"Phew... Is it all over?"
Heinrich lightly shook his sword, looking around. Given the caliber of those involved in this battle, it ended swiftly. Monsters were dying amidst furious lightning storms and thorns erupting from the ground, as if nature itself was enraged. The light's judgment burned the wicked beings, and even the giant demons summoned by them couldn't withstand long before being banished back to their realm.
'These are the top powerhouses of this continent...'
Of course, they weren't the only pinnacle. The order itself boasts ten publicly known paladins, and including combat priests and inquisitors, the number of such powerful beings is unknown. There are more High Elves than just Laphori, and possibly others of similar strength in the Elven Kingdom.
'But that's considering the whole continent.'
Considering the vastness of the continent, one cannot diminish their achievements. The dark sorcerers weren't easily defeated, but their inability to stand their ground was largely due to Heinrich's intervention. What could they do when he suddenly appeared among them, wielding his sword? Even the apparent leader of the enemies managed to summon a huge demon, but...
"Cough! How did the Order... Cough!"
The demon that received the concentrated attack disappeared and was killed by the Black Moon leader's sword.
"Heinrich Landguard, well done. Thanks to you, we were able to dispose of them easily." Archbishop Latius, who was turning the corpses of dark sorcerers into ash with holy fire, approached with a kind expression.
"Ah, you too, Archbishop. Here is the holy emblem." Heinrich respectfully returned the holy emblem he had received from the Archbishop. They had flown quickly from Tarak to the northern mountains powered by the wind spirits. However, Heinrich didn't exactly know where their target was, so he couldn't guide them properly. He could only move through space that Halli had sensed using "Blessing: Leap."
The method they came up with was for the Archbishop to give Heinrich a holy emblem imbued with his divine power, which he then tracked to guide the rest. This strategy worked better than expected. The enemies, thrown into disarray by Heinrich's sudden intrusion, couldn't prepare for those approaching from outside.
"But won't you interrogate some for capture? If we get information from them, we could potentially uncover and dismantle their entire network."
"As a rule, unless one is an inquisitor, dark sorcerers and demon followers are to be executed on sight. You never know what trick they might pull next. Besides, they all have silencing spells on them."
It made sense, considering the bizarre methods of dark magic. No wonder he meticulously burned their corpses.
"So, that elf lady over there is the High Elf candidate, I presume."
The Archbishop exclaimed softly as he looked towards a small elf and a large barbarian, with Laphori and a group of elves approaching them.
"Your words were correct. How did you know? We followed the saintess's words, but... To think you could find the target without any specific blessing."
"Hahaha... I'm not quite sure myself. It just came to me suddenly."
"It seems the Divine truly watches over us! What a glorious thing."
After expressing his admiration again, the Archbishop took a moment for prayer with the paladins who had just arrived. Only then could Heinrich join them towards where the elves were.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, Cecily was safe."
"Ha ha! As an honorable warrior, it's only natural to help those in danger! Don't worry about it too much. I didnt do it for any reward! Ha ha ha!"
"Indeed, you hold admirable values."
The conversation that followed the brief introduction was warm and friendly.
Laphori was not at all perturbed by Halli's appearance.
He was a High Elf who had lived for many years.
Even though he looked young, his age was substantial, so he perceived Halli's fashion as very exemplary for a southerner within his standard of norms.
"However, it wouldnt be right not to offer anything in return for your help. Although it may not be much, please accept this."
"Oh, this is a bit troublesome! Ha ha ha!"
Despite his words, Halli did not hesitate to accept the item offered by Laphori.
It was a bracelet made of thin wooden vines intertwined with various sparkling gems, hanging from Laphori's wrist. The vine was as fresh as if it was still alive.
"La... Laphori sir, that is...!"
A male elf beside Laphori started to speak in alarm, but Laphori, keeping his gaze on Halli, simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Our base is not on this continent, so we dont have a direct way to repay you immediately. We are also indebted to the Order for various reasons at the moment."
Thus, they couldn't promise anything for the future.
Since they also had to assist the Order, they didn't know when they might return to the Enamel Continent.
"Of course, if you need any help in the future, we will do our utmost to assist. We will arrange this with the Order."
As their base was in another continent, they couldn't directly intervene, so they planned to offer help through the Order first, and later, the Elven Kingdom would compensate the Order.
"He has helped our Order's cause as well. I will make sure it's taken care of."
