Preparations (3)
“Dried fruits for sale~ Sweet and delicious, perfect for travel rations!”
“The capital-bound carriage is departing soon! Only a few seats left, so hurry!”
“Oh my, this is too expensive. Could you cut the price a little?”
Hainz was walking through the city center.
He had handed over control of the barrier installed in the Forest of Monsters to Hans and come outside to take care of other matters.
Even if he used all the materials acquired from the Buncheon Association and those Hallie had gathered, there would be no problem securing materials afterward.
Hans could not recklessly step outside, but he had countless undead to serve as his hands and feet.
‘As long as the fragment of the Undead King isn’t directly exposed, it’s fine. No matter how great the Saintess’s abilities are, monitoring the entire continent and identifying each individual undead is impossible.’
The fragment itself had such distinct characteristics that it couldn’t be easily hidden, but for the undead under his command, a simple dark magic concealment barrier was sufficient.
The reason Hainz, who had been heading to his destination, had specifically stopped by this place was because some people had suddenly come to mind.
The Talia Kingdom located in the western part of the continent, Lapella City.
It was the city where he had parted with the siblings he met in Ajantu.
‘Has it been roughly seven months since we parted then? Time flows differently here, so it’s already been that long.’
Three days on Earth was one month here.
Of course, since his avatar, Heinrich, had continued to stay in Auterica and was training, he had felt the passage of time.
The problem was that the sensation wasn’t very pronounced because he was devoted to the repetitive training inside the Order every day.
‘Indeed, I can see vampires here occasionally too. They don’t throw their weight around as much as in Ajantu, but they seem to be keeping a low profile.’
Through his transcendent senses and 「Insight」, he could feel the vampires located throughout the city.
But Hainz walked boldly without paying them any attention.
There was no longer any being who could see through his 「Concealment」.
As long as they were not of the Sacred Blood, that is.
“Kyahaha~”
“Lapi! It’s dangerous to run like that!”
While walking around and sightseeing like that.
As the grocery store where the siblings had been entrusted was drawing near, a small girl suddenly popped out from a street corner.
“…Huh?”
Hainz, who had noticed her approach long before, naturally moved aside, but the startled child tried to stop in her tracks and tripped over her own feet.
“Wawawa—?”
“Lapi!”
A situation where she could have fallen and been seriously hurt from the momentum of running.
But before the child touched the floor.
*Tak—*
Hainz naturally caught her and gently set her down on her feet.
“…Huh?”
It was such a natural movement that even the child in question could only blink her eyes.
As if nothing had happened at all.
“Lapi! I told you to be careful because it’s dangerous!”
The boy who hurriedly ran up from behind scolded the girl and anxiously checked if she was hurt anywhere.
And having confirmed there was nothing wrong, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Ah! Thank you! Thanks to you, Lapi didn’t get hurt. Come on, Lapi. You should greet him too, right?”
“…*Sniffle.*”
At the boy’s prompting, the child who looked to be about four years old cautiously gauged the mood and then bowed her head.
And then she hid behind the boy and only peeked out her eyes.
“I’m sorry. Our child is a bit shy. Thank you once again.”
The boy expressed his gratitude again, bowing at the waist.
‘I’m glad it seems they’ve been doing well.’
“It’s fine, Aaron. It seems nothing special happened while I was away.”
“…Huh? Yes? Do you know me…?”
“……”
Just as he was about to feel disappointed thinking Aaron had already forgotten him, he suddenly realized that his face had changed from before.
His skeleton had changed through 「Half-Blood Evolution」 and he had grown through True Blood; decisively, he had altered his face to eliminate any connection to his main body.
“Hmm… it’s Hainz. Various things happened during that time, so my face changed a bit.”
‘I should have reverted my face before coming.’
Now that it was too late, he had no choice but to say it like that.
“…Are you really Mister?”
“Yes.”
“……”
‘As expected, it must be hard to believe.’
Just as he was briefly worrying about what to do now…
*Whoosh—*
“Mister—!”
Aaron embraced him, sobbing.
‘He believes me more quickly than I thought.’
Hainz lightly patted Aaron’s back.
So ended their brief reunion, and Aaron took the lead, holding the hand of Lapi, the only daughter of his uncle’s grocery store, and guided the way.
“If Sister finds out Mister is here, she’ll be so surprised! She’s been waiting for you so much all this time, and thinking about how she might not recognize your face when she actually meets you feels kind of funny too!”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm~♪”
Aaron chattered excitedly this way and that, and Lapi, holding his hand, swung it back and forth.
Before parting, he had apparently taken charge of childcare for the child, and it seemed they had grown quite close during that time.
Arriving at the grocery store like that.
Diana was already looking this way while arranging items on the counter.
“Sister! Guess who I brought….”
“Mister—!”
*Pitter-patter— Slam!*
Diana rushed in before Aaron could finish speaking and threw herself into Hainz’s embrace.
Her face buried in his chest, sniffling—the siblings looked exactly alike.
