Chapter 152
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152
It had been roughly a month since the Parsha-Lavitas Allied Forces occupied Baraha.
The Land of the Five Lakes, the territory ruled by the Baraha family, had finally begun to regain a semblance of stability after the initial upheaval. Of course, "stability" was a relative term; things were far from how they had been before the war.
The number of Baraha’s mages had been decimated during the conflict, leaving the family unable to station practitioners in remote, outlying areas. To the high-ranking rulers, the destruction of dozens of small villages near the eastern Mist Zone by magical beasts—or even the ruin of an entire city—were merely trivial matters. To those living there, however, it was the end of the world.
As the stabilization progressed, a diplomatic delegation arrived in Helio, the capital of Baraha. They hailed from the Ruban family, the Great House to the north.
*
“We of Ruban have come to request the compensation stipulated in our contract.”
“Compensation?”
“The previous head of Baraha pledged to cede the northwestern Garam region and the battleship Galepiosa in exchange for the dispatch of twenty-one Ruban nobles. Since you have inherited the name of Baraha, it is only right that you honor this agreement.”
Inside the guest hall of the Sun Temple, Solif, the new head of Baraha, clicked his tongue as he looked at the woman standing before him. She was talking utter nonsense.
The Garam region she mentioned was a territory rich in high-quality iron mines—the very place that had once been offered as part of Solif’s own ransom. The battleship Galepiosa was the enchanted vessel Resion had used to travel to Lavitas.
“No, think logically for a second... Have you forgotten who the army you sent was fighting against? You’re asking me for the reward for a contract meant to hinder me? Are you insane?”
“My Lord, please, speak with more dignity—”
“That bastard is pissing me off! Do I look like I’m in the mood to be dignified right now?”
One of the elderly Baraha nobles, who had been cautiously trying to restrain Solif, flinched and backed away at the harsh retort.
Historically, Baraha had been the most obsessed with empty formalities among the Great Houses, but that atmosphere had withered significantly since Solif’s accession. It was only natural, given that the head of the family—the man supposed to be a model for everyone else—acted like this.
Facing Solif, the woman serving as the Ruban envoy continued her shocking remarks without batting an eye.
“The Lord of Ruban has decided to waive the blood price for the family nobles who perished in that battle. We hope Baraha will respond to this gesture of goodwill in kind.”
“Good grief.”
“Have they gone mad?”
At that statement, even the Baraha nobles trying to maintain their composure couldn't help but be shaken. This was practically a declaration of provocation.
Realizing this, Solif’s face grew calm, a sharp contrast to his earlier flare of temper.
“Let’s keep this brief. What do you want? Do you want to fight?”
“If the Head of Baraha refuses to honor the contracts of his predecessor, we will have no choice but to reclaim what is ours by force.”
“So you do want to fight. You should have just said so from the start.”
With that short reply, the atmosphere in the guest hall turned heavy in an instant. It was the reflection of the mana of a Great House Head—one of the few strongest beings in the world—manifesting his wrath.
“Ugh...”
Normally, it would be absurd for the head of a family to personally attend such diplomatic proceedings. Usually, a trusted subordinate would handle it. Solif was handling these matters himself not only because he lacked trust in the remaining Baraha nobles, but also because he didn't have any capable subordinates of his own yet.
“Fine. I’ll give you the ‘official’ answer you’re looking for. Resion was a first-rate bastard, and the new Baraha that rose by killing him doesn't give a damn about his moronic contracts. If you have a problem with that, tell your people to come and fight.”
“...I shall relay your message.”
Watching the envoy withdraw, Solif suddenly had a thought: If I kill her now, it might give us a slight advantage when the war breaks out later.
Realizing this, he noted that his train of thought was becoming remarkably similar to that of his closest friend. Was it because they had spent so much time together, or was it because he had recently pulled all those needles out of his head?
“Is it contagious?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, you all heard her, right? Prepare for war!”
At Solif’s command, the faces of the gathered Baraha nobles darkened. Over the past few years, their family had suffered through all sorts of disasters, and their current military strength could not be called impressive, even as a polite lie.
The top-tier and high-ranking nobles, who formed the backbone of the family’s power, were virtually extinct. While a fair number of mid-to-low-ranking nobles remained, their strength was too meager to boast the pride of a Great House. Considering how difficult it would be to recover the mana lost in the recent war, it would likely take a hundred or two hundred years—three or four generations—to restore their former glory.
And in such a state, they were to go to war with a neighboring Great House again?
“Um, My Lord. Will there be support from other families...?”
“Lavitas is out of the question, but we should be able to get support from Parsha. I’ll look into the details.”
“Understood.”
