Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Discord
After negotiating with the innkeeper and securing a room, Turan walked to Banipel City’s commercial district to aid digestion.
This place was part of the great trade route connecting the world’s east and west, where merchants from east and west met and spread all kinds of culture.
Black sugar from the South Sea, silk and herbs from the east…
Though the items in the market were just a portion, merely looking at them made time fly.
While asking about and buying handfuls of new items, Turan’s eyes caught something like a white stone.
“What is this?”
“This? It’s called niter. Only comes from islands in the South Sea, and eating the powder extends lifespan.”
Though self-proclaimed elixirs of immortality were sold everywhere and not particularly special, the unfamiliar name triggered his memory.
Niter, surely he had seen this name somewhere…
‘Ah.’
Realizing, he took out an old notebook from his bag.
Something obtained about a month ago after killing the Burner Obil.
The back had several unknown formulas written, and at the time Turan had tried finding some ingredients in Abacha but was disappointed finding nothing.
‘Soul of Fire, Formula: Mix 75 niter powder, 15 wood ash powder, 10 sulfur then magically combine the three.’
Though unsure what Soul of Fire was, thinking it might be related to the “god” that influenced Obil then, it seemed worth trying to make once.
Given other formulas had similar format, the units probably meant ratios.
After buying two or three pieces of niter, Turan asked the merchant.
“Do you perhaps have something called sulfur?”
“Sulfur? First time hearing that.”
After asking around various parts of the market about sulfur’s existence, he finally got an answer from a merchant importing eastern goods.
It was mainly found in volcanic areas, and while used for disinfection, there weren’t many merchants distributing it due to low demand.
Naturally it was nearly impossible to obtain among caravans traveling the Enril Desert.
‘If I knew this I should have looked in Komad too. More eastern goods would enter there.’
Thinking about it, since volcanoes existed outside the eastern continent too, it probably wasn’t worth trying so hard to find.
Obil probably hadn’t gone to the eastern continent for sulfur either.
“So, won’t you buy this black sugar?”
“Sweet things don’t really suit my taste.”
After looking around the market more, Turan went outside the city at sunset and called the black eagle through their soul bond.
After a few minutes, a pitch black shadow landed beside him.
The black eagle glared at Turan before scratching letters into the ground.
[Late!]
“Sorry. There was a lot to see in the market. I brought something tasty too.”
When given dried pork jerky seasoned with strange hard-to-pronounce spices, the black eagle sniffed it briefly before tearing and eating it using beak and talons.
[Delicious!]
“That’s good. Nothing happened?”
After chewing and swallowing all the pork jerky, the black eagle began rapidly writing letters in the sandy ground… The speed was so fast that half had to be inferred rather than read.
That a family of black eagles like itself lived in the mountains opposite that huge building, that there were foxes on the hill beside the city and rabbit burrows right next to them…
Though nothing particularly amazing to Turan, each such fact seemed to be an interesting topic for this one.
“Glad you had fun. Could you perhaps spend the next few days around here?”
[Why?]
“Don’t think I can find good lodging. I’ll come meet you daily. We’ll go sightseeing other cities together too.”
Turan didn’t tell the black eagle things like how having it around would make it hard to disguise as commoner by being too eye-catching.
It was both hard to explain properly and might make it think it was being burdensome.
Fortunately living in the wild seemed to suit its taste too, as the black eagle readily agreed.
Though with one condition:
[More tasty things!]
“Alright.”
* * *
For several days after that, Turan spent time leisurely.
Usually he stayed in the inn reading books or went near the city to practice magic, sometimes calling the black eagle to play or riding it to visit other relatively nearby cities searching for formula ingredients like sulfur.
Among these, magic practice mainly involved handling sand given it was desert.
‘This is pretty good.’
Before Turan’s nodding head, a large hollow was carved in the standing cliff.
His latest experiment was loading sand instead of stones in his sling.
He concentrated sand that would normally scatter into round bullets like stones.
These sand bullets had several advantages.
Like being able to change into cone shape mid-flight to inflict penetrating wounds, or making multiple smaller masses for area attacks.
Though magic consumption was slightly higher than just throwing stones since power was used to compress sand, it wasn’t much difference unless in prolonged battle.
‘Should save stones then. Don’t have many anyway.’
The carved stones he favored couldn’t be carried in large quantities due to weight and volume issues.
The number carried normally varied but was generally five or six.
Against someone sturdy like Dolf last time, he had to rely on other magic like fireballs when running out of bullets.
Of course that was also because fire magic was highly efficient in the desert.
There were quite a few other things possible using sand too.
From binding ankles to blocking vision by scattering it mixed with wind magic, or moving as if swimming by moving sand.
It was quite fun utilizing those intermediate properties – much more fluid than dirt ground but heavier than liquid.
‘By the way… wonder what those noble lords are doing in the tomb still. How many days has it been.’
Though it had been six or seven days since staying here, the seal on the Gods’ Tomb showed no signs of lifting.
Since there wasn’t really need to see it anyway, should he just look around other cities more?
While pondering, Turan concluded it would be better to just sneak in… ‘Whatever, I can just run if caught.’
Having the black eagle gave him such boldness.
