Chapter 27: Demi-Humans (2)

Yggdrasil began to take care of the humans around it with great sincerity.

It created fruits for the hungry, wove huts with branches for those without shelter, made medicinal herbs for the sick, and so on.

Yggdrasil took extreme care of the humans under its shade.

It was so attentive that it even created shade with leaves when the sun was a bit strong, which seemed a bit excessive, but for some reason Yggdrasil only replied with "You're not one to talk, Mom?"

I'm not sure why I was brought up there, but anyway.

The humans living around Yggdrasil began to change their nature little by little.

I'm not sure if they're changing due to admiring Yggdrasil, the giant tree, or if they're changing by eating the fruits Yggdrasil gives.

It was a bit hard to understand how humans could come to resemble trees... But what can you do? It's actually happening.

Their growth slowed down a bit but their lifespan lengthened, and they started photosynthesizing with their hair... Hmm... Why?

Isn't photosynthesis supposed to happen through chlorophyll? But these humans don't have chlorophyll?

Are they using magic to cause an effect similar to photosynthesis? How on earth is that possible?

Hmm... I don't know. I don't understand. I handle magic too, but sometimes I wonder how far this power called magic can go.

I don't like dismissing impossible things with just a "It's thanks to magic!" I want to know why these things happen!

Well. I should do some thorough research sometime. While I'm at it, I should systematically organize magic too.

It doesn't matter now since there's no one using magic except me and the dragons.

Both for me and for the dragons. We just move the abundant magic in our bodies with our will to cause phenomena, so there's not even a fingernail's worth of a proper system.

If the time comes when others start using magic too, we should avoid such haphazard magic.

Let's organize things a bit in preparation for when numerous people start using magic.

Well, it's not an immediate issue, so let's move on.

Those living gathered around Yggdrasil began to change physically too.

Body hair disappearing except for head hair and eyebrows, limbs becoming slender and changing to a model-like body shape is just a minor thing.

They're becoming infinitely close to Yggdrasil, gaining the ability to converse with spirits, and thanks to their extended lifespan, the amount of magic accumulating in their bodies as they live for a long time is increasing too.

It's not comparable to dragons, but it's an amount of magic incomparable to humans.

This seemed familiar somewhere... Except for not having long ears, they're no different from the elves that appear in fantasy! This is!

But there was a lacking part.

Ears! Elves should have long ears!

And they should be good at archery too! An elf who can't shoot a bow can't be recognized as an elf! My inner elf fundamentalist insists!!!

Therefore.

「You want to give those children a gift?」

"Well. It's nothing too grand."

I'll grow their ears under the pretext of giving a gift!

「What gift so suddenly...」

"I have something that seems to suit those children."

I held a bow made using wood that bends well but doesn't break easily.

The bowstring was made using fibers extracted from vines.

And with wooden arrows too! The basic elf set is complete!

If I give this and make their ears grow, it'll complete the perfect elf I imagined!

「What is that? It's a strangely shaped branch.」

"I thought it would be good for the humans you're taking care of to use. It's a tool to hang this wooden stick on this string, pull it, and shoot it far away."

I lightly pulled and released the empty bowstring. With a "twang" sound, the bowstring vibrates.

"And I've also come up with a name that suits the humans living around you. A name for their race."

「Uh, well... You're not showering these children with gifts because I said you were favoring humans before, are you?」

"How could that be? I've just prepared this for the humans you're taking care of!"

I feel a strangely distrustful gaze from Yggdrasil. Even though it doesn't have eyes.

「Alright. Then I'll gather the children in one place.」

And a little while later. Humans gathered in a small plaza at the base of Yggdrasil.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a wanderer who has come to deliver a gift from the World Tree, Yggdrasil."

「You say such brazen things with ease.」

Shh. These children are Yggdrasil's children, so it's better to minimize my interference.

I blocked the humans from hearing Yggdrasil's voice and continued speaking.

