The hero and I let out a sigh as we saw the two messengers who had barged into the inn.

I'm not sure what they were made of, but the elf messenger was wearing clothes as soft as silk, while the dwarf messenger was covered head to toe in metal armor and had an unkempt beard.

The two messengers were growling at each other, but they both reached out their hands to the hero.

"We've heard of your reputation, hero. You've managed to defeat even the most troublesome monsters that even we elves would have a hard time with, using just your human body."

"Ah, so you're quite the swordsman! Your weapons look impressive, but it seems you don't pay much attention to your armor. Come with us, hero, and we'll provide you with some excellent armor!"

The elves and dwarves both seemed eager to have the hero on their side.

For now, assessing the situation should be the priority. I can't just blindly side with one of them.

"For now, please step back. I'll make a decision after I've gathered more information."

"What is this horned creature? Are you a beastman? You seem to be the hero's attendant. Now that your master is in the middle of a conversation, you should step aside."

"...What did you just say?"

"Hmm. I have no doubt of your skills as a hero, but you seem to have a bit of a problem with your discernment when it comes to the servants you bring with you. I hope you remember that it's not a good idea to choose a servant based on looks alone!"

In an instant, the gravity pressing down on the elf increased exponentially, causing his body to be crushed into the ground.

I let out a sigh as I watched the elf, who was now like a rock elemental, trying to burrow into the earth.

"You foolish youngster who hasn't even lived for a thousand years, your words are quite presumptuous, aren't they?"

"Y-yes, that's right."

"Calm down, that elf was just speaking without knowing any better."

"krugh..."

The sound of the elf's bones being crushed made the dwarf messenger, the hero, and even a curious bystander animal greatly startled.

I'll explain about that animal later.

I released the crushing gravity with a light gesture, and the elf, who had been dying like a bug under a shoe, was finally able to take a few labored breaths.

Hmm, I got a bit carried away there.

“From next time, keep humility in your head. got it?"

"Y-yes, ugh!"

How pathetic, he can't even give a proper response.

It feels like I'm giving medicine after breaking something, but I'll at least fix his broken bones.

"Well then, I'll be going now..."

Just as the dwarf messenger was about to leave,

"Wait. Let's hear a bit more of the story."

My brief words stopped the dwarf messenger in his tracks.

The dwarf messenger looked at the hero with a pleading gaze, but the hero simply shook his head without saying a word.

"Don't worry, I just want to listen to the story, that's all."

I need to understand what's going on, don't I?

And there's no one who knows the situation better than the parties involved.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The elves and dwarves.

Though they had never directly met, they were able to learn about each other indirectly through the humans who went between them.

The elves, who lived in the forests tending to the World Tree, and the dwarves, who delved into the highest mountains and worked with metals.

Despite the many differences between the two races, it didn't take long for various letters to be exchanged and for them to gradually become more familiar with each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am the representative of the elven diplomatic mission."

"Hah! You're taller than I expected! I am the representative of the dwarves."

When two completely different races meet directly, it inevitably leads to the birth of new conflicts.

"The letters didn't convey it, but you seem more distinctive than I imagined."

"It's all thanks to this beard! Isn't it magnificent? But elves don't seem to grow beards, do they? Your under nose are just smooth as can be."

"We elves don't grow beards. Instead, our hair grows long and straight. But dwarves, are you always this short? It seems perfect for digging tunnels."

"And you elves are as thin as tree branches! How can you possibly use any strength with a build like that? I bet you'd snap like a twig if I just gave a good yank!"

After only writing pleasant words to each other in the letters, the conflicts between the two grew stronger once they met face-to-face.

"Look at this! Isn't it beautiful? This is the most precious gem we have mined! We've named it the Diamond of Sagarmatha's Eye! Even with just a little polishing, it shines so brightly! You elves who only live in the forests have never had the chance to see something like this!"

"It is certainly beautiful."

