Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Luck from Afar (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Phew... Is it all over?"
Heinrich shook off his sword lightly and glanced around.
Given the caliber of those who'd joined the battle, things had wrapped up in the blink of an eye.
Monsters perished amid a raging lightning storm as if nature itself were furious, pierced by thorns erupting from the earth.
The Judgment of Light incinerated the impure, and even the massive demon they'd summoned hadn't lasted long before being banished back to the demon realm.
So these are the top powerhouses of this continent...
Of course, they weren't the absolute pinnacle.
The Church had ten publicly known paladins alone, and who knew how many more warriors of this level—combat priests, inquisitors, and the like—lurked in its ranks.
High Elves weren't limited to Laphori either, and the Elven Kingdom might harbor others of similar strength.
But that's judging by the entire continent.
Considering the continent's vast expanse, their prowess couldn't be downplayed.
The black mages hadn't crumbled this easily on their own, of course—Heinrich bore much of the blame for their swift defeat.
These summoner specialists suddenly found a sword swinging in their midst. What could they do?
Their apparent leader, an old man, had barely managed to call forth that giant demon...
"Gah—! How did the Church bastards get here... Ack!"
The moment the demon vanished under concentrated fire, the captain of the Black Crescent Moon ran him through, ending his life.
The typical fate of an unprepared summoning mage.
"Sir Heinrich Landgard, well done. Thanks to you, we dispatched them with ease."
Archbishop Latios approached with a kindly smile, having just reduced the black mages' corpses to ash with holy flames.
"Ah, Your Grace worked hard as well. Here's the holy emblem."
Heinrich politely returned the emblem the archbishop had entrusted to him.
They'd flown swiftly from Tar拉克 to the northern mountains on the power of wind spirits.
But Heinrich hadn't known the exact location, so he couldn't guide them properly.
He could only teleport via Blessing: Leap to the space Harley had pinpointed.
Their solution: the archbishop infused the emblem with his holy power, using it to lead the rest.
And it had worked better than expected.
Heinrich's sudden arrival sowed chaos, leaving the enemy unprepared for the reinforcements from outside.
"Why not capture some for interrogation? We could uncover their backers that way."
"Unless you're an inquisitor, the rule is to slay black mages and demon worshippers on sight. You never know what tricks they'll pull. Plus, they're all under binding spells."
Fair enough—black magic had too many twisted methods.
That explained the thorough cremation of the bodies.
"Speaking of which, that elf girl over there must be the High Elf candidate."
The archbishop gazed over with a soft exclamation.
Laphori and his elven companions were approaching the small elf and the hulking barbarian.
"You were spot on. How did you know? I followed the Saintess's word, but to find her without any special blessings..."
"Hahaha... I honestly don't know. It just came to me."
"The Main God must truly be watching over you! What an honor."
The archbishop marveled again, then joined the arriving paladins for a brief prayer.
Only then could Heinrich finally head toward the elves.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Thank you. Thanks to you, Miss Cecily is safe."
"Haha! As an honorable warrior, aiding those in peril is just what one does! Don't worry about it—I wasn't expecting any 'reward'! Ha ha ha!"
"Indeed, you hold fine values."
The introductions led into a warm, friendly conversation.
Laphori didn't bat an eye at Harley's appearance.
As a High Elf of many years, he looked young but wasn't—Harley's style fit squarely within his understanding of southerners.
"Still, we can't leave a debt unpaid. Please accept this humble token."
"Oh, come on, this puts me in a tough spot! Ha ha ha!"
Harley took the offered item without hesitation, despite his words.
A bracelet of thin living wood twined with colorful gems from Laphori's wrist.
The vine looked vibrantly alive.
"L-Laphori, sir, that's...!"
A male elf beside him panicked, but Laphori waved him off, eyes fixed on Harley.
"Our base isn't on this continent, so immediate repayment is tricky. We're already imposing on the Church due to circumstances."
No promises for later either.
They had to assist the Church and might return to the Enamel Continent anytime.
"Of course, should you need aid later, we'll do our utmost. We'll coordinate with the Church on that."
They couldn't act directly from another continent, so they'd facilitate help via the Church, with the Elven Kingdom compensating later.
"He might as well have helped the Church too. I'll handle it."
Archbishop Latios, now beside them, chimed in.
It doubled as thanks for easing the Church's task.
This was the Elven Kingdom's utmost courtesy, but Harley—already connected to Church higher-ups—eyed the bracelet keenly.
Sensing this, Laphori explained it promptly.
Attribute affinity and resistance as basics, plus nature power amplification and spirit summoning bonuses.
Symbolically, it was exceedingly rare.
With it, he'd receive top treatment in elven territories.
No wonder—a High Elf's personal item.
As talk wound down, Cecily approached Harley, her magic-sealing collar removed by the archbishop, cleaned up by a female elf's spirits.
Ahem... Gluttony meant a lot of blood on my leather from the front...
No time to care in the chaos.
"I felt I owed you another thanks. You saved me. Without you, I'd be dead by now."
"Ha ha ha! Just did what anyone should."
Cecily bowed deeply.
She looked up at Harley, then flushed in surprise.
"Um... Sir Harley? Could you kneel for a moment?"
The girl, barely reaching his waist, waved from below.
"...?"
Harley crouched, finally eye-level.
"May the blessing of Great Nature be with you."
