#178
Elves and Dwarves
Just like other areas in the royal palace, this place was elegantly decorated.
Hmm, hmm. Indeed.
After greeting others, Harris nodded while having a cozy conversation with the gardener who acted as the internal guide, glancing around.
Elves, by nature, favored harmony and neatness over extravagance, so it wasn’t particularly strange.
However, their tasks involved physical work, making it clear that there weren’t any special attractions here.
It was merely a rest area with a dining hall and training facilities used for rotating breaks.
In other words, it wasn’t anything remarkable enough to merit special reactions from curious onlookers.
“Um… Mr. Harris?”
“Yes? What can I do for you?”
“… Is there something you are looking for? If you tell me, I’ll guide you there.”
“Oh— No, it’s nothing. As you know, I haven’t been in the Elven Kingdom for long, so I’m still getting used to it, so you don’t need to worry.”
Seeing the gardener’s puzzled expression, Harris, who was scanning the area with sharp eyes, once again wore a gentle smile.
Though he had his own intentions, it wasn’t urgent enough to show them openly.
“Ah, I heard you came from the Ion Continent? It’s fortunate that the lineage of Elves is still strong there since the last two who awakened are from another continent.”
Harris found it difficult to respond to the gardener’s admiring words and simply smiled.
‘Honestly, I’m not sure how strong the lineage is.’
Cecily was merely fortunate enough to be saved from being sacrificed to dark mages, and he hadn’t heard anything specific about other elves either.
Of course, he never looked into it, but if something significant had happened, he would have surely caught wind of it through his various information networks.
The lack of news could imply they were well hidden in some remote region or blended in seamlessly with society.
“Speaking of which, I heard the second continental conference is about to be convened. I think quite a few people are heading over to the Ion this time, as it’s been the talk everywhere, even to us who aren’t interested in such matters.”
“Ah, that does sound right. Given the scale of the issue it’s quite expected.”
As he said, a significant dispatch of reinforcements accompanied by the Holy Church Order’s new site was scheduled for the second meeting.
To finalize the matters decided in the first meeting and to continue with a more detailed discussion.
Unfortunately, Harris wouldn’t be able to participate in this delegation.
Cecily, who had gone along previously, would not be attending either…
‘Honestly, it’s only natural. They wouldn’t send out inexperienced rookies who recently awakened for however long they want.’
If it were for experience, they might let it slide once, but they wouldn’t send promising youngsters to places of unknown danger time and again.
Especially since three veteran High Elves, including Laforey Greenwood, would be dispatched this time concerning the reinforcement and shrine construction issues.
All in all, it was not the right situation for a newcomer like him.
‘Thinking about it, Harris is at such a growth stage, he really doesn’t need to step out just yet. Being close to the World Tree is probably the most effective way to grow anyhow.’
As a High Elf, all the spirits he could handle evolved to a superior level, and the lightning spirit was on the verge of its ultimate evolution. Still, he felt quite lacking compared to other avatars.
‘Now’s the time to prioritize growth and solidify my foundation.’
And this time wouldn’t take long.
“Descendant of the World Tree,” “Nature Fusion,” “Celestial Observer,” “Call of Nature,” and various growth buffs would surely keep him busy.
“Hmm? What is this?”
Then, at that moment.
While wandering around the gardeners’ quarters, Harris finally found the place he’d been looking for.
“Oh, it’s a storage for gathering by-products obtained during work. Though insignificant compared to the artifacts imbued with the World Tree’s power, these materials are valuable as they are often used in high-grade spells.”
“… I see?”
“In fact, these are often used as rewards for those who have done great deeds or as gifts in trade with other races. Especially favored by Dwarves, they say.”
“Right. After all, they are by-products of the World Tree.”
He replied nonchalantly to the gardener’s lengthy explanation as he entered the storage.
Of course, it was a place that ordinarily wouldn’t allow just anyone in, but it didn’t apply to him as a High Elf.
“Whoa— Is all this…!”
Before him.
Neatly organized and stacked high were dry branches and piles of leaves everywhere.
No matter how one looked at it, the idea of it being valuable felt completely meaningless.
“Oh, this amount has been gathered steadily for a few years. We try to keep a certain amount in reserve for emergencies and don’t let it out too often.”
Listening to him, it seemed that this place was quite frequently used even within the Elven Kingdom, and ordinary elves could acquire small amounts of it due to a well-established system. Several locations couldn’t afford a sudden shortage.
Because of that, external trade requests weren’t that common.
‘Well, considering the World Tree’s size, this amount might be expected.’
In fact, thinking about it that way, it could even be considered a small quantity.
Thinking of the branches that spread wide enough to cover the entire capital, filling just one warehouse to the brim was less than a mere scrap.
And if this was only a few years’ worth…
‘Still, having more than enough for personal use doesn’t change the fact.’
Though it was obvious, Harris, as a High Elf, faced no restrictions in utilizing these.
“This is more than I expected. May I take some to use?”
“Of course. Normally, it would be complicated to take things out, but it’s an exception for High Elves.”
As the descendant of the World Tree and a priest, the High Elf was a communication link connected to the World Tree.
Naturally, they couldn’t impose complex limitations on them.
Though they could use it freely, the number of High Elves was so small that there wasn’t much concern about it.
The worst they’d use it for was probably brewing tea or conducting various experiments, and with only about six of them around, how much could they really use?
So far, no one had been particularly worried, nor did it lead to a shortage of their supplies.
Yeah.
Until now.
“Um… Mr. Harris? Are you planning to use all of those?”
“Ahaha, well, I’ve recently needed them for my personal training.”
