At last, my time was running out.
No, that wasn’t quite right. My time was already gone.
Tomorrow was my tenth birthday. The First Hunt ritual would be held tomorrow.
I had set myself a goal: raise my level to 10 before the First Hunt, then spin the Cheat Roulette to obtain a combat cheat.
I had worked hard toward that goal all this time.
—And yet, my level was still stuck at 9.
This was bad. What should I do? Somehow, I needed to gain that last level before today was over. From early this morning I had been steadily working at woodworking, but would it really be enough in time…?
Maybe I should have been using a sword or bow instead? Which gave the best experience, anyway?
「Why won’t the church just tell us how much experience is needed to level up…」
Surely that was the sort of thing they should provide… they were the church, after all.
Instead, I had been left with nothing but the same unchanged appraisal results, over and over and over again. Even Laudette-san had started giving me pitying looks.
Part of me was even considering sneaking out of the village to hunt monsters in the forest.
But that would defeat the entire purpose. It was called the ‘First Hunt’ precisely because it would be the first time I fought a monster. If I hunted one beforehand just to prepare for it… that would make a mockery of the ritual.
「No, that would be going too far. But… is it really alright to just keep working on woodworking like this?」
What should I really be doing with the little time I had left?
I couldn’t find the answer, so I simply kept on with my woodwork.
In the middle of making yet another Yggdrasil doll, I suddenly felt the urge to relieve myself. I put down my tools and headed for the toilet—
And then it struck me.
「Oh, that’s right. There’s a monster in this house too…」
The thought came to me there, of all places. Our family had a monster living with us.
A hardworking, dependable creature that handled all of our household waste—our slime.
「No, no, no. I can’t do that. If I killed it, I’d be in so much trouble… It isn’t a bad slime, it’s a good slime, a household one…」
We had lived with that slime for years, and I had grown attached to it. I had even given it a name, Slakichi, and offered it daily thanks. The thought of killing Slakichi was unthinkable.
And besides, I had no idea how much experience a single slime was even worth. It was only a slime. Probably not much at all.
「Yeah… I definitely won’t kill it. Still, I really do need to use the toilet.」
◇
As usual, I gave my thanks to the slime before returning to my room.
I opened the door, stepped inside—
「Ow.」
Huh? What was that? Something just struck my arm lightly…
「Ah, my apologies.」
「Eh? Ah… it’s been a while—Yggdrasil-san.」
「Mm.」
Standing there in my room was a beautiful young girl with green hair and green eyes.
That girl was none other than the god of us elves, the World Tree herself, Yggdrasil-san.
It had been about a year since I first met and parted with her. That farewell had been a deeply moving scene. At the time, Yggdrasil-san had left me with the words, “Well then, until we meet again.”
I had thought, “We elves live long lives, so perhaps someday we’ll cross paths once more.”
But in reality, we reunited much sooner than that.
It was only about two weeks after our parting. Out of nowhere, Yggdrasil-san appeared in my room, ate a meal, and then left.
Since then, she had dropped by the village from time to time, playing with me, eating together… Apparently, she had more free time than I imagined.
Today’s visit was after a bit of a gap, but I doubt it had been even a full month since the last time. …She really might just be bored.
At any rate, Yggdrasil-san was in my room, playing with a hula hoop.
「The reason I came today was to ask… how goes your leveling? Tomorrow should be your First Hunt, no?」
「Ah… thank you for your concern.」
What a warmhearted god. She actually remembered and came here for me.
…Well, though to be fair, she does drop by all the time even without a reason, but it’s still nice that she kept it in mind.
「Mm. So then, how are things truly?」
「Unfortunately…」
「I see, so your level has yet to rise…」
「Yes.」
「Well, there is no real need to brace yourself so much for the First Hunt. Enter it with ease—that is what I would say, but you would not heed me anyway.」
「I’m sorry…」
The conversation itself carried a serious mood, and we were speaking in a solemn tone, but Yggdrasil-san kept twirling a hula hoop the whole time… It gave the scene a surreal air no matter what.
「For now, I intend to keep at it until tonight. That’s why I’ve been working on woodworking since this morning.」
I showed Yggdrasil-san the half-finished Yggdrasil doll I was making.
「This is… me, is it not?」
「Yes.」
On the day we first met, Yggdrasil-san had gone along with my words to protect me.
To repay that kindness, I’ve been steadily crafting Yggdrasil dolls ever since.
I don’t know if this really counts as repaying her, but at that moment I had resolved to make them, and so I have.
The one I’m working on now is my fourth Yggdrasil doll. For the record, I gave the very first one to Yggdrasil-san herself.
「The one you gave me before as well… none of them truly feel like a god’s statue.」
「Is that… so?」
「Mm. Others have carved my likeness too, and some are even placed in churches… yet these feel distinct from all of those.」
「That much…?」
「Part of it may be because you depict me in a child’s form… but even so, they lack dignity, gravitas, and any sense of the divine.」
With the Woodworking skill, all I do is reproduce the model…
Not that I’d ever claim Yggdrasil-san is completely without dignity or presence, but still…
「Instead, I feel it shows charm and cuteness.」
「Charm and cuteness…」
She really just said that herself… Yggdrasil-san…
「And also, it somehow has this strange sense of liveliness…」
「Is liveliness… bad?」
「Not something one expects from a statue enshrined in a church, no.」
「Is that so?」
「The clothes are fluttering as if in the wind, and I’ve even got one leg lifted back… Why am I raising a leg, exactly…?」
「Who knows…?」
Well, it started from me wanting to make something like those pretty girl figures from my past life.
One-leg poses were pretty common with figures, I think.
「Well, I do think it’s well made, and it doesn’t bother me.」
「Ah, I see. Then I’m glad.」
Since she said she doesn’t dislike them, I’ll keep on making Yggdrasil dolls, or Yggdrasil statues, as a way to give thanks.
Of course, if I make only Yggdrasil statues, Mother gets moody, so I’ll rotate between making her dolls and Yggdrasil-san’s.
「So then, you intend to continue your woodworking until night, for the sake of raising your level?」
「Yes, that’s probably how it will be.」
「Hmm… I see…」
Yggdrasil-san muttered softly, lowered her head, and seemed to sink into thought. …What’s wrong?
「Say, Alec…」
「Yes?」
「If you really insist… I suppose I could do it, you know？」
「Eh…」
Wha-what is she suddenly saying… Yggdrasil-san…? In broad daylight…
next chapter: A young girl pressing forward while twirling a hula hoop
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