MAEPG: Episode 68
Episode 68 Tattoo (1)
Harris's message was delivered to Harley through the temple.
It wasn't really necessary, but there were procedures to follow depending on others' perspectives.
Harley gladly congratulated his friend's journey, and Harris headed to the Enamel Continent with the Elven Kingdom's envoy.
Of course, they weren't leaving immediately.
Since the matter with the Immortal King ended on an unsettling note, there were still things to discuss among the higher-ups.
But the Elves in the envoy were all elites of the Elven Kingdom, so basic training was steadily carried out in the meantime.
He wasn't alone in that process of learning the basics of being an elegant forest fairy, including spirit summoning, archery, and other skills.
“You’re friends with Harley?”
Cecily, the Elf girl Harley had rescued in the northern mountains, was with him.
“That’s right. We haven’t known each other for long, but we get along well, so we’ve become like family.”
“Is that so? I feel a familiar scent from Harris.”
He inwardly flinched at the familiar line that reminded him of a certain girl.
‘She’s saying the same things as Diana. She didn't notice anything, did she?’
Seeing that Rapori didn’t say anything, it didn’t seem like a High Elf ability…
As he was nervously thinking to himself,
“Ah! It’s similar to the scent I felt from the World Tree’s branch! I know it well because I hugged it all day.”
‘That branch became the material for this body and disappeared.’
It seemed like Cecily felt a sense of déjà vu because of that.
“Hmm~ So that’s why Lord Rapori is concerned…?”
And she nodded to herself, convinced.
“Anyway, let’s get along. Since you’re Harley’s friend, I’ll take good care of you.”
The small Elf girl grinned, puffed out her chest, and swaggered.
It seemed like she wanted to act like a senior, having been the only one receiving training and now having a new trainee.
“Haha… Yes, please take care of me.”
He couldn’t help but smile softly at her childish behavior.
And the spirit summoning lecture began.
“Spirits are companions who grow with the Spirit Summoner. The contracted spirit grows by receiving natural energy and communication through affinity. And the contract is…”
He was able to understand why Harris couldn’t become a Spirit Summoner through the systematic education.
Even if you had a likable appearance (affinity) and sufficient wealth (natural energy), there were proper procedures for marriage (contract).
You could only start something after properly recognizing the other person and being ready to understand each other, and that process was spirit summoning.
“…What? Why are you so good at it? You said it’s your first time?”
Cecily asked in a wary voice after seeing him gather and manipulate natural energy at his fingertips.
Her face, which had been glancing at him with an expectant expression, as if wanting to give him some advice while summoning a small water spirit next to her, had become dubious.
He had handled countless energies, and there was also the other world growth bonus, avatar growth acceleration, and the effect of “Child of the World Tree”.
This basic of basics was just a rite of passage for him.
“Oh, you’re learning very quickly. At this rate, you’ll be able to catch up with us soon.”
The Elf in charge of the lecture was happy that his work had become easier, but Cecily just focused even more on manipulating the water spirit with burning eyes.
She also had exceptional talent, being qualified to be a High Elf, but she wasn’t a real High Elf yet, so she wasn’t at a level where she could overwhelm Harris.
And when it came to using his body, such as archery and mountain maneuvering…
“As expected, you said you worked as a mercenary, so you’re pretty good at handling your body. You have some human habits in your archery, but that can be corrected if you practice enough.”
The Elf instructor nodded in satisfaction.
He was able to receive good evaluations from the beginning, thanks to the experiences of his previous physical avatars.
And he had already acquired archery through Heinrich’s “Martial Bones” and “Comprehensive Weapon Mastery”, so he was starting from a different line than others.
“Huff… Huff…”
After the training of running through the trees with a bow ended, Cecily collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
“Ugh… I, I don’t think this suits me. I admit defeat. You win!”
…It seemed like they had been competing in her mind since some point.
And a few days after receiving training like that,
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Spirit Summoning”.》
Thanks to various factors, Harris was able to quickly acquire “Spirit Summoning”.
Crackle— Crackle—
A small ball of light sparked in the air.
A lowest-ranking lightning spirit.
All spirits grew with their Spirit Summoner’s level.
This one was currently a lowest-ranking spirit, but it would continue to evolve through communication as his abilities increased.
“…Your name is Watt.”
Crackle— Crackle—!
‘Volt’ felt too common, and ‘Ampere’ didn’t sound good, so it was ‘Watt’.
And so, Harris took his first step as a Spirit Summoner.
