MAEPG: Episode 52
Episode 52 Harley (3)
I named the new avatar I could summon ‘Hubert’.
There was much agony and conflict before I settled on that name.
If I continued to use names starting with ‘Ha’, it would limit my naming options, so I wanted to break the mold and expand my horizons with ‘H’…
…That was the useless thought process behind the name, which no one would care about.
Actually, the important thing was the skill he had.
Hubert’s initial skill was “Appraisal”.
It was a very good ability that allowed him to see information about items.
‘It really feels like I’m playing a game.’
But perhaps because his proficiency with the ability was still low, he couldn’t see very accurate information.
The level he could currently check was just the general information about the item.
‘Of course, he just got the ability, so there’s plenty of room for growth.’
Hubert, the future merchant, was tasked with preparing the items Harley would use while he was busy fighting in the monster forest.
He traveled to various cities, choosing weapons that Harley could use with “Appraisal” and entrusted a leather craftsman with processing a monster’s head.
<Black Steel Double-Edged Two-Handed Axe>
-A two-handed axe made by a skilled craftsman by hammering a heavy and sturdy black steel alloy. Durable and not easily broken, but very heavy and difficult to lift without considerable strength.
<Black Panther Head Helmet>
-A helmet made by an ordinary craftsman by processing the head of a Black Panther monster. Since the focus was on shaping it, it’s better not to expect defensive power beyond the material itself.
Hubert also put in a lot of effort for Harley’s full-fledged activities.
By generously reflecting his personal preferences.
And the result was…
Standing here right now.
In the middle of Tarak, the northern Aonia County of the Tulk Kingdom, located in the western part of the continent.
Murmur, murmur—
“Oh my, what’s that?”
“A southern barbarian? What’s he doing all the way here in the west?”
“Mommy— What’s that?”
“Shh, don’t look! Let’s go home quickly.”
The gazes of passersby focused on Harley.
It was the same kind of look he received from the guards when passing through the city gate.
‘Heh, this body is pretty cool.’
The admiring gazes directed at Harley.
His appearance had the power to draw attention.
A giant over two meters tall with fierce eyes like a beast.
The leather connected to the black panther head he was wearing covered his shoulders and back like a cape.
Beast teeth were strung together around his neck, and imposing muscles rippled on his bare upper body.
Unintelligible patterns drawn on his face and body with red dye, and two large axe handles protruding from his shoulders, strapped to his back.
And all he had for armor were pieces of leather reinforced with iron plates, placed on a few vital areas.
A barbarian warrior, something you would only see in stories, was here.
“Hehehe.”
He chuckled softly, straightened his shoulders, and walked confidently.
Those overwhelmed by Harley’s beautiful muscles hurriedly averted their gazes and moved out of his way.
Actually, there was a legitimate reason for his flamboyant attire, besides personal preference.
His goal was to become a hero who could influence the continent.
Fame was a big part of being a hero, besides personal ability.
A strong person known only to a few, and a strong person known to everyone.
Needless to say, the latter was closer to a hero.
Giving a strong first impression that people would never forget was also an important issue for Harley, an aspiring hero.
‘Yes, of course. It’s definitely not just for personal satisfaction.’
Harley, the hearty barbarian warrior, who had convinced himself, received the attention of those around him and crossed the main street, heading towards the mercenary guild.
Boom—!
The guild door opened with a bang, as if it would break.
All eyes focused on the entrance in an instant.
‘I was just going to push it slightly, but I didn’t consider Harley’s strength.’
He felt a bit embarrassed, but a manly man like Harley didn’t care about such trivial matters.
He confidently crossed the lobby and headed towards the counter.
“What’s that?”
“A barbarian?”
Perhaps because the mercenary industry was developed in this city,
The interior of the guild was clean and sophisticated.
Counters like those in a bank and people lining up in front of them.
Harley, who was tough but not rude, waited patiently in line behind the shortest queue.
Time would pass quickly if he did something else while waiting.
“Huff, huff.”
The person in front of him flinched at his rough breathing.
“Ahem… Come to think of it, I have something urgent to do…”
And then he muttered something and cautiously left the guild.
As if he was wary of him for some reason.
“Ah, I’m hungry because I haven’t eaten, I should eat first and come back.”
“I’m so forgetful. I forgot I had an appointment.”
Those in front of him left one by one, and the line quickly shortened, and his turn approached.
‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, people are so forgetful these days.’
He clicked his tongue and shook his head at the unfortunate reality.
But what could he do if they had urgent matters to attend to?
Harley got up from his barbell squat position, which he had been doing with two axe handles while waiting, and stretched.
‘Since I have two axes, it’s nice to use the blades as weights on both sides. And the handles are long because they’re two-handed axes.’
Of course, this much weight didn’t even make him sweat.
He neatly put the axes back on his back and headed towards the counter.
“Um, what brings you…”
The female employee cautiously asked as a muscular giant over two meters tall stood in front of her.
“Hahaha! Of course, it’s to hunt at the Iron Fortress! Isn’t this the city for that?”
A hearty laugh burst out.
This was the reason why Harley came to Tarak.
To hunt the various monsters that appeared in the mountains above the Iron Fortress, acquire more genetic information, and become even stronger.
Actually, he didn’t know much about the tribal federation and the barbarians in the south, so it was a bit risky to head there directly.
It was advantageous to impersonate someone in a place where there were no locals.
‘Once I become stronger and famous, I’ll figure something out.’
The other avatars were all busy, so they couldn’t help Harley anymore, but he was already on track, so he could do it on his own from now on.
And it was better to follow the proper procedures for fame, so he came to Tarak first to receive a request as a mercenary and enter the mountains.
There were two paths Harley had in mind.
Either become a big shot who could influence the southern barbarian tribal federation by making a name for himself as a barbarian, or become a mercenary king by building a reputation in the mercenary world as a warrior.
‘I can do both.’
Actually, that was the goal.
“Hahaha—!”
He was just a rookie mercenary for now…
And so, Harley the barbarian warrior became a mercenary and headed towards the northern mountains.
I named the new avatar I could summon ‘Hubert’.
There was much agony and conflict before I settled on that name.
If I continued to use names starting with ‘Ha’, it would limit my naming options, so I wanted to break the mold and expand my horizons with ‘H’…
…That was the useless thought process behind the name, which no one would care about.
Actually, the important thing was the skill he had.
Hubert’s initial skill was “Appraisal”.
It was a very good ability that allowed him to see information about items.
‘It really feels like I’m playing a game.’
But perhaps because his proficiency with the ability was still low, he couldn’t see very accurate information.
The level he could currently check was just the general information about the item.
‘Of course, he just got the ability, so there’s plenty of room for growth.’
Hubert, the future merchant, was tasked with preparing the items Harley would use while he was busy fighting in the monster forest.
He traveled to various cities, choosing weapons that Harley could use with “Appraisal” and entrusted a leather craftsman with processing a monster’s head.
<Black Steel Double-Edged Two-Handed Axe>
-A two-handed axe made by a skilled craftsman by hammering a heavy and sturdy black steel alloy. Durable and not easily broken, but very heavy and difficult to lift without considerable strength.
<Black Panther Head Helmet>
-A helmet made by an ordinary craftsman by processing the head of a Black Panther monster. Since the focus was on shaping it, it’s better not to expect defensive power beyond the material itself.
Hubert also put in a lot of effort for Harley’s full-fledged activities.
By generously reflecting his personal preferences.
And the result was…
Standing here right now.
In the middle of Tarak, the northern Aonia County of the Tulk Kingdom, located in the western part of the continent.
Murmur, murmur—
“Oh my, what’s that?”
“A southern barbarian? What’s he doing all the way here in the west?”
“Mommy— What’s that?”
“Shh, don’t look! Let’s go home quickly.”
The gazes of passersby focused on Harley.
It was the same kind of look he received from the guards when passing through the city gate.
‘Heh, this body is pretty cool.’
The admiring gazes directed at Harley.
His appearance had the power to draw attention.
A giant over two meters tall with fierce eyes like a beast.
The leather connected to the black panther head he was wearing covered his shoulders and back like a cape.
Beast teeth were strung together around his neck, and imposing muscles rippled on his bare upper body.
Unintelligible patterns drawn on his face and body with red dye, and two large axe handles protruding from his shoulders, strapped to his back.
And all he had for armor were pieces of leather reinforced with iron plates, placed on a few vital areas.
A barbarian warrior, something you would only see in stories, was here.
“Hehehe.”
He chuckled softly, straightened his shoulders, and walked confidently.
