Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Discord
Marriage is a sacred ritual where a man and woman form a bond as husband and wife.
While this has been a custom in human society since the ancient imperial era, things were a bit different for nobles.
Unlike common humans, they needed to spread their magical bloodline as descendants of the gods.
There were two main types of noble marriages:
The first was a companion marriage (伴侶婚) between relatively equal magicians, similar to commoners’ marriages.
The second was a subordinate marriage (從屬婚) where multiple inferior magicians were attached to a superior magician.
What the seven families proposed was the latter – subordinate marriage, offering to marry off women with potential who were daughters of knights to Turan.
Naturally, they would only be concubines and couldn’t interfere with Kalamaf’s governance.
“Of course, they are well-educated ladies who have been thoroughly trained to be concubines of noble blood, lacking nothing in appearance or refinement.”
Ladies who were strictly managed from childhood to become noble concubines…
He had read about this in the library when studying how magical families operated.
They selected those with outstanding beauty among children of knights who either weren’t born with magical power or had ambiguous power between knights and commoners.
Of course, carnal desire wasn’t exclusive to men, and not all men desired women, so there were males who served similar roles.
Though demand was much lower due to pregnancy and other issues.
“Before anything else, I’d like to know why this proposal came up. It seems too sudden.”
Turan asked with an expressionless face.
It had been a month since he became Kalamaf’s protector.
Despite a mysterious young man taking control of the city during this considerable time, neighboring families remained silent instead of trying to stop him or establish relations.
Then they suddenly visit, not to get to know each other, but to make such a proposal outright?
The noble from Ravana City confidently exclaimed after hearing the question.
“We know the Lord of Kalamaf has difficulties running the city without establishing a family! Even now, you can’t use the central mansion! With seven concubines bearing children, quite a few useful knights would be born among them, which would be very helpful for your future governance! Since half their bloodline would originate from us, it would also greatly help strengthen our alliance!”
What he described was the fundamental reason nobles formed families.
Even a magician as powerful as a god still only had one body.
No matter how large a territory they ruled, they couldn’t simultaneously defend against magical beasts appearing from all directions or give orders to scattered commoners.
In contrast, a noble commanding four ordinary knights could govern a vast territory without lifting a finger by stationing them in various locations.
The more nobles and knights secured, the easier it became to govern larger territories.
Turan sat quietly and pondered.
Why did such a proposal suddenly come up, especially now?
Thinking about recent events, it wasn’t hard to guess.
‘It must be because they heard the western threat would disappear. Are they trying to gain future control of Kalamaf?’… Recently, after contacting Arabion’s army and discovering the nature of the western threat, Turan had publicly announced it.
Just knowing the identity of the threat to the city and that it would soon disappear would help reassure people.
There was no reason to keep it secret, as dark elves or dwarves wouldn’t have planted spies among humans.
The Gray Zone lords clearly wanted to establish connections with Kalamaf, which would soon increase in value.
‘The distance between cities is usually three days to a week by normal walking… For knights, depending on individual differences, it would take several hours to a day. Did they quickly consult using knights as messengers? No, they might have discussed this in advance.’
Either way, the fact that the lords of seven nearby cities acted together was significant in many ways.
They had clearly agreed to integrate Turan with other ruling families of the Gray Zone through bloodlines rather than expel him.
Turan, who had been listening quietly, shook his head.
“I appreciate the proposal but I decline. Rather, I’d like to make a counter-proposal since everyone is gathered here.”
“A counter-proposal…?”
“It’s about the governance rights of this city, Kalamaf.”
Seeing all the nobles’ eyes light up, he quietly stated his conditions.
It was to find the whereabouts of a young woman who had traveled the Gray Zone some twenty years ago.
The condition was that whoever requested this investigation would not be publicly revealed, and the family that brought the most useful information would receive Kalamaf’s governance rights.
The nobles who heard this all showed bewildered expressions.
“No, that’s absurd…”
“You’ll hand over the city just for such conditions!?”
For noble families, a city held both prestige and high practical value.
The tributes diligently paid by commoners formed the foundation for all sorts of luxurious living.
