Apocrypha 2: Fig Tree / Bodhi Tree / The King's Verdict ~~Fig Tree~~

Gods are monsters that feed on faith. Anyone devout might find that statement offensive, but that's how I see it.

Various texts prove that gods are entities with will and substance. Yet no one can prove where they reside or why they save humans from monsters. Is it mere divine amusement? Or benevolence toward their creations? No one knows. Not even evidence that humans created the gods.

Myths only speak of gods molding humans in their image. It's the power of faith that elevates these enigmatic beings to their current status—the power of believers, that is.

What if people never sang praises to gods? Never built statues in their likeness and bowed before them? The "miraculous judgment light" would become a beam of death striking without warning.

In the end, it all depends on people. Humanity has the power to turn rain, snow, lightning, or earthquakes into gods anytime.

I realized this at age five, a naive brat. Back when I was the sole human allowed into the World Tree—administrator in name, elf slave in truth.

I could talk and walk, but had no parents. No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠peers, no adults to rely on. Just abandoned in a dingy alley. My earliest memories start there: eating starved rats, scavenging food scraps to survive. A harsh reality for a child not yet ten.

Then elves rescued me from that hell.

"The World Tree chose this worthless inferior species? I can't comprehend it."

"Enough. How could we fathom Mother's will? Retrieve it and let's go. The stench of inferior kind is foul. Bath first thing back home."

"Wh-who... are you...?"

That memory is vivid. The first beautiful women I'd seen: sharp noses, huge eyes, sculpted bodies. They ignored my question, dragging me away.

From filthy, dusty alleys to crisp, pure forest air. My gray life tinged green... only to shatter days later.

"From today, you're the sapling administrator chosen by the World Tree herself. Here's the handover from the previous one. Study it. You'll join work soon. Learn fast."

"Your name henceforth: hmm... Myrit Ledias. Taken from humans who dared enter our forest. Pray you don't choose as they did."

Elves roughly cleaned my filthy body, dressed me in ill-fitting clothes, named me, taught me letters. Grateful for their "kindness" to a nameless illiterate, I vowed to repay them by learning diligently.

I didn't grasp "sapling administrator," but devoured the handover desperately. That's when things went wrong. I should've fled.

Of course, as a child, I didn't know elves' reputation or their view of humans. Foolishly, I lived in their home.

From rat-eater to slightly better life—I thought I'd struck riches. Even looked down on alley folk.

But...

"Is that all you can do? This is why inferiors are worthless!"

"Too much water rots roots. Lacking basic knowledge. If not Tree-chosen, we'd have buried you from the start."

"Pathetic... My fault for expecting from inferior. Need a new administrator soon. Breathing same air disgusts me."

"Can't even move this sapling. Worthless. Next mistake, I'll punish you myself."

Harsh for a five-year-old. Gratitude toward my "benevolent" rescuers crumbled under their hands.

Work began; abuse followed swiftly. Slightly overwatering? Slammed to the ground. Couldn't lift sapling bigger than me? Slapped.

Post-failure, corporal punishment escalated. Barely fed enough not to die; wounds untreated.

I tried fleeing, but caught within a minute outside the forest. What followed... ugh, don't want to remember.

That's when I grew resentful toward the elves' "Mother God" World Tree—and began denying gods altogether.

Perhaps subconscious rebellion against elves I couldn't defy directly. But even now, grown, my views unchanged.

Gods are faith-eating monsters. Torture won't sway me.

Later learned not all elves like that. World Tree elves especially shun other races, despising humans most.

Trapped inescapably, options limited. Knowing they couldn't kill me would've expanded my leeway. Ignorance led to compliance, adaptation.

"Hmm... somewhat useful now. Still far below elf toes."

"Ha! Inferior doing decent? Would've avoided beatings if started so."

"Be grateful for World Tree's grace. Without her choice, doomed to die."

What bullshit... Without you kidnapping me, I'd have survived alone. Winds of the world matured me prematurely. Heart closed then. No help coming; no humans allowed. Submitted.

Thus, 15 years as World Tree slave... until the one who upended my life appeared.

"...That's today's tale. Throat dry from talking. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Want more? Heh, too bad. Liza suits next better. Buy her drinks when back—she loosens up boozed."

"Tch... Leaving hanging? Can't spoil the end? Even bards can't tease like this. Another round on me!"