Archbishop Latius, who had approached, accepted Laphori's words.
Thanks to Halli, the Order's work was made easier, so they decided to compensate him as well.
The maximum courtesy the Elven Kingdom could show, but for Halli, who already had connections within the Order's high ranks, the bracelet in hand was more intriguing.
Noticing his interest, Laphori went on to explain the bracelet. It enhanced affinity and resistance to elements, amplified natural power, and even added bonuses to spirit summoning.
Moreover, the bracelet itself was a highly valuable item symbolically.
Possessing it would ensure considerable respect within the Elven territories.
'Well, it was used by a High Elf, so that makes sense.'
As the conversation was drawing to a close, Cecily, now clean thanks to Archbishop Latius's help in removing the magical tool around her neck, approached Halli. The dirt and blood from the ordeal and the battle were cleaned by a female elf using spirits, who had come with Laphori.
Hmm... There was quite a lot of blood spilled on the leather in front because of Devour...
It couldnt be helped since it wasnt a situation to worry about cleanliness.
I felt I needed to thank you again. Thank you for saving me. If it werent for you, Halli, I wouldnt be alive right now.
"Ha ha ha! Well, I just did what needed to be done."
Cecily politely bowed her head.
She then looked up at Halli for a moment before her expression turned to one of confusion.
"Um, Halli? Could you sit down for a moment?"
The girl, barely reaching his waist, waved her hands up at him.
"......?"
As Halli crouched down, their eye levels finally aligned.
"May the great nature's blessing be with you."
Cecily, lifting the tattered head of a black panther slightly, lightly kissed his forehead.
Fwoosh
'Huh? This feels like... the aura from the World Tree?'
It was clear something had taken root within him, yet no system notification appeared.
"This is a blessing a High Elf can bestow. And not just any blessing, but one of great nature itself, which cannot be frequently used due to its high level," Laphori quietly added, noticeably surprised that Cecily, who had not fully awakened, used such a high-level blessing.
"Since I'm not yet a full High Elf, the effect might be less than the original blessing. Once I fully awaken, I'll properly do it again. It seems like it could be of help to you, Halli, given how roughly you treat your body."
From her explanation, it sounded like a blessing that would increase his resistance to elements.
Halli, welcoming any such boon, nodded happily.
Cecily, pleased with his reaction, hesitated for a moment before offering him the twig she had been holding all this while. Now devoid of any vitality, the once vibrant branch of the World Tree had withered.
"Um... I don't have anything to give you right now. When we meet again, I'll give you a proper gift."
Cecily, clearly embarrassed, lowered her head in shame.
But a branch from the World Tree is still a branch from the World Tree.
Halli readily accepted it, not one to refuse a gift.
"The World Tree exerted too much energy through this branch, severing its ley lines, but it can still purify the air and cleanse the aura around it. Just place it in a pot at home and water it... um..."
Laphori began to offer advice but hesitated, looking at the twig in Halli's hand.
He surveyed Halli, over two meters tall, still bearing the marks of battle, wearing a fierce beast's head.
"Um, after defeating a worthy opponent, you could plant it in front of their grave as a marker... Or use it as kindling for strong and lasting fires. Thats actually why the dwarves covet it..."
Laphori rambled, seemingly confused.
'It seems he wasnt quite like this before.'
Perhaps the relief of completing the mission had loosened him up.
Halli, trying to alleviate the awkwardness for both him and the increasingly embarrassed Cecily, quickly offered his thanks.
'This will go well in the room back on Earth.'
It would serve as the ultimate air purifier.
With the farewells with the elves concluded, Halli also exchanged greetings with the members of the Order.
While not as actively involved as the elves, the Order's members showed considerable interest in Halli.
"Your eyes are quite unique. Are you a hybrid? Um... sorry, that was rude of me to ask."
His left eye attracted attention, but they didnt pursue the topic further, perhaps thinking it tied to some secret origin.
"Oh, what a fine physique you have. Almost as impressive as our Heinrich. Have you ever thought about becoming a paladin to smash the skulls of heretics?"
During their light conversation, this comment from the leader of the Black Moon prompted them to look at each other.
This was their first time truly facing each other.
Halli, having undergone several self-modifications to fit the image of a barbarian warrior, had a different aura from Heinrich.
Heinrich, who had pushed his body to its limits using "Super Recovery" and continued hard training even after obtaining "Blessing: Fortitude."
