Chapter 148

“Elves… picky eating…?”

I looked at Yggdrasil, who was calmly speaking with a composed face.

“No, it’s true that elves don’t eat any plant-based ingredients at all… But are you really going to test this here and now?”

While Sylphid’s use of a race against oneself as a test question was somewhat lacking in conscience, in Yggdrasil’s case, it just felt like they were pushing their own responsibilities onto Baal under the guise of an exam.

“Is this… right?”

“Picky eating…?”

“Yes. Picky eating. Do you know about elves?”

“Yeah. Long-eared immortal race. I heard they can commune with plants and trees.”

At Baal’s words, Yggdrasil smiled faintly and continued the story.

“Well then, let me get straight to it. Elves never touch plants with their mouths. Even ingredients other races eat without issue cause reactions so strong that those kids refuse to even taste them.”

Well, since they can commune with plants, it must feel like eating a neighbor or cousin, right?

If anything, shouldn’t the elves eating plant-based foods be the problem?

“At least they get sufficient nutrition through carnivory or photosynthesis, but they don’t use anything derived from plants… When compared to other races, they’re starting to fall behind quite a bit. For now, they compensate with the experience gained from their innate abilities and long lifespans, but as time goes on and more new things appear…”

Yggdrasil’s worried expression resembled that of a parent troubled by their child’s severe picky eating habits.

“Therefore, I want to correct those children’s picky eating habits… but whenever I see them, my heart softens, making it impossible for me to take a firm stance, which has been quite troubling. So, I’d like you to take care of this instead.”

At Yggdrasil’s words, Baal thought for a moment before tilting their head.

“But how am I supposed to do that?”

“Well, I don’t know either. Since I made it an exam question, shouldn’t you figure it out?”

Yggdrasil… That’s an extremely irresponsible statement…

That said, correcting the elves’ meat-centric diet…

Hm… How could we fix it? The main cause is likely because elves can commune with plants.

Since they can converse, they probably can’t see them as ingredients anymore.

If normal humans could directly communicate with plants or animals… They might also become hesitant to eat them.

Though… Is that right? Beastmen can somewhat commune with animals and still eat them well enough… Hmm…

Let’s skip over the beastmen. Bringing them up wouldn’t help the situation here.

In the case of elves, it’s likely due to both their ability to commune with plants and the existence of Yggdrasil, who could be considered their deity.

“Eating something shaped like a god. What sacrilege!”

They might be thinking something like that.

And not just any deity, but Yggdrasil, who created and nurtured their race like a motherly world tree.

To make elves who revere Yggdrasil so deeply eat plant-based ingredients… Hm…

I could probably do it, but can Baal?

Not sure. Ugh. Both Sylphid and Yggdrasil have given such difficult tests…

Could it be that all the tricks using Gaia have been exposed? Are they throwing tantrums by making the tests harder?

“Of course, since it’s a difficult problem, I’ll give you plenty of time. One month. During that time, somehow make the elves eat vegetables too.”

“Ugh…”

At Yggdrasil’s words, Baal’s worries deepened further.

Changing the dietary preferences of an entire race within a month, huh? Hmm…

This time, there doesn’t seem to be an answer.

—

“Hmm… What should I do?”

Baal was lost in thought while looking down at the elves.

The sight of them skillfully stripping the hides off their prey and processing the meat showed that this wasn’t something they had just started doing recently.

“If Gaia were here, what would they do?”

“Me?”

When told that they could be called Gaia when no one else was around, Baal freely used the name.

Honestly, being called Gaia still feels unfamiliar, so occasionally I respond with “Gaia? Oh, that’s me.”

But since being called by many names isn’t something new, I’ll probably get used to it soon enough.

Looking down at the elves, I fell into deep thought.

“The reason elves don’t eat plants is largely because they can commune with them and because Yggdrasil, whom they worship as a deity, is a god of plants.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Therefore, unless we remove the elves’ ability to commune or change the deity they worship from Yggdrasil to someone else… It seems impossible, doesn’t it?”

I could probably change the nature of all the elves gathered together, but that would be too much for Baal.

