Preliminary Preparations (2)
The Korean Returnee Association, Seoul Southern Branch.
Knock, knock— clack!
“Branch Director, about the installation of the branch convenience store you instructed me on last time… …Branch Director?”
The secretary, who had entered the branch director’s office holding approval documents, stopped short for a moment.
Branch Director Yun Jiyun was scowling fiercely, glaring holes into her computer screen.
“Ah, Secretary Kim, you’re here? Bring them over.”
Her gaze remained fixed on the screen.
“Branch Director. Did something happen in today’s meeting?”
Today was the regular virtual meeting for branch directors and above, and Secretary Kim had come straight over after hearing it had just ended.
“If you call it an incident, I suppose it is… but it’s a bit ambiguous.”
“Ambiguous, you say…?”
“You know the Blood Alliance?”
She took her eyes off the computer screen and looked at her secretary.
Secretary Kim nodded in affirmation.
“Yes, the organization where Korea’s vampires have gathered. I heard they haven’t caused any major trouble yet… Don’t tell me the hardliners finally did something?”
“It’s major, yes, but I don’t think it’s bad. Probably?”
“Pardon?”
“They say the moderates won. They’ve dealt with the hardliner executives and are absorbing the remnants. Alpha’s whereabouts are unknown.”
Secretary Kim looked at the branch director with a reluctant expression.
“Is that even possible? I thought the difference in strength between them was quite severe.”
“Exactly. I wonder what kind of unexpected variable there was.”
The Returnee Association—in other words, the Guardians—had been keeping an eye on the Blood Alliance for a long time.
It was only natural for those in charge of maintaining public order.
Because of that, they had a more detailed grasp of them than one might expect, and they were able to notice this sudden change quickly as well.
“For now, we’ll have to try to talk to them. We’ve helped them quite a bit until now, after all.”
In fact, the Returnee Association had been secretly supporting the moderates through things like blood supplies via blood centers.
The government’s Ability Management Bureau wanted to control them, but from the position of those maintaining order on the front lines, it was better to maintain friendly relations with the moderate ones.
They were already short-handed, and it reduced potential enemies while also keeping the radical hardliners in check, so up until now, it had been an effective measure.
There was no telling what would happen from here on, but wouldn’t it be better than the hardliners gaining power?
For now, they had no choice but to hope so.
“I just hope we don’t get any busier than this…”
“You said it…”
Otherwise, their already enormous workload would only increase even further.
***
Heinz II quietly opened his eyes.
A forest that felt familiar and yet unfamiliar greeted him.
The dense forest remained unchanged.
Only he was different from back then.
“This place hasn’t changed at all since then.”
This was the place where he had first arrived in Auterica.
The Forest of Monsters, which had been his starting point.
‘For now, this is the most suitable place to hide and conduct research.’
The bastards from the Oath of Reversal had completely vanished from the vicinity, and the vampires had lost Ajantu, the city closest to this place, leaving them with no room to pay attention to the forest.
And since the Order had already swept through it once and then left it alone ever since, it was truly an ownerless land.
‘There are limits to monitoring this entire vast forest. The monsters nearby will serve as both test subjects and a natural fence, so there’s no better place than this to conduct research quietly.’
Heinz launched himself forward and headed deep into the forest.
The nearby monsters could not even sense his presence, and thanks to that, he was able to move comfortably.
‘It really feels like a whole different era. At first, I think I fought for my life against a single monster.’
Was the one he fought back then a black panther?
To the current Heinz, it was not even worth as much as a neighborhood puppy.
After traveling like that for quite some time,
he finally stopped in front of a cave and looked around.
“Around here should be suitable.”
A location not easily spotted, the distribution of monsters inhabiting the area, and even a cave with a spacious interior suitable for research.
It was perfectly suited for setting up a secret laboratory.
“First, I suppose I should ask the prior resident for understanding.”
Heinz strode confidently into the cave.
And a short while later,
he was able to use his now-abundant blood without reserve to install a barrier.
A barrier built with the 「Mystery of Blood」, infused throughout with the power of 「Concealment」.
The first stage of preparations was complete.
Several days passed like that…
Whoosh—
Inside the cave, where bizarre patterns made of blood covered the walls.
For an instant, darkness descended at its center.
[Hoo…]
A figure clad in a black robe, scattering pitch-black energy.
It was Hans.
[Hmm, I’ll have to hurry.]
As soon as the transfer was complete, Hans immediately began moving.
He was already wrapped from head to toe in concealment fields meant to hide his existence, but installing a barrier was more certain.
Carefully manipulating black mana, he carved new diagrams into the floor by the walls engraved with blood-red patterns.
The barrier construction proceeded at high speed.
Heinz, who had been waiting deeper inside the cave, also joined in and overlaid the place with the power of 「Concealment」.
