Original God, I am the only designated Red King God Envoy of Xumi

Nashida's words were interrupted by Amber twice. She watched Amber dissipate into nothingness and completely exit her dream. This empty paradise returned to its original tranquility.

Nashida was still sitting on the swing. She swung slightly, looked around, and recalled the words Amber said before she left.

She has the most lively and colorful dream in all of Xumi, which contains the most magnificent palace and the most interesting paradise. Although she is the only one here, she can still have a lot of fun.

But now it was different—the unexpected intruder had disturbed the entire dream, and also disturbed her heart. She felt that it was a little too quiet here, so quiet that it made her feel at a loss.

In comparison, Amber's invitation before leaving was more attractive. Nashida slowly closed her eyes and felt her beating heart, in order to establish her true intention from the chaotic thoughts.

"Am I...looking forward to it?"

……

"..."

In Xumi City, in Amber's bedroom, she opened her eyes from her sleep and looked at the familiar ceiling, with the scenes from her previous dream still lingering in her mind.

It was almost dawn, and sunlight shone into the room through the window. Aji, in the form of a little girl, was lying next to Amber and sleeping soundly. She usually woke up at breakfast time.

Amber put her hands in front of her eyes to ease the feeling of unreality after returning from the dream. Thinking back on everything that happened before, she not only really saw the little Lucky Grass King, but it also seemed to have left a deep impression on her.

"Anyway...it's time to get up." Pulling back the covers, Amber began to get dressed. She had an agreement with him to make breakfast and prepare the necessary things beforehand.

Amber quickly finished washing up, wiped her face, put on the void device and glasses, walked quickly to the kitchen, turned on the light, and began to prepare breakfast.

Xumi's lamp is not an oil lamp, but a product based on the research of the Sulun School. It is made of materials that can emit stable light. It has basically no consumption and a lifespan of three to five years. It illuminates the kitchen. Amber is thinking about something while cooking under the light.

But until Aji came to the dinner table, Amber still couldn't think of anything. She had never actually been to the Grand Bazaar and didn't know what interesting things were inside. She had just subconsciously said a place in Xumi City that she associated with it.

But this is also good, there is a sense of mystery that even I don’t know what it is.

Chapter 37: Visitors from the Kingdom of Winter

"Master Executor, the ship has arrived at the port."

Xumi, the Port of Ormos, is the only port for foreign trade in the entire Xumi, and the only port that can accommodate large ships. Although it is not as prosperous as the Port of Liyue, it is also very lively.

Today, the port welcomed a ship from the Ice Kingdom "Solstice", which was loaded with various specialties of Solstice and seemed to be seeking trade. However, in the cabin, someone was respectfully saluting a man who was sitting on the bed and sharpening a dagger boredly.

"How long will the ship stay here?" The man called the executive asked calmly. He was very good at sharpening knives. The blade was very sharp and the blade was even brighter.

"About a week." The half-kneeling subordinate did not dare to delay and reported quickly.

"That means... I have a week to stretch my muscles." The executor picked up the dagger and sheathed it carefully. This was the dagger he had carried on his first "adventure" as a teenager. It was that adventure that opened the way for him to join the Fatui and rise all the way to the eleventh executor. "Prepare me a boat, a fishing rod, and plenty of Mora."

"Yes, Mr. Executive!"

There is a gentle river between Osmo Port and Xumi City. If you follow the river, arrive at Vimo Manor and then pass through Tianbi Pool, you can easily reach Xumi City. If the river is not weak enough to support large ships, you can drive the ship directly to the Xumi City dock this time.

The eleventh Fatui executive officer, "Prince" Tartaglia, is now sitting on a small boat, drifting towards Xumi City. He holds a fishing rod in his hand, and his leisurely appearance does not seem like that of an executive who often shoulders important responsibilities.

Tartaglia is the "pioneer" among the executive officers. He is often the one who rushes to the front, paving the way for the large troops that will come later. Sometimes he also acts as a "scout". His visit to Xumi City this time was just a coincidence. The "Doctor" seems to have some grand plan that is about to be implemented in Xumi. He arranged people to enter Xumi City and station them in various places. Tartaglia originally planned to go to Fontaine to visit the Ikaros airship production line. This time he just came to take a look because the ship only needed to dock temporarily in Xumi.

The Adventurer's Guild is largely controlled by Solstice, but this organization is a purely neutral organization. In principle, it does not participate in any political actions and only provides various conveniences for adventurers. Therefore, even if Ikaros is in the hands of the Adventurer's Guild, the Fatui cannot directly intervene.

