People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 596 Lin Feng: If you're interested in Dream Eaters, how about we recruit a few to maintain the void?

"."

"Guests below a certain age can enjoy priority access?"

"Um, are you talking about us?"

At the event venue, in front of a pink tent painted with an adorable Baku (dream-eating tapir) pattern.

Just as I was passing by, I was stopped by a waiter dressed in a waiter's uniform with pink hair and pointed ears.

Nasita blinked, looked at the Tree King beside her, and suddenly realized who this "below a certain age" referred to.

"Yes, you two are guests from outside Inazuma, right? Mizuki-nee has specially set up a temporary booth here to invite guests who haven't been to the store before to experience the products. These are the people behind us."

As they talked, they realized that the other person's behavior seemed to be somewhat different from what they had expected.
Usually, her older sister would describe her as clumsy and impulsive. Bai Baiyin paused for a moment, then froze, realizing she might have forgotten to say something:
"—Ah! Gentlemen, I'm so sorry! I forgot to introduce myself!"

"—My name is Bai Ri Bai Yin, and those over there are my older sister Chai Ye Zi and Sister Rui Xi. We are promoting methods and the importance of maintaining mental health to more people."

"—Not only are there complimentary desserts and tea, but all activities are also completely free. Please be sure to come and experience it!"

He spoke very quickly, with slight pauses between sentences.

Because the recent promotional activities were not going well and there were some mistakes in her own introduction, Bai Ri Bai Yin was so anxious that she bowed to the three guests in front of her.

Although the bowing gesture fully demonstrated sincerity, the fact that he was too close to Nasita during the introduction...

If Lin Feng hadn't noticed something was wrong and reached out to help, the dream-eating monster might have given the little guy a headbutt on the spot.
"."

"."

They exchanged glances, unsure how to evaluate this unusual attempt to recruit people.

Their sincerity was evident, and it was clear that the dream-eating Baku waiter in front of them wasn't very good at dealing with people, but dream healing techniques seemed to work well for them.
I thought about it for a moment, but I still haven't figured out how to respond.

But just as Nasita hesitated because of the appearance of the monster lady in front of her, a gentle voice with a hint of helplessness came from the side:
"—Baiyin, be careful, don't rush, it's not your fault that no one is coming."

"Right now, everyone's attention is on the ceremony in two days, so it's normal that they're not in the mood to listen to our science explanation."

A purple-clad figure, also resembling a dream-eating monster, approached from the side, carrying a tray full of desserts.

Placing the tray on the table beside her, Mizuki looked at the three guests in front of her and explained with a hint of apology:

"I'm sorry, my employees have caused you trouble."

“The people of Inazuma have never paid much attention to psychological issues; she’s just a little anxious.”

"These desserts were specially made for this event. Please accept them as an apology for taking up your time."

At a glance, he recognized the three people in front of him as scholars from the Order of the Church. The two young ladies were not children either; judging from their pupils and ear tips, they seemed to have a special bloodline.

She had heard about these people from the Divine Child before, but the Divine Child hadn't revealed any detailed information, only that they were distinguished guests from Sumeru.
But there aren't many guests that the Divine Child values ​​so highly. Judging from all the details, she was certain that the other person probably didn't need the Baku's help with psychological counseling.

"Baiyin, you're taking this too seriously. It would be a little more peaceful if no one came over."

"I don't know why my sister has this personality. No matter how well you do, people who don't want to experience it still won't come."

A listless voice came from the side. Despite being the older sister, Chai Yezi, who was about the same height as Naxida, sighed slightly, not surprised by her younger sister's actions.

Turning her head to look at the three guests over there, she wondered if Baiyin had stopped some drunkard again.

But upon seeing the two young ladies' emerald green eyes, she, who had been slacking off, paused, inexplicably feeling a desire to get closer.
"So, you mean you're willing to participate in this experience?"

"If you're upset about the way my employees treat you, just say so. We're used to it."

Inside the temporary experience store, there are small rooms divided by a large tent.

Mizuki blinked her pinkish-purple eyes in surprise, not expecting that the people in front of her would actually agree.

