Chapter 131
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131
The mountain range situated in the northwest of the Gray Zone was notorious for its rugged terrain; it was so treacherous that proper roads simply did not exist.
Consequently, it took Turan’s party five full days to descend toward the outskirts of Kalamaph. Even this would have been impossible if Bije hadn’t transported dozens of people at a time using a massive net.
Furthermore, the dwarves who occasionally lunged at them during the descent proved to be a persistent nuisance. The dwarves Turan and the Arabion army had subjugated in the past were merely one faction of their race. Numerous dwarf hideouts still remained in the secluded corners of the Gray Zone’s mountains and other uninhabited areas. Catching the scent of humans, they slunk out of their holes, driven by a greedy quest for meat.
Of course, only the powerful suppression of mages awaited them.
Turan, Meisa, and Solif were a given, but the mages of the Berk family were also formidable. While the dwarves’ superior physical abilities made them difficult for knights to face one-on-one, the knights were skilled in coordinated combat and possessed several useful magic devices, even if their individual power was modest.
“This place is even less fit for habitation than I heard,” Haram grumbled, wiping dwarf blood from his sword.
“It’ll be better once we get further down. I cleared this area once before… it seems they’ve started appearing again lately,” Turan replied with an awkward smile.
A moment later, his eyes glinted coldly as he looked down at the city of Kalamaph, visible in the far south.
No matter how I look at it, the city isn't being managed properly.
About a year ago, Turan had stopped by Kalamaph while slipping out of the Carmine family’s territory. After discovering that someone from Zahar was impersonating him to manage the city, he had left an indirect warning.
I will come for you later if I need you. Until then, take good care of the city. If you are negligent, I will retaliate.
He had expected that warning to hold for at least ten years, but looking at the current state of things, that wasn't the case. The fact that dwarves had descended this close to the outskirts of Kalamaph meant the area wasn’t being patrolled.
Moreover, the farms and ranches on the outskirts of the city looked more dilapidated and shabby than before. The eyes of the people passing by were filled with blatant wariness. If a shepherd had looked after his sheep well, there would be no reason for them to react so neurotically.
Whoever was currently staying there, Turan felt the need for a serious conversation.
After exchanging a few more words of small talk with Haram, Turan turned his gaze toward Meisa and Solif. Even as they walked, the two were meditating with their eyes closed. Once one’s achievement in mental discipline deepened, it became possible to react to external stimuli even while calming the mind and contemplating the inner self. Of course, it was more of a reflexive reaction, distinct from being fully conscious.
Opening his Spiritual Eye, Turan could see at a glance what they were practicing.
Hmm…
They were practicing manifesting a type of avatar from their spirit bodies—specifically, from the spirit body located inside their heads. It was the same technique Turan had used when he manifested his own spirit body to suppress Kadram.
However, it wasn’t going smoothly; their spirit bodies merely flickered and distorted inside their heads, unable to properly break free. Compared to how Turan had been able to manifest his almost immediately after reaching this stage, their progress was slow.
According to the experience gained through his advanced learning, one had to master this spirit body transformation first in order to combine symbols.
I suppose this is helping me quite a bit.
Turan glanced down at the Mimic Relic hanging from his chest. When he activated the Nagin bloodline’s power—the Ruler and Tamer bloodlines—contained within it, his spiritual abilities were greatly enhanced. His rapid achievement was likely due to this influence.
However, unlike before when he could share mana, now that the relic had been strengthened by the power of the Great Sea Serpent, he alone could enjoy that power. Ultimately, this was a matter that only time could solve. He just wasn’t sure if he would have much time left.
“Oh…!”
Just then, a farmer who saw Turan’s party heading toward Kalamaph rubbed his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He seemed to recognize Turan, but Turan passed him by without acknowledgment. As the retainers of the Berk family followed behind, the farmer wore a look of uncertainty but didn’t dare strike up a conversation.
Such scenes occurred more frequently as Turan’s party drew closer to the city. Naturally, by the time they reached the city gates, a considerable crowd had gathered around the procession.
“W-we greet the Protector of Kalamaph!”
“Mm.”
The policeman guarding the gate was startled by Turan’s appearance and knelt to greet him. His bewildered expression seemed to ask, ‘Why are you coming in from the outside?’ Of course, the fact that the mask the imposter had been wearing for over a year was suddenly gone likely played a part in his confusion.
“I’m going in. Is that alright?”
“Yes, of course…”
The policeman trailed off, his expression suggesting he wanted to ask who the people following behind were. Judging by their appearance and attire, they were clearly no ordinary crowd. But a mere policeman could not dare to toss such questions at the ruler of the city.
Passing the politely bowing policeman, Turan’s party proceeded straight toward the central building of the city.
Had the rumors finally spread? Several Zahar knights who had been staying in the city hall and the lord’s manor could be seen rushing out.
Turan projected his mana toward them, restricting it to the level of a high-ranking noble. Naturally, to mere knights, even that much pressure was like the heavenly gods themselves exerting their might.
