Chapter 142
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142
“Is this Kalamaph? It’s smaller than I expected. The location isn’t bad, but it’s a complete backwater.”
In the middle of a procession cutting through downtown Kalamaph, a young woman sitting in a carriage spoke. The man sitting opposite her offered a bitter smile.
“Please, don’t say such things once we arrive, My Lady. We are currently in a position where we must play nice to get on their good side.”
“Who do you take me for, a fool? I’ll bow and scrape in front of them, so don’t worry. Even so, it’ll be more comfortable than staying at the main house. Besides, men will give you their very souls if you just smile at them.”
The woman spoke with an arrogance that her beauty almost justified. With dark brown hair cut short at the shoulders, mysterious light purple eyes, and a slender, petite frame like a fairy, she was a beauty who would evoke immediate favor from anyone. Combined with her noble status, she was more than capable of bewitching any man.
A short while later, when the Zahar envoy arrived at the lord’s manor in the center of Kalamaph, the woman stepped down from the carriage. Amidst the collective gasps of the crowd, she smiled at those who had come to greet her.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Berit Zahar.”
Her previous arrogance had vanished without a trace, replaced by the shy demeanor of a blooming flower. The nobles of Kalamaph who had come to receive her let out exclamations of admiration.
Smiling shyly, Berit realized that the gray-haired man standing in the center was her partner for the political marriage.
So that’s Turan? He’s as handsome as the rumors suggested... though he’s definitely not my type.
Immature girls might swoon over a man with such polished looks, but she preferred a more rugged, masculine type—like the silver-haired man standing blankly beside him, for instance. Of course, looks weren't everything; he would also need the ability to match her status.
As she was internally judging him, Turan stepped forward and greeted her politely.
“Welcome, Berit. I hope you have a pleasant stay in Kalamaph.”
As she took his hand to step down from the carriage, Berit caught his scent and was inwardly stunned. She realized that despite being in physical contact with a beauty like herself, he didn't feel even the slightest hint of sexual impulse. At the very least, it was clear he wasn't someone she could easily wrap around her finger as she had boasted.
*
Publicly, Berit’s visit was framed not as a courtship for a political marriage, but as a diplomatic exchange to strengthen the friendship between two Great Families. Therefore, her official status was strictly that of a guest.
Since it wouldn't do for a guest to command an army, the Zahar mages who had escorted her here all returned to the desert. Even her attendants were to be replaced by locals from Kalamaph.
In reality, what Turan and Zahar hoped to gain from this exchange was more complex. Turan wanted Zahar to at least remain neutral in his conflict with Arabion, while Zahar wanted to gauge the internal strength of Turan and the Kalamaph forces and create a link to bind them.
Thus, Berit had come here as a marriage candidate, a hostage, and a spy all at once. This was already dreadfully complicated, but another role had been added to the mix.
“You’re Rahman’s daughter?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I believe he’s my first cousin once removed.”
Rahman was currently the only surviving heir of Zahar. His relationship with Turan was delicate. While Turan had helped purge the other competing heirs—though Rahman was unaware of Turan’s role in Perga’s death—if Turan were to actually join the Zahar family, he would become a far more formidable rival than any of them.
Of course, this was a meaningless hypothetical, considering Turan had no intention of joining the Zahar family. If he went there, wouldn't he just end up as a new vessel for the Zahar Family Head?
Regardless, the fact that Rahman’s daughter had been sent as a hostage was a message in itself. It was an offer to guarantee him the status of the next Zahar Family Head’s son-in-law, provided he remained an independent power where he was.
Berit, having answered his questions obediently, looked around and spoke.
“There are so many light orbs, both inside and outside the manor.”
“Even if it’s not Zahar, we have to be on guard against anyone trying to sneak in.”
The Kalamaph manor had originally been designed by Zahar to prevent stealthy infiltration when they were trying to capture Turan. Later, the members of the Berk family had remodeled it again, incorporating their own technology. Furthermore, since Turan himself had tested the defenses by attempting to infiltrate it and then patching the weaknesses, it was an incredibly stifling place for a Zahar noble.
