MAEPG: Episode 67
Episode 67 Customization (3)
“Oh… As expected, it’s high-quality pepper, just like the rumors. The processing is also clean.”
“The reviews from those who used it are also very good. They say even the high-ranking people are satisfied.”
“If you sell this well, it’ll be great for making connections, not to mention the profit margin.”
Hubert’s business was going smoothly.
The pepper he brought in his subspace magic tool was sold out in an instant, even though he set a high price.
It was a good thing that he had sent samples to a large trading company nearby and built connections in the early stages of pepper sales.
‘Of course, I also used Harley’s services to prevent them from acting rashly.’
The official thank-you message conveyed to the mercenary guild through the Church played a big role in raising Harley’s fame.
The number of people picking fights with him also increased because he became famous, but that was just another form of marketing.
‘They must have been pretty famous to pick a fight with Harley, with that intimidating appearance. And he crushed them all bare-handed…’
Harley, who had become a celebrity in Tarak’s mercenary world.
Hubert’s Trading Company, which had him as a business partner, also gained some attention.
‘Good products, reasonable prices, marketing using limited quantities, and credibility using a celebrity’s name. It would be strange if this failed.’
He was also able to block outside interference thanks to Harley.
Large forces like big trading companies inevitably had connections with the Church.
They learned through their connections that Harley was really receiving attention from the Church’s higher-ups and naturally gave up on interfering with Hubert’s Trading Company.
It was more disadvantageous for them to offend the Church just to swallow up a small business.
And those who didn’t even have that kind of information…
“Ugh… M-mercy…”
A dark back alley.
Tough-looking men were lying around like trash.
“Harley, this guy is begging for mercy.”
A man with tattoos on his face, as big as a mountain, grabbed a thug by the collar, shook him, and spoke to the side.
“Mercy? These bastards treated us like a joke, and now they want mercy?”
“You have to crush these kinds of people from the beginning so they don’t crawl back up again. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
It wasn’t Harley who reacted first to his words, but two other men with tattoos all over their bodies.
Southern warriors who had once clashed with him but were now close like brothers.
The three of them were Luwang, the biggest one, Dao, who had a scar around his eye, and Turaba, who had a face full of hair.
They were currently helping Harley and taking care of the thugs who were trying to mess with Hubert’s Trading Company.
‘Of course, I’m not making them work for free. I’m making a lot of money, so there’s no need to be stingy here.’
It was beneficial to have a workforce he could trust and control.
And it was even better if he could get their active cooperation with just a little money.
“Well, come to think of it, don’t you think Harley’s appearance has changed a bit?”
“You think so too? I feel like he’s more approachable now.”
“Isn’t it just because we’ve become closer?”
“Is that so?”
It was a random topic that came up while they were on their way to have a drink after finishing their work, but Harley couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
‘I’ve been changing it little by little so they wouldn’t notice…’
His face shape was actually subtly different from before.
Now that he had met three real southerners, it was an opportunity to naturally absorb their characteristics.
Harley’s slightly off face was being modified every day to match the southern race.
“Hahaha! That just means we’ve become that close! Now we really feel like brothers!”
Harley laughed heartily and nonchalantly changed the subject.
And they entered the tavern and had a lively conversation, chattering about various things.
Most of the topics were about the southern region, and it was very informative, with vivid firsthand accounts from the locals.
“…So it’s hard to get a tattoo outside the south. Most shamans don’t want to leave.”
“You occasionally encounter them in other places, but you can get a new tattoo if you prove your qualifications and pay the price.”
Among them was the topic of ‘tattoos’, which they often talked about.
“Sometimes there are idiots who try to get tattoos that don’t suit them, and in most cases, the shaman will chase them away, but…”
“There are always those who have to do things their way.”
There were cases where people forcibly got tattoos through threats, persuasion, bribery, or deception.
“There’s a reason why you need to prove your qualifications.”
Tattoos weren’t just simple ink on skin.
They were a branch of the arcane, weaving together the life force, mana, and karma accumulated by the individual, engraved on their body.
‘A kind of bio-magic circle that strengthens the body?’
Tattoos that didn’t suit the individual would not only shorten their lifespan but also cause all sorts of side effects, such as muscle loss, decreased stamina, aging, and hair loss.