Tartaglia planned to visit Ikaros because one of the executives was interested in airships, and his younger brother was also very curious about them. So he took on this task and, in the name of a big winter businessman, learned about Ikaros's intention to cooperate with Winter Solstice.

If the other party has the intention to cooperate, the matter will be handed over to the "rich man" for management. If there is no intention to cooperate, it is not an area he needs to be responsible for. This is roughly what Tartaglia's mission is, running around in various countries.

"Huh..." Tartaglia took a deep breath, holding the fishing rod tightly in his hand. The boat drifted slowly with the current, but his attention was not on the road ahead nor on the fishing rod, but only in his own heart.

Apart from his duties as an executive officer, Tartaglia himself is a pure warrior who enjoys fighting and killing. His favorite hobby is ice fishing, but the focus is not on the fishing, but the time he uses to think and summarize his previous battles during fishing. This is a great means of "meditation" that helps Tartaglia improve his martial arts.

He was thinking back to the giant sea monster he had encountered at sea before. No one on the ship had expected to encounter such a creature. Such a huge sea monster made Tartaglia tremble - it was a trembling of excitement.

He hadn't fought so happily for a long time. The sharp blade pierced the huge body of the sea beast, and its blood dyed a large area of ​​sea water red, attracting more bloodthirsty sea beasts. These sea beasts died in an instant in the aftermath of his battle with the giant sea beast.

This reminded him of the first time he fought against various monsters in the abyss. It was a deep memory that he would never forget.

Tartaglia was also summarizing the mistakes he made in that battle and thinking about how he could improve himself. This is what the strongest warriors are like, they are always growing.

……

The Grand Bazaar is a wonderful place located under a big tree in Xumi City. If the House of Religion is an academy built on this big tree that is full of reality and follows rationality, then the Grand Bazaar is the place in the entire Xumi City that best fits the word "dream" and is also the most humane.

Amber was waiting at the intersection of Baoshang Street and the Grand Bazaar an hour in advance. After having breakfast, Ah Ji went to her favorite places at her own pace. She was more accustomed to the life in Xumi City than Amber. Amber waited here for a full hour until exactly nine o'clock, when Nashida came to keep the appointment.

She immediately borrowed the body of Catherine, the receptionist of the Xumi Adventurer's Association. Amber saw through Nashida's inner self at a glance, and Nashida also recognized Amber. It was quite strange that the two of them met each other in their original appearances.

"Huh... we're here at exactly nine o'clock, I didn't break the appointment." Nashida breathed a sigh of relief. She had previously deliberately calculated the time it would take to get here at a fixed pace, accurate to the second. Obviously, the "nine o'clock" before Amber left in the dream had caused her to misunderstand, and now it was exactly the same.

"When they say 9 o'clock, they usually arrive around 9 o'clock. Many people choose to arrive ten minutes to half an hour early to avoid unexpected delays. Similarly, some habitual procrastinators often arrive later. In short, if they want to show their importance, they usually arrive early."

"So this is what you meant by nine o'clock? It's amazing how one word can have so many different meanings in different contexts..."

"To be precise, many things in life have produced some deep meanings that are 'tacitly understood' by everyone, while other words have 'migrated' in meaning with the development of the times. In Xumi, many ancient words have come to the modern world, and their original meanings are completely different from those in ancient times. This is very interesting." Amber agreed with Nashida's view that the history of change is very interesting, and expressed her own views on this. She was probably influenced by the academic atmosphere of this academic capital, and now she tends to be a scholar in this regard.

"Let's not talk about that. Why did Amber ask me to come here this time?" Nashida asked with a smile. She hadn't done anything yet, but just standing next to Amber was different from standing next to anyone else. Is this the wonderful magic called "friend"? She felt at ease without doing anything.

"Actually, I just wanted to take you for a walk. You said you rarely travel like this, didn't you? You always frequently appear in and out of various children's dreams, or even stay in your own dreams." Amber said her thoughts. "Also, in Xumi City, just call me Naife."

"Nai Fei—a very gentle name." Nashida chewed on the two words carefully, and after a moment, she looked up at Amber. "I always thought that even if I couldn't conveniently appear in reality, I would still do my best for Xumi. So, I did my best to protect the children's dreams in dreams, and I also used some people's bodies to solve the small disasters I could sense. I walked around like Nai Fei said. Is it really okay?"

Nashida pondered, a look of distress emerging on her face. "I'm sorry, I don't know how to express my current thoughts—I just feel like this leisurely life isn't the best. I'm the god of Xumi, and I should work harder to protect the people of Xumi."

