"If I were the Dendro Archon?"
Su Han murmured softly.
"Yes. If you were the Dendro Archon, how would you change this situation?"
There was a trace of expectation in Nahida's voice.
As a "bird in a cage," Su Han could be said to be her only hope.
Faced with Nahida laying everything bare,
Su Han did not answer her question. Instead, he knowingly asked, "Who are you?"
After talking for so long,
and even bringing up the question "if you were the Dendro Archon," she still refused to openly admit her identity.
This made Su Han very displeased.
Because it represented a lack of trust in him.
If that was the case, there was no need to continue the conversation.
Su Han considered himself someone willing to help others, but the premise was that the other party was trustworthy and willing to be open with him.
"I…"
Nahida understood what Su Han meant, and her heart began to struggle.
Although through observation and eavesdropping via the Den Den Mushi she had come to trust Su Han, at the moment of revealing her identity, she still felt afraid.
Su Han did not force her, but trust was the foundation of cooperation.
If Nahida did not trust him, then there was no need to continue.
Just as he was about to hang up,
Nahida's voice came from the other end.
"I am a bird in a cage, the moon of Sumeru, and the Dendro Archon Buer, who is imprisoned by her own people in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Also known as Nahida."
"Su Han, it's not that I didn't trust you before, but I was afraid of completely losing my chance to communicate with the outside world."
"As a god, I understand nothing, and I have even been abandoned by my people."
"So, please forgive me."
Nahida chose to be honest.
She had no way out, and even within all of Sumeru, she did not know whom she could trust.
As an outsider, Su Han was not only intelligent but also possessed abundant resources. If he was willing to help her, perhaps Sumeru might see a turning point.
"Thank you for choosing honesty, Nahida. Trust goes both ways. Since you trust me, I'll give you a piece of information for free. The Forest Ranger of Gandharva Ville, Tighnari. You can try communicating with him."
"Tighnari… I remember he's a botanical scholar of the Amurta Darshan. Because he dislikes the atmosphere of Sumeru City, he lives in Gandharva Ville. Can he be trusted?"
Nahida remembered this person, but she did not have much information about him.
"Don't worry. He is your loyal follower."
"And there's something you said earlier that was incorrect. You were never abandoned. It's just that the Grand Sage of the Akademiya, Azar, controlled public opinion and suppressed the people's love for you. That's why you cannot distinguish who your followers truly are."
"Besides, allow me to say this."
"You and the previous Dendro Archon have no enmity at all. Both of you are protectors of Sumeru. Those who cannot accept this reality are the truly foolish ones."
Su Han's words came from the heart.
What nation of wisdom?
It was nothing more than a group of madmen and clowns occupying power.
Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Sealed chamber.
A line of tears flowed down Nahida's cheeks.
For the first time, someone spoke up for her so openly.
She felt so wronged.
So very wronged.
Her tears could not stop flowing.
She was a god,
but gods also had emotions.
When faced with sorrowful things, Nahida would feel sad as well.
"Thank you so much for your support, Su Han… you're truly kind."
Her voice was filled with sobs.
She tried to stop this display of weakness,
but the tears would not cease.
The grievances she had suppressed for five hundred years were finally released today.
Nahida cried for a full half hour before completely venting her emotions.
"I'm sorry… I must have made a fool of myself."
"Not at all. This is a secret between us. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Hearing Su Han's reply,
Nahida felt warmth in her heart.
However, there was still one thing she wanted to ask.
"Um… do you really not think I'm unqualified? As the new Dendro Archon, I don't have the wisdom of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. I can't guide people forward. I'm like a child, having to learn everything from the beginning."
Faced with Nahida's confusion,
Su Han shook his head.
"I think you've misunderstood something."
"What is it?"
"No one is born strong. Even the former Dendro Archon came to understand everything through the Irminsul. She herself was not omnipotent. Those who cannot accept this are merely indulging in an illusory dream."
"But the scholars' questions… I really don't understand them."
Even now,
Nahida could still feel her own shortcomings, so she lacked confidence.
"There's no 'but.' A beautiful dream is still just an illusion. Don't you think that the current Sumeru is immersed in a beautiful dream called 'wisdom'?"
Su Han's words made Nahida tremble.
Yes.
He was right.
The current Sumeru relied excessively on the Akasha and even attempted to create a god.
"I understand now. No matter how harsh reality may be, as Sumeru's god, I should step forward and guide them onto the right path!"
Through Su Han's words,
Nahida finally understood Sumeru's predicament.
But every beginning was difficult.
To turn an entire nation around was no simple task.
"There's one more question I have."
"Hmm?"
Su Han looked at the Den Den Mushi in confusion.
Nahida spoke,
"If the people of Sumeru are unwilling to wake up from this illusory dream, what should I do?"
A beautiful dream is called such
because it is both illusory and sweet.
It matches the expectations within people's hearts.
Humans are inherently fragile. If they indulge in dreams and refuse to awaken, Nahida had no solution.
This was what she feared most.
However, Su Han smiled.
"You're worrying too much. This is actually the least concerning problem."
"Why?"
Nahida could not understand.
This should have been the most difficult issue.
Su Han spoke calmly,
"This is human nature. When disaster arrives, no matter how much people try to avoid it, they will have to face reality."
"You mean—"
Nahida finally understood Su Han's intention.
But this method seemed a bit too extreme.
If it was carried out,
Sumeru might be torn apart.
Su Han understood her concern and said,
"If you hesitate, you'll only bring chaos upon yourself. Rebirth through fire might not be a bad thing. Of course, my method is only for the final moment, when there is no other choice. Ordinary people may not understand the danger of the Abyss, but you do, don't you? The number of people suffering from Eleazar is increasing."
That single sentence
made Nahida fall completely silent.
Yes.
She had no choice.
"I understand. I've indulged them for five hundred years. It's time for them to awaken. Su Han, thank you… I know what I should do now."
"No need. I've said it before, we're friends. Helping each other is only natural. Since you can access the Den Den Mushi, I might as well have someone set up a contact point for you. That way, it'll be much easier for us to communicate."
Su Han had always believed that the more friends one had, the easier life would be.
The help he gave now would surely be repaid a hundredfold in the future.
So he was never worried about what he gave.
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