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Alright, let’s pause with the Lizardman here.

Next up… it’s the turn of the Elves and Dwarves. Hmm…

Let’s start with the Elves. The Dwarves have a lot to discuss, so it would be better to finish up with the Elves quickly.

During the span of 300 years, the Elves… didn’t show much change.

That’s understandable; for Elves, 300 years doesn’t even cover a single generation.

It’s a time frame adequate enough for a newborn Elf to become an adult and a decent member of society, but it’s still not enough to bring about real change in Elvish society.

The only change, perhaps, is that the range of activities for the Elves has significantly expanded?

The Elves who used to confine themselves to the Great Forest surrounding Yggdrasil now spread out across the world.

Especially the young… or rather, the younger Elves. Those around a hundred years old are now leaving the Great Forest, wielding their bows and wandering the world.

This was a sight that was quite rare 300 years ago, but now it’s become quite common.

Some Elves have settled in other forests, trying to protect their new homes, while others could no longer hold their tongue upon seeing humans chopping down trees, rushing out to confront them. There are also Elves working as hunters in the forest, trying to stop other humans from damaging their old woods.

The love of tree-hugging carnivorous Elves appears to remain unchanged even outside the Great Forest.

Among those Elves, the ones I find most baffling… are the Elves who started interacting with Dwarves.

At first, I was like, “What the heck is that?” but what can you do? It’s a fact.

Elves and Dwarves, who duel every decade due to racial wars. Water and oil, like enemies… or maybe mosquitoes and humans? Anyway. It was honestly a sight I struggled to understand, seeing the two races, who absolutely shouldn’t mingle, interacting.

But what can you do? It’s reality.

I have no idea what led Elves and Dwarves to start mingling, but Elves were using fire spirits to light the Dwarves’ furnaces and receiving swords in return.

From what I overheard… it seems that using fire spirits allows for the smelting of a more special metal.

The sword made from metal infused with the spirit’s energy can allow the spirit to settle within it more stably, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the swords Elves wield.

Plus, since they’re using fire spirits to make the flames, they can avoid burning trees.

So while their swords are being created, it seems they’ve formed a relationship where they borrow fire spirits, reducing the amount of wood they burn, and in turn, receive completed swords.

From the Dwarves’ perspective, they could save themselves the hassle of having to go outside and dig up wood, not to mention they could create good items using the spirits’ flames. Total win-win.

Well, that said, it’s not easy for two races that have a long-standing feud to casually interact like this. At least the ones currently interacting… have built some trust after checking each other’s skills in the racial wars.

After fierce competitions, they’ve come to trust one another. In other words, they’ve established a sort of rivalry.

Hmm. Nice! I like this! Watching two races that fought tooth and nail now recognize each other’s skills and cooperate brings a smile to my face.

So, is that the end for the Elves? Anything else to mention… hmm…

Ah, there’s one more thing.

I glanced towards Yggdrasil in the Great Forest and observed a single Elf there.

A slightly smaller girl Elf compared to others. She seems too young to be an adult.

Unlike the Elves with generally bright-colored hair, this girl Elf has distinctly bright green hair.

She was seated on a throne made of entwined branches, being treated with extreme reverence by the other Elves.

Like a king or emperor among humans.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

When I whispered to the green-haired girl Elf in a small voice, she flinched lightly.

“Why do you say that, Your Majesty?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The green-haired Elf, known as the queen.

No, Yggdrasil, embodied in Elvish form, pretended to be calm and spoke to the nearby Elf.

“Go rest in your room for a bit. I’ll handle the remaining tasks later.”

“Understood. Then I shall accompany you to your room.”

“No, that’s alright. It’s not far to my room.”

Then she stood up from the branch throne and walked with light steps into a well-decorated room.

And then…

“Mother?”

“Is the time now when I’m being treated as a goddess and doing the queen act?”

“Act? I’m doing it out of necessity. But more importantly, when did you wake up?”

“Just a moment ago. Right after waking up, I fled from the wicked hands trying to make me work and went to take a look around the world.”

“Wicked hands… but that’s work you left unattended. No matter how many substitutes you create, it’s bound to be less efficient than you doing it yourself…”

But still, I don’t want to do it! I just want to play!

