Book Eater

“Mitra, have you been well?”

Theodore stroked her hair without hesitation.

Even after she became the goddess Dmitra, their relationship remained the same.

She had gained reason and wisdom worthy of a god after awakening her divinity, but behind it all remained the personality of the old Mitra.

The only difference now was that it was possible to present herself as a benevolent and mature earth goddess or a mischievous little elemental at will.

[Yes! But I missed you! Ella and Yellowy were really happy when they found out that Theo was here!]

“I’ll come more often in the future.”

[Really?]

“Yes, really.”

Perhaps she was upset because it had been so long since she saw him. Mitra was attached to his neck so tightly that he didn’t know how to remove her. Well, it didn’t put much of a strain on Theodore’s body.

Meanwhile, the beast clan didn’t dare to raise their heads.

Of course, it was because she was a god.

The name might've disappeared a very long time ago, but it hadn’t been forgotten. It was the name of a great being who could raise mountains with a single wave of her hand and bring disaster when she felt bad.

The past 17 years had been sufficient to turn the inhabitants of this great forest into followers of Dmitra.

Power called for faith, and faith enhanced power. This was a virtuous circle of power that Theodore had planned.

‘She is much stronger than she was half a year ago. Mana in this world has decreased considerably, but it is still at this level…. If it wasn’t for Sloth, the second Age of Mythology might’ve begun.’

Theodore measured Mitra’s strength and narrowed his eyes.

She had entered the ranks of intermediate gods, but it was decades earlier than expected. Was it the effect of attracting the faith of those living in the Northern Great Forest and spreading the faith of Dmitra throughout the continent?

Even so, this speed was still a bit strange.

“...Well, there is nothing bad about it.”

Theodore stopped his train of thought. There was no way Dmitra’s status rising could be bad. It was surprising that his calculations were wrong, but it could only be good news given his purpose of making Elvenheim the heart of this world.

In the first place, his plan looked forward in terms of a thousand years. There could be an error of a few decades.

[Huh? What is it?]

“Nothing, it isn’t a big deal.”

Feeling his gaze, Mitra tilted her head. The flower blooming on top of her head fluttered in a cute manner.

It was a sight that made anyone who saw it smile.

[Ah, that’s right!]

At this moment, Mitra remembered something and punched her palm.

[Theo, those kids are waiting for us!]

“Kids?”

[Alisa, Alucard, Naia, Lumia...]

The way she counted using her fingers one by one was clearly the actions of a child, yet she was referring to the high elves who had been around for hundreds of years as ‘kids.’

This was the difference between the goddess Dmitra and the elemental Mitra.

There wasn’t anything such as her ego getting confused because she was a true god. He was just feeling a bit bitter because she was different from before.

After hiding his feelings, Theodore took Mitra’s hand.

“We can’t let them wait too long.”

[Yes!]

“Then Tiger King...”

“Don’t mind us,” Tiger King replied coolly and gestured toward the distance.

“I’ll see you at dinner. In any case, my purpose is to meet you. I don’t intend to go anywhere near the World Tree.”

“I understand. Then I’ll see you in the evening.”

“Ahh, set up a big table!”

They finished their goodbyes and then the space beside Theodore and Mitra started to crumple.

It was an interference ability that was part of an area different from space magic.

Dmitra, the goddess who made this large forest her domain, distorted the space. In just a few seconds, they could move tens of kilometers.

Beyond the increasingly blurred space, Tiger King cried out loudly, “God, goodbye as well! See you later!”

[Goodbye, Auntie Tiger!]

“Cough! I’m not an aunt yet...”

Her voice suddenly cut off, but Theodore guessed what she was going to say and let out a small laugh.

Come to think of it, Tiger King had no one she could call a companion.

The only one who was her equal was White Bear, and the other tiger spirits were her subordinates. If there was a chance, it was a good idea to look for a spirit creature who could be her mate.

Soon, the blur of the space around them was cleared and a different landscape from the forest was revealed.

Before he could see clearly, the refreshing scent of trees already tickled Theodore’s nose.

He could tell where he was even without looking.

“Ahh! You are finally here!”

A cheerful voice echoed from the hut located in the ‘heart of the forest’, a stone’s throw from the World Tree.

It was Alisa, a high elf with blonde hair and the appearance of a girl.

Alucard, who was sitting next to her, spoke with a long sigh.

“Sigh, didn’t I tell you to mind your manners? Right now, you are acting like a child even though you aren’t single.”

“Bah, so you are alone? Your persuasion isn’t convincing at all.”

“...This woman.”

A muffled sound escaped from Alucard’s mouth and Lumia hurriedly intervened between the two of them.

“Both of you, calm down. It has been a while since Theodore has come here. Do you want to show your ugly sides to him?”

“Sigh, I know.”

“Sorry~”

Theodore smiled at the usual sight.

There was Alisa who teased people, Alucard who fired back, Lumia intervened before the fight escalated, and Naia who was dozing off face down in one corner of the table as usual. These were all of the high elves except for Elf, who hadn’t returned yet, and Titania, who had gone on a trip.

However, there was one person outside of the norm in this place. It wasn’t an elf or a high elf, but a human.

He saw Theodore and greeted him in a low voice.

“It has been a while.”

“Yes. How have you been?”

“This is a place where I have no choice but to be well. I’ve been at ease,” replied Orta, the middle-aged man wearing an eye patch made of leaves, while taking a sip of his tea.

