Episode 178 Elf and Dwarf
A place decorated simply and elegantly, like other areas within the palace.
"Hmm, hmm. Indeed."
Harris, after greeting the others, looked around, nodding as he chatted with the gardener who offered to guide him.
It wasn't strange, as Elves generally preferred harmony and neatness over flamboyance.
But their work was all about manual labor, so there wasn't anything special to see here.
It was just a lodging for them to rest during their shifts, with a dining hall and training facilities.
In other words, there wasn't anything special enough for him to react like this, looking around everywhere.
"Um… Harris?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"…Are you looking for something? If you tell me, I'll guide you there."
"Ah— No, it's nothing. As you know, it hasn't been long since I came to the Elven Kingdom. I'm just not used to it yet, so don't worry."
Harris, who had been scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, put on a gentle smile again at the gardener's question, which was filled with curiosity.
He had something in mind, but there was no need to reveal it since it wasn't urgent.
"Ah, I did hear that you came from the Ion Continent. To think that the two most recently awakened are both from other continents, it seems like the Elf lineage is still continuing there."
Harris just smiled faintly, finding it difficult to answer the gardener's seemingly impressed words.
'Honestly, I'm not sure if the lineage is properly continuing.'
Cecily was just lucky to be rescued from being sacrificed to dark mages, and he hadn't heard anything about the other Elves.
Of course, he hadn't investigated it, but if something special had happened, it wouldn't have escaped his information network, which covered various areas.
The fact that there was no news meant that they were either well hidden in remote areas or had naturally blended into society.
"Come to think of it, I heard that the second Continental Summit will be held soon. They said quite a few people will be going to Ion this time, it was so noisy that even we, who aren't interested in other matters, heard about it."
"Ah, yes. It's a large-scale event."
As he said, a large-scale dispatch of reinforcements and a second summit were scheduled to be held at the Main God Church's holy land soon.
To finalize the matters decided at the first summit and continue the discussions in more detail.
But unfortunately, Harris couldn't participate in the envoy this time.
And it was the same for Cecily, who had gone with him last time…
'Well, it's only natural. They can't keep sending young, inexperienced High Elves out.'
Even if they allowed it once for experience, they wouldn't send promising individuals with a bright future to a dangerous place every time.
And on top of that, three veteran High Elves, including Rapori Granwood, were going to be dispatched this time for the reinforcement dispatch and temple construction!
There was no place for a newbie like him.
'Come to think of it, Harris is still growing, so there's no need for him to intervene already. It's best for him to stay near the World Tree.'
All the spirits he could handle had evolved to the Advanced level after becoming a High Elf, and the Lightning Spirit was even on the verge of evolving to the highest level, but he was still lacking compared to the other avatars.
'Now is the time to prioritize growth and build a solid foundation.'
And it wouldn't take long.
Skills like "Chosen of the World Tree", "Assimilation with Nature", "Stargazer", and "Call of Nature", and all sorts of growth bonuses wouldn't let him be.
"Hmm? …This is?"
At that moment,
Harris, who had been wandering around the gardeners' quarters, finally found the place he was looking for.
"Ah, this is the storage room where we keep the byproducts we obtain during our work. It's just scraps compared to the artifacts imbued with the World Tree's power, but the materials themselves are still valuable. It's a treasure vault, as they're catalysts used in various high-level spells."
"…I see?"
"Actually, they're often used as gifts for those who have made contributions or as gifts for other races in trade. Especially Dwarves, they love these materials."
"That's right. They're byproducts of the World Tree, after all."
He entered the storage room, casually responding to the gardener's lengthy explanation.
Naturally, it wasn't a place that just anyone could enter, but it didn't apply to him, a High Elf.
"Huh— All this…!"
And before his eyes,
A mountain of dried branches and leaves, neatly organized, filled his vision.
It was a sight that made the word 'precious' seem meaningless.
"Ah, these are what we've steadily accumulated for several years. We maintain a certain amount of stock and distribute it to the outside, just in case."
He heard that they were used in various places within the Elven Kingdom, and even ordinary Elves could easily obtain a small amount, so there were many places that would be in trouble if the supply was suddenly cut off.
That's why they didn't trade with the outside world very often, despite requests.
'Well, considering the World Tree's size, this much is only natural.'
Actually, it could even be considered a small amount.
Compared to the branches that spread so wide and large that they covered the entire capital, this amount that filled just one warehouse was nothing.
And this was even the amount they had accumulated for several years…
'But it's still more than enough for me to use alone.'
It was a natural fact, but there were no restrictions on Harris, a High Elf, using these.
"There's more than I expected. Would it be okay for me to take some of these and use them?"
"Of course. Normally, it's difficult to take them out, but High Elves are an exception."
High Elves, the chosen ones of the World Tree and its priests, were a communication channel connected to the World Tree just by existing.
Naturally, they couldn't impose complicated restrictions on them.
Of course, even if they could use it freely, it didn't really make a difference because the number of High Elves was so small.
They mostly just used the leaves to brew tea or for various experiments, how much could they even use?
So no one really cared, and there was never a shortage.
Well,
Until now.
"Uh… Harris? You're… planning to use all of that?"
"Ahaha, I need them for my personal training."
