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My alter ego is becoming a big shot - Episode 57

#57

outside luck (1)

“Phew...is it all over??”

Heinrich lightly shook his sword and looked around..

As the level of those who participated in this battle was high, the situation ended in an instant..

Monsters dying from fierce lightning storms and thorns rising from the ground, as if nature is angry..

The judgment of light burned the unclean beings, and even the gigantic demons they summoned could not hold out for long and were driven out to the demon world..

‘These are the top powers on this continent···.’

Of course, these are not the peak.

There are only ten paladins in the church that have been revealed to the public, and it is unknown how many strong people there will be at this level if you include battle priests, heretic inquisitors, etc..

The same goes for High Elves, as Lafori is not the only one, and there may be other strong men of a similar level in the Elven Kingdom..

‘But that's only when you look at the entire continent..’

Considering the size of the continent, their status could never be underestimated..

Of course, the warlocks were not at a level where they could be defeated so easily, but Heinrich was largely to blame for their lack of control..

These guys, whose specialty is summoning monsters and fighting, suddenly appear among them and brandish a sword. What can they do??

The old man, who seemed to be the leader of the enemy, somehow managed to summon a huge demon.···.

“Wow! What do the religious bastards think... Ugh?!”

At the same time as the demon that received the concentrated attack disappeared, it was killed by the Black Moon leader's sword..

It was the end of an unprepared summoning wizard..

“Sir Heinrich Landgard, thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you, I was able to defeat them easily..”

On one side, Archbishop Latius, who was turning the corpses of warlocks to ashes with holy fire, approached with a benevolent expression..

“Oh, the Archbishop worked hard too. The star sign is here.”

Henry politely returned to him the stamp he had received from the archbishop..

They quickly flew from Tarak to the northern mountains with the power of the wind spirit..

But since Heinrich didn't know exactly where their goal was, he couldn't guide them properly..

He could only move to the space recognized by Harley through “Blessing: Leap”..

So the method that came out was that the archbishop, who gave Henry a sacred sign containing his divine power, tracked it down and guided the remaining people..

And the operation worked out better than expected..

Heinrich suddenly came in and caused confusion, and the enemies were unable to prepare for those approaching from outside..

“But why don't you capture them alive and interrogate them? If we get information about them, we will be able to completely uncover the person behind it..”

“Unless you are an Inquisitor, the rule is to kill warlocks, including demon followers, as soon as you encounter them. You never know when they'll do something. Also, there is a ban on all of them..”

Well, it’s black magic with a lot of bizarre methods..

For some reason, I felt like burning their bodies in a meticulous manner..

“By the way, it looks like the elf girl over there is a high elf candidate..”

The archbishop looked to one side and let out a small exclamation..

A group of elves, including Lafori, were approaching the place where there was a small elf and a large barbarian..

“What you said was really right. How on earth did you know? Since it was the saint's words, I followed them first... I never thought I would find the target without any special blessings..”

“Hahaha... I don't know either. I just suddenly realized.”

“It seems like the Lord is really watching over you! It's an honor..”

The archbishop, who was once again impressed, had a moment of prayer with the approaching paladins..

Only then was Heinrich able to head to where the elves were with them..

***

“thank you Thanks to you, Miss Cecily was safe..”

“haha! As an honorable warrior, it is my duty to help those in danger! Don't worry too much. It’s not something I did in particular for a ‘compensation’! Hot hot hot”

“Indeed, you have great values..”

The conversation that followed a brief exchange continued amicably..

Lafouri was not at all embarrassed by Harley's appearance..

He is a high elf who has lived for a long time..

Even though he looked young, he was definitely not that old, so Harley's fashion was also accepted as a very exemplary southerner with common sense..

“However, as someone who has received help, it is impossible not to repay anything in return. It's not enough, but please accept this at least..”

“This is so troublesome! Hahaha!”

Even though he said that, Harley did not hesitate and quickly accepted the item he offered..

A bracelet made of various shiny jewels woven together from a thin tree trunk was hanging on Lafouri's wrist..

The stems were as fresh as if they were alive..

“La...Lafori, that's···!”

The male elf next to Laforie was embarrassed and tried to say something, but he just waved his hand with his eyes fixed on Harley..

“Since our base is not on this continent, there is no way to repay them right away. I am still in a position where I am indebted to the church for various reasons..”

Because of that, I couldn't promise a later date..

Since they had to help the church right now, they didn't know when they would return to the Enamel Continent..

“Of course, if you need any help in the future, we will do our best to help. We will discuss that with the church..”

Since they are based on another continent, they cannot go out directly, so they will first receive help through the church, and later they will pay the price to the church at the level of the Elven Kingdom..

