Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Misfortune Upon Misfortune (2)
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A cool breeze blew refreshingly, wrapping his body in warm, cozy air.
Is this how it feels to be a baby in its mother's womb?
The absolute sense of security and fulfillment surrounding him without a single gap tempted him fatally.
If he could just pull himself together and steel his mind, he might be able to resist it just fine. But right now, he didn't feel the need to go that far.
In the end, he gave in completely to the allure and sank deeply into it.
And so, drifting unconsciously in that state, oblivious even to the flow of time...
"...Sir? Harris! Are you okay?"
The repeated external stimuli slowly drew his mind back to his body.
"You must be really worn out lately. I've had a feeling for a while, but it's gotten especially bad recently. It looks pretty dangerous."
"Ah..."
Harris, lying in the shade of a tree atop the hill as usual, rolled only his eyes through half-lidded lids to gaze at the one calling him.
Blue hair rippling like waves, blue eyes like a serene lake.
It was Shaphiron Sylvesti, the elf girl he'd grown close to after hanging out often due to various circumstances.
But even after he opened his eyes, he just stared blankly, so she tilted her head, then nodded as if understanding something.
"Hmm, well! It can't be easy building up the refinement of a High Elf, right? Of course, I've been educated on it since I was little, so I'd win hands down!"
She shrugged boastfully as she said it.
"Hee hee hee. You'd better stay on your toes, Sir Harris? I'll overtake you the moment I become a High Elf! I've already done image training several times—I'm fully prepared."
"......"
Of course, her delusions would amount to nothing more than hot air if the World Tree didn't choose her. But Harris, with mature restraint, didn't point that out.
...Truth be told, he couldn't even be bothered to open his mouth right now.
But the girl, chattering excitedly, seemed to interpret his reaction differently.
Suddenly, she clamped her mouth shut and glanced at him cautiously, then fidgeted with her fingers and added a few careful words.
"Um... I mean, keep it up... Of course, it's amazing you've grown that much starting from the bottom... Um... And..."
"Ahaha—"
A chuckle slipped out involuntarily at her awkward encouragement.
He'd known from their first meeting that she had a strong sense of self.
She wasn't a bad kid, just a bit immature.
Even though he'd become a High Elf first, creating some distance, she still used honorifics consistently without changing how she treated him—that was refreshing too.
His status had changed so rapidly that he had hardly any close friends here, so it was a welcome connection.
Besides, after spending quite some time together, he'd developed his own know-how for dealing with Shaphiron.
The most effective way to handle her when she looked a bit down like this...
Smooth—
Harris's hand moved slowly, passing through his extradimensional magic tool before extending toward her.
In that hand was a bag wafting a savory aroma.
Sniff sniff—
"Ah! Is this popcorn? Thanks, I'll dig in!"
Shaphiron snatched it up as if she'd never been wary, plopping down beside him and ripping open the bag.
'She takes it without a word now.'
Harris nodded quietly, watching her munch away enthusiastically.
At first, she'd seemed uneasy about accepting food, but with repetition, she'd reached the point where she naturally took it even when he suddenly offered.
She kinda looked like a stray cat he'd tamed with treats...
'Just my imagination.'
Still lying down, he stared at Shaphiron for a moment, then mustered his suppressed will and slowly raised his upper body.
"Mm."
Without the compulsion that had forcibly moved his body in any situation, even this simple motion was grueling.
Now, he had to overcome this laziness from assimilating with nature purely through mental fortitude.
Still, since his mental stats allocated to this body were far superior now, it wasn't impossible to move normally if he put his mind to it.
The problem was that any slack, and he'd slump back into laziness like before.
'That feeling from earlier...'
Sitting up, Harris turned his head toward the World Tree.
Its massive trunk filled his view like a fortress wall blocking the horizon.
'That definitely wasn't my imagination.'
When he'd been deeply immersed in nature, becoming one with it, he'd vaguely sensed something—the World Tree's will.
It wasn't clear for some reason, but he could faintly grasp its intent.
'Ah, what a hassle. But I can't ignore it.'
Staring at the World Tree, he finally forced himself to stand, drawing up the natural energy within him.
And at that moment.
Whoooosh—!
The wind swirled to a single point in an instant, and a massive, translucent bird emerged from it.
Pascal, the greater wind spirit cloaked in gales—Harris's third spirit.