Yet he would hand over such a city just for finding the whereabouts of one woman?
It was as absurd as offering a battleship in return for picking up a coin on the street.
‘Could she possibly be some secret weapon of Arabion?’
Given that they’d heard about his recent contact with the Arabion family, that seemed most plausible.
Otherwise, why would a fallen noble simply hand over a city?
One of the things wanderers most desired was obtaining their own city to settle down and establish a family.
“If that’s all that concerns you, I’ll add one more condition. Whoever takes this city must promise in the name of the Frea gods to faithfully protect the city’s citizens as ruler. The moment this is violated, the governance rights will be forfeit.”
Turan recalled the scene from his first visit to Murei City.
The sight of them pushing work onto monster hunters out of laziness while magical beasts devoured several children outside…
It would be extremely unpleasant if this city ended up like that after being handed over to just anyone.
Even the family that originally governed this place had perished fighting for such protection.
The nobles’ faces changed strangely at Turan’s words.
Faithfully protect the city’s citizens?
That sounded like something from the Frea scriptures.
One noble asked, unable to understand:
“Why… go to such lengths?”… Though they didn’t add more, other nobles seemed to share similar doubts.
Opening the central mansion for vagrants while staying in humble city hall quarters himself, and setting conditions like protecting citizens in exchange for handing over a city – what was the reason?
For nobles, commoners were beings that needed protection for religious and practical reasons, but not to such an extent.
Even if a shepherd values their sheep, aren’t they ultimately raised to be slaughtered for meat and wool?
In their eyes, Turan was a strange shepherd who not only refused to slaughter sheep at the proper time but would let them sleep on his bed until they died of old age and give them proper burials.
Turan fell into thought briefly before answering with a smile.
“Indeed. I wonder why.”
Afterwards, the nobles of the seven cities whispered among themselves before requesting to withdraw.
“We know it’s discourteous to leave without staying even one night, but as this is urgent, we’ll relay this to our family heads and return with answers as soon as possible.”
“Very well.”
While it was discourteous by hospitality customs to come, state their business, and leave immediately, it balanced out since housing noble guests at city hall would have been equally discourteous.
After all the nobles withdrew, Daruk, who had been waiting outside the conference room, entered and asked:
“Well done, city protector. Do you have any commands?”
“Call a meeting.”
“Everyone is already gathered downstairs.”
Of course, when nobles from all nearby cities visited, important discussions about the city’s future would naturally take place.
It was only natural for those leading the city to gather.
Shortly after, Turan announced to those gathered in the conference room his intention to soon transfer Kalamaf’s governance rights to another family.
Everyone’s faces darkened at hearing this.
“But great protector, this city still needs you…”
“The western threat will soon be eliminated by Arabion, and other families will pay sufficient attention given their justification for obtaining governance rights. That should be enough to maintain things without me.”
Kalamaf’s influential figures had secretly hoped Turan would establish his family here.
Unlike other nobles, Turan was a dedicated shepherd who didn’t exploit them and used his abilities for the city’s benefit – something they had never even imagined possible.
However, whether to maintain or transfer the city’s governance rights ultimately depended on the nobles’ will.
Originally, whether sheep or pastures, these were things bought and sold between people – sheep never got to choose their keeper.
* * *
Naturally, the seven noble families that received Turan’s proposal didn’t respond immediately.
They would likely secretly gather information about his mother in their cities and surrounding villages, only agreeing once they were confident they could win.
Since the transfer of governance rights was kept under control, Kalamaf’s citizens lived each day hopefully, unaware they might soon have a new ruler.
Turan would sometimes sit on the city hall roof and watch their lives below.
“Everyone lives so diligently, don’t they?”
Without her slate to write on, Bije could only answer with a cheep.
Turan looked at Kalamaf’s citizens – those who would have died helplessly without him.
He recalled a question recently asked by another noble.
“Why go to such lengths…”… In his childhood when he first awakened magical power, his mother said he was merely a sheepdog serving under a shepherd.
Because of this, Turan didn’t consider himself particularly superior to ordinary humans – the sheep.
