Chapter 81
The dreamlike atmosphere continued.
Cecilie was surrounded by the fruits of the World Tree, wrapped in numerous spirits of the wind and falling, and all kinds of brightly shining spirits.
The area around her was so hectic with swirling winds, sparkling lights, undulating grounds, and rapidly growing sprouts.
Centered around that place, an immense natural force was concentrated, so much so that the party members close to her had no choice but to retreat further back.
Harris, creating some distance, realized something.
That numerous elves had surrounded the vicinity, watching this scene.
'Well, it's said that the High Elf's awakening ceremony is rare to see. And it's been a long time since Cecilie made an appearance.'
Amidst the storm of natural forces whirling in her direction, he suddenly realized something else.
'Wait, isn't this not the time to just stand by and watch?'
Harris focused his mind and took a deep breath.
The refreshing air filled the depths of his lungs, air rich with the essence of natural forces and spirits.
It was indeed the optimal environment for training.
'I can't miss this opportunity!'
Perhaps because his unique skill had been strengthened, increasing his avatar's potential and growth speed, it was much easier to handle energy than before.
"Huff Hoo..."
Deep breaths continued.
While watching Cecilie's awakening ceremony with his eyes, he focused all his nerves on drawing the overflowing energy around him into his body.
Laphory, who noticed something odd while watching her bring the fruit to her mouth, turned to look this way, but Harris, intoxicated by an energy density he had never felt before, had no moment to care about such trivial things.
The moment Cecilie completely secured the fruit of the World Tree.
[The individual has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. You have acquired the skillNature Affinity.]
Harris was able to achieve his own success.
"Hoo..."
With a feeling of satisfaction, he looked at Cecilie, who had now fainted, being carefully moved inside by a group of elves.
In her hand was a fresh branch of the World Tree, with the fruit still hanging from it.
"We are the High Elf Royal Guard. She just awakened, so it's necessary to take her to a safe place until she regains consciousness."
Laphory quietly approached him and added, "Lady Cecilie will be asleep for a while. She needs time to stabilize the suddenly increased energy."
"I see. Well, it makes sense since she was right in the middle of that tremendous flow of energy."
"Mr. Harris, you were impressive too. I can see why the World Tree took notice of you."
It seemed he had noticed what Harris was up to.
"Ah, it seemed like a good opportunity."
"To think you've managed such control of energy after learning for such a short time, truly that... hmm?"
He abruptly stopped his flood of praises and stared at something behind Harris.
He seemed quite surprised, as if he had seen something.
'I didn't feel any presence?'
Even though he was in a heightened state of sensitivity from absorbing energy, he felt nothing through his senses.
At Laphory's reaction, Harris, feeling a chill, hurriedly looked behind him... and was able to face it directly.
A branch floating in mid-air.
"......?"
It was a very fresh branch, lush with green leaves.
"Well, it seems the World Tree has a lot of interest in Mr. Harris, to give such a gift."
'Gift?'
Upon closer inspection, like the branch that had been in Cecilie's hand, it was filled with a dense natural energy.
The difference was, this branch did not bear fruit from the beginning.
"A branch given directly by the World Tree is special. Usually, it's given only to the person involved in special occasions like the awakening ceremony..."
And such a branch, once processed into a weapon or an ornament, performs as a sort of sacred relic.
It seemed to be a rare treasure, not easily obtained even by High Elves.
Harris carefully grabbed the branch floating in front of him.
Then, the energy imbued within it felt even more distinct.
'So that's why I didn't notice any presence.'
It felt as if he was holding nature itself, naturally blending with the environment.
Given the high concentration of natural energy in the surroundings due to the ceremony's aftermath, it was hard to notice.
But then, a curiosity arose.
"So, did you also receive such a branch from the World Tree when you awakened, Laphory?"
"Of course. I compressed its energy to create a pair of ornaments."
Seeing his face filled with reminiscence made Harris feel momentarily uncomfortable.
He glanced at the bracelet on his wrist and cautiously opened his mouth.
"Surely, this bracelet isn't it?"
"Haha, no, it's not. I made rings and used them for a proposal."
A sense of relief replaced by a subtle disappointment.
But then he realized that the equipment made from the branch in his hand would be more significant than this bracelet, which wasn't a bad thing after all.
"So you are married."
"Ah, did I not mention it? It's been quite a while."
"But you're not wearing your ring now..."
"I passed my ring on to my daughter. It will be more helpful to that tender child than to me now."
Laphory, saying this, had the expression of a father who loves his family, softly smiling.
'...That's nice to see.'
Watching him smile happily, thinking of his family, a bitter smile unknowingly formed on Harris's face.
"Mr. Harris, you've had a long journey to get here. Seeing you gain recognition from the World Tree as soon as you arrived makes me feel good, like I've done something worthwhile at last."
"The last?"
"I'm getting to the age where it's time to retire. This trip to the Ion Continent was my last official duty."
Harris stared at his face, dumbfounded.
No matter how you looked at him, he was a handsome young man in his early thirties with flawless skin.