“It's like he helped our church with its work. I will take care of it.”

Archbishop Latius, who had already come next to me, received Lafori's words..

The church's work has become easier thanks to Harley, so they decided to repay him as well..

It was as much favor as could be shown from the Elven Kingdom, but Harley, who was already connected to high-ranking officials in the church, was more interested in the bracelet that came into her hand right away..

Perhaps noticing his expression, Laforie immediately explained about the bracelet..

Attribute affinity and resistance are basic, plus natural power amplification and additional correction when summoning spirits..

In addition, the bracelet itself was a very precious item in a symbolic sense..

If you take this with you into the elf sphere of influence, you will be treated well..

‘Of course, it's something that high elves used directly, so it's only natural..’

By the time the conversation came to an end,.

Cecily, with the help of Archbishop Latius, removed the magic device from her neck and approached Harley with a cleansed appearance..

The female elf who came with Lapori used the spirit to wash the mess from all the hardships and blood splattered during the battle..

‘Hmm... there was a lot of blood spilled on the leather in front because of the "freakish eating".···.’

It was something I couldn't help because I couldn't care less..

“I feel like I should say thank you again. Thank you for saving me. If Harley hadn't come, I wouldn't be alive now..”

“Hahaha! Well, I did what I had to do..”

Cecily bows her head politely..

She raised her head and looked at Harley for a moment, then looked embarrassed..

“Um, uh... Harley? Could you please sit down for a moment??”

A girl who was only around his waist waved her hands underneath her..

“······?”

When Harley squatted down, only then were the two people able to reach eye level..

“May Mother Nature's blessings be with you.”

Cecily gently lifted the tattered black leopard's head and lightly kissed his forehead..

Wow—

‘hmm? This is... the energy felt from the World Tree?’

It was clear that something was in him, but no special system window came to mind..

“This is a blessing that can be bestowed by a high elf. Even if it's Mother Nature's protection, it's at a fairly high level that can't be used often..”

Lafouri quietly added from the side..

He seemed quite surprised that Cecily, who had not opened her eyes, used the high elf's protection..

“It's not a full high elf yet, so it's a bit less effective than the original protection. When I open my eyes, I will do it again properly. Harley, it seems like you treat your body roughly, so this will help..”

From what I heard, it seemed like it was a type of protection that increased elemental resistance..

If that's the case, you're always welcome, Harley nodded cheerfully..

Cecily smiled proudly at his reaction..

She hesitated for a moment, then held out the branch she had been holding in her hand to Harley..

Maybe it's because I used up every last bit of energy, but it doesn't feel alive at all anymore.···.

It was a withered branch of the world tree..

“Well... I don't have anything right now. Next time we meet, I'll give you a more proper gift..”

Cecily blushed and lowered her head, probably out of embarrassment..

But even if it runs out of energy, the World Tree is the World Tree.

Harley, who wouldn't mind giving something for free, quickly accepted it..

“The World Tree exerted too much power with its branches and the spiritual vein was cut off, but it may be possible to purify the surrounding air and clear the energy. If you just put it in a flowerpot at home and water it...···.”

Lapori again gave advice as if to help, but then stopped..

I looked at the tree branch in Harley's hand, then looked at him again..

A muscular figure over two meters tall wearing the head of a wild beast, with traces of battle still visible here and there..

“Well, if you defeat a worthy opponent and place a tombstone in front of him... Or, if you use it instead of firewood, it will have stronger firepower and last longer. In fact, this is also the reason why dwarves are greedy.···.”

Suddenly, Laforie seemed confused and spoke gibberish..

‘I don't think this guy originally had this impression..’

Is it because my mind was relieved after completing the mission safely?.

Harley quickly expressed her gratitude in order to help him and Cecily, who was becoming more and more embarrassed, as he tried to somehow manage the situation..

‘You can leave this in the room on Earth..’

It would be the best air purifier, so there was nothing bad about it..

With that, the greetings with the elves were over, and he was able to exchange greetings with the members of the church as well..

Although they were not as active as the elves as they were not directly involved, members of the church also showed considerable interest in Harley..

“You have very special eyes. Are you mixed race? Um... no, you were rude. You asked something pointless..”

His left eye received attention, but he did not continue talking about the topic, perhaps because he thought there was some kind of secret behind his birth..

“Oh, this is a great body. He's no better than our Heinrich? Do you have any plans to become a paladin and go around destroying heretics??”

At the words of the Black Moon leader that came out while we were having such a simple conversation, 'we' looked at each other..

This is the first time the two are seeing each other in person..

As Harley underwent several self-implantations to fit the image of a barbarian warrior, his impression was different from that of Heinrich..