After all, he too was just a dog hiding in fear of the shepherd’s tyranny.
Then he met Keorn, who showed Turan that he wasn’t actually a dog but a shepherd, and that shepherds could be noble beings, not just fearsome ones.
A benevolent shepherd protecting knights and commoners – sheepdogs and sheep – from wolves like magical beasts and other races…
Turan wanted to become such an ideal being as that old knight had described.
Not like the evil shepherd from his childhood fears who carelessly worked dogs and sheep to death.
While deep in thought, he sensed a quite powerful knight’s presence some distance away.
‘Who could it be?’
At first he thought it might be a messenger from some family, but if so, one of the civil servants would have come to report to Turan first.
Whether noble or knight, they would normally announce their presence upon entering another city.
The fact that there was no report until they reached city hall in the city center meant no one had noticed their presence.
‘Did they sneak in?’
Though it would be funny for Turan to criticize since he often did the same, it was generally considered rude in magical society.
They couldn’t complain even if accused of infiltrating for assassination.
“Bije, will you stay here for a bit?”
After hearing a cheep in response, Turan quietly jumped down from the roof while concealing his presence.
Soon after, the other person’s face was revealed.
Turan’s eyes widened.
“Ah…”
He slipped into a nearby alley, released his concealment, then walked out while immediately calling out:
“Sir!”
The head of Keorn, the knight of Arabion, quickly turned toward Turan.
Joy spread across his wrinkled face.
“So it was true! I came just in case, but to think it really was you!”
After that brief joy, Keorn cleared his throat and corrected his posture to greet properly.
“Excuse me. Turan of Kalamaf.”
“Please don’t call me that. You know I don’t like such formalities.”
“Your body’s grown but you haven’t changed at all.”
Keorn laughed heartily at the playful complaint.
It felt strange to hear he hadn’t changed at all after recently being told by Meisa that he had changed a lot.
Even though the physical differences would be much greater due to his training.
Shortly after, Turan brought Keorn to his quarters in city hall to avoid people’s eyes.
It had been about half a year since they met?
Though they had only met for a few days when you think about it, why did it feel so good to see him?
It must mean Keorn had that much influence on Turan.
“I never dreamed we’d meet here. You must have had to take an incredibly roundabout route to get here.”
While it wouldn’t be too difficult for a knight to reach here from Hisaril Hills in half a year, the journey distance must have become enormous with the western Gray Zone becoming a battlefield.
With the north blocked by mountains, he would have had to come through the south.
Keorn made a slightly awkward expression at Turan’s words…. “Ah, about that… I didn’t just come while traveling.”
“If not traveling, then?”
“Actually, I heard news of the war while traveling and applied to return to the subjugation force. I’ve already fought the dark elves several times.”
“Ah…”
So the old knight before him came here not as a retired traveler but as an Arabion knight of the subjugation force.
His existence probably became known within the subjugation force after meeting Meisa and her uncle in the past.
“Did you tell Arabion about my bloodline?”
“I didn’t. From what I heard, you didn’t particularly want to live as a Zahar noble anyway. Was that presumptuous of me?”
“No, you’re right.”
The old knight answering calmly showed no signs of tension typical of someone lying.
While feeling relieved and smiling at that fact, Keorn lightly cleared his throat and brought up his main business.
“Now I should do my duty as Arabion’s messenger. More precisely, as Miss Meisa’s messenger.”
“Do you have a personal connection with her?”
Despite the vast status difference between a mere knight and the heir of a great family – even greater than between most nobles and commoners.
Though of course, Keorn was no ordinary knight.
“Not much, just some acquaintance. Somehow ended up with an undeserved position…”
“You mean Hero Keorn?”
“Don’t tell me you saw that play?”
Keorn looked at him with an expression mixing embarrassment and self-loathing before forcibly changing the subject.
“Let’s talk about that later, first I should deliver Miss Meisa’s proposal.”
“Yes.”
“There’s been an issue with subjugating the dark elf necromancer… the self-proclaimed Lich King, and she would like to request your cooperation.”