Behemoth Just Lives an Ordinary Life

“Why are all the trees here so blackish? It’s disturbing.”
I headed into the forest to get firewood to grill the fish.
It was also getting dark, and I was looking around thinking I should get familiar with the forest’s geography when something rather peculiar caught my eye.
A tree that had turned black, like fried food that had been burnt due to poor temperature control.
Unlike other trees with lush green leaves, it was dried and twisted like an ancient tree.
It looked as if it was dead.
It was incredibly large, possibly the biggest in this forest, and if it had been healthy, it would have surely been a beautiful sight.
Plants get sick too.
The trees around the blackened tree also looked withered, and I wondered if they were suffering from some kind of epidemic?
“It would be better to use these guys as firewood than living trees, right? They should be easier to light.”
Above all, they were large. Good.
If I took this back, I wouldn’t need to bother collecting firewood for a while.
I grabbed the trunk of the tree.
“Happy happy happy sunny day~ Our family holds hands and goes together. Nobel Mart~”
When exerting strength, you’ve got to sing a work song to really get into it.
Kuguguk—I applied force and pulled the trunk upward.
Then, with a massive vibration, the tree that had been firmly fixed to the ground was uprooted.
A monster’s body may not be more convenient than a human’s, but that doesn’t mean it only has disadvantages.
Even I thought it was incredible strength.
To lift and transport a tree this size, modern science would need to mobilize heavy machinery.
If I went to a gym in this state, wouldn’t I lift 5000 tons on the big three?
When I had a human body, even benching 100kg was difficult.
By the way, I’m a bit curious.
Is “muscle growth” possible even with a monster’s body like this?
I imagined myself lifting a barbell and doing deadlifts.
Hmm, let’s stop there.
With the tree tucked under my armpit, dirt falling from its roots, I began walking back to the riverside.
“Hiccup…”
I heard a sound.
Moving my gaze, I saw a person hiding behind a tree trunk.
Probably a girl. I could infer this from the tone of the voice I just heard and the flowing long hair.
But wait, should I call her a person?
Her ears that protruded from the side of the trunk were too pointy to be human.
Well, it didn’t really matter.
It was the first time I had encountered something that looked like a person since transforming into a monster.
I was about to take a step forward to greet her out of joy.
“Huh, huuuuuh…”
As I took a step, the girl’s legs seemed to give out, and she plopped down on the spot.
“Ah.”
If a predator several times larger than oneself suddenly approached, a person would inevitably feel fear.
My current appearance was so ferocious, large, and scary that comparing me to a bear, lion, or tiger would be an insult to them.
Hmm, what should I do?
“Hello.”
Nothing beats a greeting at times like this.
Then.
“Hiiiiiiieeeek…”
It backfired.
Damn it.
The girl started trembling like she had encountered a thug with a knife.
What the heck, I thought I spoke as sweetly as possible.
Could it be that she doesn’t understand the language?
“Hello?”
“Ni hao?”
“Ohayo?”
I greeted the girl earnestly in various languages of the world, but she only looked like she might faint at any moment.
Repeated and emphasized sounds only created anxiety for the girl.
Hmm, it seemed the language wasn’t getting through.
Just when I finally met a person, I couldn’t have a conversation.
It was a very sad thing.
But I didn’t lose hope.
Why?
There’s a universally accepted language.
It’s body language.
I put down the tree tucked under my armpit.
And waved my hand to the girl.
I made a gesture as if to say I’m friendly, I won’t hurt you.
Then I picked up the tree again and moved towards the riverside.
This should have proven that I was a harmless being.
I smiled.
I confirmed that people live around here too.
Once I settle down a bit, I should try to greet them when the opportunity arises.

『The Devil’s Tree has been subjugated.』
『The pitiful elves who have been offering sacrifices to the Devil’s Tree for a long time have been saved.』
『The young elf ‘Nilia’ directly witnesses the glorious scene of the Devil’s Tree’s subjugation.』
『Elf faith in Behemoth increases by +20.』
Elf Faith: 20
Orc Faith: 0
Beastkin Faith: 0
Goblin Faith: 0
…
…
Total Faith: 120

