Chapter 179
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179
Ever since her formal union with Solif, Berit had worn many hats.
From serving as a scout during the last war to governing Baraha in the Family Head’s absence as the prospective lady of the house, she had more than proven her worth. However, the most vital task Turan had originally expected of her was exactly what she was doing now: gathering intelligence from within the Zahar family.
Because the Zahar were so adept at espionage themselves, it was nearly impossible to plant new spies among them. Meaningful information could rarely be extracted without persuading an insider. In that regard, her quick delivery of the latest news meant she was performing her role far beyond expectations.
“Give me the specifics.”
“There isn’t much to go on yet. Several contacts I’d arranged to check in with periodically all went silent at the same time.”
Since being designated as the future mistress of Baraha, Berit had established more eyes and ears within the Zahar family than she’d had even before being dispatched to Parsha. This was thanks to the overwhelming authority derived from her status: she was the daughter of Rahman, the future Family Head; the partner of the neighboring Baraha Family Head; and the foster daughter of the Parsha Family Head.
Furthermore, the Zahar capital, Aksum, was located slightly to the east of the Enril Desert, making it relatively close to Baraha—though the distance wasn't significantly different from the gap between Aksum and Kalamaf.
Regardless, the fact that all those connections had been severed in an instant meant only one thing.
“So, Zahar has become an enemy as well.”
“There’s no need to be so certain just yet…”
Berit trailed off, but Turan believed his assumption was likely correct. If Arabion had used backroom dealings to persuade Carmine and Ruban to attack him, and tried to sow discord by swaying Baraha and Lavitas, why wouldn't they do the same with Zahar?
Moreover, according to the Zahar Family Head, Harun, most of the gods ruling over Zahar already disliked Turan and wanted him eliminated. If the Monarch had promised them some immense reward, it wasn't impossible that they had betrayed their own leader.
The question is, what exactly did they promise?
There must have been something that allowed Harun to lead the Zahar forces against the Monarch until now. What kind of price could possibly outweigh that? It was something Turan couldn't easily discern at the moment.
After organizing his thoughts, Turan spoke coldly to Berit.
“From now on, do not even trust your father. Assume that the next time you meet him, he may not be the person you once knew.”
“Does that mean… surely?”
“It’s just a guess for now, but there’s a high probability that Rahman Zahar has become a possessed vessel for some god.”
If Harun had been ousted and lost his body in some way, someone would have taken over his successor, Rahman. If that person ordered the severance of all ties with Berit, his followers would naturally obey. After all, Berit’s influence over her subordinates in Zahar stemmed entirely from her being Rahman’s daughter.
“Anyway, thank you for telling me. Thanks to you, I’ve avoided being blindsided.”
“...Are you planning to attack them? Zahar?”
“I’m not sure. It’s certainly not the best timing.”
Originally, he had planned to settle things with Arabion, combine the additional forces gathered there, and then sweep through Nagin. If Zahar had turned hostile, the situation was dangerous. The Enril Desert was like the center of the world—a vantage point from which one could strike Parsha, Baraha, and even Lavitas.
Conversely, however, it also meant that three forces could invade it simultaneously.
Turan sent Berit away, telling her to go rest and spend time with Meisa, then fell into deep thought alone.
Ignore the hostile Zahar and attack Arabion… No, that’s too risky.
Since Turan’s enthronement, the cities belonging to other vassals of the Parsha family had gained some resistance to infiltrations via stealth magic, but not enough to stop several powerful nobles from slipping through. There was no point in winning if the people he was supposed to protect were slaughtered in the process.
Then, should I strike Zahar first?
That wasn't an easy answer either. All Turan knew for certain was that Berit’s eyes and ears within the Zahar family had been cut off. Harun’s ousting and Rahman’s ascension were still purely speculative. If he launched a full-scale invasion only to find out it was a misunderstanding, it wasn't the kind of thing he could brush off with a simple apology.
Yet, sitting idly by and waiting for communication to reopen would be handing the initiative to the enemy…
As thought followed thought, he reached a single conclusion.
*
Turan immediately had the knight guarding the door summon Asiz.
“Asiz, I assume our spies have Arabion completely under observation?”
“That’s right. We couldn't get anyone into the Family Head’s residence, of course, but we did manage to flip two people living inside the Wall of Light.”
“With that, we should be able to read the signs of war unless they launch a truly sudden sortie.”
“Indeed.”
“What about Carmine?”
“I used the recent attack as an opportunity to infiltrate them further. Hold on.”
Asiz skillfully sifted through several documents on one side of Turan’s office and pulled one out. Since the last attack, the Carmine family had been using a riverside city midway through their territory as a base instead of their lost capital, Abacha. Asiz explained that they had recruited several citizens who had lived there for a long time.
“When did you do this?”
“I definitely submitted a report on it. Look, your signature is right here.”
