#83
Elven Kingdom (3)
“Haah… What am I even doing?”
Shapiron sighed as she waited for Harris in an open area of the academy with her team members.
He had confidently requested a day to prepare, saying he had things to arrange, but as the promised time approached, there was still no sign of him.
‘As expected of that guy… I really don’t like him.’
Harris, the man her proud father had picked up in the Ion Continent, did not meet her expectations in many ways.
Not only did his dull face make her feel lethargic every time she saw him…
‘If you’re a mercenary, that’s what you are. You run errands for a couple of coins, and if it goes wrong, you transform into a bandit right away.’
Her knowledge was based on fragments of information she’d heard only in storybooks or rumors, but at that moment, it didn’t matter much to her.
‘And he said he hadn’t been learning Spirit Magic for long, so his skills probably weren’t that great either.’
For Shapiron, who was born into a good family and had shown exceptional talent from a young age, the level of Spirit Magic equated to her strength.
In Elf society, spirits were inseparable partners, so her belief was not entirely wrong.
‘Sure, I’ll acknowledge that he barely survived in the poor Ion Continent, but he’s just a wild man who hasn’t received proper education.’
In her mind, other regions besides the Elven Kingdom with its World Tree were no different from barren wastelands.
Of course, she was aware that other continents had strong forces.
The size of the continent and the scale of their military power had significant differences.
Yet, she held deep pride in the cultural aspects of the Elven Kingdom being the greatest in the world.
Music, art, architecture, literature…
‘Of course, in fields like sculpture or architecture, dwarves are a little, just a little better… but that’s a different direction; it doesn’t mean we’re lacking at all!’
It was a mindset deeply rooted in ethnocentrism.
Having lived in a warm greenhouse, surrounded only by care and love, and having only encountered pleasant and beautiful words, it was only natural for her.
That was why Shapiron had no interest in the song that Harris was preparing.
How great could a song passed down from the edges of such a culture really be?
‘But… but why do Father and the World Tree favor such a man…!’
Thinking of that made her anger rise again.
She was a chosen one.
The daughter of a distinguished family that had been there since the founding of the country, with a High Elf mother and father.
She herself was born with the aptitude of a High Elf, showcasing that talent from a young age and carrying the expectations of those around her.
Thus, she believed wholeheartedly that she would become a High Elf.
Without a doubt, she was the center of the world and a leading figure in ushering in a new era!
‘Father’s bracelet… well, let’s say that’s acceptable! It’s annoying that it’s in the hands of that man, but he said it was a fair price, so there’s nothing I can do.’
Since it was a payment made during a mission, it would surely be compensated on a national level.
What really made her angry was for another reason.
‘…I haven’t even received that kind of attention from the World Tree! …Ugh!’
It wasn’t like she was someone like Cecily, who had already qualified as a High Elf; she simply shared the same aptitude and yet had been directly granted that by the World Tree.
‘I’m better than that man in every way…’
That fueled her jealousy, which was strong in her self-esteem.
She fiddled with the ring on her left middle finger, quietly settling her anger.
“Oh! It’s Harris! You’re late! We’ve been waiting!”
At that moment, Timer, twisting alone between the sulking Shapiron and the timid female teammate Quri, waved delightedly.
Over there, Harris approached with a backpack on his back, wearing his usual lazy expression.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It took some time to prepare. I really apologize for making you wait.”
“It’s okay! Actually, we haven’t waited that long. I was just a bit bored!”
Watching the two chat cheerily only twisted Shapiron’s mood further.
“We don’t have much time left. We haven’t even decided on what kind of stage to set up. First, can we take a look at what you’ve prepared?”
She said that and summoned a mid-level spirit to block out the sounds around the open area.
This was a gesture of goodwill.
It was just awkward for a teammate to be embarrassed in front of others.
She truly had no expectations for Harris.
Since she didn’t want to skip over what he prepared without at least glancing at it, she thought of just doing a formal check and moving on.
