Chapter 121
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 121
Kalais, the unexpected heir of the Ruban Family.
At his appearance, every single person in the arena bowed their heads low without exception. Because of this, Turan’s group—standing tall with their heads held high—stood out even more.
“Could you perhaps introduce the others as well?” Kalais asked.
“These are my parents. And next to them are my close friends,” Solif replied.
Despite the vague, dismissive introduction, Kalais didn’t lose his smile. Instead, he offered an exaggeratedly polite greeting. As the giant, nearly two-meter-tall man swept one hand wide and bowed at the waist, it felt as if his sheer presence was swallowing the surrounding space.
“Friends and parents? Then I must show proper respect. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kalais Ruban.”
Unlike the casual, almost flippant way he spoke to Solif, his tone toward the others was the height of courtesy. In the atmosphere of formal introductions, Godis and Romi, as well as Turan and Meisa, revealed their names.
Of course, Meisa used her public alias, ‘Misha,’ and Turan used his newly adopted name, ‘Gosan’—the name of a villager who had lived at the foot of Hisaril Hill.
“Miss Misha and Mr. Gosan… Mr. Gosan?”
“Yes.”
“I heard you claimed to be the illegitimate son of the Baraha Family Head.”
“Word travels fast.”
“What happened recently was a bit too significant to ignore,” Kalais remarked.
Judging by his words, he seemed well-informed about the incident that had occurred in Helio, the capital of Baraha. Considering that the distance between there and the Ruban capital would take over a month for an average person to walk, news shouldn't have arrived yet through ordinary mail. Furthermore, weren't they currently conducting massive inspections because of the commotion they had caused?
For the news to travel this fast, he must have used messenger birds or recruited some of the mages who operated the Light Watchtowers. For a family that claimed isolationism, they seemed to be paying a great deal of attention to the world around them.
After brief greetings, they left the noisy arena and sat across from each other in a nearby clearing. The mages who had come to the arena watched them from a distance, completely forgetting about the duels.
“So, what brings you here? Surely you didn't come just to thank us for spending so much money,” Solif said.
“Your way of speaking has changed quite a bit. Back then, you were a much more refined and polite person than even I.”
“Well, that’s…”
Solif, unable to explain the ‘Shell’ process—the modification of a vessel’s personality for the possession of gods—vaguely glossed over it. Kalais watched him quietly, stroking his bushy beard before speaking.
“Well, I like the way you are now better. First, I came to deliver some news. Baraha has started to realize that you’ve crossed over into the Frostwind Forest.”
It was something they could have easily expected, as it had already been over a fortnight since they left the Land of the Five Lakes. They were a Great Family, after all; they wouldn't be so blind as to miss that much.
Of course, even if Baraha realized they were there, there wasn't much they could do immediately. To catch Turan’s group, the Baraha Family Head would have to step out personally or project the family’s full military strength, but doing such a thing in Ruban territory would mean instant war—unless, of course, the Ruban family turned a blind eye.
“Did they happen to put a bounty on us? Like offering something good if we’re captured?”
“It seems they’re even trying to put in a direct request. They said if we capture you alive, they’ll hand over the entire Garam region.”
The Garam region was one of the border areas between Baraha and Ruban, famous for its high-quality iron mines. Considering there were four cities in that vicinity alone, it was a staggering offer. Hearing this, Solif let out a small exclamation.
“Wow.”
“Of course, we decided to refuse. We aren't on good enough terms to do them such a favor, and it wouldn't be profitable to try and catch powerful mages who can stir up a Great Family’s headquarters with just the two of them. Unless they offered us a third of the Land of the Five Lakes, perhaps.”
Incongruous with his bear-like physique, Kalais’s words and actions revealed the shrewdness of a clever merchant.
“Well, fine then. Let’s get to the real business. You didn't come here just for that; you must want something from us.”
“Aren't you going to say thank you?”
“What?”
“The fact that Baraha knows your location and the bounty they offered—that’s all quite important information, and I gave it to you for free. I think I deserve at least a word of thanks.”
“That’s… fine, thanks. Truly.”
It was a reluctant expression of gratitude, practically squeezed out of him, but Kalais seemed satisfied as a warm smile spread across his face.
“Then I’ll have to take the price for that gratitude.”
“In what form?”
“Let’s have a match, over there.”
Naturally, Kalais was pointing at the arena. Solif spoke in a hesitant voice.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I already died once today. If you want to do it, it has to be tomorrow.”
At his words, Kalais turned to look at Turan’s group with a surprised expression.
“Surely you didn't lose to some small fry… I see. A tiger doesn't associate with wolves or lynxes. They truly are worthy of being called your friends.”
