Chapter 96

“Hey there, let’s briefly talk about this before the elf and dwarf representatives arrive.”

“Huh?”

I’m talking about this little critter resembling a cute rodent that’s currently putting on an adorable act in front of me.

With my bright eyes gleaming, I gently nudged the tip of the creature’s nose, causing it to topple over.

Well, its appearance is definitely cute, but still…

The idea that such a small, adorable creature could be a naturally occurring god is truly bizarre.

“Keee!”

Despite its squawking protests, it remains undeniably cute.

As I tenderly stroked its head with my index finger, it seemed to calm down almost instantly.

This little beast, who used to wreak havoc by transforming into various animals—was actually a deity born from beastmen’s faith.

Why are beastmen different from other humans? Why do they possess animalistic features?

The beastmen pondered these questions but ultimately discovered nothing.

Perhaps ignorance is bliss. If they were to learn their ancestors were humans mated with beasts, wouldn’t it break their hearts?

Anyway, lacking answers, the beastmen imagined.

A beast that longed for and loved humans so much it coupled with one, resulting in pregnancy and birthing the first beastman ancestors.

Thus, the mythological ancestor—a primordial beast—was born from their imagination.

Ultimately, whether beast or human… well, anyway.

The primitive origin myth of the beastmen slightly deviated from reality but was passed down orally through generations.

And here we have the result: this tiny creature standing before us.

Of course, since it’s an oral tradition, there are countless inconsistencies, including how the primordial beast can transform into any animal.

Moreover, while the tales emphasize its mysterious powers, its intelligence barely surpasses that of a regular beast, making it quite foolish.

Thanks to this, the beast-god became a target alongside monsters, hunted down by heroes.

Though technically a deity, it only possessed slightly more power than your average monster. Its faint divinity was discovered too late, nearly turning the hero into a deity-slayer. Thankfully, we caught it just in time!

Afterwards, physical persuasion subdued this incomprehensible beast-god, and now it travels with me as a companion.

I plan to eventually refine the beastmen’s mythology and elevate this creature into a proper deity. For now, it serves as both a mount and a lure for heroes.

Still, as a pet, it’s incredibly adorable. Definitely satisfying!

“That fellow seems to take quite a liking to you.”

“Hmm. It’s a young god after all, not long out of the womb. Naturally charming, isn’t it?”

As long as it doesn’t revert to its wild instincts, it remains endlessly cute! Though even tamed beasts remain beasts at heart…

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Anyway, after enjoying some quality time with this speechless critter, waiting for the elves and dwarves resulted in…

Both races showing up leading armies, already in standoff positions.

Hmm… I clearly requested representatives. Why has this escalated into a full-scale war scenario?

The tension between them is palpable; one moment of distraction and arrows might start flying.

Truly, these guys don’t listen to a word I say.

“To both sides: Retreat and create some distance.”

Apparently, my words fell on deaf ears as the elves and dwarves began glaring at each other instead.

Dwarves clad in heavy metal armor, wielding axes and shields, stood opposite lightly dressed elves armed with bows.

Ah, the front-line elves are unraveling the strings on their bows, transforming them into staff-like weapons.

Indeed, summoning spirits to empower their quarterstaves, they turn these tools into formidable weapons capable of challenging even heavily armored dwarves.

Even with their heavy armor, the dwarves would struggle against such powerful magic-enhanced staves.

But…

“Am I not speaking plainly enough?”

I sighed, watching the two races prepare for battle. With a flick of irritation, I increased the gravity within a certain radius, affecting both armies and their leaders alike.

“Enough fooling around, you dimwits.”

“Graaagh?!”

“What, what is this?!”

“Just what it sounds like. The wrath of the goddess. You fools.”

A simple spell enhancing gravity in a specific area, making the air itself feel heavy and pressuring their bodies.

It must feel like having several large weights strapped to their bodies, making movement difficult.

“Grrr… You…!”

“For now, I am the representative of the Goddess of Life. Her proxy.”

