My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness - Chapter 57

#57

Outside Luck (1)

“Whoa… 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 was angry.

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

‘These are the strongest people at the top of this continent…’

Of course, they are not the pinnacle.

There are only ten paladins in the church, and if you include battle priests, heretic inquisitors, etc., there is no way to know how many powerful people there will be at this level.

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

‘But that’s only when looking 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 and fighting monsters, suddenly appear among them and wield swords, so what can they do?

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

“Whoa! “How can the religious bastards view this… Ugh!”

The demon that received the concentrated attack disappeared and was killed by the Black Moon leader’s sword.

It was the end of an unprepared summoning wizard.

“Good job Sir Heinrich Landgard. “Thanks to you, I was able to defeat them easily.”

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

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

Heinrich politely returned the badge he had received from the Archbishop.

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

However, since Heinrich did not know exactly where the goal was, he could not guide them properly.

He could only move to the space recognized by Harley through 「Blessing: Leap」.

So the solution was for the Archbishop, who gave Heinrich a sacred sign containing his divine power, to track it down and guide the remaining people.

And the operation worked out better than expected.

Because the enemy was so confused by Heinrich’s sudden attack, they were unable to prepare for those approaching from outside.

“But aren’t you going to capture them alive and interrogate them? “If we get information about them, we will be able to completely uncover the people behind them.”

“Unless you are a Heretic Questioner, the rule is to kill warlocks, including demon followers, as soon as you encounter them. You never know when they’ll do something. Also, they all have a ban on 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.

“Anyway, 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? “I followed the saint’s words first, but… I never thought I would find the target without any special blessings.”

“Hahaha… I don’t know either. “I just suddenly realized it.”

“It seems like the Lord is really watching over us! “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’! “Hahaha”

“You really 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.

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

“This is so troublesome! Hahaha!”

Although he said so, 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 that was hanging on Lapori’s wrist.

The stems were as fresh as if they were alive.

“La…Lapori, that’s…!”

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

“Our base is not on this continent, so there is no right way to repay us 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 Lafouri’s words.

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

It was as much kindness as could be shown from the Elven Kingdom, but Harley, who was already connected to the high-ranking levels of the church, was more interested in the bracelet that she immediately received.

Lafouri must have noticed his expression and immediately explained about the bracelet.

Attribute affinity and resistance are basic, plus additional correction when summoning a natural power amplifying spirit.

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.

‘Well, it’s something that high elves used directly, so it’s only natural.’

By the time the conversation was coming 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 that could not be helped since it was not a situation to worry about.

“I thought I should thank you again. Thank you for saving me. “If Harley hadn’t come, I wouldn’t be alive right 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 confused.

“Over there… Harley? “Could you please sit down for a moment?”

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

“……?”

When Harley squatted down on the spot, 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.

Hwaaa—

‘Hmm? Is this… the energy felt from the World Tree?’

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

“It is a blessing that a high elf can bestow. “It is also at a fairly high level that cannot be used often given the protection of Mother Nature.”

Lapori quietly added from the side.

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

“I am not yet a complete high elf, so it is a bit less effective than the original protection. When I open my eyes, I will do it again properly. “It would be helpful, since Harley seems to be rough on her body.”

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, so 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.

Perhaps because they had used up the last of their energy, it no longer felt alive at all…

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 feeling embarrassed herself.

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 used 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 flower pot inside the house and give it water… um….”

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

I looked at the tree branch in Harley’s hand and then back at him.

A muscular figure over two meters tall wearing a beast’s head, with traces of battle still visible in various places.

“Well, after defeating a worthy opponent, you can bury it in front of it instead of a tombstone… Or if you use it instead of firewood, it will have strong firepower and last a long time. In fact, it is also the reason why the dwarves are greedy…”

Lafori suddenly seemed confused and began to ramble.

‘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 to help him and Cecily, who was becoming increasingly embarrassed, as they tried to somehow resolve the situation.

‘I guess I can just leave this in the Earth room.’

There was nothing bad about it as it would be the best air purifier.

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

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

“Your eyes are very special. Are you mixed race? Um… no, I was 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? “Aren’t you planning on becoming a paladin and going around destroying heretics?”

While we were having such a simple conversation, we looked at each other at the words of the Black Moon leader.

This is the first time the two meet face to face.

Harley had undergone several plastic surgeries to fit the image of a barbarian warrior, so his impression was different from 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….”

“Ho-oh….”

When I made this direct comparison, I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

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

“…What are you guys doing?”

Even as I was so intoxicated with my own body, I heard Archbishop Latius’ shaky voice for a moment.

‘I was so absorbed in this.’

Although I was shocked as I unconsciously applied strength to various parts of my body and compared the muscles, the Paladins responded that they understood their 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? “Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.”

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 followed there.

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

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

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

Lastly, we exchange meaningful glances with Heinrich.

“Hmm, do you think I have something in common with that warrior? “It may be our first meeting, but it seems like we 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.”

“Wow, 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 okay to express your gratitude at the church level through the mercenary guild.”

‘done.’

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

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

‘I think I’ve gotten 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 Great Temple of Roselia.

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

The next day after returning and taking a break, 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. “I would like to thank Sir Heinrich once again.”

The meeting, which began with Laforie’s words of gratitude, immediately moved on to the next topic.

This time, it’s about tracking down the Immortal King, which is the church’s mission.

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

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

“And with 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 a certain amount of natural power.

Of course, the limits were also clear.

It is impossible to even attempt an area without trees, and the area 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.

“I think it will 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, given the large limitations, the effect was outstanding.

“If he hides in an area with trees, I guarantee you he will never be able to avoid detection. And most places with few people are bound to have trees.”

He lifted his chin confidently.

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

‘Um, should we cut down the trees around the cave in advance? To what extent? If I remove too many, it will actually stand out… Should I just cancel the summoning 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.

“But there is one problem with using this method.”

Lafouri continued again.

‘Compared to your confident attitude, you seem to have a lot of limitations.’

“In order to confirm it accurately, I 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 then, 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 is something I would like your understanding to do before then…”

The saintess answered his words with a serious expression.

And Heinrich could understand why she said that.

What I didn’t expect was right after that.

“…It would be good for you, Lord Heinrich, to know what we are fighting against.”

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

…In an instant, my heart skipped a beat.

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