Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Before leaving their hideout, Turan took one last moment to check the surrounding perimeter.
A few light orbs to guard against Zahar noble infiltration, and alarm magic that would activate upon detecting human movement.
He had strategically positioned these defenses where he himself would find them most troublesome if he were to infiltrate.
Of course, this would be far from sufficient to stop any noble of the highest tier or above, but at that point, the Baraha couple wouldn’t be able to handle the situation anyway.
They could only hope that no one would deploy combat personnel of that caliber to such a remote location.
“We’ll be back.”
“Please take care of yourselves. And don’t forget to wash your clothes while traveling.”
“Oh, Mom…”
Solif, who had received nagging words right until the end, looked at the hideout with an exasperated expression before his face turned solemn.
While a couple with mid-rank noble level magical power wouldn’t normally need to worry about their safety, they weren’t facing ordinary enemies.
Shortly after, the three mounted the enlarged Bije and headed northeast.
With a body length of five meters.
Combined wingspan exceeding ten meters, this massive raptor’s appearance would have been enough to terrorize all nearby cities, yet no one noticed.
After all, Bije was always flying while maintaining invisibility magic.
Given the urgency of the situation, they moved even faster than during their previous forced marches.
During the day, Bije carried all three while flying through the sky, and at night, while she slept inside Turan’s body, they flew by themselves.
Thanks to this, it took the three only two and a half days to return from their hideout near the Sky Mountains at the western edge of the world to the Dakein Plains.
Considering it had taken Turan a full month and a half to walk there in the past, and five days when traveling with the Baraha couple, this was truly remarkable speed.
* * *
“Asiz.”
Early evening.
Asiz, who had been anxiously pacing the mansion garden, was startled by a sudden voice and turned his head.
There stood Turan, who had appeared without warning.
“It’s been a while. Um, where are the other two?”
“They’re waiting outside the city. The kidnappers might have accomplices monitoring the area.”
“I see…”
Asiz was about to say he would have liked to meet Meisa directly but closed his mouth.
This wasn’t the time for such casual remarks.
“First of all, I’m sorry for calling you here for something like this.”
“No need for apologies between friends. But could you tell me more details? The letter didn’t provide much information.”
At Turan’s words, Asiz glanced furtively around before exhaling lightly as he organized his thoughts.
Soon, he began explaining what had happened recently.
“A week ago, my brother went to Morgen to deliver magical devices.”
Asiz’s brother, Melo, was the heir to the Berk family.
Naturally, as he transported a large quantity of magical devices for delivery to the main house, he was accompanied not only by knights for protection but also by several family retainers.
However, a few days ago, when Melo and his entourage failed to return by the expected time, the Berk family sent Haram, their most skilled practitioner, to meet them.
As a result, they surprisingly discovered that Melo’s entire party had been massacred in a valley two days north.
While recovering the bodies, they found that Melo was missing among them, and a note had been left behind.
“A note was left at the scene saying, ‘If Arabion learns of this, the heir’s life is forfeit.’ That’s how we knew they hadn’t killed him but kidnapped him.”
“What about ransom or anything like that?”
“Nothing yet.”
Currently, the Berk couple was in conflict over this.
The father wanted to inform the Arabion main house and request support, while the mother, Midela, who was the family head, didn’t want to gamble with her heir’s life.
Above all, distrust toward Arabion still lingered due to the Meisa incident.
Turan listened quietly while organizing his thoughts.
After a moment, he reached his conclusion.
“It seems like a trap.”
“A trap?”
“Yes. A rather blatant one at that.”
Based on the composition of forces Melo had taken with him, the attackers must have been nobles of at least upper rank.
At this point, the possibility of common wandering nobles committing robbery was virtually nonexistent.
Yet after committing such a dangerous crime, instead of destroying evidence, they openly declared a kidnapping without mentioning ransom?
Isn’t this practically saying, “Come track us down and catch us yourself”?
‘What they want is for a Zahar noble to come find them directly. The target is probably… me.’
Though he wasn’t sure which faction the perpetrators belonged to, they clearly believed Turan, a friend of the Berk family, was of Zahar lineage.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have left clues that made tracking almost impossible without such abilities.
Were the culprits from the Arabion-Nagin faction? Or Carmine? Zahar?
The instruction not to inform Arabion suggested other parties, but they could also be using reverse psychology.
