Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 78 At the words of Badal, the Head of the Arabion family, the clamorous plains fell into an immediate hush.
No matter how enraged the vassals were, it was difficult to raise one's voice recklessly in the presence of such a legendary mage.
["Regarding this matter, I shall delegate all authority to Lin Arabion—my dear second cousin and the hero who led the Battle of Dakan to victory. I ask that you treat his words as my own."]
Having said his piece, Badal closed his eyes and stepped back a few paces, looking every bit the frail old man whose strength had completely drained away.
The vassals did not protest the fact that he was appointing a proxy, even after appearing in person during such a critical situation. If the Family Head himself took charge, they would have been forced to negotiate while feeling intimidated, so this arrangement was actually to their advantage. Above all, Badal's face as he withdrew looked truly exhausted.
A moment later, Lin, the Arabion Elder whom Badal had just introduced, stepped forward to take his place.
"Now, everyone, listen. Regarding the documents currently in circulation…"
To their utter dismay, he proceeded to claim that a Zahar noble had recently infiltrated the main estate, stealing and forging various confidential documents.
Aside from the fact that the Zahar noble in question didn't actually belong to the Zahar family, it was a claim that came fairly close to the truth. Naturally, however, it didn't sit well with the vassal families.
"Since when has the Arabion stronghold been so porous? What about the Wall of Light?"
"The circumstances described in those documents match my brother's death exactly! We've already captured and interrogated someone who witnessed the magical beasts! Forgery? My foot!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Perhaps because an Elder was easier to handle than the Family Head, the heads of the vassal families raised their voices one after another to refute the claims.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Turan called out to Asiz, who was standing beside him.
"Asiz."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"That person over there—do you happen to know what bloodline she has?"
Turan pointed toward a sturdy, middle-aged woman standing among the young nobles of the Frost bloodline. He had singled her out because the symbol residing within her body was the shape of a clenched fist, just like the one he had seen inside Badal moments ago.
"Uh… she's probably someone who married into that family, like my Uncle Haram. I think she specializes in physical combat."
"Can you find out for sure?"
"Is it important?"
"Very."
"Wait just a second."
Without asking further, Asiz immediately approached the group and struck up a conversation. The Frost bloodline nobles seemed annoyed by the uninvited guest interrupting their serious discussion, but before long, they were wearing smiles, seemingly won over by Asiz's sociability.
It took less than three minutes for him to return with the answer.
"They say it's the Strength-bearer Bloodline. But why the sudden interest?"
Turan started to answer but closed his mouth, glancing at Badal, who stood some distance away.
The Arabion bloodline ability was strictly about reading the flow of the wind, not superhuman hearing… but somehow, he felt an uneasy premonition that a man of that caliber might be able to dominate all the surrounding winds to intercept their conversation.
"It's too open here. I'll tell you later."
"After we go back?"
"Yeah."
While placating Asiz, Turan recalled the bloodline of Badal Arabion, the Head of House Arabion, which he had seen earlier.
Thunderclouds representing the Storm bloodline, and a clenched fist.
In other words, it meant he possessed three bloodline abilities: wind, lightning, and strength.
And yet, Badal's parents were nobles of the Arabion and Carmine bloodlines.
Of course, the family tree he had seen in the library didn't show the bloodlines of Badal's grandparents' generation, so it was possible that atavism had occurred from further up the line. However, Turan inwardly suspected that the Strength-bearer Bloodline was the result of something artificial.
This was because both Solif and Meisa possessed only two bloodlines.
Perhaps the 'spirit-processing' work they performed was a necessary condition for granting new bloodline abilities.
While he was lost in thought, he heard Midella, the Head of the Berk family, cry out in a shrill voice from behind.
"I don't want to waste any more words! Give Lady Meisa—and those who tormented my niece—the punishment they deserve! Just how cruelly did you treat her that the heir of a Great House would flee from her own family?!"
While Solif flinched beside him for no reason, the others nearby chimed in unison, shouting, "She's right!"
The documents recording the corruption of the Arabion nobles were filled with details about how they had disadvantaged the vassal families gathered here—those who hadn't aligned with them. However, the largest portion was dedicated to the harassment of Meisa.
It was said that family matters should be handled internally, but they had clearly gone too far.
Furthermore, many of those present were distant relatives of Midella, which meant they shared a blood relation with Meisa as well. In the first place, the well-being of the next head of a Great House was a matter of grave importance to the vassal families who relied on that house's protection.
At this, the Elder hesitated for a moment before bringing up something unexpected.
"I am aware that the document states Meisa… that is, Lady Meisa, fled on her own, but the truth is different. Lady Meisa was kidnapped while out for a walk outside the city. By those Zahar bastards."
"What?"
"What kind of preposterous nonsense is this now…?"
"Are we to believe that Arabion is so full of idiots that no one noticed dozens of Zahar nobles invading? Or what, did the Head of Zahar himself come to the Dakein Plains?"
