They’re not just pretty—they’re very pretty. But if they say they want to go home, I’ll let them go.
“You’re really strange. You said you wouldn’t go, but now you want to? Can’t you speak clearly? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Tears well up in their eyes and drip down in droplets. It’s pretty how they sparkle like dew on glass beads, but I hate the gloomy energy I feel from it.
“No matter how much I like pretty things, it’s not enough to confine you. Honestly, you only keep crying, so it’s annoying and bothersome. Plus, you’re a hatchling. Your mother or father must be waiting, so I’m not desperate enough to hold onto you after taking you away.
I don’t accept human sacrifices in the first place. Those stupid people of yours just forgot that and did something strange.”
“S-so… you won’t eat me… and you can make me legs, but you’ll let me go…?”
“Are you going to make me say the same thing over and over? If you keep doing that, I’ll really just kill you?”
“N-no! I’m sorry!”
It was startled and screamed almost as if having a seizure. Now I don’t know if this one is timid or fearless. At least I know they’re fickle and stupid. Seeing how they repeat the same thing over and over, this might be an individual with something wrong in their head.
It floundered helplessly before settling down again. They hang their head low, faintly emitting a gloomy energy. The strength drains from the hands that had been holding me.
“Thinking about it, I guess it’s better not to go.”
Finally, its hands fell away from me. It rubbed its face roughly with the cloth scraps and lifted its head again. It seems to have stopped crying now. It looks straight up at me. I frowned and asked it.
“Don’t you want to go? You said you wouldn’t go, but it’s still better to go, isn’t it?”
Though it’s confusing going back and forth, I thought they ultimately wanted to go. After crying and making a fuss alone and fidgeting, they end up saying they won’t go. I really can’t tell what they’re thinking.
“I have nowhere to go. I don’t have money either.”
“You must have a mother or father. They’ll be waiting at your nest.”
“They’re all gone. My, home too… things like parents or siblings.”
“You have kin… ah, this won’t work.”
I closed my mouth mid-sentence. In the first place, the reason this crybaby is here is because of their kin. Their legs were cut off by their kin, and they were separated from the group because of their kin. Essentially, their kin threw them away.
It means they’re an individual culled from the group. It was already over from the moment they cut the legs. They dumped it on me and made sure it couldn’t come back.
“The problem wasn’t running away from me—they cut them off in case you’d run away back to your own group.”
I thought it was a gift because it was pretty, but it seems they just threw in a weak individual while culling. Since it’s pretty on the outside, they figured I’d use it for something and included it.
I stared intently at it as it rolled its eyes with a gloomy face. This one is stupid but perhaps not a complete fool. It’s closer to realizing it while speaking.
Maybe there’s some other reason. But I can’t even guess what it might be. The fact that they did this in the first place is incomprehensible. What do I care about human physiology or rules? They’re just big-bodied, but these things are really weaker than ants.
“Seriously. I just picked you up to lift my mood, but it only increased my work.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing when you haven’t done anything. That’s more annoying.”
Even with the slightest scolding, they shrink, making their already small body shrivel even more. I sighed and asked.
“What should I call you?”
“Uh… pardon?”
“Name, name. Don’t you have one?”
At my pressing, it rolled its eyes around before barely squeezing out words.
“Raha.”
“Alright, Raha. Got it.”
It would have been troublesome if they were a nameless individual like Miros. It would have taken ages just to name them. I pushed one of the human foods I’d laid out toward the kid. Holding it, the kid glanced at me and opened their mouth.
“Um… what should I call you?”
“Raha, you said.”
“No, I mean… God? Like this?”
At the foolish question, my face crumpled.
“I’m not a god or anything like that.”
I don’t know why they keep being desperate not to put me on the same level as those inferior things.
I firmly told this stupid individual.
“Not a god. Just old, that’s all.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
“And the name you people used to call me is ‘Levia Rishian.’ Of course, you can call me whatever you feel like. Call me whatever’s comfortable.”
“Then… Leri?”
It’s just one word. Nothing more than a sound. Yet at that call, I froze.
No, calm down. This one doesn’t know anything. They just shortened it without thinking. Look at that stupid face. It wasn’t done with any knowledge, nor is there any intention behind it. I took a deep breath and made it clear.
“Not that. That’s our Miros’s. Absolutely not.”
How dare this one try to use the title our kid used to call me?
***
It—no, Raha—started eating quite well. They’re starting to gain weight, even if just a mouse’s worth. Still, it’s not enough.
“Eat more.”
“I’m full.”
“You’re too thin for me to attach legs.”
Yes, this is the problem. Not only can I not regenerate them, I can’t even attach them. They’re so weak that I can’t even attach my fragments to them. That’s why it—no, no. Raha still has no legs.
At my words, Raha became sullen and reluctantly picked at a few more pieces. Though they really only ate a little bit more. Well, even if I don’t like it, it can’t be helped. Humans get sick if they eat too much too.
They can’t last ten days without eating, but they collapse even when fed well. I haven’t even fed them that much. I haven’t even fed them half of half what Miros used to eat.
Recalling that Miros was only a 12-year-old individual when they first came, this is really serious.