"Wupnium? ...Sir Harris?"
Entrusting his body to the wind Pascal controlled, Harris floated slowly into the air, looking down at Shaphiron, who swallowed the popcorn in her mouth with wide eyes.
"Ah—something urgent just came up. Sorry, Shaphiron, but I'll head out first."
"Okay! Take care!"
With that, Harris exchanged a brief wave with the girl clutching the popcorn bag and soared toward the World Tree.
He figured he'd talk to the other High Elves first, just in case.
'Huh? This is actually more comfortable than walking? Summoning's a bit annoying, but maintaining it...'
Of course, relentlessly pursuing convenience even now was just his nature.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a space where the boundaries of the world blurred and everything mingled chaotically—filled only with the unknown and disorder.
Unaffected by such surroundings, one being strolled leisurely as if on a walk.
"Smooth sailing so far."
There was no gravity, ground, or air in this space. Even direction and time were distorted.
But such things were trivial to him.
'...Should've done this sooner.'
The man—the founder of the Oath of Reverse Heaven and apostle of the Human God—nodded as he observed the outside world through cracks scattered everywhere.
He'd laid the groundwork in advance for things to unfold this way, but he'd braced for potential disruptions from unforeseen variables...
'Not bad at all. Even the hunting dogs have started hunting mutts.'
He turned, fixing his eerie, glowing eyes on one crack.
There, a shadowy horde approached a towering colossal tree, faintly visible.
'The World Tree is the pillar and root of the Enamel Continent. If it shakes, the continent itself trembles.'
That tree, practically a manifestation of a god in reality, was undoubtedly extraordinary.
It had transformed a mere large island into the current continent, after all.
However, by rooting itself in the present world through an incarnation, the World Tree also bore significant constraints—one prime example being its far greater vulnerability to causality than other gods.
It couldn't precisely inform its servants of High Elf candidate Cecily's location for that very reason.
And that applied to other matters as well.
...Even if it was an event posing a lethal threat to the World Tree.
'Obaypo's side isn't bad either. The sudden hybrid intruders are annoying, but we've prepared for them—no real threat.'
His gaze shifted to another crack.
Truth be told, he had regrets about the vampires.
Unlike the lycanthropes, whom he'd easily swayed, they were well-integrated into human society, and their leadership was scattered in mutual discord, diluting their power.
So initially, he'd targeted the strongest faction, Ufershi. But at that time, Viscount Ufershi had only recently inherited Sacred Blood.
The young vampire, brimming with overconfidence, wouldn't listen.
'I thought I'd bound them in cooperation recently. But now they're devouring each other?'
The revolutionary frowned and clicked his tongue softly.
To him, who believed all lycanthropes and vampires in this world should follow him, the situation grated.
"...Tch, fools too dim to recognize the Apostle of the Creator."
It was a forgotten fact even to the parties involved, but they had origins utterly unlike other异種.
How could a race that couldn't reproduce naturally and only spread through infection be proper lifeforms?
They were half-breeds created by mixing human seeds brought from the outer world by the human god with humans.
Illegitimate children, one might say.
After the god was banished to the abyss, stripped of all authority and connections erased.
'...Balteon's exceeding expectations too. I worried when he brought madness along.'
His gaze swept over other cracks.
Not only was the southern tribal alliance nearing regime takeover, but ominous movements stirred within the Empire too.
Hostile factions plotting to assassinate the Imperial Princess, who'd become first in line over the Crown Prince.
If all these events succeeded flawlessly...
'The church-led order will crumble, and the current winds of cooperation will shatter.'
Viewing it all, he felt anew the regret of past plans stalled before starting. But even the current preparations were enough to upheave each region.
Especially in such precarious times, cracks between allies would make the aftermath predictable.
'If the Immortal King rampages too, it'd be perfect. The message got through, but the response is slower than expected. Thought he'd move sooner.'
Having surveyed all the cracks without finding what he sought, the revolutionary sighed and closed his two 'eyes'.
Then, focusing on his 'ears'.
He began eavesdropping on the world's sounds through the boundary.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The great city of Tarac in the northwest of the continent.
"Achoo~! Krrng."
A girl hugging a stack of documents wrinkled her nose at the sudden sneeze and hurried on her way.
'Should I grab some fritters on the way home? Rafi likes them.'
Carefree as ever, without a speck of worry, lost in such idle thoughts.