After brief consideration, Turan sighed softly and said:
“Could we possibly visit your brother’s room?”
“…Can you track him?”
“I am Zahar after all. It should be possible.”
Of course, even he couldn’t guarantee that he would definitely find traces of Melo.
If they had killed him and completely burned the body as Turan himself had done in the past, even he wouldn’t be able to track anything.
He could only hope that they were keeping him alive, if only to capture Turan.
Shortly after, Turan moved with Asiz to find a few strands of hair in Melo’s workshop.
Disguised as a servant whom Asiz had dismissed on personal business, he aroused no suspicion.
“That’s fortunate. My brother’s room is cleaned daily by maids, so nothing remained there…”
In contrast, Melo’s workshop was relatively dirty since no one could enter without his permission, making it a good place to find tracking mediums.
Upon receiving the hair, Turan immediately activated tracking magic using it as a medium.
In a state where all surrounding scents had disappeared, he took a deep breath and sensed a trace from far away.
“Northwest, about eighty kilometers away. What’s there?”
“Eighty would be… probably a small forest. I don’t remember the name well, but it’s where Uncle recently went to subjugate wolf magical beasts.”
“A place with few people. Perfect for hiding a kidnap victim.”
Now that they knew the location, there was no need for further delay.
As Turan showed signs of leaving, Asiz hurriedly exclaimed:
“C-couldn’t we ask Uncle Haram to go with you?”
Turan’s martial arts teacher, Haram Berk, was the most powerful mage in the Berk family.
A master of combat with upper rank magical power approaching the limit for a single-bloodline noble, an extremely well-trained body, refined battle techniques, and various combat magical devices.
Even Turan would struggle considerably if forced to fight with equal magical power, so Haram would certainly be a valuable ally.
However, Turan shook his head, rejecting Asiz’s suggestion.
“The master needs to protect everyone here.”
While Melo was also a good friend who had made the Guardian magical device for Turan, the most important person in the Berk family was undoubtedly Asiz.
He couldn’t risk injuring the more important person while trying to save another.
“I see…”
“So you should stay close to the master as well, if possible.”
After leaving this advice for Asiz, Turan immediately flew into the sky while invisible.
Riding Bije, he quickly left the city and soon spotted Solif and Meisa waiting nearby.
“How did it go?”
“It seems they’ve set a trap, targeting me specifically.”
“You?”
Turan explained the circumstances to his surprised companions.
Hearing this, Solif clicked his tongue.
“That does seem likely. Damn, could it be because we extracted my parents?”
“We’ll know for sure when we get there.”
“Are we going?”
“Yes.”
With a hostage taken, they couldn’t simply retreat.
Above all, they needed to clearly identify who their adversaries were.
Whether it was Arabion, Zahar, or perhaps a coalition of forces, or even a third party.
If the opponent proved too strong, they would have to retreat, but at the very least, the option of not going at all wasn’t on the table.
* * *
A small forest about two hundred kilometers northwest of Jabilin City, the Berk family’s base.
Turan frowned as he entered the forest’s edge alone on foot.
‘They’ve certainly prepared thoroughly.’
The presence of mages he sensed through his Holy Relic was truly formidable.
Three of the highest tier, seventeen upper rank, forty-four mid rank. About eighty knights.
Even in a great family, it wouldn’t be easy to deploy such forces, yet they were waiting here for someone who might appear at any time.
The possibility that the kidnappers were a coalition of several great families grew stronger.
‘I’m almost tempted to wait longer and observe.’
Of course, if he did that, they might kill Melo and find a new victim, so that wasn’t an option.
While quietly observing, he noticed several nobles carrying light orbs approaching him from a distance.
Despite using invisibility magic, they seemed to have detected his presence and shouted:
“Turan of Kalamaf! Deactivate your invisibility and show yourself! Otherwise, Melo’s life is forfeit!”
Since they knew his identity, they had apparently prepared top-tier detection magical devices capable of sensing Zahar nobles.
In response, Turan immediately deactivated his invisibility and revealed himself before them.
“Ugh.”
“S-stay right where you are!”
Upon closer approach, Turan realized those who had called him were Arabion mages.
Specifically, middle-aged faction members from Kadram’s group who had oppressed Meisa.
