Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Discord
Around the time when Arabion’s envoy came calling, the nobles of Ravitas were busy relaxing and recovering from their fatigue.
Unlike Parsha, who had returned immediately via the Jade Mirror after the Baraha war, they had to sail for over a month again, and not long after that, they had to move overland to meet with Zahar before returning.
Naturally, a guest arriving in such circumstances couldn’t be welcomed.
The family head Osel didn’t even bother to leave his quarters to meet with them, and only a few Ravitas elders and nobles in their prime greeted him.
“The head of Arabion says this: Turan, the head of Parsha, is a lowly bastard who has never properly learned noble etiquette and is a villain, so if the nobles of Ravitas know their pride, they should not associate with him…”
Though decorated with all manner of flowery language, the summary was really nothing special.
The rising new forces including Parsha were disagreeable.
From now on, they planned to properly crush them, so would you continue to be friendly with that side?
If you don’t take our hand, we’ll consider you part of their group and subjugate you too.
Naturally, Ravitas’s reaction to this was cold.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“If we’re going to discuss who the real villain is, wasn’t it your family head?”
“Acting like this when you attacked without even declaring war.”
They could argue that they hadn’t declared war because Turan and the Arabion family were already enemies, but this was the general public opinion.
When everyone showed such a cold reaction, the envoy looked around and said confidently:
“I expected you all to react this way. That’s why the head of Arabion has promised to give Ravitas a gift so they can make the right choice.”
“A gift? Let’s hear what it is.”
“What could be so amazing that they prepared…”
“Eternal life.”
A single, brief word.
The shock it brought to the Ravitas nobles was not small.
For them, who possessed bodies that didn’t age, overcoming the limits of lifespan was an even more urgent task than for others.
As everyone’s eyes widened, Rida, who had the highest status among the Ravitas nobles present, stepped forward.
“So, by what method?”
“Having researched souls for so long, you must have some related knowledge. We already have the knowledge and technology to solve the aging of soul chains.”
Seeing that this wasn’t just a casual remark, the Ravitas nobles looked at each other with surprised expressions.
Since Turan had given Ravitas basic teachings of soul magic, they too knew that the death of Ravitas nobles wasn’t simply due to soul aging alone.
‘If what he says is true…’
‘Isn’t it worth listening to at least once?’
Of course, the head of the Parsha family had accomplished quite a lot in cooperation with them, and the friendship between the two families had deepened through several battles, but the weight of eternal life was heavier than that.
Just as the atmosphere changed instantly and the Arabion envoy was about to smirk, Rida lightly gestured and crushed the desk while shouting:
“Get lost.”
“Madam?”
“Trying to shake our alliance with such a pathetic trick – is Arabion finally feeling that they’re in crisis? How faithless do you think we Ravitas are!”
Due to Rida’s rare fury, which was seldom seen, the other Ravitas nobles were too bewildered to say anything, so the meeting ended there.
After the Arabion envoy withdrew, the Ravitas nobles finally spoke to Rida as if interrogating her:
“Madam, wasn’t it worth listening to a bit more?”
“That’s right. If they know that much, they might have grasped some clue…”
There were nobles in that place who, by Turan’s classification, barely made it to the top tier and were even more powerful than Rida, but none of them could express anger.
They only passively showed disappointment.
This was because of the power that came from being the family head’s beloved cousin sister and wet nurse.
Rida explained to the Ravitas nobles who were pouting at her like children:
“If there had been such a method, they would have used it long ago. While not aging at all is our privilege, there are other ways to slow aging itself.”
The effect of Ravitas’s holy relic, “Modest Wish,” which Rida had once offered to Turan and other wandering nobles in exchange for bringing white elves, was to continuously grant the wearer the power of Healer and Purifier bloodlines.
That meant if you brought a Ravitas noble and had them continuously exercise their power, the recipient of healing and purification would similarly not age physically.
If they really had a method to prevent soul chain aging, they would have long since invaded to kidnap Ravitas nobles and use them as slaves, or assigned one Healer and Purifier each to continuously use their abilities.
“In the first place, wouldn’t they have done so regardless of maintaining noble etiquette in the face of eternal life?”
“Hmm.”
“Now that I think about it, that’s also…”
The executives here knew to some extent about soul magic and the powerful magical forces achieved by combining it, if not the full truth about the fallen ancient gods.
Naturally, they also knew that the power of several old great families who could wield this would be much stronger than theirs.
However, unfortunately, some were not easily convinced even after hearing such explanations.
“Still, I think we need to talk more just in case. If, just if they could really give that as compensation, wouldn’t we need to reconsider our existing alliance?”
The Ravitas nobles’ desire for eternal life was that great and strong.
Eventually, the faction that believed they should have more dialogue with Arabion conveyed their opinion to Osel, and Ravitas was instantly split almost in half.
* * *
“…In such a situation, when a letter from the head of Parsha arrived, what a good opportunity it was. I immediately declared to my family members that I would research the secrets of soul chains, so there was no need to listen to those Arabion bastards’ words, and came up here.”