‘Matching must mean a certain level of ability. If he’s decent, I’ll try to teach at least some harmony to get him on stage…’
Music-loving Shapiron began to contemplate how to disguise a beginner’s lack of skill.
“Wow! What’s this? I’ve never seen an instrument like this, but it looks somewhat like a lute…”
“Oh, this is a guitar from my hometown…”
She could hear Harris’ voice preparing a demonstration with Timer, but lost in her thoughts, she paid him no mind anymore.
“Thank you for waiting. Actually, I brought an instrument, but this one isn’t enough to truly enjoy this song.”
Only then did Shapiron stop daydreaming and crossed her arms, staring at him.
To decide how to structure the stage, she wanted to check his skill level first.
“So I’ve prepared a magical equipment that records the sound of instruments. Of course, this won’t help much with communication with spirits, but for now, it’s just a demonstration.”
She was secretly smirking, observing Harris with a cold gaze.
He was holding a bead-shaped magical equipment in one hand while throwing a strap of a lute-like instrument over his shoulder.
‘…Huh? What is that instrument? It looks pretty!’
Her mind, quite knowledgeable about instruments, momentarily swayed, but she bit her lip to maintain her expression.
‘I wish I had asked earlier! …But it’s too late now.’
Having no choice but to wait for later to sneak in a question, she focused on maintaining her composure.
“The title is ‘An Adventure to Find Myself.’ It’s a song by a famous bard from my hometown named Biz, and my father really loved this song.”
After saying that, Harris summoned his spirits and activated the magical equipment in his hand, setting it down on one side.
“Then, let’s start.”
And…
-ziiiiiing~♪ ding~♪
Sharp sounds began to emanate from the magical equipment.
Shapiron furrowed her brows at the unfamiliar sound of the instrument.
She had never heard an instrument that made such a sound.
‘And the way the music unfolds… it’s unusual?’
~♪
The sound flowed from the magical equipment, mixing with the sound of the instrument that Harris played.
Every time a string was plucked, natural energy emanated, resonating with the surroundings.
And that wave began to harmonize slowly with the spirits he had summoned around him.
Amid the gradually building atmosphere…
“From the end of the white sandy beach~♪”
The song began with lively music.
The resonant energy within the powerful voice made the surrounding energy stir and tremble.
Joyful music and its magical timbre enveloped the open space they were in.
The eyes of the other teammates, who were tilting their heads at the unfamiliar style of music, began to widen.
‘Hmm? What is this…?’
And Shapiron was no different.
The music they had been performing until now was completely different in essence.
Radical music that those who adhered to tradition and formality would feel discomfort towards.
But…
~♪
In sync with his strong voice, her heartbeat gradually began to accelerate.
The cheerful beat made her shoulders sway unconsciously, and the violent sound resonated with the surrounding natural energy, stirring her heart.
‘Wait, something feels off. Is this really moving my emotions this much? No way…?’
Like spirits, elves inherently couldn’t help but be greatly influenced by natural energy.
They didn’t serve the World Tree and considered spirits as partners for no reason.
Yet, the wave of energy that started from this man named Harris surpassed the everyday bounds.
The emotions contained within the song began to spread with natural energy, forcibly blending the elves sensitive to it into those emotions.
‘Ah… how can a song move natural energy to this extent?’
Unlike his usual appearance that seemed lifeless, Harris was now radiating vitality throughout his being, intertwined with the music.
And the magnetic pull of his voice shook the surroundings mercilessly.
Emotions bounced wildly, and it felt as if an unknown force was sucking her into the music…
And… it was simply exhilarating.
~♪
Flashes of lightning and fire spirits shone brilliantly, while wind spirits roared and echoed around.
Likewise, the spirits engulfed in those emotions harmonized with Harris, sporting pleasant smiles, spreading their presence throughout.
“Oh! Wow!”
“……….!!”
