People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 580 Tree King: Sometimes I wonder if loneliness is the destiny of all gods.
The next day, Inazuma Castle, town.

The sun had not yet fully risen, and the water vapor blowing from the sea gathered into fog, appearing somewhat hazy under the morning light.

Along the street, water droplets accumulated on cherry blossom petals fall from above, drifting slightly in the morning breeze, and landing on the historic stone pavement and passersby.

The summer in Inazuma Castle was usually somewhat languid, but now, with the start of the festival, it suddenly came alive in the early morning.

"."

"Here, hang the colorful flags, just be a little careful."

"Today's festival special dessert, Calibel, is ready. We'll set it up in front of the door after we hang up the decorations."

On one side of the town street is Fuchigami Sweet Shop.

Lin Feng, who got up very early, held Naxida up with both hands so that the little girl was high enough to hang the colorful flags and decorations to be used in the festival next to the sign.

Stalls were set up one by one along the street, with colorful flags and paper lanterns making the wooden buildings look even more rustic.

Even though it was still early morning, the air was already filled with the sweet aroma of grilled dumplings, the savory flavor of takoyaki, and a faint smell of smoke.

"Hmm, it's hung up. Do we need any other decorations?"

"If you don't have one, just put me down first. There are so many people on the street."

They strongly requested to participate in the store's decoration, but even standing on a stool, they were still far from tall enough.
Driven by a desire to hang the festival banners herself, just like ordinary people, Nasita ultimately accepted this somewhat shameful practice.

"Ha, okay, I'll put you down now."

"Breakfast is ready. Come in and have breakfast. After you've eaten, we can begin today's tour."

Smiling, Lin Feng lowered the Nasita he had been holding up, feeling somewhat moved by the Inatsume people's enthusiasm for the festival.

Looking around, the entire Inazuma City was immersed in a lively atmosphere. Even though it was still early morning with the sun just rising, the streets and alleys were already filled with a dazzling array of stalls.

"."

"Hmm? Is there something that's attracting you? Why are you standing at the door and not coming in?"

"We have plenty of time these next few days, so feel free to go shopping after breakfast if there's anything you're interested in."

As I stepped into the dessert shop, I suddenly noticed that Nasita behind me clearly looked like she wanted to leave right away.

Feeling a strange sense of childlike innocence hidden beneath everyday wisdom, Lin Feng shook his head, marveling at the little guy's genuine enthusiasm for the festival.

"You're not planning to change now? Are you planning to wear it on the night of the fireworks display?"

"That seems to be true. According to tradition, the summer festival is indeed more lively at night."

After breakfast, Lin Feng was somewhat surprised that Nasita hadn't changed into the clothes he had ordered. After asking her a couple of questions, he finally received this reply.

"But you are really enthusiastic about the festival. It's not just about having fun; you've even done your homework on the history and traditions beforehand."

Turning around in the dessert shop's lobby, I noticed that even Inatsume himself wasn't always so particular about things.

Looking back on their time together, Lin Feng felt that Nasida's exceptional seriousness in many things was probably part of her charm.

"Yes, because the history and traditions of festivals are also an important part of national history. From these places, one can understand a country's development process and the spirit of its people."

"As for my enthusiasm for festivals..."

"Well, to put it another way, the country is very different during festivals than it is at other times, and the people's wishes and emotions are also very different."

"It's like a nightingale that's used to going out during the day to collect shiny things, suddenly seeing a moon lotus blooming under the moonlight. It's a unique feeling that's hard to experience on ordinary days, which is why I love festivals."

As always, Nasita's words are full of wonderful metaphors, and one can clearly sense a passion for the novel.

Just like using the "festival" itself as a starting point for understanding a country's history, the little guy really likes this way of observing things from small perspectives.

"That is indeed the case. After all, festivals are probably the most concentrated expression of people's wishes, and most of the entertainment activities held there have a long history."

"As for the festivals in Inazuma, the oldest ones probably date back to a time when most of the residents were still yokai, and many of the games were passed down from that time."

