Shepherd Wizard Chapter 54

Translator: Pai_

Lifespan and Vessel.

No matter how many times he read it, the implication of its contents was clear.

The Preah God Tribe had a lifespan, and they did not ascend, they simply grew old and died.

Some of them might even still be alive, having transferred their bodies. Every detail was terrifying enough that he hesitated to speak of it aloud.

"Do you happen to know who wrote this?"

"I don’t. That was here long before I came into existence. If it had been added later, I might have remembered who brought it in, but..."

Though his appearance and behavior resembled that of a human, the librarian was, after all, a spirit that had come into being alongside the library’s construction.

He only knew what happened around the library and the contents of the books stored within.

Unfortunately, there were no other books left by the owner of this handwriting.

"Still, thanks to this, I’ve learned something interesting. Lifespan, huh... Hmm. Now I understand why my creator seemed so rushed…"

The librarian nodded as if he had grasped something and stroked his beard.

Come to think of it, hadn’t he said that The Lame Goddess was incredibly impatient when she created the library?

Most likely, she had come here knowing that her life was nearing its end.

Why exactly she chose to spend her final moments creating a library was a mystery.

Afterward, Turan continued his conversation with the librarian.

Topics included analyzing the principles of magic he had newly learned during his travels through natural laws, and what history lay in the lands he had passed through.

They also discussed what the surviving members of the Preah God Tribe might be doing now if they had overcome their lifespan limits, though they reached no particular conclusion.

At the very least, it was clear that they had yet to openly reveal themselves and dominate the world.

At that moment, the librarian, as if something had just occurred to him, posed a question.

"Come to think of it, you sneaked in this time. Are you involved with the faction attacking this city?"

"Attack?"

"Yes."

Turan tilted his head at the unfamiliar topic.

"As I mentioned earlier, I flew straight here from far away, so I don’t know much about the situation here. I did sense a bit of unrest, though..."

"This city is currently at war. Strictly speaking, it has been caught up in one."

Even recalling what he had seen from the sky on his way here, there was no obvious sign of conflict.

At most, the streets seemed a little less crowded.

"Is it a war between wizard families?"

"Yes. All the wizard houses in this area have split into two factions, centered around two houses called House Hadit and House Corel."

Hadit and Corel, names he had heard before.

Back when he had fabricated his identity in front of Orem’s lord, hadn’t these families been mentioned as examples of those in conflict?

If it was a war between wizard families, it wasn’t surprising that there were no visible traces of battle.

Unlike other races, wizards saw enemy cities and villages as nothing more than prey to be claimed.

Of course, if it were a large-scale war like the one between House Arabion and House Zahar, it would be a different story, but that didn’t seem to be the case here.

"While other races are sweeping away several cities right next door, people are fighting among themselves..."

"That’s actually the reason the war started."

"Could you explain in more detail?"

"I only picked up bits and pieces from the chatter around here, so I can’t say for certain."

According to the librarian, Hadit and Corel were families that ruled over two nearby cities.

About a decade ago, they went to war over some unresolved issue, during which each side lost a few nobles and over a dozen knights.

Though they eventually reached a truce, deep-seated resentment remained.

Then, a few months ago, Dark Elves launched a large-scale invasion of the eastern forest region, only to be repelled by Arabion’s army.

As a result, that area suddenly became a highly desirable frontier for development.

Establishing a new colony where the old city once stood and merely transporting large quantities of harvested wood would yield immense profits.

The noble families in the area, without exception, organized expeditionary groups to pioneer the unclaimed land.

Each group primarily consisted of a few nobles from the family, a dozen or so knights, and refugees who had fled from the forest region.

“But in the midst of all that, conflicts arose over which family would claim which section of land, and eventually, Hadit and Corel went to war once again. Since this time it was a matter of interests, the scale grew even larger than before, splitting several families in the region into two opposing factions.”

In this situation, House Baltas, the ruling family of Orem, sided with House Hadit, as the head of Baltas was married to a woman from that family.

The problem was that Hadit was now on the verge of defeat.

With the upper hand, Corel’s forces were sweeping through the territories of families allied with Hadit, demanding their surrender.

And now, it seemed that Orem City would soon face the same fate.