“We greet Lord Turan.”
“I wish to see my deputy.”
“I will summon him immediately.”
The Zahar knights showed a respectful attitude, as if they were dealing with one of their own nobles. Regardless of whether they knew Turan’s bloodline or not, a mage who had reached such a level was worthy of awe.
A moment later, when the fake Turan wearing the gray mask emerged from the manor, the people watching from behind gasped. It was now blatantly obvious that the masked Turan who had been ruling Kalamaph was an imposter.
As Turan projected his mana toward him as well, he saw the imposter’s stiff shoulders instantly slump.
“…You have arrived.”
“I’ve come to reclaim my seat. Step aside.”
Turan replied lowly, scanning the surroundings with the senses of his relic. Unlike before, the fake who had been impersonating him was a mid-ranking noble, and everyone else was a knight. Even their numbers weren’t that great. Through this, he could guess that the disarray around Kalamaph was likely a problem of a lack of manpower rather than mere negligence. It seemed to be a breakdown caused by pulling out the personnel who had been prepared to capture Turan.
“I believe there was something you promised previously…”
“First, vacate the manor and bring someone I can actually negotiate with. We will talk properly then.”
In a tone that suggested ‘You are not someone I would have a serious conversation with,’ Turan thoroughly crushed the other party with an overbearing attitude.
At this, the Zahar noble, instead of retorting further, bowed his head deeply.
“I will convey this to the main house immediately. Do you wish for the knights to remain?”
“Send them all back. I have enough people here to handle the work.”
The number of knights from the Berk family who had migrated this time was seventy-five, a number more than sufficient to reorganize a single city. In the past, Turan moving diligently by himself had been enough to keep things in order. Therefore, it was better not to have the Zahar knights around, as they were likely to act as spies.
“Ah, one more thing.”
“Please, speak.”
“Send back all the spies in Kalamaph as well. I plan to have some unpleasant words with your side soon, so I’ll give you about a month, considering the time it takes for orders to be delivered. After that, I will execute them on sight.”
The Zahar noble remained silent for a long time at Turan’s words before finally nodding and agreeing.
Perhaps the final warning sounded threatening enough, as the Zahar mages quickly left the manor without even fully packing their belongings. Judging by their direction, they seemed to be moving southeast, toward the Enril Desert.
“That ended more easily than I thought.”
While watching them disappear into the distance, Meisa slipped up to Turan’s side.
“Why, did you want to fight?”
“No. I just didn’t think they’d back down so submissively. I have certain prejudices when it comes to Zahar, after all.”
The Zahar of the Enril Desert were known to be tenacious, cruel, and ruthless. It was a widespread prejudice, but based on the few Turan had met, it wasn't something that could be ignored as mere bias. In fact, his crushing treatment of the Zahar noble earlier was based on the calculation that being polite would only make them look down on him.
“Well, even Zahar mages are human. They know the value of their own lives.”
If Turan had shown power at a high-ranking level as they expected, it might have been different, but since he displayed top-tier mana, they didn’t dare resist. It meant that to subjugate him, someone like the Zahar heirs—two of whom were already dead—or the elders would have to come.
As they shared their conversation, Turan suddenly burst into a dry cough from a sharp pain in his chest. Meisa quickly covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
“Are you okay?”
“More or… cough… less.”
Red blood stained the handkerchief. It was the result of a lingering wound in his lungs, even after being treated, from when Ymir’s axe had struck his chest not long ago.
“We need to get you treated quickly.”
“It can’t be helped. I’ll have to go after negotiating with Zahar first. Or invite Lady Lida.”
Since the wound wasn’t as large as Meisa’s had been, it was likely he wouldn’t need to be treated directly by the Lavitas family head, Osel. Despite the stabbing pain in his chest, Turan smiled faintly at the sight of Meisa wiping his mouth.
*
The first thing to do after settling into a new home was internal reorganization.
First, following Midella’s instructions, the retainers of the Berk family filled the somewhat empty manor with the decorations they had brought and added to the arrangement of the light orbs that had been installed. With the determination to ensure that not even a single Zahar noble could sneak in, they attached light orbs to the walls and ceilings of the manor to the point where light flooded into every bedroom.
Meanwhile, Turan sent someone to the city hall to summon the civil servants. Several familiar faces rushed over and knelt before Turan, crying out.
“Oh, Lord Turan!”
“You have returned!”
Judging by their wailing, they too seemed to have known of Turan’s absence. After all, while the commoners might not have known, these educated men of the literate class couldn’t have been ignorant of the circumstances.
“Now that I think of it, where is Daruk?”
“He passed away last spring. He caught pneumonia and…”
“I see.”
Turan’s face clouded at the news of the death of Daruk, the old man who had assisted him and later rose to the position of mayor. The memory of the old face that had seen him off when he left Kalamaph was still vivid. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen him when he visited last time either. He had just assumed he was on vacation or had retired due to old age, so he hadn’t bothered to look for him…
“I should visit his grave once things are settled. Is it in the city cemetery?”