Also, gathering all the elves in one place would be problematic.

Most elves currently live in the forests surrounding Yggdrasil, but a few have left the forest.

There are always elves with adventurous spirits.

“So what should we do?”

“Hmm…”

Making the impossible possible? That might be too much for Baal.

Rather, if we approach this by exploiting the loophole in the problem Yggdrasil set…

Yggdrasil only mentioned picky eating. If we can somehow solve that…

Hmm. Ultimately, the issue is that we can’t make them eat plants.

No, wait. Let’s change our perspective here.

What if there were plants that had to be eaten?

Parts of plants grown specifically to be eaten?

A clue flashed through my mind.

Since there are parts of plants grown specifically to be eaten.

—

“Fruit.”

“Fruit?”

At my words, Baal tilted their head in confusion.

“Yes. Fruit. It seems like fruit could be the key.”

“Fruit… Why fruit?”

As I looked at the puzzled Baal, I explained.

“Fruit is an organ created to send the seeds it contains to other places. In fact, it needs to be eaten.”

“Something that has to be eaten?”

“Yes. Plants might actually hope for their fruit to be eaten.”

For plants too, fruit is important, but ultimately, it’s all about the seeds.

Animal droppings also serve as fertilizer for seeds.

“This might be the only way without completely changing the elven race.”

Since Yggdrasil’s test simply asks us to correct the elves’ picky eating habits, getting them to eat fruit should pass the test, right?

It’s a bit forced, but this seems to be the most feasible option.

“Hmm… Though I’m not entirely sure, if Gaia says so, it must be right!”

After hearing my words, Baal nodded.

Believing everything without a shred of doubt, such innocence from this sky deity makes me slightly worried.

If someone were to trick this naive kid, it would be disastrous. Hmm.

Education. Education is the answer. We must thoroughly educate this unruly young deity to shape them into a proper King of Gods!

“Then, if I just bring lots of fruit and feed it to the elves?”

“If you do it abruptly, the elves will grow suspicious. Approach them gradually.”

“Gradually?”

I nodded slightly as I looked at Baal.

—

One day.

A rumor began to spread through the elven city of Alfheim, built around the World Tree Yggdrasil.

It started with a question from a small human boy who had come from outside Alfheim.

“I’ve heard that elves never put anything plant-derived in their mouths. Is that true?”

“Of course. To us elves, all grasses and trees are like family.”

“So you don’t eat fruit either?”

“That’s right. We don’t eat fruit.”

At the elf’s words, the boy thought for a moment before speaking.

“I learned that fruit is made to be eaten along with its seeds… Wouldn’t plants dislike it if such fruit weren’t eaten?”

“Eh, i-is that so…?”

Thus began a small question.

“Is fruit made to be eaten?”

Even among elves who never consume plant-derived products, this sparked numerous heated debates.

“The plants are like our family, so we must never touch anything they produce!”

The staunch carnivores argued that nothing should ever be touched.

“But isn’t fruit made to be eaten? Shouldn’t we respect the plants’ wishes by eating their fruit?”

The newly emerged moderate faction advocated for eating fruit alongside meat.

“Why don’t we ask the plants directly through our communion ability? Isn’t that what it’s for?”

Some opted to delegate the choice to the plants themselves.

“According to ancient records, our starving ancestors were pitied by the World Tree, who bestowed upon them fruit, which the ancestors gratefully ate! This means the World Tree approved of eating fruit!”

Others found answers in the historical records.

“How about we extract the fruit pulp and brew alcohol? The dwarves’ beer drinking looks ridiculous anyway. Let’s break away from animal milk-based drinks and start making fruit wine!”

What are these guys up to now?

“Isn’t there already an impression that elves cherish plants immensely? Won’t eating their fruit ruin that image?”

“Then let’s only show our carnivorous side to other races?”

“To preserve the image of plant-loving elves, though it doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Perhaps it’s necessary, though.”

Thus, countless discussions turned Alfheim into utter chaos.

The small human boy who started all this, Baal, simply smiled as he looked down at the elves.