He nodded, responding to Nasita's words.
Having learned a lot about yokai from the goddess, Lin Feng discovered that unlike the ferocious and dangerous beings he had imagined, most of the yokai in Inazuma's territory were just playful and, apart from enjoying banquets and entertainment, did not harbor much malice towards ordinary humans.

"It seems that quite a few yokai have been invited to this festival. Due to its special format, the previous Sankawa Flower Festival has also been included."

"If you're also interested in yokai, you might want to take this opportunity to learn a little about them."

Lin Feng casually shared what he knew, as he himself was actually quite curious about the Inazuma monsters who lived apart from humans in groups.

He glanced at the sky, casually brushed away a few wisps of cloud that might drift by, and then prepared to go out with Naxida:
"--Good luck, the next few days will be good weather, so the fireworks display and other recent events should not be affected."

"—Let's go, the Tree King is already waiting outside. Judging from her enthusiasm, she seems to be just as interested in festivals and banquets as you are."

According to historical records, it is vaguely remembered that during the period when Mount Sumeru was still ruled by three gods, the civilizations in the desert had a particular fondness for fine wine and feasts.

The Tree King's current enthusiasm is probably because after the invasion of forbidden knowledge, she was overwhelmed with repairing the mess that had been left for thousands of years, so she is feeling nostalgic for it.

"Takoyaki, bako, and candied apples—all freshly baked! Come and have a taste!"

"—Marshmallows, taiyaki, and sakura mochi"

People came and went, and the cries of vendors filled the air.
Unlike in the past when a special trip to Kanagin Island was required, this festival was held directly in Inazuma Castle, resulting in a significant increase in the number of attendees.

Seeing Nasita run to a souvenir stall to observe the various Inazuma-style lacquerware, Lin Feng and Tree King were waiting for her at a mask stall.

"Sir, would you like to buy a mask?"

"Foxes, tengu, demon masks, and other animal shapes are all available here."

"People may not wear them much during the day, but at night, not wearing a mask will take away a lot of the fun."

Seeing the customers stop, the middle-aged man who was running the stall greeted them familiarly. While promoting the masks on the shelf next to him, he also looked at the unusual pair in front of him with some surprise.

"Oh, do you have any recommendations? There are three of us, the other person isn't here yet, just recommend what I suggest."

Smiling and waving, the Tree King, though not tall, inexplicably stood out in the crowd. Before Lin Feng could speak, he spoke to the boss in front of him first.

"Ha, the two of you have an extraordinary aura. I would believe it even if you said you were fox spirits from somewhere."

"While any mask should suit them, how about one fox and two cats if there are three people?"

"All the masks here are hand-carved by me, so you absolutely don't need to worry about the quality!"

The middle-aged owner, dressed in gray and looking exceptionally friendly, pointed to the shelf next to him. Although he was promoting his products, he was clearly very proud of his craftsmanship.

"Okay, please take three for us, this is Mora."

"Oh, right, how about we get one for the little guy on his shoulder too? If we're talking about style, the weasel next to him would be fine."

He took out the Mora bag he always carried with him.

Just as the Tree King was about to pay, he suddenly remembered that a sleepy treasure-stealing weasel was still perched on Lin Feng's shoulder.
Looking at the still somewhat confused little guy, she thought it wouldn't be bad to buy another mask as decoration.

"Ah, that's certainly possible, but I've never specifically made these animal masks before. Let me add a temporary securing strap to prevent it from falling off suddenly."

He was somewhat surprised by the request made by the customer in front of him, but after looking at the treasure-stealing weasel, he felt that giving away the mask like that was not in line with his long-held principles.

Mita, whose family has been making masks for generations since his grandfather's time, scratched his head and finally decided to make some modifications on the spot.

"Here you go, that's all. You can hang the mask around your neck or tie it to your body as decoration."

"Come to think of it, I've never seen such a docile weasel before. Is this also part of a scholar's research?"

