#68
Inscription (1)
Harris’s message was delivered to Harley through the temple.
In truth, there was no need for it, but there were procedures that had to be observed for the sake of appearances.
Harley gladly congratulated his friend on his journey, and Harris came to set out for the Enamel Continent together with the Elven Kingdom’s delegation.
Of course, they were not leaving immediately.
The matter with the Immortal King had ended in an awfully unsettling way, so the higher-ups still had things to discuss among themselves.
But the elves of the delegation were, without exception, elites of the Elven Kingdom, so even in the meantime, his basic education proceeded faithfully.
And he was not the only one participating in that course, which included spirit arts and archery, as well as the basic refinement required of an elegant fairy of the forest.
“You’re friends with Mr. Harley?”
The elven girl Harley had saved in the Northern Mountains, Cecily, was there with him as well.
“That’s right. We haven’t known each other for very long, but we get along so well that we’ve become like family.”
“Is that why? I thought there was some kind of familiar smell coming from you, Mr. Harris.”
For an instant, the line overlapped with that of a familiar child, and he flinched inwardly.
‘She sounds just like Diana. Surely she hasn’t noticed, has she?’
Seeing as Rapori had not said anything in particular, it did not seem to be an ability of a high elf…
Just as he was growing tense all by himself inside.
“Ah! It’s similar to the smell I felt from the branch of the World Tree! I hugged that thing all day long, so I know it well.”
‘That branch became the material for this body and disappeared.’
It seemed that was why Cecily had felt a sense of déjà vu.
“Hmm~ Is that why Lord Rapori is paying attention to you…?”
Then she nodded to herself, satisfied with her own conclusion.
“Anyway, let’s get along. Since you’re Mr. Harley’s friend, I’ll take good care of you.”
The small elven girl’s lips twitched upward as she threw her shoulders back and put on airs.
It seemed that after being the only one receiving training, a new trainee had arrived, and she wanted to show off as his senior.
“Haha… Yes, I’ll be in your care.”
At that childish sight, a gentle smile rose to his lips without his realizing it.
And then came the spirit arts lecture.
“A spirit is a companion that grows together with the spirit master. A contracted spirit grows by receiving communion through affinity and the supply of natural power. And a contract is…”
Through systematic education, Harris was able to understand why he had not been able to become a spirit master until now.
Even if one had an appealing appearance (affinity) and sufficient wealth (natural power), proper procedures were still required in order to get married (contract).
Only when one properly recognized the other party and was ready to understand each other could anything begin, and that very process was spirit arts.
“…What? Why are you so good at this? You said it was your first time.”
And when Cecily saw him gather and manipulate natural power at his fingertips, she asked in a wary voice.
With a small water spirit summoned beside her, she had been glancing this way with an expectant expression as though she wanted to offer advice, but her face had now turned sullen.
His experience handling countless kinds of energy, the growth correction from another world, the avatar growth acceleration, and on top of that, the effects of “Child of the World Tree.”
For him, such basics of the basics were nothing more than a rite of passage.
“Oh, your learning speed is quite remarkable. At this rate, you may soon be able to match both of your progress.”
The elf in charge of the lecture was pleased that his job had become easier, but Cecily, on the contrary, merely set her eyes ablaze and focused even harder on handling her water spirit.
She, too, had an outstanding talent worthy of one qualified to be a high elf, but since she was not yet a true high elf, she was not at the level where she could overwhelm Harris.
And when it came to matters that involved using the body, such as archery or mountain maneuvers…
“As expected. I heard you worked as a mercenary, and you handle your body quite well. There’s a human scent to the way you use a bow, but that much should be corrected if you shoot a lot.”
The elven instructor nodded in satisfaction.
Based on the experiences of his physically oriented seniors before him, he was able to receive a good evaluation from the start.
He had even already learned archery in advance through Heinrich’s “Martial Frame” and “Comprehensive Weaponry,” so it could be said that he was standing at a different starting line from others.
“Hueek… huff…”
After the training of running through the trees while carrying bows ended, Cecily collapsed on the ground as she gasped for breath.
“Ugh… I-I don’t think this side suits my aptitude. I admit defeat. I lost!”
