Chapter 205: The Calamity and the Spirit Tree

“You saved us, Warrior Chief Sharaza!”

“Welcome back, Warrior Chief!”

When the battle ended, the young Elf warriors gathered around Sharaza-san.

Or rather…

“Warrior Chief?”

“Umu, I am the one leading the warriors of this village… though I am still inexperienced,” Sharaza-san answered, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

I see. Instead of having the young warriors protect the village alone, the Warrior Chief, their emotional pillar, had stayed behind.

However, because Sharaza-san was away from the village this time to bring reinforcements, it seems they ended up in a pinch.

I get it! The reason Sharaza-san’s movements weren’t so good in the town of Togai was because they had accumulated a considerable amount of fatigue from protecting the village’s safety all by themselves!

“So, you found the human warriors! That incredible magic just now was them, right!?”

The young Elf warriors asked Sharaza-san with sparkling eyes.

“Umu. When I went to seek information on strong warriors from Gordov, I succeeded in enlisting the cooperation of one of the human race’s foremost warriors, an S-rank adventurer!”

” ” ” ” “Ooh!!” ” ” ” “

“S-So, where is this warrior!?”

“Umu, this gentleman is the S-rank adventurer, Lord Rex!”

When Sharaza-san held a hand out towards me, the Elf warriors’ gazes gathered on me.

“Ah, hello. I’m Rex.”

” ” ” ” “O-Ooh… ooh?” ” ” ” “

However, the expectant voices of the Elf warriors to whom I was introduced trailed off and vanished.

“E-Umm, huh? Where is the human warrior?”

Although the Elf warriors wandered their gazes around, besides Sharaza-san, there was only us, and no one else.

“Warrior Chief? There are only human children here…?”

Well. It’s true that we only recently came of age, so it can’t be helped that we look like nothing but children from the perspective of the long-lived Elf race.

“Well, I can understand your feelings. But the one who defeated those monsters was genuinely Lord Rex here.”

” ” ” ” “E-Eeeeehh!?” ” ” ” “

At Sharaza-san’s words, the Elf warriors raised voices of surprise for real this time.

“Eh? Really? Not a joke?”

“In this pressing situation, there is no way I would make such a poor-quality joke.”

“N-No, well, I suppose that is true…”

” ” ” ” “Haa…” ” ” ” “

Letting out sighs that were hard to tell whether they were of understanding or not, the Elf warriors dropped their shoulders.

Sorry for looking so unreliable.

“…Listen here, you lot! Enough is…”

“Enough of this!!”

” ” ” ” “Hiiih!?” ” ” ” “

The moment Jairo-kun, unable to endure the Elf warriors’ attitude, was about to complain, Sharaza-san barked.

“Can you not see this sight!? This mountain of subjugated monsters!”

” ” ” ” “!!” ” ” ” “

Saying that, when Sharaza-san pointed at the mountain of monsters we defeated in the battle just now, the Elf warriors flinched and froze stiff.

To them, Sharaza-san is probably a dependable leader, but at the same time, a terrifying instructor.

Crunch crunch, snap snap

“To defeat that massive swarm protected by robust shells in such a short time is impossible with ordinary skill!”

Munch munch, chomp chomp

Sharaza-san clearly declared that defeating those monsters would be difficult for the young warriors.

And there was Mofu-mofu, peeling apart the carapaces of those monsters and biting into the meat inside.

“Are you lot capable of doing such a thing!!”

Crunch crunch crunch, smack smack smack

” ” ” ” “…” ” ” ” “

“Listen well, it is true that humans have shorter lifespans than us, and it is a fact that young warriors are inexperienced. However, Lord Rex‘s ability is an undeniable fact! In that case, accepting and acknowledging this reality is the behavior of a warrior! A warrior who cannot instantly recognize reality on the battlefield will not live long!”

What a good thing to say, Sharaza-san. For a warrior, no matter what unbelievable situation occurs, they can’t afford to avert their eyes from the reality happening right in front of them.

