#70
Engraving (3)
The second day since the two burly men had visited.
*Slurp—*
"Phew..."
The old woman sipped her warm tea and leaned back against her chair.
Meeting warriors from the South after so long and preparing to engrave marks upon them stirred up fresh emotions in her.
Truthfully, she wondered if one of them was truly a Southerner, but she had no need to concern herself with such matters.
Everyone had their own circumstances, after all.
Was she not the same?
‘Maraki...’
It had been well over ten years since she left the South and settled here with her only son.
Her son, who had been a promising warrior, had made quite a name for himself as a mercenary and was smoothly establishing his place in the city.
But one day ten years ago.
Her son, who had headed to the Northern mountain range as usual, never returned...
Since then, she had remained here alone.
‘I had planned to live quietly here until I died.’
Though she couldn't leave Tarak due to lingering attachment, she had lived long enough and no longer held any will to live.
Moreover, since she lived in a remote residential area within the city, she had not encountered anyone from her homeland all this time...
"Granny! We're here!"
"Hahaha—! We brought some meat to help the old lady regain her strength! Eat your fill and perk up!"
A raucous noise came from outside.
The old woman chuckled and rose from her seat, heading toward the door.
It was an unexpected connection with young warriors, but truthfully, she didn't entirely hate it.
...Because they reminded her of the son she could no longer see.
"Meat, my foot. My teeth are weak, so I can barely chew."
She grumbled complaints for no real reason, but a small smile hung at the corners of her mouth.
***
After a bout of a meat party, preparations for the engraving procedure began.
They had prepared the tenderest meat possible, considering the old woman's dental health, but she had eaten far more than expected.
‘They say most Southerners are carnivores and big eaters...’
No matter how old she was, it seemed the blood of a Southerner didn't just disappear.
"Whew— eating meat after so long gives me some energy. The meat is tender too; quite a high-quality product. Hehehe..."
"Hahaha! I picked it out with special care since I'm asking for your help today."
"Don't worry, lad. Seeing your sincerity, I'll be sure to do a good job for you."
All sorts of bizarre things were prepared: shamanic tools including needles made from ground monster bones, and an unidentified liquid processed by mixing ogre blood with medicine.
"You lie down over here... And since that furry one will be a distraction while I concentrate, it would be better for him to wait outside. If anyone comes for treatment, tell them to come back after half a day."
"Don't worry, Granny. I'll send them away nicely."
The bearded man nodded trustworthily and headed out the door.
"Tsk... tsk. I wonder if we're not just frightening the neighbors for no reason."
The old woman clicked her tongue lightly and shook her head, turning her gaze to Halli lying atop the workbench.
"My, my. That lad certainly has a large frame. This won't be an easy task."
An engraving had to be carved in set positions at set proportions.
The larger the body, the wider the area, so more materials were needed and the shaman had to work harder.
Of course, since the engraving's effects grew stronger proportionally, warriors tended to prefer building up their physiques.
"Well now, it's my first time engraving a Great Warrior without having done a Warrior first. Tsk tsk tsk..."
The positions where the two engravings were carved were identical.
The 'Warrior's Engraving' was a blazing flame pattern starting from the heart and reaching to the neck, and the 'Great Warrior's Engraving' was a more complex pattern drawn atop it.
"Then I'll begin. Bite down on this."
"Hm? I don't need it, old lady. Just start right away!"
"Hehe... It will hurt quite a bit. Why not bite down now rather than regret it later?"
"Hahaha! That's needless worry. To a true warrior, pain is nothing!"
Pain had been meaningless to him from the very start, so he coolly refused the wood chunk the old woman offered.
Since he spoke so definitively, she stopped insisting and immediately began the engraving procedure.
"Phew..."
With a small sigh, the engraving carved on the old woman's face began to glow with a faint light.
It was the 'Shaman's Engraving' she had received from her master while apprenticing under him.
The bone needle in her hand was dipped deep into the dark red liquid and pulled out.
And it was immediately stabbed toward Halli's heart...
"Huh?"
The needle remained atop his chest muscles, not penetrating in the slightest.
"Oh my, his skin is so tough the needle won't go in!"
"Oh?"
It was an unexpected obstacle.
His monstrous body no longer sustained scratches from attacks that didn't contain a certain amount of energy...
While he was bewildered, the old woman clicked her tongue and rolled up her sleeves.
"Never mind! I'll handle it, so lie still. Tsk... If I hadn't eaten that meat, I wouldn't have been able to muster any strength at all!"
Then the old woman's engraving shone even brighter, and a hazy energy enveloped the bone needle.
Several hours passed.
The procedure proceeded quietly without any particular incidents.
***
《The individual has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. Acquires the skill [Kalkos-style Combat Engraving].》
The moment the final needle stitch pierced below his chin, vitality surged throughout his entire body.
And Halli immediately realized what had happened.
A portion of the bio-energy dormant in his muscles and bones was being sucked into the completed engraving, activating all his physical abilities at once.
‘Amazing. It's far more efficient than strengthening myself with [Bio-Aura].’
If he added aura to the engraving on top of this...
Halli, who had to act immediately whenever an idea came to mind, put it into practice right away.
The 'Great Warrior's Engraving' with its splendid flame pattern carved on his chest gradually turned red and began to blaze as if truly burning.
And...
