Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 64

Chapter 64

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Based on further conversation, what Tasan meant by “brother” wasn’t some grand concept like sworn brotherhood.

It simply meant that as one person, he placed the other above himself in respect.

In other words, this didn’t establish any lord-vassal relationship requiring mutual obedience and protection.

While it was fine since it meant he was being deferential, being called “brother” by a man nearly a hundred years younger felt quite bizarre.

Even Tasan, having calmed down from his earlier emotional outburst, now had embarrassment and self-deprecation mixed in his voice.

“Anyway, brother… I understand your wishes and will take responsibility for returning those people home. Of course, no passage fees needed. Right?”

“Yes, Captain!”

The executives standing behind unanimously shouted.

Though some seemed to sigh over the costs of operating ships back and forth, at least they tried not to show such attitudes outwardly.

But Turan shook his head and objected to Tasan’s words.

“No, I’d feel better giving something in return.”

If piracy couldn’t be eliminated in these southern seas, it would be better to have somewhat decent pirates gain influence.

But if Tasan returned the kidnapped people home without compensation, the Red Whale pirates’ finances would suffer accordingly, and naturally their influence would diminish.

Moreover, if Turan came later to punish them for not doing the job properly, they could use livelihood as an excuse.

Turan wanted to eliminate even that possibility for excuses.

“I think the ship we came on should be sufficient.”

Initially he’d planned to use minerals from the island, but upon reflection, compensating with the current ship seemed better.

Though smaller and shabbier than the ships he’d sold in the North Sea before, it was still a sailing vessel.

Tasan strongly refused, saying it wasn’t necessary, but when a seemingly clever executive among his subordinates desperately persuaded him citing financial issues, he soon accepted with a sullen expression.

“Hmm, it feels awkward receiving payment for doing the right thing, but refusing would trample on young brother’s dignity. We’ll do lots of good to make the ship worthwhile!”

“That’s good enough.”

Thus ended the strange negotiation where the giver tried to give more and the receiver tried to take less.

* * *

After finishing their talk, Turan had the people from the pirate ship disembark to rest on the island.

Those from distant homes might need to make quite long voyages, so they needed to replenish their strength.

Some of them, mainly women, wished to follow Turan rather than return home, lacking confidence in living properly there, but for him traveling alone, ordinary people would just be burdensome baggage.

When he distributed enough money for them to settle anywhere, they showed tears but soon acquiesced.

Turan didn’t just idle during the rest period.

First, he extracted information about Cobinus’s pirate band from the pirates brought from Parayan Island.

Thanks to cross-referencing with Red Whale pirates’ information, he learned quite a lot, from organizational structure to defense systems, abilities and armaments of the leader and executives.

Meanwhile, whenever time allowed, Turan secretly moved around inside the Red Whale pirate band, observing their internal situation.

This was based on the expectation that they would show behaviors not seen in front of guests when among themselves.

Fortunately, the result let him conclude these people weren’t that two-faced.

Of course, some low-ranking and mid-level pirates were dissatisfied with Tasan’s policies and secretly wished to enjoy murder and plunder, but at least such attitudes weren’t mainstream.

Rather, if there hadn’t been any such people at all, he would have suspected magical brainwashing.

Even while keeping busy thus, he occasionally joined drinking gatherings Tasan called for friendship, and learned one surprising fact.

“Solif came here?”

“Yes! He was truly a man among men.”

Tasan nodded with a nostalgic expression.

It was actually this Red Whale pirate band that had informed them about the saltpeter on Parayan Island.

Though at the time they hadn’t known about kidnapping miners to work there.

“He came looking curious about my bloodline ability. Said he was searching for strong people good at swimming.”

Though disappointed that Tasan had ordinary historical bloodline, they still became friends and shared drinks for several days.

Turan thought he knew what Solif had been seeking.

One of the bloodlines in the Imitator Holy Relic was called ‘Wave Runner’.

And according to their previous conversation, Solif had learned somewhere that one of the drowned god’s bloodline abilities included superior physical abilities and swimming skill, so was searching for descendants.

Though the direction of search seemed wrong since any real descendants would have been widely known long ago.

After staying busy with various tasks for three days.

Having wrapped up everything, Turan expressed his intention to leave.

“Will you really be alright alone, young brother?”

“Yes. Rather, having company would be more troublesome.”

Though Tasan groaned as if utterly unconvinced, for Turan being alone was truly more convenient.

That way he could freely use abilities like stealth and the Fire Soul.

Before leaving, Turan left both advice and warning for Tasan.

“Some of your subordinates may have different thoughts, so let them know. Later I’ll check if those I protected properly returned home, and if there are problems, they’ll make an enemy of a mage who can single-handedly defeat Cobinus’s pirate band.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

Tasan answered with a serious attitude.

* * *

Naturally, since Cobinus’s pirate band’s territory was near Parayan Island, Turan had to head northwest again.

Though it had taken three days by ship, riding Bije let him return in just hours.

No matter how much wind was used to increase speed, the basic difference between flight and sailing speeds was enormous.

After confirming the corpses were still left untouched as news of Parayan Island pirates’ annihilation hadn’t spread yet, Turan stayed on several islands while heading north to compare remembered sea charts with his position.

Though there were some errors, by late evening he could find his first target.

‘This is Mikan Island, that far one is Binatu Island… good, almost there.’

Cobinus’s pirate band’s base was mainly in three locations, forming a triangle shape on the map, thus also called Triple Brother Islands.

Since Cobinus and the band’s executives normally moved between these three islands by ship, their exact location could only be found by direct search.

Turan flew over one location, Binatu Island, activating the Holy Relic’s senses.

