Chapter 476
Then, Maria stood beneath that incomparably majestic Tree of Light—or rather, stood before her own people.
"Homage to the World Tree. Your vastness and grandeur far exceed my imagination."
Maria's pupils visibly dilated.
Nahida and the King Deshret exchanged a glance, smiled, and remained silent.
Honestly, who wouldn't be awestruck by the sheer volume of memories of all living beings on Earth, and the sheer scale of that presence?
"Your Majesty, World Tree, I have come to..."
[Report to the Descendants: The World Tree agrees to contact, but only within safe boundaries.]
"As expected of you, you already knew about the Descendants. Well, I have one more thing to Morax..."
[Announcement: The World Tree needs no allies, no contracts, and no intervention from the gods. When the time is right, the gods' stance will naturally become clear.]
"Yes."
Maria seemed surprised that the conversation would be so brief. In the end, she bid farewell to Nahida with a frown.
Nahida stood atop the highest point of the Sanctum of Wisdom, watching the legendary Valkyrie disappear into the night. She sighed softly.
"Tree King, aren't we overthinking this?"
How to say it?
"I feel that Lord World Tree's reply wasn't just for Salt King, but perhaps also for us. The battle between Earth and Sky will undoubtedly be a clash that transcends the level of the Seven Archons, a battle that literally turns the tide. In other words, the Seven Archons don't actually have the ability to influence the outcome; all they can do is choose a side at that moment and wait for the result. Is it necessary for us to take the initiative to contact the Six Gods?"
[Nahida, I don't know.]
The King Deshret, who was always wise and erudite and could easily guide people through difficulties, gave Nahida such a reply for the first time.
Nahida was taken aback.
The King Deshret sighed:
Although I am older than you, I only have a few insignificant experiences; I am not omniscient. I cannot imagine what the game between the World Tree and the sky will look like. Perhaps our efforts will not affect the overall situation, nor can they help the World Tree. But doing something is better than doing nothing, don't you think?
"You're right. That great being created us, so naturally we should strive for Him and for all living beings on earth. Being passive is a waste of this divine power... I cannot repeat the mistakes of the past five hundred years."
Nahida nodded firmly.
Having once again emerged from self-doubt and dispelled the thought of giving up, Nahida began to analyze the situation seriously:
"Even the tree cannot record information about the invaders. The World Tree actually deduced the existence of the invaders through analysis of various sources, and only we currently know this information. I think we can keep it a secret for now... as a deterrent to the invaders. Although we don't know what kind of strength they possess, their omniscience should be enough to make them wary."
You're absolutely right.
"Tree King, the appearance of the Descendant is an unprecedented event in ten thousand years. Do you think this could become the fuse for a war between heaven and earth?"
It's hard to say. We don't yet understand the personality and purpose of this being, so we can't judge whether the war will begin as a three-way standoff, a united front against a foreign enemy, or something else entirely. The World Tree records everything, but the being is the only variable that no one can predict.
Of course, the worst-case scenario is that the Descendants and the Heavenly Principles reach some kind of agreement, and the two join forces against the World Tree.
Nahida felt anxious, and the Tree King felt uneasy as well.
"So what should we do?"
[We need to wait, Nahida. Until the World Tree negotiates with the Descendants, we can't be certain of anything, nor can we do anything. You've become overly impatient again; the Goddess of Wisdom should remain calm and composed.]
Nahida remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
The Tree King sighed inwardly. Nahida's mind was still somewhat immature. Of course, this was not Nahida's fault, but rather the sin of those sages who had imprisoned Nahida. Their arrogance and ignorance had caused Nahida to miss five hundred years of growth, so that in many ways she was still not much different from a newly born god.
Originally, the Tree King had plenty of time to wait for Nahida to mature.
The arrival of the Descendants will inevitably accelerate the changes in Teyvat. Do they really have time to wait for their nascent God of Wisdom to grow to a point where he can protect Sumeru and speak for the World Tree?
'Never mind. Nahida is the goddess of wisdom, and so am I; we are both terminals of the same World Tree. If necessary, I can only try my best to fill in everything she lacks.'
The King Deshret let out another helpless sigh.
The world is changing so fast that it must be difficult for any god who has existed for a long time to adapt.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're adapting quite well, Wooden Shadow?"
Inazuma, 007, worked overtime Yae Miko collapsed weakly on the floor of the Tenshukaku, staring at the Raiden Ei, who was eating dumplings, with her dead fish eyes and thick dark circles.
Raiden Ei lowered his head, blinked, and handed over the meatball.
Yae Miko pushed him away weakly.
"I don't want to eat, I have no appetite."
"Oh."
"Is this your attitude? Do you know how hard I've worked these past few days, clearing away the Ley Line and purifying the filth?"
"Aren't you being instructed by the Fatui?"
Raiden Ei tilted his head in confusion.
Yae Miko was speechless for a moment.
"The Fatui are indeed useful. Anyway, it doesn't cost money, and we don't have to worry about their safety. We can just let them take over when needed, and if they break, we can have the Snezhnaya replace them."
In short, it's Palu. And Palu doesn't need any resources or care; it brings its own food.
Where the defilement is severe, and where the seal's condition is uncertain, let the Fatui in and risk their lives. Once they've figured out the situation and cleared away the obstacles, the shrine maiden can then go in and repair the seal step by step.
That's exactly what Inazuma is doing now, making the Fatui fill the holes they created themselves.
"This is a contract that must be fulfilled by winter. Of course, it's all thanks to my sister's perfect planning. Otherwise, if Inazuma had to clean up that filth himself, who knows how many sacrifices would have been made and how long it would have taken."
Raiden Ei sincerely remarked.
Yae Miko also hummed in agreement twice.
She was able to work so enthusiastically not only because Kaguya and Makoto were spurring her on with expectant eyes, but also because of those Palu... the Fatui were indeed very useful, which is why the Inazuma lands were being cleaned up at a visible speed. Positive feedback is what keeps you focused and engaged, and then you unknowingly work until you're completely exhausted.
"It's almost done. The most densely populated Inazuma main island is almost cleaned up. After that, we'll send the Fatui to repair the Mikage Furnace and check on the status of the talisman on Hachi-yū Island. Once Hachi-yū Island is also cleaned up, we'll have enough land in Inazuma, and we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and slowly plan for the restoration of the other islands."
At this point, even Yae Miko, who was so tired she couldn't move, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After all, it's their own country; who would want to see this land in such a chaotic state?
Previously, it was Ying who was withdrawn. Although she was a high-ranking official with a noble title, her abilities were limited. She was already exhausted just from barely holding onto the main island.
Now, under Kaguya and Makoto's guidance, she felt she could truly purify all the places she had been powerless to change over the years. Then, she could finally lie quietly on their hands or necks, just like back then, as a carefree hand-warming fox, right?
As for how much the Winter Solstice and the Fatui will have to pay, who knows? Outsiders may sympathize, but from Inazuma's perspective, they certainly can't sympathize.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't the Snezhnaya have given us the explanation they promised?"
"The culprit must pay a bloody price, of course. My sister said the Cryo Archon wouldn't dare to deceive the gods, so we just need to wait. So when is my sister coming back? She's been gone for half an hour!"
Raiden Ei chewed on a meatball, gazing longingly at the palace gate of the Tenshukaku.
"It should be soon. It's just a trip to the Tenryou Commission Mansion. Why are you starting again?"
Yae Miko rolled her eyes, then wriggled and leaned against Raiden Ei's lap as a pillow, letting out a satisfied sigh.
' The Kagibara... that little guy will definitely be sent back, right? I wonder what Kage will do with him? Heh, even I don't know what to do.'