"Ah, of course, I won't retire immediately as there's a shortage of hands. However, I will no longer lead tasks at the forefront."
Perhaps misunderstanding Harris's gaze, he said something offbeat.
"It's a relief that a new High Elf has been born."
"That's... good to hear. Really fortunate."
Of course, he didn't openly point that out.
After all, he was now one of the elves, a race known for their youthful appearance.
***
The Enamel Continent, where the Elven Kingdom was located, was not even a fifth the size of the Ion Continent they had come from.
However, it was only because the Ion Continent was excessively large; the Enamel Continent was by no means small.
And it was in the northwest of this continent that the Elven Kingdom was situated.
'It feels different from what I had imagined.'
Perhaps due to the influence of Earth media, elves were strongly associated with the image of forest fairies.
There was a stereotype of them living in trees, embracing nature, and being vegetarians
'But civilization here is quite developed. There are even street performances.'
While there were many wooden buildings erected in trees, as initially imagined, there were just as many stone buildings constructed on the ground.
'All of them have eco-friendly architectural styles, which is impressive.'
I had realized this during my journey to the Elven Kingdom, but this place, in particular, had many sophisticated structures.
'It's the capital, after all.'
This was the capital of the Elven Kingdom, 'Drasha.'
The city, formed around a gigantic World Tree, where forest and civilization blended, exuded a unique exotic charm.
And now, Harris was inside a large building. Although it couldn't compare to the World Tree, it was a building intertwined with a tree of unimaginable size on Earth.
From the wide stone buildings surrounding the roots to the wooden structures climbing up the natural trunk.
This building, akin to a piece of art, was...
"You're Mr. Harris, right? I heard you came from the Ion Continent with Lady Cecilie, is that true?"
"They say it's hardly a place to live. Lady Cecilie was in quite a dangerous situation this time..."
"Ah, I heard about it too. It would have been a disaster if Mr. Laphory hadn't been there."
Young elves chattered endlessly beside him.
This was one of the educational institutions of the Elven Kingdom, Drasha Academy.
'They might all be older than me, but by elf standards, they're considered young.'
Their appearances varied from mid-teens to early twenties, and Drasha Academy was a gathering place for the promising youth of the Elven Kingdom.
A place where those who would become the pillars of the nation were educated.
Harris had essentially enrolled in the elite course.
"Ahaha... Yes, yes. It was fine... I had good companions. Yes."
Right now, the excessive attention was merely overwhelming.
These were individuals who had only encountered the outside world through books and stories, so their curiosity was understandable.
It wasn't just someone from a different region, but someone who had crossed the sea from an entirely different continent.
Moreover, they were now fellow students.
"I was working as a mercenary. Back then, I didn't know how to handle spirits and mostly fought using physical means..."
It was a break time right after the theory class, and Harris was about to share an appropriate anecdote for the sake of smooth social interactions.
Bang!
Suddenly, a noise drew everyone's attention in that direction.
A blue-haired woman stood up from her seat, slamming her hands on the desk, but she did not shrink under everyone's gaze.
Instead, she lifted her chin haughtily and glared this way.
"Could you please be quiet? It's impossible to concentrate with all this noise."
Her words were directed at everyone around Harris, but her blue eyes were fixed precisely on him.
The look in her eyes was unmistakably unfriendly.
'What's with her? Why is she looking at me like that?'
Even if she was displeased by the commotion he caused, her reaction seemed a bit excessive.
While I was pondering why I was receiving such a look from a stranger...
"Ah, it seems we were too loud..."
"Hmm... sorry for the noise."
"Then, Mr. Harris, let's continue our conversation next time."
Amidst this, those gathered around Harris cautiously dispersed to their seats, taking note of her reaction.
Although it was indeed more comfortable now, I was utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
'That woman seems to have quite an influence.'
I turned my gaze back to the woman who had chilled the atmosphere.
Her long blue hair appeared carefully maintained, and her sharp, lifted eyes, along with her expression, exuded not just haughtiness but outright arrogance.
'Hmm, definitely looks like a noble's daughter.'
And she seemed to be a particularly finicky aristocrat at that.
Since most of the elves I had met so far were gentle and personable, her presence felt refreshingly different.
After the class ended...
"Hmph"
As she passed by Harris, she paused to glance over him from head to toe.
Her gaze lingered on the bracelet on his wrist for a moment, but soon, with a snort, she left the classroom with a few of her entourage in elegant strides.
'What was that?'
While I was feeling puzzled, I managed to gather information about her from the people around.
Her name was Shaphiron Silvesti.
As expected, she came from a distinguished family.
Although elves, except for High Elves, didn't have social hierarchies, ancient families could not help but grow influential over time.
Especially a family that had played a significant role in establishing the Elven Kingdom during the great migration to the Enamel Continent.
Among the information about her, one fact surprised Harris, something he hadn't anticipated.
'This is really unexpected.'
Because that lady was the only daughter of Laphory Grandwood, a High Elf with whom he had some acquaintance.
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