At the last remark, the nobles instinctively looked toward Badal Arabion.
If the Zahars—those man-hunters of the Enril Desert—had truly come, the immense power of the Family Head would be required to face them.
However, instead of speaking, Badal merely kept his wrinkled eyes closed in silence.
The Elder cleared his throat to draw attention and spoke.
"An internal investigation is currently underway to determine who kidnapped her, but work cannot proceed properly while you all distrust us and remain divided like this. So please, cooperate. If all of Arabion becomes one, how could those filthy hounds of the desert dare to violate the descendants of the Thunder Lord?"
It seemed the Arabion main house was determined to frame this entire incident as a scheme by the Zahar nobles. After all, there was no better way to mend internal cracks than by emphasizing an external enemy.
Besides, considering they were already in league with the Zahar side anyway, in the worst-case scenario, they could just put on a scripted show of fighting each other.
"Is all of this really a Zahar plot?"
"If that's true, isn't that a problem in its own right? It means Arabion was completely unable to respond to their schemes…"
"Now that I think about it, that's true."
However, there was something the Elder hadn't anticipated: the vassal families took such claims as a sign that Arabion had lost its leadership. Normally, these were words they wouldn't dare utter in front of that powerful Family Head, but it was a different story when he was acting as frail and sickly as he was now.
Seeing the murmurs spread, a look of panic crossed the Elder's face.
"Wait, just a moment…"
"Step back for a moment, Lin."
The Elder, who was about to say something, quickly took a step back at the sound of a gravelly voice restraining him.
It was because Badal, who had been standing silently with his eyes closed until now, had stepped forward.
As the old Family Head took the lead once more, the members of the vassal families stopped their protests and looked at him.
"As stated previously, it appears that Zahar nobles were involved in this matter. However, the responsibility for some of the disadvantages imposed on the vassals surely lies with our kin. Regarding this, I shall form an investigation team that includes some of you to look into the matter."
Even though he didn't use wind magic as he had before, Badal's voice was much more powerful and clear than before, reaching even those standing quite far away.
The change didn't stop there.
Clouds gathered in the once-clear sky, and thunder rumbled—a display of power similar to when the Dark Elf Subjugation squad had set out in the past. Witnessing a glimpse of that immense power, the vassals hesitated and nodded.
"I-if the Family Head is willing to concede that much…"
"We can be satisfied with that."
If he had tried to bully them into submission by brandishing his power, they wouldn't have yielded out of pride. However, while showing his strength, Badal respected them with a tone that felt like a proposal, giving them a way to save face.
Consequently, the vassals, though still somewhat disgruntled, could no longer openly oppose him.
"Hey, is this okay? The atmosphere is getting a bit weird."
Solif glanced at Turan and asked, but Turan couldn't answer the question. He had just intuited the change occurring within Badal, who was now showing a vigorous side unlike before.
That is…
The moment Badal stepped forward in earnest and used his mana, something new emerged between the lightning clouds and the fist, which had previously been separate.
A hammer and an anvil—the symbol of the Enchanter bloodline, the same as the one belonging to the Berk family standing beside him.
The clenched fist lifted the hammer and struck the anvil with a heavy thud. At that moment, the lightning and wind that began there swirled frantically within Badal.
Turan could easily guess what it signified.
The Thunder Lord…
One who wields a giant hammer and commands wind and lightning.
The phenomenon occurring within Badal's body was a perfect representation of the great Frea Divine Clan, the Thunder Lord, whom the Arabions worshipped as their progenitor.
*
After Badal withdrew, returning to the appearance of a frail old man after his display of force, the vassals debated with the Elders for several more hours before finally reaching a suitable compromise.
As the Family Head had previously promised, the actual power of the Middle-Aged Faction nobles, including Kadram, was temporarily stripped, and they would be strictly investigated by a team that included nobles from the vassal families. Furthermore, they received a promise that no disadvantages would be given using this gathering or the display of force as a pretext.
To Turan, this seemed like the best realistic outcome.
Since there was virtually no chance of Arabion being completely overturned, at least the Middle-Aged Faction was half-neutralized, and with the vassals having pushed their demands through, the Berk family was no longer in immediate danger.
In contrast, the faces of the Berk nobles who returned to Zabilin were not very bright. Their relative and the next head of Arabion, Meisa, was either a runaway or missing, and they had even directly confronted their liege house, Arabion. Although it had been agreed to let the matter pass, being in the bad graces of one's superiors was never a comfortable position.
Even after returning to the Berk estate, Turan did not discuss the existence of the Thunder Lord with Solif and Asiz. Having confirmed that his opponent could exert god-like power, he was reluctant to mention it in detail while still relatively close by. Fortunately, the two accepted his explanation that he would tell them later when it was safer.