Having heard the full explanation, Turan let out a low groan.

“Hmm…”

Hearing the story, he could understand why the city's atmosphere had become so unsettled.

If anything, it was surprising that they had stationed even a single knight as a guard in front of the library.

Probably they wanted to put up a show of strength, since removing the knight would reveal just how desperate the situation was.

“Well, that’s just how people are. If I recall correctly, the ones in power now have been ruling for about four hundred years. It’s about time for a change.”

The librarian treated the war as if it were nothing unusual, as though such conflicts were routine.

And indeed, for someone who had lived for thousands of years, witnessing the city change hands multiple times, it likely wasn’t a big deal.

“I suppose I shouldn’t stay around here too long. I might get caught up in something unnecessary.”

Since wizards rarely looked up at the sky, riding Bije probably wouldn’t draw much attention. Still, caution was necessary.

So, where should he go next?

Sitting in his chair, Turan fell into deep thought.

It seemed best to postpone his journey to the Enril Desert for another year or two. Perhaps he should head south instead…

“Ugh.”

At that moment, a sharp, stabbing sensation flared within him, causing him to groan involuntarily.

Dizzying pain and fear, and a desperate feeling of searching for someone...

‘Bije?’

It was the emotions of his soul-bonded companion, Bije.

Turan immediately stood up and shouted to the librarian.

“Something urgent came up, I have to go!”

“Alright, come again.”

Before the librarian had even finished his slow response, Turan had already activated Concealment Magic and dashed out of the library.

As soon as he cast Detection Magic, he caught Bije’s scent and a faint trace of blood coming from the east.

Fortunately, the continued transmission of emotions indicated that Bije was still alive.

Without hesitation, Turan cast Flight Magic and shot eastward.

The knight standing guard at the library frowned as a sudden gust of wind swept past him.

‘It’s only been an hour or two at most…’

Flying through the sky, Turan clicked his tongue.

Bije was a Magical Beast strong enough that even most nobles would struggle to capture her, so Turan had let her roam freely. Yet, something had happened in that brief time.

Considering how he had left Bije alone for days in the Enril Desert in the past without issue, this was just sheer bad luck.

He had a good guess as to who had captured Bije.

The nobles of House Corel, the ones who were currently sweeping through the area.

Given the circumstances, they were the most likely culprits.

Following the scent trail, it didn’t take long for Turan to spot a camp where over a hundred people had gathered.

Unlike House Arabion’s military, their encampment was composed of multiple tents.

‘Eight nobles, thirty-five knights…’

Turan used the Sacred Relic’s sensory ability to precisely assess the situation inside the camp.

The unusually high number of nobles suggested that their goal wasn’t conquest but rather forcing the enemy into submission.

Still concealed, Turan stepped further into the encampment, where he spotted a large-built woman gripping Bije in one hand and handing him over to a black-haired nobleman.

Her magic power was slightly more than half of what Turan currently possessed, an impressive level among the heads of typical wizard families.

She was likely the leader of this camp.

"What's this now, sister?"

“A Magical Beast. I caught it while passing by. Lock it up properly.”

“It’s a lot stronger and more vicious than it looks. Look at this, I got scratched here!”

A nobleman standing next to the large woman, seemingly her comrade, rolled up his sleeve to show a fresh wound, boasting about it.

The black-haired noble ignored him and instead questioned the leader.

“Why not just kill and eat it?”

"It's for my son. If we kill it now, it'll become an undead spirit before we get home."

“Ah… Wait, sister. Looks like this one has an owner.”

The black-haired noble pointed at Bije’s ankle.

A rope dangled from it, the same rope Turan had tied there to prevent Bije from being mistaken for a wild Golden Eagle.

However, the noblewoman, who appeared to be the leader, smirked knowingly and shook her head.

"Ah, that? If it bothers you, just cut it off and throw it away.”

“Is that really okay? What if it belongs to some great noble family…?”

“Why would a noble’s pet be in this backwater? There’s nothing to worry about. At best, it’s something someone from House Hadit bought for a high price. No one on our side raises Magical Beasts, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

The black-haired noble nodded in understanding and burned away the rope tied around Bije’s ankle.

