#58
Unexpected Luck (2)
After parting with the elves, Harley was striding through the streets of Tarak as usual, drawing everyone’s eyes to himself.
‘This spirit thing is incredibly convenient, isn’t it?’
Not only could wind spirits assist with movement, water spirits could even wash his body.
He looked over his now-clean body.
It was a service he had received from the elves just before traveling to Tarak.
Having experienced it firsthand, his desire for it only grew stronger.
‘But my equipment’s taken quite a beating. I’ll have to get new gear soon.’
In the midst of that, his damaged equipment caught his eye.
His sturdy black-steel axes not only had chips in their blades, but even fine cracks in places.
The necklace made from beast fangs had snapped during battle and vanished without a trace, and his black panther helmet had been reduced to complete rags.
…In truth, that was all.
He hadn’t had much equipment on him to begin with.
‘And all of it was decorative anyway. Well, the axes have become fairly usable now.’
Given the nature of 「Body Mutation」, Harley couldn’t wear equipment fitted to his body, so his current barbarian warrior concept suited him perfectly.
His true weapon was his monstrous body itself.
Thus, walking barefoot down the street in a majestic fashion, he headed toward an ordinary house on one side of the city.
Clack—
Harley opened the door with force, as though it were his own home, and stepped inside.
But the homeowner within did not seem surprised, greeting him naturally.
It was Hubert, the avatar who had been transferred to Tarak after Harley.
“Wahahaha—! Having 「Appraisal」 means I can check items right away. How convenient!”
A green light flickered in his left eye, and the items he was holding flew through the air and smoothly entered Hubert’s hands.
「Jewel Eye: Telekinesis」, which he had become able to use after implanting the new eye.
This was the first time he was using it properly.
Perhaps because it had become compatible with Harley, the telekinetic power could now be activated with his bioenergy, and it was more useful than expected.
It was also the same as giving him a ranged attack now…
‘I can even lift my body with it. Besides, unless someone looks closely now, it just seems like heterochromia.’
As time passed, the Jewel Eye, assimilated by 「Body Mutation」, appeared at a glance to be an ordinary green eye.
Of course, a subtle sense of incongruity still remained, but that much was no major issue.
‘It’s a world where all sorts of races and species live together. Besides, there probably isn’t anyone who’d stare straight into the eyes of this rough-looking giant and question it.’
While Harley tested his telekinesis like that, Hubert immediately began appraising the items.
-A bracelet crafted by an outstanding master, made by weaving numerous spirit stones with a branch of the World Tree. It assists the wearer’s natural power and spirit summoning, while greatly amplifying elemental affinity and resistance. Due to the influence of its previous user, the spirit stones have strengthened properties of wind, lightning, and earth.
-It was once part of the World Tree, but now, after its energy was used excessively, it has lost its original function. It seems usable as various materials.
“Hmm… ambiguous.”
Putting aside the branch of the World Tree, which he had thought of as a souvenir, the bracelet also had no suitable use.
Of course, Lafori must have given him the most precious item he owned…
‘The performance itself seems good. But I don’t have an avatar who can use it.’
It would be the finest treasure for a spirit master, but unfortunately, he had no spirit master.
Apart from his desire for one, he did not have much hope of becoming a spirit master either.
Even among returnees on Earth, spirit masters were particularly rare.
After all, affinity with spirits, beings of nature, was inevitably affected by the environment one had lived in.
Unless one had lived alongside nature in a place without developed civilization, or awakened a unique skill related to that field, it was best not to expect much.
‘And my avatars are created under the same conditions as my main body.’
He had lived his entire life in a city, constantly eating instant food. How much affinity with nature could he possibly have?
“Amplification” was only efficient when there was something there to amplify in the first place.
‘…Still, just in case?’
Perhaps he had some hidden spirit affinity.
Hubert quietly slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.
Feeling it automatically adjust its size so as not to be uncomfortable, he slowly closed his eyes.
“……”
He focused on the bracelet around his wrist and tried to sense natural power.
