Well then, let's briefly talk before the representatives of the elves and dwarves arrive.

'Kyuu?'

I'm talking about this small mouse-like creature that is cutely acting in front of me right now.

I gently pushed the tip of the creature's nose, which was looking at me with shiny eyes.

Well, it's certainly cute in appearance.

It's really strange that such a small and cute creature is a naturally born deity.

'Kii!'

The creature screams in anger. But it's still just cute.

I gently stroked the head of the angry creature with my index finger, and it quickly calmed down.

Although it's pretending to be cute, this creature used to transform into all kinds of animals and cause mischief... it was a deity born from the faith of beastmen.

Why are beastmen different from other humans? Why do they have animal-like parts of their bodies?

The beastmen, wanting to find out their origins, couldn't discover anything.

Well, it might be better not to know. If they found out that their ancestors were human, wouldn't they want to die?

Anyway, the beastmen who couldn't find the truth imagined.

They imagined the original beast loved human.

The primitive myth of beastmen's origins, formed through oral tradition, has become a little different from the truth.

And the result is this small creature in front of me.

Of course, since the unrecorded oral tradition has countless flaws, to explain the diversity of beastmen tribes, the original beast became a deity that could transform into all kinds of beasts.

And since the oral tradition only emphasized the mysterious power, the intelligence became as dumb as a beast.

As a result, this foolish creature, behaving like a monster by transforming into all kinds of beasts, was beaten down by the hero.

Even though it was a deity, it only had slightly more power than the monsters, so I barely realized its faint divinity in time before it could turn the hero into a deicide of this world.

After physically persuading this unintelligent beast deity, I tamed and brought it with me.

Well, I'll organize the beastmen's mythology later and make it a proper deity. For now, it's being used as the hero's mount and bait.

At least as a pet, it's quite satisfyingly cute.

"You seem to really like that creature."

"Yes. It's a young deity that hasn't been around for long. It's cute enough."

As long as I don't bring out its beastly nature, it's endlessly cute! Hmm... even a tamed beast is still a beast.

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

Anyway, after enjoying time with the speechless beast while waiting for the elves and dwarves, the situation has escalated to the point where the elves and dwarves are facing off with their armies.

I clearly told them to summon the representatives, but why did it turn into an all-out war?

And the atmosphere between the two sides is tense. If I take my eyes off them for a moment, arrows will start flying.

Really, they are such stubborn creatures.

"Both sides, step back and keep your distance."

In the end, it was my job to resolve the situation.

"At this point, why don't we just fight it out here? At this distance, their boasted arrows won't be able to do much."

"Interesting. The elves may be skilled with the bow, but they don't seem to lack in close combat either."

The elves and dwarves ignored my words and started glaring at each other.

The heavily armored dwarven warriors with metal armor, axes, and shields, and the elves with bows in hand.

Oh, the elves in the front are starting to unravel the strings of their bows, and the bows are transforming into staff-like weapons.

And the elves are summoning spirits to imbue their staff-like weapons with elemental power. Impressive. They're using the power of spirits to wield a formidable weapon like a quarterstaff.

With such weapons, even the heavily armored dwarves would not be able to easily deal with them.

However,

"Does my words not make sense?"

I could only sigh as I looked at those elves and dwarves.

Seeing the two races about to start a fight, I slightly irritated, amplified the gravity within the range of the two armies and their representatives.

"Enough, you idiots."

"Guh?!"

"What is this?"

"It's the wrath of the goddess. Foolish beings."

A light magic that increases the gravity of a certain area, making the air itself feel like a heavy weight pressing down on their bodies. But for those on the receiving end, it would not be light.

It would feel like having several large weights wrapped around their bodies. It wouldn't be easy to move properly.

"You are..."

"For now, I am the representative of the Goddess of Life. The representative of the goddess." 

"The representative of the goddess...?"

The representatives of the two races seemed to have some power, as they began to endure the crushing gravity.

Impressive.

"Now, are you ready to talk?"

Seeing the two representatives barely standing, I spoke in a low voice.

