Shepherd Wizard Chapter 65

Translator: Pai_

Originally, it is truly difficult to restrain a wizard, especially one of noble status.

Even if their entire body is bound with chains, they can melt them and escape. If locked in a room surrounded by thick walls, they can create a passage through the walls.

However, at this moment, Solif was not attempting to escape in such a manner. Instead, he was merely leaning helplessly against the wall.

Judging by the flow of magic power emanating from the chains that bound him, it seemed that those chains were the problem.

‘If it’s capable of restraining a high-ranking noble, then it must be a treasure akin to a sacred relic…’

Of course, considering that the nobles gathered here were likely the elite of House Varaha who had come to capture Solif, it was not all that surprising.

What was more puzzling was that they were calmly staying at Deben Island, which was Corvinus's last stronghold.

Should he run away now, or should he stay a little longer to gather more information?

After a brief moment of deliberation, Turan chose the second option.

As long as it was not an immediate crisis, the more information he had, the more advantageous the situation could become.

And fortunately, there was someone here who could provide him with the most relevant information.

After moving a little away from the prison, Turan activated a wind path, an application of wind magic.

Normally, this technique was used to silently shoot stones at high speed, but with a slight modification, it could serve another purpose.

That was to create a path from his mouth to the other person’s ear, allowing him to secretly transmit his voice.

[Hey.]

Startled by the unexpected voice, Solif twisted his body, causing the chains to rattle with a clanking sound.

The young noble, who had been lounging around, turned around in surprise and shouted.

"What the fuck, what was that? I'm telling you, there's no way you can break out of that! Quit scaring people for no reason…"

His blatantly mocking attitude was far from how one would treat the heir of a prestigious house.

After a brief silence returned, Turan spoke again in the same manner.

[Stay still in your seat and don’t move your face. I’ll let you speak without making a sound.]

Turan confirmed that Solif’s silhouette had stiffened as if frozen in place, then created a second wind path.

This time, it started inside his ear and connected to Solif’s mouth.

[It’s done. Even if you speak softly, I can hear you, so just whisper.]

[Who are you?]

[The guy you drank with at the beach a while ago.]

[...Ah, right, Turan. That was your name. How did you do this? Is it a magic artifact?]

Since they had only met once a few days ago, Solif did not immediately recognize Turan’s voice.

It was also likely because the voice was somewhat distorted when transmitted through the wind path.

Instead of answering his question, Turan asked one of his own.

[The nobles here, they’re the elite of House Varaha, right?]

[Yeah. They were determined to take me away. I put up a decent fight, but they brought a pile of suppression-type magic artifacts, so I didn’t stand a chance. You’re not here to rescue me… are you?]

[When I went to Parayan Island, I saw Corvinus kidnapping people left and right and turning them into slaves, so I came to kill him. And then I saw this mess.]

[...I only found out today, but Corvinus is a fake identity used by my- by House Varaha people. He was using a magic artifact that changes one’s face. It’s probably the same one my childhood friend used.]

The fact that he started to say "my house" but changed his words was quite significant.

In any case, just as expected, the Corvinus pirate group was a force created by House Varaha to exert influence over the South Sea.

Most likely, those like Vagos, whom he had killed a few hours ago, were local subordinates recruited through the use of false identities.

[I told you to get as far away from your house as possible.]

If Solif had taken Turan’s advice seriously and fled west toward the Siraf Wetland, he would not have been captured here within just a few days.

It was obvious that he had continued exploring various places in the South Sea afterward.

[Hah, to be honest, I didn’t expect them to come after me so quickly. And to mobilize this much manpower on top of that…]

Solif muttered bitterly that he had expected, at most, his parents or a few relatives to come and try to persuade him.

After grasping the situation, Turan pondered how he should act moving forward.

He had already dealt a blow to the enemy by destroying two major strongholds of the Corvinus pirate group, but since he had only killed the local pirates so far, he could still walk away from this without escalating things further.

However, if he rescued Solif, that would be the equivalent of landing a direct punch to the face of House Varaha.

Even if he fought alongside Solif after freeing him, the two of them alone would not stand a chance against a great noble house, which was far too powerful an entity to take on.

By contrast, the option of quietly slipping away felt much more tempting.