Berit nodded at the implication that he had no intention of removing the defenses just because she found them uncomfortable.
“It’s fine. The main house has a similar structure anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. If anything, it’s even more thorough.”
Through Berit’s words, Turan learned that the Zahar main house was unexpectedly well-prepared against stealth abilities. This was useful information that would have been difficult to obtain without visiting in person.
They live like that because they’re afraid of who might be hiding among them...
The headquarters of a family that used stealth as a weapon was strictly protected against stealth? It was absurd, but thinking about it, they probably didn't want to suffer from the paranoia that someone was hiding nearby and eavesdropping. Considering what Meisa had gone through in the past, how could anyone even find a moment of peace?
After a few more words, Turan dismissed Berit, telling her to rest in her quarters. When she suggested a light drink, he gave a firm refusal, citing that he was busy with work.
On her way back, Berit ground her teeth inwardly, recalling his rejection.
He’s more of a stone wall than I thought. What’s his deal?
She had heard that Turan already had a woman. The runaway heir of Arabion, the famous Skeleton Princess? She had heard the girl had filled out and become presentable, but Berit didn't think she would be a real rival. At most, Turan was probably just humoring her because of her strength.
As she was thinking this, Berit’s eyes met a woman’s at the end of the hallway. She had long, flowing reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. Unlike Berit, she was tall and slender.
Berit had never felt inferior about her looks among nobles, but the moment she saw this woman, she felt instinctively intimidated. It wasn't just because the woman was more beautiful; it was a sense of overwhelming pressure, as if she were facing someone of a much higher status.
“Berit Zahar?”
“...Yes.”
“I’m Meisa Arabion.”
When Meisa abruptly reached out her hand, Berit hesitated, wondering if she should take it. Knowing the woman was a powerful high noble, she worried Meisa might crush her hand the moment she grabbed it. Given the history between their two families, it wouldn't even be strange.
However, contrary to her fears, the scent emanating from Meisa’s body held no hostility. Instead, there was only a faint sense of favor and pity, the kind one might feel when looking at a cute animal.
“You must be tired after traveling so far. Let’s get along.”
“I look forward to it.”
After exchanging greetings and parting ways, Berit looked down at the hand she had just held as she walked toward her quarters. For some reason, she felt a strange lingering warmth.
It’s weird...
The kind of goodwill she had just experienced was foreign to her. Those of lower status didn't dare look at her, the daughter of an heir, with such "cuteness," and to those of high status, Berit was someone to be wary of.
After basking in the ticklish sensation for a moment, Berit suppressed those feelings, reminding herself that the woman she just met would eventually come to hate her. She had to seduce Turan by any means necessary. Only then, by making him the Head of the Zahar family, could she seize power as his wife.
*
After sending Berit away, Turan entered his office and placed a small iron plate on his desk. He then lightly channeled electricity into it.
Crackle.
After a weak current flowed through it, the iron plate began to float. It rose and fell above his hand, even spinning around, before settling back down once the current was cut.
As I thought, the mana consumption is higher than expected, and the force is weak.
After his fight with Badal, Turan had asked the Librarian about the "power to move metal" and had come across a new clue: magnetism. He was told that if he manipulated electricity correctly, he could exert an attractive force on metal.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of the Librarian’s knowledge; he didn't know the specific methods of generation. His knowledge was based on books written by the Frea Divine Clan or their kin during the Old Empire and placed in the library. Therefore, either no one at the time had mastered that knowledge in depth, or it had been kept as a secret technique—much like Thought Acceleration or the Judgment Light.
Regardless, the information that it was related to electricity was enough to establish a degree of Causality, and Turan was now able to manipulate metal using electricity, albeit weakly. Of course, it wasn't yet at a level where it could be used in actual combat. To improve, he would need to keep practicing or delve deeper into the principles. Magic was a power that became more efficient and stronger the more one understood it.
After a brief period of training, people began to gather in his office one by one. Meisa, Solif, Melo, Asiz, and Haram—the core leadership of Kalamaph. Before long, his office had turned into a meeting room.
