the distance. On both sides of the track are gold and green crystals that shimmer slightly in the sunlight, giving people the illusion that they are alive.

The route in front of us is different from the track-following trains inside Fontaine, which have a distinctly mechanical feel. As an international route, its track not only uses Fontaine's traditional navigation technology, but also borrows unique technology provided by Sumeru in its core function of resisting transnational ley line movements.

Although initially, researchers within the Fontainebleau Academy found the absurd practice of setting up an altar towards the repaired track and then praying to the gods completely unacceptable.

At the same time, they completely disbelieve that such a ritual can permanently avoid the damage to the track caused by the movement of the earth veins, or even turn the movement of the earth veins into a favorable factor to prompt it to repair the track.

But no matter when or where, "facts" are always the best means of persuasion.

When they saw that the scholars from the Sumeru side had simply used an offering ceremony to make the entire track seem to "come alive," they were deeply moved.

The researchers, who had previously been accustomed to treating their own deity as a "mascot," went through a process of questioning, shock, and understanding, and finally had to admit that their previous understanding of Ms. Funina was too preconceived, and that the saying "the will of the gods can dominate the world" was indeed true.

"—Praise be! This is a miracle only a 'god' could accomplish. Under the guidance of your great water god, the future of all your people will surely be..."

"."

On the high platform, the deity, who had remained as youthful as a young girl for five hundred years, delivered a speech with a dramatic flair.

As if naturally standing in the center of the stage, her unparalleled confidence and beauty make her white-haired figure in a blue top hat appear before the public, and even the most ordinary gestures seem like a meticulously prepared opera performance.

The public's affection for Ms. Fu Ningna has a long history, but recently, with the completion of a series of public welfare facilities and the tangible improvements in people's lives, this affection has become even more profound.

The completion of the transnational train was undoubtedly a major event, and the square was packed with people who gathered there.

Unlike the fervent supporters of many "big stars," two pairs of eyes, cast towards the platform from an inconspicuous corner below, appeared remarkably calm:

"."

"Father, you seem to have been paying close attention to Lady Funina, the Water Goddess. Is there something on your mind?"

"The pressure regarding 'work' has been getting increasingly urgent lately. I know you might be looking for opportunities, but this is, after all, a deity. If a suitable opportunity doesn't arise, I'm afraid..."

Turning around, Linni, wearing a black magician's hat and with a red teardrop-shaped graffiti below her right eye, spoke respectfully, but with a deeply hidden worry.
As the eldest son in the "family," he was well aware of the pressure his father faced and the current predicament of the fireplace house.

As a new home for many homeless people, the members of the Hearth House are always easily sent on the most dangerous missions.

Although fathers often refuse unreasonable requests on their behalf, the cost is a poor relationship with most executives and more harassment and criticism.
"Linnie, what changes have you noticed in Fontaine lately?"

"When and where did these changes begin?"

Instead of directly responding to Linni's question, the tall woman in a white dress, who was referred to as the "father" by the boy, simply asked a question in a flat tone.

".change?"

"According to the information I gathered when Lynette and I performed magic tricks..."

"Perhaps due to increased administrative efficiency, many new laws have been introduced, and because these laws are more beneficial to ordinary citizens, many former high-ranking officials are protesting."

After a slight pause, unsure why her father would ask such a question, Linni recalled the beginning of everything and spoke with some uncertainty:
"In terms of timing, it should have started from establishing a cooperative relationship with Sumeru and rebuilding the Academy of Sciences. As for the source..."

"It should be... the water god before us?"

It's noticeable that Ms. Funina's popularity is rising recently.
Even though he turned down many performances at the Opéra Garnier, the other party's sweeping reforms and aura seemed to make him feel more composed and confident.
"The recent changes in Fontaine are quite complicated. It feels to me as if Ms. Funina has been observing silently and then secretly making a to-do list."

"Perhaps the collaboration with Sumeru gave Ms. Funina the reason to make the decision to reform? Although the change in the gods felt somewhat sudden, the public's demand for reform was quite enthusiastic."

This kind of ribbon-cutting ceremony is not the first time it has happened; it's just that this one is exceptionally large in scale.

I've heard that Ms. Funina seems to want to make changes even in the Grey River area, but it appears that the changes haven't been implemented yet due to a joint petition from a group of officials.
"Excellent, your keen insight is as satisfying as ever."

Arecino nodded, though she was praising someone, her tone and expression remained largely unchanged.

She paused briefly, then shifted her gaze to the deity in the center of the platform, and continued speaking:
"The Water God's actions are always unpredictable, and it's not surprising that he does whatever he pleases. But as you said, this change is rather sudden."

"The cooperation with Xumi has not been long, but Fengdan has already been infiltrated by their influence in every aspect."

"The crossing of trains across borders means that the national borders of both sides are blurred, and for such a crucial project, the core technology and even control are in the hands of the other side."

Look away.

Their gaze fell upon the sea train that directly connected the central Fontaine with the port of Sumeru.

It can sense the immense life force contained within it.
Without a doubt, placing a creation imbued with the power of a foreign god in the center of the city was tantamount to entrusting the safety of the nation to the other side.

"An unimaginable level of trust, but in hindsight, it may have been the wise choice."

I don't believe that such trust can be established between the two parties based solely on a cooperation agreement.

Having witnessed the backstabbing and intrigue among his colleagues, Arecino believed that there must be some deep connection between the gods of the two countries that was unknown to outsiders.