And Halli, who had ingested dozens of monsters through "Devour," selectively enhancing his genes with "Mutation" and "Physical Mutation" to craft an ideal body.
"Hmm..."
"Hooh..."
When directly compared like this, I couldn't help but let out an exclamation of amazement. It was almost regrettable that Heinrich was wearing armor, preventing a closer inspection.
"...What are you doing?"
Engrossed in their own bodies only moments before, the gruff voice of Archbishop Latius broke the spell.
'Oh, I got too carried away.'
I flinched, inadvertently flexing and comparing muscles here and there, but the paladins seemed to understand our position.
"Archbishop Latius, for those of us who use our bodies like we do, this is natural."
"Indeed, indeed! A man ought to have muscles! Ah, not that I'm saying anything against you, Archbishop. Hahaha."
Every paladin of the Holy Order was a devout believer in high-intensity weight training.
***
"Thank you once again. It looks like we'll be staying in the Ion continent for a while, so we'll be able to offer our help during that time."
The party, now increased by two, returned to Tarak quickly with the help of the wind spirit.
This was followed by a farewell to Halli.
"Sir Halli, I'll be going then. Stay healthy until we meet again."
"Hahahaha! Without my robustness, I'd be but a corpse! You take care, young lady!"
With that, Halli disappeared into the streets of Tarak.
Lastly, exchanging meaningful looks with Heinrich.
"Hmm, seems like there's something between that warrior and you, eh? You're quite concerned about each other for a first meeting."
"It feels like a good connection. I think we'll run into each other often."
"Ho! If it's Heinrich's hunch, it can't be ignored. We'll pay more attention to it in the order. Since he mentioned being a mercenary, expressing our thanks through the mercenary guild might be a good idea."
'Done.'
Just by catching the right mood, Heinrich successfully used his reputation to elevate Halli's status.
Having the order's backing would be a significant help in future endeavors.
'It seems like we've gained everything we could hope for.'
It was a satisfying day in many ways.
***
Returning to the Rosellia Grand Temple took about half a day, unlike the journey there, with the cooperation of each temple along the way to expedite the schedule.
After returning and taking a rest, the next day brought a meeting with the elves.
"Thanks to the order's help, we were able to bring Miss Cecily without much trouble. I want to express our gratitude to Sir Heinrich once again."
The meeting, starting with Laphori's words of thanks, quickly moved on to the next topic.
This time, it was about the order's task of tracking down the Immortal King.
"The World Tree is the root of all trees existing in the world."
He explained the method of finding the Immortal King with a serious tone.
"And High Elves can borrow the power of the World Tree to detect the energies around places where trees exist."
They planned to scan regions using trees with significant natural energy as mediators.
However, the method had clear limitations.
Areas without trees couldn't even be attempted, and the range that could be confirmed at one time was limited.
It was a method that couldn't be used in a hurry to find Cecily due to the preparation required.
"To scan the entire Ion continent, it might take about a month."
That was the estimate, excluding regions without trees.
But despite its limitations, the effectiveness was exceptional.
"If he's hiding in an area with trees, I guarantee he can't escape detection. And places with few people are mostly wooded."
He confidently raised his chin.
Certainly, even if this method didn't find him, it would narrow down the possible locations.
'Mmm, should I clear the trees around the cave beforehand? How far out? If I remove too many, it might be more noticeable... Should I just time the dispelling right?'
Heinrich worried in secret with a calm expression on his face.
I had reinforced the barrier, but the confident demeanor made me slightly anxious.
"However, there is one problem with using this method."
Laphori's words continued.
'It seems like there are quite a few limitations despite the confident attitude.'
"To accurately identify it, we need to have a clear understanding of the energy, but since I know nothing about the Immortal King, it might take a bit more time."
Since they could only track concentrated dark magic, the period could extend up to half a year to ensure accuracy.
Of course, they might find it sooner, but if luck was bad, who knows what could happen.
"If it's a matter of knowing about the Immortal King's energy... don't worry. Of course, there is something I would hope for your understanding beforehand..."
The saintess replied with a serious expression to his words.
And Heinrich understood why she had said that.
What he hadn't anticipated came shortly after.
"...It would be good for Sir Heinrich to be aware of this opportunity too. What we are fighting against."
The moment she turned to him with a strange expression and murmured softly, his heart skipped a beat.
I thought I had gained everything, but it seems the real deal was still to come.