Once everyone was gathered, Solif was the first to ask Turan about Berit’s visit.
“You two talked alone earlier. How was she?”
“She’s a total venomous snake.”
From the moment they met, Turan knew that Berit felt no sexual attraction toward him. Despite that, she had displayed natural seduction techniques, such as shyly averting her eyes or letting her arm brush against his. If Turan didn't already have someone in his heart, and if he hadn't realized her true nature, he might have been slightly tempted.
Of course, now that he knew everything, he wouldn't fall for her charms even if they were the last two people on earth.
At Turan’s words, Meisa, who was standing beside him, spoke up in confusion.
“Really? She seemed like a nice girl to me.”
“You met her?”
“Just by chance in the hallway. She looked very cute and kind. A bit shy, too.”
It seemed Meisa had no eye for judging people. Then again, the reason she could view her so positively was likely because she didn't consider Berit a rival in the first place. Turan had given Meisa plenty of reassurance on that front. This exchange was purely political; she was the only one he truly considered his partner.
After a brief exchange of smiles to confirm their affection, Turan turned his gaze to Solif.
“Actually, she seemed to take more of a liking to you, Solif.”
“What?”
“Though I doubt she’s your type.”
“Hey, let’s not talk about that.”
When Turan subtly mentioned Solif’s preference in women, which he had seen in the Baraha records, Solif grumbled in annoyance. Of course, Berit, who wasn't a married woman and was around thirty years old, was completely outside Solif’s preference, but didn't beauty usually transcend preferences to some extent?
If she were to fall for Solif, it might be something they could use politically. Especially since she was a noble with a high level of mana herself. Imagining drawing in a Zahar noble who could serve as a "honey trap"—even if he wasn't particularly handsome—Turan briefly summarized the situation.
“Well, she’s mostly here as a decoration, so there’s no need to worry too much. I just hope she doesn't do anything foolish. It would be a hassle for everyone if I had to kill her and ask for a new one.”
Everyone looked at him with a somewhat exhausted expression. His attitude alone made it clear that there was no chance of him falling for her seduction.
That concluded the discussion about their new guest. As Turan announced the start of the regular meeting, Asiz cleared his throat and pulled out some documents.
“First, I’ve summarized the recent changes in Kalamaph’s military strength.”
After the Arabion attack, the Berk family had been reorganized with Melo as the head. Naturally, Asiz’s position—having gone from the Family Head’s son to the Family Head’s brother—became somewhat awkward, so Turan had taken him in as his steward and a future vassal for the family he would establish.
Having lost his parents, Asiz had changed significantly. His constant positive and cheerful, almost frivolous, laughter had diminished, and unlike before when he only liked to play, he began to devote himself to various studies and training. He had even gone through the hellish physical training regimen of Haram, which he had fled from in the past.
Furthermore, he actively sought to learn administrative tasks that nobles usually avoided, and surprisingly, he showed a talent for it, achieving significant progress. Thanks to him, Turan was able to delegate these matters and spend more time on his personal training.
“Currently, there are a total of 27 nobles in Kalamaph. Among them, three are classified as Special-rank, five as High-rank, eight as Mid-rank, and eleven as Low-rank.”
The classification criteria were based on the system Turan and his friends had created in the past, and thus the measurements were based on what he had personally sensed with his holy relic. The three Special-ranks were, of course, Turan, Meisa, and Solif. The five High-ranks were Haram, Melo, Asiz, and two guests of the Berk family. Melo and Asiz had reached the threshold of the upper tier after absorbing mana in the last battle. It was a painful reality, but in the world of mages, someone’s death always served as the foundation for another’s growth.
The other Mid and Low-rank nobles were branch members of the Berk family or personnel sent by various families in the Gray Zone who had pledged themselves as vassals. Thanks to the knights they had also sent, the number of knights had increased to over two hundred, compared to the seventy-five knights the Berk family had previously.
Melo murmured as she listened.
“Looking at it this way, our actual strength hasn't diminished as much as I thought. In fact, you could say we’ve become stronger...”
