Chapter 23: The Dawn of Humanity (5)

They say there are three basic human desires: hunger, sleep, and sex.

Ah, of course, this is complete nonsense. When I looked it up, it turned out to be a story with no academic or scientific basis at all.

Anyway, hunger was such an important factor for humans that such a misconception could be created.

Well, it's natural since you'd starve to death if you don't eat.

In any case, the act of eating is an essential activity that must be performed for the survival of living beings, and as such, it's an activity that living beings cannot neglect.

What would happen if you let primitive humans, who only ate to survive, who had never eaten anything other than raw meat and fruits, taste delicious cooked meat?

"Keek! Kik!"

"Kyak! Kyakyak!"

The answer to this question was unfolding in the human group.

Well, after tasting meat cooked over fire for the first time, of course they'd dance around the fire like that.

I'm not sure if that can be called dancing, but anyway, it's the same in the sense of expressing joy.

In their hands, as they danced incessantly and circled around the bonfire, they held meat skewered on tree branches, with hot steam rising from it.

It's nice to see them so happy. Seeing this, it seems like it was worth the trouble to teach them how to make fire.

Therefore, I've prepared another gift for today! Ta-da!

At first glance, it's just a pure white rock! But this rock is no ordinary rock!

It's...!

Ahem, I got a bit excited. Let's calm down for a moment.

While traveling around the world to look for traces of the disappeared Erebos and to check the overall situation.

I found a place that used to be sea but is now land, and curious, I looked around and found an interesting rock.

A pure white rock with a faint pink tinge, rising from barren land where grass couldn't grow properly.

While investigating, wondering if it was some kind of gem, I noticed passing herbivores licking it a few times.

It was none other than rock salt.

Hmm. I looked for it thinking "Maybe?", and I was a bit surprised to actually find it. A place that was definitely sea hundreds of years ago had somehow become land.

I'm not sure if the land rose or the sea level dropped...

Maybe the terrain changed due to earth elementals moving underground. Well, what's good is good.

Thanks to that, I was able to get this gift. Well, I could have created it with magic, but I wanted to give something I found naturally if possible.

If I give them rock salt like this, won't humans try to find it themselves later? I can't keep giving them gifts forever.

I approached the human group holding a chunk of white rock salt.

"You all. Have you been well?"

"Keek? Kik! Kiieek!"

The primitive humans started jumping up and down excitedly upon seeing me. They were showing an intense welcome, perhaps still remembering how I taught them to make fire before.

"Woo! Woowoo!! Kyaa! Kuuu!"

"I really wish you would learn language."

I'm not sure how long it will take, but how long do I have to listen to these uga-uga sounds? Hmm...

Surely, these guys won't create their own independent language that I don't know, right?

"Kiik! Kou! Kiii!"

"Ah, thank you."

As I approached, a primitive human managing the bonfire handed me a piece of meat skewered on a tree branch that they were grilling. It was as if they were proudly showing how well they were using fire.

Hmm. Quite admirable. They probably don't have much to eat themselves.

I should give a gift to such a good fellow.

I levitated the rock salt I was holding with magic, then lightly pinched off a bit with my thumb and index finger, crushed it between the two fingers to make powder, and sprinkled it lightly on the meat.

Just a tiny bit, because too much would make it too salty.

The white powder is lightly sprinkled on the meat, and quickly dissolves and seeps into the meat juices.

Hmm. Good. This should be enough.

Originally, it should have been sprinkled before grilling... But it can't be helped!

After examining the meat sprinkled with salt, I returned it to the one who had handed me the meat.

"Kiik?"

"Try eating it."

"Kii..."

Hmm. I really wonder when they'll learn language. I want to have a proper conversation.

Ah, no. Maybe this can be solved with magic? Let's see. So... Translation magic?

No, since language itself doesn't exist, it's hard to call it translation. Rather, if it's a type of magic that conveys one's intentions to the other person...

Hmm, it might be worth researching a bit.

"Kuuu..."