Harris's message was delivered to Harley through the temple.
It wasn't really necessary, but there were procedures to follow depending on others' perspectives.
Harley gladly congratulated his friend's journey, and Harris headed to the Enamel Continent with the Elven Kingdom's envoy.
Of course, they weren't leaving immediately.
Since the matter with the Immortal King ended on an unsettling note, there were still things to discuss among the higher-ups.
But the Elves in the envoy were all elites of the Elven Kingdom, so basic training was steadily carried out in the meantime.
He wasn't alone in that process of learning the basics of being an elegant forest fairy, including spirit summoning, archery, and other skills.
“You’re friends with Harley?”
Cecily, the Elf girl Harley had rescued in the northern mountains, was with him.
“That’s right. We haven’t known each other for long, but we get along well, so we’ve become like family.”
“Is that so? I feel a familiar scent from Harris.”
He inwardly flinched at the familiar line that reminded him of a certain girl.
‘She’s saying the same things as Diana. She didn't notice anything, did she?’
Seeing that Rapori didn’t say anything, it didn’t seem like a High Elf ability…
As he was nervously thinking to himself,
“Ah! It’s similar to the scent I felt from the World Tree’s branch! I know it well because I hugged it all day.”
‘That branch became the material for this body and disappeared.’
It seemed like Cecily felt a sense of déjà vu because of that.
“Hmm~ So that’s why Lord Rapori is concerned…?”
And she nodded to herself, convinced.
“Anyway, let’s get along. Since you’re Harley’s friend, I’ll take good care of you.”
The small Elf girl grinned, puffed out her chest, and swaggered.
It seemed like she wanted to act like a senior, having been the only one receiving training and now having a new trainee.
“Haha… Yes, please take care of me.”
He couldn’t help but smile softly at her childish behavior.
And the spirit summoning lecture began.
“Spirits are companions who grow with the Spirit Summoner. The contracted spirit grows by receiving natural energy and communication through affinity. And the contract is…”
He was able to understand why Harris couldn’t become a Spirit Summoner through the systematic education.
Even if you had a likable appearance (affinity) and sufficient wealth (natural energy), there were proper procedures for marriage (contract).
You could only start something after properly recognizing the other person and being ready to understand each other, and that process was spirit summoning.
“…What? Why are you so good at it? You said it’s your first time?”
Cecily asked in a wary voice after seeing him gather and manipulate natural energy at his fingertips.
Her face, which had been glancing at him with an expectant expression, as if wanting to give him some advice while summoning a small water spirit next to her, had become dubious.
He had handled countless energies, and there was also the other world growth bonus, avatar growth acceleration, and the effect of “Child of the World Tree”.
This basic of basics was just a rite of passage for him.
“Oh, you’re learning very quickly. At this rate, you’ll be able to catch up with us soon.”
The Elf in charge of the lecture was happy that his work had become easier, but Cecily just focused even more on manipulating the water spirit with burning eyes.
She also had exceptional talent, being qualified to be a High Elf, but she wasn’t a real High Elf yet, so she wasn’t at a level where she could overwhelm Harris.
And when it came to using his body, such as archery and mountain maneuvering…
“As expected, you said you worked as a mercenary, so you’re pretty good at handling your body. You have some human habits in your archery, but that can be corrected if you practice enough.”
The Elf instructor nodded in satisfaction.
He was able to receive good evaluations from the beginning, thanks to the experiences of his previous physical avatars.
And he had already acquired archery through Heinrich’s “Martial Bones” and “Comprehensive Weapon Mastery”, so he was starting from a different line than others.
“Huff… Huff…”
After the training of running through the trees with a bow ended, Cecily collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.
“Ugh… I, I don’t think this suits me. I admit defeat. You win!”
…It seemed like they had been competing in her mind since some point.
And a few days after receiving training like that,
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Spirit Summoning”.》
Thanks to various factors, Harris was able to quickly acquire “Spirit Summoning”.
Crackle— Crackle—
A small ball of light sparked in the air.
A lowest-ranking lightning spirit.
All spirits grew with their Spirit Summoner’s level.
This one was currently a lowest-ranking spirit, but it would continue to evolve through communication as his abilities increased.
“…Your name is Watt.”
Crackle— Crackle—!
‘Volt’ felt too common, and ‘Ampere’ didn’t sound good, so it was ‘Watt’.
And so, Harris took his first step as a Spirit Summoner.
______________________
Hans was cleaning up criminals on Earth, and Heinz the Second was also building up his forces on Earth.
