#193
Settler (4)
Auterica was a fantasy world brimming with magic and all sorts of fantastical elements, but as a whole, it closely resembled the Western medieval era.
In this world as well, mysteries such as magic and Aura were considered fairly advanced knowledge, so it was no easy task for ordinary commoners to come into contact with them.
Unless one was lucky enough to have their outstanding talent discovered and taken in as someone’s disciple, or else risked their lives to live by the blade, such a thing was utterly out of the question.
Given such an environment, it was only natural that public order was not exactly favorable either.
Moreover, monsters that even wild beasts shunned roamed the mountains and fields—what more need be said of the danger?
And now that the “madness” had spread across the continent?
Losing one’s life to an unexpected misfortune in this world was not a rare occurrence.
And with those deaths came a tragedy that naturally followed.
Namely, the fact that children who had lost their guardians and been left behind had to survive by their own strength alone.
Tragically, it was undoubtedly happening here and there across the continent even at this very moment.
But such circumstances were an exception here, of all places.
“Hey! That’s mine! Give it here!”
“Ebebebe~ catch me if you can~!”
“Kids, be careful! You’ll get hurt!”
Chehai’s orphanage echoed with the clamor of children running about.
It was a sight not easily seen elsewhere, but here, it was nothing more than an ordinary, everyday occurrence.
And on one side of the terrace in the courtyard where the children had gathered.
“Big Sister, they say you came from the city?”
“Wow! How big is the city? Are there lots of people too? We had a festival in our village not long ago, and there were so many people. Are there more than that?”
Surrounded by young girls whose eyes sparkled with curiosity, Isea formed an awkward smile.
Perhaps because she looked the youngest among the outsiders who had visited this time, the children seemed to accept her more readily.
However, there was also someone drawing the children’s attention in the exact opposite sense…
“Ooh!”
“Waaah—!”
“Hoo, hoo— did I do it? I really did it! Alright, whose turn is next?”
Between the cheers of the boys huddled in the courtyard, a rough panting and a triumphant young voice rang out.
“…Isn’t that Billy? I’m pretty sure it was…”
“What are you talking about? It’s your turn, Hans! Don’t tell me you’re scared?”
“Ooh~ Hans is a scaredy-cat!”
“Ah, no! I just forgot, that’s all! I just have to go, right?”
A boy of about ten years called Hans gulped, clutching a piece of jerky in one hand as he slowly moved his feet toward the corner where the garden trees grew thick.
And after a cautious gait, as though exploring a danger zone…
“Uwaah—!”
The boy who had barely completed his objective screamed and ran frantically back toward his friends.
His face deathly pale, as though he had encountered a monster.
In the shady corner of the garden where the boy had gone.
“Hmph! I see children with the makings of fine warriors.”
Munch, munch—
Leaning against a tree, Halli nodded in satisfaction as he chewed the jerky that had entered his mouth.
The jerky that the boy called Hans had just placed there and left.
What the boys were doing now was a sort of game of courage.
No matter how much he had suppressed his momentum, the ferocity permeating deep into his cells and leaking out unconsciously was still at a level burdensome for young children to face.
So he had deliberately hidden in a corner like this, yet they had gone out of their way to seek him out and make him into a plaything…
“Kwahaha! Facing your own weakness head-on is the fastest shortcut to growing stronger! Since you’ve learned to overcome fear on your own, you shall become fine warriors in the future! Hahat!”
Swelling with satisfaction, Halli burst into a hearty laugh.
Of course, that was from his perspective; to the children outside, it was merely an eerie sound echoing from the gloomy shade of the trees.
At that, the child who was next in line made a face on the verge of tears… but that, too, was surely a trial to become stronger.
Moreover, it wasn’t just those two mingling with the orphanage children.
Gios, who was already acquainted with the children, was having serious conversations with those who had grown old enough to seek work outside.
Heinrich sat among the infants like a totem, gently smiling as he stroked each child’s head one by one.
And lastly, Hesperon was…
“Here, take this first.”
“Oh my! Thank you!”
Receiving one-on-one instruction from Chehai, he greeted the lady approaching with a tray of snacks and promptly accepted it.
A middle-aged woman with healthy, wheat-colored skin and gentle eyes.
She was none other than Chehai’s wife, the mistress of this orphanage, and the mother of every child here.
‘She is truly an incredible person as well.’
Money wasn’t a major issue, as Chehai had saved up from his mercenary work and Gios provided considerable support, but caring for so many children could hardly be easy.
Yet for twenty years, she had not only never complained but had reportedly taken the lead every single day in looking after them…
She possessed a character that made one think Chehai had truly made a good match.
“Ahem, then let us take a short break. I’ll go check on the children for a bit, so rest comfortably.”
“Ah, yes! Understood.”
With a moment to spare, Chehai sprang up from his seat and headed toward where the children were, leaving him behind.
While teaching Hesperon, Chehai couldn’t look after the children, so the other party members had agreed to take his place.
It seemed he felt somewhat uneasy leaving a task he had always done solely in the hands of others.
“Hmph, a Unique Skill.”
Hesperon, left alone in the room, sipped his drink and recalled the system message that had sprung to mind moments ago.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been quite a long time since my Avatar skill grew without spending Karma. It’s true—lately, I’ve simply been using what was given without much thought.’
There were two methods to strengthen a Unique Skill.
Gradual growth through deep contemplation and steady practice, and instant evolution using the Karma Shop.
Until now, he had focused solely on the latter thanks to his overwhelming Karma acquisition, but through this affair, his understanding of his Unique Skill had deepened and he seemed to have met the conditions for enhancement.