"Ah—! I see. Training… then it can't be helped. It'll definitely be helpful in quickly increasing your natural energy. Haha…"
The gardener, who had been flustered, watching Harris diligently putting branches into his subspace magic tool, forced a nod as if trying to accept it.
And Harris continued, smiling faintly at his understanding.
"Then I'll come back later when I'm done using them."
"Uh… y-yes?"
There was no way he would be satisfied with just a few trips when there was this much.
But he wasn't planning to take them and sell them or anything.
'I wasn't lying. I'm really going to use them for training.'
He had to be moderate so that there wouldn't be a problem with the kingdom's supply, as it would be noticeable if he took too much.
Of course, he had to consider that the trade they had been doing with the surplus would become tighter in the future.
There wouldn't be any leftovers now.
____________________
Clang—! Clang—!
A cheerful sound echoed through the workshop.
"No, what the hell is…?"
Zaonic, who entered his personal workshop as usual, couldn't hide his bewilderment at the intense heat he felt.
The heat itself wasn't strange, but the unusual energy contained in it wasn't something he could easily encounter.
It was an extraordinary fire energy that he had only felt a couple of times before.
"D-don't tell me!"
He realized something and hurriedly ran towards the furnace inside the workshop.
Inside the furnace, which was spewing out fierce flames next to Howard, who was already immersed in his work, swinging his hammer in a trance… As expected, it was there.
"…A World Tree branch?"
He unconsciously gaped.
There was no mistaking it.
That rare material, which he had only managed to obtain a small piece the size of his palm after begging the village elder when he was young…
A log several times larger than that was currently burning brightly in his workshop furnace!
"Ah, sir, you're here? You're late today. Uhuhut!"
At that moment, Howard, who had just wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, turned to him with a refreshing smile.
Zaonic stared at him blankly, his mouth agape, and then pointed at the furnace with one hand.
"H-Howard? That thing inside…"
"As expected, you recognized it right away. You're amazing, sir!"
"No, I'm saying! That's really a World Tree branch?!"
He pounded his chest in frustration at Howard's nonchalant answer.
How did he obtain that precious material in this Ion Continent, something he had only touched when he was in Titania?
"Hehehe! A friend sent it to me as a gift."
"A friend? Hubert? Or Harley?"
"Harris… There's an Elf I'm acquainted with, he used to adventure with Harley."
"…That Harley guy is everywhere. Well, it makes sense if you listen to his adventure stories."
Zaonic made a wry face, having already heard 'Harley's Great Adventure'.
"But an Elf friend sent you a World Tree branch as a gift? Huh…"
He sighed in disappointment, remembering the main issue.
He didn't know what kind of connection they had that made an Elf send such a gift to a Dwarf, but that wasn't important right now.
'To think he used such a precious thing so carelessly! He should have saved it and used it after his skills improved! He can't even properly control that fire energy at his current level…'
He clicked his tongue in regret.
Of course, it wasn't his business how the recipient used the gift, but it was too precious to just ignore.
Of course, even using it like this would help him improve his skills.
He was handling the flames created by a World Tree branch, so he would gain a lot just from properly absorbing that experience.
And Howard was a quick learner who was improving every moment, not some idiot.
'But it's too much! To waste it like that just to save a little time!'
If he had told him beforehand, he would have helped him use it most efficiently.
He even felt a bit hurt, wondering if he didn't tell him because he was afraid he would take it away.
"Whew— It can't be helped now that he's already used it. But there's still some fire left, so using this opportunity…"
"Why don't you join me, sir?"
An unexpected suggestion.
Howard, who had been looking at Zaonic with a strange expression, interrupted his muttering and casually spoke.
"Huh? Ah, well, if it's that big, the flames should last for at least a few more hours, so I guess I can try it out."
His gaze turned to the furnace where the World Tree branch was burning.
Only about half the size of his forearm was left, but the flames were still blazing, as expected of such a material. They would probably last for at least a few more hours.
"…Tsk, but it's pointless to try it out half-heartedly without any preparation. I'm fine, so you finish what you were doing, Howard. Don't waste time."
Zaonic tried to suppress his regret and turned away.
Of course, he couldn't help but feel tempted, but he wanted Howard to grow even more using this opportunity, since he had used the gift he received.
"Ah, that? It's okay. I have more!"
But Howard's answer was something he hadn't expected at all.
"Huh? What?"
"Uhuhut! My friend had a good fortune! He sent me a lot to use freely! Come on, sir, there's no need to be shy! Come here!"
And Zaonic, led by his hand, was dumbfounded, holding several World Tree branches the size of his forearm in his arms.
He had only managed to obtain a small piece the size of his palm after begging and pleading with the village elder.
What were these sturdy logs in his arms?
Sniff, sniff—
The scent of the dried wood filled his nose.
As expected of a World Tree branch, even the scent was extraordinary.
"…Ahem, then… should I try it too?"
His dormant creative desire started to stir.
He had been holding back for Howard, but if there was this much, there was no need to endure, was there?
"I was actually hoping to see your demonstration because I'm lacking! Please teach this incompetent junior! Hehehe!"
"Hahaha—! You're a lucky charm, Howard! Alright, let's work all night!"
Zaonic immediately started preparing for work, feeling his affection for Howard doubling.
Now that things had come to this, there was nothing to stop him!
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
After that, the harmonious sound of hammering metal continued throughout the night in the friendly workshop…
And a young Dwarf started to grow rapidly.