Chapter 132
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132
It had been three weeks since the true lord returned.
The situation in Kalamaf had undeniably improved. The most significant change was the complete eradication of the threats that had been prowling the city’s outskirts. Unlike the previous knights, who had been cold and indifferent, the new knights were active in relief efforts, earning them immense popularity among the citizens.
Through this, Turan realized once again why so many mage families employed knights. For this kind of administrative work, it was far more efficient to command others than to handle every detail himself.
Once things had stabilized, he instructed Bije to cease hunting in the immediate vicinity and focus on consistent patrols. Her route stretched from the Great Road leading toward the Western Forest Zone to the rugged mountain range they had crossed to reach the city.
Bije flew thousands of kilometers a day, maintaining a constant web of tracking magic to identify every traveler. Unless someone approached disguised as an ordinary peasant, it was nearly impossible for a mage moving at full power to escape her surveillance network.
Regrettably, the interrogation of Kadram had yielded little progress. After attempting to break his mind with harsh torture, Turan tried empathy, comfort, and various other techniques found in soul magic, but the mental walls Kadram had erected were impenetrable.
Turan’s disappointment didn't last long, however. News finally arrived that Meisa had succeeded in manifesting her spirit incarnation through soul magic for the second time.
“You can manifest it at will now?”
“Yeah. It felt like some kind of membrane snapped, and then it just popped out. It was a strange sensation.”
“Can I see it?”
At Turan’s request, Meisa closed her eyes, awakened her spiritual awareness, and manifested her spirit body.
Turan’s expression clouded as he took in her form. This is…
The deer antlers and wings were identical to his, likely traits of the Storm bloodline. However, there were two other peculiarities. Bronze chains were wound loosely around her wrists, and several mysterious metal needles were driven into her head.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if this is normal.”
Since one cannot see their own reflection while in a spirit state, the only way to know one’s appearance was to have another person observe and draw it. Turan had previously asked the Librarian to draw his own form to confirm his appearance.
The black dust floating around his body and his vertical pupils were likely traits of the Zahar bloodline. Following that logic, the features on Meisa should have been traits of her other bloodlines—the Enchanter and the Strength-bearer.
When Meisa saw the drawing of her spirit body, her face darkened just like Turan’s.
“The bracelets and… what are these?”
“In the portrait, they look like ornaments, but in reality, they feel more like needles driven into your skull.”
The bronze bracelets were accessories, so they could be interpreted as symbols of the Enchanter bloodline. Alternatively, since they were on the arms—the symbol of power—they could be linked to the Strength-bearer bloodline.
However, the needles in her head didn't seem to fit either.
The mystery only deepened when Solif succeeded in liberating his spirit body shortly after. His symbols were flaming hair, a white halo, and golden scales covering parts of his body.
And, just like Meisa, he had needles driven into his head.
“No matter how I look at it, those needles don't seem like normal bloodline symbols.”
“I agree. If we exclude those, having three symbols each makes perfect sense.”
Meisa’s bronze bracelets were likely the Enchanter symbol, and Solif’s golden scales were likely the Guardian symbol.
Then what on earth were the needles?
He might learn something if he tried to pull one out, but if the spirit body were damaged in the process, the consequences would be horrific. The soul was immortal in the sense that it wouldn't easily vanish, but that didn't mean it couldn't be broken.
Just as an animal does not vanish into nothingness after death—instead becoming food for another creature—the soul was subject to 'change,' and such changes were often irreversible.
*
After a month of restoring Kalamaf to normalcy, Turan looked up, sensing a massive surge of mana approaching from the southeast.
They’re finally here…
Before long, a knight of the Berk family guarding the eastern gate arrived in a hurry to announce the arrival of guests. Since this was expected, Turan immediately summoned the nobles of Kalamaf, including Solif and Meisa.
A short while later, the Zahar nobles entered the negotiation room.
“Mmm…”
Solif let out a low groan as he looked at the middle-aged man leading the group, glancing back and forth between the man and Turan. This reaction was shared by almost everyone in the room. The man leading the Zahar delegation bore a striking resemblance to Turan.
His grandfather, Talis Zahar, spoke with an uncharacteristically gentle smile.
