Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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“Here, drink this first to calm yourself down.”
In the office of the lord of Ofen City, Turan placed a few cups of flower tea on the table for Armani seated across from him.
Befitting a port city, they served something other than the tasteless stone herb tea typical of the gray zone.
“This is from my region. Judging by the tangy flavor, it must be steeped silk lotus.”
Solif commented as he savored the tea.
Naturally, the lord of Ofen who had brought the tea had been sent away.
Whatever Armani might say, they couldn’t allow it to spread without filtering.
There was a minor incident when Armani, unfamiliar with tea etiquette, gulped down his entire cup at once, but the brief tea-drinking interval provided everyone with a moment to collect their thoughts.
During this time, a thought occurred to Turan, and he opened his spiritual vision to observe Armani.
‘Oh…’
When they had met previously, Turan hadn’t yet mastered soul magic, but now he could see that Armani’s spirit form was quite extraordinary.
A small Giant Sea Serpent was coiled around the spirit form seated inside his forehead, just like with humans.
The moment their eyes met, Armani suddenly flinched and turned toward him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, I felt something strange… Like something weird was staring at me.”
“How about now?”
“It’s gone!”
When Turan closed his spiritual vision, Armani nodded, confirming that the uncomfortable feeling had disappeared.
‘Can he instinctively sense when his spirit form is being observed? What an interesting ability.’
In any case, Turan, like most practitioners of soul magic, rarely kept his spiritual perception active during daily life.
Seeing passing souls or hearing their fleeting voices would seem like a mental illness to ordinary people.
“Let’s continue our earlier conversation. Can you explain more specifically? What do you mean by war with humans?”
“Father said that the demons from the west possess a treasure that can control us. He said we’ve endured humiliation under its power for ages, so it’s time for revenge. The name was something like…”
Turan immediately recalled something relevant as he listened to Armani.
The Turquoise Crown.
Hadn’t he heard about such an item that could control merfolk during his infiltration of the Carmine family?
“Could it be the Turquoise Crown?”
“Yes, that was the name!”
While Armani exclaimed joyfully, Turan twirled his teacup with his finger, deep in thought.
According to this, the merfolk’s target was clearly Carmine, the great family of the sea to their north.
‘From what I’m hearing, this doesn’t sound like a terrible situation.’
Personally, Turan held no particular grudge against the Carmine family.
Though they too were a faction where fallen gods ruled from above, stealing their descendants’ bodies to extend their lives… to put it somewhat cruelly, they hadn’t harmed anyone connected to Turan.
However, considering they had established communication channels with Zahar to prepare against Arabion’s attacks, and that Zahar might eventually become hostile to the Parsha family led by Turan, they too should be considered potential enemies.
In that sense, the Giant Sea Serpents’ declaration of war could be considered fortunate.
“So, you opposed this?”
“Yes! They said they weren’t just going to take the treasure, but crush the demons’ palace and kill all their slaves too!”
“Oh my, that’s unacceptable.”
While waging war against Carmine mages could be considered justified revenge for years of oppression…
What sin had the ordinary people living in that land committed?
Slaughtering a shepherd’s sheep because the shepherd struck you was nothing more than petty vengeance.
“And when I asked what would happen to the kind demons, like you and your friends, they said we couldn’t remain friends with them either. That we would eventually have to fight.”
“Why?”
“They admitted it was Father who sent those sea monsters before. He had given the orders before losing consciousness. They said that if you knew this, you would never forgive us…”
“So it was indeed them.”
The moment he heard this, the scales in Turan’s mind tipped decisively to one side.
The Giant Sea Serpent clan, specifically Armani’s relatives who supported their leader, would eventually have to meet their end at Turan’s hands.
“So, you opposed them?”
“I don’t want to fight with the kind demon, I mean you, Turan! It wouldn’t feel good, and it’s scary too.”
Armani, now capable of transforming into a Giant Sea Serpent, was no longer the helpless merman boy of before.
Power even greater than what Turan had seen recently swirled within that small body.
Presumably, if he fought intelligently in the open sea, diving beneath the waves, even Turan would struggle considerably to hunt him.
Naturally, if he simply fled into the depths, he would be nearly impossible to capture.
Yet despite possessing such strength, Armani still harbored a vague fear of Turan, likely due to the impression formed during their first meeting.
Back then, Armani had been a powerless merman boy who could be captured by passing pirates, while Turan was already a fairly capable mid-rank noble.
“Don’t worry about what your father said. You bear no responsibility.”
“You don’t blame me?”
“Absolutely not.”
Armani’s face brightened at Turan’s words.
Truly, his thoughts and emotions were so plainly visible on his face that there was no need to read his scent.
That would have been impossible anyway, since he was a merman.
At that moment, Solif, who had been listening quietly, spoke with an incredulous expression:
“So, you opposed fighting us and other humans, and everyone tried to kill you?”
