#193
Settler (4)
Auterica was a fantasy world filled with all sorts of magical elements, but overall, it resembled the medieval era of the West.
In this world, magic and aura belonged to a category of advanced knowledge, making it difficult for ordinary citizens to access.
It was almost impossible to encounter magic unless someone discovered an exceptional talent and became a disciple of a master, or put their life on the line to become a mercenary.
Given such an environment, public order was naturally not very good.
Monsters roamed the wilderness, scaring away even fierce beasts, so it was needless to say how dangerous it was.
Let alone now, with ‘madness’ spreading across the continent?
It was not uncommon for someone to unexpectedly lose their life in this world.
And with those deaths came the tragedies that naturally followed.
The heartbreaking reality was that children left behind without guardians now had to survive solely on their own strength.
Sadly, even at this moment, such events were occurring frequently across the continent.
But here, it was an exception.
“Hey! That’s mine! Give it back!”
“Ebevebe~ Come catch me~!”
“Kids, be careful! You’ll hurt yourselves!”
The lively sounds of children playing echoed through Chehai’s orphanage.
It was a sight seldom found elsewhere, yet here, it was just a normal day.
And on one side of the terrace in the courtyard where the children gathered.
“Sis, you came from the city, right?”
“Wow! How big is the city? Are there a lot of people? We had a festival in our village recently, and there were tons of people. Is it more than that?”
Isea, surrounded by curious little girls with sparkling eyes, gave an awkward smile.
Apparently, since she looked the youngest among the visiting outsiders, the kids seemed to warm up to her more easily.
However, in stark contrast, there was someone else who was capturing the children’s attention…
“Oooh!”
“Waaaah—!”
“Hoo, hoo— Did I do it? I really did! So, who’s next?”
Through the cheers of the boys huddled in the courtyard, the confident voice of a boy filled the air, accompanied by rough breathing.
“…Isn’t that Billy? I’m pretty sure it was…”
“What do you mean? It’s your turn, Hans! Are you scared?”
“Uuuh~ Hans is a coward!”
“N-No! I just forgot! Can I go now?”
A ten-year-old boy named Hans gulped, clutching a piece of jerky in one hand, and slowly stepped toward the overgrown corner of the garden.
Cautiously, as if exploring a dangerous area…
“Ewaaaak—!”
The boy, having barely completed his objective, screamed and scampered back toward his friends, his face pale as if he’d encountered a monster.
In the shaded corner of the garden the boy had just visited.
Hmm! A boy, who had been sitting against a tree, nodded with satisfaction while chewing on the piece of jerky that Hans had just provided.
It was an unusual bravery game the boys were engaged in.
Even though he had kept his presence almost undetectable, the wild energy that seeped out from him was still at a level daunting for young children to face.
That’s why he had chosen to hide in the corner like this, only to be turned into a plaything…
“Hahaha! Facing your weakness head-on is the fastest way to become stronger! You’ve learned how to overcome fear, so you’ll all be great warriors in the future! Hahaha!”
With that pride, he laughed heartily.
Of course, from his perspective, while the kids outside just heard a creepy voice from beneath the shadowy tree.
The next kid in line frowned, but… that too should be seen as a trial to become stronger.
And they weren’t the only ones mingling with the children at the orphanage.
Geos, who had already acquainted himself with the kids, was now having serious conversations with those who had to find jobs outside, as he had grown quite a bit.
Heinrich was seated among the toddlers like a totem, smiling gently as he patted each child’s head.
And finally, Hesperon…
“Here, hold this first.”
“Oh! Thank you!”
During a one-on-one lesson with Chehai, he greeted a woman approaching with a tray of snacks and quickly received it.
A middle-aged woman with healthy bronze skin and soft eyes.
She was Chehai’s wife, the mistress of this orphanage, and the mother to all the kids here.
This person is impressive.
In truth, money wasn’t a significant issue given that Chehai had saved up from his mercenary work and Geos had provided support, but taking care of so many children couldn’t be an easy task.
Yet, for the past twenty years, she hadn’t complained even once—instead, she had taken the initiative to care for the kids every day…
Truly, Chehai must have chosen a good wife.
“Cough, then let’s take a break for now. I’ll just go check on the kids for a bit, so you relax comfortably.”
“Oh, yes! Understood.”
With that break, Chehai eagerly sprang up from his seat and headed toward where the children were.
Since he couldn’t look after the kids while teaching Hesperon, the others had decided to take turns filling in for him.
It seemed he was slightly uneasy leaving everything to others, as he had been doing this for so long.
Hmm, unique skill.
Left alone in the room, Hesperon sipped a drink while recalling the system message from just earlier.
Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I’ve seen a growth in the “Avatar” skill without any karma. Recently, I’ve just been using whatever was given to me without much thought.
There were two ways to enhance a unique skill.
Gradual growth through deep contemplation and consistent practice, or instantly evolving it by using karma points.
So far, he had focused solely on the latter method, relying on abundant karma gains, but after this incident, it seemed he had come to understand his unique skill better and met the conditions for enhancement.
Thinking back, the last time I saw a system message about skill growth was right after Halley’s body modification was completed?
