Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Drasha's Festival (2)
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Harris scanned his teammates as he headed toward the stage.
'Good, everything's perfectly prepared.'
Thanks to their passionate efforts, all preparations were already complete.
The shy female team member, Curie, showed a moment of tension, but thanks to the Melody of Harmony they'd acquired, they'd cleared the immediate hurdle.
As long as they avoided mistakes at the start, they'd naturally immerse themselves in the music afterward—no need for major worries.
'I tried it just in case, but it's a relief the skill applies even to plain speech.'
Melody of Harmony was a classic bard skill that infused music with all sorts of positive effects.
Not just making it more pleasant to the ear, but amplifying the energy in the sound and layering on various buffs.
It was probably the elves' racial traits shining through again this time.
Harris, now an elf, had a voice that sounded almost like singing even when he just spoke.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 👤 Entity Name: Harris 🧬 Race: Elf 🔗 Common Traits: Mind Hub, Persona, Super Recovery, Clear Mirror Still Water 🌿 Entity Traits: Child of the World Tree, Spirit Arts, Nature Affinity, Fairy Spellcraft, Melody of Harmony 📝 Special Notes: Contracted with lightning, fire, wind, and sound spirits. Natural power rising sharply due to various factors and high affinity. Excessively synchronized with nature due to nearby World Tree. He'd also realized something else during the past few days of song practice.
As long as he stayed near the World Tree, there was no fixing his chronic lethargy.
'Must be because of Child of the World Tree.'
Songs had some effect, as he'd learned in Spirit Arts class.
But it never lasted long—that was the problem.
Without musical stimulation, he felt like slumping over like a plant, which was a bit annoying, but the growth acceleration and other benefits made it worthwhile.
He could always move freely if he put in a little effort, like now.
"Next! Please come up to the stage."
At that moment, the academy students ahead of them stepped down, and the stage announcer called their group.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Timur, levitating his heavy drum set in the air, bounded onto the stage with excitement.
Curie took a deep breath, visibly calmer, and followed him. Shaphiron strode up with her usual haughty gait.
Harris watched them, a smile playing on his lips.
'Perfect. Time to crank Melody of Harmony to max and hammer the essence of Earth's modern music into these otherworld elves' heads.'
Thus began Harris's sole invasion of Earth's culture into Drasha, capital of the Elven Kingdom.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The buzz of the crowd—
~♪
The festival was in full swing, with dazzling spectacles popping up all over the capital.
Proud of their culture, the Elven Kingdom's residents pulled out all the stops, showcasing not just artworks like paintings and sculptures, but practical items like clothing and carpets too.
"Ah! Lady Lafory, Lady Cecily, you've arrived?"
"Hello. We heard about the Drasha Academy performances here and came to see."
"Welcome! Sharphiron's turn is coming up soon. This way, please."
"Oh, it's not just about my daughter... One of the friends I sponsor is performing with her. Someone Cecily knows too. Haha..."
Cecily, her star-shaped pupils sparkling, followed Lafory while glancing around excitedly.
Having awakened from the aftermath of her enlightenment, she was touring the festival with Lafory.
Born in a small elf village on the Ion Continent, where she'd lived surrounded only by nature, this lavish event was a first for her.
And it was all for her celebration, no less.
Even on the second day, the city brimmed with astonishing wonders everywhere.
~♪
Clap clap clap—!
As the students finished their dance and song and left the stage, the thrilled Cecily clapped wildly.
"As expected of the Elven Kingdom! Back home, it was just simple dances and songs. This is so cool!"
Then, the next group took the stage—Harris's team, each holding instruments, including a massive something floating in the air.
"What a unique instrument... Ah! It's Harris!"
Her eyes lit up as she spotted him amid the drums and cymbals woven from plant branches.
After all their time together, seeing him again felt great.
"Wow... Harris has grown so much. If I hadn't become a High Elf, he'd have passed me ages ago."
Lafory slowly nodded as Cecily admired him preparing the stage.
Harris's growth did seem exceptional even to him.
'His natural power absorption is outstanding, but he's gotten even stronger since last I saw. Already contracted with four spirits—one quite rare...'
But those thoughts vanished the moment Shaphiron took her place on stage.
Seeing his daughter hard at work brought only a gentle smile to his face.
Then Harris stepped forward after exchanging glances with his team and spoke.
"We've prepared something a bit different—a song from my homeland. It might feel unfamiliar to you all, but..."
His low voice, amplified by the wind and sound spirits, spread everywhere, captivating the audience's ears.
Even passersby turned their heads instinctively. Before the performance even began, it drew all eyes.
"...Let's begin."
Amid the crowd's anticipation, their show started.
~♪
It opened with heavy string plucks, followed by heart-pounding drums and sharp instrument cries.