“Yes. Father and Mother, my brothers and sisters were all sad… but a bad child who doesn’t obey the king must die.”
Armani scratched his shoulder with a dejected expression.
Turan recalled that before being healed, there had been a large fang-pierced wound there.
It was difficult to imagine such a thing given the harmonious image of the merman royal family he had seen in the past.
Back then, they had seemed more affectionate with each other than most human siblings.
But Turan hadn’t forgotten the cruel customs they also practiced.
When a new merman king ascended, all siblings of that generation were purged… In some ways, they seemed like beings with reason and emotion completely separated.
A sort of “what must be done must be done” principle.
“Anyway, you managed to escape. It couldn’t have been easy to shake off pursuit.”
How many of Armani’s clan had survived back then? About ten?
That he had survived when all of them had transformed into Giant Sea Serpents to chase him was truly praiseworthy.
“You didn’t bring any followers here, did you?”
“Absolutely not. They probably won’t be able to come to this northern sea for a while!”
Won’t be able to come to this northern sea?
The way he spoke made it sound like the Giant Sea Serpent clan was staying in the southern sea.
Noticing Turan’s puzzled expression, Armani explained somewhat sheepishly:
“Actually, I survived this time because of luck.”
A few days earlier, Armani, guarding their base, had been informed of the declaration of war against humans by his fully recovered clan.
He opposed this, but since the king and other major royals supported the war, he quickly found himself on the defensive.
Naturally, the base was nearly destroyed as the dozen or so Giant Sea Serpents fought amongst themselves.
Armani was desperately fleeing from his family when he crossed the “mirror.”
“The one connecting the northern and southern seas?”
“We call it the Jade Mirror.”
The merfolk treasure, the Jade Mirror, was nearly building-sized, with a diameter exceeding twenty meters.
Even a Giant Sea Serpent with its relatively thin body could pass through it.
Armani had devised a strategy.
First, he crossed from the northern sea to the southern sea through the Jade Mirror, then recuperated as much as possible. When his family members crossed over, he dismantled the mirror and crossed back in the opposite direction.
Listening to this, Solif’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
“Wait, that’s possible!?”
“The possession, dismantling, and installation of the Jade Mirror are powers granted only to the Giant Sea Serpent clan. That’s why the mirror was near our base.”
Normally, the Jade Mirror was installed in different locations to create a passage anyone could use, but if someone reduced its size and possessed it, they could teleport to the mirror on the other side.
Of course, since nothing remained in the original location, it would be impossible to return.
Therefore, now that Armani had fled with the mirror, his relatives were likely still seeking a way to travel from the southern sea to the northern sea.
The northern and southern seas were separated by land, and moving unprotected across the surface would risk attacks from Zahar and other powerful mage families.
“Here, this is it.”
Saying this, Armani pulled out an object he had been concealing.
Two mirrors that emitted a distinct presence, previously hidden by the power flowing from his body, now gleamed.
* * *
Armani’s request was simple.
He would help them use the merfolk treasure, the Jade Mirror, if they would protect him from his Giant Sea Serpent relatives and terrestrial threats.
For Turan, there was absolutely no reason to refuse this offer.
The mere existence of the Jade Mirror dramatically expanded his strategic options.
Although Meisa might be the most powerful enchanter since the gods’ fall, even she couldn’t create a magical device that could traverse space.
“No, this is truly… beyond belief. What kind of god left behind such a Holy Relic?”
“Aren’t Holy Relics what you demons left behind? If so, this Jade Mirror is not a Holy Relic.”
Armani said this to the amazed Solif while twirling the mirror on his palm.
Though Turan knew intellectually that the treasure wouldn’t break from being dropped, his heart still skipped a beat.
“According to Father, this mirror existed before demons came from beyond the world. Some say the Giant Sea Serpents created it, others say the world’s rules created it… Either way, it’s older than your ancestors.”
Whether this was true or not, the Jade Mirror certainly felt somewhat different from ordinary Holy Relics.
While typical magical devices or Holy Relics circulated magical power through complex internal pathways, this one appeared more like a simple chunk of magical power.
-Turan, it stinks of fish on your back.
As they were talking, Bije spoke in a curt tone from atop his head.
The three of them were flying on the enlarged Bije toward Kalamaf, and for some reason, she seemed to regard Armani with distaste.
That didn’t seem to be the case before.
‘Perhaps she’s sensitive to the power of a grown Giant Sea Serpent.’
Even if Turan asked Bije directly, he probably wouldn’t get a clear answer.
Such feelings were usually closer to “instinct,” making it difficult for her to explain why she felt that way.
Fortunately, Armani couldn’t hear Bije’s words.
After flying southwest for several hours, they finally arrived back at Kalamaf.
Landing safely in the courtyard as the barrier recognized its master, Turan was soon greeted by Asiz, whom he had contacted in advance.
“You’re back! How did it go? Did you resolve the issue in Ofen?”
“More or less. Let’s talk inside first.”
