Chapter 84

Chapter 84
## Chapter 84

### Festival of Drasha (1)

“Welcome, Sir Heinrich!”

Heinrich gave a wry smile to Saintess Liesta, who received him with a radiant expression.

Following a prolonged period of intense training alongside the Radiance Guardian Holy Knight Order, he had risen from the ranks of a low-tier holy knight to a high-ranking one, bringing with it a fresh set of responsibilities.

This directive differed significantly from his previous assignments…

‘To think I would be appointed as the Saintess’s personal guard.’

Naturally, this arrangement came about due to the fierce determination of both the Saintess and the church leadership.

Up to this point, the Saintess required no protector because her movements were confined entirely to the Roselia Cathedral within the holy land. However, with the sudden resurrection of the Immortal King, remaining secluded was no longer a viable option.

“Of course, providing protection wasn’t my sole motivation for appointing you as my personal guard, Sir Heinrich. I believed you required more individual time rather than simply learning standard protocols!”

It was certainly true that his training time would increase, given that the Saintess rarely needed active protection while remaining within the sanctuary of the cathedral.

“Furthermore, there is a specific task I require of you once you are sufficiently prepared.”

“A task for me?”

“Though he sustained injuries, the Immortal King will not remain dormant. He is undoubtedly weaving some dark plot from the shadows.”

In reality, the dark monarch was orchestrating nothing of the sort because he was currently far from Auterica, but Heinrich merely gave a solemn nod.

“We must mobilize every possible resource to prepare for the coming conflict. And a vital component of that strategy involves…”

The Saintess paused to draw a soft breath, her countenance turning profoundly earnest as she spoke.

“Securing the holy sword.”

“The holy sword… you mean?”

“Indeed. To guarantee the downfall of the Immortal King, the power of the holy sword is absolutely essential.”

Gazing at Heinrich with eyes full of bright intensity, she reaffirmed her words with absolute certainty.

“Sir Heinrich, you must begin your preparations for the trial to claim the holy sword.”

—

Whoosh— Thud!

Slicing through the air like a diving hawk, the arrow brushed past the foliage and struck the center of the target with absolute precision.

《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Fairy Archery”.》

Simultaneously, a flashing system notification materialized right before his eyes.

Perched high in the canopy, Harris exhaled a soft breath and gradually lowered the bow he had been aiming.

“Magnificent. Every lingering human habit has officially been purged from your form. Stripping away long-standing muscle memory is an incredibly daunting task, yet you have done so beautifully.”

The marksmanship mentor, who had been perched on an adjacent branch monitoring his progress, delivered a slow round of applause.

“It is entirely due to your exceptional guidance. I am grateful.”

The training session wrapped up with a courteous exchange between master and pupil.

However, Harris’s hope of heading straight back to the living quarters was instantly derailed…

“Harris! Time for us to train together!”

“Ah, Timer. I was hoping to head back to the dorms for a wash. I still need to stow away my archery gear…”

“What? Oh, that’s right. Harris doesn’t command a water spirit yet! Allow me to assist! Come along, we’re burning daylight, let’s move!”

“Wait, hold on…”

He found himself forcefully pulled away by an incredibly enthusiastic Timer.

The remaining female members of their ensemble were already gathered at the rehearsal space where he was brought.

“The whole team is assembled. Shall we commence with today’s run-through?”

“Mhm, let’s.”

Only two days remained until the commencement of the Drasha Festival.

As they coordinated their performance pieces, Harris came to a profound realization regarding his companions.

The Elven people possessed a dedication to ‘music’ that far exceeded his initial estimations…

‘Achieving this level of coordination in a mere three days? And adapting it seamlessly to traditional instruments?’

Their innate capabilities were nothing short of staggering.

To be honest, he hadn’t anticipated a flawless recreation of the original piece given the restrictive timeline.

While he could manage the vocal performance, it seemed impossible for them to master an entirely foreign musical arrangement in such a brief window.

‘Yet they managed to pull it off.’

He had initially set his expectations quite low, aiming merely to introduce an unfamiliar musical style to the festival stage.

He assumed that even with the group’s best efforts, they would struggle to do more than maintain a basic rhythm using the rudimentary instruments he had first shown them…

“Whew— This actually sounds quite passable now.”

“Incredible! This is entirely Shapiron’s doing! She isn’t called the top prospect of Drasha Academy and the premier diva of our generation for nothing. I knew of her fame, but experiencing her talent firsthand is mind-blowing!”

“…Just as I thought… spectacular.”