One might wonder what Mid or Low-rank nobles and knights could do in a battle between sky-high Great Nobles, but their presence played a surprisingly large role in combat. A group of knights could harass a Low-rank noble, which would free up a Low-rank noble to harass a Mid-rank noble, who in turn could then interfere in the battle between High-rank nobles. When such a chain reaction occurred, it could determine the outcome even while the Special-rank nobles were fighting each other. In fact, the last battle had ended due to the sudden intervention of the Lavitas army.
“It’s a shame the Lavitas nobles went back.”
“They have to look after their own affairs too. They can't keep that much power idle forever.”
The Lavitas reinforcements who had flown in with Turan had returned to their main house a while ago. As a result, communication between the two families was currently somewhat cut off. However, since they had said they would soon send an envoy led by Lida, they could discuss how to act as allies in the future then.
After discussing their grand strategy for a while, Turan asked Asiz a question that had occurred to him.
“By the way, how is the control over the newcomers?”
“Well, they’re splitting into factions among themselves... but they listen to us. It’s all thanks to you, though.”
By nature, whenever three people gathered, they were bound to split into factions. Naturally, the mages gathered in Kalamaph also took sides and had minor disputes, but fortunately, no one had caused a major disturbance yet. After all, Turan’s reputation for facing and repelling the Head of the Arabion family was ringing loud and clear.
Of course, this would surely fade over time. Humans were forgetful creatures; even the vassals of Arabion had eventually harbored rebellion despite seeing Badal’s immense power.
They continued to discuss various topics, from city management to methods for training spies to track the movements of nearby Great Families, and time passed quickly. Of course, they only decided on the direction here; the details would be handled by the civil servants below.
As the discussion neared its end, a topic came up that was in some ways minor, but in others, truly important. It was deciding the name of the new Great Family, the group they had gathered.
“Hmm.”
“A name...”
The problem was that they couldn't easily decide on a name. They mentioned all sorts of idioms and quotes from ancient records, place names, and personal names. Many names were brought up, but none of them felt quite right to everyone. Considering the name they chose now could last for thousands of years, like Arabion or Zahar, they had to be cautious.
In particular, they had to avoid anything that felt too similar to those two families, as Turan was a half-blood born between them. Although it wasn't publicly known that Turan also possessed Arabion’s power, if the name sounded similar to either side, people would naturally assume he was closer to that side.
“I liked Artos.”
“It sounds too much like Arabion.”
“What about Cologa?”
“It’s too nonsensical. It doesn't sound good, either.”
Since it was a topic that had come up several times before, the same names were mentioned and the same counterarguments were made. Just as everyone fell silent, having nothing left to say, Asiz, who had brought up the topic, looked around at everyone.
“Since we’ve had many opinions but nothing suitable, I asked the civil servants while I was delivering instructions. I asked them to gather ideas for what the family name should be.”
“From the commoners?”
“They may lack power, but they all have brains to think with. In fact, they might be smarter than us.”
Even so, leaving the naming of a Great Family to commoners wasn't an idea a typical noble would have. Asiz unfolded a paper with several names written on it and pointed to a highlighted section.
“So, about a hundred candidates came up, and there was one that was actually quite good. I brought it because I thought Turan might like it too.”
“What is it?”
“Parsha. It’s said to mean 'one who leads the flock.' It also means 'leader' or 'ruler.'”
It was a name that would have been difficult to bring up if one didn't know that Turan had been a shepherd until a few years ago and that he identified with that role. Usually, mentioning a successful person’s relatively lowly former profession would provoke anger.
Of course, Turan was very pleased with the name. Even for those who might find "shepherd" a bit much, "leader" or "ruler" were considered decent meanings for a family name.
“I like it.”
“It’s not very similar to Zahar or Arabion, it sounds fine, and the meaning is good...”
“Shall we just go with this?”
Half because they truly liked it and half because they wanted to wrap up the topic, everyone expressed their approval. Thus, the name of the Great Family that would rule the Gray Zone was decided in a somewhat haphazard manner.
Turan Parsha.
That was the new name he would be known by from now on.