“So in the south, they don’t even recognize you as a warrior if you don’t have a tattoo. It means you haven’t even met the qualifications for the most basic ‘Warrior’s Tattoo’.”
That was the reason why they had picked a fight with Harley, who was a ‘self-proclaimed southern warrior’.
His naked body only had childish scribbles, there were no tattoos anywhere.
‘It can’t be helped that I can’t get one right now. I hope I can get one before going to the south.’
He took a large gulp of alcohol from his cup like a true man and smacked his lips.
While Hubert and Harley were busy with their daily lives, Harris, who had newly joined them in Tarak, was struggling alone for days.
“Ugh… I can feel something… but…”
Harris, the Elf avatar, was holed up in the base Hubert had secured, meditating every day to try and communicate with spirits.
He had high hopes of becoming a High Elf, but nothing much had changed since the notification that the World Tree was watching him.
‘This seems to be natural energy, but how do I make a contract with a spirit? Is my affinity still lacking?’
Natural energy, mana that was filtered once through natural objects like trees and purified, was an essential energy source for spirit contracts.
His initial stats and the effects of “Child of the World Tree” and the bracelet shouldn’t be lacking in affinity, but he couldn’t figure out how to become a Spirit Summoner.
“Should I go to a forest with more natural energy and try there…?”
He had been staying here to hide the fact that he was an Elf, but it seemed like he had to go outside now.
‘I can just pull down my hood and cover my ears. I was planning to lay low until I contracted a spirit…’
Elves, a rare race in the Ion Continent, were inevitably caught up in various troubles.
Cecily, the High Elf candidate, was also sold into slavery because of that.
‘Right, like Cecily… Huh? Wait…’
High Elf Rapori, candidate Cecily, and the nearly twenty Elf envoys.
They were still staying at the Roselia Cathedral.
The Heresy Inquisitors in the Talia Kingdom had found the place where the Immortal King had stayed in the monster forest and also uncovered the fact that he had been there until right before he intruded into the cathedral.
They still couldn’t figure out how he knew the exact moment when the cathedral’s defenses were the weakest…
‘But the Church didn’t suspect the Elves from the beginning.’
They had only dispatched an investigation team to uncover the truth, so they were still treating the Elves with respect.
‘I heard they’re preparing to return soon since they’ve finished their work…’
Wouldn’t it be better to receive help from other Elves than to study alone?
It would be perfect if he could get some advice from them before they left.
‘Okay. That’s a good idea.’
Harris hurriedly got up and put on his robe.
And he confidently headed towards the temple in Tarak.
As he neared his destination, a giant figure approached from a side alley.
A large and imposing body, unlike Harris’s slender physique.
Harley, the man who approached with intimidating steps, naturally joined him and headed towards the temple.
He had left his drinking party with the southern warriors to help Harris.
And the two of them arrived at the temple, walking side by side.
“Huh? Isn’t that Harley? What brings you here… Do you have any business?”
The holy warrior guarding the temple entrance recognized Harley, whose very existence was an ID card because of his unique appearance, and spoke to him.
“Hahaha—! I have something I need help with. Can you tell someone inside?”
The story was simple.
<I made a close Elf friend while working as a mercenary.
But he’s been wandering alone for a long time, so he doesn’t know anything about other Elves or their abilities.
I’m indebted to him, and I want to do something for him, and I happen to know some Elves, so I want to introduce him to them.
So please contact them, and if possible, let him use the gate.>
And he confidently said that he even gave them the bracelet as a gift because it wasn’t something he could use.
Since the higher-ups had already agreed to his request for help, Harley’s story was immediately relayed to the Elves at the Roselia Cathedral.
“Oh… As expected, it’s high-quality pepper, just like the rumors. The processing is also clean.”
“The reviews from those who used it are also very good. They say even the high-ranking people are satisfied.”
“If you sell this well, it’ll be great for making connections, not to mention the profit margin.”
Hubert’s business was going smoothly.
The pepper he brought in his subspace magic tool was sold out in an instant, even though he set a high price.
It was a good thing that he had sent samples to a large trading company nearby and built connections in the early stages of pepper sales.
‘Of course, I also used Harley’s services to prevent them from acting rashly.’
The official thank-you message conveyed to the mercenary guild through the Church played a big role in raising Harley’s fame.
The number of people picking fights with him also increased because he became famous, but that was just another form of marketing.