After all, he was not close enough to Solif to risk his life for him, and so far, he had not mentioned any information that might provoke the divine entity that could be backing House Varaha,

‘Ha.’

As his thoughts continued, Turan realized that he was just looking for an excuse to retreat out of fear.

The reason he had come here in the first place was because the Corvinus pirate group had been kidnapping ordinary people, enslaving and abusing them.

That act had reminded him of the stories his mother used to tell, tales of evil nobles who captured and exploited knights. In those suffering people, he saw a reflection of his younger self, who had once feared such corrupt nobles.

But did the fact that his enemy was a great noble house, one of the most powerful military forces in the world, change anything?

If anything, the fact that such powerful individuals were using their strength to oppress ordinary people was even more disgraceful.

To rampage freely when thinking the opponent was weak, only to cower like a beaten dog the moment a strong enemy appeared, such cowardice was utterly despicable.

[Solif.]

[What?]

[Want me to rescue you?]

[I mean, obviously, I’d love that, but can you? In terms of numbers and strength, these guys could wipe out more than a dozen decent wizard houses without breaking a sweat. On top of that, some of them took my magic artifacts. I know you’re pretty skilled, but this won’t be easy.]

Come to think of it, as the heir of House Varaha, Solif had originally possessed quite a few powerful magic artifacts. But now, aside from the chains binding him, he was completely unarmed.

Well, there was no reason for them to let their captive keep such things.

[I have a way. First, if I remove those chains, you’ll be able to fight again, right?]

[Even if I look fine on the outside, I’m actually pretty banged up. If I don’t get treated, I don’t think I’ll be able to fight properly.]

[Then I’ll heal you. But you have to promise me two things.]

[What are they? Let me hear them.]

[First, aside from the two of us, not a single noble on this island will leave here alive.]

After Turan finished speaking, there was no immediate response.

A moment later, Solif spoke, his voice trembling slightly.

[...You mean kill them all?]

[Yes.]

[That’s a bit… I mean, they’re still my family-]

Since he had expected such a reaction, Turan began explaining in a low voice.

He spoke of the memorandum of the Preah God Tribe that he had discovered during his journey and the conclusions he had drawn from it.

When he heard the hypothesis that he would be used as a vessel for a god's soul, Solif's voice trembled slightly.

[What you just said… You’re not making this up, are you?]

[If necessary, I can provide some proof later. If it turns out I’m lying, you can kill me.]

If Turan had told this to the Solif he had met at the beach, he probably would not have taken it seriously.

Back then, he had just been a runaway youth, escaping from a family that had restrained and controlled him.

However, under the one-sided intimidation of the family's wizards, who descended upon him as if hunting a magical beast, it was difficult for Solif to simply dismiss Turan’s words.

The explanation made perfect sense as to why the family’s wizards had subdued him without the slightest respect for him as an heir.

[Alright, I’ll believe you for now. But… do we really have to kill them all? We could just take out the ones in front of us and escape on our own.]

[There are already more than a few people who know I’ve been attacking the Corvinus pirate group. The moment I free you, it’ll be obvious who’s responsible, meaning that from then on, both of us will be on an irreversible path with House Varaha. Since we’re going to be their enemies anyway, we need to use this opportunity to weaken their forces as much as possible while strengthening our own.]

On top of that, dealing a major blow here could help slow down House Varaha’s pursuit.

A great noble house, in proportion to its vast scale, had to maintain its domains by hunting magical beasts and protecting its lands with powerful nobles.

If many of their strongest nobles were wiped out, sending more nobles out into the field would only weaken their foundation.

After Turan finished his explanation and fell silent, Solif responded after a moment, his voice tinged with gloom.

[Alright, I understand. What’s the second condition?]

[Move with me and provide your full support in everything I do, for about twenty years.]

Turan had estimated that twenty years was the time it would take for him to become strong enough to at least survive against the heads of great noble houses, if not match them.

Whether he would actually encounter enemies strong enough to help him reach that level was a matter of luck.

The condition of giving his full support was closer to recruiting Solif as a subordinate rather than simply making him a companion. For a high-ranking noble like Solif, it was a condition that could feel humiliating.

Which was why Turan added a bait that Solif would not be able to refuse.

[In exchange for the second condition, I’ll tell you something you desperately want to know.]

[What is it?]

[I know where the drowned god’s corpse is.]