“Hmph, there is no need for such extravagant praise over a simple task. This is merely expected of me. Uhuhu—”

Shapiron’s lips curled up and her pointed ears twitched with obvious delight at the wave of adulation that erupted the moment their joint rehearsal concluded.

‘Though in all fairness, she really is exceptional.’

Every member of the ensemble was highly capable, but Shapiron’s absolute dedication was the true driving force.

After taking possession of the magical recording device from Harris—whom she had previously regarded with utter disdain—she threw herself into studying the audio with a near-fanatical drive.

It took her a mere forty-eight hours to break down the nuances of the performance and every distinct cadence, mapping out the most practical substitutes for their ensemble to execute.

Her appearance grew increasingly exhausted by the day, making him wonder if she was neglecting sleep entirely, yet the fire in her eyes burned brighter than ever.

“It remains a disappointment that a flawless replication eluded us, however. That sharp, metallic piercing resonance proved too elusive… I truly wish to examine the authentic instrument.”

Despite her minor grievances, the alternative arrangements she devised were remarkably sophisticated.

By weaving spirits, primal forces, and precise magical manipulation into the performance, she altered the instrumental outputs to craft an enchanting harmony that felt simultaneously fresh and recognizable.

Though the track had mutated significantly from its original state through these adaptations, the core identity remained intact.

‘It plays out like a fusion of Earth’s culture and the traditions of a fantasy realm. I like it.’

He felt a tinge of regret that he was the sole human present to witness this creation.

The notion of sharing this back on Earth even crossed his mind.

‘Well, it’s a bit premature for that. But it could be an entertaining project down the line.’

Their initial run-through using the adapted instruments and modified frequencies concluded successfully.

The outcome was an undeniable triumph.

《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Harmony of Melody”.》

An absolute triumph.

Furthermore, he was granted an immediate opportunity to witness the power of this newly unlocked trait during their subsequent practice run.

“Wow… Harris, what exactly did you just do?”

Clap, clap, clap—

“Hold on… What was that technique? The primal energy woven into your vocals suddenly became… incredibly pure? And the output is vastly magnified…”

Harris offered a pleased expression in response to the group’s highly animated feedback.

“Ah, a certain realization struck me while I was singing.”

“W-what kind of realization? How can I replicate that…”

Shapiron, who had pressed him urgently, suddenly cut herself short.

Working alongside him had forced her to respect his capabilities, causing her to treat him with far more care, but she still felt a lingering awkwardness over her prior arrogance.

“It’s difficult to put into proper words. I’m simply operating on raw intuition. Haha…”

He offered a vague evasion, unable to reveal that his success was dictated by the acquisition of “Harmony of Melody”.

The system skill was not something he could simply pass down.

“…”

Her expression darkened momentarily at his deflection before she quickly masked it.

She maintained her characteristically aloof posture to shield her pride, though a clear sense of discouragement lingered in her eyes.

‘Did she assume I was deliberately withholding the technique?’

Or perhaps she interpreted his words as a subtle jibe regarding the disparity in their innate talents.

Based on his observations over the preceding days, she clearly possessed an intense competitive drive directed toward him.

It might even border on a slight sense of inadequacy.

“Whew, everyone understands where their timing faltered, correct? Let us heighten our concentration. You as well, cease your idling and assume your position!”

Nevertheless, showing resilience born of immense self-regard, she rallied instantly and directed the group with even greater intensity than before.

Their rehearsals, shrouded behind absolute soundproofing barriers to maximize the shock value at the festival, stretched far into the midnight hours.

Additionally, Harris’s “Harmony of Melody” extended its benefits beyond vocal performance, creating a powerful synergy with his primary objective: forging connections with spirits.

Not only did his minor flame companion ‘Callie’ and his minor wind ally ‘Pascal’ undergo an evolutionary breakthrough to become low-tier spirits…

“Wow… look at that…”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!”

Harris maintained a fixed gaze ahead while the rest of the group watched in hushed awe.

A miniature entity, radiating consistent ripples of pure resonance, drifted quietly before him.

‘Could this actually be…?’

It was a ‘Sound Spirit’—a manifestation born of raw phenomena rather than a standard elemental force.

Despite his brief tenure existing as an Elf, he had never encountered a non-elemental entity within the borders of this sylvan realm.

‘Then again, I haven’t exactly explored much of the world.’

According to the principles taught in his spiritual invocation courses, non-elemental manifestations were exceedingly scarce.

They were entities that would only enter an alliance if an individual possessed a specialized talent wholly separate from basic environmental attunement, and one had manifested directly before Harris.