“Anyway.”

I moved beside Yggdrasil, sitting quietly.

“Quite a cute sight, you are.”

“That comment… you do know it also applies to you, right?”

“Hmm. I’m aware that my appearance is rather charming.”

A bit of self-praise, but it’s the truth! I’m cute and pretty!

Honestly, if it weren’t for my appearance, I’d completely be your type. There are bits that randomly change every time I transform, but mostly, I’m a pretty girl!

“So, what are you doing as an avatar?”

“This body? Quite a few things happened.”

“Several things?”

“Yeah. To put it simply… the Elves are in need of a clearer focal point.”

A clearer focal point? They already have a World Tree that can be considered the god of the Elves, so what more could they possibly need?

“Isn’t your existence enough to serve as a focal point? Why did you need to create an avatar?”

“Right? It seems as time passes, my direct influence over the Elves is diminishing little by little. Earlier, they believed in me both as a god and a parent, but now it feels like they only send their trust as a religious deity.”

A religious deity? Hmm. Does it feel like the faith that once relied on you as a direct protector has gradually weakened?

“Of course, that level of faith can still serve as a focal point to some extent… but it feels like my intentions aren’t being conveyed directly to the Elves. So I felt the need to create an avatar so I could communicate my desires more clearly.”

“I see. So that’s why you’re living as an avatar.”

“Yeah. It’s a bit of a hassle in various ways… but what can you do? It’s necessary.”

Seeing Yggdrasil let out a small sigh, I slowly reached out and patted her head.

On the surface, Yggdrasil and I may seem similar! But I’m still this child’s mother!

“It may not be easy, but think of it as you putting in the effort for your children. Besides, living as an avatar could be quite fun too.”

“It’s been quite a fresh experience. Unlike experiencing it indirectly, the act of moving directly is intriguing. Though, I am a bit dissatisfied that the kids are too rigid.”

“Then wouldn’t it be resolved if you took a position other than the queen?”

“Well… when I explained that I was created as the ‘Elf meant to act on the World Tree’s will’, the Elves unilaterally crowned me as queen. Honestly, I had no intention of becoming a queen…”

“Well, what can you do? If you create an Elf who can be said to be a god to the Elves, it’s only natural for them to see you as their queen.”

Especially if it’s a being directly created by the god of their race.

“Still, I’m glad it seems you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Yeah. Honestly, it’s fun. Though it does feel like I have a bit too much work.”

“If it’s a lot of work, giving it to your subordinates isn’t a bad idea. If you receive progress reports from them after they handle it and focus on the critical tasks, you can reduce your load.”

Especially when you hand it over to a capable subordinate, the effect can be even greater.

In my case, I’ve ended up delegating even the task of creating a fragment named Asherat!

“Anyway, if anything comes up, just contact me. I’ve awakened from hibernation now.”

“Okay. I’ll reach out if I need your help, Mother.”

With that, I quietly parted from the Elf queen… the avatar of Yggdrasil and gently took to the skies.

So… shall I move on to discuss the Dwarves next?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

In Elvish social structure, there is fundamentally no ruler, but there can be a case where a queen is born through Yggdrasil.

A noble Elf with deep green hair, created by Yggdrasil, forms a strong connection with Yggdrasil and becomes the queen of the Elves, acting as the embodiment of Yggdrasil’s will.

Handling numerous spirits according to her wishes, the Elf queen protects the Elves under Yggdrasil’s intent, being a great blessing for them and a messenger of the ever-vibrant World Tree’s greatness.

…

Of course, the Elf queen doesn’t always exist, so when the Elf queen is absent, the council of elders governs the Elves, leading to a somewhat rigid movement within Elvish society.

This is primarily because the older Elven elders tend to avoid change, having a mindset no different from that of trees.

Considering that Elves live nearly a thousand years, it’s natural that they struggle to possess flexible thinking, but the elders’ status containing such issues could pose a significant risk for the other Elves.

– A guide for adventurers exploring the world.

Chapter on the Ainhorn Race: The Elf Edition

The author of this piece clarifies that there are no malicious feelings toward the Elf council.

 

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