After confirming that it really was a Golden Seed before him, Mu En couldn't help but worry.
He still remembered the description of this important item.
[When the Elden Ring was shattered, the Erdtree scattered Golden Seeds across the Lands Between-as if life itself knew its end was near]
The Golden Seeds were proof that the Erdtree had tried to save itself after the Elden Ring was shattered.
But he had only just gained a great number of followers, and no madwoman had come knocking on his vital parts. He was free of disasters and ailments, so how could he have produced a Golden Seed?
Mu En carefully checked his tree body and the entire "stone stage" again, but still found nothing amiss.
His Rune reserves were steadily increasing, and his branches, leaves, and roots were gradually starting to grow. Everything seemed to be improving.
So Mu En could only conclude that perhaps this was a good thing?
The seed beneath the water didn't seem to be a separate entity, but a part of his body.
If his sense was right, that meant he could gain a new "body."
There would be plenty of room to work with that.
For example, he could have Nausicaä and the others take the seed somewhere farther away to put down roots. Then he would no longer be confined to the small corner that was the Valley of the Wind, and could expand his territory and spread his faith more easily.
First, though, he had to find a way to get it out of there.
"Mr. Tree? It's time for you to bestow the marks."
Nausicaä called to him through their mental link, interrupting his thoughts.
It seemed the celebration had reached an important point, and it was time for him, the "divine tree," to make an appearance.
Mu En set aside his speculations about the Golden Seed for the moment and withdrew his consciousness from the stone stage.
In any case, he could tell that the seed still had some time to go before it matured, so there was no need to pay it too much attention yet.
At the celebration, the villagers sat around the bonfires, and the lively atmosphere had never let up.
In front of the platform, Nausicaä and Yupa had just finished commending fifty-three people for their outstanding contributions.
Besides those who had volunteered to help fight the forest disaster and the granary fire, many who had worked without slacking in the slightest during the famine, striving to contribute to the Valley of the Wind, had received the same honor.
The men and women of the Valley of the Wind wore simple smiles they could hardly contain, each with a large, heavy sack of grain slung over a shoulder.
They were happy not just because of the sack of grain, enough to feed a family for nearly half a month.
Of course, that wasn't to say the grain wasn't important.
More than that, it was because their respected princess had personally recognized their hard work, courage, and achievements in front of everyone.
The admiring, envious looks from the crowd filled them with a pride they had never felt before.
By contrast, quite a few people in the crowd did lower their heads, their faces burning.
Out of the more than six hundred people in the Valley of the Wind, excluding the militia, who obeyed the chieftain's orders without question, only a little over thirty had volunteered to help the princess fight the disaster.
If they hadn't taken the lead and encouraged more people to join them, the forest before them would probably have been reduced to ashes long ago.
As for those who had fought the fire and those who had worked hard, even together they were fewer than those who had fought the disaster.
The Valley of the Wind was the home they depended on for survival, yet they had failed to step forward and protect it in its hour of need. Now they could only watch others bask in glory.
Next time, I'll definitely step forward, a thought quietly took root in many hearts.
Mu En took in the whole scene, and he was very satisfied.
Publicly recognizing achievements might have been commonplace elsewhere, but in the Valley of the Wind, which followed a creed of so-called "equality," it was unprecedented.
That kind of equality had indeed erased unfairness between people, but it had also erased the ambition of the people of the Valley of the Wind.
Linking effort to reward, making sure hard work was seen and rewarded-that was the foundation of a nation's healthy development.
Mu En didn't yet know that this would be the first law he brought to this world.
"Everyone, quiet down." Nausicaä raised a hand, calming the noise. "Their courage deserves a reward, and it deserves to be remembered by all of us."
She turned slightly toward the Erdtree once more, her tone growing more solemn.
"And so, Lord Divine Tree has recognized their contributions. He will bestow Erdtree Marks upon them, representing his favor. The marks will also serve as proof of their eligibility to receive his blessings and wield divine power in the future."
As soon as Nausicaä finished speaking, Mu En followed the plan and began branding an Erdtree Mark onto the hand of each person being honored.
Although his Rune reserves were slowly increasing, he couldn't possibly turn all of them into Blessed immediately.
Still, there was no problem with bestowing Erdtree Marks ahead of time as symbols of honor.
After all, like the prayer gesture, the marks were merely magic circles that guided energy into prayers, and they wouldn't consume much of his energy.
And the people before him, who had continued to contribute to their home despite hunger and turmoil, were undoubtedly qualified to be among the first to become Blessed.
The villagers who had received marks curiously touched the sacred designs on their hands, their faces growing even more excited.
The princess had said that they, too, had a chance to gain the divine tree's power!
Nausicaä nodded slightly at their reactions. She knew it was time to announce the most important matter.
She took a deep breath, and her voice once again carried across the gathering.
"My people," she said, spreading her arms as though to embrace them all, "tonight, we have honored the hardworking, but there are many others who quietly contribute in their daily lives who have yet to have the chance to stand on this platform."
Her words struck a chord. Many who felt they worked hard every day had indeed been bothered by not being chosen.
"But please don't be disheartened. Tonight is only the beginning. You will have more opportunities to win rewards and honor."
"From now on, the sweat you shed will no longer be just for the survival of the Valley of the Wind, but also so that you and your families can live more prosperous lives."
Most people looked at one another, unable to understand what the princess meant-if they weren't working for the chieftain and the village, what were they working for?
"Soon, with your own hands, you will be able to earn more food, warmer clothes, and even sturdier houses, instead of everyone living the same poor, dreary life they do now."
"When that time comes, those who truly work hard and contribute will receive even greater rewards than they did today."
The villagers reacted to Nausicaä's words in different ways.
Some looked bewildered, while others frowned, pondering the deeper meaning behind her words.
A few clever people, however, had a fiery light in their eyes.
They had a vague understanding of just how much change those words, "working for yourself," would bring.
"All right, let's leave those complicated rules and plans for the future to be considered tomorrow." Nausicaä took the wooden cup Beruto handed her at just the right moment and raised it to everyone.
"As for tonight, it's time to celebrate! My people, enjoy this hard-won banquet to your hearts' content!"
The stirring but somewhat lengthy speeches finally came to an end.
And so, the customary and most eagerly anticipated part of the celebration-a grand banquet-officially began!