It was the second day since the two giants had visited.
Slurp
"Phew..."
The old woman leaned back in her chair, sipping warm tea.
Preparing to engrave the newcomers, who were warriors from the south, had brought her a sense of nostalgia.
In truth, she was doubtful if one of them was really from the south, but she figured that wasn't something she needed to worry about.
Everyone had their own circumstances, after all.
Wasn't it the same for her?
"Maraki..."
It had been over ten years since she left the south with her only son to settle here.
Her promising warrior son had made a name for himself as a mercenary, smoothly establishing his place in the city.
But one day, ten years ago, as usual, he headed to the northern mountains and never returned...
Since then, she had continued to stay here alone.
"I thought I'd just live out my quiet life and die here."
Though she couldn't leave Tarak due to her lingering attachments, she felt she had lived enough and no longer had the will to live on.
Moreover, living in a secluded residential area within the city, she had not encountered people from her past...
"Granny! We're here!"
"Hahaha! Old man, we brought some meat for you to replenish your energy! Let's eat up and get strong!"
A lively noise came from outside.
The old woman chuckled and got up to head towards the door.
This unexpected connection with the young warriors wasn't unwelcome.
...It also reminded her of her son, whom she could no longer see.
"The heck with meat. My teeth are too weak to chew properly."
She grumbled and complained, but a small smile formed on her lips.
***
After a hearty meat party, preparations for the engraving ritual began.
They had brought tender meat, considering the old woman's dental health, but she ate more than expected.
"It seems that most people from the south are big meat-eaters..."
No matter her age, it seemed the blood of a southerner does not change.
"Sss Eating meat after so long does make me feel a bit energized. The quality seems quite high, too. Hehehe..."
"Hahah! We picked it out specially, hoping for a good day today."
"Don't worry, lad. Seeing your dedication, I'll make sure to take good care of it."
All sorts of bizarre items were prepared, including needles made from ground monster bones and a mysterious liquid made by mixing ogre blood with chemicals.
"You lie down here... And you, Turbava one, it's better if you stay outside since you'll distract me. If someone comes for treatment, tell them to come back in half a day."
"Don't worry, granny. I'll handle it and send them on their way."
Turbava nodded reassuringly and headed outside.
"Eh... I'm not sure if it's right just scaring off and sending away the townspeople."
The old woman lightly clicked her tongue and shook her head, turning her gaze to Halli, who was lying on the workbench.
"Oh, dear. This one's quite large. It's going to be a challenging task."
Engraving required etching at specific locations in specific proportions.
If the body is large, the area to be engraved is wider, necessitating more materials and causing the shaman more trouble.
Of course, the effects of the engraving are stronger as a result, so warriors tend to prefer increasing their size.
"Really, it's my first time engraving a Great Warrior without starting as a regular warrior. Tsk tsk tsk..."
The locations for the two engravings were the same.
It was because the 'Warrior's Engraving,' which started from the heart and extended to the neck with a burning flame pattern, was further complicated by the addition of the 'Great Warrior's Engraving.'
"Then, let's start. Bite down on this."
"Huh? No need, old lady. Just start already!"
"Hehe... It's going to be quite painful, you know? Wouldn't you rather bite down on this now than regret it later?"
"Hahaha! Such needless worry. To a true warrior, pain is nothing!"
Since the concept of pain was meaningless to him, he easily declined the piece of wood the old woman offered.
With such a response, she no longer insisted and began the engraving procedure right away.
"Phew..."
With a small sigh, a faint light began to circle the engravings on the old woman's face.
It was the 'Shaman's Engraving,' which she had learned while apprenticing under her master.
The bone needle she held dipped deep into the dark red liquid before being pulled out.
And then, it was thrust towards Halli's heart...
"Huh?"
The needle remained on the surface of his chest muscle, not penetrating at all.
"This fellow, his skin is so tough that the needle won't go in!"
"Huh?"
It was an unexpected obstacle.
His body, monster-like, was now impervious to attacks that lacked a certain level of energy...
As he looked bewildered, the old woman clicked her tongue and rolled up her sleeves.
"That's it! I'll do it myself, so just lie there. Eh... If it weren't for the meat, I might not have been able to find the vein!"
The old woman's engravings began to glow more intensely, and a pale energy enveloped the bone needle.
Several hours later.
The procedure was quietly carried out without any special incidents.
***
[The individual has fulfilled the conditions and gained enlightenment. You have acquired the skill "Calcos-style Combat Engraving."]
The moment the last needle stitch pricked under his chin, vitality surged throughout his body.
And Halli was quickly able to understand what had happened.
A portion of the life energy that had been dormant in his muscles and bones was being sucked into the completed engraving, activating all his physical abilities at once.
'Incredible? It's much more efficient than enhancing with "life energy."'
If he were to additionally imbue the engraving with aura
Halli, who couldn't rest until his thoughts were put into action, immediately proceeded to do so.
The elaborate flame pattern of the 'Great Warrior's Engraving' on his chest slowly turned red, beginning to blaze as if it were truly on fire.
And then...
"Woah!"
A faint mist rose from his entire body.