"Right? So, I was thinking we should use a special type of wood to decorate this gem even more beautifully. I know that elves are the ones who know the most about wood."

"Using wood for decoration... I'm not too keen on cutting and carving the trees."

The elf spoke with a somewhat displeased tone.

"For us elves, trees are like our own kin. To decorate this gem with those trees would be an unpalatable proposal. I'd rather pretend I didn't hear that."

"Hmm. What if we were to gift this gem to the elves?"

The elves paused for a moment.

"Sagarmatha is the name of the highest mountain that we consider sacred. Decorating this gem, which is called the 'Eye of Sagarmatha', and gifting it to the elves would be a promise of a bright future between the elves and dwarves. Honestly, the consensus among the dwarves is that elves are the ones we can trust the most compared to other races."

The dwarf chuckled as he spoke.

"Humans have such vast individual differences that they are hard to trust, beastmen are half-beast so they don't understand speech well, and lizardmen have cold blood flowing through their bodies. In the end, the ones we can truly trust are the elves, aren't they?"

"I see..."

The conversation completely ignored the existence of the minority races.

"So, you know how the World Tree is the most precious thing to you elves, right?"

"That's true, but..."

"How about you provide us with just a small branch from the World Tree?"

At those words, the elf representative abruptly stood up from his seat.

"The friendly talks are over. Everyone, let's leave."

"Huh? Wait a moment! It's just a single tree branch, isn't it!"

"A single tree? A branch? Do you have any idea what the branches of the World Tree are?!"

The elf shouted in an angry voice.

"The World Tree is like a parent to us! To ask us to cut and hand over a branch of our parent, how dare you! Are all dwarves such rude beings? I declare all future negotiations to be completely canceled! How horrifying to have exchanged letters with such rude creatures!"

"Wait, wait! You're taking this too far! Just because of that one thing, you want to ruin everything?! Canceling all future plans?!"

The dwarf spoke in a flustered tone, but the elf's stance was firm.

"You mentioned Sagarmatha, didn't you? The mountain the dwarves consider sacred."

"Y-yes, that's right."

"Are the dwarves the kind of beings who would carve and dig into that mountain if they needed to?"

At the elf's words, the dwarf nodded slightly.

The great and lofty, sacred mountain of Sagarmatha was like a great parent who would give them everything they needed.

"What do you mean by that? If it's truly necessary, then Sagarmatha itself would willingly offer itself."

"You want to carve the flesh of your parent? Truly, you are an unfilial child. I have nothing more to say! I'm leaving!"

"Wait! No..."

And so, the first meeting between the elves and dwarves, as well as the subsequent negotiations, all ended up in the gutter.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"That's what happened. Yes. That was the start, and various conflicts followed after that."

Hmm... the conflict between the elves and dwarves.

Honestly, it seems like the conflict arose from the different mindsets of each race.

From the elf's perspective, the trees are like their own kin, and the World Tree in particular is like a parent who has cared for them. So, to ask for a branch of the World Tree would be no different than asking to cut off a part of their parent.

But from the dwarf's perspective, it was just a single tree branch, and they were the kind of beings who would dig into Sagarmatha, the mountain they hold sacred, if they needed to. They would have had a hard time understanding the elf's way of thinking.

And above all, they couldn't understand why the elves would get so angry when they were offering the most valuable gem they had mined.

From the elf's perspective, they cannot forgive the dwarves, and from the dwarves' perspective, they cannot understand the elves.

If these two races were to go to war, what should I do?

Excluding playing the role the Destruction Dragon God, I can't just go "Whether they are elves or dwarves, they will be annihilated!" even though it's frustrating.

So, let's listen to both sides' stories first.

Wouldn't it be right to listen to the stories of both Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha, and then make a decision?

So, hold back, my Destruction Dragon God...! This is not the time for you to come out!

In this situation, I can't just go "Smash everything!" just because Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha didn't say anything.