Bije let out a sharp cry, but with one wing twisted at an unnatural angle, she couldn’t put up much resistance.

Surprisingly, Turan didn’t feel anger upon witnessing this. Instead, an eerie sense of calm washed over him.

It was as if his emotions had burned away under the weight of his fury, leaving behind only pure rationality.

A moment later, still concealed, he followed the noble carrying Bije toward a tent in a corner of the encampment.

The black-haired noble was heating a thick metal rod, bending it back and forth to fashion a makeshift cage.

“Well, since its wing is broken, this should be enough… I’ll just have a knight guard it and, huh?”

The noble suddenly froze, realizing that a shadow had been cast behind him.

Turning his head, he saw a young man with gray hair and gray eyes.

Was there someone like this in their army?

No, more importantly, how had he entered the tent without making a sound?

“Excuse me. That Golden Eagle is my friend. May I take her back?”

"Uh, what? That's troublesome since sister brought it..."

The black-haired noble unconsciously responded awkwardly to the sudden request.

An outsider had suddenly appeared in the middle of their encampment and was politely asking to retrieve the Magical Beast their commander had captured.

His brain momentarily failed to process this completely unexpected development.

Instinctively, he emitted magic power toward Turan, but for some reason, there was no response.

In the wizarding world, projecting magic power toward someone was a way of saying: This is my level of power. Show me yours.

There were only two reasons someone wouldn’t respond.

Either they were an ordinary human with no magic power at all, or they were a pathetically weak wizard who couldn't afford to reveal their magic reserves.

As his mind cooled slightly, the black-haired noble considered the possibility that this intruder wasn’t actually powerful but was merely bluffing to reclaim his pet.

Still, there was a potential risk. He decided to proceed cautiously and asked a question.

“W-Who the hell are you? Your name, tell me your name.”

“I don’t think my identity is important. What matters is that she is precious to me. Return her, and I will not hold you accountable for breaking her wing.”

The black-haired noble was certain after hearing the next words.

This guy, at best, he was a knight or a low-ranking noble even weaker than himself.

Otherwise, wouldn't it make more sense to reveal his power and threaten, "Do you know who I am? Hand it over right now"?

“If I refuse-”

He was about to say what are you going to do about it? when he suddenly realized, the man before him had vanished.

What? Was it an illusion? Or-

Before he could finish the thought, the world spun around him.

The last thing he saw was his own headless body.

Turan looked down coldly at the noble’s decapitated corpse.

Regardless of whether the man was strong or weak, if he had at least recognized his wrongdoing and shown a hint of remorse, Turan might have spared him.

But without even that, he was nothing more than a bandit, a wolf to be hunted.

Leaving the headless noble behind, Turan sheathed his dagger and crouched beside Bije, stroking her head.

A flood of joyous emotions surged through their soul bond.

[Turan, I hurt! These people bad!]

“I’m sorry for leaving you alone. Did they attack you first?”

[Yes!]

Reading the words scratched onto the ground, Turan let out a dry chuckle.

He had expected as much, but still…

To think they would first attack and kidnap a magical beast clearly marked as having an owner, then try to use it as prey - they were bandits through and through.

Turan pulled out the Mimic Relic and drank about a quarter of the magic power of the Healer Bloodline stored within.

He could feel the Healer Bloodline's magic power filling up inside his body.

‘This should be enough.’

For an ordinary creature, a much smaller amount would have sufficed, but Magical Beasts required significantly more magic to heal.

Placing a hand on Bije’s twisted wing, he channeled his power.

Soon, a crackling sound echoed as the wing was set back into place.

A few moments later, Bije, now fully healed, radiated joy as she wrote out her words.

[It not hurt anymore!]

“That’s a relief. Bije, was it really painful?”

[Yes! But it is okay! Turan saved me!]

After writing that, Bije suddenly wiped away the words with her other foot and hesitated before scribbling again.

[From now on together! Don’t go alone!]

“I promise.”

Being left alone and nearly hunted had clearly shaken her deeply. Even after hopping onto Turan’s shoulder, Bije kept rubbing her head against Turan’s body, seeking comfort.

After spending a moment soothing his companion, Turan stepped out of the tent, his face now frozen in an icy expression.

Now, it was time to make the kidnappers pay.