He had raided many of their mansions during his previous infiltration, so he recognized all their faces.
Though they had never encountered Turan directly.
“Is this what proud Arabion nobles do? Kidnapping the heir of a vassal family?”
“Hmph, vassal? They’re traitors who helped kidnap a great family’s heir!”
The Arabion nobles seemed convinced that Melo and the Berk family were in league with Turan.
Turan didn’t bother to refute this as he took a few steps toward them.
They immediately assumed combat positions, maintaining their vigilance.
“That’s enough. Guide me inside. You must want something from me.”
“First, disarm yourself.”
“And if I refuse?”
Turan’s retort caused the nobles’ faces to show signs of confusion.
They clearly hadn’t anticipated such a response.
“Then Melo will…”
“Rather than disarming and entering, I’d prefer to wage guerrilla warfare from outside. You wouldn’t want that either. Surely you’re prepared to subdue me once I’m inside, aren’t you?”
Faced with Turan’s negotiation, they looked at each other and exchanged glances without immediately responding.
After a moment, one stepped forward, growling as he pointed a finger:
“Follow us quietly. I’ll say it again, the moment you interfere, Melo’s life is forfeit.”
Turan followed the three Arabion nobles while checking the presences around him.
Aware of his approach, those who had been spread out at a distance were gathering to form a large encirclement.
Shortly after, Turan saw the tightly bound Melo and beside him, Kadram sitting on a tree stump.
“It’s been a while, Turan.”
Unlike before, Kadram now addressed Turan informally.
Not so much being familiar as looking down on him, almost like addressing an enemy.
In response, Turan also shed any pretense of courtesy.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a pleasure.”
“Where is Meisa?”
As expected, what they were seeking was Meisa.
Somehow, they had learned that Turan had Zahar lineage and had participated in Meisa’s disappearance.
“Somewhere in this world, I suppose.”
“Don’t be childish. We’re prepared to capture her even if she came directly.”
Kadram boasted as if to say that no matter what Turan tried, he couldn’t escape from here.
Ignoring his words, Turan glanced around to survey the surroundings.
‘Two of the highest-tier nobles are Arabion elders… the other has the Nagin bloodline. So they did bring reinforcements from that side.’
Among the mages surrounding them, there were also quite a few nobles with the Nagin bloodline.
Some appeared to have been drafted from vassal families.
At that moment, Kadram lightly nudged a young Nagin noble beside him and quietly asked:
“Well, does he look right to you?”
“Hard to tell just by looking. Wasn’t he able to disguise himself too? His voice is completely different from what I heard back then…”
A young noble of merely mid rank speaking so casually to Kadram, one of Arabion’s most powerful figures?
Before Turan could wonder for long, he immediately realized the other’s identity.
That flippant tone of voice was strangely familiar.
‘Ymir…’
The fallen god Ymir, whom he had killed in the past, had clearly inhabited a new body.
And they suspected that Turan was one of the nobles who had attacked and killed the Nagin family’s forces.
Turan immediately suppressed the urge to activate his spiritual perception to examine Ymir.
The moment he looked at the other, the other would also perceive him and might notice that he had been initiated into soul magic.
At that moment, Kadram turned to Turan and abruptly threw a question at him:
“Turan, have you ever heard the name Otas?”
“Well, I might have heard it somewhere.”
Instead of immediately denying knowledge, Turan gave an ambiguous response.
He calculated that if he truly didn’t know, it would appear more suspicious to outright deny it.
Watching him intently, Kadram conversed with the young noble presumed to be Ymir.
“Well, if we’re not sure, let’s just capture him and find out slowly. We have plenty of time anyway.”
“I can’t help you. This body is too hastily occupied.”
Just from their conversation alone, there was no doubt that Kadram was one of the vessels.
After glancing at Turan as if looking at an insect, he made a slight gesture, and the Arabion nobles openly displayed hostility toward Turan.
The odds were dozens to one, no, more than a hundred to one against him.
Yet Turan remained completely unperturbed as he looked around and sighed softly.
“What, starting to feel scared now?”
“No. I’m just not sure how to clean up the mess after I kill all of you.”
What kind of baseless confidence was this in such a situation?
Ignoring how everyone was looking at him as if he were insane, Turan lightly flicked his finger.
Dozens of lightning bolts began in the distant sky and bombarded the clearing.