Images of nature, including mountains and seas, surfaced in his tranquil mind.
“……!”
How much time had passed like that? Hubert’s closed eyes snapped open.
“Like hell. I don’t feel a thing.”
…Still, it was only his first attempt. If he kept wearing it, perhaps something would change.
Since there was no one else to use it anyway, Hubert decided to continue wearing it.
If Harley had it, it might break at any moment because of his combat style.
And it was not as though he could give it to the Archlich Hans or the vampire Heinz.
‘In any case, my basic level now isn’t so low that I’d die an easy, sudden death. At the very least, even if Hubert is ambushed, I should be able to unsummon him right before he dies.’
Still, just in case, he would have to keep the wrist wearing the bracelet well hidden.
Once he started a business, he might end up being targeted in various ways.
‘Come to think of it, that issue seems to have been resolved to some extent this time.’
Soon, Harley’s connection with the Main God Church would become known through the Mercenary Guild, so for Hubert, who intended to start a business as his partner, this was a tremendous advantage.
Since this was not the modern era, there were many things to consider when starting a business.
To properly grow it, not only capital but also force and connections were essential.
That was why he had planned to start the business in Tarak, Harley’s area of activity, and use his name to block outside interference.
‘But that person also has ties to the Church? That’s game over.’
Once it was formally announced in the name of the Church, regardless of whether that connection was great or small, he would become someone burdensome that others could not touch lightly.
They would have to think at least once more before interfering with a business he was involved in.
While Harley had gained quite a profitable result as a business partner, Hubert had completed his market research and decided on the goods to sell.
‘It’d be best to start with pepper.’
In Auterica, the largest producer of pepper was the southeastern part of the continent.
Tarak was in the northwestern region, so the price difference due to transportation was the greatest.
‘The monster industry may be the center here, but there are many merchants and other transient people, so as long as the goods are good, there won’t be a problem. There are also many Magic Tower branches, whose high-ranking members will become the main consumers.’
The plan had all been prepared.
“Urgh-cha~! I’m exhausted!”
While Harley crawled into the bed inside the house, Hubert packed the magic tools he had purchased this time and the branch of the World Tree.
It was time to return to Earth.
***
“Hmm… not bad as a souvenir.”
I stuck the branch of the World Tree into a flowerpot containing a withered plant that had been abandoned in the corner of my house.
After pouring a cup of water into it as well, perhaps it was just my imagination, but I already felt something refreshing.
‘Well, that’s done. As for trade goods, I can have the Blood Alliance prepare them through Heinz. I can sell the magic tools through them too.’
I had gone to the trouble of swallowing up a usable force, so if not at times like this, when would I use them?
‘Raising Heterosis is going smoothly, and I should keep watching the Brokoslak Clan a little longer for now.’
Through Heinz’s exploratory activities in his spare time, I had finished grasping the situation of the vampires in the Talia Kingdom to some extent.
By hiding himself with 「Concealment」 and 「Invisibility」, and gathering information with 「Insight」…
Absurdly enough, I learned that they were using an entire great noble’s mansion as their base.
‘Maybe that noble is the clan lord.’
There hadn’t been enough time to perfectly grasp the detailed information.
Heinz’s top priority was first putting Heterosis on a stable track.
The full-scale takeover of the clan would take place after that.
“Ahem… Now then…”
Since I had gone through such a major incident this time, it was time to settle my karma.
‘Before I began my activities in Auterica in earnest, I think I had a little over 300,000 karma points.’
The major events that had happened since then.
Heinrich had been appointed as a holy knight and begun his activities in the Church.
Harley had been completed in Hans’s secret laboratory, grown by hunting demonic beasts, and become a mercenary as a barbarian warrior.
‘Nothing particularly special up to this point.’
Most of it was closer to time spent growing personally, so it was hard to say it had greatly affected the world.
Then that meant most of the karma I gained this time came from the process of saving Cecily, the High Elf candidate…
『Karma Shop』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (800,000)』
『Status Enhancement – View Details』
『Karma Possessed - 668,189』
‘Ambiguous. Is it because Cecily is still only a candidate?’