‘They must have been pretty famous to pick a fight with Harley, with that intimidating appearance. And he crushed them all bare-handed…’
Harley, who had become a celebrity in Tarak’s mercenary world.
Hubert’s Trading Company, which had him as a business partner, also gained some attention.
‘Good products, reasonable prices, marketing using limited quantities, and credibility using a celebrity’s name. It would be strange if this failed.’
He was also able to block outside interference thanks to Harley.
Large forces like big trading companies inevitably had connections with the Church.
They learned through their connections that Harley was really receiving attention from the Church’s higher-ups and naturally gave up on interfering with Hubert’s Trading Company.
It was more disadvantageous for them to offend the Church just to swallow up a small business.
And those who didn’t even have that kind of information…
“Ugh… M-mercy…”
A dark back alley.
Tough-looking men were lying around like trash.
“Harley, this guy is begging for mercy.”
A man with tattoos on his face, as big as a mountain, grabbed a thug by the collar, shook him, and spoke to the side.
“Mercy? These bastards treated us like a joke, and now they want mercy?”
“You have to crush these kinds of people from the beginning so they don’t crawl back up again. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
It wasn’t Harley who reacted first to his words, but two other men with tattoos all over their bodies.
Southern warriors who had once clashed with him but were now close like brothers.
The three of them were Luwang, the biggest one, Dao, who had a scar around his eye, and Turaba, who had a face full of hair.
They were currently helping Harley and taking care of the thugs who were trying to mess with Hubert’s Trading Company.
‘Of course, I’m not making them work for free. I’m making a lot of money, so there’s no need to be stingy here.’
It was beneficial to have a workforce he could trust and control.
And it was even better if he could get their active cooperation with just a little money.
“Well, come to think of it, don’t you think Harley’s appearance has changed a bit?”
“You think so too? I feel like he’s more approachable now.”
“Isn’t it just because we’ve become closer?”
“Is that so?”
It was a random topic that came up while they were on their way to have a drink after finishing their work, but Harley couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
‘I’ve been changing it little by little so they wouldn’t notice…’
His face shape was actually subtly different from before.
Now that he had met three real southerners, it was an opportunity to naturally absorb their characteristics.
Harley’s slightly off face was being modified every day to match the southern race.
“Hahaha! That just means we’ve become that close! Now we really feel like brothers!”
Harley laughed heartily and nonchalantly changed the subject.
And they entered the tavern and had a lively conversation, chattering about various things.
Most of the topics were about the southern region, and it was very informative, with vivid firsthand accounts from the locals.
“…So it’s hard to get a tattoo outside the south. Most shamans don’t want to leave.”
“You occasionally encounter them in other places, but you can get a new tattoo if you prove your qualifications and pay the price.”
Among them was the topic of ‘tattoos’, which they often talked about.
“Sometimes there are idiots who try to get tattoos that don’t suit them, and in most cases, the shaman will chase them away, but…”
“There are always those who have to do things their way.”
There were cases where people forcibly got tattoos through threats, persuasion, bribery, or deception.
“There’s a reason why you need to prove your qualifications.”
Tattoos weren’t just simple ink on skin.
They were a branch of the arcane, weaving together the life force, mana, and karma accumulated by the individual, engraved on their body.
‘A kind of bio-magic circle that strengthens the body?’
Tattoos that didn’t suit the individual would not only shorten their lifespan but also cause all sorts of side effects, such as muscle loss, decreased stamina, aging, and hair loss.
“So in the south, they don’t even recognize you as a warrior if you don’t have a tattoo. It means you haven’t even met the qualifications for the most basic ‘Warrior’s Tattoo’.”
That was the reason why they had picked a fight with Harley, who was a ‘self-proclaimed southern warrior’.
His naked body only had childish scribbles, there were no tattoos anywhere.
‘It can’t be helped that I can’t get one right now. I hope I can get one before going to the south.’
He took a large gulp of alcohol from his cup like a true man and smacked his lips.
While Hubert and Harley were busy with their daily lives, Harris, who had newly joined them in Tarak, was struggling alone for days.
“Ugh… I can feel something… but…”
Harris, the Elf avatar, was holed up in the base Hubert had secured, meditating every day to try and communicate with spirits.
He had high hopes of becoming a High Elf, but nothing much had changed since the notification that the World Tree was watching him.