Raha said they’re an 18-year-old individual by human standards. They said they’re not far from adulthood, but in my view, they’re far from it. They haven’t grown at all from a certain point. Even when others become adults, this one won’t fully grow and will need 4 or 5 more years of feeding to barely become similar.
Anyway, I need to feed them, but what should I do?
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“There’s already a lot of delicious things.”
“If it’s something you like, you’ll eat more, right?”
This one would probably be lighter than Havi’s claw. That’s how thin they are. It’s really bothersome, but if there’s something they want to eat, I’m planning to feed it to them. That way they’ll gain at least a bit more weight.
At least I studied when Miros was here, so I’ve kept them alive this much. Otherwise, they would have gotten sick and died long ago. Especially since this is an individual without legs. I would have killed them without knowing why.
Raising goldfish would be easier. Miros was weaker than an ant, but this one is weaker than a flea. Fleas are much sturdier.
No matter how much I glare, they can’t eat more. They’re watching my mood, but it seems nothing more will go in. I couldn’t get angry either, knowing this individual’s limit. If I force-feed them, they vomit and get a fever.
I really planned to just admire them prettily without touching them, but I’ve already poured too much energy into them. Humans die just from breathing, and this one can’t even breathe properly.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
And I picked up Raha. It’s bothersome to carry this one around in human form. It’s needlessly long too. Well, originally weak individuals grow tall the fastest. Raha snuggled into my arms familiarly.
Why do I carry them? To feed them and make them exercise. Humans’ flesh rots and crumbles even when they don’t move. I didn’t know this from books. I can’t even express how surprised I was.
Goodness, bones break when they move, and living flesh rots when they don’t move. Humans are truly new every day. In a completely unwelcome way. I grumbled to myself while draping a fur over Raha.
They fidget as if uncomfortable with how I’m wrapping them up so tightly.
“Bear with it. You can’t regulate your body temperature.”
“…It’s not to this extent.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You catch a cold from just a bit of cold wind, drip snot, and die.”
I’m doing this because I find you pretty. I do this because you sparkle.
At first, I had the Dryads do it, but at some point, I’ve been attending to them myself.
I told you. They’re not ordinarily timid. They’ve at least adapted to me, who has a similar form to them, but they’re still afraid of my Dryads.
“My goodness. I’m the original body, so why are they more afraid of those?”
“…Um, uh…”
“I was just grumbling to myself. I wasn’t asking you to answer.”
As I muttered, Raha, who had been watching my mood, burrowed deeper into my arms and said.
“…Because Levia-nim is beautiful.”
“That’s obvious. Though I’m not sure it’s a reason not to be scared.”
Our Dryads are plenty pretty too. Is this kid’s aesthetic standard wrong, or is human beauty learning wrong? I don’t know. It’s obvious that I, the source, am the prettiest, so there’s nothing to say about that. What’s the problem?
No, no, I know it all. Humans rely heavily on sight. They feel less dissonance toward me, who at least resembles humans in form, so they feel intimacy.
They really require a lot of attention and are bothersome. Even Miros, who was half the size of this one, didn’t require this much attention.
After feeding them, I carry them around the vicinity once before coming back. They can’t walk, but I try to make them move even a little. I also make them do a bit of exercise. I’m not sure, but I hear humans get weak if they don’t move too much. So I have no choice but to do this.
“How long have you been here, Levia-nim?”
After walking for a while, Raha strikes up a conversation.
Recently, the frequency of them talking to me has been gradually increasing. It seems they’re adapting in their own way. I replied indifferently.
“A very long time.”
“How long?”
“At first I was in the heavens, but the garden looked pretty. I came down and settled here… come to think of it, I haven’t really gone anywhere in particular.”
It’s a newfound realization. I’ve really been here a long time. Should I have tried moving at least once? But there’s no place I particularly like enough to do that. Many of those who’ve already left for Eternity are gone, so wherever I go it’s empty.
If I was going to move, I should have done it quickly. All the ones I know have left, so there’s no one.
“Have you always been alone?”
“No? Other kids visit sometimes.”
“Um… that person called Miros too?”
Huh? How does this one know that? When I looked at them in wonder, they carefully said while watching my reaction.
“You mention it sometimes. That Miros was like this or like that… or was pretty.”
Did I say that? Looking back at my memories, it seems I talked about Miros more than I thought. Without even realizing it. But it was worth mentioning.
Raha is really too weak. Even when I saw Miros, I was astonished that such a weak life form existed, but this one is even weaker than that, making me wonder how they even breathe.
“Miros is the most recent one, at least. Havi comes often too, but right now it’s winter so they’re sleeping.”
“Won’t they come anymore?”
“Why?”
“Because you said you miss them.”
I do miss them. But it can’t be helped. I shrugged my shoulders.
“Miros won’t come anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because they don’t know how to come back here.”
“You could help them, Levia-nim.”
“You’re really persistent.”
I don’t know what they’re so curious about. Still, it’s nice to think about Miros after a long time.
“Miros is an individual who received a Star. So they’re happier living among the human group.”
And once I attach your legs and you get sturdy, I’ll send you down too. I didn’t bother saying the rest. I can’t guarantee it since they might die before then.