Heinrich was hospitalized due to his injuries, and Harris was receiving training from the Elves.
‘Somehow, we’re deployed two in Earth, two in the cathedral, and two in Tarak.’
The two avatars in Tarak were busy with their daily lives, doing business and hunting.
Since Hubert could only use the interdimensional transfer formation once every ten days, and only when he had time, the stability of pepper supply was too low.
So he left that as a premium product and expanded his business to other areas using “Appraisal” based on the funds he had accumulated.
Being able to tell a merchant information about an item was a cheat-like ability in itself.
He was sailing smoothly, having built up some credibility through his past business dealings.
And Harley…
“Oh! Harley! You’re finally here! Come quickly!”
Turaba, a southern warrior with a face full of hair, including sideburns, enthusiastically greeted him as he entered their usual tavern.
Harley, who had just returned from hunting beyond the Iron Fortress after sending Harris to the cathedral, made a puzzled expression.
“What? What’s going on? Did something happen?”
Hubert’s Trading Company was also growing, so they hired mercenaries separately for security, but it was naturally safer to have trustworthy people directly involved.
The reason Harley was able to go hunting without worry this time was because of the veteran mercenary trio…
‘Nothing happened to Hubert?’
As he approached with his usual imposing gait and sat down, Luwang, a muscular pig who was the second biggest after Harley, handed him a glass with a grin.
“Turaba found something amazing.”
“It’s definitely something Harley will like.”
Dao, who had a scar around his eye, chimed in, sipping his alcohol.
“Oh? You’re making me excited! Stop beating around the bush and tell me! If it’s really good information, I’ll buy all the drinks today! Hahaha!”
Harley gulped down his alcohol, not expecting much.
These guys were great, but they tended to make a fuss over nothing.
“I need to loosen my belt for this!”
“Thanks to Turaba, we can drink till we drop today!”
“Hey, guys, stop getting ahead of yourselves and just tell me!”
Only after scolding the trio again did he hear the information, which was truly tempting.
“There’s a shaman from the south in Tarak! We talked about it before, right? About shamans who can give tattoos.”
Various tattoos that southern warriors had.
It was an essential element for a fake to become real.
“That… is really good news! Alright! Let’s drink our fill and talk!”
They piled up barrels of alcohol next to them and drank like crazy, somehow managing to have a conversation.
“Ahem, I’ve been going to the western part of Tarak lately…”
“This guy is hitting on a girl at the fabric store there.”
The pig chuckled, interrupting the bearded man, and he frowned and gulped down his alcohol.
It seemed like his love life wasn’t going smoothly.
“Ugh~ Anyway! I was passing through that alley to take a shortcut when I ran into him!”
It was true that the best hiding place was often right under your nose, to think there was a southern shaman so close.
“He seemed to be barely making a living by treating minor ailments for poor people. I don’t know how skilled he is.”
“If that’s all he can do with shamanism, isn’t he useless?”
“Who knows? Everyone has their own circumstances. And if he’s a shaman, he should be able to at least give a Warrior’s Tattoo, right?”
Opinions were divided for a moment, but it seemed like it wouldn’t be bad to meet him once.
And the next day,
Harley headed towards the place where the shaman was with the bearded Turaba.
“Hmm, I thought I had been in Tarak for a while, but I think this is my first time here.”
“Mercenaries like us don’t usually come to places like this. There are no special shops here.”
It wasn’t a slum, but it seemed like an area where the city’s laborers mainly lived, as it was generally shabby.
“What are mercenaries doing here? And that outfit…”
“Shh! Pretend you didn’t see anything.”
“Let’s just go.”
As Harley, in his usual imposing appearance, and the bearded man, who looked like a typical mercenary, walked side by side, the local residents started to avoid them.
Even the young men who seemed to be gangsters in the area subtly looked away and quickly disappeared.
“…Harley, that outfit, are you really going to keep…”
“What’s wrong with this awesome outfit! Don’t you feel the spirit of a true warrior?”
“…Yeah, do whatever you want.”
Of course, he didn’t care at all because it was a common occurrence, but the bearded man still seemed a bit embarrassed.
“So where’s the shaman? I think we’ve come quite a ways.”
“We’re almost there. Just past this alley…”
And the first thing they saw after passing through the alley was a sight that was very welcoming to Harley.
“Ah~ this old woman doesn’t understand.”
“I’m telling you, it’ll all be solved if you just raise the treatment fee a little.”
“It seems like she doesn’t understand the situation because we’re being too nice.”