Those overwhelmed by Harley’s beautiful muscles hurriedly averted their gazes and moved out of his way.
Actually, there was a legitimate reason for his flamboyant attire, besides personal preference.
His goal was to become a hero who could influence the continent.
Fame was a big part of being a hero, besides personal ability.
A strong person known only to a few, and a strong person known to everyone.
Needless to say, the latter was closer to a hero.
Giving a strong first impression that people would never forget was also an important issue for Harley, an aspiring hero.
‘Yes, of course. It’s definitely not just for personal satisfaction.’
Harley, the hearty barbarian warrior, who had convinced himself, received the attention of those around him and crossed the main street, heading towards the mercenary guild.
Boom—!
The guild door opened with a bang, as if it would break.
All eyes focused on the entrance in an instant.
‘I was just going to push it slightly, but I didn’t consider Harley’s strength.’
He felt a bit embarrassed, but a manly man like Harley didn’t care about such trivial matters.
He confidently crossed the lobby and headed towards the counter.
“What’s that?”
“A barbarian?”
Perhaps because the mercenary industry was developed in this city,
The interior of the guild was clean and sophisticated.
Counters like those in a bank and people lining up in front of them.
Harley, who was tough but not rude, waited patiently in line behind the shortest queue.
Time would pass quickly if he did something else while waiting.
“Huff, huff.”
The person in front of him flinched at his rough breathing.
“Ahem… Come to think of it, I have something urgent to do…”
And then he muttered something and cautiously left the guild.
As if he was wary of him for some reason.
“Ah, I’m hungry because I haven’t eaten, I should eat first and come back.”
“I’m so forgetful. I forgot I had an appointment.”
Those in front of him left one by one, and the line quickly shortened, and his turn approached.
‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, people are so forgetful these days.’
He clicked his tongue and shook his head at the unfortunate reality.
But what could he do if they had urgent matters to attend to?
Harley got up from his barbell squat position, which he had been doing with two axe handles while waiting, and stretched.
‘Since I have two axes, it’s nice to use the blades as weights on both sides. And the handles are long because they’re two-handed axes.’
Of course, this much weight didn’t even make him sweat.
He neatly put the axes back on his back and headed towards the counter.
“Um, what brings you…”
The female employee cautiously asked as a muscular giant over two meters tall stood in front of her.
“Hahaha! Of course, it’s to hunt at the Iron Fortress! Isn’t this the city for that?”
A hearty laugh burst out.
This was the reason why Harley came to Tarak.
To hunt the various monsters that appeared in the mountains above the Iron Fortress, acquire more genetic information, and become even stronger.
Actually, he didn’t know much about the tribal federation and the barbarians in the south, so it was a bit risky to head there directly.
It was advantageous to impersonate someone in a place where there were no locals.
‘Once I become stronger and famous, I’ll figure something out.’
The other avatars were all busy, so they couldn’t help Harley anymore, but he was already on track, so he could do it on his own from now on.
And it was better to follow the proper procedures for fame, so he came to Tarak first to receive a request as a mercenary and enter the mountains.
There were two paths Harley had in mind.
Either become a big shot who could influence the southern barbarian tribal federation by making a name for himself as a barbarian, or become a mercenary king by building a reputation in the mercenary world as a warrior.
‘I can do both.’
Actually, that was the goal.
“Hahaha—!”
He was just a rookie mercenary for now…
And so, Harley the barbarian warrior became a mercenary and headed towards the northern mountains.
___________________
Heinrich was once again leisurely standing guard inside the Roselia Cathedral.
As expected, his last shift was peaceful.
‘They say we need to prepare for emergencies, but what are the chances of something like that happening inside this cathedral?’
It was probably close to zero.
As he was thinking that and distributing his remaining mental power to other avatars,
“Hmm?”
He felt something bustling from inside the passage he was guarding.
He was currently standing guard at the passage leading to where the high-ranking clergy resided.
It seemed like something was happening at the Church.
He was curious, but he thought he would find out eventually if it was something he needed to know, so he tried to ignore it, when…
“Ah! Sir Heinrich, hello! The weather is nice today!”
The Saintess appeared from inside the passage.
Incidentally, it was raining heavily.
“Earthworms come out when it rains. They’re so cute!”
He couldn’t understand her sensibility, but he had to respect her personal preferences.
“Yes… those long, shiny, wriggling… they’re very cute. Yes.”