“Is Lord Osel’s control being shaken?”
“He’s still a child, isn’t he? He hasn’t been in the family head position for long.”
Though Osel’s age was already well over a hundred, old enough to do his part even by noble standards, he was quite young among great family heads.
He had only taken the family head position a few years ago at most.
As such, there were many who thought the family head’s judgment was too hasty or similar… Of course, due to the authority that comes with being a family head, they couldn’t say it openly, but compared to those who had reigned for hundreds of years, his authority was inevitably lacking.
“While it might be different if they were openly rebelling, since they’re offering opinions for the family’s sake, it was difficult to suppress them arbitrarily. Originally, discontent that festers inside is the biggest problem.”
“That’s true.”
If it had been Turan from his wandering days in the past, he probably would have said that Osel’s attitude was frustrating, that they should immediately cut off the heads of those supporting Arabion.
But Turan now, having spent time as the head of a family, could understand those feelings.
Unless they were outright traitors who had turned their backs on the family, purging people just because their opinions differed would first weaken the family’s strength, and second, earn suspicion and contempt even from allies who supported him.
“Anyway, if it’s alright, I’d like to send word to the family head again through Bije soon. I need to tell him that there’s a spirit mage here and research can proceed smoothly, so I can suppress those opinions on that side.”
“Understood. Bije, would that be alright? You seem to have been working too hard lately.”
-That much is fine!
“She says it’s fine.”
-Thank you, good girl.
When Rida rubbed her beak with her nose, Bije lifted each leg once and turned her head away.
“But Rida, I think this might be a bit rude to ask, but…”
“Why did I so firmly reject Arabion’s proposal, right?”
“Yes.”
Currently, Rida was one of the oldest elders in the Ravitas family.
Among over a hundred Ravitas nobles, she was in the top three.
While soul chain aging generally slowed the stronger one’s magical power, there were quite individual differences, so it wouldn’t be strange if she died tomorrow.
Tomorrow, or perhaps the day after.
In other words, she should be the person most eager to accept Arabion’s proposal.
“There were indeed several who asked that. The reason for that is, well, it’s a bit difficult to explain in words…”
Rida pouted as if she didn’t know how to explain what she felt to Turan.
“When you reach this age, there are generally two types. Those who want to live longer because life is enjoyable, and those who want to live longer because life is painful but they fear death.”
While ordinary mages or humans would typically move from the first to the second as they aged and their bodies became frail, causing constant suffering, Ravitas nobles were different.
For them, who possessed bodies that didn’t age, death was just a visitor that came suddenly amid eternal youth.
“I find life as a Ravitas noble, this life where I can enjoy all kinds of pleasures and respect as I wish, truly enjoyable. But if I were to extend my life further… if I had to live sitting on the blood and flesh of my friends, how enjoyable could that be? Even the small vices I’ve accumulated so far come to mind every night.”
Plus, as she had said when persuading others, she added that they probably didn’t really have such secrets.
“Indeed, if they really knew secrets to slow soul chain aging, they would have tried to devour Ravitas long ago.”
Through testimonies from Baraha’s half-elves and other ancient gods, Turan now knew how they infiltrated great families.
First, they would kidnap someone of relatively low status among the family’s nobles, someone with few close friends and infrequent contact, and switch bodies.
Then, the one with that body would expand their network differently than before, broadening their connections with various people.
They would target someone who wasn’t particularly strong individually but was strongly connected to the family’s executives.
After identifying their second prey, they would become close friends, organize everything about their behavior, relationships, and even minor habits, then secretly kidnap them and possess them with the colleague with the best acting skills.
By then, the occupation of the great family was half complete.
Two nobles, even ones who could use skills, setting traps and subduing another wasn’t very difficult.
Especially if they could make the target let their guard down through deep friendship.
With three to four or more infiltrating a family and taking executive positions, they would befriend the heir at an appropriate time, then devour the heir and take the family head position – that would be the end.
Sometimes they would clumsily attempt this and have their scheme exposed, leading to an entire great family being pushed out, but generally, this was the method.
“Anyway… thank you, Rida.”
Turan had experienced several times in his not-so-long life that kindness doesn’t always return as kindness.
Compared to that, the attitude Rida showed was truly noble beyond measure.
“Don’t be so embarrassed. Well, let’s talk about something else. Meisa, have you tried playing music for the baby-”
Perhaps embarrassed by Turan’s sincere gratitude, Rida blushed slightly, unlike her usual cheeky self, and changed the subject.
To knowledge about children, the area where the Turan couple was most lacking.
* * *
The next day, Bije flew toward Ravitas again with a letter written directly by Rida tied to her leg.
Turan gave Rida virtually unlimited authority to move around inside the Parsha family, essentially equal to his own level.
Thanks to this, besides going underground to analyze spirit magic with Nia, she could spend quite enjoyable time.
“Oh, this is a weapon?”