"I thought you needed a weapon to protect yourselves, so I brought this."

I took out the bow and arrows and showed them to the humans. Then a short gasp was heard from the humans.

Hmm...? A different reaction than expected...

"H-how could you do such a thing..."

"To cut tree branches so cruelly..."

"That thin thing... Is it thinly pulled tree vines? Horrible..."

"Those small branches... Terrible..."

Oh my...? This isn't the reaction I expected!

"Beast! Monster! Lumberjack!!!"

"You're not even human!"

"Get out of this forest!!!"

No, why is the reaction so intense! I just made it by working on some wood a bit!

Ah, trees... Could it be...

It seems these humans have gained the ability to hear the voices of trees.

To such humans, I, who cut branches and pulled fibers to make string... Do I look like a monster who pulled out human bones, trimmed them, and pulled out tendons to make a bow?

That's quite horrifying. That.

"Wait! I understand why you're angry! But I made this after consulting with the tree and cutting its branches!!"

Of course, that's a lie. I didn't consult at all.

What are you going to do if I didn't? Yggdrasil, the World Tree, is my child. If you don't like it, become greater than Yggdrasil.

So I won't get angry at the immature words of young humans. Well. I won't get angry.

For now, one yellow card. If you collect 100, it's the advent of the Destruction God Dragon.

That's a joke, though.

「You're strangely petty, Mom.」

Shut up. It's the humans who are bad, getting angry as if they're going to throw stones when I brought a gift.

Even considering that they're still immature humans.

"Or do you intend to ignore Yggdrasil's feelings, who had this gift delivered out of consideration for you?"

At my words, a commotion arises among the humans. The murmuring voices grow louder and louder.

For these humans who are living thanks to Yggdrasil, the words about ignoring Yggdrasil's feelings must have a powerful meaning.

"If, if the World Tree wishes it... We understand."

An older human spoke as a representative. You should have done that from the start. Why get angry at the person who brought a gift? Is there a child who gets angry at Santa?

Ahem. For now, I swallow my anger.

"This tool is called a bow. It's a tool to hang this arrow here, pull it, and shoot it far away."

I hung a wooden arrow on the bowstring, pulled it moderately, and shot it at a rock some distance away.

Bang!

The rock shattering from the lightly shot arrow is a minor thing. Well.

"You can't keep living just on the fruits Yggdrasil gives forever, can you? Your numbers will keep increasing too."

There must be a limit to the fruits Yggdrasil can create.

"That's true, but..."

"Does the World Tree think the same?"

"Of course. Don't you think the World Tree might wither away because of you?"

"It won't die from making just a few hundred fruits."

That's just a figure of speech. Just saying.

And if the number of humans keeps increasing, a few hundred won't be enough.

"Anyway, I'll give you this bow and arrows. Use them to hunt and obtain food."

"We appreciate your words, but giving us just one... Are you saying we should imitate this and make more?"

I looked around at the humans. There was a strange fear in their eyes.

Hmm. Is it difficult? Making bows and arrows? Because they have to cut branches from trees they can talk to?

It would be like asking people to make bows from other people's bones and tendons... Some might even say they'd rather not use bows at all.

That would be troublesome. Indeed.

"Then let's do this."

I lightly lifted my foot and stomped on the ground, and instantly a fairly large hole was dug.

The humans were startled and stepped back, but it's nothing to worry about.

I scattered bows and arrows in the hole, filled it with magic, and then used magic to make the bows and arrows grow.

Bows and arrows made from still living wood. As a result of using growth magic on them, a tree quickly grew.

The fruits that formed on that tree were... complete bows and arrows.

Isn't it more convenient to have them form in a completed shape like this than cutting branches and making them one by one?

「You use such an absurd magic so easily.」

What, all kinds of fruits grow in the world. And it's fantasy anyway, so it's not strange to have a tree that grows bows and arrows, is it?