Customization (3)
“Hoo… As expected, it’s very high-quality pepper, just as the rumors said. The processing is also neat.”
“The evaluations from those who have used it directly are also very good. Even the high-ranking individuals are supposedly very satisfied.”
“At this rate, if we sell it well, it’ll not only be profitable, but also help in building connections.”
Hubert’s business was progressing smoothly.
Even though the price for the pepper brought in the Spatial Dimension Magical Equipment was considerably high, it sold out in an instant.
Sending samples to a large local merchant early in the pepper sales and establishing various relationships worked in their favor.
‘Of course, during that time, I also used Harley’s services to ensure the other side wouldn’t act recklessly.’
The official gratitude delivered to the mercenary guild through the church greatly boosted Harley’s fame.
As he became famous, the instances of trouble also increased, but that was just a new form of marketing.
‘If someone had the guts to pick a fight with that savage-looking Harley, they must have been somewhat famous themselves. And he took them down with his bare hands…’
Harley became a renowned figure in the Tarak mercenary scene.
Naturally, his association with Hubert gained attention as well.
‘Good products, reasonable prices, limited stocks for marketing, and the added trust of a celebrity’s name. It’d be strange for this not to succeed.’
Thanks to Harley, external interference could also be blocked.
Large factions like the big local merchants had to maintain connections with the church.
Through their connections, they learned that Harley was indeed receiving attention from the upper echelons of the church and naturally brushed aside any thoughts of meddling with Hubert’s association.
From their perspective, it would be more detrimental to offend the church over swallowing a small business.
And those on the outside who lacked such information were…
“Cough… p-please forgive me…”
In a dark alley.
Menacing figures lay scattered everywhere like trash.
“Harley, this guy is asking for forgiveness?”
A bulky man with tattoos on his face grabbed a lowlife by the collar and shook him.
“Forgiveness? How could these bastards have looked down on us so much that they’re asking for forgiveness now?”
“Scum like these should have been crushed from the beginning so they never crawl back up, you know? I’ll show you how it’s done.”
The first to react to his words, before Harley, were two other tattooed brutes.
Once rivals, they had now grown close like brothers—the southern warriors.
The biggest of them, Ru-wang, with a scar by his eye, Dao, and the hairy Turaba were putting a beating on the lowlifes trying to mess with Harley’s Hubert Association.
‘Of course, I don’t drag them around for free. We’re making a lot of money, so there’s no need to skimp here.’
Having a workforce that could be trusted and acted freely was a gain in itself.
If they could pull support with just a few coins, that would be even better.
“Hmm, speaking of which, doesn’t Harley’s impression seem a bit different?”
“Right? I feel like he seems more approachable than before.”
“Isn’t it just because we’ve grown close over time?”
“Is that so?”
While they conversed casually while moving to grab a drink after finishing their work, Harley couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious.
‘I’ve been subtly changing my appearance without them realizing…’
Indeed, his facial features were subtly changing enough to be noticeably different from how they were at the start.
Having met three local southern folks, it was a great opportunity to unconsciously absorb some of their traits.
Harley’s vaguely unique face was being modified day by day to fit that of the southern people.
“Hahaha! Doesn’t that mean we’ve become close? Now I really feel like we’re brothers!”
With a hearty laugh, Harley brushed off the topic as if it were nothing.
Inside the inn they’d entered, they chattered loudly, discussing various topics.
Most discussions revolved around the southern region, sharing vivid experiences from locals—a rather informative exchange.
“…So, outside the south, it’s hard to get engravings. Most shamans don’t want to leave that place.”
“I’ve seen some when crossing paths occasionally, but you can only get new engravings if you prove your qualifications and pay the cost.”
Among those topics was the one they frequently mentioned—’engraving.’
“Sometimes, foolish ones try to get engravings beyond their means, and in most cases, the shamans will take care of it and drive them away…”
“There are sometimes those who insist on doing things their way.”
There were instances where people forcibly got engravings through threats, bribes, or deceit.
“That’s why you need qualifications—it’s not just for show.”
Engraving wasn’t just a simple tattoo.
It was a mystical art that entwined the life force, mana, and the merit accumulated by the individual.
‘Is it some kind of bio-magic circle that reinforces the body?’
An engraving beyond one’s means reportedly gnaws away at the lifespan and causes various side effects like muscle loss, vitality decline, aging, and even hair loss.
“So in the south, they don’t even recognize you as a warrior without at least one engraving. It means you haven’t even met the basic qualification of the ‘Warrior’s Engraving.’”
That was the reason why they had confronted Harley, who had called himself a ‘self-proclaimed warrior of the south.’
His bare body showed nothing but silly doodles; there wasn’t a single engraving in sight.
‘There’s nothing I can do about not being able to get one immediately. I truly hope I can get one before going to the south.’
He gulped down the drink, fitting for a manly man, and licked his lips.
As Hubert and Harley went about their fulfilling days, Harris, who had recently joined Tarak, was continuing his solitary struggles for several days.
“Hmm… I feel something, but…”
Harris, the elf avatar, secluded in the base Hubert had secured, was trying to connect with spirits through daily meditation.
He had hoped to become a High Elf, but ever since the notification that the World Tree was watching, there hadn’t been any notable changes.
‘This seems like nature power, but how do I form a spirit contract? Is my affinity still lacking?’
The mana purified through natural materials like trees was essential energy for forming spirit contracts.
Considering his initial stats and the effects from the “Child of the World Tree” and the bracelet, he shouldn’t lack in affinity, yet he couldn’t field a single clue on how to become a spirit mage.