All sorts of barriers—black mana concealment, spatial distortion, lowered recognition, undetectability, and more—filled the inside of the cave densely.
As if proving his growth so far, they displayed far superior effects than before through the 「Path of Magic」.
[This should be about as much as I can do. We’ll have to wait and see what the results are.]
Since it was a joint work into which Hans and Heinz had poured their utmost effort, he was confident, but he did not know where the Saintess’s limits lay, so it was not yet time to relax.
Though, since they had the best informant available, they would be able to determine its effectiveness quickly.
One day was enough to learn the result.
“Good day, Saintess. You don’t seem to be in very good spirits today. Has something happened?”
“Ah… hello, Sir Heinrich. It’s just… there’s something a little frustrating. It’s nothing serious, so please don’t worry.”
Through the Saintess’s reaction, confirmed via Heinrich, he was able to tell that she had not located Hans.
She merely wore a subtly frustrated expression; there was no sign of her trying to assemble a subjugation force.
‘Still, she really is amazing. Even though we blocked things off that thoroughly, it seems she sensed Hans’s existence itself.’
Though it seemed she could only feel that Hans was in Auterica, without being able to pinpoint even his general location.
Their efforts had been worthwhile in many ways.
‘In any case, now I can begin the research in earnest. If anything changes, I can find out through Heinrich.’
Hans immediately took out the materials and began his research.
Since he now had time to spare, he examined them carefully without rushing.
When he had first considered Harley’s future path, he had agonized over many possibilities.
The first priority among them had been for him to walk the path of a demonic being, just like the other two avatars.
Since growth on that side was inevitably fast, it had been an obvious option.
‘The one I considered foremost was the werewolf.’
A werewolf, officially called a lycanthrope in this world, whose potential grew by tearing out and eating the heart of prey it had hunted personally.
However, even with the condition of doing it “personally,” there were any number of ways to work around it, so it was not a bad option.
His excellent seniors could help him somehow, after all.
‘But it only grows potential, and the rate of increase isn’t as dramatic as a vampire’s. And its tendencies seem to overlap too much. Because of that, I put it on hold for the time being.’
On top of that, in Auterica, lycanthropes were a minority race ostracized for their ferocious nature, unlike beastmen, so there would inevitably be restrictions on his activities.
While he continued to ponder like that, what he discovered was precisely these research materials.
Commonly known as the “Perfect Evolutionary Organism Project.”
Although it bore considerable similarities to chimera research, the goal it aimed for was on a completely different level.
Its purpose was not to forcibly attach and use the flesh of different species, but to absorb only superior genes and continuously evolve the body.
‘And like a werewolf, transformation is possible in emergencies too!’
No matter how he thought about it, transformation was an element too regrettable to give up.
It was a groundbreaking discovery that allowed him to keep that romance—no, that advantage—while eliminating the disadvantages possessed by lycanthropes.
‘And the foundation of that is this “Dragon Blood.”’
Hans took out a glass bottle containing a jewel-like liquid with a violet hue and shook it.
The blood of a Predatory Dragon that existed in the dimension of Laubeda.
The Predatory Dragon was a being that ranked among the very top even in Laubeda, a dimension where numerous dragons and dragon hunters existed.
The worst kind of dragon, one that manifested the traits of those it devoured and continued to evolve.
It would keep evolving for as long as it survived, ultimately becoming an apex predator with no natural enemies.
‘…or so it was written in the research report.’
The Beoncheon Society had begun research to use the traits of the Predatory Dragon through that blood.
[The amount of blood is a little small, but what matters is the trait contained in it, so it should be fine.]
When he searched through the research director’s mind, there had also been information about competition with other branches, so it seemed they had likely divided the blood among several branches and conducted research simultaneously.
The problem here was whether Hans alone could reach a goal that even the Beoncheon Society, which had mastered countless spells and techniques, had failed to achieve.
Completing this research was difficult enough that, even with all of Hans’s skills, it would not be easy.
[Kheheh… Of course, this body has no intention of completing the research, so that problem hardly matters.]
Yes, he had no need to perfectly “complete” the research.
What he wanted was only Harley’s enhancement, so he simply needed to make it usable.
He acknowledged the way they had linked together various techniques.
However, the research journal produced through that process was now in his possession as well, and Hans’s 「Forbidden Knowledge」 contained all sorts of information even the Beoncheon Society did not know.
And most decisively…
Step, step—
Harley, who had suddenly appeared from one side of the cave, walked over.
The cooldown had passed at some point, allowing the transfer circle to be used once again.
A large backpack and crossbody bag hanging from Harley’s body, along with necklaces, bracelets, and all sorts of other subspace magic tools.
Inside them were countless materials obtained from Tarak.
[On this side, I have a truly perfect test subject.]
