Chapter 94: Elves and Dwarves (1)
The hero and I let out a sigh as we spotted the two messengers barging into the inn.
I’m not quite sure how to describe them. One was an elf, dressed in what looked like silky clothing, while the other was a dwarf, all metal armor and an out-of-control beard.
The two messengers growled at each other but still reached out to our hero.
“We’ve all heard about your legendary status. You’ve defeated quite the troublesome monsters that even we elves would struggle against, all with your human body.”
“Wow, you must be skilled with that sword of yours! Your weapons look impressive, but it seems like you don’t pay much attention to your armor! Come with us, hero, and we’ll hook you up with some great gear!”
The elves and dwarves were clearly itching to win the hero over, each tugging him toward their side.
First things first—I need to figure out what’s going on. I can’t just pick one side blindly.
“First off, please step back. I’ll make my decision after I get a clearer picture of the situation.”
“What in the world is that horned creature? Are you a beastman? You seem like the hero’s attendant. Now, since your master is busy talking, why don’t you step aside?”
“…What did you just say?”
“Hmm. I can’t doubt your skills as a hero, but it seems like you’ve got some questionable taste in companions. Picking your attendant based on looks? Not the best idea, I must say!”
In a split second, the gravity around the elf intensified, crushing him into the ground like he weighed a ton.
I sighed, watching the elf struggle to become one with the earth like a rock elemental.
“You’re merely a young sprout who hasn’t even lived a thousand years yet. Your words are awfully presumptuous, aren’t they?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Calm down. The elf probably didn’t know any better.”
“Grrr…”
The sound of the elf’s bones crunching sent the dwarf messenger, the hero, and even a curious beast nearby jumping in fright.
I’ll explain that beast later.
With a casual flick of my wrist, I released the elf from the crushing gravity, allowing him to finally take a few gasping breaths, as if he’d just survived being squished like a bug.
Hmm, I might have been a bit overzealous there.
“Next time, try to keep some humility in that head of yours, got it?”
“Y-yes, ugh!”
How pitiful. He can’t even respond properly.
It’s like giving medicine after you’ve already broken something, but I suppose I’ll just fix his busted bones for now.
“Um, well, I’ll be on my way…”
Just as the dwarf messenger was about to flee, I interrupted.
“Wait! Let’s hear a bit more about what’s going on.”
My brief comment froze the dwarf messenger in his tracks.
He glanced at the hero with a pleading expression, but the hero just shook his head, silent.
“Don’t worry! I just want to listen to your story!”
I really need to know what’s happening, after all.
And no one knows the situation better than those involved, right?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The elves and dwarves.
Though they’d never met face-to-face, they managed to learn about each other indirectly through the humans acting as messengers.
Elves, living in the woods beneath the World Tree, and dwarves, burrowing into the highest mountains to work with metals.
Despite the many differences between their races, it didn’t take long for letters to fly back and forth, and for some familiarity to develop.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the representative from the Elven Diplomatic Mission.”
“Hah! You’re taller than I imagined! I am the representative of the dwarves!”
When two completely different races meet face-to-face, new conflicts are bound to arise.
“The letters didn’t convey it well, but you’re much more distinctive than I had imagined.”
“Blame it on this beard! Isn’t it magnificent? But I see elves can’t seem to grow beards, can they? Your upper lip is as smooth as silk!”
“We elves don’t grow beards. Our hair, however, is long and straight. But dwarves, are you always so short? Seems just perfect for digging tunnels!”
“And you elves are as skinny as tree branches! How on earth do you expect to exert any strength? I bet you’d snap like a twig if I just gave you a good tug!”
After exchanging nothing but compliments in their letters, the conflicts started to heat up once they met.
“Hey, look at this! Isn’t it beautiful? This is the most precious gem we have mined! We call it the Diamond of Sagarmatha’s Eye! Just a bit of polishing, and it shines like crazy! You elves, hidden away in the forest, have probably never seen something so dazzling!”