The unfamiliar music had the audience tilting their heads.
'What is this? This music?'
As confusion spread at the unheard sounds—
"To~ the endless white sandy beach~♪"
Harris's powerful voice swept through the venue on the wind.
Everyone within its reach fixed their gaze on him.
"Hm?"
"What's this?"
Elven songs were mostly lyrical and gentle.
Their aversion to noise had shaped their music's evolution.
They'd heard upbeat tunes before, but none truly satisfied.
Dwarven rowdy anthems were outright despised, solidifying their biases over time.
But this was no mindless racket.
Perfectly restrained dynamics, meticulously controlled tempo.
And the natural power in Harris's voice forced synchronization, stirring hearts grown complacent in familiarity.
"Wow..."
Even High Elves Lafory and Cecily felt it.
'Impressive. Such synchronization power. I never knew he had this talent.'
Unlike Cecily bobbing her shoulders with shining eyes, the seasoned Lafory analyzed calmly while enjoying.
'Lyrics about... a journey to find oneself.'
Harris had wandered the continent as a mercenary since youth.
Through trials, he'd reached the Elven Kingdom, but his essence was freedom.
The lyrics oddly mirrored his current life.
~♪
As everyone got sucked into his voice, thick mist had blanketed the stage floor unnoticed.
The white vapor pooling only at their feet made it seem like they stood on clouds.
"Ho, using spirits like that..."
And more: dazzling light spirits sparkling overhead, various others...
Whoosh—
Fire pillars erupting from the ground.
Pure spectacle.
"Wow!"
"Ooh—!"
Elves who'd nodded quietly before now swayed uncontrollably.
"I'll find my dreams there~♪"
Spirits communed with them surged with presence, natural power around them raging in harmony with the music.
Performers, audience, spirits—all lost in the song's emotion.
'Such resonance.'
Lafory marveled again.
Centered on Harris, it soared, influencing their spirits.
Something set it apart from normal communion.
~♪
As the final note faded—
Clap clap clap clap—!
"Woooah—!"
"Whoa! So fresh, but awesome!"
A torrent of applause and cheers poured onto the stage.
The music had immersed them too deeply for any rejection.
"Wow! What music is this?! The Elven Kingdom is amazing! First time hearing anything like it!"
Cecily gushed, cheeks flushed from the thrill.
"...Actually, it's new to me too."
"Huh?"
"Hahaha—"
Lafory could only chuckle at her puzzled look.
He was the most curious about it himself.
'I've lived long and heard plenty of Ion Continent music, but this? Never.'
The structure screamed refined tradition, leaving him baffled.
'Not like it dropped from another world.'
He shook his head as they bowed and exited.
Others hadn't noticed, but it went beyond resonance.
'While listening and enjoying... my inner energy flowed smoother. Subtle, but for nonspecific listeners, via music alone...'
Lafory smirked.
Potential, sure—but this exceeded expectations.
'This'll make waves.'
The central square drew crowds with its unnaturally clear, far-reaching sound.
New music forcibly imprinted in their minds.
The venue stayed abuzz even after, chaotic with murmurs.
Just as planned, the cultural invasion rippled through their hearts.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Southern Ion Continent.
Deep underground in a wasteland far from the tribal federation of Karkos lay a hidden lair.
The vast stone chamber, impossibly large for dug-out space, brimmed with arcane spells.
Magic circles and barriers etched floor to ceiling, altars, magical tools, ritual implements.
A dozen hooded figures entered the eerie space and quietly surveyed it.
"Preparations?"
"Nearly done."
A burly man's voice got a gloomy reply from a frail elder.
"Good we dodged the Church's eyes. Those nosy bastards lately were annoying."
"...Took some doing."
The Immortal King's sudden return had the Church of the Main God on edge like disturbed wasps, complicating things.
Their decades-long scheme nearly exposed.
How he'd infiltrated the holy cathedral was beyond them, but they'd repelled him—though that alone heightened the Church's alert.
The Church hushed it up, but their gifted ally uncovered the truth.
"No regrets?"
"None. If we can shatter this world, I don't care."
The ritual's leader would end up worse than dead, but his worldly rage overrode that.
"With the Immortal King revived, a little nudge and he'll handle the rest. Kehkehkeh..."
"Hm... Yeah. Seems capable. No idea where he's hiding now, though."
The burly man eyed the cackling elder.
Once the ritual completed, peace would shatter into greater chaos.
The Immortal King, bent on continental death, wouldn't ignore the opportunity.
His actions would aid their plans immensely.
The hooded ones exchanged glances.
Time was almost up.
"To defy the heavens."
"For the oath."
The true forces of evil quietly stirred in the shadows.