Considering it involved the Elven Kingdom, the High Elf Lafori, and even high-ranking members of the Main God Church including the Saintess, it felt a bit stingy.
‘No, that’s not it. Immediate karma isn’t everything.’
As I had experienced last time, karma increased fluidly whenever the influence I had exerted later brought changes to the world.
That meant once Cecily officially became a High Elf and did something major, it would also affect my karma.
The same would probably apply to the others involved in this incident.
‘It doesn’t matter now. In any case, I have an event prepared that can cause my karma to skyrocket soon.’
It was a pity that I couldn’t enhance my unique skill right away, but there was no need to hurry.
Even at this very moment, the fated moment was drawing closer, second by second.
***
“I apologize for making such a discourteous request, Lord Lafori.”
“Not at all. I understand well that this is an important matter. And compared to the help the Church has given me, this is nothing.”
The Saintess apologized repeatedly.
In order to proceed, Lafori had no choice but to accept the Church’s “Blessing of Silence.”
Since a High Elf was part of the leadership of the Elven Kingdom, this was practically a diplomatic discourtesy, but he accepted it readily without any particular resistance.
That was how great he considered the debt he owed the Church this time.
Step, step—
They were currently passing through a complex passageway, heading toward the depths of the Church.
The Saintess, Archbishop Latius, High Elf Lafori.
And the Inquisitor Chief and Heinrich, making five in total.
‘I never thought I’d really be allowed in too.’
Naturally, it should have been impossible for him, someone who had only recently become a holy knight, to enter.
No matter how close his holy power was to that of a bishop, the minimum requirement to approach the fragment of the Immortal King was archbishop level or higher.
Because of that, Archbishop Latius had expressed his concern this time as well, but perhaps because Heinrich had achieved merit just before, he could not strongly oppose it.
Hadn’t the archbishop himself also marveled greatly at the time, saying that there had been guidance from the Main God?
Of course, even the Saintess could not bring him into the sealed site at will.
“…This way.”
The one leading the group at the front wore a black hood and priestly robes.
It was the Inquisitor Chief, the person in charge of this place.
This place was not under the Saintess’s jurisdiction, and without his permission, no one could enter.
But even he, strict with regulations as he was, had no choice but to open the way after hearing her words…
‘It seems the Main God intends to make Sir Heinrich the adversary of the Immortal King.’
The Saintess’s words carried great weight.
‘Still, this place really is hidden unbelievably well.’
The underground passageway that he had known of and prepared for before was only the beginning.
A complex corridor tangled like a maze, secret doors that opened only under specific conditions, sacred art traps and barriers laid everywhere.
A long and complicated corridor continued on, to the point that he wondered how such a space could possibly have been hidden.
‘…Sacred art barriers. And at a level so far beyond me that I can’t even comprehend them…’
He too had acquired 「Auterica Sacred Arts」, so he had quite a bit of knowledge of sacred arts, but this was not something that level could handle.
It was a space made so that without using the proper passage, one could not reach it by breaking through walls or digging tunnels.
And in the very center of such a place, the last “fragment of the Immortal King” had been sealed.
‘There really would have been no method other than to bring down the Church and slowly search through the passageways, huh? Not that that would ever be possible.’
The passageway continued on endlessly.
In the middle, they had to activate one among several gates and move a short distance before they could proceed to the next location.
After passing through such obsessive security, they arrived at a place.
“This is…”
The group quietly followed the Inquisitor Chief as he released the final security measure and entered the room.
‘Impressive.’
The entire interior of the pure-white room was densely engraved with golden prayers meant to suppress dark magic.
Even the door they had opened and entered through.
And it was in the center.
Atop an altar piled up as though offering it to a god.
Wrapped in thin silver chains connected to five pillars erected around it as if surrounding it.
‘That’s the last fragment of the Immortal King…’
It was right before Heinrich’s eyes.