"As the representative of the Goddess of Life, I have come to put an end to the fight you were about to start. Of course, since I have also finished talking with the deities of your race, the World Tree Yggdrasil and the sacred mountain Sagarmatha, you have no right to refuse."

I informed the two races.

"Interracial war is prohibited. However, since the conflict between the two sides cannot be erased, I will have the representatives of each race engage in a contest that does not involve the taking of life."

"A contest that doesn't involve taking life? This is no child's play..."

The grumbling representative of the dwarves. I added a little more gravity on top of him.

As a result, the dwarf representative, who was barely standing, could not withstand the weight and fell to his knees on the ground.

"If you want to die, I can turn you into a handful of bloody water right now."

"Guh...!"

But the dwarf's body was surprisingly sturdy. Even with the increased gravity that was meant to make him collapse, he was still able to endure it.

Truly the tough physique of a dwarf.

"That horn... that silver hair... unbelievable power... Could it be..."

Hmm? The elf representative seemed to have realized something about me.

Hmm... Outwardly, he doesn't look that old, but is he actually older than he appears?

Even for an elf, shouldn't he have aged a bit more with that much time passed?

"Are you perhaps the one who taught our elves the art of spirit magic?"

Hmm... He really does remember. What a good memory.

To still remember something from hundreds of years ago.

But now I am not the Goddess of Life or the Creator Dragon God, but the representative of the goddess, so I cannot honestly answer that question.

Let's see... So, I'll say...

"The same being, but a different person."

"The same being? A different person...?"

"The one who taught the elves the art of spirit magic was the representative of the Goddess of Life, like myself. The Dragon's Priestess. We are the same in essence, but a newly born different existence as needed."

Hmm. Is this much of a lie enough? No, it's not enough.

"After all, this body is a human body, so I can't live for hundreds of years like you elves."

I pile lie upon lie.

"So the one who taught your elves the art of spirit magic was... the Dragon's Priestess from a few generations before me."

"The Dragon's Priestess...!"

I build a mountain of lies.

The one who directly acted was the representative of the goddess, the Dragon's Priestess.

The Goddess of Life merely watches over the world from the high heavens and bestows her blessings.

It can be called a division of roles, in a way.

It's a dual role, but!

By dividing the roles in this way, the Dragon's Priestess can actively intervene when there is a need to move freely or get involved in the world.

This allow me to actively engage with the world while maintaining the dignity of a goddess.

Well, it's a rather shallow idea, but still!

"I have knowledge of what the previous Dragon's Priestess did, but the subjective memories are not fully inherited. It's like reading the records of what someone else has done, even though the essence is the same."

"The same in essence, but a different existence... I see. I apologize for the rudeness until now."

"Un. As long as you understand, that's enough."

I continue to pile on more lies to deceive them.

Until I can deceive everything except myself.

"Wait. This being called the Dragon's Priestess... Has it been active for a very long time?"

The representative of the dwarves, who was kneeling on the ground, speaks up. Hmm. Even while clearly struggling, he still has the strength to speak.

"By any chance, have you given a lot to the dwarves?"

I nod slightly at the dwarf representative's words.

"After all, it was one of the previous Dragon's Priestesses who even gave the dwarven race its name."

I lied that it was something like the 'Sage of the Underworld' or something like that.

"I see. So that's how it is. Then the 'Silver Wisdom' must have been the Dragon's Priestess."

"Silver Wisdom?"

"It is a saying among the dwarves. I thought it was just a momentary flash, but in fact, it is the representative of the Goddess of Life..."

Hmm. So that's how it was passed down among the dwarves.

"Hmm... I don't really want to openly claim that, so if possible, could you keep it a secret?"

I smile and return the gravity pressing down on them to normal.

Well, even if I ask them to keep it a secret like this... It's not like the secret will really be kept. But still, with the thousands of elves and dwarves gathered here, there's no way the secret can be maintained.

And so, the rumor about the existence of the Dragon's Priestess will gradually spread.

Not as a companion of the hero, but as the Dragon's Priestess!