“Hmm. So it is. Did Bije sign it for me?”
To be honest, Turan had so much work that he sometimes skimmed through the paperwork. He read important matters thoroughly, but status reports like this didn't cause a disaster if they weren't checked immediately. Ignoring Asiz’s narrowed eyes, Turan read through the contents and frowned slightly.
“But there’s still nothing on Nagin?”
“It’s an incredibly closed-off place… It’s strange for anyone to go settle in a land where it snows all year round, isn't it? We get some information through peddlers since they produce a lot of rare minerals, but it’s difficult to station permanent spies there.”
Asiz added a quiet excuse, noting that the Nagin family’s location was also far too distant from Parsha. Considering that the leader of the Arabion faction, the Monarch, was the head of the Nagin family, planting spies there was actually the most critical issue.
However, it was pointless to scold him for something that couldn't be helped. Turan let out a light sigh and stated his intention.
“I plan to be away for a while.”
“...What? Why?”
“Infiltration.”
When Turan explained that something strange had happened within the Zahar family and that he intended to investigate the cause himself, Asiz naturally jumped in shock. It was a perfectly normal reaction to hearing that his own Family Head intended to act as a spy.
“Are you insane? The head of a Great Family is going to personally infiltrate another family? If you get caught…!”
The Parsha family was still little more than a warlord group built on Turan’s overwhelming personal charisma, with few established members. If Turan were to die while infiltrating the Zahar family, the whole organization would likely dissolve instantly.
Of course, in terms of pure martial prowess, Meisa was his equal, but she lacked the innate leadership Turan possessed. Furthermore, she was currently pregnant and hiding that fact, meaning she couldn't engage in public activities.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, and this is the best way. I can’t just sit back and wait for them to act, I can’t launch a preemptive strike without knowing anything, and I can’t act while leaving my back wide open.”
“That’s… No, why not just train more spies?”
“You were the one who said that would be useless, Asiz.”
Asiz let out a short groan. He knew better than anyone how excellent Zahar’s counter-intelligence capabilities were. He had only spoken out of desperation at the unprecedented situation of a Family Head personally infiltrating another Great Family.
“Do you really think you won’t get caught?”
“I did fine in Arabion without getting caught. I’ll just try again. It’ll be harder than before, of course.”
Back then, Arabion had been completely defenseless, never imagining that someone with the powers of a Mimic and the Zahar bloodline would infiltrate them. In contrast, the current Zahar likely had a fairly detailed grasp of Turan’s abilities and would be on high alert.
However, there was one advantage: just like Asiz, they wouldn't expect the head of a Great Family to personally sneak in.
“If others attack while you’re gone, then what?”
“That’s why I asked. We can detect the movements of Arabion and Carmine, and it won’t be easy for the Great Sea Serpent merfolk to sneak in like before… If it looks like things are going south, I’ll get word via the hand mirror and return immediately. From Aksum, I can make it back in a day if I push it using the Baraha passage.”
Of course, that would leave Bije half-exhausted and unable to function at full strength, but even with that risk, Turan’s return to the main house would be a far greater contribution to their military power.
“I… I don’t know anymore, damn it. Fine. The decision belongs to the exalted Family Head, and I’ll just do my job as a butler and clean up the mess.”
In the end, all Asiz could do was grumble.
*
Since his absence had to be kept strictly confidential, Turan only revealed his plan to a very small number of people.
First, he told Lida, who was currently a guest diligently researching spirit-calling, only that he would be away for a while.
“Then the needle in my head…”
“I’ll pull it out as soon as I return. You must absolutely not ask a White Elf to pull it out for you.”
At Turan’s stern warning against any potential tricks, Lida spoke with a look of disappointment.
“Mmm, I understand.”
Next were Haram, the captain of the main house guards, and Armani, who managed the Jade Mirror. Haram was persuaded using logic and authority, much like Asiz. Armani, on the other hand, insisted on coming along because it sounded fun, and Turan had to struggle to shake him off. Fortunately, he managed to quiet him by explaining just how terrible the desert was for a merman.
Finally, the biggest hurdle was persuading Meisa.
Surprisingly, however, she nodded in agreement as soon as Turan cautiously brought up the subject.
“I understand. I just need to act as your proxy while you’re gone, right?”
“Right. Um, are you okay with this?”
“With what?”
When she asked back, Meisa burst into a giggle at the look on Turan’s face.
“You look like a puppy that’s done something wrong… I’m not going to scold you. I was saved by your reckless actions; it would be inconsistent of me to tell you not to do it now because it’s dangerous.”
“I suppose so.”
“Besides, I talked to Berit for a bit earlier, and I figured you’d make a decision like this.”