Watching Kalais laugh heartily, Turan felt a complex mix of emotions. Undoubtedly, this man had also been raised as a vessel for a god to inhabit, just like Meisa or Solif. It would be good if he could reveal that truth and make him an ally, but it wouldn't be easy to persuade him. The only reason he could persuade the other two to leave their families was that they were being persecuted by them.
While watching quietly, a small voice drifted into Turan’s ear. Meisa was transmitting her voice secretly using wind magic.
[What do you think he’s planning?]
[I don’t know, but it’s just a feeling—he doesn't seem to have any ill intent for now.]
Since they were quite close, Turan could sense that there was no hostility or wariness in the aura emanating from Kalais. No, rather, what he felt every time Kalais looked at Solif was…
“This is quite a shame. Anyway, shall I tell you the real reason I’m here? My great-uncle… that is, the Family Head, wishes to see you.”
“The Ruban Family Head? No, the Family Head himself?”
For Turan’s group, who knew that the master of Ruban was also a fallen god, this was a difficult request to accept. Especially if it meant they had to go to the Ruban capital. Even though their group had become quite powerful, they weren't at a level where they could face the head of a Great Family who wielded the power of a god, along with hundreds of mages. They had even just heard the story about the request to capture them.
Turan stepped slightly between the two and spoke.
“We appreciate the offer, but we are about to leave this place soon, so it will be difficult to visit. We wouldn't want to be a burden. Please tell him we won't forget the kindness of his invitation.”
“Do you feel the same way?” Kalais asked, looking at Solif without even glancing at Turan.
That alone was enough to guess who he considered more important in the group.
“Um, well… yeah. I’d appreciate it if you could tell him we’re truly sorry.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Despite being told they wouldn't follow the command of the Family Head, who was practically a god, Kalais showed no sign of anger. Shaking his head with a look of regret, he stood up.
“It wouldn't be right to force someone who doesn't want to go. I probably wouldn't have the ability to do so anyway.”
It was a statement remarkably well-grounded in self-awareness for the heir of a Great Family. As Kalais gave a light flick of his hand, the knights who had followed him cleared away the table and chairs they had brought from somewhere.
“Ah, there was something he told me to convey if you refused the invitation. ‘Keep the changing of clothes a secret.’”
At Kalais’s words, everyone’s faces stiffened. The meaning behind those words was clear. It was a warning not to spread the fact that they had seen through the secret of the fallen gods.
Of course, none of them, including Turan, had any intention of spreading rumors about it. The moment they did, they would become targets for every fallen god spread across the world; they weren't crazy enough to do that. If they did such a thing, even Hisaril Hill wouldn't be a sufficient hiding place. The currently clashing Arabion, Zahar, and Carmine would all join forces to eliminate them.
“And this is something I’m telling you personally: the Baraha Family Head arrived in Helio last night. Just thought you should know.”
“Are you telling us this out of kindness too?”
“Consider it a debt you owe me. If you’re grateful, you can come back to the arena later and have a match with me.”
Kalais gave Solif a wink and then promptly left. Judging by the few wolves and horse magical beasts waiting a short distance away, it seemed they had ridden them here. Watching them depart into the distance, Solif suddenly rubbed his arm.
“Something feels weird whenever I meet that guy.”
“Why?”
“How should I put it… his gaze feels a bit sticky. From the first time we met, he kept asking how I trained my body and then suggested we have a ‘physical conversation’ somewhere private. It gives me the creeps being around him.”
Turan thought he knew why Kalais had said those things, but he decided not to mention it. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed better for Solif not to know the truth.
*
Following the meeting with Kalais, Turan’s group decided to leave the arena immediately. They had already planned to leave as rumors were starting to spread, and now that they knew the Baraha Family Head had returned to his base, there was no reason to stay.
After checking out of the inn, they immediately mounted Bije and moved quickly to the west. The speed at which they moved when they were serious was on a different level from when they were traveling leisurely. In just five hours, Turan’s group had moved nearly a thousand kilometers from the arena and reached the shores of the North Sea in an instant.
“…The North Sea? Already?”
“He’s a bit of a brat, but his speed is killer. Ack! Hey!”
Romi muttered in surprise as she looked at the sea. Solif spoke boastfully to his mother while stroking Bije’s head, only to scream as his finger was nipped.
After a short rest, they immediately looked for a boat in the nearby fishing villages and small towns. Since there were five of them, using a small fishing boat like before would be uncomfortable, so they bought a slightly larger vessel.
“Can the five of us handle a ship like this?”
“It’ll be fine, so don’t worry.”
Godis’s concern proved unnecessary once the voyage began. Turan, Solif, and Meisa quickly prepared the ship, drawing on their experience from the last time they handled a fishing boat. Adjusting the sail lines, cutting through the water at the bow, blowing wind to increase speed, and taking the helm—everything was as smooth as flowing water.