“Indeed, it is beautiful.”
“Right? So I was thinking—we should use a special type of wood to design this gem even more beautifully! I can’t think of anyone better than elves to understand wood!”
“Decorating with wood… I’m not too fond of chopping and carving trees, though.”
The elf spoke, clearly not impressed.
“To us elves, trees are akin to kin. To suggest we decorate this gem with them is an unappetizing offer. I’d prefer to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Hm. What if we were to gift this gem to the elves?”
The elves stopped to ponder for a moment.
“The name Sagarmatha refers to the highest mountain we revere as sacred. By decorating this gem, known as ‘Sagarmatha’s Eye,’ and gifting it to the elves, we would promise a bright future between us. Honestly, the common sentiment among dwarves is that elves are the ones we can trust the most compared to other races.”
The dwarf chuckled at his words.
“Humans have vast individual differences that make them hard to trust, beastmen are half-beasts and don’t comprehend speech very well, and lizardmen are cold-blooded creatures. Ultimately, the only ones we can truly trust are elves, wouldn’t you agree?”
“That’s… true enough.”
This conversation completely overlooked the existence of the minority races.
“So about the World Tree, that’s your most treasured thing, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“How about a small branch from the World Tree?”
As soon as he said that, the elf representative jumped to his feet.
“The friendly talks are over. Everyone, let’s leave.”
“Huh? Wait a second! It’s just a single tree branch, isn’t it?!”
“A single tree? A branch? Do you even comprehend what the branches of the World Tree are?!”
The elf shouted angrily.
“The World Tree is like a parent to us! To even suggest we cut part of our parent? How dare you! Are all dwarves this rude?! I declare all future negotiations completely canceled! How horrifying it is to have exchanged letters with such uncivilized beings!”
“W-wait! You’re taking this too far! All this because of one little thing?! You’re willing to throw everything away?!”
The dwarf’s stunned voice didn’t sway the elf’s firm stance.
“You mentioned Sagarmatha earlier—the mountain the dwarves hold sacred.”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Are dwarves willing to carve and dig into that mountain if need be?”
With that, the dwarf nodded reluctantly.
The great and sacred mountain, Sagarmatha, was akin to a formidable father figure to the dwarves, always giving them what they needed.
“What’s your point? If it were truly necessary, wouldn’t Sagarmatha willingly offer itself?”
“You’re suggesting we carve into the flesh of our parent? Truly, you’re an ungrateful child! I have nothing more to say! I’m leaving!”
“Wait! No…”
Thus, the first meeting and all subsequent negotiations between the elves and dwarves ended up in the gutter.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“That’s what happened. Yes, that was just the beginning, and various conflicts followed.”
Hmm… the conflict between elves and dwarves.
Honestly, it seems like the clash stems from the different mindsets of each race.
From the elf’s perspective, trees are treated like family, and the World Tree, in particular, is seen as a parent. So, asking for a branch from the World Tree would be the equivalent of asking to chop off part of their parent’s body.
But from the dwarf’s viewpoint, it’s just a single branch, and they were the kind of beings who would dig into their holy mountain, Sagarmatha, if it became necessary. They probably struggled to grasp the elf’s mentality.
Plus, above all else, they wouldn’t understand why the elves would fly off the handle over a mere offer of the most valuable gem they had mined.
From the elves’ point of view, the dwarves are unforgivable; from the dwarves’ side, they simply can’t fathom the elves.
If these two races declared war, what should I do?
Oh, excluding the role of the Destruction Dragon God—a little infuriating, but I can’t just go “Whether you’re an elf or a dwarf, I’ll wipe you all out!” That’d be downright absurd, right?
So, let’s listen to both sides’ stories first.
Shouldn’t it be right to hear what both Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha have to say before making a decision?
So, hold on, my Destruction Dragon God…! This isn’t your time to shine!
In this situation, I can’t just smash everything just because Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha have chosen silence!
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