About two hundred pirates, ten knights, one noble…

At first he wondered if it might be Cobinus, but the magical power was too weak for that.

Barely above minimum qualification for nobility.

Probably one of the top executives.

After analyzing for a while with closed eyes, Turan concluded there were no civilians in their base.

‘Good, let’s resolve this quickly.’

Though simply charging in and killing wouldn’t be too difficult, since he planned to massacre unprepared opponents before night’s end, he needed to conserve magical power and stamina.

And the best way to save both was using other resources instead.

Turan had Bije circle around the base while he began spreading Fire Soul.

Having secured hundreds of kilograms now, there was no need to be sparing.

The black powder falling from the sky, hidden in dark night, spread throughout the pirates’ residential area riding wind magic.

Then came explosions.

With terribly loud sounds, light, and flames, buildings collapsed and pirates’ bodies burst apart.

Turan used the Holy Relic’s senses to not miss any escapees while continuing explosions.

Two hundred, hundred fifty, hundred, fifty…

The last survivors were three or four knights and one noble hiding in the stone fortress at the base’s center.

A few handfuls of Fire Soul had replaced the effort of killing hundreds spread across a wide area one by one.

‘Seems hard to kill indoor opponents. Can’t completely destroy stone buildings even with thickness…’

Fire Soul explosions seemed easy to increase in range but difficult to strengthen in intensity itself.

Well, even when he first tried it, a whole pouch worth couldn’t instantly kill.

Recording new information in his mind, Turan entered the ruined pirate base with Bije.

The corpses inside the central fortress were relatively intact thanks to stone ceiling and walls.

Judging by blood from eyes and ears, they likely died from explosion pressure.

Reaching the innermost area, he found the surviving knights and one noble.

“You, you are…?”

Seeing the noble with half-burned mustache holding a trident magical device, Turan recalled information from Parayan Island pirates.

Name Bagos, noble with water-controlling bloodline.

One of Cobinus’s trusted subordinates.

“Where is Cobinus? Tell me and I’ll give you a clean death.”

“Why would someone as strong as you make such an attack?”

“I don’t like what you people do.”

Turan didn’t tell them they were dying merely for kidnapping and working a few people.

They should feel more frustrated dying for an even more absurd reason.

Bagos glared and shouted angrily.

“Don’t spout nonsense! Even if I die I won’t betray big brother! Everyone att-”

Before “attack” could finish, explosions threw the surrounding knights in all directions.

The technique of precisely exploding small amounts of Fire Soul propelled by wind right in front of bodies.

Thanks to earlier practice determining appropriate amounts to kill knights, none survived.

Meanwhile Bagos was also rolling on the ground, but rather than from explosion, he’d lost a leg to a pre-prepared stone projectile attack.

No chance to use his proud trident magical device or water-controlling magic.

Turan grabbed the helpless Bagos’s head and said.

“Now only you remain.”

“Ugh, uugh-!”

Though terrified, Bagos didn’t dare attempt resistance.

To still have such strength after unleashing such great magic?

This must be a top-tier powerhouse even among great houses, no, perhaps a monster equal to a house head.

Not knowing the explosions weren’t pure magical power, Bagos could only think thus.

But even facing such an opponent, he grit his teeth and maintained his stubbornness.

“I… won’t betray brother…”

“Is that so.”

Turan looked down at Bagos with dry eyes before snapping his neck.

It was to respect his will to maintain loyalty among themselves, even if they were evil shepherds.

* * *

Contrary to expectations, not much wealth was stored in the ruins of inner Binatu Island.

Presumably most was either loaded on Cobinus’s flagship or stored in warehouses on his island.

After dispersing the nobles’ and knights’ magical power and collecting valuables, Turan sank several ships he couldn’t take anyway before flying to the second island.

Unfortunately, Cobinus wasn’t there either.

‘Not sure if this is good or bad luck.’

While effective at cutting down forces before they could prepare, Turan actually wanted to kill Cobinus immediately, take his head, then clean up the rabble.

Even with large amounts of Fire Soul, it’s still a limited resource so using magical power would be better.

By the time he’d bombed two islands and rested to replenish magical power, deep dawn had arrived.

If not at the next place either, they must be moving by ship somewhere, which would become quite troublesome.

‘Please be there this time.’

Thinking thus while arriving at the final destination, Deben Island, Turan frowned at the presences he sensed.

One noble matching Solif’s level, three nobles weaker but stronger than Turan, and seven nobles weaker than Turan but equal to ordinary house heads…

‘What is this?’

No matter how he thought about it, this was an impossible level for a pirate group.

This could deal meaningful damage even to Meisa’s Dark Elf Subjugation Unit.

If mere pirates had such strength, they would have long since unified the southern seas and become a great house.

Turan landed on the island’s slope and created a small tunnel to hide Bije.

This was to prevent possible capture by some noble like last time.

“I’ll be back soon, but even if I don’t come, don’t come out until truly starving. If you do come out, flee this island. Understand?”

[Be careful!]

After preparing sufficient dried meat and water, Turan stealthily infiltrated the island.

Naturally pirates couldn’t counter Zahar’s stealth ability, so he successfully entered the fortress.

Sensing presences showed most nobles gathered sleeping upstairs, with just two staying underground.

The strongest noble’s presence was felt below.

‘Let’s check there first…’

Moving slowly for several minutes to prepare for possible detection like with Rida last time.

Arriving at the fortress dungeon, Turan’s eyes widened at an unexpected sight.

‘That is?’

First visible was a noble youth leaning casually on bars.

Inside, surprisingly, was Solif thoroughly tied up in terrible condition.