Right, I’ll admit it. My attitude isn’t very good. No matter how lacking those things are, they’re still gods for now and have some caliber. If they really set their minds to it and come at me, it would be incredibly tiring.
If I act too harshly, the world might step in and try to stop me.
During those long years that I can’t even remember, this is the first time I’ve gotten this angry. So they might be surprised. I understand. But that doesn’t mean they’re anything to come swarming and babbling about.
—I told you to behave yourselves while I’m being patient.
The nest I’d just cleaned up got dirty again with the remains of burst birds. When I truly threatened them, the surviving birds finally left. The Dryads who had been hiding from my anger slowly came back out and began cleaning the nest.
I flopped down and sprawled on the pile of cushions Miros used to use. I hope our Miros is doing well? I guess I didn’t know how terrible other things were because I only saw such a pretty child.
—Ugh, really.
Lamga, I’m sorry. I grumbled that you were foolish for leaving, but I think you were right. It’s not just a problem with humans. Everything’s just rotten. I really think there’s no dream or hope here.
Should I just leave too?
As soon as I think it, the ground trembles shallowly. Right, it’s an excessive leap. You’re right. It’s just an accident that happened. Not everything is ruined.
I was just lucky that nothing unpleasant happened until now.
***
Right, I was wrong.
After some time passed and my anger subsided, I calmed down quickly. Part of the reason it was resolved quickly was that the damn birds didn’t come looking for me anymore. More than half the reason my anger kept boiling was probably because of that damn noise pollution.
It was too weak a measure, but this is enough. Humans are such weak individuals that they’ll understand even with just this much.
They have such short lifespans and bad memory for intelligent beings, so they can make mistakes. Let’s not worry too much about it. Since the population is so large, even if there are just one or two crazy individuals, when gathered together they’re bound to look like a lot. Most of them are obedient.
But these things did something that really got on my nerves.
“Hah… Why are they doing this?”
I just vented my anger alone and moved on, but I have no idea what they thought with those foolish heads. Or maybe I was too carefree.
I knew humans were timid, but they must have been weaker-hearted than I imagined.
At the place where I eliminated the human group called Hadika or whatever, other groups of humans living nearby had gathered and set up quite a feast as an offering.
“They must have been really scared. You must have been quite frightening.”
It was Havi who was there before me. Rather, I only just confirmed this now.
I knew humans were sneaking into my territory, but I just thought they were coming to fill the empty land, so I didn’t pay much attention.
It was also Havi who called me to show me this.
“Those damn gods pestered me so much. They made a fuss telling me to hurry and call you to accept this. All kinds of birds harassed me day and night. And they stole the peanuts I was gathering for a snack. These damn bastards.”
I guess since they’d get angry if they came to me, they tormented Havi who’s at least friendly with me. Very evenly distributed. It seems the gods urged the humans to offer something. Ugh, these hopeless things.
I guess because they’re things that parasitize on each other, they’re acting the same.
Still, they seemed to remember that I like pretty things. There were plenty of sparkling jewel pieces, colorful clothes and fabrics, and all sorts of things.
It wasn’t just objects. They’d also caught plenty of meat like cows, chickens, and pigs. There were both living and dead ones. Besides that, there was also food and liquor processed in the human way, and fruits and flowers were piled high.
“…Did I go too far? I just got a little annoyed.”
This is the most I’ve ever received from humans.
I’m not joking, it really looks like they piled it up to the size of a small hill. I just got a little angry, but humans must have found that incredibly—incredibly scary.
At this level, they must have risked their lives, right?
***
Is this really necessary to go this far? I really don’t know. Havi rummaged through the food the humans had prepared and said.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t think you went too far either. But humans must have been scared. Seeing they offered this much at such an absurd level.”
“The kids who caused trouble already got punished and it’s over, but I don’t know why innocent kids offered this.”
“Just like when you pick a honeycomb and the bees below get startled and fly out on their own, when someone’s being scolded in front, the person next to them also gets nervous for no reason. Even I think this is excessive though.”
Havi responded nonchalantly and was nibbling on the food the humans had prepared. Then he tilted his head slightly and asked me.
“Everything else aside, what are you going to do about that?”
“I’m thinking about it too. Why did they bring that?”
Setting aside the tremendous amount of things prepared, the biggest problem was what was placed most lavishly in the very center.
Let’s say everything else is fine. I knew humans were weak and timid. Though it’s awkward that kids who did nothing wrong got startled and brought things on their own, it’s cute enough to overlook.
However, I don’t know how to interpret that human decorated so luxuriously over there.
“Did they give it to eat?”
“Humans don’t taste good.”
“Yeah. Right. They don’t taste good.”
“Especially that one has no meat.”
“Right. It is pretty though.”
I clearly told them humans don’t taste good so don’t bring them, but for some reason they brought a human. Did they forget because it’s ancient history by human standards?
To begin with, is that even an adult? It’s ambiguous. It seems small for an adult, but big for a hatchling.
Wrapped prettily in colorful cloth, it was an incredibly pretty individual. It was lying down sleeping without moving. It’s not dead. Though very shallow, it was definitely breathing. It just seems to be put to sleep.
“But this one has no legs. Why?”