“But who’s that with you? I thought you and Solif went alone.”
“We’ll explain that too.”
Armani had disguised his identity by wrapping his face in thick cloth, as he had done in the past.
While this was sufficient to conceal his identity from anyone lacking a special Holy Relic like Turan’s, they would need to find a more plausible solution if he were to stay here longer.
After all, they didn’t want to spread rumors about collaborating with other species, so his identity would need to remain hidden from the public.
Shortly after, when Armani revealed himself in the office, Asiz gasped in surprise.
“Ah! A, a merman!?”
“Hello, kind demon.”
Perhaps intimidated by Asiz’s almost frightened expression, Armani greeted him somewhat dejectedly.
Seeing this calm response, Asiz glanced between Turan and Solif before extending his hand.
“Uh, hello… Are you Armani by any chance?”
“You know me?”
“I’ve heard about you from Turan before.”
Pleased that Turan had spoken about him to his friend, Armani’s downcast face instantly brightened.
Ignoring Bije’s disapproving gaze, Armani began chatting enthusiastically with Asiz.
“So that’s what happened…”
“Yes. Now I’m going to serve under Turan.”
Having quickly adapted to Armani’s somewhat awkward speech, Asiz didn’t question this and looked toward Turan.
It wasn’t difficult to guess what he wanted to say.
“Naturally, this is confidential to the outside world.”
“We should make something like a helmet for him.”
“Can you help with that? Meisa is quite busy right now.”
“She’s almost finished with what she’s making now, so it’s possible.”
Asiz nodded at the request to create a helmet-shaped magical device that would be comfortable enough to wear constantly.
After chatting for a while, their conversation topic shifted to the new strategic treasure they had acquired.
“So, we need to think about how to utilize this Jade Mirror.”
“We should definitely use it in the war.”
“If we had more of them, I’d place them in every city in Kalamaf.”
That would have allowed them to respond more proactively to the recent disturbance in Ofen.
In fact, the signal fire system they were currently installing might have become virtually obsolete.
“Should we ask Meisa if she can replicate it?”
“Please do.”
If she could create something similar, even in a degraded form, its strategic value would be immense.
Though even as it was, its value was considerable.
After spending several hours in the lounge discussing recent events, Meisa emerged from her workshop with a tired face and exclaimed in surprise:
“What? Why are you here!?”
A natural reaction from someone suddenly seeing a merman boy who should have been somewhere in the northern sea.
But after hearing the full story, she moaned softly and embraced Armani tightly.
Uncomfortable with the unfamiliar contact, the merman boy stammered:
“Um, wait…”
“You must have been through so much.”
Turan could guess that Meisa was overlapping Armani’s rejection by his clan with her own experience.
After all, she too had been cast out by her bloodline, Arabion.
After initially being startled by the sudden embrace, Armani soon buried his face in Meisa’s chest and began sobbing loudly.
It was evident that even merfolk, who sometimes appeared as emotionless as insects, could shed tears.
The psychology of other species was difficult to understand—sometimes too alien, sometimes too human-like.
A few minutes later, Armani, his eyes turned purplish, separated from Meisa’s embrace with an embarrassed expression.
“You can cry more if you need to.”
“I wasn’t crying!”
Armani, indignant at Turan’s playful remark, curled up in a corner of the lounge.
Everyone comforted him with laughter and shoulder pats, then sat down comfortably to begin their discussion.
“First, as everyone now knows, we’ve gained another enemy. Fortunately, we’re not their primary target.”
“You mean the Giant Sea Serpent merfolk.”
Fortunately, according to Armani, their primary target was the Carmine family.
As long as they concealed the fact that Armani had taken refuge here, the Parsha family would likely face conflict with them much later.
They might even be suppressed at the Carmine stage.
Their power to freely manipulate water and ice would be useful against Giant Sea Serpents, and they too had fallen gods.
“Asiz has agreed to make something for Armani to wear… Meisa, how’s your project coming along?”
“About three weeks left. And after I finish it, I probably won’t be able to use much power for about a month.”
“That’s according to plan. Let’s see, the Ravitas army should have departed by now…”
Even with magical device battleships reportedly built by their enchanters long ago, it would take at least a month or two to travel through the southern sea to Baraha territory.
By the time Ravitas fully arrived at Baraha, Meisa should be sufficiently recovered for combat.
“The original plan was to send Solif alone just before they arrived. Sending an army would reduce mobility, and if either Meisa or I moved, we might expose a vulnerability to Arabion.”
“That’s right.”
As Turan broached the subject, everyone looked at the two green mirrors placed in the center of the lounge.
Having just heard about how extraordinary these treasures were, everyone understood their significance.
“But with those, everything changes.”
If they sent Armani with one mirror eastward, timed with Ravitas’s invasion of Baraha?
The Parsha family could project their full strength to that distant eastern location without losing any time.
This was a revolutionary invasion tactic that no great family in the world would dare attempt.