The primitive human who received the salted meat I handed over looked at it this way and that, then took a bite.

"Kiik?!"

Their face changed to one of shock.

Hmm, it's quite interesting that expressions are visible even on a face covered in hair.

"Wukyak! Kyaak! Wukyakyak!"

The primitive human started jumping up and down while holding the salted meat and tearing into it. Seeing the primitive human eating meat so joyfully, other primitive humans started gathering little by little.

The other primitive humans looked at the suddenly jumping and rejoicing primitive human as if they were looking at someone out of their mind. Well, if someone next to me suddenly started jumping and going crazy, I'd think they were insane too.

I smiled gently looking at the other primitive humans.

Good. It seems these primitive humans like salted meat too. Shall I do a bit more?

I lifted a nearby rock with magic, then used magic to turn the stone into meat, making a large chunk of meat.

Then I cut it into appropriately thin slices with a blade of magic, crushed part of the rock salt I was holding into powder, and sprinkled it evenly on all the meat.

To finish, a flame of magic. A large flame blooms and instantly cooks the meat. With an appetizing smell, the meat's juices drip down.

This makes even me, who doesn't need to eat food, feel hungry.

"Kyaak! Wukyaak!!"

"Kiik! Kiiiik!"

The cheers of primitive humans that haven't become language. Amidst such cheers, I distributed pieces of meat cut to an appropriate size to the surrounding primitive humans.

Now. This is delicious. That's what it is, young humans.

Still, seeing them so happy makes me a bit happy too.

And so, occasionally visiting the human group and giving various gifts became part of my routine.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What is the color that humans like the most?

Red, blue, green, etc. Among the numerous colors in this world, the color that humans like the most is none other than silver.

Is it because the most commonly used currency in the Empire is silver coins?

Or is it because the Empire's symbol, the guardian dragon, has silver scales?

According to Dr. Aileen M. Pleione, a scholar at the Imperial Academy, humans' preference for silver is an instinctive phenomenon.

Dr. Aileen: As a result of experimenting with hundreds of children, when given identical toys painted gold and silver, most young children picked up the silver toy first. This means that even young children who haven't been properly socialized instinctively prefer silver.

Reporter: Is this reaction only in young children?

Dr. Aileen: No. There are slight differences depending on age and race, but the results showed that over 80% on average prefer silver across all age groups.

Reporter: Why do you think these results came about?

Dr. Aileen: The academic world defines this phenomenon as an instinctive preference and is working to identify the cause. Some argued for a silver coin preference theory, citing that silver coins were the representative currency used even before the Empire was established, but this couldn't explain why even unsocialized young children prefer silver.

Reporter: When it comes to the most representative silver, there's the Empire's guardian dragon, but is there no possibility that this phenomenon is due to that guardian dragon?

Dr. Aileen: Certainly, that might be the case, but such a lazy... I'm sorry. Please edit this part out.

Reporter: Understood.

Dr. Aileen: I think it's unlikely that the guardian dragon, who stays secluded in their den and shows no external activity, would be the cause of such a phenomenon.

Reporter: Then what could be the cause?

Dr. Aileen: Here, I've formulated one hypothesis. The instinctive preference for silver by humans might be because the existence of silver brought great benefits to human ancestors. That's the hypothesis.

Reporter: By the existence of silver... Do you mean the guardian dragon?

Dr. Aileen: There's no way that one would do such a troublesome thing. Ah, please edit this part out too.

Reporter: Understood. If not the guardian dragon, then?

Dr. Aileen: I've formulated a hypothesis that it might be an extraterrestrial being that came from outside this world. Aliens with silver skin! Those I've named Gray-type aliens, who gifted various things to human ancestors...

This year's trend color is silver! If you want to dye your hair silver like shining silver coins, use this product right away!!!

(Followed by advertisements for hair dye.)

- An article published in the Empire's entertainment magazine.

It seems a certain scholar at the Imperial Academy was quite angry after seeing this article.