…It seemed that, in her heart, we had been competing at some point without my knowing.
And after receiving education like that for several days.
《The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Acquiring the skill “Spirit Arts.”》
With various factors combining together, Harris was able to quickly acquire “Spirit Arts.”
Crackle— Crackle—
A small lump of light sparked in midair.
A lowest-grade lightning spirit.
All spirits grow together according to the level of their spirit master.
This child, too, was now only a lowest-grade spirit, but every time his abilities increased, it would continue to evolve through communion.
“…Your name is Watt.”
Crackle— Crackle-crack—!
“Volt” somehow felt too common, and “Ampere” did not sound good, so it was “Watt.”
And so Harris took his first step as a spirit master.
***
Hans was cleaning up criminals on Earth, and Heinz II was also solidifying his forces on Earth.
Heinrich was hospitalized with injuries, and Harris was receiving education from the elves.
‘Somehow, I ended up with two on Earth, two at the Great Temple, and two in Tarak.’
The two avatars in Tarak were spending busy days, each working on business and hunting.
Hubert’s pepper could only be supplied through the otherworld transfer circle once every ten days, and only when there was leeway, so its supply stability was far too low.
So he set that aside as a premium product, and based on the capital he had accumulated thus far, he was using “Appraisal” to expand into other fields as well.
After all, the very ability to know information about goods was a fraudulent ability for a merchant.
Through the business he had done so far, he had built up a certain degree of trust, so things were sailing smoothly without much difficulty.
And as for Harley…
“Oh! Harley! You’re finally here! Hurry up and come over here!”
Turaba, a southern warrior whose face was full of hair, including sideburns, fiercely welcomed him as he had just stepped into their regular tavern.
After sending Harris to the Great Temple, Harley had crossed the Steel Fortress for the first time in a while to hunt and had just returned, wearing a puzzled expression.
“What? What is it? Did something happen while I was gone?”
Since the Hubert Trading Company was growing rapidly, they had hired mercenaries separately to guard it, but naturally, it was safer for trustworthy people to pay attention to it directly.
The reason Harley had gone hunting at ease this time was because the veteran mercenary trio had been there…
‘Nothing happened to Hubert, though?’
As he swaggered over with his usual intimidating gait and sat down, Ruwang, the muscle pig who was the biggest after Harley, handed him a cup and grinned.
“Turaba says he found something incredible this time.”
“It certainly did seem like something Harley would like.”
Dao, who had a knife scar near his eye, chimed in while sipping his drink.
“Oh? If you’re going that far, I’m getting curious! Don’t keep me in suspense and hurry up and tell me! If it really is good information, today’s drinks are all on me! Hahaha!”
Harley gulped down his liquor without getting his hopes up too much.
These guys were all good, but they often made a fuss over nothing.
“Looks like I’ll have to loosen my belt and drink!”
“Thanks to Turaba, we’ll be able to drink ourselves to death today!”
“Hey, friends, stop making a fuss and frustrating me, and just tell me already!”
Only after he scolded the trio once more did he hear the information, and it was truly something that made his ears perk up.
“There’s a shaman from the south here in Tarak! I told you last time, didn’t I? About shamans who can carve inscriptions.”
The various kinds of inscriptions that a southern warrior was said to possess without fail.
It was an essential element for a fake to become real.
“That… really is welcome information! Good! First, let’s drink until our bellies burst and talk!”
Soon, they piled up barrels of liquor beside them and drank like mad, yet somehow managed to keep conversing properly.
“Ahem, I’ve had some business on the western street of Tarak lately…”
“This guy’s been trying to make a move on the young lady at the fabric shop around there these days.”
When the pig cut off the bearded man’s words and snickered, Turaba’s face twisted sharply, and he kept downing liquor.
It seemed his romantic endeavors were not going very smoothly.
“Kuhh~ Anyway! I was passing through that alley to take a shortcut, and I ran right into her!”
They say the darkest place is under the lamp, and to think there had been a southern shaman so close by.
“Judging by the situation, it looked like she was barely scraping by, treating minor illnesses for people living without much. I couldn’t tell how skilled she was.”
“If the only thing she does with shamanism is that, doesn’t that mean she’s nothing special?”