While explaining, he handed out a total of four masks.

Weasel-like creatures have different variants all over Teyvat, so the boss wasn't too surprised by the appearance of this little guy.

"Okay, thank you for your kindness, boss."

After accepting three ordinary masks and one modified mask, the Tree King smiled slightly and hung the smallest one around the neck of the somewhat bewildered Treasure-Stealing Weasel.

"squeak--?"

With some curiosity, Xiaobai fiddled with the little mask around his neck, clearly quite pleased with his new toy, no longer so bored.

"."

"It actually suits me quite well?"

"I don't recall saying that, but how did you know it likes masks?"

"While I do have a few of its collected masks, I really didn't expect to put one on it too."

I haven't forgotten how Xiaobai once managed to snatch a doctor's slice mask from somewhere and happily showed it off to me.

Furthermore, later in Mondstadt, after the Doctor's slice was destroyed by Dvalin, the little guy also retrieved a tattered mask for himself.
Although this little guy seems to have a particular fondness for the doctor's slices, it seems to like this gift he has received just as much.

"Well, I just thought it was one of the participants in this festival, so I gave it a try on a whim. It would be great if it accepted."

He shook his head, clearly also liking the adorable little guy.

Although Tree King had heard Lin Feng say before that this treasure-stealing weasel was extraordinary, he didn't really have a real sense of it.

Satisfied with the effect of the Treasure-Stealing Weasel wearing the mask, the Tree King tugged at Lin Feng's sleeve twice, signaling her to bend down and try it on to see if it fit.

Lin Feng: "." I'm not a newbie, I can put this mask on myself, right?

but
Feeling the other person tugging at his sleeve, and knowing that caring for others was a common trait of these two little ones, Lin Feng finally shook his head and chose to bend down slightly.

"."

The white-haired loli paused slightly, then nodded in satisfaction, considering herself a senior.
Reaching out, she helped put on the mask while carefully avoiding pedestrians passing by.

After the mask was put on, the Tree King observed its effect.
Sensing the enthusiastic atmosphere around her, she spoke up as if moved by the moment:
"A temporary peace, hopefully Nasita can have fun here."

"She missed out on so much during her upbringing, and I thought I would have to continue to feel indebted to her like this forever, but fortunately, someone provided me with an opportunity to make amends."

Satisfied with the mask's effect, a small creature, whose size and temperament were quite different, stood on tiptoe and reached out to help Lin Feng remove the mask from his face.

Putting away his mask, before Lin Feng could reply, the Tree King looked at the cherry blossom petals falling in the wind around him, sighed slightly, and continued with a somewhat complicated expression:

"Unchanging eternity is almost impossible. Even gods have their limits in suppressing pain and loneliness."

"After the Thunder Goddess of this place was separated from her twins, the pain has been accumulating in her heart. This pain will continue to fester, and now it has come to a point where she has no choice but to make a decision."

"Sometimes I wonder if loneliness is the fate of all gods, or perhaps compared to the erosion of one's own will, being surrounded by nothing and having no one to confide in is the true manifestation of 'wear and tear'."

He paused briefly, gazing at this savior who had never been foreseen by any fate.
The Tree King's words also carried a touch of heartfelt emotion:
"Loss and loneliness seem to be endless, and such a fate may accompany every god in the seven kingdoms. But fortunately, your appearance proves that everything can still be turned around."

“I’m so glad the little guy found you back then. The changes you brought were not just superficial help; for us, it was a kind of spiritual redemption.”

"No matter how terrible her predetermined fate may be, as long as you are by her side, she will never fall into despair."

Like a drowning person seeing a ray of light in the boundless depths of the sea.

The Tree King knew perfectly well why so many gods and ancient dragons were slowly gathering around him, the savior.

Under this merciless sky, all those who possess power will inevitably face countless losses in their lives.

In this desperate situation where one knows they will ultimately be alone, how can the one being saved resist approaching this sudden ray of light?

(End of this chapter)