How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

She didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to get away from here as quickly as possible.

However, suddenly, the goldfish princess, immersed in her grief, did not notice a figure appearing in front of her.

As expected, she bumped into the figure that suddenly appeared.

With a "bang," the little guy fell backward.

"it hurts......"

Rubbing her little head, Princess Goldfish made a cute sound, but soon she realized that she seemed to have bumped into someone, so she immediately lowered her head and said in a little anxiety, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"No, I should be the one apologizing. It was my fault for not catching you in time."

However, a slightly familiar, gentle voice reached her ears, and Goldfish Princess subconsciously exclaimed "Hey!" Before she could remember who the voice belonged to, a large hand reached out in front of her.

"Are you alright, Princess Goldfish?"

Looking at the palms filling her field of vision, she instinctively raised her head, and then, a clear, bright face came into view.

"Eh... Eh!?"

A loud scream rang out, and the stunned little guy suddenly panicked.

"W-Why are you here, Shimizu!?"

"Why...? Because there's something I wanted to tell you. I just didn't expect to encounter something like this."

Seeing that Princess Goldfish was too flustered and was still sitting on the ground, Shimizu Asahi took the initiative to take her hand and pulled her up with a little force.

"Wait, you saw everything!?"

Her panicked expression became more and more obvious, and Princess Goldfish looked like she was about to cry. Why did Shimizu have to see this? All the sense of reliability she had worked so hard to build yesterday was gone!

Ugh! So annoying! Why is everything so unpleasant this morning?!

Waaah...

The blow made the grievances in her heart almost overflow. If it weren't for the clear water and the rising sun in front of her, Princess Goldfish might have vented her anger fiercely.

Looking at the little guy with his head down and pouting, looking pitiful, Shimizu Asahi was silent for a moment. He pursed his lips and then asked in a casual tone, "Can you tell me about what happened just now?"

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to know more about this. Could you grant me that wish?"

“…Waaah…”

Princess Goldfish wanted to refuse. She could tell that Asahi Shimizu was trying to comfort him, but even her own kind mocked her dream. If she told him, he would surely laugh at her too...

She said she was having unrealistic dreams, and that she was adorably silly...

But... feeling the kindness emanating from him, the grievances in her heart burst forth with longing. She wanted to confide in him and tell him all her grievances and sadness.

So she nodded anyway.

After receiving her consent, Shimizu Asahi took her hand and led her to the riverbank. The two sat down on the ground by the riverbank. All around was quiet, except for the rushing river and the gentle breeze.

Shimizu Asahi didn't say anything; he fully played the role of a listener.

Perhaps subconsciously realizing that she had someone to confide in, Princess Goldfish's emotions gradually calmed down.

After a short while, she calmed herself down, and the slightly muffled, crisp sound slowly rang out.

"Actually, I have a dream, which is to conquer the world and then rightfully become the Lord of Arakawa."

"Because the title of Lord of Arakawa is like that of a hero. It protects our Arakawa from threats. No matter how terrifying the monsters from outside are, it can protect us forever."

"I want to be a hero like that too."

"That big, dumb guy who always bullies me doesn't deserve that title, but he conquered the sea and is the strongest yokai in Arakawa, so the water yokai can only call him the Lord of Arakawa."

"But one day, I will conquer a world wider than the ocean, and then I will take the title of Lord of Arakawa from him."

"But the water spirits kept mocking me. They said I was dreaming and that I would never become the Lord of Arakawa. I was not convinced, so I argued with them, and in the end... it turned out like this."

The little girl spoke quickly, but it all came from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to become the Lord of Arakawa, she wanted to become a hero, and even if she was ridiculed or wronged, she never thought of giving up on this dream.

Even now, her words are filled with unwavering determination.

No matter how much others disagree, I will keep moving forward, and one day, I will become the rightful Lord of Arakawa!

This is a little guy striving for his dream... Chapter 204, Section 207: Clear Water, Life Mentor, Morning Sun

On the riverbank, the clear water and the rising sun stand quietly.

Actually, when he saw what just happened, he had already guessed what was going on. The reason he pretended not to hear was to let Princess Goldfish vent her grievances.

Princess Goldfish may be able to withstand everything now and turn her grievances into motivation, but how long can such strength last?

One year, or two years?

When the grievances pile up to a mountain and can no longer be transformed, that's when Princess Goldfish gives up on her dreams and accepts ridicule.

So, after seeing the little one pitifully running away, he chased after her and used this method to vent his emotions.

After revealing her dream, Princess Goldfish fell silent again. Unconsciously, her stubbornness and persistence turned into disappointment and emptiness.

Biting his lower lip, the little guy pitifully lowered his head.

"Shimizu...why don't they believe I can become the Lord of Arakawa? Is my dream really the right one?"

The clear voice became subdued, and a hint of denial appeared in Princess Goldfish's words; she had begun to waver in her belief in this dream.

