#52
Hali (3)
The newly summonable avatar was named ‘Hubert’.
Countless agonies and conflicts led to that name.
As naming only with the ‘Ha’ sound limited creativity, he decided to break that mold and expand the limits with an ‘H’.
After all, this was the result of an utterly useless worry that no one would ever understand.
In fact, what really mattered was the skill he acquired.
Hubert’s initial skill was “Appraisal.”
It was an impressive ability that allowed him to see the information of objects.
Wow! It feels just like playing a real game!
However, due to his low skill proficiency, he couldn’t see very accurate information just yet.
What he could confirm at his level was merely a rough outline of the items.
Of course, since he just got the ability, there’s plenty of room for growth in the future.
Hubert’s first mission, as the future magnate, was to prepare the items that Hali would use while tussling in the Beast’s Woods.
He traveled to the nearby cities, choosing weapons that Hali could use with “Appraisal,” and entrusted the process of making beast heads to a leather craftsman.
[Black Steel Two-Bladed Great Axe]
– A two-handed axe crafted by an exceptionally skilled artisan from heavy and sturdy black steel alloy. It is robust and won’t easily break, but it’s so heavy that most people can’t lift it.
[Black Panther Head Helmet]
– A helmet made from the head of a beastly black panther processed by an ordinary craftsman. Since they focused on the appearance, it’s better not to expect high defense beyond its material.
In addition to these, Hubert put in a lot of effort for Hali’s proper activities.
Fully reflecting his personal tastes.
And the results of that effort.
He was now standing in the midst of Tarak, located in the northern Aonia territory of the Tulk Kingdom in the western continent.
Bzzzzzzzz—
“What on earth is that?”
“Is that a southern barbarian? What brings him this far west?”
“Mom— what is that?”
“Shhh, don’t look! Let’s go home quickly!”
The gaze of passersby turned toward Hali.
It was the same kind of gaze he’d received from the guards at the city gate.
Phew, I do look kinda cool.
Gazing filled with longing poured over Hali.
His appearance had the power to draw the attention of those around him.
A towering figure over 2 meters tall, with fierce eyes like a beast.
A leather cape connected to the head of a black panther draped over his shoulders and back.
Around his neck hung beast teeth strung together, and his bare torso was rippling with imposing muscles.
Scattered across his face and body were mysterious patterns drawn in red dye, with two large axe handles protruding from his shoulders.
On top of that, his armor consisted solely of leather scraps reinforced with metal plates in a few crucial areas.
A barbaric warrior, the likes of which one could hardly see these days, was right here.
Hehehe.
Chuckling softly, he straightened his shoulders and walked confidently forward.
Those overwhelmed by Hali’s beautiful muscles hurriedly averted their eyes and stepped aside.
In truth, there was a justified reason for dressing up so ostentatiously beyond just personal preferences.
His goal was to become a hero who could impact the continent.
Fame was as crucial as personal ability to be considered a hero.
The difference between a strong person known only to a few and one who is recognized by everyone is elementary; it doesn’t take a genius to say which is closer to being a hero.
Leaving an unforgettable, striking impression was also a vital matter for the aspiring hero, Hali.
Hmm, of course, this isn’t purely out of self-interest.
Having rationalized himself, the boisterous barbarian Hali made his way across the main road to the mercenary guild, basking in the attention.
BANG—!
The guild’s door swung open with a resounding crash.
In an instant, all eyes focused on the entrance.
I slightly pushed it, but I didn’t account for Hali’s strength!
Though a little embarrassed inside, manly Hali didn’t care about such trivial matters.
He confidently strode through the lobby toward the counter.
“What’s that?”
“A barbarian?”
Perhaps due to the city’s well-developed mercenary trade, the interior of the guild exuded a clean yet stylish atmosphere.
A counter arranged like a bank and people lined up waiting in front of it.
Tough yet polite, Hali stood quietly behind the shortest line and waited.
With some leisure time, he decided to kill time until his turn arrived.
Huff, puff.
A rough breath escaped his lips involuntarily, causing the person in front of him to flinch.
“Ahem… by the way, I had something urgent to attend to…”
He murmured and cautiously exited the guild, glancing nervously around.
Oh, I forgot to eat! I’ll grab a bite first and come back!
How could I forget my appointment?
One by one, those in front began to vacate, and before long, it was just Hali’s turn.
Tsk tsk tsk, with how forgetful people are nowadays…
He clicked his tongue lightly in pity at the reality.
Still, if there was something urgent, it couldn’t be helped.
While waiting, Hali set up the two axe handles like a barbell squat, standing up from his spot.
Having two axes means distributing the weight evenly on both sides is nice. And since they’re two-handed axes, the handles are long too.
That said, this weight barely broke a sweat.
He neatly arranged the axes back on his back and approached the counter.
“Uh, what brings you here…?”
As a muscle-bound man over 2 meters tall stood in front of her, the female staff cautiously asked.
“Haha! I’m obviously here to hunt at the Steel Fortress! Isn’t this city meant for that purpose?”
A hearty laugh burst forth.
This was the reason Hali came to Tarak.
To hunt various monsters that appeared in the mountain range above the Steel Fortress, gather more genetic information, and become even stronger.
In fact, he didn’t know much about the tribal alliance and barbarians from the south, so it would have been risky to head directly south.
When pretending, it would be advantageous to do so in places where locals wouldn’t notice.
First, once I get strong, then becoming famous, a method will eventually reveal itself.