‘This seems to be natural energy, but how do I make a contract with a spirit? Is my affinity still lacking?’
Natural energy, mana that was filtered once through natural objects like trees and purified, was an essential energy source for spirit contracts.
His initial stats and the effects of “Child of the World Tree” and the bracelet shouldn’t be lacking in affinity, but he couldn’t figure out how to become a Spirit Summoner.
“Should I go to a forest with more natural energy and try there…?”
He had been staying here to hide the fact that he was an Elf, but it seemed like he had to go outside now.
‘I can just pull down my hood and cover my ears. I was planning to lay low until I contracted a spirit…’
Elves, a rare race in the Ion Continent, were inevitably caught up in various troubles.
Cecily, the High Elf candidate, was also sold into slavery because of that.
‘Right, like Cecily… Huh? Wait…’
High Elf Rapori, candidate Cecily, and the nearly twenty Elf envoys.
They were still staying at the Roselia Cathedral.
The Heresy Inquisitors in the Talia Kingdom had found the place where the Immortal King had stayed in the monster forest and also uncovered the fact that he had been there until right before he intruded into the cathedral.
They still couldn’t figure out how he knew the exact moment when the cathedral’s defenses were the weakest…
‘But the Church didn’t suspect the Elves from the beginning.’
They had only dispatched an investigation team to uncover the truth, so they were still treating the Elves with respect.
‘I heard they’re preparing to return soon since they’ve finished their work…’
Wouldn’t it be better to receive help from other Elves than to study alone?
It would be perfect if he could get some advice from them before they left.
‘Okay. That’s a good idea.’
Harris hurriedly got up and put on his robe.
And he confidently headed towards the temple in Tarak.
As he neared his destination, a giant figure approached from a side alley.
A large and imposing body, unlike Harris’s slender physique.
Harley, the man who approached with intimidating steps, naturally joined him and headed towards the temple.
He had left his drinking party with the southern warriors to help Harris.
And the two of them arrived at the temple, walking side by side.
“Huh? Isn’t that Harley? What brings you here… Do you have any business?”
The holy warrior guarding the temple entrance recognized Harley, whose very existence was an ID card because of his unique appearance, and spoke to him.
“Hahaha—! I have something I need help with. Can you tell someone inside?”
The story was simple.
<I made a close Elf friend while working as a mercenary.
But he’s been wandering alone for a long time, so he doesn’t know anything about other Elves or their abilities.
I’m indebted to him, and I want to do something for him, and I happen to know some Elves, so I want to introduce him to them.
So please contact them, and if possible, let him use the gate.>
And he confidently said that he even gave them the bracelet as a gift because it wasn’t something he could use.
Since the higher-ups had already agreed to his request for help, Harley’s story was immediately relayed to the Elves at the Roselia Cathedral.
_____________________
Wooong—
He passed through the gate he had already used several times and was greeted by a familiar space.
“Welcome, Harris. Welcome to the Roselia Cathedral.”
The high priest in charge of the gate, who knew him unilaterally, greeted him.
And Harris was led outside, following another priest.
‘It feels strange to come to a place I’m already familiar with as a completely different person.’
As soon as it was decided that he would receive help from the Elves, he received the Church’s cooperation and arrived at the Roselia Cathedral through several gate transfers over a few days.
The place he was led to as an invited guest was the lodging where the Elves from the Elven Kingdom were staying.
Several Elves were already gathered there, talking.
“Greetings. I am Rapori Granwood, a High Elf from the Elven Kingdom.”
Rapori greeted him as soon as Harris entered.
“Ah, my name is Harris. Thank you for your time.”
“Hahaha, you’re welcome. It’s Harley’s request, and it’s a matter concerning our fellow Elf. It’s nothing.”
Rapori nodded, looking at the bracelet on Harris’s wrist.
“It seems like you’re close with Harley. I knew he was a good person, but I was quite surprised to hear that his first request was to help his friend.”
“Ah… we’re quite close. Closer than family…”
It wasn’t a lie.
“And I heard that this bracelet was originally yours, Lord Rapori. I received it because it seemed like something I needed, but I apologize if it offended you.”
“No, it’s something I gave to Harley as a token of gratitude, and it’s not my place to interfere with how he uses it.”
He shook his head, as if it really didn’t matter to him.
“I’m rather grateful that you used it for our fellow Elf.”
