Silent War (1)
On the Enamel Continent, in the capital city of Drasha of the Elven Kingdom.
Here, there was one who had become one with nature.
‘Ah— the wind feels good, the sunlight is great, and the shade is nice. This is healing.’
Lying flat under the large tree, he appeared to be in a serene stupor.
To the casual observer, he looked like a lazy bum, but this was actually part of his training to breathe in harmony with nature.
‘Moving is such a hassle. You know, sometimes you just need this kind of time. There’s a reason people need leisure time.’
···It might have a hint of selfishness, but it wasn’t entirely wrong to call this process training, as it would help him improve his nature affinity.
In that tranquility, the elf, Harris, rolled on the ground clutching something long and wooden to his chest.
“Huuaaah… this feels good…”
Just holding it brought a warm and cozy feeling, making his body go limp.
Already prone to being excessively immersed in nature, with this object, he was reaching an uncontrollable state.
‘It’s made from a branch granted directly by the World Tree, after all.’
The branch, which he had requested to be crafted through Laforey, had finally returned to him in the form of a sleek bow.
Since he had loosened the bowstring, it was like just possessing a curved tree branch, but it had the ability to amplify various capabilities of its owner merely by being held.
Naturally, this included the nature affinity.
‘It’s peaceful. Perhaps because it’s far from the Abyss that has opened on the Ion Continent, Enamel Continent seems to be just like usual.’
Thanks to the influence of the World Tree, the effects of madness were also minimal.
It wasn’t entirely absent, but at the usual strength, it was enough to deal with.
It could definitely be said to be a blessed land.
‘Hmm?’
At that moment, he sensed someone approaching after being idle for a while.
Having become one with nature, his heightened senses allowed him to immediately grasp the presence of the other person, and Harris slowly opened his closed eyes to look that way.
As expected, the one approaching him was someone he knew very well, indicating they had business.
“Huuaam— Decibel.”
Woowoo—
At Harris’s call, the intermediate-level sound spirit, ‘Decibel,’ dispelled the soundproof barrier it had spread for its comfortable rest.
As a result, sounds gradually began to intertwine in the quiet world.
~♪
A cheerful tune began to softly resonate from afar.
Recently, a lively music trend had spread rapidly in Drasha.
He could feel the influence of the new culture that had come about through his active involvement.
Listening to the music, he slowly raised his upper body.
After lounging for a while, he felt remarkably refreshed, his desire for laziness mostly satisfied.
And just as he was stretching comfortably, someone approached him with a lively stride and spoke—
“…It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You always seem to be here; it seems you really like it here?”
The figure who greeted him with a nervous demeanor contrasting with her confident posture was none other than the elf woman with blue hair and blue eyes, Shafiron Silvesty.
‘Been a while? Didn’t we just see each other this morning?’
Since the festival performance, he had maintained a surprisingly smooth relationship with her.
They had become friendly enough to exchange greetings whenever they crossed paths.
Something seemed to have shifted in her attitude towards him, imbuing it with a rival-like quality.
‘No, she went so far as to secretly follow me around for a while to observe me.’
She was so enthusiastic about it that she even looked like a model student, sparkling eyes, jotting down notes.
She probably thought she remained unnoticed, but she couldn’t escape the heightened sensitivity of his nature affinity.
‘Still, she seemed to have calmed down recently. Looks like she has some business again.’
After her first sentence, she hesitated and merely watched him, as if gauging his reaction···.
It looked like she had come to deliver some disappointing news.
“Hello, Miss Shafiron. It’s just that I feel more at ease here. It helps me connect better with nature.”
“Y-yes, connecting, that’s important···.”
With an awkward smile, Shafiron agreed with his words as she began to fidget with her fingers.
“So, is there something you need?”
“Ah!”
Upon being prompted, she paused for a moment before carefully bringing up the main topic.
“W-we are included in the delegation for the Continental Summit Conference, right? So··· I’d like to prepare a bit…”
The Continental Summit Conference was scheduled to be held at the shrine of the Holy Church Order in Rosellia on the Ion Continent.
Given the importance of the matter, countries from the Enamel Continent would also be participating, and both Harris and Shafiron were included in the delegation’s accompanying personnel.
“Preparation?”
“Urgh… well, since it’s a different continent, things are bound to be different in many ways, right? However! As we are to represent the Elven Kingdom, even the slightest mistake could escalate to an international issue! So···”
Previously from the Ion Continent, equipped with the bow made from the World Tree’s branch and having all spirits evolved to intermediate level, Harris was more than capable.
Similarly, Shafiron, despite being the top prospect at Drasha Academy, had no external experience, like a flower in a greenhouse.
Both of them had the skills necessary to serve as teammates, hence they were included in the delegation to gain experience this time.
“You’re from the Ion Continent, so··· I thought I might ask for a little help? Of course! I’m not asking with no reward! I’ve properly prepared compensation!”
Feeling embarrassed, she couldn’t make eye contact with Harris, rambling on.
Well, even though she had improved recently, she had a history of behavior that would make asking for help quite embarrassing now.
Still, he could understand her feelings.
She would be leaving the Elven Kingdom, where she had lived her entire life, heading off for the first time towards the outside.
Specifically, towards an entirely different continent.
‘It’s natural to be nervous and want to present a perfect image.’
Not to mention, this delegation’s leader was her father, Laforey Greenwood.
‘Didn’t he say the last mission would be the final one abroad? And yet, here we are again.’
Though, with the current situation, he couldn’t afford to retire easily.