Thugs were threatening a small old woman with tattoos all over her face, grabbing her by the collar.
It smelled like trouble.
“Oh~?”
The corners of Harley’s lips curved upwards into a ferocious smile.
He had come here to ask the shaman for a favor, but wasn’t this perfect timing?
It was also an opportunity to show off his strength.
He strode towards them.
“Huh? Uh… uh?”
“Hey, hey! Wait a minute…”
The thugs all stopped what they were doing as they saw him approaching.
The quick-witted bearded man was already blocking their escape route.
But unfortunately for Harley, there was no need for him to use force, as the matter was resolved in an instant.
As he put his arms around their shoulders one by one with his intimidating muscles and stared into their eyes, they all wet themselves.
‘Was it too much to use “Wildness” on those who just extort petty cash?’
They were guys who weren’t even mercenaries because they lacked skill and guts.
It was impossible for them to withstand his monstrous presence at such close range.
“I remember your faces. This big brother has some business with this granny, so behave yourselves.”
The bearded man, with his tattooed face, gently admonished them.
He looked very natural, patting their shoulders kindly.
The situation was resolved quickly, and the thugs ran away, and the place became quiet.
Meanwhile, the old woman, who had been grabbed by the collar, was sitting on a chair in front of her house, looking at them with a calm expression.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… What brings southern barbarians all the way here?”
“Hey, don’t call us barbarians, you’ll get stoned by southerners these days, granny.”
“No matter how I look at it, he’s the epitome of a barbarian. It’s exactly like the ones I saw when I was young. Hehe…”
“Ugh, that guy is… Sigh. Anyway, why would a warrior visit a shaman? To get a tattoo, of course.”
The bearded man, who was about to say something, sighed and quickly brought up the main topic.
He couldn’t make any excuses for that outfit.
“Hmm, one seems to be a seasoned warrior. The other one is dressed like a typical southern warrior, but he doesn’t have a single tattoo. As you know, not everyone can get a tattoo… Huh?”
The old woman, who had been speaking while closing and opening her eyes, scanned them with a strange gaze.
And the moment her gaze landed on Harley, her expression, which had been calm, turned dubious after a moment of questioning.
“What is this monster?”
Hans was cleaning up criminals on Earth, and Heinz the Second was also building up his forces on Earth.
Heinrich was hospitalized due to his injuries, and Harris was receiving training from the Elves.
‘Somehow, we’re deployed two in Earth, two in the cathedral, and two in Tarak.’
The two avatars in Tarak were busy with their daily lives, doing business and hunting.
Since Hubert could only use the interdimensional transfer formation once every ten days, and only when he had time, the stability of pepper supply was too low.
So he left that as a premium product and expanded his business to other areas using “Appraisal” based on the funds he had accumulated.
Being able to tell a merchant information about an item was a cheat-like ability in itself.
He was sailing smoothly, having built up some credibility through his past business dealings.
And Harley…
“Oh! Harley! You’re finally here! Come quickly!”
Turaba, a southern warrior with a face full of hair, including sideburns, enthusiastically greeted him as he entered their usual tavern.
Harley, who had just returned from hunting beyond the Iron Fortress after sending Harris to the cathedral, made a puzzled expression.
“What? What’s going on? Did something happen?”
Hubert’s Trading Company was also growing, so they hired mercenaries separately for security, but it was naturally safer to have trustworthy people directly involved.
The reason Harley was able to go hunting without worry this time was because of the veteran mercenary trio…
‘Nothing happened to Hubert?’
As he approached with his usual imposing gait and sat down, Luwang, a muscular pig who was the second biggest after Harley, handed him a glass with a grin.
“Turaba found something amazing.”
“It’s definitely something Harley will like.”
Dao, who had a scar around his eye, chimed in, sipping his alcohol.
“Oh? You’re making me excited! Stop beating around the bush and tell me! If it’s really good information, I’ll buy all the drinks today! Hahaha!”
Harley gulped down his alcohol, not expecting much.
These guys were great, but they tended to make a fuss over nothing.
“I need to loosen my belt for this!”
“Thanks to Turaba, we can drink till we drop today!”
“Hey, guys, stop getting ahead of yourselves and just tell me!”
Only after scolding the trio again did he hear the information, which was truly tempting.
“There’s a shaman from the south in Tarak! We talked about it before, right? About shamans who can give tattoos.”
Various tattoos that southern warriors had.
It was an essential element for a fake to become real.
“That… is really good news! Alright! Let’s drink our fill and talk!”