“I knew Sir Heinrich would understand! You know exactly what’s cute about earthworms. It’s so adorable how those little creatures wiggle around!”
“Hahaha… But is something happening at the Church? You seem excited…”
He hurriedly changed the subject before the conversation went in an uncontrollable direction.
If it was something he shouldn’t know, the conversation would end here, but that wasn’t bad eit…
“Ah! We decided to cooperate with another force.”
It seemed like it was something he could know.
Even though the Saintess seemed scatterbrained, she was still the Saintess, so she would be careful about what she should and shouldn’t reveal.
…Right?
“We decided to dispatch High Elves from the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent. They might be helpful in tracking down the Immortal King’s descendant.”
The Enamel Continent was a small continent, only a quarter the size of the Ion Continent where we were currently located.
Most of its inhabitants were non-human races.
It could be said that the entire Enamel Continent was a non-human alliance.
“If they’re High Elves, I know they’re quite high-ranking in the Elven Kingdom… You’re saying they’re coming all the way here across the sea to help us?”
He couldn’t understand it even more because the Enamel Continent had never been invaded by the Immortal King, and the Elves worshipped the World Tree, a minority religion that barely existed in Auterica.
“Of course, they also have something they want from us, so the cooperative operation was agreed upon. The Elven Kingdom doesn’t like humans, but they have a friendly relationship with our Main God Church!”
The Elves worshipping the World Tree didn’t mean they denied the Main God.
Acknowledging and respecting the Main God’s existence and choosing an object of worship were separate matters.
Since the Main God Church didn’t reject other religions, they respected each other and had periodic exchanges.
“But it seems like it was decided recently, is it okay for me to hear this?”
“It’ll be announced soon anyway. We need to prepare to welcome the Elven Kingdom’s envoys.”
Fortunately, it seemed like the Saintess had told him after considering everything.
“And it’s okay for Sir Heinrich to know this much! It hasn’t even been a year since you were baptized, and you’re already close to bishop-level holy power! You might even reach Saint level in the future!”
…Was she really telling him this after proper judgment?
The Saintess he had experienced so far was strangely favorable towards Heinrich.
She was friendly towards those with strong holy power, but even considering that, there was a big difference compared to how she treated others.
‘Actually, it’s not bad for me. No one can argue if the Saintess told me directly.’
Still, he was worried that this innocent girl might be deceived by some evil villain and spill important information.
‘I’ll have to protect her so that doesn’t happen.’
He couldn’t tolerate anyone taking advantage of their kind Saintess!
“Ah! Break time is over! I lost track of time talking to Sir Heinrich. I have to go see the earthworms, so I’ll be going! Good luck~!”
And so, the Saintess left like the wind after a one-sided farewell.
“…Hmm, to use that ability to observe earthworms.”
He had encountered the Saintess on a rainy day before.
He was drenched even with an umbrella, but the Saintess was completely dry while squatting in the flower bed, observing earthworms.
As if blocked by something transparent, the raindrops couldn’t approach within a certain range of her.
‘And she was pouring holy power into the earthworms, healing and blessing them.’
Earthworms blessed by the Saintess.
He didn’t know how flustered he was when he first saw it.
It was a luxury that even believers couldn’t easily receive.
It was pointless to think about her anymore.
He sighed lightly and changed his thoughts.
‘Anyway, High Elves from the Elven Kingdom…’
He didn’t know what kind of variable their existence would be.
He didn’t have any information about them.
‘They won’t find out, will they?’
He had escaped the Saintess’s gaze, but he didn’t know what would happen if the High Elves, whose abilities were unknown, joined in.
‘…Should I reinforce the barrier?’
It seemed like he needed to put in more effort and mix in spells from other dimensions.
Heinrich was once again leisurely standing guard inside the Roselia Cathedral.
As expected, his last shift was peaceful.
‘They say we need to prepare for emergencies, but what are the chances of something like that happening inside this cathedral?’
It was probably close to zero.
As he was thinking that and distributing his remaining mental power to other avatars,
“Hmm?”
He felt something bustling from inside the passage he was guarding.
He was currently standing guard at the passage leading to where the high-ranking clergy resided.
It seemed like something was happening at the Church.
He was curious, but he thought he would find out eventually if it was something he needed to know, so he tried to ignore it, when…
“Ah! Sir Heinrich, hello! The weather is nice today!”