He smiled quietly, looking at Harris with his star-like eyes that sparkled.
It was a gaze that made him feel a bit pressured.
“So you’re saying you want to learn how to handle natural energy and how to contract with spirits?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. I’ve been living alone since I was young, so there was no one to teach me those things. I came here hoping to get some advice.”
“Hmm…”
Rapori stroked his chin, stared at him again, and then nodded to himself.
‘For some reason… he seems to be treating me a bit too familiarly? Did he notice something?’
There was a strange feeling that couldn’t be explained just by the fact that he was a fellow Elf from a foreign land who came with a benefactor’s introduction.
As he was thinking that, Rapori smiled meaningfully and quietly opened his mouth.
“If it’s okay with you, Harris, would you like to come with us to the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent?”
“What? To the Enamel Continent?”
“Yes, because it seems like we’ll be returning soon. Wouldn’t it be better than just getting brief advice?”
And he subtly tempted him, saying that if he went with them, he could receive more detailed education in spirit summoning, archery, and other things.
‘Elf… non-human race… another continent… a new adventure!’
There was no reason to refuse such a good opportunity.
Just as he was about to readily accept, Rapori added quietly,
“And it seems like the World Tree is paying attention to you, Harris. You’re not qualified to be a High Elf yet, but it seems like you have the aptitude.”
He could understand his subtle attitude from those words.
It seemed like the World Tree was very interested in Harris.
Wooong—
He passed through the gate he had already used several times and was greeted by a familiar space.
“Welcome, Harris. Welcome to the Roselia Cathedral.”
The high priest in charge of the gate, who knew him unilaterally, greeted him.
And Harris was led outside, following another priest.
‘It feels strange to come to a place I’m already familiar with as a completely different person.’
As soon as it was decided that he would receive help from the Elves, he received the Church’s cooperation and arrived at the Roselia Cathedral through several gate transfers over a few days.
The place he was led to as an invited guest was the lodging where the Elves from the Elven Kingdom were staying.
Several Elves were already gathered there, talking.
“Greetings. I am Rapori Granwood, a High Elf from the Elven Kingdom.”
Rapori greeted him as soon as Harris entered.
“Ah, my name is Harris. Thank you for your time.”
“Hahaha, you’re welcome. It’s Harley’s request, and it’s a matter concerning our fellow Elf. It’s nothing.”
Rapori nodded, looking at the bracelet on Harris’s wrist.
“It seems like you’re close with Harley. I knew he was a good person, but I was quite surprised to hear that his first request was to help his friend.”
“Ah… we’re quite close. Closer than family…”
It wasn’t a lie.
“And I heard that this bracelet was originally yours, Lord Rapori. I received it because it seemed like something I needed, but I apologize if it offended you.”
“No, it’s something I gave to Harley as a token of gratitude, and it’s not my place to interfere with how he uses it.”
He shook his head, as if it really didn’t matter to him.
“I’m rather grateful that you used it for our fellow Elf.”
He smiled quietly, looking at Harris with his star-like eyes that sparkled.
It was a gaze that made him feel a bit pressured.
“So you’re saying you want to learn how to handle natural energy and how to contract with spirits?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. I’ve been living alone since I was young, so there was no one to teach me those things. I came here hoping to get some advice.”
“Hmm…”
Rapori stroked his chin, stared at him again, and then nodded to himself.
‘For some reason… he seems to be treating me a bit too familiarly? Did he notice something?’
There was a strange feeling that couldn’t be explained just by the fact that he was a fellow Elf from a foreign land who came with a benefactor’s introduction.
As he was thinking that, Rapori smiled meaningfully and quietly opened his mouth.
“If it’s okay with you, Harris, would you like to come with us to the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent?”
“What? To the Enamel Continent?”
“Yes, because it seems like we’ll be returning soon. Wouldn’t it be better than just getting brief advice?”
And he subtly tempted him, saying that if he went with them, he could receive more detailed education in spirit summoning, archery, and other things.
‘Elf… non-human race… another continent… a new adventure!’
There was no reason to refuse such a good opportunity.
Just as he was about to readily accept, Rapori added quietly,
“And it seems like the World Tree is paying attention to you, Harris. You’re not qualified to be a High Elf yet, but it seems like you have the aptitude.”
He could understand his subtle attitude from those words.
It seemed like the World Tree was very interested in Harris.
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