“It is a pleasure, Turan. Is this our first time meeting in person?”
“Yes. Please, have a seat. It is only polite to offer you a cup of tea.”
“I accept gratefully.”
Amidst the stiff atmosphere, only Talis and Turan conversed like a distant guest and a relaxed host. After a round of stonecrop tea—a specialty of the Gray Zone—was served, Turan spoke quietly.
“However, you arrived later than I expected.”
Considering the Zahar capital was located deep in the Enril Desert to the east, a month was actually quite fast for news to reach them and for a delegation to arrive. It was a distance that would take an ordinary person months to walk.
However, the news had likely traveled much faster. Even if they weren't as exceptional as Bije, they surely had magical beasts to serve as messengers. Furthermore, the Berk knight had reported that they arrived in a carriage pulled by a massive reindeer magical beast. Since the beast possessed mana on par with a high-ranking noble, the journey should have only taken a week or two.
They were probably busy assessing the situation.
They needed to know which noble families Turan had brought with him and what he had been doing. In negotiations like this, knowledge was power. The fact that they had finally arrived meant they felt they knew enough.
“Our lands are vast and there is much to do,” Talis said. “We have been particularly busy with matters in the east until recently.”
Talis was referring to the chaos Turan’s group had caused in the Baraha capital a few months ago. At those words, the Zahar nobles turned their gaze toward Solif, who stood behind Turan.
Turan ignored them and calmly sipped his tea, gauging the strength of his opponents.
One at the peak, two high-ranking, and nine mid-ranking…
Given the reports that Turan’s strength was at the peak or higher, and that he had an entire noble family backing him, this was a weaker force than expected. It seemed they didn't yet know that Turan could capture and imprison souls. This meant the connection between Arabion and Zahar had likely not been restored yet.
While Turan’s mind raced, Talis asked in a casual tone, “So, am I a suitable conversation partner for what you desire?”
“More than enough. I don't think we'll have any discussions deep enough to require my great-uncle’s presence anyway.”
The corners of Talis’s eyes twitched at the unexpected title. Other than that, his expression remained unchanged, but Turan could tell his opponent was shaken.
“Where did you hear that?”
“I heard it from Reto.”
It was no secret that Turan was the one who had dealt with Reto, the Zahar noble who had infiltrated Arabion. After all, Meisa, who had escaped at that time, was standing right behind him. Of course, at the time, Reto had thought Turan was Talis’s son, not his grandson.
“I see. Well, fine. I won't press you on that matter. However… I believe we have much to discuss regarding Alma.”
As Talis spoke, bloodlust emanated from several Zahar nobles. Turan guessed they belonged to the faction that had originally supported Alma. Those who remained calm were likely supporters of Perga, who had died in the Labyrinth, or Rahman, the only surviving heir.
Turan organized his thoughts and coolly admitted to the kill.
“I regret that incident. I had no desire to be hostile, but she struck first. Because of that, our side suffered quite a bit of damage as well.”
In reality, he had annihilated them in an instant, but they couldn't know that. The only possessed vessel present had been killed before he even knew he was under attack. Turan knew from experience that observing the material world as a spirit was difficult; everything appeared as a scattering of spiritual lights rather than physical shapes.
Even if that weren't the case, they couldn't exactly present the testimony of a possessed vessel as evidence—not without revealing their secrets to the world.
“You…!”
Thud! One of the Zahar nobles slammed the table, cracking the wood as he stood up.
Talis spoke quietly without looking back. “Sit down, Kaiso.”
“You heard him, Lord Talis! That brat killed Alma—”
“Don't make me say it twice.”
His voice was lower and colder than before. He hadn't even released his mana, yet the sheer pressure in his voice made the noble tremble before sinking back into his seat.
As the man hung his head, Turan noticed Talis staring intently at him. What is it? He wasn't checking to see if Turan was offended; he was measuring Turan’s reaction to his authority.
Turan decided to provide an appropriate answer. “If you want compensation, we can negotiate that later. More importantly, shouldn't we discuss the primary matter first?”
“Indeed. So… are you coming back?”