The Saintess appeared from inside the passage.
Incidentally, it was raining heavily.
“Earthworms come out when it rains. They’re so cute!”
He couldn’t understand her sensibility, but he had to respect her personal preferences.
“Yes… those long, shiny, wriggling… they’re very cute. Yes.”
“I knew Sir Heinrich would understand! You know exactly what’s cute about earthworms. It’s so adorable how those little creatures wiggle around!”
“Hahaha… But is something happening at the Church? You seem excited…”
He hurriedly changed the subject before the conversation went in an uncontrollable direction.
If it was something he shouldn’t know, the conversation would end here, but that wasn’t bad eit…
“Ah! We decided to cooperate with another force.”
It seemed like it was something he could know.
Even though the Saintess seemed scatterbrained, she was still the Saintess, so she would be careful about what she should and shouldn’t reveal.
…Right?
“We decided to dispatch High Elves from the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent. They might be helpful in tracking down the Immortal King’s descendant.”
The Enamel Continent was a small continent, only a quarter the size of the Ion Continent where we were currently located.
Most of its inhabitants were non-human races.
It could be said that the entire Enamel Continent was a non-human alliance.
“If they’re High Elves, I know they’re quite high-ranking in the Elven Kingdom… You’re saying they’re coming all the way here across the sea to help us?”
He couldn’t understand it even more because the Enamel Continent had never been invaded by the Immortal King, and the Elves worshipped the World Tree, a minority religion that barely existed in Auterica.
“Of course, they also have something they want from us, so the cooperative operation was agreed upon. The Elven Kingdom doesn’t like humans, but they have a friendly relationship with our Main God Church!”
The Elves worshipping the World Tree didn’t mean they denied the Main God.
Acknowledging and respecting the Main God’s existence and choosing an object of worship were separate matters.
Since the Main God Church didn’t reject other religions, they respected each other and had periodic exchanges.
“But it seems like it was decided recently, is it okay for me to hear this?”
“It’ll be announced soon anyway. We need to prepare to welcome the Elven Kingdom’s envoys.”
Fortunately, it seemed like the Saintess had told him after considering everything.
“And it’s okay for Sir Heinrich to know this much! It hasn’t even been a year since you were baptized, and you’re already close to bishop-level holy power! You might even reach Saint level in the future!”
…Was she really telling him this after proper judgment?
The Saintess he had experienced so far was strangely favorable towards Heinrich.
She was friendly towards those with strong holy power, but even considering that, there was a big difference compared to how she treated others.
‘Actually, it’s not bad for me. No one can argue if the Saintess told me directly.’
Still, he was worried that this innocent girl might be deceived by some evil villain and spill important information.
‘I’ll have to protect her so that doesn’t happen.’
He couldn’t tolerate anyone taking advantage of their kind Saintess!
“Ah! Break time is over! I lost track of time talking to Sir Heinrich. I have to go see the earthworms, so I’ll be going! Good luck~!”
And so, the Saintess left like the wind after a one-sided farewell.
“…Hmm, to use that ability to observe earthworms.”
He had encountered the Saintess on a rainy day before.
He was drenched even with an umbrella, but the Saintess was completely dry while squatting in the flower bed, observing earthworms.
As if blocked by something transparent, the raindrops couldn’t approach within a certain range of her.
‘And she was pouring holy power into the earthworms, healing and blessing them.’
Earthworms blessed by the Saintess.
He didn’t know how flustered he was when he first saw it.
It was a luxury that even believers couldn’t easily receive.
It was pointless to think about her anymore.
He sighed lightly and changed his thoughts.
‘Anyway, High Elves from the Elven Kingdom…’
He didn’t know what kind of variable their existence would be.
He didn’t have any information about them.
‘They won’t find out, will they?’
He had escaped the Saintess’s gaze, but he didn’t know what would happen if the High Elves, whose abilities were unknown, joined in.
‘…Should I reinforce the barrier?’
It seemed like he needed to put in more effort and mix in spells from other dimensions.
__________________
And just a few days later,
When about half of Heinrich’s shift at the Radiance Guardian Holy Knight Order was left,
The envoy from the Elven Kingdom arrived through the cathedral’s gate.
And just a few days later,
When about half of Heinrich’s shift at the Radiance Guardian Holy Knight Order was left,
The envoy from the Elven Kingdom arrived through the cathedral’s gate.
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