“Should I head to a more nature-rich forest to try…?”
While he disguised his identity as an elf here by hiding, it seemed he had to step out now.
‘Just pull my hood down a bit to cover my ears. I wanted to stay low-key until signing a spirit contract…’
As a rare race in the Ion Continent, elves inevitably got caught up in various issues.
Wasn’t it the same reason that the High Elf candidate Cecily had been sold into slavery?
‘Yes, just like Cecily… Wait…’
The High Elf Laforey and candidate Cecily, along with the elf delegation close to twenty in number, were still at the Rosellia Temple.
The Inquisition Officers of the Talia Kingdom found the dwelling of the Undead King in the Forest of Monsters and revealed he had been there just before invading the temple.
Still, how he realized the moment when the temple’s defenses were the weakest remained a mystery…
‘The church didn’t suspect the elves from the start either.’
They only dispatched an investigation team to grasp the truth, maintaining a respectful attitude toward the elves as before.
‘I heard the job is wrapped up, and they’re preparing to head back soon…’
Shouldn’t it be better to get help from fellow elves than study it alone?
If he could get some advice before they left, it would be magnificent.
‘Alright. That’s a good idea.’
Harris hurriedly stood up and threw on a robe.
And boldly headed toward the Tarak Shrine.
As he approached his destination, a massive figure lumbered out from a nearby alley.
In stark contrast to Harris’s slender build, the man approaching had a large and imposing stature.
The imposing figure approached, and Harley seamlessly joined him, both heading toward the shrine.
Having stepped away from the southern warriors to help Harris, they soon arrived at the shrine side by side.
“Hmm? Is that you, Harley? What brings you here… Do you have some business to attend to?”
The zealot guarding the shrine’s entrance recognized Harley, due to his incredibly unique appearance.
“Haha! I was hoping to ask for some assistance. I’d like to convey a message inside!”
And so, the conversation that took place arranged was simple.
[In the course of mercenary activities, I made a dear elf friend.
But this friend has been wandering alone for a long time and knows nothing about other elves and their abilities.
I owe him a lot, and I’d like to help somehow, so I want to introduce him to some elves I know.
So, I’d appreciate it if you could contact them and, if possible, let him use the gate as well.]
He confidently stated that he’d even gifted his somewhat awkward bracelet as a token.
His request for assistance had already received approval from above, and Harley’s story was swiftly conveyed to the elves at the Rosellia Temple.
*
Uuung—
As he passed through the gate he had already used a few times, the familiar space welcomed him back.
“Welcome, Harris. You have arrived at the Rosellia Temple.”
The high priest in charge of the gate, who knew him unilaterally, greeted him warmly.
Then he followed another priest outside.
‘It feels a bit awkward coming here with a completely different identity in a place I’ve become accustomed to.’
Once the agreement to receive help from the elves was set, he’d arrived at the Rosellia Temple after several days of gate travel, aided by the church.
As an invited guest, he was taken to the lodge where those from the Elven Kingdom stayed.
There, several elves were already gathered, conversing.
“Nice to meet you. I am Laforey Greenwood, a High Elf from the Elven Kingdom.”
As Harris entered, Laforey greeted him warmly.
“Oh, I’m Harris. Thank you for taking the time to see me.”
“Hahaha, not at all. It’s a request from Harley, and it’s for a fellow countryman, so it’s nothing much.”
After replying, Laforey looked at the bracelet on Harris’s wrist and nodded.
“It seems you are quite close to Harley. I knew he was a good man, but I was quite surprised to hear that the first thing he requested was to help his friend.”
“Ah… we do have a fairly close relationship. You could say we’re closer than family…”
That wasn’t a lie at all.
“And I understand this bracelet originally belonged to you, Laforey. I felt it was something I needed, so I accepted it, but if it displeases you, I apologize.”
“No, no. That was a gift for Harley from me as thanks, and how he uses it is no longer my concern.”
He shook his head, appearing to take it lightly.
“Rather, I am more thankful that you would use it for our fellow countryman.”
He looked at Harris with shining eyes, sparkling like stars in the night sky, quietly smiling.
It felt oddly burdensome.
“So, what you want to know is how to handle nature’s powers and form spirit contracts, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Having lived alone since I was young, I haven’t had anyone to teach me those things, so I thought I’d come to seek some advice.”
“Hmm…”
Laforey stroked his chin as he watched him intently, then nodded to himself.
‘Somehow… it feels like a bit too much intimacy? Has he sensed something?’
No matter how much he was a fellow countryman introduced by a benefactor, the peculiar feeling couldn’t be easily put into words.
As he pondered this, Laforey wore a significant smile and spoke quietly.
“Would you be interested, if you’re okay, in accompanying us back to the Elven Kingdom in the Enamel Continent?”
“Eh? To the Enamel Continent?”
“Yes, we believe we’ll be returning soon. Wouldn’t it be better than just briefly receiving advice?”
Moreover, travelling together would allow him to receive a more detailed education on spirit magic and archery, gently tempting him.
‘Elves… different race… another continent… a new adventure!’
There was no reason to decline such a great opportunity.
Just as he was about to gladly accept, Laforey added a quiet remark.
“Most importantly, it seems the World Tree is keeping an eye on you, Harris. Though you haven’t officially qualified as a High Elf yet, you seem to have the aptitude for it.”
That remark clarified his previously odd feelings.
It seemed the World Tree was indeed very interested in Harris.