Behaving much like a feline assessing a potential companion, it circled his form, displaying a clear desire to bind its essence to his.

‘A Sound Spirit… an incredibly fortunate twist of fate.’

Determined not to let the moment slip away, Harris gingerly proffered his hand toward the floating entity.

With their desires perfectly aligned, the spiritual bond solidified in a flash.

“Moving forward, you shall be known as Decibel.”

Harris’s fourth companion was established as ‘Decibel’, the Sound Spirit.

—

Shapiron had successfully shed her initial biases regarding Harris through the experience of collaborating within the same ensemble.

In truth, she had spent a great deal of energy resisting the urge to respect his abilities.

Yet current circumstances left her with no alternative but to validate his worth.

‘…His natural attunement and his mastery over environmental forces are absurd. And despite only recently picking up spiritual invocation, he has already bound four spirits? Including a manifestation of pure Sound?’

She had suspected as much from the erratic waves of elemental energy and attunement shifting around him during his vocal performances, but his development was truly staggering.

It provided a clear explanation as to why the World Tree itself had shown an interest in his existence…

‘Ugh… There’s no avoiding it. Given his current caliber, I have to accept him as a genuine competitor…’

Following her internal designation of him as a rival, she kept a covert eye on him, maintaining a watchful presence in his periphery.

The strategic value of gathering data on an opponent was undeniable.

Murmur, murmur—

This behavior persisted within the preparation area situated behind the main stage erected in the town square, marking the second day of the three-day celebration.

However, a separate issue caught her attention.

“Incredible! Our venue is situated right beside the grand square! The sheer volume of spectators we’ll draw is massive! Even the High Elves might catch our performance!”

“…”

Timer remained completely oblivious and ecstatic despite the looming pressure, presenting a massive contrast to Curie, who was silently gnawing on her fingernails in the corner.

‘Her composure is entirely gone.’

Shapiron deflected her attention away from Harris, centering her focus on Curie instead.

She hadn’t paid the girl much mind previously due to her flawless execution during rehearsals, but she was visibly unraveling as the moment to step onto the stage drew near.

Just as Shapiron resolved to intervene…

Harris, who had been resting against the balcony railing with his customary indifferent posture, pushed off and walked over to the trembling girl.

“Are the nerves getting to you?”

“…”

Curie offered a silent nod, drawing in a series of heavy, measured breaths.

Observing her absolute silence as she anxiously scanned her surroundings—mirroring the exact demeanor she had displayed during their initial encounter—Harris merely rubbed the back of his neck and kept his gaze on her.

“Tell me, how do you genuinely feel about the arrangement we put together? It’s quite exceptional, isn’t it?”

Though she offered no verbal confirmation, Harris maintained his casual tone.

“What were your thoughts while we were running through it in practice? Did the nerves strike you then? Were you paralyzed by the fear of faltering?”

This time, she gave a gentle shake of her head.

“During our rehearsals, I felt nothing but pure excitement. It was genuinely exhilarating. I found myself anticipating how the audience would receive our music.”

A gentle grin slowly formed on Harris’s features as he addressed her.

“The composition we’ve structured is inherently vibrant. Isn’t the whole point to lose yourself in the rhythm and enjoy the moment until all external anxieties simply fade away?”

An unusual, compelling vibration within his vocal delivery sent comforting ripples through Curie’s tension-filled heart.

“Cast aside all external worries and simply anchor yourself to the joy you experienced in the rehearsal room. Step out there and replicate that exact sense of fun.”

It wasn’t a remarkably polished piece of reassurance, reflecting his general lack of experience in offering emotional support to others…

Yet his voice, which carried an almost lyrical quality even in casual conversation, possessed an innate magnetic pull that demanded undivided attention.

As if pulling her back into the zone where they had lost themselves in the music during rehearsals, his words successfully guided Curie back to the exact positive mindset she had felt before.

The tightness in her expression dissolved, allowing the edges of her mouth to turn upward into a faint smile.

An expectant gleam returned to her eyes, and a warm color returned to her face as she relived those memories.

Meanwhile, Shapiron, who had found herself mindlessly captivated by the cadence of his voice, suddenly snapped back to awareness and cast a completely re-evaluated glance toward Harris.

‘He constantly defies expectations.’

He hardly seemed like a master of silver-tongued rhetoric, yet an undeniable gravity anchored his words.

Watching him actively steady a compromised teammate altered her perception of his character.

“Up next, will the following ensemble please take the stage~!”

Naturally, such reflective thoughts evaporated instantly.

Their moment had arrived.