"Aah~ Begging? Fine, backend tease. Exclusive ongoing fairy tale of a man."

After fateful Liza meet, I left elf forest. No more cowering under elf coercion, Tree pressure. Stood tall alone.

Wanted to quit administrator, but didn't know how. Just left. Elves no longer scared me.

"Myrit Ledias! Fear no World Tree wrath...? Betraying her salvation from your doom?!"

"Seeking freedom now. No coward. Handle administrator yourselves. Complain to Tree who chose human me 15 years ago."

"Inferior scum!! Ungrateful fool blind to her will! Her fury haunts you eternally. Barren forever. Your name before her eternally; serve dead too. Regret then—too late. You now..."

"Shut up, pointy-eared brats! Ears hurt. Annoying. Myrit...? In Elizabeth Pendragon's name, I declare: I'll protect Myrit Ledias. Send spies, arrows—I'll smash all. Dare attack."

...Thus ends poor man's tale; happy newlywed with Liza begins. Fun, right? Liza returns soon—I'm off. Relieved venting old story. See ya~

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* * *

~~Bodhi Tree~~

Dragons are flesh-eating monsters. Scales so tough no famed sword cuts them... Huh? Dragons real? Duh, idiot. Kingdoms, empires lose people to them daily. Different world you live in? Foreigner clueless? Listen up then.

Local dragons symbolize disaster. Wingbeat flattens villages; landing crumbles walls; breath erases nations. Greedy hoarders torching settlements on whims.

Monster? Kinda different. Academy consensus: "Dragons aren't monsters." Old ones predate monster history. Separate existence. Not scholar, dunno details.

Flee dragons? Outdated info. Humans no pushovers waving white flags.

Now dragons = jackpot! Scales premium armor; claws/teeth weapons; membranes/blood top meds. Needs 30+ rank-1 adventurers, 10+ archmages... Shut questions! Here on his request; not Q&A. I'd tell all otherwise...

Huh? Scales unbreakable? Common knowledge busted long ago. Pre-birth: young smith cracked dragon scales, got royal medal. Name Yus... something?

...Stop rushing. Fine, this then main tale.

Local dragons monsters; eastern sacred. All know from my story? Dragons cluster here; rare elsewhere, less damage. Thus "dragon-slaying methods" mean different: here impossible once; there nonexistent ('no dragons, duh').

Books on 108 ways now idiom, but originally here: futile. Attacks/magic useless. Elsewhere: literal nonexistence.

Right! Memory sharp. Why dragon rant first? Ties deeply—foreshadowed.

Impatient humans. Storytime. Ears open.

"Hey Heri, right path? Trees thickening."

"Yep. Detour, but soon."

"Heri, trust quest? World Tree elves—worst-reputed—emergency mail to us ok?"

"Exactly! Rare chance, Ani! Human-hating-to-despising elves quest us direct! Suspicious af. Academy topper curiosity burns! Elf forest? Why us? Excited?!"

Mage Heri Tetrahedron, vanguard Anidia Serendipity, sniper Elizabeth Pendragon. My trio: peak rank-1 party.

Sudden weird Heri quest: elf forest dash. Story spark.

"Topper my ass. Summoned otherworld beast, half-blew academy, expelled—curiosity left? Just whim."

"Harsh, Beth. Tiny bit curiosity... maybe hubby? Male elves late-bloom small-bodied! Signed carelessly."

"Sigh... Elves animal-lovers, left familiar; quest for that? My fault trusting."

"Crazy bitch. Never marry nice. Taste: 10-year-younger men? No magic, rotting jail forever."

Bickering 14-year pals overlooked barbs. Wandering merc me, guild-hopping dropout Heri, sibling-seeker Ani. Odd combo? Yeah. Miracle no conflicts peak run.

...Knew ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠party? Why yap. Disbanded year later; I adventured on with him.

"Any-how! Almost! No scaring elves. We're no weaklings!"

"Sure. Quest deets? Here, spill."

"Right... where quest? Found. Extermination? Bug hunt?"

"Eww... can't tame bugs. Gut said 'watch centipedes!' on depart. Centipedes bugs?"

"Gross = bug. Duh. ...There. Screams 'elves live here~'."

Forest path opened to woven-branch entrance, grassy scent wafting. Black-clad elf assassins whoosh appeared.

Startled battle-ready.