Before she knew it, the other two audience members, excluding her, were caught up in the emotions, waving their hands and enthusiastically responding to him.
‘…I acknowledge the skill but still, our Elven Kingdom’s song is better…!’
As she struggled to maintain her composure, the spirits she had summoned to block the sounds began to stir slightly in response to the energy contained in the song.
It didn’t disrupt the sound barrier, but even this mid-level spirit, not summoned by her, reacted to another’s song.
She squinted slightly.
~♪
But unbeknownst to her, her ears perked up, rhythmically twitching to the beat.
‘…Listening to it, it’s not that bad. It seems to be a matter of different direction! After all, measuring superiority in art is a foolish thing to do.’
Though she was subconsciously denying her previous self, it was only a small issue in the grand scheme.
*
“Wow, the Elf’s voice is really amazing.”
Harris thought to himself as he wrapped up the last line.
He finally understood why they took such pride in their singing.
Not only the tone but even the structure of their vocal cords seemed different from humans, allowing them to freely change pitches, and the affinity he soaked up through his voice resonated with the surrounding natural energy, amplifying that effect.
‘Though it seems like it’s thanks to the “Child of the World Tree.”’
His already strong Nature Affinity amplified even more through the medium of song.
Naturally, the original purpose of bonding with spirits was very successful.
Even now, he could feel responses coming through the connection, sensing that he was on the verge of an exhilarating growth.
‘But I didn’t expect it to be like this.’
Even before coming here, he’d sung it a few times as practice, but this was the first time he fully attempted it.
With the time difference from Earth, he had barely managed to record the song with the magical equipment, acquire a new guitar, and finalize the lyrics.
“Wow! Harris, you’re amazing! I’ve never immersed myself in a song like this before! The song is unfamiliar but fun and enjoyable!”
After the song ended, Timer and Quri approached him, their eyes sparkling with admiration.
‘To think they’d react this well.’
Choosing the song had involved a lot of thought.
Since elves often take pride in sweet and lyrical songs, it seemed hard to satisfy them with a similar genre.
‘So I deliberately chose an upbeat song that hasn’t been seen in the Elven Kingdom until now.’
Though he had performed the song in a fit of anger towards Shapiron, he never thought the song would make it to the stage.
Getting the three to sync with a song they were hearing for the first time seemed less efficient than one person aligning with the other three.
He had simply wanted to give them a shock with something different and show them what he was capable of…
“Let’s go with this! If Harris performs this song on a properly prepared stage, he’ll get tons of attention!”
Nodding vigorously!
“The instrument sound can be mimicked using wind spirit and natural energy similarly! I think I can handle the drum sound!”
Timer excitedly gabbled while Quri quietly nodded beside her.
It seemed the song had firmly lodged itself in their heads as they were swept up in Harris’s emotions.
In that moment, something clicked in his mind.
‘Karma is given based on the impact on the world.’
Then what is that impact?
‘Anything.’
Positive or negative, violent or mild.
Whether it comes with force, political power, or wealth…
Or even if it’s ‘culture,’ anything is fine.
‘Dance and song are a part of the elves’ life. If I could influence that? And not stopping there, expand culture through them to the entire world?’
Given how they reacted, it was clear that resonating through the “Child of the World Tree” was definitely a talent that resonated with elves.
If used properly on a real stage, it would even be possible to forcibly lead trends.
As the main character, transforming the world not with a sword but with art.
If all goes well, it would be the most efficient way to gather Karma.
‘This is… a brilliant idea!’
Its beginning lay with these individuals.
Shaper won, tirelessly chattering in front of him, and Quri nodding in agreement beside her.
Even Shapiron, hesitantly approaching from a distance.
A deep smile slowly formed on Harris’s face.
“Now then… Let’s seriously discuss how to shape the stage.”
In that ongoing meeting, the song to be presented at the festival was unanimously decided, and the stage layout proceeded very smoothly with everyone’s cooperation.
Now, only 5 days remained until the festival.