“Who knows? Everyone has their circumstances, so you never know. And if she’s a shaman, wouldn’t she at least be able to carve a warrior’s inscription?”
Opinions were divided for a while, but it seemed it would not be a bad idea to meet her once.
And the next day.
Harley headed to the place where the shaman was said to be, together with the bearded Turaba.
“Hmm, I thought I’d stayed in Tarak for quite a while, but I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”
“Mercenaries like us don’t usually have reason to come all the way to places like this. It’s not like there are any special shops here.”
It was not quite a slum, but the overall shabbiness made it seem like an area where the city’s laborers mostly lived.
“What are mercenaries doing here? And that outfit…”
“Shh! Pretend you didn’t see.”
“Let’s hurry up and go.”
As Harley, looking as majestic as ever, and the bearded man, the very image of a rough-looking mercenary, walked side by side down the street, the local residents began to slowly avoid them.
Even the young men who looked like thugs of this district subtly turned their gazes away and quickly disappeared.
“…Harley, are you really going to keep wearing that outfit like that…”
“Hm? What’s wrong with this wonderful attire! Can’t you feel the spirit of a true warrior from it?”
“…Fine, do whatever you want.”
Of course, since it was something that always happened, he did not care in the slightest, but the bearded man still seemed a little embarrassed.
“So where is this shaman? I feel like we’ve come quite far in.”
“We’re almost there. Once we pass that alley over there…”
And the first thing they encountered after passing through the alley was a scene that was extremely welcome to Harley.
“Ah~ Old lady, you really don’t understand, do you?”
“I’m saying everything will be solved if you just raise the treatment fee a little.”
“Looks like you don’t get the situation because we’ve been treating you too nicely, huh?”
A group of ruffians were grabbing the collar of a small old woman whose face was covered in tattoos and threatening her.
It smelled like an incident.
“Oho~?”
The corners of Harley’s mouth stretched upward, forming a savage smile.
He had come to ask a favor of the shaman, and wasn’t this excellent timing?
It was also a chance to show off his might.
He strode toward them.
“Huh? Uh… uh?”
“H-Hey! Stop for a second…”
The ruffians who noticed him approaching all froze in unison.
The quick-witted bearded man had already blocked the route by which they might flee.
Unfortunately for Harley, however, the matter ended in an instant without any need for the use of force.
For when he wrapped those intimidating muscles around each of their shoulders one by one and quietly met their eyes, every one of them wet themselves.
‘Was it a bit too much to use “Wildness” on guys who are at most extorting pocket change?’
They were fellows with neither skill nor guts, not even enough to become mercenaries.
It had been impossible from the start for such people to withstand, from right in front of them, the aura of someone who was more than a monster.
“I remembered your faces, yeah? These big brothers here have some business with that old lady, so you’d better behave yourselves.”
Off to one side, the bearded man pressed his tattooed face close to theirs and calmly admonished them.
The way he kindly patted their shoulders looked extremely natural.
And just like that, the situation was resolved in an instant, and as the ruffians fled, the area fell quiet.
Meanwhile, the old woman whose collar had been grabbed was, at some point, calmly sitting on a chair placed in front of her house, looking at them.
“Kekekeke… What brings southern-born barbarians all the way here?”
“Come now, barbarians? If you say things like that these days, southerners will throw stones at you, old lady.”
“No matter how I look at him, that one there is the very model of a barbarian. What nonsense are you spouting? He looks exactly like the ones I saw when I was young. Huhuhu…”
“Urgh, that man is, well… sigh. More importantly, why else would a warrior seek out a shaman? We came to have an inscription carved.”
The bearded man, who had been about to say something, let out a sigh and quickly brought up the main point.
There was no way to make an excuse for that outfit.
“Hmm, one of you seems to be quite a seasoned warrior. The other is dressed as the very model of a southern warrior, but he doesn’t have a single inscription on his body. As you know, not just anyone can carve inscriptions… hm?”
As the old woman continued speaking, she slowly closed and opened her eyes, then swept her gaze over them with a strange light in her eyes.
Then, the moment that gaze turned toward Harley, doubt surfaced on her face, which had remained calm all along, and it soon changed into an uneasy expression.
“What is this? This monster?”