Even if caught by some security measures, what could they do if he fled…
Though possibly offending the tomb’s spirits was concerning, he couldn’t just dawdle here forever either.
That night, Turan got a good night’s sleep to maximize body and magic power before heading to the Gods’ Tomb.
Not much magic power was consumed hiding his body in the dark night.
Just as the entrance came into view, he saw two knights dragging someone.
[Mmph-mph-]
“Damn, why so noisy?”
“Keep him quiet. Don’t kill him though.”
The knights struck whoever was in the sack then dragged them into the ruin.
Turan followed behind them while hidden, narrowing his eyes.
Expanding his senses, he detected as many as three nobles inside the ruin.
Were these the esteemed ones who had occupied the ruin?
Entering the tomb, Turan first observed the surroundings.
Stone walls fitted so tightly from ceiling to floor that literally not even a needle could enter.
All made of unnaturally white material that gave Turan a feeling similar to old empire roads.
Inside were old empire relics preserved in glass, with such unique forms their purposes were all hard to determine.
A large black rectangular box with glass attached in front, a rod connecting two round circles, an iron plate with dozens of small buttons…
Briefly scanning these while entering, he saw the two knights from earlier and three nobles.
And one shabby-looking man who had been in the sack.
‘This is strange.’
Anxiety, fear, and something else.
The same scent wafted from both the noble lords and shabby man.
While the fellow who clearly appeared kidnapped might be expected, why the nobles?
The oldest among them gestured to the shabby man and spoke.
“Good, well retrieved. You! Take those loads and go inside there.”
Turan’s eyes widened in shock seeing where the noble pointed.
There was a space with black whirlpools swirling in one part of the white brick floor.
A clearly unnatural space with magical power involved…
Beside it were over ten large barrels placed.
“W-what is that?”
“Questions are not permitted. Enter.”
The shabby man’s brave question was instantly suppressed.
At the noble’s single command, the questioner’s body creaked as it moved, picking up two barrels and immediately disappearing into the whirlpool.
Magic controlling animals.
Though Turan could also use this technique familiarly, it was his first time seeing it used on humans.
Turan quietly looked around.
What was that unidentified space, what were they putting inside?
Given the unclear situation, withdrawing would surely be wise.
But…
He looked at the black space in one part of the ruin.
For some reason that unidentified whirlpool seemed to be calling him.
Saying come here quickly, I’m waiting for you.
Just then, the nobles spoke…
“Will Lord Ferga be safe?”
“We must hope so. We keep sending in food and water…”
“Should we not contact the main family?”
“Have you imagined what would happen if Lord Ferga’s competitors heard that contact?”
Ferga, a name he had heard before.
Surely the Zahar branch woman had said he was one of the Zahar family’s heir candidates?
He had come here as a guest and fallen into that unidentified space.
‘Could be dangerous.’
If he was an heir candidate, though not as much as Meisa he must be an incredible powerhouse, so a space that trapped such a person could be sufficiently threatening to him too.
Just as he was about to quietly withdraw, a thought suddenly occurred to Turan.
‘This might be an opportunity.’
If Ferga was in trouble, perhaps he could earn some favor while saving him.
Like how he had naturally infiltrated the Berk family after saving Asiz, if he could naturally infiltrate the Zahar family he could obtain information about his parents.
No, actually that didn’t matter.
An irrational impulse had seized him.
Saying regardless of reason, enter there right now, everything you want is there…
Turan maintained his invisibility while moving to quietly take two barrels like the shabby man had carried earlier.
Being completely hidden, the nobles didn’t even notice such actions.
In that state, he slipped inside the whirlpool.
* * *
‘Dark.’
That was Turan’s first impression inside the whirlpool.
Though he had half-forgotten the concept of darkness since awakening magic power and gaining Zahar bloodline ability, this place was so dark even he felt visual discomfort.
‘Damn.’
Actually entering, his head instantly cooled and he could realize how stupid his earlier logic was.
Earning favor to infiltrate?
What guarantee was there Ferga would be someone who repaid what he received like Asiz?
What could Turan do if he survived and reversed his attitude?
Moreover, what if Zahar main family people found traces of Talis in his face?
Should he make excuses that he just resembled someone?
While that might work with an outsider like Karl, it wouldn’t work with main family people who frequently saw Talis’s face.
Such worries were brief as piercing screams came from ahead.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Good, another came in.”
“Seems our people outside keep sending them in.”
Beyond the pitch dark vision, he saw the shabby man from earlier sprawled on the ground.
Before him with both hands broken were about ten nobles in practically beggar’s state.
Given the circumstances, they had clearly harmed the man.
While gathering food and water, one pointed at the man rolling on the ground.
“Ah, that bastard’s too noisy. Someone deal with him. Need to save food anyway.”
“Yes, Lord Ferga.”
At that command another noble politely answered before immediately breaking the shabby man’s neck.
Turan quietly watched them gather food and water then disappear while staying hidden.
‘So that’s Ferga Zahar…’
The way he killed people to steal food and water without even a trace of guilt… At least he didn’t seem like someone who would repay received favors.
Just as he frowned at that sight, voices entered Turan’s mind.
[No]
[You]
[Are wrong]
[Night hunter]
[No]