People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 451 Tree King: Our time is long, so there is enough time to love

"The love story between humans and elves is a great fairy tale, but it would be a pity if the story ended here."

"Fairy tale. Do you think so too? Well, that's fine, that's fine."

As if he had heard similar statements many times, Finch sighed slightly and was not surprised by such a reaction.

"No, Mr. Finch, please don't get me wrong."

"I'm not doubting the authenticity of the story, but I'm saying that this story is as beautiful as a fairy tale and its ending shouldn't stop here."

He took a step forward under Barbara's curious gaze.
Lin Feng took out the handicraft that old Finch had just given him, smiled and said:
"——To be honest, we really like this story and deeply understand the emotions behind it."

“Although reality often ends in regret, if it is a fairy tale told to children, then the story should always have a happy ending.”

"Just like the dragon will eventually be defeated, the prince and princess will eventually be together."

"Coincidentally, I happen to have some friends who are good at finding people. If you don't mind, I would like to add a few more strokes to the end of this fairy tale."

"Your friend is good at finding people?"

“Looking for someone.”

!!!

"Could it be? --You know where Carlylu is!"

It was like a window that had been covered with dust over a long period of time was suddenly polished, and old Finch's originally lifeless eyes suddenly had light in them.

When he shifted his gaze from the windmill chrysanthemums in the hands of the two to the holders, Old Finch slowly discovered the peculiarity of the little girl next to him:
"Such characteristics? Such a special temperament"

"You'll be interested in our story. I'm sure your partner will be interested too?!"

The unusually exquisite appearance, the temperament that is very different from the apparent age, and the promise just made.
Before he could finish his words, Old Finch looked at the young man in front of him and realized that the companion beside him might not be an ordinary human being either.

"Eh? Grandpa Finch, what are you talking about?"

"What happened to Mr. Lin Feng and Miss Nashida?"

It felt like there was some encrypted conversation going on over there.

Barbara, who was standing aside, looked at the old man in front of her, whose attitude had inexplicably become friendly, and she had many question marks over her head.

"No, nothing, I'm just getting older and I miss my old self a little bit."

I took a deep breath. After decades, I finally met someone who was willing to believe that everything was true and who could understand me.

Old Finch turned to the two listeners who had extraordinary temperaments and a hint of nobility, and his tone was filled with a bit of heartfelt pleading:
"——I know that Kalilu is not human. She is like a free stream. She may have long been tired of me, a coward who always cries."

"——But even if it is my selfishness, I beg you to let me see Kalilu again. Even if we have to part ways from now on, I will definitely be able to give an answer to the boy who always stayed by the spring in the past with peace of mind."

"Don't worry. I will try to convey this message and the previous story to the elf who once stayed here."

"In fact, those friends who are responsible for helping to find people also like fairy tales."

"If such a beautiful story could have a happy ending, then there would be one more shining shell in their memory."

During the conversation with Old Finch, I had already collected enough information from the wind around me.
After Lin Feng roughly determined that Kalilu was currently recuperating in a water vein somewhere in the northern part of Liyue, he wanted to find some work for the little ones, so he decided to leave the rest of the work to Lanaro who was hanging out there.

At the same time, Liyue.

Just like a cicada buried deep underground finally waiting for the opportunity to shed its shell, many green cabbage-like Lanaro also jumped and gathered beside Liyue's water veins:

——Finally, they received the long-awaited commission from God. Many little fellows who had been doing nothing for a long time were extremely excited. Even their big eyes showed a strong enthusiasm.

"Go to the water and find the blue elf!"

"Help Haonala find friends! It's a new fairy tale!"

Although I don’t quite understand what love is, I still like the half of the fairy tale I just shared with you.

Like children who have come across something interesting, a large group of cabbages quickly scattered.
They were able to teleport freely in the earth veins, and relying on the approximate location and the images and auras used for reference, they soon spread to every water vein in the area north of Guiliyuan.
At the border between Mondstadt and Liyue, on the west side of the Dragonspine Snow Mountains.