After completing the negotiation and tactical discussion, Turan re-entered the prison while maintaining his concealment spell.

He silently approached the noble standing guard with a careless attitude, covered his mouth with one hand, and stabbed his dagger into the man’s throat.

“Ghk-”

The noble from House Varaha widened his eyes in shock, struggling to resist, but he was no match for Turan, who not only possessed overwhelming magic power but had also trained his body extensively.

After stabbing him several more times in the chest and abdomen, Turan tossed the lifeless body forward.

Solif, who had been sitting still inside the prison, watching the scene, spoke in a hollow tone.

“…You really killed him.”

“Yeah, I really did. Now, I’m going to free you, so stay still.”

Since Turan had already revealed after the negotiation that he could use the power of the House Zahar bloodline, Solif was not particularly surprised.

Turan easily bent the iron bars and stepped inside, then reached for the chains binding Solif.

According to Solif’s explanation, the function of this magic artifact was simple yet incredibly powerful.

When wrapped around a living being, the longer they remained bound, the stronger the restraining force became, ultimately suppressing their ability to use magic power.

Though impractical for throwing in the middle of battle, it was the perfect tool for completely restraining a subdued opponent.

Using a lockpicking spell enhanced by wind magic, Turan undid the lock securing the chains. As soon as he was freed, Solif rotated his arms, stretching his stiff body.

"Ugh, as expected the magic power doesn't return right away..."

“Rest for a bit. I’ll heal you.”

Since Turan had absorbed the power of the Healer Bloodline from the Mimic Relic before coming in, he immediately cast healing magic on Solif.

Since he had already used a quarter of it on Bije, only three-quarters of it remained. Given that stronger magical beings required more magic power to heal even the same injuries, it would be difficult to completely restore him.

However, since Solif had not sustained any severe wounds to begin with, he could at least recover enough to fight without issue.

As Turan absorbed magic power from the noble’s corpse after finishing his work, Solif, now recovered, muttered in disbelief.

“Invisibility and healing magic… Are you sure you’re not some reincarnation of the Preah God Tribe?”

"Don't exaggerate. You remember the plan, right?”

“Of course. It hasn’t even been that long since you explained it.”

As they left the underground prison together, Turan focused on the presences he could sense above.

Just in case, he checked, but it seemed none of them had realized what had happened below.

After sending Solif outside, Turan ascended to the upper floors and quickly noticed that the nobles’ sleeping quarters were completely enveloped in magic power.

It was undoubtedly the power of the Barrier Master Bloodline.

‘Well, with the Enril Desert near, of course, they wouldn’t let their guard down.’

Naturally, nobles of House Zahar had no reason to suddenly attack people who were not from a hostile house like House Arabion. Still, it was human nature to prepare for the possibility of individuals with concealment abilities lurking nearby.

Even if that was not the case, they might have simply been guarding against the vulnerability of being asleep.

Remaining hidden, Turan flicked a spark of fire out the window as a signal. Before long, outside, Solif began wildly lashing out with the same whip of light he had used in the past, initiating destruction.

“I—AM—FREE—!”

With the booming voice characteristic of a high-ranking noble, his deafening shout rang out as light and fire erupted in all directions, instantly rousing the sleeping fortress.

As the panicked pirates scrambled in confusion, Turan sensed the barrier over the sleeping quarters being lifted.

“What’s going on?”

“That bastard broke free!”

“How? Enke was guarding him!”

“We need to subdue him again! One of you, go down to the prison and check if the chains are still there! The rest, follow me!”

The voices of the Varaha nobles were evident with confusion.

For them, the fact that Solif had escaped was an impossibility, so their reaction was natural.

Because of that, they rushed across the corridor so quickly that they failed to notice the thick layer of black powder scattered all over the floor.

Then again, without the abilities of the Zahar Bloodline, spotting something like that in the dark corridors of the night would have been difficult.

As Turan dropped from the window using flight magic, he ignited the Spirit of Fire that covered the corridor.

**

Hey everyone! Sorry I couldn't post any chapters last week - I was feeling under the weather and wasn't up for translating. To make it up to you, I've released this mass release! And a huge thanks to all the new Patreon supporters who've joined recently.

Also, exciting news - this novel is officially getting a manhwa adaptation! While we don't have a release date yet, the author mentioned that work on it is already underway.