Amber's lips curled slightly when she heard this. As perceptive as she was, she immediately understood what Nashida was thinking. "Nashida, you think that as a god, you shouldn't be so leisurely. You have the heavy responsibility of protecting the people of Xumi on your shoulders. Instead of living a leisurely life like you are now, why not do your best to help the people of Xumi, right?"

"...I think so." Nashida nodded, her eyes flashing, and she felt that what Amber said should be consistent with her own confused thoughts.

"Let me tell you a story." Amber took Nashida's hand and led her slowly towards the Grand Bazaar. This area was usually very noisy, so even if they were talking openly on the roadside, they didn't have to worry too much about being overheard by unintentional people - the noisy ambient sound was the best cover. If someone wanted to listen to the conversation between the two, they had to stand very close to them, but if someone did this, they would be easily discovered.

This is exactly Amber's personal experience. Many times, a noisy bar is more suitable for chatting than a quiet cafe.

"Once upon a time, there was a king who had lived a life of luxury since birth. His guards and ministers often avoided his travels, citing the excuse that 'the kingdom cannot lose its king.' He lived in the palace in this environment for over a decade."

"In the new year, his kingdom suffered a severe drought. The crops failed, and the land was covered with starving people. The people suffered terribly. A messenger from outside the palace came in to report the situation and said to the king, 'The people outside the palace can't even afford wheat bran!' And, Nashida, guess what the king said?"

The so-called wheat bran is the layer of "skin" that needs to be removed when wheat grains are ground into flour. It is fed to livestock.

"I wonder... Will the king order the food in the palace to be distributed to the people to help them survive this disaster?"

Upon hearing this, Amber placed her hand on Nashida's head and gently rubbed her head. They also came to the door which was only a few meters away from the Grand Bazaar.

"The king said, 'Since you can't afford bran, why not eat meat?'"

“This is so…”

"This is outrageous, isn't it? How can you afford to eat meat if you can't even afford bran? But Nacida, have you ever thought about why the king said that?" Amber withdrew her hand and asked Nacida a question. She didn't mean to let Nacida get an answer, but she spoke after a moment.

"The king has lived a life of luxury since childhood. In his mind, meat is the most common food. Wheat flour noodles and bread are rare, and wheat bran is unheard of. The most terrifying thing about this statement is that it's not that the king doesn't care about the people or doesn't want to solve this problem. Quite the opposite—"

"—The king cared deeply about his people and offered a solution he thought was feasible. He believed meat was the cheapest, so he asked, 'Why not eat meat?'"

"How could this happen..." Nashida lowered her eyebrows and thought about the story, and Amber also made a final summary.

"The reason is that the king's life is completely detached from that of ordinary people. He simply doesn't understand their lives. The same applies to Nashida. If Nashida wants to truly benefit the people of Xumi, she must first understand them. She must even observe Xumi from the perspective of an ordinary person. In other words, she must 'become a Xumi person.'"

"Don't think that today's actions are meaningless. The current experience will become nourishment for you in the future, allowing you to make more practical decisions. Do you understand what I mean, Nashida?" Amber took a few steps forward, put one hand on the door, and turned back to stretch out the other hand towards Nashida, as if just waiting for Nashida to extend her hand.

"...I understand." Nashida took a deep breath and looked at Amber. She stretched out her hand, and the man and the god truly entered the Grand Bazaar.

What Amber didn't say was that her other main purpose was simply to take Nashida out for a walk. Even the pressure that a god could bear was limited. But just saying this was not enough to convince Nashida, so it was better to justify such behavior.

Chapter 38: The Art of Chatting

The Grand Bazaar is a market connected to Baoshang Street. It is rumored that this was originally a reservation for the descendants of the Flower God who were taken in by the Great Compassionate Tree King. They gathered here, and today, although they have merged with the descendants of the Tree King, they still retain this atmosphere that is integrated with Xumi City but not exactly the same.

The most eye-catching thing in the entire Grand Bazaar is a large stage, and in front of the stage is a fountain facing the wide square where many vendors and residents gather.

Compared to other places, this place is much more leisurely. It is a place with a warm atmosphere like an "activity center". You rarely see people rushing in and out. On the bulletin board next to it is a notice of the Zubair Theater's performance, and the time on it is exactly three o'clock this afternoon.

"It seems that we came at a good time. There will be a performance at the Zubair Theater later." Amber sighed. She had not seen a formal performance since she came here. She had heard that the Zubair Theater was a very famous theater in Xumi City, and was good at performing operas in a way that had local Xumi characteristics.

"I've seen performances at the Zubair Theater before, during the Flora Festival." Nashida recalled that the actor who played the Flora on the stage danced to the music, which left a deep impression on her.