In this regard, because the human race and long-lived races have different senses of time, they tend to think that the short-lived human race is inferior to them, even if they are of the same age when converted to species years.

But in reality, long-lived races train and grow at a leisurely pace corresponding to their long lifespans. Meanwhile, short-lived races like humans understand the brevity of their lives, and therefore engage in intense training to make up for the gap in racial abilities.

Sharaza-san probably intended to use this opportunity to teach that to the young warriors.

That if they let their guard down, they’ll be overtaken in the blink of an eye.

Crunch crunch, sluuuurp

Exactly because of that, I felt a bit sorry that Mofu-mofu was ruining the serious atmosphere by eating the monster meat messily in the background.

“Hey, are you lot listening!!”

Because the Elf warriors were far too quiet—or rather, distracted—Sharaza-san dropped their thunder once again.

“W-Warrior Chief… b-behind you.”

In response, the scolded Elf warriors pointed at Mofu-mofu behind them with trembling voices.

Ah, as I thought, they were distracted by Mofu-mofu. I feel so sorry.

“What about behind me! Or rather, it has been noisy for a while now!!”

Wondering what on earth it was, Sharaza-san turned around and saw the mountain of monsters and Mofu-mofu eating them.

“…”

Then, just as I thought Sharaza-san gave a slight flinch, they suddenly stopped moving.

“What’s wrong, Sharaza-san?”

“…! UWAAAAAAAAH!!”

Then, suddenly, Sharaza-san raised a loud voice and started screaming.

” ” ” ” “HIIIIIIIIIIIH!!” ” ” ” “

Not only that, but the Elf warriors also started screaming and making a fuss.

“Eh!? Wh-What!? What is it!?”

” ” ” ” ” “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-White! Whiiiite!! White… Calamity!?” ” ” ” ” “

Everyone was bewildered by the Elves who suddenly fell into a state of panic.

I really wonder what on earth is wrong.

I think all they saw was Mofu-mofu eating monster meat, but…

“Ah, could it be!”

At that point, a certain possibility came to mind.

“Don’t tell me they’re shocked because the monster materials they intended to collect and use are being eaten without permission!?”

“Eh!? Over something like that!?”

Everyone raised voices of surprise at my prediction, but that’s actually the tricky part.

“Differences in values between races are quite troublesome. Things that we humans would think, ‘No way, over that!?’ can turn into major issues for other races. In this case, using the materials of the monsters they fought for some purpose might hold a significant meaning for Elves.”

“But surely not…”

“No, I have heard of such a thing. Previously, when the Church invited someone of another race to a ceremony, a commotion occurred due to inter-species customs.”

Norb-san told the story of the commotion that happened at the Church to Mina-san, who was still tilting her head.

Yeah, that line of thought seems highly likely.

It’s been a while since I interacted with other races too, so I had forgotten.

In that case, the most effective means to settle this situation is…

“Hey, Mofu-mofu!”

I immediately headed over to Mofu-mofu, who was munching on the monster, grabbed its body, and pulled it away from the monster.

Yes, at times like this, you must stop the action immediately and apologize sincerely.

Showing sincerity is what’s truly important.

If you do that, there’s a high probability that the other party will understand that other races are ignorant of their race’s common sense, and the commotion can be settled peacefully.

At the very worst, providing some kind of compensation should resolve it.

“Gyuu!!”

Mofu-mofu, having its meal interrupted, raised an angry growl, but that’s not yours!

“That’s not yours!”

That’s right, originally, these monsters were the opponents the Elf warriors were fighting.

We just selfishly joined in and defeated them because they were at a disadvantage; it doesn’t mean we have the right to claim their materials.

For other races—especially martial tribes among them—some tribes consider being assisted, even if it means getting killed, a disgrace more shameful than death.

“Kyu!? Kyugyaa!?”

Psssssssss…

Perhaps understanding that it was scolded by me, Mofu-mofu let out a scream-like cry, and then started peeing and trembling.