Clutching his fist, a menacing crackling sound leaked out.
'With this, I could probably take down an ogre with my bare hands without using "Body Mutation," right?'
Elated, Halli quickly regained his composure and looked back at the old woman.
She had collapsed on the spot, gasping for breath, as soon as the procedure was completed.
"Such a tough one. To think you wouldn't make a single sound of pain. Have you become numb to pain or what?"
"Old lady, are you alright?"
"It's just that I've used too much energy and am exhausted. It's been over ten years since I last performed an engraving, so suddenly exerting myself like this was bound to cause some issues."
Seeing her sweat-soaked, pallid face made Halli feel uneasy.
Given her age, it seemed she had exerted a lot of effort to penetrate his tough body.
'If we're already in this situation when there are still many engravings left to do, this could be problematic...'
He was convinced that he couldn't just leave her like this.
She needed to be fed three meals a day with meat and healthy foods, and her physical strength needed to be enhanced through regular exercise and stress management.
"Old lady..."
"I need to rest now, so leave me be. At this rate, I'll end up dying."
The old woman staggered to her bed and collapsed onto it.
It seemed like he would need to find an opportunity to discuss this later.
After placing the remaining payment on the workbench, he stepped outside and saw Turbava dozing off in a chair.
"Hey there, Turaba!"
"Uh... Huh? Halli? Is it over?"
Turbava rubbed his eyes and stood up at Halli's call, then his eyes widened in amazement.
"Oh, oh! That's the Great Warrior's Engraving!"
"Hahaha!"
The southern warrior looked at Halli with admiration and astonishment, continuously marveling at him.
The engraving was not the simple flame pattern that warriors possessed but a vibrant and lively flame that started from the chest and extended to the neck, fully exposed on his bare upper body.
'Ah! So that's why!'
And Halli realized why the previous generation of southern warriors insisted on such attire.
'It wasn't just about showing off their muscles, but their engravings as well!'
Though this was the result of regional, ecological, and cultural factors, such considerations were not Halli's concern at the moment.
As he walked with his shoulders back and a swagger in his step, it seemed as if the admiration from those around him was even greater than before.
"Turaba, if the effects of the engraving are this good, why do only southern warriors use it? It doesn't seem like the technology is that well-guarded."
If a shaman with the knowledge could freely leave the south, they could potentially leak the technology whenever they wanted.
Yet, I had never seen people from other regions using engravings.
"Well, it's because of the side effects. There are various conditions that make it complicated. Most importantly, it continuously drains your vitality."
The life force starts to be drained the moment the engraving is applied.
Of course, the enhancement effects are greater, but the capacity to endure this varies from person to person.
"Southerners are born with inherently strong vitality. It's a method that suits us well."
People from other regions prefer to concentrate on training their aura to strengthen their bodies when needed, as it's more efficient for them.
This means southern warriors are relatively weaker in handling aura...
"I see. Well, as a proud Great Warrior of the south, it doesn't really concern me anymore! Wahahahah!"
"That's right! My friend, a Great Warrior! Guffaw!"
"Hahaha!"
"Kehkehkeh!"
The laughter of the two men echoed through the alleyway.
Of course, no one there protested their behavior.
***
"Ah! Sir Heinrich! Are you sure it's alright for you to be up already?"
"Ahaha, a little walk should be fine. Actually, I could have gotten up earlier, but my healing priest was quite strict."
"Still... wouldn't it be better to be cautious until you're fully recovered?"
Heinrich engaged in a friendly conversation with the concerned saint.
His condition had improved significantly, and he was now allowed to go outside the treatment room.
Coincidentally, today was an important day, making the timing quite opportune.
"Today is the day the Elven Kingdom's delegation departs. Given our past interactions, it's only right that I see them off, isn't it?"
The Elven delegation, after many ups and downs, was finally returning to their homeland.
Heinrich had many connections with their leader, Laphory, so it was only fitting to at least show his face one last time.
After this farewell, it would be difficult to meet again.
'It was unusual for a high elf to lead a delegation in the first place.'
Being leaders of their race, they wouldn't leave the vicinity of the World Tree unless it was for special occasions like this.
As they were talking in front of the gate, the Elven delegation entered, guided by a priest.
Along with Laphory and the delegation, there were two additional members.
The high elf candidate, Cecily, and Harris, an elf who had been introduced by Halli.
"Sir Heinrich. I heard you were quite injured; is it really alright for you to be out here?"
"Oh, it's truly fine. Sir Laphory."
Farewells between the Church and the delegation were exchanged all around.
Since they had stayed for quite a while, many had formed close bonds, taking some time for the goodbyes, but soon, the moment of actual departure arrived.
Wooong
"Then, we will be leaving now. We won't forget the kindness shown by the Order during our stay."
"We hope for the continued good relationship between our sides. Farewell..."
With the final exchange of goodbyes between Saint Liesta and Laphory, the Elven delegation disappeared into the blue swirl of the gate.
They would now travel for several days to the eastern edge of the continent, from where they would use their own means to cross over to the Enamel continent. Along with Harris.
My heart fluttered like an explorer on the brink of discovering a new continent.