“…Huh, how did Sister recognize you right away?”
Setting aside the fact that Diana had recognized him immediately.
Meanwhile, as soon as he sensed someone inside the store about to come out, Hainz quickly pulled his hood down low.
“Diana! What’s going on… Hmm?”
“How do you do? Mr. Volt. It’s been a while. I’m Hainz.”
He greeted Volt, who had come out surprised, naturally and calmed Diana down.
And while moving to a different place with the children, he casually asked her what he had been curious about.
“Hmm… you don’t smell like blood like before. Still, I smell Mister’s scent… uh, I don’t know how to explain this. I just knew.”
‘The fact that Diana could recognize Hainz right away was a shocking matter even to me.’
After all, the lack of blood smell meant that his being a vampire was properly hidden. He had certainly focused on concealing that aspect.
‘Nevertheless, the fact that she could see through my 「Concealment」, which has grown significantly, means it’s a more amazing ability than I thought.’
‘Meaning that if raised well, she will become excellent talent.’
“We’re doing well. In the morning, I go to the tutoring center with Aaron to learn reading and how to calculate, and in the afternoon, I help with the store work. They say I don’t have to, but I want to help with something.”
It seemed that still, about once every two or three days, she spent her free time reading books at the tutoring center.
Fortunately, it seemed the siblings’ uncle was keeping his promise well.
“I stopped by because I thought of you while passing through. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Hehe, it’s all thanks to Mister. Have you been well during that time?”
Diana didn’t say much about the matter of his changed face.
Since she knew Hainz was a vampire, she probably didn’t particularly care about that level of change.
“Hmm… yes. It wasn’t bad.”
Since there had been this and that achievement.
Not to mention his goal had become clear.
Afterward, for a day, he bought delicious food for the three children including Lapi, enjoyed their reunion, and handed over support funds to Bolt, the siblings’ uncle.
And so, farewell came again.
“Mister, be careful on your way—!”
“Come again!”
“Bye-bye~♪”
Perhaps because it was the second time, the children didn’t cry this time and waved their hands bravely.
‘Well then, shall I go check the situation for a bit?’
Leaving the city, Hainz moved toward his original destination.
Hainz was in a very busy situation raising the Heterosis on Earth, but he was able to make some spare time using the time difference with this other world.
Collecting information intermittently wouldn’t consume that much time.
The reason he went this far.
Even while training at the Grand Temple to become a paladin, Heinrich had been able to forge close relationships with many people.
Among them were numerous people who had participated in the Undead King subjugation force, and through them, he could hear in detail about what had happened during the expedition.
Clashes with groups of dark mages, friction with high-ranking figures who seemed to be taking orders from vampires.
Combine that information with the experience of when Hainz first arrived in Talaria and encountered a female True Blood near the capital…
‘The Brokoslak Clan’s influence reaches deep into the Talia Kingdom.’
A force so deeply involved in politics that it already exerted influence from behind a nation.
The vampire faction that was the origin of Hainz II’s power. The Brokoslak Clan.
‘A very useful pawn. Nothing could be better.’
That was why he had come directly here again.
With the thought of gathering at least some information before properly devouring them.
To Talaria, the capital of the Talia Kingdom—the place most likely to house the Brokoslak Clan’s main headquarters.
***
“Oh? It suits you well?”
“Haha, is that so? But it’s amazing. To think it’s armor perfectly fitted to my body.”
“The skills of the craftsmen at our Grand Temple are not an exaggeration to call the best on the continent. Modifying existing armor to fit one’s physique is nothing much.”
Heinrich was wearing the paladin armor he had been supplied with immediately after his appointment.
Smooth armor that emitted a luster as though white and silver were mixed.
The inner surface was densely engraved with prayers related to defense and resistance.
“But what are you going to do about a weapon? Usually, by the time one becomes a paladin, they’d know what weapon suits them, but you were appointed so quickly that you probably don’t know, right?”
“Yes, for now I’m using sword and shield as the basics and steadily learning other weapons as well, but….”
Heinrich’s main skill, the 「Paladin Combat Arts」, was practical martial arts preparing for chaotic battlefields.
It ranged from unarmed techniques to comprehensive weapon arts that allowed one to pick up and use any weapon.
Once one found a suitable weapon, they would learn advanced weapon arts related to it from then on, but because Heinrich had grown so quickly, he had yet to decide which weapon to use as his main.
At the Roselia Grand Temple, there were many retired senior paladins, so an environment was prepared where one could learn all sorts of weapon arts from them as martial arts instructors.
Meaning he could receive training anytime he wanted.
“Or you could join a Paladin Order that mainly uses the weapon you want and learn while training with your seniors. If you’re lucky, you might even receive guidance from the commander. By the way, have you decided where to go? How about the Silver Wing Paladin Order where I am?”
The Silver Wing Paladin Order that had participated in the Talia Kingdom’s Undead King subjugation force.
This senior was the youngest paladin who had returned together from the Talia Kingdom.