"Princess Goldfish, it is actually ourselves who determine whether our dreams are right or wrong. When you choose a dream from the bottom of your heart, that dream is right."

"So don't worry about it. As long as you stick to your own principles, you are the best."

Qingshui Chaoyang chuckled softly, patted the little girl's head, and offered her guidance like a mentor.

"But they don't believe me..."

"Dreams never disappear because of others' doubts."

A gentle whisper interrupted the girl's shout, and the black-haired boy said with a smile, "Besides, there are always some people in the world who have dreams that are laughable, aren't there?"

"The ridicule of others may be very painful, but you were the one who chose this dream in the first place. If you give up your dream because of the ridicule of others, you will still be the one who regrets it."

"If you feel dissatisfied, then strive to become stronger, and then ride the towering waves to become the new Lord of Arakawa."

"The new...Lord of Arakawa..."

Princess Goldfish couldn't help but raise her head, and the boy's figure was reflected in her bright yellow eyes.

Touched by a subtle emotion, the little guy's gloom and disappointment slowly disappeared, replaced by confidence and cheerfulness.

She clenched her small hands and shouted, "Yes! You're right! I will definitely become the new Lord of Arakawa, and then I'll teach them a lesson!"

"Hehe, the Lord of Arakawa is the guardian deity of Arakawa. Bullying Arakawa's own kind is forbidden."

"I'm not going to protect those guys who laugh at me! Humph!"

Seeing the Goldfish Princess smile again, Shimizu Asahi felt relieved.

However, to prevent Princess Goldfish from becoming insecure again due to ridicule, he added, "By the way, Princess Goldfish, next time you feel wronged, don't keep it inside. Try to vent your emotions. That way, you won't feel so bad."

"It's okay if I don't do that, I won't let their words defeat me!"

The little one, now full of energy again, speaks with a sharp tongue. If Shimizu Asahi hadn't seen her just now, she might have actually believed her.

But this is the real Princess Goldfish.

After smiling and patting the little guy's head, he replied, "If you don't have any friends to confide in, you can confide in the sea. The sea can embrace everything."

"Uh, Wh-what? I didn't keep quiet because I don't have any friends."

The little girl blushed immediately after Shimizu Asahi pointed out the truth. She waved her little arms to deny it as much as possible, but no matter what she did, the meaningful smile on her face did not change.

"Ugh, you bad guy, Shimizu is such a bad guy, he's always bullying me."

Realizing his efforts were futile, the little guy could only let out an adorable cry, then turn his head away and angrily say, "I'm angry! I'm really angry! No matter how you try to coax me, I won't care!"

"Don't care? Oh dear, that's a real shame. I was planning to treat you to something, but since you've said that, let's just forget about it."

With a slightly affected call, Shimizu Asahi gave a regretful smile, then stood up, casually patted his clothes, and said, "That's all for today, I'm going back now, Goldfish Princess."

"Hey, hey!? Wait, are you going to treat me to something?"

However, before he could take the first step, his sleeve was tugged by a soft little hand, and the Goldfish Princess was looking at him expectantly.

Ibuki is right, this little guy is really cute.

"Hehe, you're not angry anymore?"

The boy squinted and made a teasing remark.

"I'm not angry at all. Shimizu is a friend. Why would I be angry at a friend?"

Perhaps because she was still young and not thick-skinned enough, the little girl showed a hint of embarrassment, but she quickly straightened her back and said that she hadn't said anything.

Amused, the boy ruffled the little guy's hair, then shouted, "Alright, let's go eat!"

"Yay, let's go get something to eat."

With happy smiles, Shimizu Asahi and Kingyo walked towards the village not far away.

Although the Arakawa River monster used to frequently ravage the people and cause flooding, leading to widespread resentment and conflict between humans and monsters, that was then, and this is now.

Since the Lord of Arakawa returned a hundred years ago, the Arakawa water spirits have gradually begun to abide by the law. They not only no longer cause floods or bring disasters, but they also dredge channels and get closer to humans. The people's resentment towards the water spirits has gradually dissipated.

Today, a peaceful home where the people of Arakawa and the yokai are indistinguishable has truly been established.

This land became a place where humans and water demons coexisted.

Before long, the two arrived in the village, chatting and laughing.

Following the familiar road, they entered the hotel where they had stayed the previous day.

"Sunrise, Goldfish Princess, here."

In a corner on the first floor of the inn, seeing the boy and girl stepping in, Ali called out softly.

Having spotted the three girls, Shimizu Asahi led Kingyo-hime over.

After sitting down in the corner the girls had deliberately left empty, Shimizu Asahi looked at the little guy who had sat down with him and said with a smile, "Goldfish Princess, is there anything you'd like to eat?"

"I want mixed rice, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), sushi, simmered meat..."

The moment Shimizu Asahi finished speaking, Goldfish Princess rattled off a long list of delicious foods she wanted to eat. Her big eyes sparkled, and her face showed the joy and anticipation of someone whose dream had come true.