“Wh-what is that?”
The Leader’s gaze was locked onto the crown in my hand.
The dazzling silver crown. It’s only natural that it stands out—it’s far from ordinary. Of course, it should be expected given its nature.
I idly twirled the newly forged crown on my fingertips before tossing it up and catching it again.
And wouldn’t you know it, the crown and the Leader’s golden iris moved in perfect sync—quite the comedic sight.
“Do you desire this?”
“Yes…!”
The Leader made no attempt to hide their greed upon seeing the crown. Such raw honesty born of primal desire. Even with language developed and a rudimentary society formed, their desires remain as unfiltered as those of the First Beast.
Not that I mind much anyway; after all, I made this crown intending to give it to them.
Pure silver… or so I thought. But now, upon closer inspection, it’s clearly been altered by magical power. Anyway, for humanity still living in the Stone Age, this metal crown must seem like some incomprehensible ancient artifact. Their greed is understandable.
Which makes it all the more valuable.
“Very well. I shall bestow this crown upon thee.”
“Truly?”
“But there is a condition.”
I allowed a faint smile to grace my lips as I spoke.
“From this day forth, guide humanity wisely. That is your condition.”
At present, humanity’s numbers are small enough that I can occasionally intervene, but if they grow too numerous, I won’t be able to oversee them all. By entrusting this task to the Leader, they’ll surely manage things without needing constant supervision—much like how I offloaded dragon affairs to the Dragon Lord.
“Is that all? Just that?”
“Just that? Do you have any idea how difficult that task will be?”
Even dragons who’ve inherited scales don’t always listen to me. Why would humans be any different?
Strong-willed creatures rarely follow orders easily—they’re stubborn like that. Hmm…
Ah, right. Let me enchant this crown with magic to aid in ruling others.
Nothing too extravagant though. Just subtle enhancements should suffice… something like increasing charisma perhaps?
Not overly dramatic effects—just enough that whoever wears this crown will naturally inspire positivity and goodwill in others. And while we’re at it, let’s throw in immunity to disease and poison too… and maybe a slight boost to vitality? If everything works properly, these enchantments could extend the wearer’s lifespan slightly.
From my hand, threads of magical power flowed into the crown, embedding spells within: a gentle charm to subtly influence minds, complete resistance to poison and disease…
Ah, congenital illnesses can’t be helped here. The spell records the wearer’s baseline state and restores them to it when illness or poison is detected. Unfortunately, if the baseline includes an inherent ailment, there’s nothing that can be done about it—and attempting to cure it might even reset the wearer back to their diseased state.
But really, what are the odds of such a case arising? Practically nonexistent. Surely.
Plus, adding a touch of vitality enhancement seemed fitting. The silver, already altered by magic, absorbed the enchantments beautifully. Mm-hmm.
I examined the crown closely in my hands. Under the influence of the spells, it emitted a soft glow, making it look unmistakably precious.
Mm. Quite satisfactory.
Truthfully, I could make this item far more powerful if I wanted to, but for now, I’ll keep it light-hearted.
Just wearing this crown grants a modest increase in lifespan—not overwhelming, but sufficient!
Let’s review the enchantments then:
Automatic resizing.
Subtle charm enhancement.
Poison immunity.
Disease immunity.
Slight vitality boost.
That about covers it.
Hmm… Should I amplify the charm or vitality effects further? Perhaps add a bit more?
No, this should do. Magic isn’t exactly commonplace in this era, so even these modest enchantments should suffice. Surely.
As a finishing touch, let’s add automatic repair magic. Technically, it’s more of a time-based restoration spell that reverts the crown to a designated point when damaged.
A crown that enhances charisma, grants immunity to disease and poison, extends life slightly, and repairs itself automatically. For a world where magic doesn’t exist yet, this modest creation should serve its purpose admirably.
“Take it.”
I levitated the crown with magic and sent it floating toward the Leader.
“This crown serves as proof of my promise to you. Should you uphold your vow to guide humanity rightly, this crown shall bestow blessings upon you.”
The faintly glowing crown hovered before the Leader, who stared at it in awe, discarding the makeshift wreath of branches they had been wearing.
“But should you fail to lead humanity properly, the crown shall fall from your head. Beware, and beware again.”
The crown settled perfectly atop the Leader’s head.
As if it belonged there all along.
“Ohhh… OHHH!!”
Once placed, the crown began to shine brighter, its light radiating like a halo behind the Leader’s head.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Eternal Crown.
One of the symbols of the Romania Empire’s Emperor, and one of humanity’s three Wonders.
Its origins are unknown. Some say it was crafted shortly after humanity’s birth, but since it’s made of pure mithril, attempts to determine its age through magical means have failed.
And besides, permission to conduct such tests has never been granted for this imperial treasure, so it’s hardly surprising.
It bears primitive enchantments that protect the wearer from poison and disease while enhancing their charm. Thanks to the mithril’s properties, these effects are maximized.
Yet more significant than its powers is its symbolism.
For countless generations, this crown has served as the emblem of human rulers, spawning legends that whoever possesses it becomes the rightful king of humanity.
Its potent enchantments—resistance to mental manipulation, complete immunity to poison and disease, and extended lifespan—have sparked wars over its possession, causing several kingdoms to fade into history.
Though it vanished for a time, the empire’s founder reclaimed it after overcoming great trials, establishing it as both the emperor’s symbol and national treasure.
Legend also says that upon donning the crown, it poses a question. Fail to answer correctly, and the crown’s benefits diminish; give a wholly wrong answer, and the crown tightens painfully around the wearer’s head.
– Encyclopedia of Legendary Weapons.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
With the crown handed over, let’s move on to the main topic.
It’s pitiful seeing humans still wrapping themselves in raw animal hides.
I presented them with a spinning wheel, thread, and a bone needle.
“This is a gift.”
“What… is this?”
“It’s a tool used to spin fibers from animals or plants into thread. You can’t keep wrapping yourselves in raw hides forever, can you?”
Of course, saying that while I myself am still clad in pristine slime leather is somewhat ironic.
Hmm… I should try making proper clothes sometime, but sewing knowledge eludes me for now.
Maybe I could figure it out from some online tutorials? Materials aren’t an issue, so…
Still, doing something is better than doing nothing.
“How does one use it?”
“This? Watch closely.”
I broke off a branch from the hut, trimmed it, attached a weighted spindle, and carved a hook at the end. Using this setup, I spun animal fleece into thread by rotating the spindle.
Primitive though it may be, this method will prove immensely helpful to Stone Age humans.
“With this thread and needle, you can stitch hides together, craft fishing lines and hooks to catch fish, or weave cloth by crossing threads horizontally and vertically.”
Using magic, I levitated the thread in my hand and wove it into fabric mid-air.
The Leader watched silently as the strands came together to form cloth, layer upon layer creating fabric.
“I’m not expecting you to master this immediately. For now, focus on finding various uses for the thread. Weaving cloth can come later.”
You can’t expect someone who hasn’t learned to crawl to start running, can you? Asking these people—who lack even the concept of thread—to weave fabric right away is akin to telling a newborn infant to sprint.
For now, simply introducing them to the existence of such tools should suffice.
And as for the spinning wheel, they can carve one from stone or bake clay… Ah, speaking of which, they haven’t discovered pottery yet, have they?
Given their mastery of fire and tools, pottery shouldn’t take long to emerge. Hmm…
Surely they can figure it out on their own, right? Not like I have to explain absolutely everything, do I?