A few days later, as expected, an Arabion investigation team came looking for Turan.
"Turan, the wandering noble of the Barrier Master bloodline. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
One of Meisa's few outsider friends, and someone who happened to visit the area and even send a letter a few weeks before the incident. On top of that, someone with excellent mana and magic skills. Listing this information made him a truly suspicious character. Officially, since it was framed as a Zahar plot, the suspicion was merely whether he was an accomplice.
Of course, their investigation soon hit a snag.
"You say he flew through the sky on a swing pulled by that golden eagle?"
"Yes, I saw it myself, sir."
"Even a week ago?"
"That's right, sir."
Not only did they hear about the movements of Solif—who had been acting as Turan—from the city people, but the family servants also testified that they had seen Turan every day. It was thanks to Asiz spreading the word in advance.
Of course, if they had taken them and tortured them, a few might have talked, but was Arabion currently in a position to dare do such a thing?
They even checked how strong and fast Turan's golden eagle, Bije, was, but the clever Bije put on a pathetic, staggering performance in front of the investigation team, showing less than a tenth of her usual strength.
"Bije, faster! I said fly as fast as you can!"
Even as Turan, sitting on the swing, sharply rebuked her, the investigation team, seeing Bije struggling and panting as she flew, had no choice but to admit that the golden eagle wasn't particularly useful for an escape. No matter how much smarter a magical beast was than a normal animal, it was hard to imagine that she was perfectly in league with her master and intentionally ignoring his commands.
After finally proving that he was a noble of the Barrier Master bloodline, the investigation team acknowledged Turan's innocence and withdrew.
In the process, he realized one more thing…
As I thought, their connection with the Zahar side isn't as strong as I expected.
If the Middle-Aged Faction of Arabion had a strong bond with Zahar, someone among them should have looked at Turan's face or portrait and been reminded of his father or grandfather. The fact that they didn't meant they hadn't secured the faces of the Zahar nobles, or even if they had met in person, it wasn't enough to be familiar with their faces.
If possible, he wanted to infiltrate their main estate once more for reconnaissance, but a second time would likely be difficult. Given what had happened at the end, they would now be aware of the existence of magic devices that forge faces and voices.
After staying for about another month, Turan finally informed Midella of his intention to leave the family. In fact, considering he had been staying under the pretext of meeting Meisa, it was actually quite late, so Midella expressed her gratitude to him. She knew that Turan had remained to bolster the family's numbers to help them withstand Arabion's pressure.
"Well then, shall we go?"
"I never want to ride this damn swing again."
Along with Solif, who grumbled that he was sick of riding the swing after doing it for days, Turan left the Berk estate on the swing in the middle of the night.
Since Bije could now fly at an altitude where they looked like mere dots from the ground, there was no chance of their route being tracked by anyone. Across the Dakein Plains, through the forest areas being slowly rebuilt by settlers, across the wilderness, and finally to the Siraf Wetlands.
Despite the swing being heavier than before due to making it sturdier, they were able to reach the hot springs area in just three or four days of flight.
"…Turan?"
"It's been a while, Meisa."
Meisa, whom he hadn't seen in about two months, was looking after a baby monkey. Seeing that she hadn't put much weight on her face or body, it seemed she had failed to eat properly on her own. Considering how quickly she had gained weight when he had practically forced food into her stomach, she wouldn't be in that state if she had eaten even a little.
"Has life here been alright?"
"Yes. Icool has been treating me well."
Icool, the Monkey King and master of the hot springs area, let out a snort at Meisa's words. Unlike the gruff attitude he had shown Turan in the past, he treated Meisa quite gently, making Turan wonder if he just liked women.
"What are you glaring at, you brat?"
Seeing him show a dissatisfied look toward Solif again, that suspicion only grew.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Meisa asked with a somewhat anxious expression.
"What happened to the Berk family? And my aunt?"
Safety was likely her biggest concern during the month she had spent here. While Turan and Solif were top-tier nobles who could easily look after themselves, the Berks were relatively weak and had much to protect. The reason she hadn't complained about the harassment she had suffered was also out of fear that the Berk family would be crushed under Arabion's power.
Turan calmly explained to Meisa the events that had unfolded on the Dakein Plains after her departure.
"So, they'll be safe for the time being. At least as long as the tension with Zahar is maintained publicly."
"Thank goodness…"
A bright smile spread across Meisa's face as she listened to the explanation. It seemed she had been sick with worry while being half-confined to this hot springs area for the past month.
Just as Turan was nodding in agreement that it was a good thing, she suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. Though she had put on a bit of weight compared to before, she still had a gaunt frame, so he felt almost no weight from her.
"My mind was a bit scrambled last time… and after coming here, I realized I hadn't said this. Truly, truly, thank you. For taking me out of that hell."
Turan pondered how to respond before giving Meisa a few gentle, reassuring pats on the back.
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