Good grief, to get depressed and pee itself just from being scolded.

It’s still just a baby, huh.

“I apologize, Sharaza-san. Our Mofu-mofu was rude.”

“Kyuu!”

” ” ” ” “!!” ” ” ” “

When Mofu-mofu gave a friendly greeting by raising its front paw as if saying ‘Yo!’, the Elves flinched and their bodies trembled.

“O-Our… you say?”

“Yes, this guy is my pet, Mofu-mofu.”

” ” ” ” ” “Pet!?” ” ” ” ” “

Then, for some reason, Sharaza-san and the others widened their eyes, looking as if they wanted to say they couldn’t believe it.

Well, it’s true that outside of monster tamers and monster ranches, there aren’t many humans who keep monsters as pets.

“A-A-Are you saying that seriously!? That thing is the White Calamity, you know!?”

“Eh!?”

Hearing that name uttered from Sharaza-san’s mouth, I was surprised.

Because that name is the name of the terrifying monster that once threw the ancient magic civilization into chaos.

“White Calamity? What’s that?”

However, Jairo-kun and the others, who didn’t know about the White Calamity, tilted their heads wondering what it was about.

That’s right, their reaction should be the normal one.

Because we only learned information about the White Calamity from the documents we found in that ruin.

To think the Elves know about it… taking this job might have been the right answer after all!

However, what should I do about this situation…

“Do you lot not understand!? That is the monster of calamity that once drove the world to the brink of destruction, you know!?”

Pointing at Mofu-mofu, Sharaza-san announced its terrifying nature to everyone… however.

“This”

“Mofu-mofu is”

“The monster of calamity”

“That drove the world”

“To the brink of destruction?”

Everyone tilted their heads to the side.

” ” ” ” “No way.” ” ” ” “

Yeah, that’s the reaction you’d expect.

“Sharaza-san, you’re mistaken. As you can see, this Mofu-mofu is a harmless baby monster. Look, it’s such a coward that it peed itself just from being slightly surprised.”

Saying that, I showed the figure of Mofu-mofu, who was still leaking pee even now, to Sharaza-san.

“Eh? No, but still!”

Sharaza-san and the others had misunderstood Mofu-mofu as the White Calamity, but as expected, seeing it in shock and peeing itself just from being scolded left them bewildered.

“Kyu… kyuu…”

“To begin with, why did you think Mofu-mofu was the White Calamity?”

I asked for the reason why Sharaza-san mistook Mofu-mofu for the White Calamity.

Perhaps we might be able to obtain detailed information about the White Calamity.

“W-We the Elf tribe—no, the ones who live in the village—have been told over and over through oral tradition by generations of elders not to forget the terror of the White Calamity, the terrifying monster that led the world to ruin. According to the tales, the White Calamity’s entire body is covered in thick, pure white fur. They say it has wickedly twisted horns growing from its head. They say its gaze is an abyss of darkness akin to jet-black night…”

Being told that, I stared at Mofu-mofu.

Hmm, Mofu-mofu certainly has a lot of fur, but rather than thick, it feels more like ’round’.

Its horns are certainly curved, but not to the extent of being ‘wickedly twisted’.

And its eyes… rather than an abyss of darkness, they’re more like the eyes of a mischievous brat with tears falling in large drops.

“Umm, looking at this appearance, does it really look like such an evil existence to you?”

I grabbed Mofu-mofu, showed it to Sharaza-san, and asked if this guy was such an evil existence.

“I-Is it really… not?”

Yeah, looking at this trembling, shivering figure, I think you’d understand there’s no way it’s a terrifying monster that once brought the world to the brink of ruin.

Perhaps Sharaza-san and the others are so afraid of the White Calamity that whenever they see a creature that resembles it, they end up thinking it’s the White Calamity no matter what it is?

Otherwise, they wouldn’t mistake such a harmless creature for a terrifying monster.