Cecily lifted the tattered panther head slightly and kissed his forehead lightly.
Whoosh—
Hm? This feels like... the World Tree's aura?
Something had settled in him, but no system window appeared.
"A High Elf's blessing—one of the rare, high-tier ones from Great Nature."
Laphori added quietly from the side, astonished that unawakened Cecily had used it.
"It's not full power yet—less than a true High Elf's. Once I awaken properly, I'll redo it right. You seem to push your body hard, so it'll help."
It boosted attribute resistance, from the sound of it.
Harley nodded gladly—always welcome.
Cecily beamed proudly at his reaction.
She hesitated, then offered the twig she'd clutched the whole time.
Drained to its last, it felt utterly lifeless now...
A withered World Tree branch.
"I... don't have anything else right now. Next time, a proper gift."
She blushed, bowing her head in embarrassment.
But a World Tree branch was a World Tree branch, even spent.
Harley snatched it eagerly—free was free.
"The World Tree overexerted through that branch, severing its leyline, but it can still purify air and clear energies. Pot it at home, water it, and..."
Laphori advised, then paused.
He eyed the branch in Harley's hand, then the 2-meter-plus musclebound beastman, scarred from battle.
"Er, after felling a worthy foe, plant it as a marker instead of a grave... Or use as kindling—hot-burning, long-lasting. That's why dwarves covet it..."
Laphori suddenly rambled incoherently.
Wasn't this guy like this before?
Relief from mission success?
Harley thanked him to smooth things over, sparing the increasingly mortified Cecily.
Earth room air purifier—perfect.
Elven farewells done, he greeted the Church members too.
Not direct parties like the elves, but they showed interest.
"Your eyes are unusual. Half-breed? Ah... sorry, none of my business."
His left eye drew notice, but they assumed some origin secret and dropped it.
"Oho~ What a fine physique. Rivals our Heinrich? Ever thought of becoming a Holy Knight and smashing heretic skulls?"
Black Crescent Moon captain's words during casual talk made 'our' pair meet eyes.
First direct look.
Harley matched barbarian image via self-sculpting; Heinrich differed sharply.
Heinrich: extreme training with Super Recovery, maxed body, earned Blessing: Strong Body, never stopped.
Harley: dozens of monsters via Gluttony, selected superior genes with Mutation and Body Modification for ideal form.
"Hmm..."
"Hoo..."
Comparing in person drew involuntary admiration.
Pity Heinrich's armor hid details.
"...What are you two doing?"
Archbishop Latios's bemused voice snapped them out.
Got too into it.
Heinrich flinched mid-flex, but paladins nodded sympathetically.
"Your Grace, it's natural for us physical types."
"Exactly! A real man needs muscle! Ah, not saying you don't, Your Grace? Heh heh."
The Church's Holy Knights were all hardcore weight-training devotees.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Thanks again. We'll stay on Ion Continent awhile, so we can assist directly during that time."
The enlarged group returned to Tar拉克 swiftly via wind spirits.
Harley bid them farewell there.
"Sir Harley, I'll be off then. Stay well till we meet again."
"Ha ha ha! I'm tough as nails otherwise—a corpse! Safe travels, miss!"
Harley vanished into Tar拉克 city.
Sharing a meaningful glance with Heinrich last.
"Hm, something clicks with that warrior? First meeting, yet they seem attuned."
"Feels like a fated bond. They'll cross paths often."
"Oho~ Can't ignore Sir Heinrich's intuition. The Church will keep tabs. Mercenary, right? We could thank him officially via the guild."
Perfect.
With trust-boosted Heinrich's name leveraged, Harley's status rose.
Church backing would aid future ops hugely.
Got everything worth getting.
A satisfying day all around.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Unlike the rush out, returning to Roselia Cathedral took half a day.
Even with aid from roadside temples, maximally shortened.
Next day after rest, another elf meeting.
"Church help let us retrieve Miss Cecily safely. Thanks again to Sir Heinrich."
Laphori's thanks opened, swiftly to the Church's agenda: tracking the Immortal King.
"The World Tree is the root of all trees in the world."
He explained earnestly how to find the Immortal King.
"High Elves borrow its power to sense energies around trees."
Scanning via trees with sufficient nature power.
Clear limits, though.
No trees, no scan; limited range per cast.
Fussy prep prevented using it for Cecily rescue.
"Scanning all of Ion Continent? About a month."
Excluding treeless zones.
Flaws, but potent.
"If he's in a wooded area, I guarantee detection's inevitable. Remote spots always have trees."
He lifted his chin confidently.
Even if missed, it'd narrow suspects—good chance.
Hm, clear trees around caves preemptively? How wide? Too much looks suspicious... Or unsummon at the right time.
Heinrich pondered calmly inside.
Barrier reinforced, but that cockiness unnerved him.
"One issue for this method, though."
Laphori continued.
So many catches despite the bravado.
"To pinpoint precisely, I need his energy signature. I know nothing of the Immortal King, so it might take longer."
Tracking dense black mana only—accuracy could stretch to half a year.
Likely sooner, but bad luck...
"If it's his energy... No worries. Though I do ask one indulgence first..."
The Saintess replied gravely.
Heinrich understood why.
The unexpected came right after.
"...Sir Heinrich should know too, this time. What we're truly fighting."
She eyed him thoughtfully, murmuring softly.
...His heart skipped.
Thought he'd got it all—but the real prize waited.