My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

Chapter 68

Through the temple, Harris's message was delivered to Halli.

It wasn't really necessary, but there were procedures that had to be followed according to the eyes of others.

Halli gladly celebrated the journey of a friend, and Harris was set to head to the Enamel Continent with the Elven Kingdom's delegation.

Of course, they were not leaving immediately.

Since the matter with the Immortal King ended somewhat unsettlingly, there were still discussions to be had among the higher-ups.

However, the elves in the delegation were all elites from the Elven Kingdom, so basic training was diligently carried out even amidst this.

This included learning the basics of spirit magic and archery, as well as the fundamental qualities of being a fairy from the elegant forest, and he was not participating in this alone.

"Are you a friend of Sir Halli?"

Cecily, the elf girl Halli had saved in the northern mountains, was also there with him.

"Yes. Although we haven't known each other for long, we get along well and have become like family."

"Is that so? I thought I smelled something familiar from Mr. Harris."

For a moment, the overlap with a familiar child made me flinch inwardly.

'She speaks like Diana. She couldn't have noticed, could she?'

Laphori didn't say anything special, which suggested it wasn't a High Elf ability...

That's when she was internally tensing up.

"Ah! It smells similar to the scent from the branch of the World Tree! I know it well because I was hugging it all day long."

'That branch became the material for this body and disappeared.'

It seemed that was why Cecily felt a sense of dj vu.

"Hmm~ So that's what Laphori is concerned about..."

And then she nodded to herself in understanding.

"Anyway, let's get along well. Since you are a friend of Sir Halli, I'll take good care of you."

The little elf girl smirked and puffed up her chest, eager to show off her seniority now that a new trainee had arrived.

"Ha ha... Yes, thank you."

A gentle smile formed unknowingly at her child-like demeanor.

And then the lecture on spirit magic began.

"Spirits grow together with their spirit mage as partners. A contracted spirit grows through empathy and the supply of natural power via affinity. And the contract..."

Through systematic education, it became clear why Harris had not become a spirit mage until now.

Even if one has an appealing appearance (affinity) and sufficient wealth (natural power), marriage (contract) requires proper procedures.

One must be ready to recognize and understand each other before anything can start, and that process is precisely what spirit magic is about.

"...Why are you so good at this? You said it's your first time?"

Cecily asked in a wary voice upon seeing him manipulate natural power at his fingertips.

Looking at the face of the small water spirit summoned beside him, Cecily, eager to give some advice, had turned somewhat sour.

With my experience of handling numerous energies, growth corrections from another world, avatar growth acceleration, and the effect of being a "Child of the World Tree," the basics were merely a rite of passage for him.

"Wow, you learn incredibly fast. At this rate, you might catch up with the two of us soon?"

The elf leading the lecture was pleased that his job had become easier, but Cecily focused even more on manipulating the water spirit, her eyes blazing.

She had a great talent as a High Elf, but since she wasn't a real High Elf yet, she wasn't quite able to overpower Harris.

And when it came to archery and mountain maneuvering...

"Indeed, having worked as a mercenary, you handle your body well. There's a hint of humanity in your way of using a bow, but with enough practice, that can be corrected."

The elf instructor nodded in satisfaction.

Thanks to the experience of physical seniors, he received good evaluations from the start.

Even more, he had already acquired archery through Heinrich's "Boneless" and "Comprehensive Weaponry," setting him apart from the start line compared to others.

"Phew... Hah..."

After the training of running through trees with a bow ended, Cecily collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Ah... This, this doesn't seem to suit me. I admit defeat. I lost!"

...It seems that, unbeknownst to me, we had been competing in her mind.

And so, a few days into the training.

[The individual has gained enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill "Spirit Magic."]

Thanks to various factors, Harris was able to quickly acquire "Spirit Magic."

CrackleCrackle

Small bundles of light sparked in the air.

The lowest grade lightning spirit.

All spirits grow together with the level of their spirit mage.

This child, although a lowest grade spirit now, will continue to evolve through empathy as his abilities increase.

"...Your name is Watt."

CrackleFizz!

"Volt" felt too common, and "Ampere" didn't sound right, so it was "Watt."

Thus, Harris took his first step as a spirit mage.

***

Hans is cleaning up criminals on Earth, and Heinrich II is consolidating power on Earth as well.

Heinrich is hospitalized due to an injury, and Harris is receiving education from the elves.

'Somehow, we've ended up with two on Earth, two in the temple, and two in Tarak.'

The two avatars in Tarak are busy with their businesses and hunting.

Hubert's pepper could only use the interdimensional teleportation circle once every ten days, and even then, only when there was spare time, leading to a significant drop in supply stability.

Therefore, it was kept as a premium product, and based on the capital accumulated over time, they expanded into other areas using "Appraisal."

Being able to know the information of goods was a nearly cheating ability for a merchant.

With some trust built up through past dealings, it wasn't hard to sail smoothly.

And Halli...

"Oh! Halli! You finally came! Come here quick!"

Turbava, a southern warrior full of facial hair including a bushy beard, enthusiastically greeted him as he entered their regular tavern.

After sending Harris to the temple, Halli, who had just returned from hunting beyond the Steel Fortress for the first time in a while, looked puzzled.

"What's up? What happened while I was gone?"

While Hubert's company was growing and had hired mercenaries for security, it was naturally safer when trusted individuals personally took care of it.

Halli had been able to go hunting with ease this time because of the trio of veteran mercenaries...

'Nothing happened to Hubert, right?'