Since all the other avatars were busy now, they couldn’t assist him any longer, but as he was already on the right track, being alone from here on was more than sufficient.
To gain reputation, it was also wise to go through the proper procedures, so he decided to come to Tarak first to take a mercenary request before heading into the mountains.
Hali’s planned pathways were twofold.
He could become a significant figure by making a name for himself as a barbarian from the southern tribal alliance or build fame in the mercenary world and become the Mercenary King.
Both are possible too.
That was indeed the goal.
“HAHHAHAH—!”
Currently, he was a rookie mercenary just getting started, but…
Thus, the barbaric warrior Hali became a mercenary and headed towards the Northern Mountain Range.
*
Heinrich was today leisurely standing guard inside the Rosellia Temple.
As expected, his past shifts had been nothing but pure peace.
Is there really a need to prepare for emergencies? What’s the probability of such events happening inside this temple?
It should probably converge towards zero indefinitely.
While distributing the surplus mental energy to other avatars, he noticed something unusual deeper in the corridor he was standing in.
Hmm?
Right ahead was the passageway leading to where the high priests of the order resided.
It seemed something was happening within the church.
Curiosity piqued, but knowing if it was a matter he should be aware of, he decided to simply let it go.
“Ah! Sir Heinrich! Hello! The weather is lovely today!”
The saintess appeared from the inner passage.
Just to mention, the current weather was rainy and gloomy.
“When it rains, the worms come out! They wriggle around so cutely!”
He couldn’t comprehend the sentiment of this lady at all, but individual preferences had to be respected.
“Yes… That long, shiny, wriggling thing… it’s really cute, indeed.”
“Hehe, I knew you’d understand, Sir Heinrich! You know how adorable those little creatures wriggling around can be!”
“Haha… By the way, is there something going on in the order? You seem rather excited…”
Before the conversation could drift into an unmanageable direction, he hastily shifted the topic.
If it was something he shouldn’t know, then that would be the end of the conversation, but that wouldn’t be too bad…
“Oh! It’s decided that we’ll cooperate with another faction!”
It seemed this was a matter he could know about.
Though the saintess seemed clueless, she was one who would maintain due decorum fitting her position.
…Right?
“They’ve decided to send high elves from the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent. They might help us track down the Undead King’s descendants.”
The Enamel Continent was but a small fraction of the Ion Continent we are currently on.
Its majority was populated by non-human races.
One could say the entire Enamel Continent was a union of non-human beings.
“I understand that the high elves hold a considerable position in the Elven Kingdom, but are they really coming all the way across the sea to assist us?”
Considering that the Enamel Continent had never faced an invasion from the Undead King, and the elves were few who worshiped the World Tree in Auterica, it was hard to fathom.
“Of course, they have needs of their own in this cooperative operation. The Elven Kingdom generally has an aversion to humans, but they maintain a friendly relationship with our Holy Church Order!”
The fact that elves worshiped the World Tree didn’t mean they rejected the Holy God.
Recognizing and respecting the existence of the Holy God and choosing one’s object of worship were separate matters.
Since the Holy Church Order did not exclude other religions, they respected each other and regularly exchanged.
“However, this news seems to have been determined quite recently. Am I allowed to know about it?”
“It will be announced soon anyway, we need to prepare to welcome the delegation from the Elven Kingdom.”
Fortunately, it seemed the saintess weighed her words properly.
“And someone like you, Heinrich, is fine knowing this much! It’s only been less than a year since your baptism, and already you’re nearing bishop-level Holy Power! Who knows, you might even reach saint-level someday!”
…Surely, she really judged well before sharing this, right?
The saintess had shown an abnormal amount of favor towards Heinrich, after all.
While she did seem to have a tendency to lean towards those with strong Holy Power, even considering that, her treatment of him was dramatically different compared to how she interacted with others.
Honestly, this isn’t such a bad situation. If the saintess herself mentions it, no one could question it.
Still, he was terribly worried that this innocent lady might spill some critical information to some wicked villain.
I just have to keep a close eye on her to prevent that!
I absolutely cannot allow our lovely saintess to be taken advantage of!
“Ah! My break time is almost over! I lost track of time chatting with Sir Heinrich! I need to go see the worms now! Take care~!”
With that, the saintess left with a one-sided farewell and disappeared like the wind.
“…Hmm, using that ability to observe worms.”
He recalled the time he had met the saintess during the rainy season.
While he stood there soaking wet with an umbrella, she was crouched in the flowerbed, observing worms while remaining utterly dry.
It was as if some transparent barrier had kept the raindrops from intruding into her limited area.
She was also pouring Holy Power onto the worms to heal and bless them.
Worms blessed by the saintess.
When he first witnessed that, he was utterly bewildered.
It was a luxury that even apostates could hardly obtain.
With no more meaning in continuing to contemplate her, he sighed lightly and shifted his thinking.
But I wonder about the high elves from the Elven Kingdom…
It was uncertain what kind of variable they might pose.
He had no particular information to rely on.
Surely I won’t be discovered?
Though he had escaped the saintess’s gaze, the involvement of high elves, whose powers were unknown, could lead to unexpected developments.
…Perhaps I should reinforce the barriers a bit more.
It seemed he would have to invest more effort by mixing in some dimensional spells.
*
Then, just a few days later.
As Heinrich had about half of his remaining duty time with the Radiant Shield Paladin Order.
The envoy from the Elven Kingdom arrived through the gate of the temple.
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