"Guizhong is here." Yoimiya had originally wanted to give chase, but Akio's words made her stop. After all, Akio had said to try to restrain overly powerful forces in front of Guizhong.
But could a god really be unable to kill a magical beast?
Yoimiya was somewhat puzzled. If she had acted just now, she could have easily crushed that magical beast, yet Guizhong's ability seemed so imposing but only wounded the beast.
Akio and Yoimiya looked toward the distance, where several figures were quickly running over.
The woman in the lead was very beautiful, with long gray hair and wearing a blue dress. Her robes were very loose, reflecting the appearance of a starry sky.
The several men behind her were holding simple spears made of wood and stone, following closely behind the woman.
"Hey, humans, are you alright?" Guizhong ran over and hurriedly asked, looking at the two strangely dressed people before her.
"We're fine. And you are?" Akio shook his head and deliberately inquired.
"I'm called Guizhong, the master of this place, the God of Dust," Guizhong introduced herself.
"Are you humans who fled here from other places?" Guizhong asked curiously. These two were dressed very cleanly and didn't look like refugees.
In this era, the Archon War was raging, with gods being killed at any time, and the people under defeated gods would flee, lose their faith, and then be accepted by other gods.
Without the protection of a god, humans absolutely could not survive. Among the many magical beasts, humans were as insignificant as ants.
"We're not refugees, and we have no faith," Akio shook his head and said.
"Eh?" Guizhong looked at Akio and Yoimiya with confusion, thought for a moment, and said, "Humans, would you like to join my territory? Become my people, give me your faith, and I will give you protection."
"We don't worship any god," Akio shook his head and said. "Why didn't you kill that magical beast just now?"
"I'm very sorry, my power isn't very strong. That magical beast just now—I could only drive it away; I don't have the means to kill it," Guizhong said, seeming somewhat self-reproachful.
"..." Akio and Yoimiya fell slightly silent. They knew Guizhong was weak, but this was too weak!
"Insolence! You shall not be insolent before God of Dust!" The man behind Guizhong heard Akio's questioning and angrily shouted.
"It's fine. People wandering outside need some suspicion to survive better," Guizhong waved her hand to stop the man and looked gently at Akio. "Would you two be willing to return to my territory with me? I will give you sufficient protection and living space."
Akio looked at Guizhong. Though she was weak, her loving heart was deeply ingrained in her bones. He had to admit that Guizhong was an extremely gentle deity.
"Lord of Dust, they don't worship you," the man frowned and said.
"It's fine, Qiming. As long as they can live peacefully, I'm satisfied," Guizhong smiled gently and said indifferently.
"Lord of Dust..." The man called Qiming wanted to say something more, but seeing Guizhong's gentle yet firm gaze, he still nodded.
He looked at Akio and Yoimiya warily and said coldly, "You two, when you get to our place, live properly and don't be unrealistic."
"Qiming, don't be so harsh," Guizhong said softly, looking at Akio and Yoimiya.
"Then let's go," Akio shrugged. He wouldn't get too angry with a mortal, especially since this Qiming was also looking out for Guizhong.
"What's your name?" Guizhong asked as they walked.
"My name is Akio," Akio said. "This is my partner, Yoimiya."
"Akio? Yoimiya?" Guizhong nodded. She smiled like a flower and looked at Akio, saying, "Akio, you're really handsome! You're the most handsome human I've ever seen."
"Of course! My Akio is the most handsome," Yoimiya laughed happily. Even a god thought so, which made her very happy.
"Akio, Sister Guizhong is really so gentle," Yoimiya transmitted to Akio mentally. "I like this big sister."
"Right? Guizhong is indeed a gentle person. But after getting to know her well, you can see her lively and cute side," Akio responded. "But to her people, she should always show her gentle side."
"A god's love for people isn't just talk."
"Eh? Why aren't you two talking?" Guizhong looked at the two, feeling something strange about them.
"Your clothes look so strange, but they're very beautiful. Can you tell me how you made them?"
"You must have wandered outside and seen many places, right? Can you tell me what beautiful scenery you've seen?"
"You're really amazing. Though you're just mortals, you can actually live independently in the wild. Can you teach my people some techniques?"
...
All along the way, Guizhong kept talking with them. For some reason, Guizhong seemed to really enjoy talking with the two.
After walking for a short while, a small village appeared before them.
"Lord of Dust!" ×n
Entering the village, many villagers put down their work and greeted Guizhong.
Guizhong would also smile gently and respond to each of them, occasionally crouching down to pat the children's heads.
Yoimiya took off the candy ornament from her head and distributed some candy to the children.
"What is this?" Guizhong asked curiously, looking at the colorful candy.
"This is candy, it's very delicious. Guizhong, you should try some too," Yoimiya smiled and handed Guizhong a piece of candy.
"Mmm... It's sweet! Delicious!" Guizhong put it in her mouth without any suspicion. Instantly, the sweet taste of the candy spread through her mouth, making even her heart feel sweet.
Guizhong immediately fell in love with this taste, showing a sweet smile.
Never mind Akio—at this moment, even Yoimiya fell in love with this gentle and beautiful Guizhong.
"The children must be very happy eating such sweet things, right?" Guizhong pondered for a moment, then looked at Yoimiya and asked, "Yoimiya, do you have more of this candy? Do you have anything to make candy with?"
"I'm very sorry, I don't," Yoimiya shook her head. She had walked all this way, and Sweet Flowers were very rare in this era. Plus, they were often people's source of calories—who would have spare Sweet Flowers to make candy?
"Okay then..." Guizhong was somewhat disappointed, but she quickly recovered and looked at the two with a smile. "Akio, Yoimiya, come this way. Let me arrange lodging for you."
Soon, Guizhong led them to a small thatched hut and said, "This is your house. You can move in—there's a bed inside."
"You're partners, so living together should be fine, right?"
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