“The proxy… of the goddess…?”

The representatives of both races, being somewhat stronger, started resisting the crushing gravity.

Impressive indeed.

“Well then, are you ready to discuss things properly?”

Struggling merely to stand, the representatives listened as I spoke softly.

“On behalf of the Goddess of Life, I’ve come to end the conflict you’re about to instigate. World Tree Yggdrasil and Sacred Mountain Sagarmatha, the gods of your respective races, have already agreed. There will be no refusal.”

I informed them.

“War between entire races is forbidden. However, the conflicts between your races cannot simply be erased, so representatives from each race will engage in a non-lethal duel.”

“A non-lethal duel? This isn’t child’s play…”

The dwarf representative grumbled. I added a bit more gravity onto him.

Unable to withstand the weight, the dwarf representative dropped to his knees.

“If you wish to die, I can easily reduce you to a puddle of blood right now.”

“Graaaah…!”

Still, impressive durability for a dwarf. Even under increased pressure, he managed to hold on—short but sturdy indeed.

“That horn… That silver hair… Impossible strength! Could it be…!”

Hm? The elf representative seemed to recognize something about me.

Oddly, despite appearances suggesting youth, perhaps he’s older than he looks? Shouldn’t elves age more gracefully over centuries?

“Could you be the one who taught our kind spirit magic?”

Hmm… They remember? Impressive recall.

Even after hundreds of years, they haven’t forgotten.

But right now, I’m not the Goddess of Life or the Creator Dragon God—I’m merely her proxy, so I can’t answer honestly.

Let me see… So…

“I am the same entity, yet another person.”

“The same entity but another person…?”

“The one who taught your kind spirit magic is someone who represents the Goddess of Life. The dragon priestess. Though essentially the same, she is a separate incarnation created according to need.”

Hmm… Is this level of fabrication sufficient? Probably not.

“After all, this body is human. Unlike you elves, it won’t last for centuries.”

Piling lies upon lies.

“So the one who taught your kind spirit magic was a previous incarnation of the dragon priestess.”

“The dragon priestess…!”

Building a mountain of falsehoods.

Direct involvement comes from the proxy—the dragon priestess.

The Goddess of Life merely oversees the world from high above, occasionally bestowing grace.

A form of role-sharing, you could say.

Two roles for one entity!

By dividing responsibilities this way, I can freely intervene in worldly affairs while maintaining divine dignity.

Admittedly, it’s a shallow strategy, but hey!

“My knowledge of what the previous dragon priestess accomplished exists objectively, but subjective memories aren’t fully continuous. Though fundamentally the same, it feels like reading records written by someone else.”

“Fundamentally the same but a different entity… Indeed… I understand. Please accept my apologies for our rudeness.”

“Hmm. That’ll do. That’ll do.”

Continuing to layer deceit until everything but myself is fooled.

“Excuse me. This dragon priestess… Has she been active for a very long time?”

The dwarf representative, kneeling on the ground, speaks up. Hmm. Despite his weakened state, he manages to speak admirably.

“Did she not give much to the dwarves as well?”

In response to the dwarf representative’s question, I nodded slightly.

“After all, it was one of the previous dragon priestesses who named your race ‘dwarves.'”

Roughly meaning ‘wise ones of the earth,’ if I recall correctly.

“Indeed. Now I see. So the identity of Silver Wisdom was the dragon priestess?”

“Silver Wisdom?”

“A term passed down among dwarves. We thought it referred to fleeting insights, but it turns out to be the representative of the Goddess of Life…”

Ah, so that’s how it’s been interpreted among the dwarves.

“Hmm… I don’t intend to openly declare this anytime soon, so if possible, please keep it a secret?”

Smiling gently, I restored the gravity to normal levels.

Of course, requesting secrecy in such situations is futile! Especially with thousands of elves and dwarves gathered here—it’ll never stay hidden.

Slowly, rumors of the dragon priestess will spread.

Not as a hero’s companion or attendant, but as the dragon priestess herself!