Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80 Upon hearing that the Head of the Lavitas family was approaching, the other two looked down the mountain with tense expressions, just as Turan had moments before.
Meisa was the first to speak. "The Head of a Great House? Could it be...?"
"I don't know. I suspect not, but I can't be sure," Turan replied.
That was the only answer he could give regarding the suspicion that a divine being might have possessed the man. Judging by how Lida had been searching for the White Elf's whereabouts, their family didn't seem to have the ability to toy with souls, but he had to consider the possibility that they had used other methods.
Hearing this, Solif muttered with a look of exhaustion, "...Should we run?"
"We haven't committed any crimes. Running would only make us look more suspicious."
If the mage presumed to be the Lavitas Head were as overwhelmingly powerful as the Arabion Head, Turan would have fled for safety. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. If the three of them combined their strength, they might not be able to win a fight, but they could certainly manage an escape.
Besides, wasn't the Lavitas bloodline ability more suited for survival than combat? He decided it was better to take a slight risk and gather some information.
As the three of them recovered the mana they had spent on magic practice, the two nobles ascending from below met with Icool and shared a brief conversation. Judging by how Icool pointed toward them, he was likely informing them of the visitors on the mountain.
A short while later, when Lida reached them, Turan was startled by the appearance of the person beside her. The source of that immense mana was a boy with delicate features who looked to be sixteen at most.
Having noticed their presence as well, Lida waved at Turan and called out. "Well, if it isn't young Turan!"
"It has been a while, Lady Lida."
"A while? It's only been three or four months. To someone like me, that's as recent as last night!"
It was never easy to get used to Lida, who spoke like an old woman despite her youthful face and voice. Just then, the boy beside her gave a small cough, as if reminding her not to forget him.
"Ahem."
"Oh, right. You two haven't met. This is Turan, he's from... where was it again?"
"I am from Kalamaf," Turan provided.
"Ah, right! My old mind slips so often these days. This is young Turan from the northeastern city of Kalamaf. Hmm, a wandering noble, he was. And this is Osel Lavitas, my cousin."
"I am Turan."
"Hmph."
When Turan greeted him calmly, pretending not to know his true identity, Osel—who had been receiving the greeting with a solemn face—scowled. Lida nudged him in the ribs, and he gave a slight, reluctant nod. It seemed they were also trying to hide the fact that the boy was the Head of the Lavitas family.
As they drew closer, Turan immediately heightened his relic-enhanced senses to check the symbols residing within their bodies.
Joined silver hands, and a staff entwined by two white snakes. They were the symbols of the Purifier and Healer bloodlines, respectively.
The Lavitas Head doesn't have a third bloodline...
Seeing this, Turan was able to relax his shoulders a bit. It meant there was a high probability that the boy before him wasn't a vessel for some god, but simply an exceptionally powerful mage. Though how he had accumulated such massive mana remained a mystery.
Then, Lida looked at the two standing behind Turan and asked, "I see you've gained more friends. Would you mind introducing them?"
"This is Sol and Misha. They are friends in similar circumstances to mine, and we decided to travel together since we share the same goals."
Sol and Misha—those were the aliases the two had decided to use. Normally, when using an alias, it was better to use a name that wasn't similar at all, but they found that they often reacted slowly when called by completely different names. Thus, they chose names that were somewhat similar to their own but already in common use.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
"You are Lady Lida, correct? I've heard much about you from Turan. You are truly beautiful!"
Unlike Meisa, who only gave a polite bow, Solif offered a slick compliment and acted friendly. Lida seemed pleased by his brazen charm and laughed heartily, waving her hand.
"Flattering this old woman won't get you anything! More importantly, I heard from Icool that you've been staying here for a few weeks. Did you come to enjoy the hot springs?"
"Yes. If our stay here is a nuisance, we will leave immediately."
"Not at all! Nature's gifts belong to whoever uses them. However..." For some reason, Lida looked at them with a slightly worried expression. "Do you all have purification magic devices?"
"No, we don't..."
"If you plan to keep using the hot springs, you should get some. As you know, the monkeys use these springs quite a bit, and those creatures have a nasty habit of defecating while soaking. Well, it won't make us sick or anything, but it's rather unpleasant, isn't it?"
Lida added that she always used purification magic before entering the springs. Upon hearing this, every member of Turan's group froze like statues.
After leaving everyone feeling disgusted with that shocking truth, Lida glanced at Meisa's face and looked as if she had realized something.
"Now that I think about it, you were looking for sulfur because you needed an antidote, right? That young lady's health certainly looks quite poor. But didn't you say you were nobles?"
Meisa had been force-fed for the past few days and had nearly increased her weight by half, but by normal standards, she was still horrifyingly underweight. Of course, going from a skeleton that looked like a corpse to a sickly-looking lady was already immense progress.
Since it would be troublesome if Lida offered to treat her, Turan gave a small cough and changed the subject.
