Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Even after Meisa and the dark elf subjugation force departed, Turan’s daily life didn’t change much.
Building his body with Haram, learning weapon skills and martial arts, resting, practicing magic…
The only difference was losing one friend to practice magic with in the evening.
That just made that time feel a bit lonelier.
On the thirty-second day of staying with the Berk family.
In the workshop on the highest floor of the mansion, cluttered with various magical devices, Melo, Asiz’s brother, handed Turan an item.
His face had grown pale from being shut in for the past month to make this.
“Here it is.”
The magical device was in bracelet form, made by braiding several long, thin leather straps and wrapping them in a non-luminous blue metal.
This metal, originally found only in some eastern mountains, was said to be a material that could more easily hold magical power.
“Just wearing it slightly increases physical durability, and infusing magic power increases it further. Ultimately it reaches a level similar to guardian bloodline nobles, but magic consumption is severe so it’s best not to maintain it long.”
“This… is truly an amazing treasure.”
It was truly powerful performance considering that magical devices recreating bloodline abilities typically had daily usage limits.
At Turan’s exclamation, Melo smiled proudly and said.
“Such items would be rare even in great families. It turned out exceptionally well.”
While a craftsman’s skill and production time have absolute influence on magical device creation, quality could differ even with the same skill and time invested.
Among these, this item was top quality worthy of presenting to someone like the Arabion family head, Melo emphasized several times while praising his creation, and finally added.
“Though Asiz is a dim-witted fool, he’s still my brother. I couldn’t be careless with this repayment.”
Though his first impression of criticizing Asiz made him seem cold, it seems he too was a brother who loved his sibling.
After receiving the magical device and saying farewell, Turan next headed to Midela, the Berk family head.
As expected, she proposed that Turan formally join the family when he came to bid farewell.
“I’m truly grateful for the offer, but I’m afraid it would be difficult.”
“I see…”
Surprisingly, instead of persistently pushing the offer, Midela immediately gave up.
Her following words revealed why.
“Actually, I heard from Asiz. That you’re someone with many things to do, so it would be hard to settle here. Please consider it an old person’s lingering attachment to make the offer even knowing it wouldn’t work.”
It seemed Asiz had given the family head advance notice.
Turan bowed deeply in gratitude.
“I won’t forget the hospitality I received from the family head. Asiz and the Berk family will forever be my friends.”
“Yes, that’s enough.”
Though she knew, there seemed to be some disappointment as traces of regret showed on Family Head Midela’s face.
After the meeting, other Berk family members, especially those who had become close to Turan, were waiting.
“Take it.”
Haram abruptly handed over a dagger.
It was a convenient size that could be carried easily as a daily tool or used as a weapon if needed.
“It’s a magical device. No special functions, but it’s sturdy and sharp.”
Though not particularly valuable for a magical device, being only slightly better than the magic lights common in the Berk house, it was still too generous a treasure to give to a disciple taught for just a few weeks.
“…Thank you.”
Turan knew why Haram took such care of him.
Among nobles who mostly looked down on close combat, Turan had faithfully absorbed the teachings Haram had pursued his whole life.
To show respect, Turan used a title he normally didn’t use for the last time.
“Master.”
Haram’s lips twitched once before he turned and left.
Probably because he didn’t want to show his inability to control his expression.
Next, Asiz grinned and held out a well-maintained set of shirt, pants, and cloak.
The sturdy material without cumbersome decorations looked comfortable to wear.
“What’s this?”
“Didn’t you say you envied my clothes before? I prepared it in my spare time. It won’t get dirty easily, and small tears repair themselves.”
Turan finally understood what he meant when he said earlier that it was good they made it bigger.
Considering how often he went out with Turan in the afternoons to watch plays, he must have prepared this in bits of time morning and evening.
Thinking of that dedication made it hard to simply say thank you.
“Asiz…”
“You’re a good friend, Turan. Not just for saving my life, but watching how you live while staying together made me think a lot.”
Asiz confessed honestly to Turan.
How he had initially felt jealous of his outstanding talent, but came to admire how despite having such talent, he never wasted time and constantly worked on self-improvement.
He said he felt he had lived too lazily until now, so starting with making these clothes, he would diligently practice making magical devices again.
“Plus, I’ll go on pilgrimage again once the dark elf situation calms down. From somewhere safer.”
Turan nodded and mentioned Asiz’s other friend.
“Don’t forget to take Tilly when you leave again.”
“Of course!”
The horse monster Tilly was as smart as any person while having strength to rival nobles.
Unless another extreme situation like last time occurred, Asiz shouldn’t face any serious crises.
“So, where are you thinking of going now?”
“East first.”
“Karmaine?”
“Yeah.”
Going straight east from the Dakein Plains led to the port city ruled by the Karmaine family.
Though smaller than Arabion or Zahar, they were a great family with considerable history and power, famous for their bloodline ability to control water and ice.
“I’ve been there once before too. Try not to take a ship if possible. I tried it once out of curiosity but the waves were really terrible.”
At Asiz’s warning, Turan shook his head with a meaningless smile.
Unfortunately, he had to take a ship through those waves.
His destination was the Enril Desert, Zahar’s land, reached by sailing southeast for quite a while.
“Well, you’re not a child- no, you are young, but anyway you’re more mature than me so you’ll be fine. Take care. Don’t die.”
“Right.”
Turan embraced Asiz one final time before walking out of the mansion.