He had offered occasional advice and looked after him in many ways, but Heinrich still did not like the idea of formally joining a Paladin Order and having his freedom restricted.
“Rather than entering a Paladin Order… I want to wander the continent, help those in need, and bestow upon them the teachings of the Lord.”
“Hmm, you want to become a free paladin?”
He nodded with an ambiguous expression.
“Well, spreading the Lord’s will far and wide is a good thing too. It’s not particularly recommended because it’s difficult and dangerous, though. After all, you become an easy target for heretics.”
“I suppose so. Still, I have no intention of giving up.”
“To that extent, one can become a free paladin only after passing certain standards. At your current level, it would probably be difficult.”
It was a goal that would still take time for Heinrich, who had just been appointed a paladin.
But at his rate of growth, he would reach it quickly.
“We’ve come full circle back to weapons. You need to decide your main weapon first to learn advanced weapon arts. For now, you’ll be temporarily assigned to various Paladin Orders for training purposes, so take your time thinking about it.”
As he said, Heinrich had to belong to various places for a while and learn the work.
As there were many Paladin Orders at the Roselia Grand Temple, the missions they mainly undertook were also diverse.
There were Paladin Orders charged with various missions such as subjugating dark mages or demon worshippers, hunting dangerous monsters, and protecting specific regions or important figures.
Of course, the place where Heinrich, as a newcomer, was first deployed was the one with the most basic duties, but.
“The task entrusted to us is the most important of all! Of course, there are so many powerhouses stationed here that you could trip over them, but that is no reason to neglect our vigilance. Our duty is to guard this place thoroughly so that not even the slightest contingency can occur!”
His first training post was with the Sky Shield Paladin Order, which was responsible for the outer defenses of the Great Temple of Roselia.
The senior paladin assigned to guide him tirelessly emphasized the importance of their duty.
“This is the Great Temple of Roselia, the heart of the Order! Naturally, the heretics will use every means at their disposal to sully the Order’s name. If we allow even the smallest opening, those bastards will pounce at once. You must not let your guard down for even a moment!”
Fortunately, however, nothing happened during the period Heinrich stayed there.
Next, he entered the Sun Wolf Paladin Order, which guarded the area around the holy land, but things were just as uneventful then.
In truth, since this was the heart of the Main God Order, one of the greatest powers on the continent, it was only natural that nothing would happen under ordinary circumstances.
And so, after several months of learning his duties and devoting himself to training.
During that time, he was also able to grow accustomed to the 「Blessing: Leap」 he had obtained during his investiture ceremony.
It was an excellent blessing that allowed him to arbitrarily leap through space within a fixed total distance limit each day.
He could move the full limit in a single leap, or divide it up and use only as much as he needed.
Since there was a cooldown of several minutes for consecutive uses, it was limited in terms of being used multiple times during combat, but there could hardly be a better technique to keep as a trump card.
The distance he could move in a day was not much for now, but that too was gradually increasing through training.
Perhaps someday, he might even be able to leap across the continent itself.
Another gain was that his thoughts on his main weapon had changed.
‘I have 「Martial Bone」, and even accelerated growth and correction effects, so is there any need to limit myself to one weapon?’
Of course, focusing all his efforts on just one would have a greater effect.
But if he were asked to choose a single weapon that suited him, Heinrich honestly found himself tilting his head.
It was no joke—he really did feel as if they were all the same.
Whether that was due to the influence of 「Martial Bone」, or whether his aptitude had been like that from the beginning, he could not say.
‘In that case, I’ll just learn them all. For now, I can focus on the most commonly used sword and shield. If I learn them like this, they’re bound to be useful later.’
Since he had 「Super Recovery」, it was a simple matter to solve by cutting down on sleep and leisure time.
Thus far, he had learned sword-and-shield techniques from the Sky Shield Paladin Order, and spear techniques from the Sun Wolf Paladin Order.
“Huh, to think you’d grasp it this quickly. I’d heard plenty of rumors, but you truly live up to your reputation.”
“Hmm… At this level, you won’t be dying in some roadside inn. You’ve finally got the basics down now, so don’t get too full of yourself.”
Whenever he had time, he sought out martial instructors, and even in the places he stayed afterward, he was able to learn all sorts of weapon arts, including blunt weapon techniques and greatsword techniques.
As a result…
《The individual has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Acquiring the skill 「Comprehensive Weapon Arts」.》
After several months of cutting down even on sleep and devoting himself to training.
‘I think I understand now how weapons are meant to be handled.’
Separate from 「Crusader Combat Arts」, his understanding of weapons themselves had increased dramatically.
Now, whatever weapon he took in hand, he would be able to use it more skillfully and efficiently.
‘On top of that, it’s a versatile skill with high potential for development. As I grow stronger, it’ll grow with me. And later, that will help the other avatars too.’
For now, Heinrich was the only avatar who used weapons, but there was no guarantee that would remain the case forever.
When that time came, he would be able to prove that the knowledge he had gained in this supreme educational environment had not been some trivial opportunity.
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