“Yes. Though it still has many shortcomings…”
“Amazing! If we had something like this, we really wouldn’t have anything to fear.”
Among these, what she particularly focused on was the firearms being researched enthusiastically under Melo’s direction.
Since the Ravitas bloodline itself was rather incompetent in combat, she felt great attraction to weapons that could simply unleash tremendous firepower.
Seeing her great interest in weapons, Meisa directly used enchantment magic to make her a pistol.
Naturally, even during this, she didn’t neglect research on spirit magic.
After making Nia use spirit magic continuously until she was exhausted for several days and collecting various data, Rida produced meaningful results faster than expected.
“Ah, ahh. So this is how possession through spirits works.”
The one speaking to Turan wasn’t Rida but a death row prisoner who had recently killed a family while drunk in the back alleys of Kalamaf.
Having seen what he shouldn’t have seen and heard, he naturally couldn’t survive after this experiment ended.
“I knew that spirit connections weren’t physical, but it’s more profound than I thought. We should consider that essentially all connections between body and soul are linked through that distant sea of spirits…”
While Turan was superior in simple soul magic talent, Rida had the knowledge and experience of exploring soul secrets for hundreds of years.
After having Nia demonstrate spirit magic several times and seemingly researching something independently, she suddenly developed a technique for possessing souls!
This was different from existing soul magic techniques, different from how fallen gods transferred possession bodies.
They made their bodies into something like spirits to dwell in others’ spirit forms, while this temporarily suppressed the target’s spirit with one’s own spirit to control the body.
If we had to say, what Rida invented was a method of using spirit magic through soul magic.
“How on earth can a human use spirit magic…”
“I roughly understand what technique should be learned. I should write it down well and pass it to the head of Parsha. Now let’s move to the next experiment, Princess.”
“I’d like to rest a bit more…”
“Now, now, young people shouldn’t be so lazy.”
“I’m probably a hundred years older than you.”
While they were bickering and spending time like this, a reply arrived from Osel.
The content was asking whether it would be alright to send a few people to see for themselves and report back, since many doubted whether the Parsha family had really secured a white elf spirit mage.
Bije had to fly once more carrying Turan’s letter accepting this.
After the golden eagle suffered for several days, flying distances in units of ten thousand kilometers, a fairly peaceful daily life followed.
Of course, that didn’t mean Turan was idle.
He directly worked to fill the gap left by forces dispatched to the east, researched methods to handle spirit magic through soul magic and techniques to restore soul chains with Rida, conceived ways to improve firearms…
While he was struggling like this, the army finally returned through the Jade Mirror installed in the basement of the Parsha main house.
“Reporting to the family head! The Ruban expedition force has returned safely with all members!”
Haram, who had served as the leader of the Parsha army in place of Turan who had returned first, saluted and shouted with discipline.
For the past month, they had stabilized Ruban territory with Solif, then returned to Helio City before coming back.
Turan welcomed the returning soldiers, healed several who had been injured by various incidents along the way, then called Haram aside to ask how things had gone.
“Did the cleanup on the Ruban side finish smoothly, Master?”
“Yes. Of course, there are still many problems, but I think almost everything that needed immediate handling is done.”
If they completely swept away the Ruban family, there would be a serious absence of mages to protect the people of the Frostwind Forest region from magical beasts.
Therefore, Solif established a kind of puppet government by making one relatively young and talented Ruban noble the family head.
Of course, regardless of who started the war first, the Ruban family would hate Baraha for slaughtering their family members, but considering the treaties between them and the balance difference between the two forces, there should be no room for conflict for several generations.
“Most importantly, they lost the family head’s magical power.”
“Indeed…”
What was the reason great family heads possessed transcendent strength?
It was because they inherited the power of family heads generation by generation, those with strength on a completely different level from other top-tier nobles.
But the Ruban family had lost the corpse of Calais, who had inherited that power, so naturally, even as time passed, there would be insufficient power for the family head to inherit.
This was a problem that could only be solved after several generations, perhaps more than ten generations, as the number of nobles increased again and accumulated magical power grew.
“Then we should consider the Ruban family resolved, and Solif will probably need to stay a few more weeks before returning, so it’ll be rest for the time being. Please convey this to the others as well.”
“Understood.”
It seemed they could rest for about a month, then target either Carmine or Arabion.
Turan personally judged that targeting Arabion would be better of the two.
Since Meisa was there, they could cause internal division to easily collapse them, and the moment Badal was broken, their strongest card would be neutralized.
Just as he was ordering rest for the returning soldiers, making his command for rest meaningless, bad news arrived in just two days.
The one who brought the news was Berit, who had come through the Jade Mirror.
“Family head.”
“What’s the matter?”
It should be a busy time for her to be controlling the Baraha family, which was experiencing serious power gaps without Solif and similarly without him.
To Turan’s gaze, Berit answered with a somewhat pale face:
“We haven’t confirmed exactly what happened yet, but it seems like some big change has occurred inside Zahar.”