In this idyllic place surrounded by mountains, in the center of the area once known as the "Salt of the Earth",

Because of the continuous supply of water from the Clear Water River, a huge freshwater lake has been formed that is no less huge than the Mond Wine Lake.

Surrounding a small island sealed somewhere in the middle of the lake,

Under the water, a strange creature with a deep blue body, a fish tail and two wings was wandering in the water lonely.
As if it had lost something very important, the creature moved very depressedly and just instinctively watched the fish swimming around.

——There is no doubt that the one who lives alone in this uninhabited paradise is the pure water elf "Kalilu" that Lanaro and others were commissioned to find.

As the followers of the previous water goddess Egolia, the pure water elves were originally widely distributed in the water bodies throughout Teyvat. They scattered after the death of the water god.

Although the lifespan and strength of elemental life are much stronger than that of ordinary humans, there is also a huge gap in the strength between pure water spirits.
As a not-so-powerful individual in the tribe, Kalilu even finds it difficult to condense her entity and maintain her human form.

"."

He turned his body and looked away from the fish that were only reacting instinctively.

Since leaving Qingquan Town, I have no idea how many times I have looked towards that peaceful and tranquil little village.
Trying her best to suppress the urge to go back, she lowered her head slightly, unable to comprehend her own feelings at the moment.

".Sure enough, even though I went back so many times, I still didn't have the courage to see him."

".Will he forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye? Probably never again."

"I am too slow and I don't know how to respond to human emotions. If he stays with me, a non-human being, he will definitely regret it in the end."

He originally lived near Qingquan Town just to recuperate, and he didn't care too much about the humans living in the town.

But one night, lit by a sky full of stars, the boy came to the spring.
She sensed something she had never understood from the tears, and could not suppress her curiosity about humans. She agreed to the other party's request and began to try to become friends with him.
The perspectives between each other are different, and the world they see is completely different.
The originally uneventful life suddenly became colorful. At that time, she and her partner looked forward to every night, sharing their stories with each other.

Even often staying up all night, playing many silly and ridiculous games
"I know I can't respond to that feeling. I should have understood it all when I ran away."

"But why is it that even though I've been away for so long, the desire to respond and the irresistible urge in my heart are getting stronger and stronger?"

Ever since she left the village where she had left so many memories, she has been troubled by extreme contradictions and struggles all the time.
I was worried that the water elves would regret it because of the differences between them, and I was also worried that I would face the inevitable pain and separation if I went back.
"It's too late. I thought Finch would move on after I left and finally meet me again in the dark night, but he..."

"——Humph, I found it! The "blue" spirit! Lan Bailijia is the first after all!"

"——This is something given to you by the god of "Trees and Grass". If you don't like it, just show it to Lan Bailijia!"???

Before I could finish expressing my sorrow, I was suddenly interrupted by a round green cabbage in front of me.

Even after this green cabbage came over, it was as if a chain reaction was triggered, and a large number of green cabbages quickly appeared around him.
Unfortunately, judging by the smell of these seemingly harmless cabbages, any one of them seemed to be able to easily deal with him.
"Um, sorry, did I do anything wrong? If I did something wrong, I will correct it immediately."

He huddled up in a ball, shivering, and seemed a little overwhelmed by the pile of green cabbages that were looking at him with curious eyes.

She was just a pure water elf that wasn't that powerful, but from what these little guys said, it seemed like a god was looking for her.
？ ！！

"—Wait? Finch? What happened to Finch?!"

“——Is this possible?”

Looking at the familiar stone in front of me, I instantly thought of the worst possible outcome.

Even the panic of facing the unexpected situation was dispelled by some sudden fear. Kalilu tried hard to overcome the escapist nature of the pure water elf and took the stone that she had used to make Finch laugh as quickly as possible.

"."

I rushed forward instinctively, and only then realized what I had done.
I was a little confused and realized that the boy I once was had already occupied such a large position in my heart without me noticing.

Before she could regret her actions, a bright white light flashed by. It was as if she had become a spectator of a certain memory. From the perspective of a bystander, she saw the now old Finch and heard the "fairy tale" he said.