"No, we chose to stay not out of reluctance, but out of our own decision."

"Hmm, if I'm not mistaken, you guys don't seem to be in very good shape, do you?"

"You're concerned about other people's mental health but neglect your own. I hope you'll feel more relaxed after this therapy session."

Ruixi:.?

What does that mean? Why do I feel like I don't quite understand?

We feel relaxed after physical therapy? But didn't you come here just for a trial?
An unexpected situation arose, and she blinked her misty pink pupils with a bewildered expression.

I inexplicably developed the illusion that the other person was a therapist and that I was the patient.
After a moment's pause, Mizuki finally nodded and decided to begin the psychological consultation.

"Come on, take a deep breath, relax, and look into my eyes."

"Imagine yourself on a pristine white sand beach, the warm golden sunlight making the fine sand beneath your feet feel warm, and beside you stretching an endless expanse of azure sea, with waves lapping against the shore."

The first room was a simply furnished psychological treatment room.

Looking at the "Nashida" lady in front of her, Mizuki arranged for her to sit down and then tried to have some simple interactions with her.

Initially, it was just to establish basic trust; it wouldn't involve overly complex commands.

While the most famous treatment for dream-eating tapirs is for them to eat their nightmares, a regular relaxation routine beforehand can make the treatment more effective.
"."

".?"

As I was thinking, I suddenly realized that I had drifted off into these unrelated things.

Try to refocus your attention and continue your clinical work.

But the instant his eyes met those of the woman opposite him, "Nassida,"

Mizuki, who should have been in control, paused in thought, inexplicably sensing from the pair of emerald green eyes before her a kind of inclusiveness and warmth that was completely opposite to the childlike appearance, as if it were nature itself.

There was no time to think further.

After just a simple glance, my body began to weaken, the physical feedback became increasingly difficult to detect, and my mind, already fragile from anxiety and exhaustion, became increasingly scattered.
Thoughts gradually became sluggish, and the flashes of each idea became incredibly slow.

His eyes slowly closed, and he was even unable to think about the current situation.
"."

Her breathing became increasingly even, and she felt a long-lost sense of peace and relaxation. Mizuki, who was supposed to be the therapist, leaned forward, supported by a pair of small, white hands, and then completely lost consciousness.
"So much delicious food, so many desserts, wow!"

"No need to go to work, no need to do anything, I can soak in hot springs every day."

"."

A moment later, the room that was originally used to entertain guests.

On a long table made of fragrant wood were three pillows, and on each pillow sat a strange, round creature of a different color. Intrigued, I gently tugged at one of the seemingly very elastic tails.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the two people beside her, she reluctantly withdrew her little hand, which she had wanted to try a few more times.

In just a short time, the three dream-eating tapirs, who were originally acting as therapists, all fell into a childlike sleep.

The original guests, instead of falling asleep, started chatting in the lobby after being helped to calm themselves down.
"So, Nasita, you've actually met this Miss Mizuki before, and it's precisely because you had a fairly good impression of her that you wanted to help her improve her mental state."

I forcibly suppressed the urge to reach out and poke those gummy candies.

Lin Feng, who had completed the hypnosis at lightning speed the moment he entered the room, looked up at Nasita in front of him.

"Yes, that's part of the reason, but what they're doing is also why I chose to help."

Nasita nodded, smiled slightly, and began to explain:

“Physical pain can be detected, but mental anguish is often overlooked. To date, most countries have rather primitive methods of treating mental illness, and few people are even aware of this.”

"I agree with the Baku clan's practice of not devouring beautiful dreams, and the promotion of mental health awareness is also very necessary."

"But you should also know very well that people who heal others' spirits often need to be healed themselves. Their dreams are filled with too many negative emotions, and I'm just helping to clear them out a little."

After briefly explaining why she had stopped Lin Feng and the Tree King, Nasida felt that since she was passing by, it wouldn't hurt to lend a hand.

".how about you?"

Lin Feng turned to look at the other small one beside him:

"You and Nasita grabbed me at almost the same time back then, was it for this reason?"