"There are still nearly three hours before the performance starts. Why don't we go for a walk around? Nashida, do you want to try chatting with ordinary Xumi people?" Amber took Nashida to a fruit stall. There were many fruits on the stall, from the common sunset fruit and apples to the Xumi-specific Dun Dun peach, as well as fruits like Ye Luomei that are more like snacks.

Nashida, knowing the necessity of understanding the lives of ordinary people, did not reject Amber's suggestion, but she still had one last concern: "But, how should I do it?"

Amber laughed at this. The current Nacida was very different from the Nacida in her memory. If the Nacida in her memory was a wise god who lacked some common sense but had knowledge of a lot of knowledge, then the current Nacida was really more like a blank sheet of paper.

Amber walked up to the fruit stall and motioned Nashida to observe from the side.

She is very good at striking up a conversation, and the choice depends on the target. Generally, the easiest ones are those who smile enthusiastically. They will take the initiative to create topics, just like now.

As soon as the boss saw Amber coming, he greeted her warmly and introduced the fruits here incessantly. In such a situation, you only need to be a good listener and speak to guide the topic at the right time.

When the boss asked what they wanted, Amber bought two apples and boasted that the fruit in this shop was very fresh and much better than the fruit vendors on Baoshang Street.

This opened up the topic, and the boss proudly introduced his skills. He didn't care at all about being known by others, because he was half a family business, and the village behind him made a living by growing fruit trees. His main purpose of setting up a stall here was not to sell fruits through this stall, but purely to find something for himself to do, and to set up a "store" so that people who were interested in cooperation could find him.

With this beginning, the rest was a natural progression. Amber said that she was a scholar from the Sand People who had just arrived here. This was her first time in the Grand Bazaar. Seeing that the boss seemed to have been here for a long time, she asked him about the Grand Bazaar. With a new topic, the talkative boss talked nonstop.

Under Amber's deliberate guidance, the two people's topic then turned to the Zubair Theater. The boss himself likes to watch performances very much, so he set up the stall here. Hearing that Amber was quite curious about the future performances of the Zubair Theater, he was even more enthusiastic and introduced the Zubair Theater to Amber in detail.

Among them, the boss mentioned in particular a little girl named "Nilu". According to him, this little girl is a seed player of the troupe and an apprentice of the leading actor. She practices very hard and he is very optimistic about this little girl.

After finishing her chat with her boss, Amber turned her gaze to another scholar who looked rather tired. He had some dark circles under his eyes, which was obviously the "price" of staying up late to do academic work. He also had some negative emotions. Dealing with such a person can be difficult or easy. If you know the reason for his negative emotions, it will be "easy mode".

"Classmate, you look a little off. Are you really okay?" Amber said, showing concern and approaching. "Although academic research is time-sensitive, your health is the foundation of progress. If you continue in this state, not only will you struggle to perform well, but your health will also break down in the long run. Why don't you just go back and rest?"

As the saying goes, you shouldn't hit someone who smiles at you. People like this who really care about you and speak in a gentle manner generally won't directly give the other person a bad face - although there are people who give you a bad face, but such people need to be dealt with in another way.

"...Ah, thank you for your concern, classmate." The scholar was stunned for a moment before recovering from his shock. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'd like to go back and rest, but I'm almost on deadline for my homework... I don't know what's wrong with my instructor. He's giving me such a tight deadline. I'm almost dying these past few days."

"So it's because of the tutor. Alas... classmate, I understand you!" Amber showed an empathetic expression and looked at the scholar. Upon hearing the words, the scholar seemed to have found a comrade and also looked at Amber.

Finally, Amber took the lead. She complained about her non-existent mentor, which resonated deeply with the scholar. He immediately perked up and started complaining about his mentor as well.

Complaints and complaints are often an effective way to build closer relationships. In fact, many times, starting a conversation with "The weather has been really weird lately" followed by appropriate complaints is a very suitable way to start a conversation.

Among them, "the recent weather" is something that everyone who has lived here in recent times has experienced, which is also an excellent topic to arouse "resonance", and the complaints that follow can go a step further on this basis. This aspect often causes resonance in others through one's own experience and opens up the other person's conversation. This is often suitable for people who are under some pressure. These people are always willing to accept such opportunities to complain. Appropriate complaints are very conducive to relaxing the mood and are also helpful in building closer relationships in the process.

The same applies to starting with the good weather, except that this topic is more inclined towards sharing a good mood and is more suitable for more optimistic people.

After the initial complaints and grumbling between the two, Amber changed the subject and told some anecdotes to further liven up the atmosphere. "Let me tell you, there was that time. Isn't the instructor in our school usually a bit petty? One time, he punished a student by making them clean the classroom. The student didn't like the instructor to begin with, so he deliberately set a trap—he knew the next class would be with the same instructor, and the instructor liked to take long strides when entering."