However, her understanding of Sumeru, the authoritative god, came from the intelligence channels of the Fools and their previous contact.

And this deity has no record of ever leaving Fontainebleau in five hundred years.
She shook her head, ending her thoughts. She knew there must be some secret behind this that she didn't know, but she had no reason to continue investigating.

"—Linnie, don't focus too much energy on the 'mission.' If you're being urged, just keep making excuses as before."

"They just assigned me a dangerous mission, in exchange for me not having to worry about anything related to the Heart of God for the time being."

"The diplomatic request for the ransom of the prisoners has been made, and as a 'trap' that other colleagues avoid like the plague, this bargaining chip will carry considerable weight later."

I stopped watching, turned around, and prepared to leave.

Like his colleagues who only thought about their own interests, Arecino never intended to take the mission of seizing the Heart of God seriously from the very beginning.

The previous Inazuma area was too dangerous and isolated; no one knew the details of how his two colleagues were arrested.
However, based on the information relayed back from the gods' intervention, there is no doubt that going there to redeem people means that there is a high probability that one will not return.

But sometimes risk also means higher reward.
Compared to some of her colleagues who always wanted to sacrifice the House of Hearths, her collaborative attempt in Mondstadt undoubtedly left a way out for the House of Hearths' future.
"Father, Inazuma is too dangerous for our current situation. Assigning him to you might just be a way to get you to compromise on our previous proposal."

"Anyone can make a mistake, but the existence of 'home' cannot be separated from you. Why don't you leave this mission to me?"

After hesitating for a moment, Linni tentatively offered his suggestion.

In his view, this trip to Inazuma to ransom the hostages was essentially a different kind of price to pay after his father had turned down too many dangerous missions for them.

Since all of this stemmed from the children in the family, they should also bear the risks.
“Linnie, you are the next ‘King.’ When I’m not around, you should shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the family, instead of trying to take over responsibilities that don’t belong to you.”

"As you call me, I am the 'father,' and when danger comes, I naturally have to do what a 'parent' should do."

Without turning around, he waved his hand and rejected the child's proposal behind him in a completely flat tone.

Unlike the water god who stands in the spotlight, Arecino, who has retreated into the shadows, never intended to shoulder too many people's expectations from the beginning.

She killed the previous generation's "servant" and inherited the position. Starting from scratch, she gradually gathered new children. Regardless of her external identity, she was always just a member of the "family".

Meanwhile, Inazuma lives several countries away from Fontaine.

The festival is approaching,

Standing alone on the side of the bustling street, the blond youth dressed in black remained calm, seemingly unaffected by the festive atmosphere.

"Celebrating a victory? But was this victory truly won by them?"

"I do not deny that the victory in this battle was hard-won, but the real abyss is a thousand times more cruel than this."

She turned slightly and looked at Sora, who also had blond hair, beside her.
It was clear that even the Abyss Apostles who were unarmed during the previous invasion had not used their full strength, and Dain, who had been pursuing the Abyss Order for hundreds of years, was somewhat disdainful of the current prosperity.

"But they have done everything they could; this was a test for those who have the courage to fight to the death."

"Besides, after such a long time, you've called me here just to express your own opinion?"

He shook his head and looked at his old friend who had been traveling alone for hundreds of years.

Distrust of the gods is an inherent characteristic etched into the souls of all Kanriyans, a consensus born from their unique social environment.

But compared to some of the old-fashioned people back then, Dain only talked about it, and he was far from being extreme in this regard.

Knowing his old friend's personality well, Kong felt that he had probably asked him to come over because he had other things to take care of.

"."

"Hmph, now that the Order has abandoned its previous plans, how about you help me find someone while you're participating in this mortal festival?"

“I have no intention of disturbing the playful games of your apostles, but the person I’m looking for has an extraordinary connection to the Abyss and may possess some information that is very important to both of us.”

After a brief silence, followed by a soft hum, Dain made no attempt to put on airs when facing his old friend.

It was clear that in the face of that god who came from nowhere, everything on Teyvat was perhaps as fragile as watching mortals play house.

Without any intention of being a riddle solver, he simply stated his request.

"Can you judge it as having an extraordinary connection to the abyss?"

"Since you still remember what happened five hundred years ago, you should know that it won't be so easy for me to find them."

Kong shook his head, indicating that he was also powerless to help.

"No, I don't intend to let you find those traitors for me directly. I will find them myself."

"—This time I'm looking for someone I've met a few times, but for some reason she's always avoiding me."

Dain snorted coldly, having no intention of making things difficult for his old friend.

"An acquaintance you've met a few times? Who is it?"

"If I remember correctly, for the past five hundred years you seem to have been using Kanria's secret methods to erase unwanted impressions of you from people's minds."

Knowing his old friend's reclusive nature, Kong paused slightly, somewhat curious.

"."

"—In short, she is someone like me who could never be indifferent to the appearance of such a high-level abyssal power. She will definitely come to investigate the source of the problem herself."

"You may not be familiar with her name, but you must know her master."
The man who once taught her martial arts was named Surtruchi.

He paused briefly, then stated his goal.
He had met the other party a few times by chance during the pursuit of the Abyss. Although he did not know why the other party was avoiding him, Dain was certain that the source of that martial arts was an acquaintance from five hundred years ago.

(End of this chapter)