The reason they couldn't resist their new head wasn't just because he was the strongest in Baraha and a powerhouse on par with the previous head, Resion.
Turan Parsha.
The master of the newly established Great House Parsha and the archmage who had earned the moniker ‘The Invisible Sword’ during the recent battle in southern Helio. No one was ignorant of the fact that this incredibly powerful being reigned as Baraha’s patron and de facto ruler. Solif had publicly stated that he consulted with and deferred to Turan’s will whenever making major family decisions.
Because of this, many lamented that the great Baraha had fallen to the status of a subordinate to another house, but some viewed the situation positively. At the very least, it meant they had a pillar to lean on when a crisis like this struck.
After the meeting ended, Solif returned to his quarters, sealed the entrance, and recited a magic incantation in his study.
“Om Amoga Bai... Ah, damn, I can never memorize this.”
There was a slight mishap where he forgot the spell halfway through and had to check his notes, but eventually, Solif crossed through space and arrived in a secret chamber beneath the city of Helio. Passing through a massive mirror installed there, he emerged in the basement of Kalamaph, the capital of the Parsha family in the northwestern Gray Zone.
When he opened the magically locked door, he saw a merman floating lazily in a large bathtub.
“Soaking again, are you?”
“My skin’s been feeling a bit dry lately.”
Greeting the merman boy, Armani, Solif chuckled at the absurdity of the situation. The head of a Great House had just used a hidden portal in his own quarters to travel to the capital of another Great House, and the one guarding the boundary was a merman capable of transforming into a Great Sea Serpent. If someone had told him a few years ago that such a sight could exist, would he have believed them?
“Where’s Turan?”
“I heard he went to a meeting. I didn't realize it, but powerful demons seem to be incredibly busy. Then again, my father was always busy too.”
Though Armani could now roam freely using the mask Asiz had made for him, he usually preferred to rest in Turan’s residence, which was considered the safest place. Because of this, unsavory rumors had spread that Armani wasn't Turan’s relative, as previously rumored, but rather his male concubine. However, since no one really cared about such things, it wasn't a major issue.
“I’m heading out then. See you later.”
“I’m going to sleep soon, so you probably won't.”
“The sun is still high in the sky. What do you mean, sleep?”
After exchanging trivial banter, Solif left the residence and walked down the hallway. Passing servants and mages bowed their heads in greeting.
“Greetings, Minister of Arms.”
“Good afternoon.”
No one cared that the Head of Baraha was strolling through the Parsha estate. It was only natural; a month was far too short a time for news of the events in the eastern Land of the Five Lakes to spread this far. The news of a war breaking out or the head of Baraha being replaced was information that only circulated quickly among the high-ranking officials who could gather intelligence rapidly. To the common folk, Solif was simply a houseguest of the family who popped in and out every few days.
Actually, I prefer it this way.
Though he had taken the position of Baraha’s head out of necessity, Solif was naturally more suited to this kind of role. A position with no great authority but also no great responsibility—one where he could throw everything off and leave at any moment. Even if he intentionally acted without formality, being the head of a Great House inevitably placed restrictions on his behavior. He could no longer frequent gambling dens with his face hidden or enjoy drinks with strangers in taverns like he used to.
Of course, the current situation didn't allow for complaints over such trivialities. Even though they had worked hard to build their strength, their enemies were still powerful and numerous.
After a short walk lost in thought, he finally reached his destination: the office of the Head of Parsha.
Solif casually pushed open the door and entered a place where, normally, one would have to knock cautiously and wait for permission.
“Good morning.”
“I’ve already finished lunch, so what do you mean ‘morning’? What brings you here? You should still be in Baraha at this hour.”
“Something came up.”
Solif greeted Turan, who was buried in paperwork, and threw himself onto a nearby sofa. Seeing this, Turan frowned slightly.
“You’re kicking up dust.”
“It’s just a little... More importantly, Ruban is picking a fight. They want a piece of us.”
It was perhaps the most casual way anyone had ever announced an impending war between Great Houses. Matching Solif’s nonchalance, Turan replied calmly.
“Them too?”
“What do you mean ‘them too’? Is there news on this side as well?”
“Zahar wants to meet face-to-face and talk properly. Because of what happened recently.”
Turan used psychokinesis to fly a document toward the reclining Solif. Catching and reading it, Solif let out a low whistle.
“A summit between family heads...?”
“Yeah. They suggested meeting in person at the border of the Gray Zone and the Enril Desert. Considering the travel distance, you could say they’ve made quite a concession.”
Normally, even the heads of ordinary mage families rarely met because they didn't leave the cities they ruled, and for the head of a Great House, it was even more unheard of. Unless they were at war, it was common to go an entire lifetime without ever seeing another head face-to-face.