“The Devil’s Tree is gone! With this, we are truly saved! Brothers, raise your cups! Let us enjoy today’s joy forever!”
“Hurrah for the Rough Tree Forest! Hurrah for Nilius! Hurrah for Nilia!”
“Waaaaaaah!!!”
In the Great Gehenna Forest, there is the Rough Tree Forest at its center.
And there are elves living in that forest.
They have been suffering under the Devil’s Tree that has been eating away at the forest for a long time.
For elves who live by drinking the positive and negative energy of the forest, the Devil’s Tree, which had the power to control the forest’s energy, was truly a natural enemy, and there was no way for elves to resist the Devil’s Tree that could not be subjugated by elven magic and weapons.
The Devil’s Tree could have annihilated the elves, who had the habit of settling in the forest and not leaving, but it didn’t.
Just as elves live by drinking the forest’s energy, the Devil’s Tree was a being that lived by drinking the life of elves, so to the Devil’s Tree, elves were precious food.
The Devil’s Tree requested sacrifices from the elves.
‘Offer an elf as a sacrifice once every half year, then the Rough Tree Forest and your race will not be destroyed but will be maintained forever.’
The elves had no choice but to accept this cruel request.
The number of elves sacrificed to the Devil’s Tree reached as many as 100.
In about 50 years, the number of elves living in the Rough Tree Forest had decreased to 1/3.
They were a race that, unlike other races, gave birth only once every few hundred years, so at this rate, the race itself was destined to be destroyed by the Devil’s Tree, but.
Just two days ago, a miracle happened.
And that miracle happened when Nilius’s younger sister, Nilia, was about to be offered as a sacrifice.
“Nilia.”
When the feast celebrating the liberation of elves from the Devil’s Tree had somewhat matured.
“Yes, brother.”
“Tell our kin about the miracle you witnessed.”
Nilius, the leader of the Rough Tree Forest elves, asked his younger sister for an explanation.
“I volunteered to be offered as a sacrifice to the Devil’s Tree. It was to save our kin, that is, all of you. Although my brother opposed it, I gladly persuaded him after a long conversation. With tears, I bid farewell to all of you and made my way to where the Devil’s Tree was.”
The eyes of Nilius, who was listening to the story, turned red.
Nilia continued with a small smile.
“Yes. I was prepared to die. If my insignificant life could protect our kin for half a year, I could gladly sacrifice myself. Just like our kinsmen who have been offered to the Devil’s Tree until now.”
The elves listening to the story also felt a pang in their noses.
Those who had sent off family members even shed tears.
“But, was it because the souls of those who had been sacrificed so far were pitied? A being I dare not describe blocked my path.”
Nilia told her kin about the sight she saw that day.
The story of a black dragon walking on the earth, covered in black scales.
“With forearms thicker than any merchant’s, that person grabbed the Devil’s Tree. That person directly said to the Devil’s Tree.”
Nilia still couldn’t forget the melody that person had sung.
She remembers it as vividly as if she had just heard it.
[“Nan-nan, nan-nan-nan-nan, nan-nan-nan.”]
The elves maintained silence and listened to Nilia’s solemn song.
[“Happy happy happy happy world~”]
It was an incomprehensible language.
[“Happy happy happy sunny day~”]
The elves had lived for a long time.
Even the elves of the Rough Tree Forest, who possessed books recording ancient languages, had never heard such a language.
[“Our family holds hands, and goes together. Nobel Mart. I’m happy. Nobel Mart, happy happy happy, Nobel Mart, Nobel Ma↗rt~☆”]
“When that person sang a melody as indescribably beautiful as their appearance, the Devil’s Tree perished. And that person, lifting the tree’s corpse and tucking it under their armpit, said to me.”
[“Hello.”]
[“Ni hao.”]
[“Hello.”]
“That’s what they said. At first, I misunderstood that person as a monster. Because I couldn’t understand. But when they put down the corpse of the Devil’s Tree and waved their hand to me, and spoke again in an incomprehensible language, I finally realized their true intention.”
Nilia clutched her chest.
It was because she was overwhelmed thinking about the most caring and powerful being in this world.
“They must have walked directly to this humble forest to save us. That’s what I think. There’s something I want to ask all of you. Although I don’t know if our voices will reach that person, let’s offer our thanks to the great one who saved us.”
The elves put their hands together and closed their eyes.
And they said.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Then, among them, one elf raised his hand and spoke.
“Shouldn’t we do it in the language that person spoke?”
“But we don’t know that language.”
The elf who had spoken shook his head.
“They will surely understand our hearts.”
Then the elves became one and sang.
“Our family holds hands, and goes together. Nobel Mart. I’m happy. Nobel Mart, happy happy happy, Nobel Mart, Nobel Ma↗rt~☆”
And that song was passed down through generations among the elves of the Rough Tree Forest.