Chapter 27

Yggdrasil began to earnestly care for the humans around itself.

It would create fruit and lower it down to those who were hungry, weave huts from its branches for those without shelter, and produce medicinal herbs for the sick.

Yggdrasil tenderly nurtured the humans under its shade.

To the point where it would even create shade with its leaves if the sun got too intense—though it seemed a bit excessive, Yggdrasil simply replied with, “Isn’t that what a mother would do?” whenever questioned.

I have no idea why my story came up, but anyway.

The humans living around Yggdrasil started to gradually undergo changes in their nature.

Whether it was due to their admiration for the massive tree or because of consuming its fruits, it wasn’t entirely clear.

Though it was hard to grasp how humans could become more like trees… well, things happen, don’t they?

Their growth slowed slightly, but their lifespans increased, and their hair even performed photosynthesis. Hmm… why?

Isn’t photosynthesis supposed to happen through chlorophyll? But these humans lack chlorophyll!

Are they using magical power to mimic photosynthesis? How is this even possible?

Hmm… I don’t know. Honestly, I’m clueless. Even though I handle magic, I sometimes wonder just how far magical power can go.

It’s irritating when absurd things happen and are brushed off as “thanks to magic!” I want to know *why* these things occur!

Hmm. Maybe I should thoroughly research this sometime and organize magic into a proper system while I’m at it.

Right now, aside from me and the dragons, there’s no one else using magic, so it doesn’t matter much.

But both me and the dragons just use our immense internal magical power by sheer will, without any real structure.

If others start using magic someday, we can’t keep relying on such rough methods.

Let’s prepare for that day and tidy things up a bit.

Anyway, moving on.

The bodies of those living near Yggdrasil also began to change.

Hair and eyebrows aside, body hair disappeared, limbs became slender like models—those are minor details.

As they grew closer to Yggdrasil, they gained the ability to converse with spirits, and thanks to their extended lifespans, they accumulated more magical power over time.

Not quite at dragon-level, but certainly incomparable to regular humans.

This feels familiar somehow… except for lacking long ears, these people are practically elves from fantasy stories!

But there was something missing.

Ears! Elves need long ears!

And they must be skilled archers! An elf who doesn’t shoot bows isn’t a true elf! My inner elf purist demands justice!!!

Thus.

“Do you wish to give gifts to those children?”

“Hm. It’s nothing grand.”

I’ll elongate their ears under the guise of giving gifts!

“But what kind of gift…”

“I thought something fitting for them would be nice.”

I held up a bow made from flexible yet unbreakable wood.

The bowstring was crafted from fibers extracted from vines.

And here’s wooden arrows too! The basic elf set is complete!

If I give these and elongate their ears, they’ll be the perfect elves I envisioned!

“What’s this? Some strangely shaped branch?”

“I thought it’d be good for the humans you’re taking care of. This tool lets you pull the string and send the stick flying to great distances.”

I lightly pulled and released the empty bowstring, producing a resonant twang.

“And I’ve also prepared a name for your people—a racial designation.”

“Uh… this isn’t because you said earlier you favored humans, right?”

“Of course not! I merely prepared this for the humans you care for!”

Oddly, I sense distrustful gazes from Yggdrasil. Even though it lacks eyes.

“Alright then, I’ll gather the children.”

A short while later, humans gathered in the small square at the base of Yggdrasil.

“You…?”

“I am the World Tree. I’ve come to deliver Yggdrasil’s gifts.”

“Tsk. You sure have some nerve saying that.”

Shhh. These are Yggdrasil’s children; I should interfere as little as possible.

After blocking the humans’ ability to hear Yggdrasil’s voice, I continued.

“I thought you needed weapons to protect yourselves, so I brought these.”

I revealed the bow and arrows to the humans. Their sharp intakes of breath echoed.

Hmm? Not the reaction I expected.

“How could you do such a thing…”

“To butcher tree branches so cruelly…”

“That thin thing… did you strip fibers from the vines? It’s horrifying.”

“These small branches… horrifying.”

What?! Why such an extreme reaction? It’s just some modified wood!

Ah, wait… could it be…

It seems these humans can hear the voices of trees now.

From their perspective, I probably look like a monster carving bones and tendons from humans to craft bows.

That’s pretty unsettling.

“Hold on! I understand your anger, but these were made after consulting with the tree and cutting its branches!”

Of course, that’s a lie. No consultation happened.

What can I do? Yggdrasil is my child. If you’re upset, surpass Yggdrasil first.

So I won’t get angry at these immature human reactions. Ah, yellow card number one. Collect 100 for the summoning of the Destruction Dragon God.

Just kidding.

“You’re awfully petty, Mom.”

Quiet! I went through the trouble of bringing gifts, yet these humans react by yelling like they’re about to throw stones.

Considering their immaturity, it’s still unacceptable.

“Or do you intend to reject the goodwill of Yggdrasil, who thought of you?”

My words caused unrest among the humans. Murmurs grew louder.

Given how they survive thanks to Yggdrasil, rejecting its intentions holds significant weight.

“If it is the World Tree’s wish… we shall understand.”

An elder spoke for the group. They should’ve done that earlier. Why yell at the gift-giver? Do you see kids yelling at Santa?

Cough. Let’s calm down and move forward.

“This tool is called a bow. It allows you to launch these arrows over great distances.”

I loaded an arrow onto the bowstring, pulled back, and fired at a distant rock.

BOOM!

Casually shattering the rock with the arrow is just a minor detail. Hmm.

“You can’t rely solely on Yggdrasil’s fruits forever, can you? Your numbers continue to grow.”

There’s a limit to how many fruits Yggdrasil can produce.

“That may be true…”

“Does the World Tree share the same concerns?”

“Obviously. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if Yggdrasil withered because of you all?”

“Even creating a few hundred fruits won’t make it die.”

True in words, but as the population increases, a few hundred won’t suffice.

“Anyway, I’ll give you these bows and arrows. Use them to hunt and secure food.”

“Thank you for your kind words, but if you’re only giving one… are you implying we should replicate it ourselves?”

I looked around at the humans. A strange fear lingered in their eyes.

Hmm. Will it be difficult? Crafting bows and arrows requires cutting branches from trees capable of communication.

It’s akin to asking someone to make a bow from another person’s bones and tendons… someone might refuse outright.

That’s problematic. Definitely.

“Then let’s do this instead.”

I lightly tapped my foot against the ground, creating a large pit instantly.

The humans gasped and stepped back, but it’s no big deal.

I scattered the bow and arrows into the pit, filled it with magic, and cast a growth spell.

Living wood formed the bows and arrows. The result of the spell was a rapidly growing tree.

Its fruit? Perfectly formed bows and arrows.

Isn’t it more convenient to harvest completed tools rather than crafting each one individually?

“You really do use absurd magic, don’t you?”

What? There are all kinds of fruit-bearing trees in the world. And since this is fantasy, why wouldn’t there be a tree bearing bows and arrows?