The atmosphere around him was different from that of 17 years ago.

He had relaxed his senses, which were always sharp like a blade, and became a person who could be seen anywhere. It had already been ten years since he gave up his position as White Tower Master and settled in this forest.

The reason why he settled in Elvenheim even though he had no connection with it was simple.

“Of course my darling is doing well! I’m here!”

“Haha, I shouldn’t have asked.”

It was due to High Elf Alisa’s long, long courtship finally succeeding. She had expressed interest in Orta since the banquet decades ago. Orta had initially thought she was just doing it on a whim, but he was shaken after nearly a decade of courtship.

They seemed like a mismatched pair on the surface, but the relationship between them was in very good shape. Every time he saw Orta, it felt like his face was getting thinner...

“Um?”

At this moment, Theodore raised an eyebrow as he looked between Alisa and Orta.

For a moment, he thought he was mistaken, however, what he saw hadn’t changed.

A faint but definite life force was stirring in her body.

‘It is a happy occasion.’

Children weren’t often born between elves and humans. It went without saying that it was even worse when it was a high elf, instead of just an elf. In terms of probability, it was nothing short of a miracle.

Perhaps the growth of the World Tree and Dmitra had a good effect on them.

“Congratulations, the two of you.”

The moment the news was announced, there was an uproar in the already noisy cabin.

“Really?! I am having a child?!”

“Wow! It is a miracle from Yggdrasil!”

“Now you will grow up a bit. Congratulations.”

“Congrat... Haha...”

Respectively, those were the reactions of Alisa, Lumia, Alucard, and Naia.

Orta’s reaction, on the other hand, was more intense than anyone else’s.

It seemed he had already inwardly given up on a child due to the race difference as he grabbed onto Theodore with trembling hands.

“R-R-Really? Alisa is pregnant with our child?”

“It is certain. I will bet my nine circles on it.”

“Oh... Ohhh!”

Tears dripped down his face from beneath his eye patch.

Was it because of the joy of becoming a father? Orta hugged Alisa, who had been busy celebrating, and spun her around.

It was a tremendous reaction from him, who was usually stingy with expressing emotions.

“Hahahaha! My darling, are you happy?”

“Of course!”

The White Tower executioner, who was cold and heartless, was nowhere to be seen. There was only a couple that managed to surpass the race barrier.

Mitra gave blessings to the child who hadn’t arrived yet while the high elves started digging through their stock of herbs for ones good for pregnant women. The quiet cabin became noisy due to the untimely commotion.

It was around this time that Ellenoa finished adjusting the World Tree and returned to the cabin.

“Theodore!”

Ellenoa opened the door with a happy face, only to freeze. It was because the situation in the house was strange.

Alisa and Orta were spinning around while crying, while high elves were piling up books and reading through them without acknowledging her existence.

Only Theodore reacted to Ellenoa’s return.

“Ella.”

“Huh?”

Theordore approached Ellenoa before she could turn her head and then opened his arms and hugged her. His hug was active but not rough.

Not knowing what was going on, Ellenoa raised her head only for a familiar touch to land on her lips.

Kiss.

“Ahh.”

Ellenoa was surprised by the sudden kiss and blushed.

It was a passionate expression of affection that was unlike the usual Theodore.

While in his arms, Ellenoa asked for the reason.

“We are one step late,” Theodore whispered in her ear.

“Huh...?”

“It is a bit upsetting.”

Bewildered, Ellenoa stayed still as Theordore kept hugging her while muttering confusing words.

“I’m going to work a bit harder today.”

“?”

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Ellenoa knew what he meant and started to struggle seriously.

***

“”Cheers!””

There was a clink of glasses.

It was always like this on the day that Theodore came. Even if it wasn’t the whole forest, the high elves, Tiger King, and White Bear would gather together to hold a banquet.

Theodore was the benefactor of the Northern Great Forest and the contractor of Dmitra. He was also Ellenoa’s companion, so his visit was ‘special’ for them, who felt that every day was the same.

On top of that, there was a large event, so they couldn’t help but be excited.

“Now! Everyone, pay attention!

Alisa, the already red-faced high elf, climbed onto the table and raised her glass. She didn’t drink much because of her body, but she seemed to be drunk on the atmosphere.

Alisa shouted while patting her belly.

“Let’s discuss my child’s name now! How should I name them so it is spread as a good name!”

“This is interesting!”

The woman who put down the empty bottle, Tiger King, responded cheerfully and gave a suggestion before anyone else.

“What was that word? Ah, Tiger! How about Tiger!”

“Ah, that is a bit...”

“......”

Suddenly, the atmosphere became chilly.

Tiger King frowned in a depressed manner. Following her, White Bear leisurely raised his glass.

“What about Bear?”

“How about I cut you?”

“I’m sorry...”

The two spirits felt the same sorrow and huddled in a corner.

Despite the reactions, strange names continued to pour in after their suggestions. Alisa ended up grabbing Alucard by the collar when he suggested the name, ‘Mama is a fool.’

Thankfully, there wasn’t a fistfight.

Without a word, there was only a couple who just watched. It was Theodore and Ellenoa.

“Ella, do you have a name in mind?”

Ellenoa, who was flushed from earlier, nodded slightly.

Unlike Alisa, she was a girl who dreamed of the future.

At this unspoken answer, Theodore quietly held her warm hand under the table.

It seemed like tonight would be very long.