I lightly rummaged through the wrappings of the sleeping individual. It had no legs. It didn’t seem to be an individual naturally born without legs. Looking at the cross-section, I think it might have been damaged through artificial means for some reason. I don’t know why though.
“Did they give it to hang somewhere? Humans sometimes hang pretty things on walls.”
“But don’t they dry those things to make them last? I saw it before—humans dry things like flowers and hang them.”
“I don’t know that much. I haven’t looked closely. I just know they hung something on walls or ceilings.”
I know because Miros bought some saying they were pretty. I don’t know why they’d pay money for flowers that are everywhere, carefully dry them to death, and hang them on walls, but humans say that’s pretty.
It’s strange, but I remember it wasn’t bad to look at.
It seems like they’re giving it for me to receive, but that ambiguous individual that’s either a hatchling or an adult had no legs. Though incredibly pretty, it was a strange shape in some way. Surely they didn’t give me this defective individual to throw away?
No, they prepared it so grandly, they wouldn’t have given me something to throw away.
“If we send this back, it’ll die soon, right?”
“Since it has no legs, it can’t hunt either… Probably?”
It doesn’t seem like they gave it to eat, and it’s strange to decorate it somewhere. There are already plenty of pretty things, and I don’t know why they brought it alive. What am I supposed to do with this?
“I don’t know the reason, but isn’t this actually fortunate?”
“What is?”
At my question, Havi started picking up and eating fruit this time and said indifferently.
“You had no energy for a while after returning that human called Miros or whatever. Since this one’s pretty too, if you keep it around and cherish it for a while, won’t it be a change of mood?”
“Mm. Should I?”
Just from being depressed for a very short time, humans started a war and tried to harm me. Of course, they’ll be quiet for a while. Even if humans are foolish, they’re not complete idiots. Though there are absurdly stupid individuals, at least they won’t do something stupid again right away.
“If I don’t cheer up, humans might make a fuss again… And seeing they’re this scared, I do feel a bit sorry.”
I didn’t know they’d be this scared and trembling. And kids who had nothing to do with it getting frightened. I scared even innocent guys. I think it’s okay to cheer up and treat them well.
“Besides, this is definitely pretty.”
Miros’s case was too pretty. This is pretty too, but I liked that it seems unable to survive independently anyway. This time I won’t get attached and will cherish it for a long, long time.
“Mm. I’ll take this for now, and give thanks later.”
“You’re even going to give thanks?”
“These are kids who had nothing to do with it. They brought it so grandly, I should do something for them.”
“Well. They’re probably cowering right now, so telling them you received it well would be reassuring.”
I picked up the sleeping human individual. I told the Dryads to bring the rest.
What should I give the humans?
***
I brought what the humans gave to the nest. And I sent three Dryads to the humans. To ask what they wanted to receive. The humans asked if they could come in and live. I told them to do so.
But don’t be too noisy.
Setting aside being arrogant, the previous human group was too noisy. I also didn’t like how they kept making things messy here and there.
“Isn’t it better to just leave it empty? Humans have short lifespans so they’ll forget quickly anyway.”
“We’ll think about that then. Won’t they last longer than the first human group?”
Havi was eating the things I received instead. I can eat too, but I don’t particularly need to. To begin with, I don’t even know what human food tastes like. When I can recharge just by breathing, there’s no reason to bother eating.
I thought about throwing it away, but that seemed wasteful.
I froze the rest. I didn’t freeze them. I literally stopped them. The Dryads will organize and handle the rest. I told them to take and eat it if they wanted. It’s fine to give it to anyone. I was separately arranging the pretty things.
“I forgot to ask the most important thing.”
“What?”
“I wanted to ask why they gave this.”
I pointed at the sleeping human with my finger. Havi ate the human food and said indifferently.
“What does the meaning matter anyway? In any case, they gave it to you. This one is much prettier than the last human, so it’s good.”
“…Miros was the prettiest.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That was just about a smooth pebble level. It grew sturdy later but it wasn’t pretty. It was handsome, sure, but anyone could see it was male. This individual is much prettier. Ask anyone.”
Havi is a bear so his eyes are tiny and he definitely can’t see properly. No matter how I think about it, nothing was as pretty as Miros. This one doesn’t even have legs. No matter how pretty the wrapping is, what isn’t, isn’t.
But most sadly, there was no one who agreed with my thoughts. Even the Dryads who use my power babbled that this individual was much—much prettier.
Everyone’s eyes are crooked.
“But when is this waking up? Hasn’t quite some time passed?”
“It opened its eyes yesterday. It collapsed again after seeing me.”
“So that’s why you were in human form?”
“Yeah. It almost died so I hurriedly put some energy in.”
I don’t know about time. It’s been a while since I brought it but it didn’t wake up, so I didn’t pay much attention either. But it happened to open its eyes last night. I was in my true form without thinking and our eyes met, and it stopped breathing just like that. I was startled and put a little energy in.
“Ah, what a waste. I was going to cherish this individual without adding more.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s more grown than the first individual but it’s still weak.”
“Right? It would be troublesome to leave it completely alone too, right?”
I looked down at the sleeping one.
Well, it is pretty. Miros is the best, but this one is pretty enough too.