Although there had been minor improvements since then, like increased efficiency or a more flexible distribution of mental energy among avatars, a notable enhancement flagged by the system had only occurred then.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve started developing Hubert into a merchant.
While other Awakened Ones would naturally dig into skills to save every point, he had been indulged in the convenience of having an ample supply of karma.
Without contemplation of the skills, he merely relied on enhancement through the shop.
That said, deliberately not using available cards is also an issue. Well, I guess I can just be more mindful moving forward. Let’s strive to be a productive burgher.
The past was unchangeable, and as long as he realized it now, that was good enough, wasn’t it?
Chehai’s know-how wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it had thoroughly illuminated aspects he would have never thought of alone.
It was about recognizing something special within oneself that helps activate their skills, rather than the sensation of using magic or holy power.
Fully realizing that and understanding the mechanism of ability activation would allow him to move more efficiently, using only what was necessary; that was the essence of the teaching.
Since the abilities each possessed were fundamentally different, it was more akin to advice than specific techniques, but that alone was enough to significantly alter his perspective.
At the very least, this is already beneficial. The next enhancement point for my unique skill is a whopping 1.2 million.
Of course, that didn’t mean it would have the exact same effect as enhancing it with karma, but simply having more avatars was a significant gain in itself.
In fact, right now, it felt like quite a lot already but…
The more, the merrier— having more of anything can always find a use somewhere.
As he stroked his chin, he nodded gravely.
Chehai’s teachings didn’t stop at unique skills.
After observing Hesperon’s “Avatar Cloud,” he recognized it as a similar spatial-type unique skill and elaborated on the vision he had created using his “Phase Refraction.”
Whether it was to fully share his knowledge or not, he was truly the embodiment of a generous teacher.
Of course, since that technique had been restructured into one that he directly used with aura, it was impractical for the wizard Hesperon to use directly.
However, the fundamental principles it was based on carried enough application potential in other fields.
To think I could receive such high-level theory alone…
It showed just how intensely he had committed himself to unique skills since the system vanished.
Although forcing its recreation caused numerous constraints, completely tying the previously possessed generality and freedom into a ‘technique’ had to be natural, wouldn’t it?
Could I possibly use Halley’s “Biotic Aura” for this?
“Biotic Aura,” crafted from the life force possessed by monsters, had properties similar to general aura but differed entirely in its mechanisms.
Still, since it was indeed the closest resemblance to energy, it was worth trying.
Since the other party members had already given their approval, even if I can’t learn everything right now, I can always ask Geos later.
While the theory was established by Chehai, Geos had further honed it with countless practical applications, so his proficiency should not be lacking.
As Hesperon pondered over what he had gained so far and what he could still acquire, he found himself sinking into thought.
“Good job, Heron.”
“Oh, Master.”
Isea entered the room, having opened the door from the courtyard.
It seemed she had gained something as well, as a faint smile graced her lips.
Her extraordinary senses and cognitive abilities as a grand sorceress far surpassed those of an ordinary person.
While chatting with the kids in the courtyard, it was no simple task to hear and organize all the conversations taking place in this room.
Indeed, experience cannot be underestimated. I thought I was doing my best with Riley, but I still feel like I have a long way to go.
At her self-deprecating remark, Hesperon subtly turned his head to gaze off into the distance.
He was too occupied indulging in the luscious fruits of success to concern himself over any deep dilemmas.
…But, Master? When will you reveal it…
Cough, cough!
Isea interrupted Hesperon’s question with a cough.
Just like she had been able to do, others could easily catch snippets of the conversations in this room if they set their minds to it.
Using magic recklessly at someone else’s home to set up soundproof barriers wasn’t an option either.
Well, I guess it’s about time to reveal it.
Hesperon averted his gaze from her piercing stare, grumbling inwardly.
He could have already revealed to the party that he was from another world, but she still kept it a secret from everyone else.
In fact, he had indirectly asked her about it before…
The answer he received was rather puzzling.
What does it mean to have missed the timing to speak?
If she had brought it up right after he appeared, it might have made sense, but given how much time had passed since, it felt awkward to reveal it belatedly now.
Before he realized it, time had passed, but of course, she never intended to keep it hidden for long, stating she would find a moment to bring it up soon.
…Well, that can’t be the only reason. That’s likely just a makeshift reason.
After all, during the long eight years he’d spent here, he had kept it a secret from everyone but Princess Riley.
It was natural that he would instinctively resist revealing it to people he had just met a short while ago.
Simply put, she needs time to prepare herself mentally.
Unlike Hesperon, who had already revealed his identity thanks to Riley’s mediation, she was in a different position.
Even though almost everyone in the party, aside from Geos, already knows.
No, in fact, it wasn’t just a matter of knowledge.
Compared to his secret, her secret seemed trivial.
In reality, everyone except Geos was from another world… that shocking truth!
It was amusing to see her fretting all alone, but Hesperon simply smiled without saying anything.
As Hesperon and the hero party arrived at Geos’s hometown, gaining various achievements with the help of the Earth-born settler Chehai, they were now just a week away from the second continental summit.