“It’s not quite right to say I’m 'returning' to Zahar. I don't know if you're aware, but half of my blood is Arabion.”
“I would think your relationship with that side is already beyond repair.” Talis gestured toward Meisa.
It would have taken time to gather information about the battle near Zabilin, but when Zahar focused on intelligence, their accuracy was terrifying. They only hadn't known about Turan before because they hadn't considered him a threat.
“There is also the option of establishing Meisa as the new head of Arabion and taking refuge there,” Turan countered.
“Hmm.”
Talis didn't dismiss it. He understood the significance of having the heirs of two great families, Meisa and Solif, standing behind Turan. Most importantly, he knew the details of the 'Battle of the Forest.' If Turan could engage Kadram at full strength, he had surpassed the level of an ordinary high-ranking noble.
“So, what is it you truly want? We can only proceed once I know that.”
Talis stopped testing the waters and went straight to the heart of the matter. Turan matched his bluntness.
“I want a friendly non-aggression pact with Zahar and the neutralization of the Gray Zone.”
“Friendly non-aggression and neutralization?”
“Yes. Simply put, let’s not interfere with each other. I don't think it’s a bad proposal.”
If Turan were just a mid-level noble, this proposal would be laughable. A great family would have simply suppressed him. But Talis knew Turan’s strength. The time when Zahar could crush him like a bug had passed.
To drive the point home, Turan gave a slight nod to Meisa and Solif and then released his mana. It was his first full display of power in a long time.
As the overwhelming presence of three individuals, each surpassing the highest-ranking nobles, filled the room, the Zahar delegation gasped.
“Gah.”
“This… this is…”
Some of the weaker-willed nobles struggled to breathe. Talis, the only one who remained unfazed, took another sip of tea.
“Impressive. Where did you gather this much mana?”
“From many sources. I traveled, I hunted magical beasts…”
“And you likely hunted many people as well.”
Turan met the probing question with silence. That silence was a demonstration in itself: We have this much power; do you really want to be our enemy?
Before long, Talis looked around. “I’d like to speak with him alone for a moment. Is that alright?”
“Of course. We’ll move to my office.”
The two left the conference room. Along the way, Turan suddenly turned and grabbed Talis’s hand.
“I saw that.”
“…I suppose I can’t pull anything over on you.”
Instead of getting angry, Talis gave a hollow laugh and opened his fist. Inside his palm were a few strands of hair he had swiped during the meeting—a long red one and a short silver one. Meisa’s and Solif’s.
“I would appreciate it if we maintained mutual respect,” Turan said. “I won't be plucking your hair to keep, either.”
“Fair enough.”
They entered the office and sat across from each other. Talis spoke first.
“Now that it’s just us, I’ll be blunt. How much do you know about the secret of the soul?”
“I know enough to know that the spirits of the ancient gods survive by inhabiting the bodies of their descendants. Your leader is likely the Night Hunter. Arabion’s is the Thunder Lord.”
Talis showed neither affirmation nor denial to the intentionally incorrect answer Turan provided.
“Then you must despise us. Is that right?”
“If my friends weren't targets for body-swapping, I wouldn't have intervened.”
Turan spoke while carefully masking his thoughts. It was impossible to hide emotions from high-level Zahar nobles, so the key was to be honest with the emotion while twisting the context.
“Actually, we are quite conflicted as well,” Talis admitted. “Whether we should crush you all before you grow further, or whether we should acknowledge you and leave you be.”
“I have no grand goal of overturning the hegemony of the gods. I simply want survival.”
“And becoming our vessels isn't survival, I take it.”
“Isn't that obvious?”
Talis gave a light cough and tapped the desk with his finger. Turan realized the habit was identical to his own and clicked his tongue inwardly. Regardless of being a vessel, the man before him was his grandfather.
“Fine, I’ve heard your piece. Personally, I don't think it’s a bad deal.”
A positive response, but Turan knew the 'but' was coming.
“However, a pact made only with words lacks binding force. I’m sure you feel the same.”
“What is it you want?”
“The House Head has a granddaughter who is quite easy on the eyes,” Talis said casually. “A marriage between the two of you would be an excellent way to solidify this bond.”