“Ah—! I see. If it’s for training… then I guess it can’t be helped. Using these will indeed help in growing one’s natural power quickly. Haha…”
The gardener, who was flustered seeing Harris diligently stuffing branches into his spatial magical equipment, nodded as if he understood.
And Harris quietly smiled, continuing with his words.
“Well then, I’ll be back to use more once I’m done.”
“Um… Yes, yes?”
With so much piled up, he couldn’t possibly be satisfied with just a few visits, right?
That said, he also had no intention of selling them off.
‘I’m not lying. I genuinely plan to use them for training.’
Still, it was essential to take just the right amount to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, ensuring it wouldn’t disrupt the kingdom’s supply.
Of course, he had to consider that the trade he did for surplus would likely tighten in the future.
After all, there wouldn’t be any extras left to spare.
*
Thud—! Thud—!
Cheerful sounds echoed inside the workshop.
“What on Earth is going on…?”
As usual, Zionic stepped into his personal workshop and couldn’t hide his surprise at the intense heat enveloping him.
The heat itself wasn’t unusual, but the strange energy within was something he rarely encountered.
It was an unsettling vibe that he had only felt a couple of times in his life.
“C-could it be!”
Realizing something, he rushed towards the furnace inside the workshop.
Next to Howard, who was lost in the moment swinging a hammer, the furnace spat fierce flames, and indeed, what he suspected was there.
“… Branches of the World Tree?”
He found himself gasping in disbelief.
No doubt about it.
The exceedingly scarce material he had once begged the village elder to give him, yielding a palm-sized fragment, was now replaced by logs several times bigger, burning brightly in his workshop furnace!
“Ah, Elder! You’re here! You’re a bit late today! Huhuhu!”
Just then, Howard, wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead, turned around with a bright smile.
Zionic stared at him incredulously, his mouth opening and closing, eventually pointing a finger at the furnace.
“H-howard? What’s… in there… now?”
“Wow, you recognized it at once. It appears I’m in the presence of the Elder!”
“No, so! You mean that’s really a branch of the World Tree?!”
With Howard’s carefree reply, Zionic’s heart raced as he pounded his chest in exasperation.
How could something so precious be found in this Ion Continent, something that even he had only touched back when he was in Titania?
“Hohoho! A friend sent it as a gift!”
“A friend? Hubert? Or maybe Harley?”
“It’s from Harris… an Elf I formed a bond with, who once adventured alongside Harley.”
“… It seems Harley can’t help but be involved everywhere. But hearing his adventure stories makes that understandable.”
Zionic grimaced upon recalling the tale of “Harley’s Great Adventure.”
“But, did that Elf friend really send a branch of the World Tree as a gift? Goodness…”
Then, as he recalled the main issue, Zionic sighed as if he couldn’t take it anymore.
What kind of relationship was it that an elf would send such a gift to a dwarf, but presently, that wasn’t the pertinent question.
‘To just waste such a priceless item! I could have saved and saved and still not have enough to use it even after honing my skills! At his current level, he cannot control that flame properly…’
He clicked his tongue out of pent-up regret.
Though it was irrelevant how the recipient used the gift, he simply felt that material was far too precious to waste.
Of course, using it like this would indeed help in skill development.
Controlling a flame ignited from the World Tree’s branches would be an invaluable experience.
Especially since Howard wasn’t a foolish lad but was rapidly growing with every moment.
‘But this is overkill! Just to save a bit of training time, he’s using something so extravagant!’
If only he had told him beforehand, they could have efficiently collaborated on how to use it best.
For a moment, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Howard might be worried he’d take it away.
“Sigh— There’s nothing to be done about what’s already used. But since there’s still some flame left, perhaps I can…”
“Why don’t you join me as well, Elder?”
An unexpected suggestion.
Howard, looking at Zionic who was lost in thought, interrupted him by casually speaking.
“Huh? Oh, I suppose with that size, it will retain the flames for several hours longer, so I guess I could at least sample some.”
His gaze turned towards the furnace, where the World Tree’s branch burned brightly.
Though only about the size of his forearm remained, given the material, those blazing flames would last several more hours.
“… Tsk, but doing it in an unprepared state will probably just leave me with regret. I won’t, so Howard, you just finish up your work! Don’t waste time over guilt.”
Zionic turned away, doing his best to suppress his regrets.
Of course, who wouldn’t feel a twinge of desire? But knowing Howard could benefit from this, he wished him to grow just a little more.
“Oh, is that what you meant? That’s fine! There’s plenty left!”
However, the reply he received from Howard was completely unexpected.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Hahaha! A good thing happened for that friend! So he packed a lot for me to use! Come on, Elder, there’s no need for you to resist! Come here!”
As Howard dragged Zionic along, he stood bewildered, now holding several enormous branches of the World Tree.
He reflected on how, after all his petty antics to obtain a palm-sized piece from the village elder…
What on earth were these robust logs cradled in his arms?
Sniff—
The rich aroma of the dry wood wafted forward.
As expected of branches from the World Tree, its fragrance was indeed extraordinary.
“… Hmmm, then… should I give it a try?”
At that moment, the creativity dormant within him began awakening.
He had been forcibly holding back for Howard’s sake, but if there’s this much, then he surely didn’t have to resist anymore!
“I was also lacking, so I wanted to see your technique! Teach this inexperienced junior! Hohoho!”
“Ahaha! What a blessing you are, Howard! Alright, then! Let’s work hard through the night!”
Zionic felt the warmth of camaraderie for Howard swell within him as he quickly got ready to work.
Now, nothing could stop him from what lay ahead!
Thud—! Clang—! Thud—! Clang—!
Afterward, within the harmonious workshop, the rhythmic sounds of forging continued through the night as…
A young dwarf began to grow in proportion to the excitement around him.