Even if a problem arose during the experiment, he could endure with his tenacious vitality through 「Adaptation」 and 「Super Regeneration」, would unconditionally cooperate with any harsh experiment, and would absolutely never go insane.
Since the experimenter and subject were mentally connected, even subtle changes appearing in the subject’s body could be immediately grasped and reflected in the experiment…
‘There’s no need to produce generally applicable results. As long as it can be used on Harley alone, that’s enough.’
The fact that he could snatch away the results of those bastards’ research and make use of them first was also extremely delightful.
[Now then, shall we begin?]
And so Hans and Harley began their joint work as researcher and test subject.
***
A bright afternoon at the Rosellia Great Temple, with the sun shining down.
“…as the sword and shield that protects them, I hereby appoint Heinrich Landguard as a holy knight of the Main God Order.”
In one of its chapels, a holy knight investiture ceremony was held with Heinrich participating.
In the process, he also received the surname “Landguard” from the Order, becoming “Sir Heinrich Landguard.”
Beautiful sunlight scattered through the colorful stained glass, and the solemn chapel exuded a benevolent atmosphere.
Even the archbishop, smiling kindly as he placed the holy emblem signifying a holy knight around his neck.
It was a sacred scene, as if painted in a picture.
《The entity has fulfilled the conditions and attained enlightenment. Special Skill 「Blessing: Leap」 has been acquired.》
Until the sudden system window blocked his sight.
“Hmm? Ooh—! A grace! To think a blessing would descend during the investiture ceremony! The Main God is watching over us!”
Divine power erupted from Heinrich’s body for an instant.
The archbishop, who had hung the holy emblem around Heinrich’s neck as he knelt, saw it and let out an exclamation of admiration.
Then, right there, he looked up to the heavens, closed his eyes, and began to pray.
Naturally, the other figures attending the investiture ceremony joined in as well, and in the blink of an eye, the matter grew larger, turning into an impromptu prayer meeting.
Except for me.
‘…When am I supposed to stand up?’
It was nice that he had been appointed a holy knight, and it was nice that he had received a new blessing, but now that the order of the ceremony had gone off track, he had no idea how he was supposed to react.
Even so, staying still like this made him feel oddly self-conscious, so he quietly clasped his hands together and assumed a posture of prayer.
“···As the Lord God watches over the earth and guides the pitiful···.”
And with the prayer led by the archbishop as background, he organized his thoughts.
There was one very special point about this blessing, after all.
‘It was only for a very brief moment, but I definitely felt the will of the Lord God.’
It was surprising enough that the Lord God had personally bestowed a blessing in time with the investiture, but just like when he had first received baptism, he had been momentarily connected to the Lord God.
Though it had been a far shorter instant than back then.
Thanks to that, he could tell that the Lord God still found him interesting.
‘Why? Because I’m someone from another world? It isn’t simple curiosity. I didn’t feel any human emotion like that.’
In truth, even “interest” was merely an emotion I had arbitrarily interpreted from what I felt.
That immense will was so vast that merely touching a fragment of it made one feel faint.
-Entity Name: Heinrich
-Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Regeneration」, 「Clear Mirror, Still Water」
-Entity Traits: 「Sacred Baptism」, 「Blessing: Strong Body」, 「Blessing: Leap」, 「Martial Bones」, 「Crusader Combat Arts」, 「Auterica Sacred Arts」
-Special Notes: Divine power has surpassed the level of a high priest and continues to grow. He has become able to use a wider variety of sacred arts proficiently. Due to the effects of the blessings, his body has become even more robust, and he has become able to leap through space.
But···.
Though he realized the effect belatedly because his mind had been occupied by the Lord God’s will, the newly acquired blessing was anything but ordinary.
‘Uh, wait! Leap through space? This is a spatial movement technique!’
He still had no idea how many times he could use it in a day, or what its range limitations were.
But spatial movement was, in and of itself, an ability belonging to the highest tier!
And since the ability could be developed through training, when considering the future, it was also an ability Heinrich needed more than anything.
‘To hand over an ability like this as a gift so generously. As expected, there’s a reason He’s called the Lord God! There was a reason the people of the continent follow Him!’
It was a swift change in attitude.
Since one ought to show gratitude in proportion to what one had received, Heinrich properly corrected the posture he had only been holding for show and offered a sincere prayer to the Lord God.
Filled with the desire that perhaps He might give him something more.
And at that moment.
The archbishop, who had opened his eyes to begin bringing things to a close, saw Heinrich’s passionate prayer brimming with fervor and smiled with satisfaction.
‘Hohoho, what a devout young man indeed. With such outstanding ability as well, he is truly a talent who will become a pillar of our church.’
Thus, the paladin investiture ceremony, which satisfied everyone, came to a successful close.
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