“I-It isn’t…? That’s… right. There is no way that White Calamity would be in a place like this… right?”

Finally regaining their composure, Sharaza-san and the others relaxed their tension and let out sighs of relief.

Thank goodness, it seems they were somehow convinced.

Even so, I’m glad the reason they panicked was just mistaking Mofu-mofu for a terrifying monster.

I’m truly glad it wasn’t a commotion caused by a difference in values between races.

“Hahaha, still, Elves are pretty cowardly, huh. To be scared of this guy. This guy is always either eating or sleeping, and occasionally pulls pranks, gets scolded by Bro, and gets all dejected, you know?”

Hey, hey, Jairo-kun, we just managed to settle this peacefully, so don’t say provocative things.

“That’s right. This child is strangely strong for a newborn, but it seems it can’t beat Rex-san at all, and for a monster that destroys the world…”

At that point, everyone’s gazes focused on Mofu-mofu in my hands.

” ” ” ” “It lacks dignity.” ” ” ” “

Everyone is so mean. No, well, looking at Mofu-mofu trembling in my hands, it can’t be helped that they think that.

At any rate, with the misunderstanding resolved, we exchanged greetings with the Elf warriors once again.

“Excuse us for earlier, warriors of the human race. Thanks to you, we were saved.”

“No, please don’t worry about it.”

Having calmed down, they thanked us for our assistance earlier.

“Everyone, that is enough standing around talking. Save the rest for after we return to the village.”

“Yes, we apologize!”

Admonished by Sharaza-san, the Elf warriors returned inside the defensive wall.

It’s a bit ticklish having words of gratitude thrown at us by Elves passing by occasionally.

“Now, please enter, gentlemen.”

Sharaza-san, who seemed strangely happy for some reason, guided us inside the gate.

The moment we passed through the gate, the surrounding air changed.

“Eh? What is this!?”

“My senses suddenly… became clear?”

Everyone else seemed to feel the same odd sensation and raised voices of surprise.

This is that, right. The effect of the Great Hex of Straying cast on the forest probably vanished.

So rather than our senses becoming clear, it’s more accurate to say our misled senses returned to normal.

But before we could be surprised by that, we witnessed an astonishing sight.

“Eh? What is that…!?”

“H-Haa!?”

“Welcome, gentlemen. This is our hometown, the Village of the Spirit Tree.”

It was a giant tree, even larger than a town.

” ” ” ” ” “I-It’s hugeeeee!!” ” ” ” ” ” “

That wasn’t the only thing that surprised us.

Looking closely, pathways were built into the trunk of the giant tree, and numerous houses were secured onto branches so large they were too thick to be called branches.

Rather than a town built near a giant tree, it would be more accurate to say there was a town resting on the giant tree.

“Hahahaha, you must be surprised.”

When Sharaza-san let out a triumphant laugh, everyone snapped back to reality.

“W-Wait a minute! Why is something like this!?”

“What is with this size!? If there was a giant tree this large, you should be able to notice it even from outside the forest!?”

It’s natural for everyone to be surprised.

After all, the size of this giant tree is far larger than the trees of the Man-Eating Forest.

Therefore, the fog enveloping the forest shouldn’t be able to conceal this giant tree either.

“It is natural to think so. Because this Spirit Tree was hidden so as not to be seen from the outside using our secret arts.”

Sharaza-san revealed the trick.

I see, the true aim of the magic formula for the Great Hex of Straying was probably to prevent this giant tree from being perceived.

With this size, it would stand out no matter what, after all.

“Spirit magic really can do anything, huh…”

While everyone was surprised by the absurdity of spirit magic, there was something else that surprised me even more.

Because this tree… the true identity of the tree that the Elves said was a special Spirit Tree they were protecting, was…

“…This! Isn’t this the World Treeeeeeee!!”

Yes, this giant tree was none other than the World Tree itself, which is said to have once birthed the world.

And its other name is… the world’s largest weed!!