“Yes. There is a separate family ossuary. Everyone will be delighted if the Protector visits.”
Truly, sheep were always so easily lost. Just as his mother had been.
Feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, Turan called out the names of a few familiar faces and offered them words of comfort. The fact that their returned ruler remembered them moved them to the point of near-hysteria.
“You’ve all worked hard. First, I will introduce the people I’ve brought with me, so work together with them to reorganize the city. From what I saw outside, the situation isn’t very good.”
“Understood!”
Fortunately, Turan didn’t need to run around by himself to reorganize Kalamaph as he had in the past. He now had two companions equal to him in strength, and an entire family had migrated here. Thanks to Midella, who had managed a city as a family head, and her retainers who worked as her hands and feet, they were able to grasp the current situation of the city quite quickly.
Turan frowned as he looked at the results.
“It’s a bit worse than I thought.”
“We apologize.”
“It’s fine. It’s not your fault.”
According to the report, the number of threatening magical beasts around Kalamaph had increased significantly, and several cases of damage suspected to be caused by dwarves were also reported. The Zahar noble he had just chased away had not actively subjugated them, using the excuse of needing to protect the city.
Maybe I should have cut off one of his arms before sending him away.
Turan inwardly thought that perhaps the noble had fled so quickly because he realized his negligence would be discovered.
In any case, once a problem was identified, it had to be dealt with. The knights who were available were immediately mobilized for the subjugation of nearby magical beasts. Naturally, Solif and Meisa also stepped forward, but they strongly urged Turan to remain at the manor.
“I think it would be more efficient if I worked too—”
“A man with a lung ailment? Just stay still and rest.”
“It won’t take long. We have Bije, anyway.”
At Meisa’s words, Bije gallantly spread her wings. As she said, this powerful golden eagle could now replace most of the tasks Turan could perform. While the Berk knights worked together to subjugate the minor magical beasts near the city, Bije flew around the city at incredible speed, using tracking magic to pinpoint and hunt down the beasts.
A tiger with flames burning on its hide roared toward the sky, only to be scattered into ash by a single strike of lightning. A bear fleeing in haste had its back shredded by talons, spilling blood. Meisa and Solif also used this monster hunting as a training ground. They too could use a weak level of tracking magic, though not as well as Zahar, and they used it to clear the surroundings.
While everyone was working hard, Turan, who was forced to recuperate at the manor, couldn’t help but immerse himself in the work he could do. It was the interrogation of Kadram, whom he had imprisoned in the Jewelry Box.
“Greetings, Elder.”
“You have business with that fellow again, I take it?”
The Librarian, who popped out when the Jewelry Box was opened, spoke with a snort. Having made several attempts while crossing the mountains over the past few days, he already knew what Turan was planning to do.
“I know it’s not a pleasant sight, but you might catch something I miss, Elder. I’m counting on you.”
“Just because you speak politely doesn’t make a command a request. Well, fine. Let’s begin.”
The Librarian clearly didn’t find Turan’s ‘interrogation’ pleasant, but he didn’t try to go against his words.
A moment later, Turan became a spirit body, left his physical form, and entered the Jewelry Box.
Let’s see…
The interior of the Jewelry Box was divided into several spaces created by Turan himself. Glancing at the ‘Library’ where the Librarian mostly stayed, Turan passed through two storage rooms and moved to the ‘Prison’ area. It was shaped like the underground dungeon of the pirate fortress where Solif had once been imprisoned—the most desolate prison Turan had ever seen.
In one of those cells, behind iron bars, Kadram’s spirit body lay still.
“Kadram.”
In truth, it was a bit ambiguous to call that thing Kadram. In its spirit body state, the face of that mysterious god was completely different from the Kadram of his lifetime. It was a face that looked like someone from the Baraha side or the plains, someone who would have been just under thirty if he were a normal human. Like Turan, he had deer antlers on his head and wings on his back, but his ears were like fish fins, and swirling patterns were engraved on the backs of his hands.
“Still no intention of opening your mouth?”
Kadram did not answer. Since being imprisoned here, he had been lying there with a vacant gaze, having used some unknown method to retreat inward. He didn’t even show a reaction when Turan used all sorts of torture methods he had learned through Reto. It seemed he had blocked his senses entirely through some spiritual means Turan didn’t know.
It would be a waste to just get rid of him. And I’m not even sure I can.
In fact, crushing a spirit body was not as easy as it sounded. Hadn’t the introductory chapter of soul magic stated that the soul is immortal and is the true self? If he clumsily tore it apart, it would only end up like the soul fragments currently in the storage room. In that state, if an attractive force acted and the soul returned to Arabion’s stronghold, it might be restored.
Therefore, all Turan could do was practice soul magic and learn how to control Kadram’s soul to extract what he wanted.
To begin today’s training, Turan lightly pried back one of the reclining Kadram’s claws.