As he slouched over to his seat with his usual imposing stride, Luwang, the second biggest muscle pig after Halli, handed him a glass and smirked.

"This time, Turbava found something amazing."

"Indeed, it seemed like something Halli would like."

Dao, with a scar near his eye, also took a swig of his drink and chimed in.

"Oh? You're making it sound so promising! Don't keep me in suspense, spill it! If it's really good information, I'll buy all the drinks tonight! Hahaha!"

Halli drank heartily, not expecting much.

These friends were good, but they often made a fuss over trivial things.

"Guess I'll have to loosen my belt for this!"

"Thanks to Turbava, we can drink till we drop today!"

"Guys, enough with the suspense, just tell the story already!"

After urging the trio again, the information they finally shared turned out to be genuinely intriguing.

"There's a shaman from the south here in Tarak! Remember I mentioned before? A shaman who can inscribe tattoos."

The various tattoos that southern warriors must have.

For a fake to become real, these were essential elements.

"That's... really good news! Alright! Let's drink to our heart's content and talk!"

Soon after, they piled up barrels of drink beside them and managed to have a coherent conversation despite drinking like fish.

"Hmm, lately I had some business on the west side of Tarak..."

"This guy has been hitting on the lady at the fabric store near there."

As the boar interrupted the bear's story with a chuckle, the latter grimaced and kept gulping down his drink.

Apparently, his love venture wasn't going smoothly.

"Anyway! I was taking a shortcut through that alley when I ran right into it!"

It's said the darkest place is under the candlestick, who would have thought a southern shaman was so close by.

"From what I could see, the person was just barely making a living by curing minor ailments for the poor. I couldn't tell how skilled they were."

"If all they do with their magic is that, doesn't sound like much, does it?"

"Who knows? Everyone's circumstances are different. And if they're a shaman, they might be able to do warrior inscriptions, right?"

While opinions varied for a moment, it seemed like a good idea to meet them at least once.

And the next day.

Halli headed to where the shaman was said to be, accompanied by the hairy Turbava.

"Hmm, I thought I had been in Tarak for quite some time, but I don't think I've ever been here."

"Mercenaries like us rarely have business in places like this. It's not like there's any special shop around."

It wasn't quite a slum, but the area looked predominantly inhabited by the city's working class.

"What's with the mercenaries here? And dressed like that..."

"Shh! Pretend you didn't see."

"Let's hurry up."

As Halli, always majestic in appearance, and Turbava, the very image of a rugged mercenary, walked side by side, the local residents began to discreetly move away.

Even the young thugs who seemed to run this area quickly averted their gaze and disappeared.

"...Halli, are you really going to keep wearing that outfit?"

"Huh? What's wrong with this splendid attire! Doesn't it scream the spirit of a true warrior?"

"...Sure, do as you like."

Though it was a common occurrence, Halli didn't care in the slightest, but Turbava still seemed a bit embarrassed.

"So, where's this shaman? Seems like we've come quite a way in."

"We're almost there. Just past that alley..."

And what they first encountered upon passing through the alley was a scene very pleasing to Halli.

"Ah, this old lady really doesn't get it."

"If you just raise the treatment fee a bit, all your problems will be solved, see?"

"You've been treated too kindly, so you don't seem to understand the situation, do you?"

Gangsters threatening an elderly woman with tattoos all over her face, gripping her by the collar.

The smell of an incident was in the air.

"Oh-ho~?"

A wild smile formed on Halli's lips, the corners turning up.

He had come to plead with the shaman, but what perfect timing it was.

It was also an opportunity to demonstrate his strength.

He strode confidently towards the thugs.

"Huh? Wha... What?"

"Hey, hey! Stop right there..."

The thugs froze in their tracks as they noticed him approaching.

The quick-witted Turbava had already blocked their potential escape route.

However, to Halli's disappointment, there was no need for violence as the situation was resolved in an instant.

Simply by putting his imposing muscles to use and giving each of the thugs a brotherly shoulder grip while making eye contact, he made them wet themselves in fear.

'Was it too much to use "Wildness" on these small-timers who were only good for picking pockets?'

They lacked the skills and the guts to even be mercenaries.

For them, facing someone monstrous like him head-on was impossible from the start.

"Remember these faces? We brothers have some business with this granny, so better behave yourselves, understand?"

Turbava gently lectured them, getting up close with his tattooed face, in a surprisingly natural manner of comforting them.

With that, the situation was quickly resolved, and the thugs scattered, leaving the area quiet.

Amidst this, the old woman who had been grabbed by the collar sat down calmly on a chair in front of her house, watching them.

"Chuckling... What brings barbarians from the south all the way here?"

"Calling us barbarians? Say that nowadays and you'll get stones thrown at you by southerners, granny."

"Looks to me like a prime example of a barbarian, what nonsense are you on about? Just like the ones I saw in my youth. Hehe..."

"Ergh, that gentleman is... Eh, anyway. Why else would a warrior seek out a shaman if not for inscriptions?"

Turbava, about to retort, sighed and quickly got to the point.

There was no excusing that outfit.

"Hmm, one seems like a quite experienced warrior. And the other, the epitome of a southern warrior by dress, but without a single inscription on his body. You know, not just anyone can inscribe... Huh?"

Continuing her speech, the old woman briefly closed her eyes then opened them, casting a glance filled with a strange light over them.

Then, as her gaze landed on Halli, the calm expression on her face turned to one of curiosity and then quickly to a grimace.

"What's this? A monster?"