「Heinrich strengthened his body to the limit through extreme training using “Super Recovery,” and did not stop hard training even after finally obtaining “Blessing: Strong Body.”.

Harley has created an ideal body by selecting only the superior genes through 'mutation' and 'physical mutation' among the dozens of monsters that have been eaten so far through 'monstrous eating'..

“Hmm···.”

“Hoo···.”

When I made this direct comparison, I couldn't help but exclaim with admiration..

It's a shame that we can't take a closer look at Heinrich because he's wearing armor..

“···what are you doing?”

After being so intoxicated with my own body for a moment, I heard the trembling voice of Archbishop Latius..

‘Oh my, I'm so into it.’

I was shocked as I compared the muscles as I unconsciously applied strength to various parts of my body, but the paladins responded that they understood my position..

“Archbishop Latius, this is natural for people who use their bodies like us..”

“Well then! Any man must have muscles! Oh, you're not saying something to the Archbishop? Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk..”

Because the Holy Knights of the Main Order were all believers in ultra-high-intensity weight training..

***

“Thank you again. It looks like we will be staying on the Aeon continent for a while, so we will be able to help you directly during that period..”

The party with two additional members quickly returned to Tarak through the wind spirit..

Farewell to Harley there.

“Harley, then I will go. Stay healthy until we meet again.”

“Hahaha! If I were not strong, I would be a corpse! Miss, please take care too.!”

Just like that, Harley disappeared into the city of Tarak..

Lastly, we exchange meaningful looks with Heinrich..

“Hmm, maybe I have something in common with that warrior? It may be their first meeting, but they seem to care a lot about each other..”

“I feel like we have a good connection. I think we'll see each other often in the future.”

“Oh, if it's Lord Heinrich's premonition, we can't ignore it. I will try to pay more attention to the church as well. Since you said you were a mercenary, it would be a good idea to express your gratitude through the mercenary guild at the church level..”

‘done.’

By barely setting the tone, he succeeded in raising Harley's status by selling the name of Heinrich, whose credibility had increased..

Having the name of the denomination on your back will be of great help to your future activities..

‘I think I got everything I deserved at this level..’

It was a satisfying day in many ways..

***

Unlike when I came, it took about half a day to return to the Roselia Grand Temple..

At least with the cooperation of each temple along the route, we made the schedule as tight as possible..

The next day after returning and resting, a meeting with the elves was arranged again..

“With the help of the church, we were able to bring Miss Cecily in without any major problems. Thank you again to Sir Heinrich..”

The meeting started with Laforie's words of gratitude and immediately moved on to the next topic..

This time, it's about tracking down the Church's mission, the Immortal King..

“The World Tree is the root of all trees in the world..”

In a serious tone, he explained how to find the Immortal King..

“And by borrowing the power of the World Tree, high elves can detect the energy around where the tree exists..”

A method of scanning an area using trees that contain more than a certain level of natural power..

Of course, the limits were also clear..

It is impossible to even attempt an area without trees, and the range that can be checked at once is limited..

It was difficult to prepare in advance, so it was a method that could not be used when searching for Cecily in a hurry..

“It will likely take about a month to detect the entire Ion Continent..”

At least this is an estimate of the period when areas without trees are excluded..

However, as the restrictions were large, the effect was excellent..

“If he's hiding in a treed area, I guarantee you he'll never be able to avoid detection. And most places with few people are bound to have trees..”

He lifted his chin confidently..

It was a good opportunity because even if we couldn't find it using that method, we would be able to narrow down the candidates..

‘Um, should we cut down the trees around the cave in advance? To what extent? If you remove too much, it will be more noticeable... Should I just cancel the summons at the right time?.’

Heinrich was secretly worried with a calm expression..

Even though the barrier was reinforced, seeing that confident attitude made me feel a little uneasy..

“However, there is one problem with using this method..”

Lafouri continued again..

‘Despite his confident attitude, he seems to have a lot of limitations..’

“In order to confirm it accurately, you need to know the energy, but since I don't know anything about the Immortal King, it may take more time..”

It is said that since there is no choice but to simply track concentrated dark magic, the period has no choice but to extend to half a year for accuracy..

Of course, you can probably find it before that happens, but if you're unlucky, you never know what will happen..

“If it's a question about the Immortal King's energy... don't worry. Of course, there are things I would like you to understand before that.···.”

The saint answered his words with a serious expression..

And Heinrich knew why she said that..

What I didn't expect was right after that.

“···It would be good to take this opportunity to get to know Sir Heinrich as well. what are we fighting against.”

While she was thinking about something, she looked back at him with a strange expression and muttered a word softly..

···For a moment, my heart raced.

I thought I got everything I needed, but it looks like the real thing was left behind..