"Uwoah—!"
A faint heat haze rose from his entire body.
When he clenched his fist, a brutal cracking sound leaked out.
‘At this level, could I beat an ogre bare-handed without even using [Physical Transformation]?’
Halli, who had been ecstatic, soon came to his senses and looked back at the old woman.
She had slumped down on the spot the moment the procedure ended, gasping for breath.
"...What a tough bastard. To think you wouldn't let out even a single groan. Are your nerves paralyzed or something?"
"Old lady, are you alright?"
"I merely overexerted myself and grew tired. It's been over ten years since I last performed an engraving procedure, so I suppose I pushed myself too hard."
Seeing her pale face drenched in sweat made Halli feel uncomfortable.
She was quite advanced in age, yet it seemed she had exerted a tremendous amount of strength to pierce his tough body.
‘There are still many engravings left to carve, so it's problematic if she's already in this state...’
He became convinced that he couldn't just leave her like this.
She needed to be fed meat three times a day and healthy foods good for the body, and her stamina had to be improved through regular exercise and stress management.
"Old lady..."
"I need to rest now, so get out. At this rate, I'll die."
The old woman staggered to her feet and flopped onto the bed.
It seemed he would have to bring it up later when he had the chance.
He placed the pouch containing the remaining balance on the workbench and went outside, where he saw the bearded man dozing off in a chair.
"Yo~ Turaba!"
"Uh... uhn? Halli? Is it over?"
At Halli's call, the bearded man rubbed his eyes and stood up, turning to look at him with wide eyes.
"O-ohhh—! Is that the Great Warrior's Engraving!"
"Fuhahaha!"
That Southern warrior exclaimed repeatedly, gazing at Halli with eyes full of admiration.
It wasn't the simple flame pattern that warriors had, but a magnificent, vividly blazing flame extending from his chest to his neck, fully exposed upon his bare upper body.
‘Ah! So that's why!’
And Halli realized.
Why the previous generation of Southern warriors had insisted on such attire.
‘It wasn't just to show off their muscles, but to display the engravings they possessed as well!’
It was the result of a complex combination of regional, ecological, and cultural factors, but such elements were of no concern to Halli now.
Puffing out his chest and swaggering down the street, he felt—perhaps it was his imagination—even more admiration in the gazes of those around him than before.
"Turaba, the engraving's effects are this good, so why do only Southern warriors use it? It doesn't seem like the technique is that strictly guarded."
If a shaman with the technique could leave the South freely, that meant it could be leaked at any time if one wished.
Yet he had never seen people from other regions using engravings.
"Well, it's because of the side effects. The conditions are quite demanding in many ways. Above all, the constant drain on vitality is significant."
Vitality was continuously drained from the moment it was engraved.
Of course, the strengthening effects were better than that cost, but the amount each person could endure varied individually.
"Southerners are born with strong vitality by nature. That's why it suits us."
People from other regions found it more efficient to concentrate on training their aura and strengthening their bodies when needed, or so it was said.
That was why Southern warriors were said to be somewhat lacking in handling aura...
"Is that so. Well, it doesn't matter to me, now a proper Great Warrior of the South! Wahahaha—!"
"Exactly! My friend is a Great Warrior! Kehehe!"
"Pahaha!"
"Kuhuhul!"
The laughter of the two men echoed through the alleyway.
Of course, no one dared to complain about their behavior.
***
"Ah! Lord Heinrich! Is it alright for you to be up already?"
"Ahaha, I'm fine as long as it's just light walking. Truthfully, I could have gotten up earlier, but the healing priest in charge is very strict."
"Still... wouldn't it be better to be careful until you are fully healed?"
Heinrich chatted pleasantly with the Saintess, who spoke with a worried expression.
His condition had improved considerably, and he was now permitted to go outside the treatment room.
Today happened to be an important day as well, so the timing could be considered fortunate.
"Today is the day the Elven Kingdom's delegation departs. Given our ties, shouldn't I see them off?"
The elf delegation, which had gone through many twists and turns, was finally returning to their homeland.
Heinrich had many ties with their leader, Rapori, so it was good to show his face one last time.
Once they parted like this, it would be difficult to meet again.
‘It was a peculiar case to begin with, for a High Elf to personally lead a delegation.’
They were in positions leading an entire race, so unless it was a special case like this, they would never leave the World Tree's side.
As they were conversing in front of the Gate, the elf delegation entered under the guidance of a priest.
Two more had been added to the group besides Rapori and the delegation.
The High Elf candidate Cecily... and the elf Harris, who had come at Halli's introduction.
"Lord Heinrich. I heard you were badly injured; is it alright for you to come out like this?"
"Ah, I am truly fine. Lady Rapori."
Farewells were exchanged between the Order and the delegation here and there.
Since they had stayed for quite some time, many had become close, so it took considerable time, but before long, the moment of true farewell arrived.
*Wuuuung—*
"Then we shall take our leave. We will not forget the hospitality the Order has shown us."
"We hope both sides maintain a good relationship going forward. Then, farewell..."
With the final farewells from Saintess Riesta and Rapori, the elf delegation disappeared into the blue vortex of the Gate.
They would now travel over several days to the eastern end of the continent, and from there use their own means to cross over to the Enamel Continent.
Together with Harris.
Like an explorer with a new continent before him, his heart pounded.