"He mopped the floor so smooth that a fly would have slipped on it. Then, when the instructor walked in for the next class, he stretched out his foot and, with a 'chua!', he split his leg. It hurt like hell... There were hundreds of students in the room, and I don't know who laughed first, but we couldn't help it in the end."

The scholar laughed from the bottom of his heart when he heard this. He seemed to have remembered something and began to share some embarrassing stories. The happy atmosphere was contagious. In just a moment, a few more people gathered around the two of them. Everyone shared interesting things in life with each other, and a joyful atmosphere filled the place for a while.

Amber found an opportunity to withdraw, while the scholar continued chatting with several people around him. From the beginning to the end, neither of them knew each other's name - many times, unfamiliar relationships are not an obstacle.

After that, Amber demonstrated it to Nashida twice more, once for a child and once for an old man. She has always been a talkative person, having been like this since her previous life. She is the type who can chat with the people sitting next to her while waiting for a bus, and can also chat happily with the driver after getting in a taxi. She is even good at taking care of children and chatting with the elderly.

Amber thinks the key is "sharing" and "acceptance". Share your own happiness, accept other people's complaints, occasionally speak your own words according to different atmospheres, and more often act as a listener. At the same time, don't be stingy with your laughter, applause and encouragement during the listening process. It is important to create and maintain the atmosphere.

It would take a very long time to explain it in detail, so Amber was shown directly to Nashida, allowing her to see how ordinary people chat with each other.

Nashida was worthy of being the Goddess of Wisdom. She learned very quickly and put into practice what Amber had proposed in just a moment. She listened to stories from the elderly, told stories to children, and chatted with vendors who had some free time. During this time, Nashida also met all kinds of people. They were often similar, but not exactly the same, and Amber also behaved similarly in front of them. However, at her core, Amber's will and overall view were not possessed by ordinary people.

She has a side that is similar to ordinary people, but also a side that is different from ordinary people. She has an approachable and kind face, but beneath this face lies a lot of extraordinary knowledge and insights.

Nashida suddenly realized something. Even a being like Amber needed to present the face of an ordinary person when chatting. Perhaps if one wanted to fit in with a group, one had to behave similarly to the group. This was applicable in many places, not just when chatting, but also in various aspects of life, and even in many non-human races.

"How do you feel?" Amber asked with a smile as she watched Nashida's pace become much lighter.

"I feel... I have learned a lot." Nashida placed her hand on her heart, lowered her head slightly and closed her eyes. At this moment, she felt a "sense of excitement" similar to but not exactly the same as in the dream. In the dream, it was anticipation, but this time, Nashida felt it was excitement. These high emotions made her heart beat very fast, and even her steps became light.

"——I like this feeling." Nashida once again showed a brilliant smile from the heart. She took the initiative to walk forward and hold Amber's hand. Although Nashida did not understand what this gesture meant, she felt that she liked this kind of physical contact. She could clearly feel the body temperature from Amber's palm, which made her feel at ease and even a little warm.

"Everyone! The performance at the Zubair Theater is about to begin!"

The one who made the call was a lively girl with red hair. With a smile on her face, she stood on the stage and called out to the residents around her.

"Looks like the timing is perfect." Amber smiled and looked into Nashida's eyes. "Let's go. This is a rare opportunity. Let's go enjoy today's performance."

As the crowd began to gather towards the stage, the man and the god came to the stage as if they were ordinary people, waiting for the performance to begin.

Chapter 39: Warrior's Intuition

The Northland Bank has branches in all seven kingdoms. It gathers most of the Mora in the entire Solstice. The entire Northland Bank is managed by the ninth "Rich Man" among the Fatui executives. He uses the Mora of the entire Solstice as capital to earn a steady stream of profits.

The North Bank is somewhat similar to the Adventurer's Guild, except that the Adventurer's Guild usually adds branches to facilitate the adventurers' activities, while the North Bank adds branches to facilitate the Fatui's activities. However, it must be admitted that because the North Bank is spread across the seven countries and follows the most basic principles in its business dealings, it is often reliable.

After getting off the ship, Tartaglia chose to go to the nearest branch. The Fatui logistics members respectfully invited the young executive into the VIP reception room on the second floor and listened to his orders.

"Don't be so nervous. This is not a serious matter. Report to me the current situation of Xumi City." Tartaglia sat on the soft sofa and signaled his subordinates to report. They did not dare to be negligent in the face of the orders from the executive officer and revealed all the information they had.