NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
Chapter: 25
“What is that…?”
The leader’s gaze is glued to the crown in my hand.
A dazzling silver crown. It’s definitely not a regular item at first glance, and that’s just common sense.
I twirl the crafted crown on my finger, toss it up, and catch it again.
The leader’s eyes mimic the movement of the crown, which is pretty funny.
“Do you want this?”
“Yes…!”
The leader can’t hide his greed for the crown. Such an honest expression of desire. Even after learning language and forming a primitive society, that raw ambition is still beast-like in its sincerity.
Well, I made it to give away anyway, so it’s no big deal.
Pure silver… no, looking closely now, it’s transformed by magic. Anyway, to humans living in the Stone Age, this metal crown must seem like some unimaginable out-of-place relic. It’s natural for them to want it.
That’s what makes it even more valuable.
“Alright. I will give you this crown.”
“Really?”
“But there’s a condition.”
I say this with a faint smile.
“You must lead the humans well. That’s the condition.”
Since there aren’t many humans yet, I can jump in and interfere, but if their numbers grow, I won’t be able to tend to all of them.
If I ask the leader to look after the humans for me, wouldn’t he handle it just fine?
Just like how I dumped all the dragon-related stuff on the Dragon Lord.
“Is that really the condition?”
“Is that really all? Do you know how hard that is?”
Even the dragons who have my scales hardly listen to me, so why would humans be any different?
Creatures with strong egos tend to be stubborn. Hmmm.
Oh, wait. I should probably throw some magic onto this crown to help him govern the others.
Nothing too op, just some mild… small effects should do. Maybe a charm boost or something?
Even with that charm boost, it can’t be too intense, right? Just something that makes the crown wearer more likable to others.
And toss in some disease and poison immunity so he doesn’t kick the bucket too early. While I’m at it, should I add a vitality boost? If done right, it might even extend his lifespan a bit…
My magic flows from my hand into the crown, imbuing it with enchantments. A weak charm spell that captivates others’ minds. Magic that completely fends off poison and disease…
Ah, congenital diseases are tricky to handle. It has a mechanism that reverts to a basic state if any disease or poison is detected. But congenital diseases? They’re considered the basic state, so I can’t do anything about those.
In fact, if I cure that disease, it might just revert back and show up again!
Well, would that ever really happen? Probably not. Sure it won’t.
Plus, a minor boost to vitality. The magic-infused silver seems to absorb the magic quite well. Hmmm.
I examine the crown in my hand, now glowing faintly from the magic I cast. It definitely looks like a precious item.
Hmmm. Feels pretty good.
Honestly, I could make this a game-breaking item if I wanted, but it’s supposed to be a light-hearted gift…
Just putting on this crown should slightly extend one’s lifespan. Not groundbreaking, but it should work, right?
Now, if I summarize the magic I’ve used:
Auto size adjustment.
Charm increase (minor).
Poison immunity.
Disease immunity.
Vitality increase (minor).
How does that sound?
Hmmm… Is a small charm or vitality increase enough? Can I pump it up a bit more?
Nah, this should be enough. We’re still in a totally magic-less era here. This level of magic should suffice. Absolutely.
And for a grand finale, let’s throw in a self-repairing magic too. More precisely, a time-related magic that reverts back to a set point if it gets damaged.
So just by wearing it, one gains favor from others, becomes immune to diseases and poison, and even boosts vitality? And it repairs itself if it breaks?
With all these little spells added on, it’s a humble crown, but in an age without magic, this should be more than sufficient.
“Take it.”
I levitate the crown using my magic and send it floating in front of the leader.
“This crown signifies the promise I’m making to you. If you keep your promise to lead the humans toward the right path, this crown will bestow blessings upon you.”
The crown glows faintly. The human leader stares blankly at it, then tosses aside the branch crown he was wearing.
“If you fail to lead the humans correctly, the crown will fall off your head. So be careful, and stay alert.”
The crown perfectly settles on his head.
As if it was always meant to be there.
“Whoa… Whoa-ohhh…!!”
The crown on the leader’s head begins to glow even brighter.
It looks like there’s a halo shining from behind him.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Immortal Crown.
One of the symbols of the Emperor of the Empire, and one of humanity’s three wonders.
The creation year is unknown. There are theories that it was made right after humanity’s birth, but due to its pure mithril composition, it can’t be era-dated, so that remains unconfirmed.
Of course, it’s understandable since it’s an imperial treasure that has never had approval for dating.
It protects the wearer’s life from poison and disease with primitive magic while enhancing their charm, and because it’s crafted from pure mithril that amplifies magic, its effects are maximized.
Yet, more important than the magic is its symbolism.
It has served as a symbol of power among human kings since ancient times, and there’s even a legend claiming whoever possesses this crown becomes the king of humans.
Its symbolism is so massive that wars have erupted among those who coveted it, leading to several kingdoms disappearing from history.
Though there was a time it vanished from history, it became a symbol of the Emperor of the Empire and a national treasure after the empire’s founder overcame countless hardships to retrieve it.
Some say that wearing this crown compels it to ask one question, and if the wearer can’t answer correctly, they can’t fully benefit from its effects. If they give a totally wrong answer, the crown tightens painfully around their head.
– Encyclopedia of Legendary Armor.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Now that I’ve handed over the haphazard crown, let’s return to the main topic.
Because I feel sorry for the humans who are still pitifully wrapped in leather without any threads.
I present a spinning wheel, some thread, and a needle made from bone.
“This is a gift.”
“What is this…?”
“It’s a tool for spinning animal fur or plant fibers into thread like this. You can’t just live forever wrapped in animal skins, can you?”
It’s a little embarrassing since I’m still clad in the white slime’s hide myself.
Hmmm… I should probably make some real clothes one of these days. Not that I know the first thing about sewing.
Maybe I can find something on the internet to figure it out? I can create materials all day long…
Well, it’s definitely better to try than to do nothing.
“How do you use this?”
“This? You use it like this.”
I break off a branch from the hut, trim it down, then fit it with a spindle to act as a weight.
Next, I carve the back into a hook shape for entwining the animal down, spinning the stick with the spindle to spin the thread.
Of course, it’s a primitive method, so not super efficient, but for these Stone Age humans, even this much will be a huge help.
“When you spin it like this, you can make thread like this. Use this thread and needle to sew leather, employ a fishing rod and hook to catch fish, and weave the thread in various directions to create cloth.”
I lift the thread in my hand and weave it in the air, making cloth.
The sight of threads weaving together into fabric. The human leader just stands there, staring blankly as the strands pile up, turning into material.
“Well, I’m not expecting you to start doing this right away. For now, just focus on using the thread made from this for various purposes. Making cloth can come later.”
One can’t expect to feel full from the first bite, right?
Asking those without any concept of thread to weave cloth is like asking a baby who can’t even crawl to run.
For now… simply letting them know such a thing exists is enough.
Also, this spinning wheel could be crafted by carving a suitable stone or by firing clay… Oh, and they still don’t have pottery yet, do they?
I thought they’d whip up pottery soon since they have fire and tools. Hmmm…
Well, they’ll figure it out eventually. Surely I don’t need to teach them every little thing, right?