‘Now that I think about it, was the last time my skill grew enough to trigger a system message right after Halli’s body modification was completed?’
Though there had been minor improvements since—efficiency increases, more flexible distribution of mental power between Avatars, and the like—that had been the first and last time the system announced a strengthening of such magnitude.
‘Since that was when I made Hubert and began raising him as a merchant, it was quite a long time ago.’
Any other Awakener would have naturally delved into their skill and repeated the cycle of growth to save even a single point, but he, with his abundant Karma, had simply become immersed in that convenience.
Relying solely on shop-based enhancement without contemplation of his skill.
‘Still, deliberately not using the cards available to me is also a problem. Well, I’ll just pay more attention from now on. Let me become a hardworking bourgeois.’
What was past was past; wasn’t it enough that he had realized this now?
The know-how Chehai taught him wasn’t anything particularly brilliant, but it meticulously pointed out details he would never have thought of on his own.
Not the sensation of using magic or holy power, but something special dwelling within that helped activate the skill.
The essence of the teaching was to perceive that something more clearly, grasp the mechanism of his ability’s activation, and move only as much as necessary, more efficiently.
Since the abilities themselves were fundamentally different, it was closer to advice than a specific technique, but even that was enough to greatly change his thinking.
‘In any case, this alone is a gain. The next enhancement point for my Unique Skill was a whopping 1.2 million.’
Of course, it wouldn’t be exactly the same as strengthening through Karma investment, but the mere fact that the number of Avatars had increased was a huge gain.
Honestly, he had more than enough even now, but…
‘The more, the merrier—if I have them, I’ll find a use for them somewhere.’
He stroked his chin and nodded heavily.
Moreover, Chehai’s teachings hadn’t stopped at advice regarding his Unique Skill.
Perhaps because he saw Hesperon’s “Avatar Cloud” and thought it a spatial-type Unique Skill similar to his own, Chehai had also explained in detail the secret technique he had created using his “Phase Refraction.”
Having started, he seemed determined to give everything completely; he was the very image of a generous teacher.
Of course, since the technique had been restructured as one using his own Aura, it was impossible for Hesperon, a mage, to use it directly.
However, the underlying principles held enough potential to be applied to other fields.
‘To have developed such a high-level theory on his own…’
It was proof of how devoted he had been to his Unique Skill since the system disappeared.
In the process of forcibly reproducing it, numerous restrictions had emerged, and the versatility and freedom he had previously possessed had become completely bound within the framework of a “technique”… but that was an unavoidable issue.
‘Could this perhaps be used with Halli’s “Bio-Aura”?’
Though “Bio-Aura,” crafted by processing the bio-energy of monsters, was only similar in nature to ordinary Aura and operated on a completely different mechanism…
Nevertheless, as the energy most similar to it, it was well worth attempting.
‘Since I’ve received permission for the other party members to use it as well, I can always ask Gios later even if I can’t learn it all now.’
While Chehai had established the theory, Gios—having received it and honed the technique through countless real battles—likely possessed no meager proficiency.
Just as Hesperon was lost in thought, contemplating what he had gained and what he would gain in the future.
“Good work, Heron.”
“Ah, Master.”
Isea, who had been in the courtyard, opened the door and entered the room.
As expected, she seemed to have gained something as well, wearing a faint smile.
The senses and cognitive abilities of the Archmage were far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
It was no effort at all to follow and organize in her mind the entire conversation going on inside this room while speaking with the children in the courtyard.
“As expected, experience cannot be ignored. I worked hard putting my head together with Riley, but I still felt how lacking I am.”
At her self-deprecating words, Hesperon subtly turned his head to gaze into the distance.
For he had been too busy indulging in the ripe fruits laid bare before him to entertain any deep anguish.
“…But Master? When will you reveal…”
A dry cough from Isea, cutting off Hesperon’s question.
Just as she was capable of it, the others could easily hear the conversation in this room if they so wished.
And one couldn’t simply use magic uninvited in someone else’s house to erect a soundproof barrier as usual.
‘Jeez, isn’t it about time she came clean?’
Hesperon subtly averted his gaze from her glare and grumbled inwardly.
It was about time she revealed to the party that she, too, was from another world, yet she was still keeping it a secret from the others.
In fact, he had once subtly asked her about it…
The answer he had received then was truly absurd.
‘What kind of excuse is “I missed the right moment”?’
And so it had been dragged out until now. Of course, she had never intended to hide it forever, so she merely said she would find an opportunity to bring it up soon.
‘…Well, that can’t be the only real reason. That was just a vague excuse.’
After all, she had kept it hidden from everyone for the long eight years she had spent here, save for Princess Riley.
It was only natural to feel instinctive resistance to confiding in people she had only just met.
‘In other words, she needs time to prepare herself mentally.’
Hesperon had been an exception, thanks to Riley’s mediation and because he had been the one to reveal his identity first.
‘Though in truth, everyone in the party except Gios already knows.’
No, in fact, it wasn’t merely a matter of knowing.
Rather, compared to the secret this side held, her secret was nothing more than cute.
Against the shocking truth that everyone except Gios was an otherworlder, that is!
She was rather adorable, fretting all on her own without knowing that, but Hesperon merely smiled without saying anything in particular.
Because watching this little master agonize and struggle alone was amusing.
And so, by the time Hesperon and the hero party arrived at Gios’s hometown and gained various achievements with the help of Chehai, the settler from Earth,
it was already a point where less than a week remained until the 2nd Continental Summit.