Of course, Turan and Solif could meet and talk whenever they felt like it now, but that was entirely thanks to the power of the Jade Mirror Armani had brought. Without it—and without a magical beast like Bije to serve as an excellent means of transport—it would have been difficult even for them to travel for over a month just to see a friend’s face.
“I smell something fishy. You don't think they’re luring you out for an ambush, do you? After what Resion did, my mind keeps going there.”
“That’s why I’ve already proposed a three-party summit. Including the Lavitas side.”
“Oh.”
“Of course, I can’t be complacent, so I plan to take various precautions in advance. We’ll also need to settle the conflict with the Ruban family you mentioned before then. So we can count on Baraha’s support in an emergency.”
As a bonus, this proposal served to delay the meeting. Currently, Osel was on his way back to his base via the Southern Sea on the family’s battleship. It would take at least two or three months for him to return home, settle his backlog of work, and travel back up to the border of the Gray Zone and the Enril Desert.
“Well, anyway, I guess you’ll finally get to see your great-grandfather’s face. Did you say his name was Caesar? Or Nachi?”
“People call him both. The former is a sign of respect, while the latter is meant as an insult.”
Turan roughly knew the meanings of those two words through Resion and the other half-elves of Baraha. Since it was difficult to learn all the historical context behind them, he couldn't say he understood them perfectly, though.
As they continued their conversation, Turan let out a small exclamation and handed over another document.
“Actually, take a look at this too.”
“What is it?”
“News from the spies I sent north.”
It had been a few months since the Parsha family was established. Turan had finally succeeded in setting up a minimal intelligence network through several neighboring mage families. A huge help in this endeavor was his power as a Tamer, one of the abilities of the Nagin bloodline. Even if they weren't as smart or strong as Bije, taming avian-type magical beasts provided sufficient value as a means of communication.
Originally, the binding force of a soul contract increased with the power of the Tamer involved, as did the magical beast’s sense of awe and obedience. Since the head of a Great House had personally brokered the contracts, Parsha’s spies were able to use birds that were remarkably more obedient than those used by others.
“...A Great Sea Serpent?”
“Exactly. Armani’s relatives pulled off quite a feat.”
Reading the news from the spies, Solif let out a sound that was somewhere between an exclamation and a groan. The report stated that Abacha, the capital of Carmine, had been half-destroyed by an attack from Great Sea Serpents.
*
The central-eastern Enril Desert, the capital city of Aksum.
This ancient city, notorious for thousands of years as the stronghold of Zahar, did not look like a place built in the middle of a desert at first glance. There were fields that painted the surroundings green, air that felt almost humid, and even a large lake just outside the city.
This was the result of thousands of years of effort by Zahar’s nobles to make the city more habitable. Through the projection of power by mighty mages over millennia, what was once a wasteland had gained an environment capable of sustaining a metropolis of hundreds of thousands.
In the deepest part of Aksum, in a dark room that was the only place devoid of light, two men were conversing.
“He wants to meet in four months? I felt it before, but your grandson has quite the nerve. To dare delay a request from the Head of Zahar to suit his own schedule.”
“I don't see the need to give him time. If the Head of Lavitas joins as requested, things will only get complicated, and there’s no telling what schemes he’ll cook up in the meantime.”
At Talis’s words, the elderly man sitting across from him shook his head.
“There’s no need to be so calculating. If his identity is what I think it is, it won't matter whether he has four months or not—he won't be able to resist. And if he isn't, we’ll simply crush him.”
A low voice was accompanied by a grinding sound. The old man was sitting and grinding dried leaves with a small mortar and pestle.
“More importantly, is it an excuse that the Lawyer’s people aren't cooperating, or is it the truth?”
“It’s a fact that Abacha was half-destroyed. Though we can’t rule out the possibility that it’s a performance.”
“I wish we could plant more capable spies... well, I suppose it can’t be helped. They’re putting quite a bit of effort into counter-intelligence themselves.”
With a low grumble, the old man stood up. He was unexpectedly tall and of a sturdy build—about half a head taller than Talis, who was not a small man himself.
The old man’s sharp eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Accept the request. We will meet at the border of the desert and the Gray Zone in four months.”
“Do you really think he is... that?”
There was a faint trace of fear in Talis’s voice, as if he were trailing off. It was the tone of someone who didn't even want to mention that existence.
Sensing this, the Head of Zahar smirked and deliberately uttered the word Talis was trying to avoid.
“It was merely a suspicion before the invasion of Baraha... but now, I am half-convinced. That Turan Parsha is the reincarnation of Otas. We’ll know for sure once we meet and talk to him in person.”