Seeing Turan visibly relax his shoulders made Meisa smile, but she felt a pang of bitterness deep down. One of the reasons she hadn't strongly opposed the decision was a sense of inferiority. She felt that if she hadn't been pregnant—if she were functioning at full strength—he wouldn't have had to push himself so hard.
In other words, she didn't want to be any more of a burden than she already was to the person she loved.
Of course, if Turan had known her inner thoughts, he would have given her a light flick on the forehead. It wasn't as if she’d made the baby by herself. Unfortunately, even Zahar’s sense of smell couldn't pick up on such subtle thoughts.
“It’s not like I’m completely powerless, either. Don’t worry too much.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Meisa hadn't just been idling around while confined to the Family Head’s residence. She had been mass-producing magic devices, utilizing her other talent as an Enchanter to the fullest. Aside from making a few devices necessary for the family, she had invested all her time into one thing: disposable defensive magic devices that didn't leave much of a strain on the creator but were quite powerful.
If she used all of them, she could fight against a powerhouse like Badal for a short time without worrying about the child in her womb.
“So, go. Just don’t die.”
More than anything, she believed in Turan. She believed he wouldn't make a rash judgment. Turan let out a low groan at the weight of that trust and pulled Meisa into an embrace.
“Mmm.”
“What is it?”
“Your belly sticks out so much now, it feels strange.”
Meisa grumbled that it was a sensation she’d never experienced before, like she’d suddenly gained a massive amount of weight. Turan laughed and kissed her forehead.
*
After quickly settling internal affairs, Turan immediately traveled to Helio City via the Jade Mirror. He anticipated that moving from Helio would be slightly faster and that approaching from the east would be harder to notice than from the west.
He created a face that blended the features of several Baraha nobles—resembling them but making it hard to pinpoint exactly who he was—and donned the clothes of a Baraha knight. With that, he easily exited the Sun Temple. He made a mental note to tell Berit to tighten internal security later.
From there, it was simple. He just had to fly west on Bije, who was also concealed by stealth magic.
This should keep the rumors at bay.
Of course, if Turan’s presence became scarce at the Kalamaf estate, people might suspect he’d disappeared again to cause trouble somewhere, but it wouldn't be easy to guess that he’d charged straight into the Zahar capital. To prepare for such behavior, Turan had occasionally made a habit of disappearing for no particular reason in the past.
Subsisting on emergency rations he’d stored before leaving, Turan passed through the Land of the Five Lakes and entered the Enril Desert. He saw the golden sea and sand dunes he’d seen before, with occasional oases, grasslands, cacti, and the sheep and camels grazing on them. He saw the nomads leading them, too.
— Come to think of it, this is my first time in the eastern part of the desert. Right, Bije?
— Yep! But it looks just like the west!
— Well, I guess that’s to be expected.
In truth, places like the Gray Zone or the Land of the Five Lakes weren't significantly different between east and west either. If anything, perhaps because it was adjacent to the fertile Land of the Five Lakes, there was a slightly stronger sense of human habitation here. He also encountered several fairly large cities while following the roads of the Old Empire.
Continuing his journey in secret, Turan spotted the largest city in the distance. He descended into a small nearby city and deactivated his stealth.
This place looks perfect.
The city of Rafiq was a typical satellite city near the capital. Because it only had one small oasis, its population wasn't very large, and there wasn't much to see. It was merely a common desert transit city that served as a station for those resting on their way to Aksum.
Instead of barging into Aksum and immediately standing out as a stranger, he calculated that it would be better to acquire local clothing and gather some information here first.
Turan swapped his Baraha-style traveler’s clothes for a desert windbreaker and struck up a casual conversation with the clothing store owner.
“The weather has been hot lately.”
“Well, the rainy season will be here if you wait a bit, won’t it? Though the rainy season here is just a few days of downpours and then it’s over.”
The rainy season in the Enril Desert was more extreme than in other regions; it would pour enough to fill and overflow the parched oases for just a few days. It happened a few times a year, and the cycle was apparently not far off.
“Heh, then I’ll be spending this rainy season in Aksum. Just thinking about enjoying a drink in the most expensive tavern while watching the raindrops splash against the window makes the heat vanish already.”
The owner chuckled at Turan’s banter, then paused and asked curiously.
“Are you on your way to Aksum, by any chance?”
“Yes. I heard there are many interesting sights there. Isn't that where everyone in this city is headed, anyway?”
Aksum, the Zahar capital, was known as the home of desert dancers and was said to have many unique troupes unlike those in other regions. Additionally, as a place located essentially at the center of the world, it had developed a unique culture through the blending of various regional influences. Of course, that wasn't what Turan was going to see.
“You must have come from far away if you haven't heard. You’ve picked a bad time. Aksum is currently under lockdown.”
The owner clicked his tongue and pointed out the window at the long line of camels in front of the inn, explaining that they all belonged to peddlers who had been forced to stop because of the situation.