The newly appointed High Elf, Cecily, was still in training, and others had their respective roles.
Most importantly, Laforey was the one with the most experience in the Ion Continent.
Naturally, sending someone inexperienced wasn’t an option given the gravity of the matter at hand.
Of course, his own concerns were not the pressing issue.
“We are in the same group, so if it’s that kind of issue, I’ll gladly assist! …So, what’s the reward?”
Helping was one thing, but one must also reap every benefit.
*
“Hmm— perfect! This is outstanding!”
The wide workspace was filled with the latest equipment.
By ‘latest,’ I mean a workshop without automated machines, but just the finest handmade products covering the place made it look extraordinary.
Having recently been transported to this world, the Dwarf, Howard, inspected the workshop thoroughly, nodding in satisfaction.
Although Hubert had prepared the workshop beforehand, being there in person provided a different feeling altogether‥.
After meticulously examining everything for several days, he had finally completed a satisfactory workspace.
‘Whether it’s because of my Dwarf characteristics or “Artisan Spirit,” I can’t tell.’
Nevertheless, he was relieved that there wasn’t anything else needed to be added here.
“Good to hear you’re satisfied, Howard.”
“Right! This is the perfect working environment! It’s rewarding to be collaborating!”
Howard and Hubert shared a friendly exchange and shook hands.
Naturally, they were quite aware of the eyes around them.
With Hubert’s three escort guards and a few staff members from the association present, they could hardly avoid being under scrutiny.
‘For convenience’s sake in the future, it would be best to formally establish Howard as part of our association.’
Hubert couldn’t run errands for every material needed, after all.
It would be far more convenient to allow lesser staff to handle simple tasks.
‘Plus, I’m planning to visit Zaronik later too, and a Dwarf can only stay hidden for so long. It’s safer to have it openly recognized that the association is protecting him.’
The Hubert Association had already established a significant presence in Tarak, and the standing of his partner, Harley, had grown tremendously.
Moreover, with connections to the Holy Church Order as insurance, no one in their right mind would dare to touch them.
‘This is great. All that’s left is to internalize the knowledge from Earth.’
Thanks to the synergy between his characteristics and “Artisan Spirit,” the theoretical aspects were already in Howard’s mind; all that remained was to align them through practical experience.
“From now on, whatever you need, just let me know. Don’t worry about the costs. Just treat it like you would with me or Harley.”
“Yes! Understood, Sir!”
The guards and staff managing the workshop bowed their heads respectfully.
Given that they were selected talents, they should be capable of handling most matters without issue.
“Then I’ll take my leave now. I look forward to working with you, Howard.”
“A— leave it to me. I need to get to work right away!”
After exchanging farewells with Howard, Hubert stepped out of the workshop and headed towards the center of Tarak.
Having wrapped up matters at Howard’s workshop and feeling more at ease, he nevertheless knew that a merchant’s holiday was non-existent.
Although responsible for securing avatars and handling miscellaneous tasks, his primary duty was to expand the association, thus necessitating constant diligence.
‘Still, associating with the Brokoslac Clan has definitely made things smoother.’
No one could match vampires when it came to defending against backdoor maneuvers from other organizations and gathering information.
Thanks to that, the association had gained some significant momentum in its growth, making them worth every penny.
Just as Hubert strolled briskly with his escorts, he suddenly felt an instinctive sense of unease.
‘What is it?’
He stopped immediately, surveying his surroundings.
Vendors bustling with merchandise, mercenaries moving about, people hurriedly going about their business···
The same scenery as always.
Nothing that stood out as abnormal.
Yet, something felt distinctly different.
He couldn’t pinpoint what he couldn’t see, but he could certainly sense that something was off.
“Sir Hubert···?”
As Hubert stood there suddenly frowning, the four escort guards who had quietly followed him looked puzzled.
Amid the accelerating thoughts, the encroaching unease grew.
And then, he finally realized the reason.
‘Three guards?’
Seamlessly, someone had woven between the three guards standing by him.
With pale skin and intense red eyes and hair, a strikingly alarming presence.
Without anyone stopping them, they stood right next to him, staring innocently.
It seemed even the capable guard didn’t register that presence; they looked at Hubert with worry, oblivious to what was happening beside them.
“Good instincts.”
And Hubert instinctively understood the identity of that presence.
‘Vampire?’
Perhaps it was due to the influence of Heinz II.
The fact that he could sense the dissonance was likely related too.
···It was too late to realize now.
“Ah…! Cough cough!”
Blood gushed from Hubert’s nose and mouth like a waterfall.
Despite being a change happening in his own body, he could only now begin to grasp the cause.
He realized that he had been struck by an incomprehensible attack, obliterating his insides, including his heart.
“Sir!”
“What happened? Why all of a sudden!”
As he fell limply to the ground, his guards rushed to support him, panic etched on their faces.
In Hubert’s fading vision, the mysterious vampire that had been there had already vanished without a trace.
‘…What is going on? Why is a vampire after me…?’
With accelerated cognition, time felt elongated, but the event had happened in a mere moment.
Moreover, due to his naturally strong life force, he was just barely holding on for a few seconds; even Heinrich’s Holy Power couldn’t help him now.
Just as his life-sustaining thread was about to snap completely…
《You have taken lethal damage that leads to instant death. “Instant Death Immunity” triggers, mitigating the damage to a critical level.》
《Afterward, “Instant Death Immunity” will be sealed for one day.》
Hubert was revived.