".Hey, where are you taking me? Are you going to meet your friend who is helping you find someone?"

"At least let me go back and change my clothes, and then bring some gifts, otherwise what if I neglect you guys?"

After the other party agreed to help, he just chatted about some interesting things he remembered as a supplement.

It's like two people competing to catch fish, but he loses before he even gets into the water, or competing to climb a tree, but Carlylu is too far from the shore to get to the shore.
As they were talking, the girl next to him suddenly said something to the boy in front of him, and then he was pulled over and told to meet someone.
"Don't worry, it's not far away."

"The next period of time belongs to the two of you. We will leave first."

"."

The words in his ears gradually became blurred, or perhaps it could be said that at this moment old Finch could no longer pay attention to anything else.

From a distance, I saw the blue-haired figure with his head slightly lowered, his hands clasped together, and an overall look of anxiety and nervousness.
Although this look was somewhat different from the most beautiful and charming one in his memory,
But he still stopped, shook his head and smiled, just like he did when he was a child decades ago, and greeted in a hoarse voice:
".Kalilu? Hahaha, just like me, you have changed too."

"Unfortunately, I am getting older and older. Even if we compete in tree climbing, I may not be able to climb higher than you."

I thought that after half a lifetime of pursuit and waiting, I would finally get results, and I would be even more excited.

But at this moment, there was only a faint sense of peace and joy in his heart that filled his entire chest.

It was like when I was a child I found the stone I had longed for by the water, and it happened to be a mild, sunny day when I planned to go out to play.

".Well, sorry to have kept you waiting, Finch."

". It won't be long, it won't be long. It will just pass in a blink of an eye."

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't leave again."

"."

".People have told stories that I gave you a kiss before I left. When I heard that, I regretted not doing that at the time."

“But now I don’t regret it anymore.”

"Because the kiss in the story represents silence and rejection, but the kiss I give you now represents a vow and a gift of love."

The pure water spirit who had been escaping for decades raised his head slightly and looked at the boy in front of him who was no longer a boy.

Finding out that she had actually made the choice decades ago, she smiled with some relief and decided to put a not-too-perfect end to the story of the past.

".What do you think, Nashida? Are you satisfied with this fairy tale?"

"Ah."

"Their hearts at this moment are shining like gold that has been melted away.

Although there are still some concerns, I am very happy to see the ending of the story like this."

"Hidden worries? Are you talking about the lifespan of humans and pure water elves?"

On a cliff next to Qingquan Town, the Tree King took Nashida to the edge of the cliff and whispered about what was happening in the distance.

"Well, the scale of time is different, and the perspective of looking at the problem will also be different, if the destined separation comes."

"——By the way, where are he and Miss Barbara? Why did they suddenly disappear?"

"Haha, he's going to explain to the little girl what happened.
Besides, it also leaves time for you and me."

With a slight smile, the Tree King glanced at the little fellow beside him who was still pursuing perfection, and his tone was also filled with some emotion:

"—After hundreds of years of isolation, I am glad to see that you have such a high level of understanding of human emotions."

"Perfection is good, but sometimes it is precisely because life is limited that we cherish every precious emotion."

"Because of separation, we cherish reunion more; because of death, we cherish time more; because of sadness, laughter is more precious."

"."

"So, are we destined to be unable to truly understand their emotions like humans because of our long lifespan and time?"

Somewhat confused by what the Tree King said, Nashida tilted her head, her tone filled with confusion.

"Do not."

“Departure, death, and sadness are not always negative, but they are also not worth pursuing or praising. If possible, I hope you never have to experience all of this.”

"——What I mean is that human life is as short as fireworks, so we are forced to cherish every emotion in this limited time."

"But we are different. We are born with a lot of time, so we have more time than them."

“Please rest assured that a long time is by no means a negative thing, and there is no need to deliberately pursue the splendor of burning out everything.
Because for you and me, no matter at the beginning or the end of the world, as long as we can find the person who is most worthy of company, we will always have enough time to love. "

(End of this chapter)