Currently, the LDs distributed among the Gods started as a prototype with various functions added, then lightened by being worn on the head, and classified by rank according to each God’s faith, with limitations placed on their functions.
Among these added functions… there was no feature allowing direct interference with the observed subject.
Though indirect buffs could be applied through faith payments, there were absolutely no functions infringing upon the target’s free will. There was no way to control them at will.
However, some of the Gods using the LDs harbored slight dissatisfaction with this point.
They wanted more active interaction. They wished to guide things in a desired direction.
The discontent of the Gods who were no longer satisfied with merely observing unfolded thusly.
And the result of reflecting that opinion was none other than…
“This improved Life Diver.”
“Life Diver? I’ve heard about it, but never used one.”
“Hmm. Seeing it for the first time, huh.”
Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha tilted their heads as they looked at the improved LD.
Well, the kids haven’t used the LDs before anyway. It was more common for them to create avatars and integrate into society directly rather than experience things through such devices.
Of course, this method was possible because these kids could create avatars.
“But isn’t this just about observing believers’ perspectives? What can you actually do with this?”
“While regular LDs are only for observation, this is an improved version. We’ve added several features.”
Though testing isn’t entirely complete yet. QA must always be thorough.
“What kind of features?”
“Let’s see… we’ve added many things, but what’s needed now is this function.”
By acting on the dreams of the observed subject, it subtly sets vague goals through unconscious influence and provides rewards upon achieving those goals.
In short, a quest or mission function.
Of course, it wasn’t free. When assigning a quest, faith is consumed, and when the quest is completed, the consumed faith is used to reward the subject.
If the subject fails the quest, there’s also a function to recover the consumed faith.
Incidentally, the artificial intelligence built into the LD automatically calculates the required faith based on quest difficulty, selecting consumption rates and rewards accordingly.
This didn’t greatly interfere with the observed subject’s free will but instead guided them through setting objectives.
Though it doesn’t clearly inform the observed subject of the goal, it subtly influences their subconscious to set a direction.
“Quest…?”
“Yes. Quest. Honestly, if you did it directly, it would be simple, but since you dislike that, we have to try another method.”
Honestly, it’s a bit hard to understand why they’d choose the harder path over the easier one, but we should respect the children’s choices.
“Using this function, we can subtly suggest opinions through the dreams of individuals capable of influencing both Elves and Dwarves.”
“In my case, acting on the dreams of the Elven Chieftain should suffice.”
“Dwarves? The Grandmaster will do.”
Grandmaster… oh right, Dwarves don’t have kings or chieftains.
Dwarves, whose everything depends on blacksmithing skills—therefore, the most skilled blacksmith among them serves as the Dwarf Grandmaster, fulfilling the role of a king for other races.
Extreme meritocracy indeed.
“If there’s anything else that could clarify directions further, it would be good… Hmm. Is there something that could stimulate the Dwarves or Elves?”
“Stimulus?”
If there’s something that could stimulate the Dwarves and Elves, it would make things easier. Hmm. Umm…
“Yeah. There is.”
“There is?!”
“Yeah. Three consecutive victories for the Dwarves in the Betelgeuse Racial Wars.”
Sagarmatha formed a V with her fingers as she said this. Where did she learn that gesture?
Anyway, three consecutive wins?
Let me think… the last time I watched the racial wars was… when I went with Arthur, right?
At that time, I remember the Elves won…
Wait, has it already been 30 years since then? Already?!
Time really flies when you blink. Decades pass without much happening.
“Recently, a Dwarf trained in swordsmanship under the Sword Emperor has emerged.”
“A Dwarf warrior trained in battle techniques. The Elven children suffered quite a lot from the Dwarves taught by him…”
Sword Emperor? Are they talking about Arthur? Does “Sword Emperor” mean “Emperor of Swords”? Not exactly wrong, though… Hmm.
That must be one of the Dwarves I saw in Betelgeuse back then.
But how well-trained are they to achieve three consecutive victories when it was usually a fifty-fifty win rate?
“Even if I’m not sure, three consecutive victories seem enough to irritate the Elves.”
Even one loss would sting; three straight losses would surely infuriate anyone.
“Is that so?”
While Yggdrasil seemed puzzled whether it was truly something worth getting angry about…
Honestly, it is irritating. Elves aren’t going to sing “We’re happy” after all.
Every ten years, during their confrontations, losing three times in a row means enduring thirty years of humiliation. It’s high time their eyes turned red.
“Yeah. Anyway, the Dwarves will win again.”
Sagarmatha confidently declared. It’s unclear whether she likes or dislikes Dwarves.
She seems to care moderately, which hints at affection, but sometimes she gets annoyed too.
Liking yet being annoyed… Should we call it a love-hate relationship?
“Anyway, if such an opportunity arises, the story becomes easy. First, Yggdrasil, use this improved LD to enter the dreams of the Elven Chieftain.”
“Dreams? What should I do once inside the dreams?”
“Hmm. Perhaps just hinting would work. How about suggesting the Elves venture outside the Great Forest to break the streak of three consecutive defeats?”
Just in time, wasn’t there an Elf who was Arthur’s companion still in Sirius?
At least they were there before I left… Hmm.
Spreading rumors that the Elves are undergoing special training might serve as an excuse to prevent a fourth defeat.
“Mom. Then what about the Dwarves?”
“We could spread rumors that the Elves are undergoing special training and whisper suggestions in the Grandmaster’s dreams, wouldn’t that work?”
There’s no rule saying only Elves can train. Dwarves can train too.
Arthur had companions among both Elves and Dwarves.
Through their connections, perhaps Romanian knights or human warriors could be reached, or even someone receiving training from Arthur.
By the way, Arthur still maintains his peak divine body, and his swordsmanship has matured to the point where he can’t fight evenly against most opponents within three exchanges.
Yeah. Definitely the Sword Emperor! Comparing to him would require ancient heroes or someone like Rychlen.
“Will this really be enough? Mom?”
“If my prediction is correct, it should be sufficient.”
If the Elves do it, the Dwarves will too. Their rivalry isn’t ordinary, after all.
If we sow these seeds properly, they’ll surely bite.
—
My predictions turned out to be perfectly accurate.
“If we lose four consecutive times in the racial wars… we’ll have no face to meet our ancestors! At this point, we must take drastic measures!!!”
The Elven Chieftain, stimulated by Yggdrasil entering their dreams, selected volunteers and ordered them to travel the world for ten years to grow stronger before returning.
Even Elves who usually wouldn’t leave Yggdrasil’s side decided to embark on journeys due to the chieftain’s firm stance and the crisis of avoiding a fourth consecutive defeat.
And this news eventually reached the Dwarves… well, thanks to Sagarmata. Anyway.
Upon hearing the news, the Dwarf Grandmaster became passionate about preventing the “unthinkable humiliation of four consecutive defeats against those proud long-ears!”
Some Dwarves even left, claiming they couldn’t fully develop their skills staying only with Sagarmata.
Thus, some Elves and Dwarves began wandering the world from their respective territories little by little.
Some found suitable places to settle down. There were Dwarves settling in human villages and Elves finding cozy spots in lush forests.
Though these changes were small, if they continued for decades, they would surely lead to significant transformations.
Watching many things change this way, my children and I smiled contentedly.
Ah, by the way, the subsequent racial war resulted in the Elves’ victory after they sought guidance from the Sword Emperor Arthur in their desperate efforts to improve.
Good job. Very good.