After the other party extended the invitation, the two little ones beside him almost simultaneously grabbed him, and Lin Feng couldn't help but admire their tacit understanding.

“Heh, Nasita’s words apply to me as well, and I agree with the philosophy of the Dream Eater clan.”

With a slight smile, the Tree King looked at the three little ones on the table and nodded.

"—However, I do have an additional reason, which is probably similar to why you're staying here."

"—You must have noticed that their problems aren't just due to fatigue, right?"

"This feeling of accumulating negative emotions doesn't entirely originate from themselves; it's more like a small overflow from a large container that's been filled to the brim."

The three of them decided to come and take a look almost at the same time. Although their reasons were slightly different, they were so in sync that it surprised each of them.

The Baku (dream-eating tapir) occupies a very special ecological niche in Inazuma. Due to power dynamics, the group has a strong affinity for these creatures that devour nightmares.

Having discovered something extra from these little creatures, the Tree King was quite certain that Lin Feng in front of him was also looking to verify it.

"."

"That's right. The problem isn't with them. The dream-eating beasts are just more likely to become the end result of these negative emotions because of their nature."

"Now it seems that, if we look at the root cause, there must be something wrong with Inazuma's collective dream."

Nodding in agreement with the Tree King's statement, Lin Feng also realized the predicament these monsters were facing.

"The previous series of wars resulted in a significant accumulation of negative emotions due to nightmares in the collective dream."

"These negative emotions don't have a significant impact on ordinary living beings, since everything will return to normal after a period of time once the war ends."

"But there seems to be a special problem in this dream. The negative emotions have not dissipated for a long time, which is why they have affected the dream-eating Baku clan, who are most sensitive to this."

A slight pause,

Thinking about setting up his plans in Inazuma's void, Lin Feng turned to look at Nasita, who was beside him, raising her small hand and hesitating whether to poke the Dream Eater.

"."

"Go ahead and poke it, it feels pretty good. I'll keep it a secret."

"The subsequent construction of the void system requires the adjustment of dreams, and the accumulation of negative emotions is also detrimental to the dream-based void."

"If you're interested in these Dream Eaters, you can go with the Tree King to the collective dream realm to check them out, then talk to them and find a few Dream Eaters to help maintain the void system."

It was clear that Nasita's curiosity was even stronger than his own; she was just more "polite," but that didn't mean she didn't want to touch things that interested her.

Since the three of them seem to have a good impression of the Baku, they might as well help them to the end and solve the problem completely.

"Shall we now enter the collective dream?"

"Well, with you here, the problem can indeed be solved quickly."

"As for recruiting Dream Eaters to help maintain the Void System, I'll give it a try."

After thinking for a moment, he nodded and withdrew his curious gaze from the three dream-eating tapirs in front of him.

She couldn't just touch things indiscriminately like her wise husband.

Although she was curious about the feel of these little creatures after seeing their bouncy tails, she didn't forget that these were powerful yokai capable of transforming into humans.
"."

"Speaking of which, if it's just me and the Tree King, aren't you going?"

Suddenly remembering the details in Lin Feng's words, Naxida looked up ahead.

"Me? I won't go in. The festival is still in progress. I'll stay outside and help these three with their booth."

"It's just a collective dream of Inazuma. The two of you are already more than capable in terms of dreams, so there's no need for me to take action."

Lin Feng turned to look at the unattended experience area outside the tent and gently shook his head.

"."

"Heh, it seems the little guy has made up his mind."

"The collective dream of Inazuma, I think it was called 'Frontier'?"

"Although in my memory the gods here have some ability to intervene in dreams, let's lend a hand for now."

With a smile on her face, she listened quietly to the sound.

After realizing that Nasita had made her decision, the Tree King got up from where he was and came to the little one's side.

She leaned close and reached out to hold Nasita's hand, placing her two small hands, one on top of the other, in the center of the three dream-eating tapirs in front of them.

Following the consciousness of the three little creatures as a link, after finding the correct location, the Tree King nodded to Lin Feng beside him, then closed his eyes with Nasita and peacefully entered the dream.

(End of this chapter)