"The sulfur wasn't for Me—Misha. She's just a bit thin. More importantly, did you and your brother come here for the hot springs?"
"Indeed! I've been frantically busy for the past few months and was desperate for a rest. Besides, my brother has been practically confined to the main house since he was young and rarely had a chance to come out. I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce him to Icool as well."
"If I may ask, how old is your brother? He looks quite young..."
At Turan's words, a flash of displeasure crossed the face of Osel, the boy presumed to be the Family Head. It seemed he disliked being called young or youthful. Just then, Lida reached out and gave Osel's cheeks a long tug.
"Now, now, don't scowl. If you live with a frown like that, you'll get wrinkles."
"I wish I would get some, Sister. My face lacks dignity as it is," Osel muttered as if grumbling, his cheeks still pinched. The sight of them truly looked like an older sister and a younger brother with a large age gap; it was hard to imagine him as a vessel for a god.
A moment later, rubbing his cheeks, Osel spoke to Turan's group in an arrogant tone.
"I turned one hundred and thirty-two this year. Despite appearances, I am old enough to be a father to anyone here, so I shall speak plainly."
One hundred and thirty-two. He was more than twice the age of Solif, the oldest among them. Yet, he was still very young compared to Lida. Perhaps the "cousin" title was a lie, or there was a massive age gap in their parents' generation.
Having revealed his age, Osel began talking to Icool as if he had lost all interest in the others. This allowed Turan to ask Lida the question he had in mind.
"By the way, has anything happened near the Siraf Wetlands lately? I heard things were quite noisy down in the Southern Sea recently."
What Turan wanted to know was how the Baraha family was searching for Solif. Considering the Southern Sea was the last place he was spotted, this region of Lavitas could be expected to be one of his potential hiding spots.
"Well? Has anything happened? Ah, someone from the Baraha family to the east did visit recently."
To Turan's surprise, Lida mentioned the very information he wanted as if she had been waiting for the prompt. Beside him, Solif flinched visibly, but Meisa calmed him with a sharp nudge to his side.
"What brought them all the way from there?"
"Apparently, the heir of their Great House betrayed the family and fled. There's a high chance he's hiding somewhere in the Southern Archipelago, so they've issued a bounty to all families adjacent to those waters. They said he must not be killed; he must be captured alive so his mana can be absorbed."
"Capturing the heir of a Great House alive rather than killing him... that sounds like an impossible task for ordinary families."
The strength of the Baraha nobles who had come to catch Solif before was enough to easily massacre several average families. At the very least, it would take more than a dozen families working together just to kill him. Even then, they would likely be picked off one by one.
"In exchange, they're offering quite excellent magic devices just for reporting his location. And if someone succeeds in capturing and delivering him, the reward is a Holy Relic. They're likely targeting the other Great Houses with that. Are you interested?"
"Not particularly... Do they have a portrait or anything?"
"I received one, but I haven't looked at it. I can get it for you if you need it."
"No, I was just curious."
Turan glanced at Solif as he answered. He had thought Baraha would contact a few Great Houses secretly rather than making it public, but it seemed they had issued a full-scale manhunt. At this rate, it would be difficult for Solif to operate with his original face in any region bordering the Southern Sea.
Should I have Solif wear this mask for a while?
That would make it impossible to read his bloodline, but he could just borrow it back whenever necessary. As he pondered this, another question occurred to Turan.
"Is there any news related to me, by any chance?"
"You? Did you do something?"
"Yes, I wiped out a pirate crew in the Southern Sea."
Considering that the pirate crew was a front for the Baraha family, the possibility that Turan was the one who rescued Solif was not small. However, hearing this, Lida laughed as if it were absurd and shook her head.
"Do you have any idea how many pirates are in the Southern Sea? Rumors like that don't even reach our ears. That's something for the subordinates to handle."
"I see."
In other words, the Baraha family had only put Solif on the wanted list, not Turan.
Did they judge me to be just some small fry who has nothing to do with Solif? I'd be grateful if that's the case, but...
After all, the only one who knew how powerful a mage Turan truly was was likely Tasan of the Red Whale Pirates. As long as he didn't talk, Baraha might think Turan was just one of the many wandering nobles, and that the annihilation of the pursuit team was merely a coincidence.
Of course, he would have to dig into the Baraha main house to know the full details, but knowing he wasn't currently wanted was a significant gain.
Now that I think about it, I should visit the Red Whale Pirates later too. I need to know if they returned the people on that island properly.
The route was a bit inconvenient, but it seemed like a good idea to check on them after stopping by the library.
*
After a bit more conversation, Turan informed Lida and Osel that they would be leaving. The Lavitas pair planned to stay near the hot springs for a while, and Turan felt it would be troublesome if they happened to see a wanted poster with Solif's face during that time.
Lida felt uneasy, thinking they were chasing Turan's group away, but Osel seemed pleased that the uninvited guests were leaving. Regardless, this meeting had confirmed one important fact: Lavitas was likely not in the clutches of a divine being.