They piled up barrels of alcohol next to them and drank like crazy, somehow managing to have a conversation.
“Ahem, I’ve been going to the western part of Tarak lately…”
“This guy is hitting on a girl at the fabric store there.”
The pig chuckled, interrupting the bearded man, and he frowned and gulped down his alcohol.
It seemed like his love life wasn’t going smoothly.
“Ugh~ Anyway! I was passing through that alley to take a shortcut when I ran into him!”
It was true that the best hiding place was often right under your nose, to think there was a southern shaman so close.
“He seemed to be barely making a living by treating minor ailments for poor people. I don’t know how skilled he is.”
“If that’s all he can do with shamanism, isn’t he useless?”
“Who knows? Everyone has their own circumstances. And if he’s a shaman, he should be able to at least give a Warrior’s Tattoo, right?”
Opinions were divided for a moment, but it seemed like it wouldn’t be bad to meet him once.
And the next day,
Harley headed towards the place where the shaman was with the bearded Turaba.
“Hmm, I thought I had been in Tarak for a while, but I think this is my first time here.”
“Mercenaries like us don’t usually come to places like this. There are no special shops here.”
It wasn’t a slum, but it seemed like an area where the city’s laborers mainly lived, as it was generally shabby.
“What are mercenaries doing here? And that outfit…”
“Shh! Pretend you didn’t see anything.”
“Let’s just go.”
As Harley, in his usual imposing appearance, and the bearded man, who looked like a typical mercenary, walked side by side, the local residents started to avoid them.
Even the young men who seemed to be gangsters in the area subtly looked away and quickly disappeared.
“…Harley, that outfit, are you really going to keep…”
“What’s wrong with this awesome outfit! Don’t you feel the spirit of a true warrior?”
“…Yeah, do whatever you want.”
Of course, he didn’t care at all because it was a common occurrence, but the bearded man still seemed a bit embarrassed.
“So where’s the shaman? I think we’ve come quite a ways.”
“We’re almost there. Just past this alley…”
And the first thing they saw after passing through the alley was a sight that was very welcoming to Harley.
“Ah~ this old woman doesn’t understand.”
“I’m telling you, it’ll all be solved if you just raise the treatment fee a little.”
“It seems like she doesn’t understand the situation because we’re being too nice.”
Thugs were threatening a small old woman with tattoos all over her face, grabbing her by the collar.
It smelled like trouble.
“Oh~?”
The corners of Harley’s lips curved upwards into a ferocious smile.
He had come here to ask the shaman for a favor, but wasn’t this perfect timing?
It was also an opportunity to show off his strength.
He strode towards them.
“Huh? Uh… uh?”
“Hey, hey! Wait a minute…”
The thugs all stopped what they were doing as they saw him approaching.
The quick-witted bearded man was already blocking their escape route.
But unfortunately for Harley, there was no need for him to use force, as the matter was resolved in an instant.
As he put his arms around their shoulders one by one with his intimidating muscles and stared into their eyes, they all wet themselves.
‘Was it too much to use “Wildness” on those who just extort petty cash?’
They were guys who weren’t even mercenaries because they lacked skill and guts.
It was impossible for them to withstand his monstrous presence at such close range.
“I remember your faces. This big brother has some business with this granny, so behave yourselves.”
The bearded man, with his tattooed face, gently admonished them.
He looked very natural, patting their shoulders kindly.
The situation was resolved quickly, and the thugs ran away, and the place became quiet.
Meanwhile, the old woman, who had been grabbed by the collar, was sitting on a chair in front of her house, looking at them with a calm expression.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… What brings southern barbarians all the way here?”
“Hey, don’t call us barbarians, you’ll get stoned by southerners these days, granny.”
“No matter how I look at it, he’s the epitome of a barbarian. It’s exactly like the ones I saw when I was young. Hehe…”
“Ugh, that guy is… Sigh. Anyway, why would a warrior visit a shaman? To get a tattoo, of course.”
The bearded man, who was about to say something, sighed and quickly brought up the main topic.
He couldn’t make any excuses for that outfit.
“Hmm, one seems to be a seasoned warrior. The other one is dressed like a typical southern warrior, but he doesn’t have a single tattoo. As you know, not everyone can get a tattoo… Huh?”
The old woman, who had been speaking while closing and opening her eyes, scanned them with a strange gaze.
And the moment her gaze landed on Harley, her expression, which had been calm, turned dubious after a moment of questioning.
“What is this monster?”
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