"Fuck, scared! Nearly shot."

"Bitches, heart attack! Magic yeet!"

"Wah?! Deathwish?!"

--Crack!!

"...Barbarians. Whipping unprovoked. Even elder-picked adventurers this low? Elf honor sullied."

"No choice. Centipede immune magic/swords. Elder deemed outsiders only to end crisis, free Mother. Picked top-reputed human party."

Shitty first impressions: bug-eyed pointies. Even magnanimous us pissed. Right?! Outsiders get it!

Guided deep forest. Shocking—gross?—sight awaited.

"Wh-what...? Centipede wrapping tree? Instinct right!"

"Sucking sap. World Tree, right?"

"Seems. Ugh, gross. Breakfast rising... huh, that?"

Black-shelled centipede enshrouding massive tree, writhing disgustingly appetite-killing. Hunted before; never this big!

Mission: exterminate it. Elder spoke; I spotted man skewered on spit.

"Welcome. Human adven—huh? Odd one. Whatever. Assume briefed. Exterminate Tree-mother eater now. Paid well."

"Odd one... Tree elves perceptive. ...Wait, skewered human?"

"That? Ignore. Sapling admin, Tree servant failed duty. Letting invader... worthless. Do job, leave."

Infuriating, right? Righteousness burned; couldn't ignore pierced man. Declared to elves: "Free him or no centipede."

Pointy elder raged—funny face, forgot words—but Heri/Ani backed; relented.

"C-cough... th-thank... you..."

"Save it. Heri, spare potions? Dump all."

"Yup~. Waste ok?"

"I got it. Worst case, that."

"Sigh... that no. Anyway, lay him; our job."

Myrit? Sharp! Yesterday his tale; obvious. Elves' torture victim, now husband. Fateful meet. Dizzying. Best romance self-boast!

Oppressed man, savior genius adventurer love. Book? Instant sellout!

...Derailed. Excited? Skip.

Boring next: Elf-immune shell? Magic gun shreds. Ani whips shreds; Heri incinerates remains.

Sudden power-up? Real. Few shots riddling centipede: elves scamming? Suspected.

And...! Real bond tale now! Listen!

I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠half-dragon, bathed in dragon blood! Can transform...

Too fast? Foreshadowed! Dragon intro, elder's "odd one"—me. Don't fear; can't voluntary shift.

Merc days: dragon hunt, bloodbath mutated me. Leaf on back saved full fall. Gained powers—later.

Post-centipede: chest burned, rage to smash all. Sanity snapped; dragon!

Aaah... thought doomed. Limbs rebelled; roars not words. Elves attack-ready; Heri/Ani defend. All die vibe.

Die human... then! Warm green mana enveloped. Sanity returned; shrank human.

Before me...

"Y-you ok? Cough... No more pain. Worry not... ngh...!"

Kyaaa!! Romantic, right? Savior saved back. Real romance novel anyone dreams gender-blind. My love-at-first-sight: fate-changer from dragon-death.

Wounded, smiling concern. Recalling melts me.

...Sorry~ Love detour? His untold truth.

Elf disgust; ditched pay, took him—bomb. Expected rage; dragon fear, only threatened him.

I then!

"Shut up, pointy-eared brats! Ears hurt. Annoying. Myrit...? In Elizabeth Pendragon's name, I declare: I'll protect Myrit Ledias. Send spies, arrows—I'll smash all. Dare attack."

Best bride, right? Top inner support. Year quartet adventuring; his confession, married! Beat Heri/Ani.

Done. Chit-chat drank out. Nostalgic bliss. Back to dating days♡

--Tinkle...

"Liza, time. Late."

"Yay~ Worried hubby fetch?"

"Roughly. Audience, our tale ends. Thanks playing; no next date but..."

"Epic incoming. Next, drinks on us! Bye~"

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* * *

~~The King's Verdict~~

"Your Majesty, please! Lend your wisdom! Reveal the true mother!"

"This child's mine! From my womb—no doubt! She's the liar!"

"Shut it! You spew lies! Majesty, see my earnest face—wise choice! Mine!"

Pathetic. So pathetic. Poor child helpless wailing; why contest ownership?

No maternal spark in those eyes—just greed. Child mere tool. Ugly.

They'd halve it unflinching... But I have a clever fix♥ Wise one♥

--Crunch... Gurrrruk♥