“Wow…”
“If we could have moved a boat this fast when we went south last time, we wouldn't have suffered so much.”
Judging by their words, the voyage back when they visited the Siraf Wetlands to find Solif hadn't been very pleasant.
The sailing was smooth. Since the death of the Great Sea Serpent a while ago, the climate of the North Sea had become quite calm, and the merfolk had also quieted down, perhaps because the commoner classes who used to cause trouble had been thinned out.
Thanks to the Baraha couple taking over the task of steering the ship with their rudimentary fluid manipulation and wind magic, Turan and the other two could immerse themselves in the study of soul magic during their spare time.
“Ssshh, haaa…”
In the cabin located below deck, even while the floor swayed under the influence of the waves, the consciousness of the three people in meditation remained completely undisturbed.
What they had gained from steadily dying and dying again at the arena over the past few days wasn't just combat experience. Through repeated near-death experiences, they had all become accustomed to maintaining a state of extreme meditation—a state where the mind blocks out external intervention. Considering that when they first tried, they couldn't concentrate at all and just chatted with each other, it was truly a remarkable improvement.
The true self…
Turan imagined with his eyes closed. The four symbols residing within him. If they were to mix and interact, just as the Arabion Family Head’s had, what form would it take?
No, that was thinking too far ahead. What he had to do now was first refine his soul—his mind separated from his body—into another form to awaken his spiritual awareness. If one wants to run, one must at least be able to walk or crawl.
Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the several deaths he had experienced, Turan’s spiritual awareness seemed to have awakened quite a bit. If there was an eggshell between his mind and body, it felt as if it were covered in cracks. It felt as if he could break through if given a certain catalyst, but the sensation remained frustratingly elusive, like a wheel spinning in place.
I don’t think just near-death experiences will be enough to overcome this state. I need something else…
Just in case, he had tried several times to have the Librarian contact his spirit body, but that didn't work either. Should he really try taking some kind of drug?
After a moment of worry, Turan realized his meditation was half-broken due to his stray thoughts and tried to immerse himself back into a state of selflessness. Just then, there was a loud banging on the deck.
“I think everyone needs to come up for a moment!”
Turan woke Meisa and Solif, who were in deep meditation, and went up to the deck. There stood the Baraha couple and Bije, who wore a strangely anxious expression.
“Bije says there’s a strange phenomenon happening up ahead.”
“A strange phenomenon?”
“She says the seawater is being sucked downward…”
Bije, standing nearby, pointed a toe toward one side of the deck. There, she had carved words she must have written herself just moments ago: ‘The seawater is being sucked in somewhere!’
“What on earth is it?”
“I have no idea…”
“Did the merfolk do something again?”
The merman royalty had vanished after the Great Sea Serpent was caught a while ago. They had been repeatedly engaging in highly unfriendly acts, such as driving marine magical beasts toward the coast to threaten humans. While it might be a stretch to assume they were the cause of everything that happened at sea, they were naturally the first suspects to come to mind.
“I’m not sure, but let’s avoid it for now.”
“That would be best. I’ll go closer with Bije and check it out.”
“Don’t get too close.”
Leaving Meisa’s worried words behind, Turan grabbed Bije’s legs and took flight. After moving about a kilometer to the west, the phenomenon Bije had mentioned came into view.
“This must be it.”
Bije chirped in response, as if confirming. Seeing it in person, ‘the seawater is being sucked downward’ was a massive understatement. As if a giant hole had been punched in the bottom of the sea, a massive whirlpool was forming with a thunderous roar, sucking in everything around it. It felt as if even most nobles would find it hard to escape by their own strength if they were caught in that current.
Approaching to a safe distance, Turan could read the presence felt from the core of the distant whirlpool.
Wait, a Great Sea Serpent?
It wasn't as large as the one they had hunted in the past, but it was still a dizzyingly massive and elongated creature compared to ordinary beings. The creature was deep underwater, its maw wide open, inhaling vast amounts of water to create the whirlpool.
Should I just leave it alone? It feels like it’s up to no good…
However, the situation wasn't ideal for an attack. Most of the offensive means he specialized in were ineffective against a target hidden deep underwater. If he had to choose, perhaps attacking with light magic while designating the Sun Bloodline…
While he was pondering, the Great Sea Serpent that had been sucking in the seawater suddenly closed its mouth. Just as it seemed the whirlpool was naturally dissipating, the creature began to surge upward rapidly.
“Bije, up!”
At Turan’s urgent cry, the form of the rising Great Sea Serpent changed. It became the shorter, blunter shape of a shark, and then the form of a demi-human resembling a human.
Soon, the merman boy, Armani, popped out of the water and shouted while pointing at Turan.
“I knew I didn't see wrong! It’s been a long time, good demon!”