Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Discord
After several more tests, it was confirmed that the silent stone throwing technique wasn’t just about reducing sound – it was an incredible technique with twice the speed and even greater penetrating power than before.
At this level, even a noble’s reflexes would find it difficult to perceive and dodge, making it essentially a lethal technique that would hit without fail when properly executed.
Of course, there were drawbacks as well.
First, he couldn’t throw stones freely while running around like before with regular stone throwing.
Even for relatively close targets, it took one second, and for distant ones, over five seconds to create the wind path. If he moved, the starting point would change, requiring the entire path to be recreated.
And second-
“Failed again…”
Turan sighed in disappointment as he watched the stone fly away with a loud bang.
In the distance, he could see the deer, which had been the target, startled and fleeing in panic.
The principle of silent stone throwing was to extend mana beforehand to control the wind path, then remove air resistance to accelerate the stone as it flew.
Because of this, if the target moved during flight and the trajectory deviated, it couldn’t be quickly corrected.
If the stone moved even slightly according to the guidance magic, it would catch partial wind resistance and ruin the entire trajectory.
Of course, he could forcefully apply power with mana even in such situations, but from that point on, both efficiency and power would be destroyed.
Despite trying various methods, there seemed to be no way to overcome this limitation.
‘Since no opponent will stand still during a fight, I’ll have to use this strictly for surprise attacks. Or against opponents who can’t move…’
Of course, even with just that, it was a terrifyingly powerful technique.
If he launched such an attack while concealed, especially with maximum mana infused to increase power, the opponent would have no chance to react.
Even a top-tier magician like Meisa would likely faint or suffer similar damage if hit in a vital spot without defensive magic.
‘I should probably end today’s practice here.’
As the sun was already setting, Turan called Bije, who had been playing at a distance, and returned to Kalamaph city.
It had been three weeks since announcing the removal of the western threat.
As winter gradually retreated, the citizens’ clothing noticeably thinned under the pleasantly cool air.
However, looking down from above, the city’s south gate entrance appeared unusually chaotic.
Had something happened?
Activating his senses, he could feel several nobles and over twenty knights standing near the entrance.
After confirming there were no threatening opponents, he landed. A police officer who had been anxiously pacing nearby rushed over to report.
“O Protector of the city! The lord of Bigen has come personally requesting a meeting. What should we do?”
“The lord of Bigen?”
Turan briefly recalled his memories.
It was probably the city southeast of Kalamaph, geographically closest to the Enril Desert.
He remembered that one of the nobles who had visited before was that city lord’s son.
“Since they’ve come from another city, we can’t be discourteous. Guide them to the central mansion.”
Upon receiving the order, the police officer’s face brightened considerably.
How worried he must have been, having to keep the lord of another city and his many magicians waiting at the city gates…
“Understood!”
Since Kalamaph overcame its crisis, Turan had been implementing policies to help the poor who were staying in the central mansion to build their own small houses and become independent.
This wasn’t because he suddenly desired mansion life, but because he knew that whoever ruled this city later wouldn’t allow commoners to continue living there.
Of course, it was still quite empty since he hadn’t indulged in luxuries like repurchasing expensive furniture that had been lost or maintaining the garden, but it was still better than the city hall.
Shortly after, Turan sat across from the lord of Bigen in the former lord’s office, which had only a few desks and chairs brought in.
“This is our first direct meeting! O Protector of Kalamaph. I am Alos, lord of Bigen and head of House Meburn.”
“I am Turan of Kalamaph.”
Bigen’s lord Alos was a middle-aged man who appeared clever – or rather cunning – like his son who had visited before.
After briefly gauging Turan’s mana, he immediately took a humble attitude toward Turan, who appeared at least a hundred years younger than himself.
“My foolish son visited before – I hope he wasn’t discourteous.”
“Not at all. Though I was a bit surprised when he suddenly brought up marriage.”
“Haha, that was less my opinion and more what all the lords in this region unanimously suggested…”
Based on past experience, lords in ungoverned regions like this Grey Zone tended to be somewhat arrogant and inconsiderate, but this one seemed used to being mindful of others.
Just look at how skillfully he deflected responsibility.
“Anyway, that’s why I’ve come personally this time.”
They both knew what “that” meant without having to say it explicitly.
The condition for becoming the city’s ruler – investigating the whereabouts of Turan’s mother.
As expected, being the city closest to Zahar’s territory, the Enril Desert, they probably thought they had the highest chance of success.
“Have you found any clues?”
“I’m quite confident we’ve discovered exactly who that woman was. I doubt any other lord in this region has learned as much. Has anyone else come before me?”
“No. Not yet.”
Turan’s heart raced at the confidence in those words.
However, for some reason, after making such a bold claim, Alos scratched his eyebrow with a somewhat less confident expression.
“However… based on this information, it’s difficult to guess where she is now, so if that’s what you’re looking for, honestly, it won’t be much help.”
“That’s fine.”
Turan already knew his mother had arrived at Hisaril Hill, given birth to and raised him there before passing away.