Afterward, instead of flying on Bije immediately, Turan's group moved northwest through the Siraf Wetlands on foot, focusing on magic practice and health recovery as before.
When he judged that Meisa had gained enough weight, Turan implemented the second phase of his plan for her recovery.
"Now, harder!"
"Aaaagh!"
At Turan's command, Meisa's face turned bright red as she screamed, struggling to push her legs out. She was performing the physical training secrets Turan had once practiced under Haram. He had even incorporated some techniques Solif had learned from the Baraha family. Turan and Solif were acting as the training magic devices.
One supported her back while the other pressed down hard on her legs to provide resistance. As she panted, exhausted, Turan gave a stern command, just as Haram once had to him.
"It's not time to rest yet. One more!"
"I'm... I'm really at my limit..."
"Doing one more when you're at your limit is what helps. Hurry!"
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Just as it had been for Turan, this physical training was deathly painful, but the effects were undeniable. Due to the nature of a noble's body, which naturally seeks an ideal form under the influence of mana, muscle began to form as soon as flesh filled out her skin and bones, making her body firm.
Of course, since her frame wasn't particularly thick to begin with, she wouldn't reach a robust physique like Haram or Solif, but if she could just reach the level of an average adult woman, she would be able to exert decent physical ability backed by her immense mana.
After about three or four weeks of heading north and focusing on Meisa's rehabilitation, the wetlands finally ended, and the wasteland stretched out before them. Seeing the Western Wastelands for the first time in a long while, Turan narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"Let's go through here in one go. I'm a bit uneasy."
"Now that I think about it, didn't you say you fought an army here?"
"I did. I didn't leave any traces... but just in case."
He suspected the side the Baltas family belonged to had won the war by now, but he wouldn't know for sure until they reached Orem. Turan's group flew over the wasteland in the swing pulled by Bije, looking down at the ground.
"It looks pretty empty overall."
"But seeing as there are quite a few people traveling, the war must be over."
Since Bije also remembered their previous visit to the library, they were able to reach Orem City without getting lost.
"Hey, you there! Wash up before you come in!"
"Aw, come on, this much is fine..."
"If you don't want a beating, get lost!"
Watching a peddler and a policeman bicker, Turan let out a small sigh of relief. The atmosphere of Orem City was exactly as it had been.
"This place is the same as ever."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. It looks like they won the war. It's better when the owner doesn't change."
After passing through the city gates without issue, the three headed straight for the palace where the Lord would be. Previously, Turan had been alone and had snuck in, but he couldn't do that this time. Unless they were going to smash their way in, they needed permission.
"Is that the library?"
"That's it."
"It's so tall..."
It seemed it was Meisa's first time seeing the Orem Library as well, as she let out a gasp of admiration. Arriving at the Lord's manor shortly after, Turan waved at the knight guarding the entrance.
"Hey, it's been a while. Your name was—"
"Ah, Noble One! Welcome!"
Fortunately, the one guarding the entrance was the same knight he had met at the library before, so there was no need to demonstrate his mana. Following his guidance into the manor, Turan's group soon met the new Lord of Orem.
"A pleasure to meet you. Turan, was it? I heard about you from Marvin."
The new master of Orem, Gillon Baltas, was the nephew of the previous Lord, Lug, and the older brother of Marvin, whom Turan had gone hunting with. He explained that he had inherited the position after Lug lost his life near the end of the recent war.
"I offer my condolences on the passing of the former Lord."
"Thank you. Your words help ease the sorrow a bit."
Of course, contrary to his words, there wasn't a trace of sadness on his face. Turan didn't bother asking what had happened to Izella, the former Lord's daughter. Whether she was dead or alive, showing interest in her might displease the current Lord.
Unlike the previous Lord, who had granted entry easily for the purpose of hunting monkey magical beasts, this Lord wanted money in exchange for using the library. Perhaps the territory had been impoverished by the war.
Since he had more gold and silver than he knew what to do with, Turan presented a pouch of gold coins and received permission before heading to the library with the other two.
"Welcome, Noble Ones."
"Here is the permit."
"Confirmed. Please, enter."
Receiving the knight's polite greeting, Turan stepped inside. As soon as he confirmed the door was closed, he called out loudly for the Librarian. Knowing from experience that voices inside didn't leak out, he didn't hold back.
"I'm back, Elder!"
"I guess I really can't see him."
"Me neither. Damn, what a waste. To meet an ancient spirit and not be able to see or hear him directly."
Since Solif was very interested in ancient tales, his disappointment seemed even greater. Turan shook his head at their expectant gazes.
"No, I can't see him right now either. He must have gone upstairs for a moment."
The Librarian was usually always on the first floor; had he found some materials he needed to look up? Turan's group waited on the first floor for several minutes, but the Librarian did not appear.
"...Elder?"
Turan's voice echoed hollowly through the library.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Read 192 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/the-shepherd-wizard
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━