It was truly time to leave the cradle now.
* * *
Leaving Zabilin City, Turan felt the chilly autumn wind wrap around his face.
The wheat fields of the Dakein Plains, once spread out in golden color, had already been harvested leaving only stubble.
It must have been late summer when he first came down to the world, but now winter was just around the corner.
Turan ran east using the breathing method suitable for long-distance running that Haram had taught him.
Two big exhales and two inhales matching the rhythm of his steps.
Thanks to the leg strength from his now much thicker thighs, his body shot forward as if the ground was pushing back on its own.
The speed was such that no one could dare catch up unless they were Arabion nobles flying through the sky or had similar movement abilities.
Travelers passing through various parts of the plains or patrol teams of magicians couldn’t even ask what he was doing after spotting Turan, unable to keep up.
Running like this for half a day, then resting briefly, then running again.
Only stopping in the evening, he boiled porridge by steeping prepared hardtack, jerky, and some dried vegetables.
He had worried his palate might have grown accustomed to fancy food, but fortunately the travel food he hadn’t eaten in a long time suited him well enough.
After filling his stomach adequately, he lay down in the middle of the plains covering himself with his cloak, and for some reason felt like laughing.
He realized he had once again become a loner without a home to stay in, just like when he first came down from the hill.
But unlike then, the difference was that Turan’s heart wasn’t empty anymore.
Newly made friends, teachers who taught him many things…
That alone made coming down to this world worthwhile.
Spending days and nights like this, running for two days.
Finally, the plains ruled by Arabion ended and several protruding mountain peaks appeared, with dense forests above them.
Like the area where he had encountered dark elves before, it was under Arabion’s influence but not formally ruled by them.
Turan first activated the detection magic he had sealed since entering Arabion territory to search for monsters.
By targeting all kinds of animals – wolves, deer, lynx, raccoon dogs – and searching for traces of individuals significantly larger than their kind.
After a few minutes, he could find one target.
‘A wild boar.’
The monster he encountered following the traces was snorting and prowling around, its tusks unusually long.
Those long tusks were probably specialized for piercing things.
When he shouted “Hey!”, it quickly turned its head and charged angrily.
[Squeeeeeal!]
Turan carefully observed the charging boar and used magic to accelerate his thoughts.
The world instantly slowed.
Stepping once to match the timing was enough to escape its trajectory, then precisely stabbing the dagger from the side caused the boar to collapse with its brain pierced.
‘So this is how it feels.’
He hadn’t known when always getting one-sidedly beaten during sparring with Haram, but using his body to hunt was quite fun.
Of course, this boar was an opponent he could kill with just one stone throw.
Since he’d need fare for the ship anyway, Turan absorbed the dead boar’s magic power – as expected, it was small fry – then butchered it and skinned it.
Taking some time to leave it with a tanner, or even selling it whole, should fetch a decent price.
“Ugh.”
The unexpected point was that the fully skinned hide was as big as a person, making it inconvenient to carry.
Despite having sufficient strength, he had to use both hands to balance it, and its excessive bulk obstructing his vision was quite annoying.
So contrary to his original plan of selling it upon reaching the port city, Turan stopped at a fairly large village nearby and immediately sold off the hide.
There was some commotion selling a hide clearly from a monster, but somehow he managed to get rid of the cumbersome luggage and obtain twenty gold coins.
Running for two full days with his now lightened body, passing through two cities.
Just as he thought the Karmaine family’s territory must not be far, Turan’s sense of smell caught an out-of-place scent.
‘Hm?’
The first thing detected was the smell of burnt ashes.
If that was all, he could have dismissed it as a passing traveler lighting a campfire, but the degree of smell was excessive.
If this was a campfire, it would be believable even if told dozens of houses were burned.
Moreover, not just plants but the stench of burnt animals made him wonder if there had been a forest fire, but approaching, an even more horrific sight than expected awaited him.
“This is…”
Inside a half-burnt collapsed palisade, he saw the ruins of what looked like an ordinary village.
Could it have been attacked by monsters?
Going inside, he could tell that wasn’t the case.
Because there were burnt corpses tied up in the village square.
This was clearly a trace left by humans or a race with comparable intelligence acting with malice.
‘I didn’t hear that dark elves had advanced this far.’
If so, Asiz, who knew Turan was heading east, would surely have tipped him off about it.
While pondering how to deal with this mess, Turan detected the scent of living people through the stench.
Sweat, tears, urine…
‘Is it here?’
Following the trace of scent, Turan found a trapdoor hidden under a table in one of the half-burnt log houses.
When he forcibly tore open the door locked with a bolt-
“Kyaaaah!”
A girl screaming as if being torn apart was seen crawling backwards.
How old could she be, maybe eight or nine?
White tear tracks were clear on her grimy face blackened with soot.
“Calm down. I’m not your enemy. I came to help.”
The trembling girl asked after Turan repeated the same words several times.
“Really…?”
“Yes. Do you know what happened to this village?”
“Th-they all died. That magician-”
“Magician?”
“Yes…”
The girl collapsed after saying that much.
She must have been exhausted mentally and physically from being trapped in this basement for quite a while.
Turan carefully carried her and came up from the basement.
For now, if he fed her well and let her rest, then took her to another nearby village…
“Found you!”
Four men and women semicircularly surrounding the log house entrance.
The woman holding a pure white ice bow who looked like their leader aimed an arrow at Turan and said.
“Kneel, you murderer!”