What Turan wanted to know was what kind of person his mother was and what she had been doing here, and as stated, this lord of Bigen clearly had accurate information about that.
“But before we get into the main discussion, may I ask one thing?”
“Please do.”
“Do you, the Protector of Kalamaph, perhaps have deep ties with House Arabion?”
Turan narrowed his eyes at the question.
He could roughly guess why such a question was being asked.
After all, it was widely known that he had predicted the western calamity would disappear after contacting the Arabion army.
However, the issue was why this topic came up at this point.
“Well, you see… during the war, our House Meburn served as Zahar’s garrison. That was purely due to geographical reasons, and I personally would like to say that I maintained neutrality.”
Turan already knew roughly about this from what the city’s influential figures had told him.
Originally, the lord of Bigen city was this man’s older brother who was pro-Arabion, but one day he was found dead, and his younger brother inherited the family…
Though there was no evidence, it was commonly believed that he was assassinated by Zahar.
In other words, he was worried that Turan might view him with suspicion due to his possible connection with Arabion.
“I don’t belong to either house, so don’t worry about it. I have no intention of questioning House Meburn’s past actions.”
Turan answered firmly and stared at Alos.
After a few seconds, Alos nodded while sweating slightly.
“I-I’ll trust you… After all, this deal couldn’t work without trust in the first place. That aside, is there anything to prove the promise? The right to rule a city isn’t something that can be exchanged with just words. I’m also a bit concerned about the descendants of the family that originally ruled this city.”
The survivors of the family that ruled Kalamaph were just two nobles near death and five young knights.
Even if they got the city back, they had no ability to protect it, and since they were the first to flee with all the central mansion’s wealth during the fall, neither Turan nor others cared about their claimed rights.
In other words, the last part he added was just randomly thrown in to make his words more persuasive.
Instead of pointing this out, Turan called Daruk to bring a scroll.
Written on the finest parchment by a skilled scribe with great care, it contained the content about transferring the city’s ruling rights.
Naturally, the name and family of the recipient were left blank.
“From the moment I write Lord Alos’s name and family here and sign below, this contract will be protected in the name of the great Frea divine clan, and anyone who breaks it will become my enemy.”
Since all seven cities’ nobles who gathered recently had directly experienced the extent of Turan’s mana, this would surely serve as quite a strong deterrent.
After all, a city wasn’t worth claiming if it meant becoming enemies with someone who could overwhelm even the nobles of major houses, let alone ordinary noble families.
The contract’s content was exactly as mentioned before.
The ruling rights of this city would be transferred to whoever provided the most detailed information Turan wanted.
However, the recipient must faithfully protect the city’s citizens as a ruler.
“This condition about ‘faithfully protecting’ seems a bit vague…”
“It means doing your best without getting seriously injured or killed. At least patrolling or going hunting when there are rumors of someone being attacked by monsters.”
“Hmm, that’s not impossible to do. I’m already running my territory that way.”
“Of course, if you neglect this, it will also be a breach of contract.”
There was no need to add that I would become your enemy in that case.
His flinching expression showed he understood very well.
After discussing a few more things, the two reached a reasonable agreement.
After organizing all conditions, Alos asked to wait a moment, left the room, and brought back a woman.
“I-I am Sarina, O descendant of the great god.”
She appeared to be around forty years old… Her face, which must have been quite beautiful in her youth, and her refined speech and posture suggested she had received special education to serve nobles.
Alos placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke.
“Tell this person exactly what you told me before. If this goes well, I’ll take responsibility for not just your retirement but your children’s futures as well.”
Hearing Alos’s words, Sarina looked back and forth between him and Turan in surprise.
She was clearly shocked to see a noble who looked much younger receiving treatment equal to or above her city’s lord.
When she hesitated, Alos urged her in a somewhat irritated tone.
“Quickly!”
“Y-Yes! I’ll tell you. I am a servant who has served House Meburn of Bigen for generations, and during the war period, I was in charge of serving the nobles of Zahar… If you’re talking about a pregnant woman who fled on a golden horse, it must certainly be the person I’m thinking of.”
“How do you know her?”
At Turan’s question, Sarina glanced at Alos before beginning her explanation.
“Well, I was assigned to manage her.”
“Manage her?”
“Yes. Because she was one of the spoils of war that Zahar brought back while plundering Arabion’s mainland…”
Sarina stopped speaking because Turan’s face had become terrifyingly rigid upon hearing this.
His aura was so fierce that even Alos, who had been quietly listening in the back, flinched.
“Continue explaining.”
“Ah, yes.”
Twenty some years ago, during the war period, she worked under the Zahar nobles who used Bigen city as their campsite.
Her most important duty was managing the ordinary women among those captured and plundered from Arabion’s mainland.
“Were there many such people?”
“Not too many. Perhaps around twenty at most…”
Usually, the most valuable were enemy magicians who were crippled and captured in battle, but there were valuable spoils among ordinary humans too.
Flowers cultivated solely for their beauty and refinement to become nobles’ concubines, like those previously presented to Turan.
Sarina said Turan’s mother was one of them.