Subraces (4): Discord Among the Elves
The elves began to prosper rapidly. Using bows and arrows that grew from trees, they hunted animals in the forest, cultivated various trees to expand the great forest even further, and swiftly widened their territory under Yggdrasil's shade. On top of that, newcomers from outside the great forest started showing up, wanting to join the elves, and some even transformed into elves through Yggdrasil herself and merged in. With the great forest around Yggdrasil as their base, the elves' prosperity took its first steps.
However, even these elves had an element of unease. The ones who first settled around Yggdrasil and were transformed into elves by me started showing subtle differences from those who joined her later. They claimed they were purer and nobler elves since they'd been around the world tree from the beginning. It started with that first-come, first-served kind of reasoning, but as time passed, more excuses piled on. Elves transformed by me had longer, more beautiful ears, sharper senses, and better rapport with spirits than those changed by Yggdrasil, or so they said.
Those differences stemmed from the gap in magical proficiency between Yggdrasil and me... but they were tiny, really. The elves were just itching for reasons to discriminate. Anyway, it was still minor for now... but left alone, it could cause a major rift within the elven race someday.
Should I let it be? Or intervene? If I were still human... I'd probably meddle without a second thought. Hmm... so that's why Yggdrasil said I play favorites. If I leave them be, I might end up seeing the "noble" ones become high elves and the rebels turn into dark elves... Nah, I can't just watch that happen.
I went to find Yggdrasil and said, "You planning to just let those kids' squabbles slide?"
「I feel like something needs to be done... but even if I scold them, it only lasts a moment before they start fighting again... How can I make them stop?」
How, indeed. Telling them fighting is bad? They're not little kids; that won't stick. Hmm, maybe it's time for some extreme medicine. There was a myth in another world like this. The sun goddess, fed up with tyranny, holed up in a cave and plunged the world into darkness. Something like that could work here.
"How about this?"
It'd be a spicy prescription for them, but fitting for the troublemakers stirring discord within their own race.
"Scold them, then completely ignore them until they realize their mistake and reflect on it."
「Huh? Ignore my kids? But they're fragile; they can't survive without my care!」
"That's why it'll be extra effective. If they don't figure out their error on their own, it'll threaten their survival directly. Just don't overuse it, or it'll backfire—this should be a one-time thing."
「Hmm... Okay. I'll trust you, Mom. But what if they don't realize their mistake and keep fighting?」
"That's where I step in. I'll pressure them, make them see what they're doing wrong and what it takes to bring you back. They'll have to reflect then, right?"
Is this some carrot-and-stick routine? Nah, feels more like two sticks. Well, at least I'm the one offering solutions.
「Got it. Take care of the kids for me, then.」
"Leave it to me."
And so Yggdrasil began disciplining the elves.
「How dare you divide yourselves like that! You're all children under my shade! I can't bear it anymore! Until you reflect on your wrongs and swear never to repeat them, I won't listen to a word you say!」
Yggdrasil's stern voice reached the elves, throwing them into panic. They'd just started hunting with bows, but they were still beginners—barely able to make fire, so they ate mostly raw meat. Their staple was Yggdrasil's fruit.
The elves had naively assumed she'd still provide fruit even if she ignored them. But after a few days, their "what if" became reality, hitting them hard.
"World tree! We're sorry! It's all those imposters' fault!!!"
"What?! You ignored us first! Yggdrasil said we're elves too! Why do you treat us like this?!"
"What? Can't hear short-eared trash."
Whoa. Hate speech already. No, snap out of it—this isn't the time to spectate.
The elves, deprived of fruit as Yggdrasil shut herself away, turned on each other with blame. No physical fights yet... but it was only a matter of time.
Time for my entrance. I dropped into the square where the elves had gathered, startling them with my sudden appearance from above.
"Enough."
I spoke softly, then used mana to slightly increase the square's gravity, pinning the elves in place.
"I told you not to fight, yet here you are. You fools."
Crushed by the sudden gravity, unable to move properly, the elves were aghast at my abrupt arrival. Even those proud of their keen senses hadn't noticed me at all. Like seeing something that shouldn't exist.
"You..."
The elves I'd personally transformed remembered me and hesitated to speak. They'd recall me shattering rocks with arrows, after all.
But...
"An outsider...?!"
Those who didn't know me reacted differently. Fair enough—the newcomers wouldn't, since Yggdrasil had changed them herself.
"Outsiders stay out! This is elf business..."
"Idiot! Do you know who she is?!"
"What?! Idiot?!"
Oh boy. Now they're fighting each other again. Even weighed down by gravity, they're squabbling and swinging fists.
"Quiet."
I ramped up the gravity further, and the elves could no longer resist, flattening to the ground like bugs.
"Yggdrasil got fed up with your fighting and started ignoring you, and now you try again? You're true fools."
"Urk..."
"Grrgh..."
Elves sprawled on the ground, groaning like insects. A pitiful sight.
"I came to solve this, but at this rate, you won't even get the chance. What a shame—this is the end of the elven race."
I sighed softly and released the gravity spell. The elves slowly caught their breath and rose.
"Can... can you solve this?"
"Of course. Don't you already know how?"
The issue itself wasn't hard. With the right mindset, it'd resolve quickly. But they lacked that mindset.
"Well..."
"I don't know who you are, but this is an internal elf matter. They don't treat us as fellow elves."
A voice from one who didn't know me. True, they'd started the discrimination.
"You're all elves under the world tree's shade—can't you just get along?"
No answer. Pathetic.
"First, you need to understand each other's feelings."
Put yourselves in their shoes, and you'd get it. I cast a spell, swapping their racial traits as if trading sides. Those I'd changed now seemed Yggdrasil's work, and vice versa.
The difference was subtle, but they'd feel it keenly.
"What?!"
"Gasp..."
The realization—and reversal—would hit hard too.
"How's it feel to be in each other's shoes?"
"So... frustrating..."
"To think the difference is this much..."
Good. They're starting to understand.
"Swear you'll stop fighting?"
"Yes! We swear!"
"Um... could you change us all back to this...?"
Eh? Well, not hard, but what about new elves? All by me? Yggdrasil would sulk.
"Yggdrasil changed you herself. Dissatisfied?"
"No, that's not..."
To them, Yggdrasil was absolute. Complaining about her work? That'd be fun to see.
"Fine. We won't fight them anymore."
"Them? Aren't you all elves? Get along, now."
And with that vibe, I mediated their spat and restored them. The elves, senses dulling back to normal, looked a bit wistful.
"Now that you're reconciled, here's how to appease Yggdrasil."
I gathered the lingering spirits. Fire spirits. Water spirits. Wind spirits. Earth spirits. And tree spirits. Light and darkness ones were fewer.
I shared my mana with them, manifesting their forms.
"This...!"
"You can talk to spirits, but you've never seen them like this."
Sharing mana lets them take shape... but no earthly creature could do it. Oh, dragons can.
"I'll teach you how to borrow these spirits' power."
Elves and spirit arts—what could be more perfect! Of course!