Shepherd Wizard-Chapter 168.2

Translator: Pai_

Using Turan’s invisible railgun shot as the signal, the three-hundred-strong allied army of House Parsha and House Varaha advanced toward the army of House Carmine and mermaids, which outnumbered them more than ten to one.

Naturally, they weren’t frightened just because they were outnumbered.

Unlike the enemy, which consisted mostly of commoner-class mermaids and a few nobles of House Carmine and mermaid elites, the Parsha–Varaha alliance had deliberately filled about a third of their force with nobles.

Above all, the most critical factor was the overwhelming difference in firepower.

[“Spread it!”]

With a shout amplified by wind magic, the wizards of Parsha simultaneously scattered the black powder they held in their hands.

Spirits of Fire, otherwise known as gunpowder, rode the fierce wind and rained down upon the mermaids, exploding all at once.

"Aaaaargh!"

What Turan had once done to a group of pirates on an island years ago now unfolded on a far greater scale.

Just a few Ignition Magic spells, hardly burdensome even for the weakest knights, ripped hundreds of mermaids to shreds, drawing out blood-curdling screams.

“Nice!”

“Then let’s go one more......huh?”

Perhaps displeased with their celebration, it suddenly began to rain heavily from the sky.

Until just a moment ago, it had been a clear day with only some clouds.

They did not yet realize that it was the effect of a Rain Invocation Magic Artifact prepared in advance by the Carmine side, but it wasn’t difficult to recognize that the situation had worsened.

Not only was the use of gunpowder rendered ineffective, but the water-wielding Carmine wizards would grow stronger, while the fire-wielding Varaha wizards would lose power.

However, the balance between the two forces wasn’t so weak as to be broken by something like this.

“Nothing has changed! Attack-!”

At the signal, the wizards of the Parsha–Varaha alliance began launching every type of magic except fire.

As the Carmine wizards tried to intercept them and the commoner-class mermaids charged like hunting dogs, Jemel, who led the Carmine army, let out a groan while looking toward the Parsha camp in the distance.

“Turan, Parsha.......”

He, if no one else, could clearly understand why Turan had suddenly revealed himself.

Through his Spiritual Perception awakened before the battle, he had seen Turan capture the soul of the possessed body that had just died from the railgun.

Since one's soul is outside the body, one cannot maintain Concealment Magic in such a state.......

‘Can I kill him?’

He knew it intellectually.

That this was not the time to burn with revenge but to flee.

Against an enemy who could capture souls, his immortality would no longer serve its previous function.

However, his heated mind, infuriated by the utterly one-sided beating he had suffered, and his bloated pride, accumulated over many long years, could not accept it.

He had to at least land one blow to save face.

And perhaps, if the enemy was completely defenseless, this attack might end it easily.......

With that thought, three symbols mixed within him.

A flowing river froze with a cracking sound, taking the shape of a dragon. Then six eyes formed beside his head, bringing it to life and motion.

Rapids, Frost, Hunter.

A skill usable only when combining these three symbols, Eternal Chaser, formed in his hand and immediately shot toward Turan.

At a glance, it appeared to be no more than a turquoise shimmer, but it was a terrifying curse that instantly froze whatever it touched.

No magic of the modern era could break it.

If it hit the defenseless Turan, even one with the power of a family head would not escape unscathed.

But Jemel’s attack was blocked by a golden shield that appeared in front of the unguarded Turan.

“Did you think I was just standing around doing nothing?”

The one sneering while blocking the attack was none other than Solif, the family head of House Varaha, whom Jemel had seen just a moment ago.

As white flames flared up from Solif’s body, Jemel’s expression darkened.

He recognized it as a skill from an old game they once enjoyed, obtainable only through a combination of three specific classes.

"You've already mastered that..."

The reason why possessed beings of gods like him held an absolute advantage over modern wizards was precisely that skill.

But conversely, if an ordinary modern human wizard became adept at using skills, that advantage disappeared.

No, considering their bodies and souls were still young and tightly bound, they could even use skills more easily than the possessed, making them superior.

At that moment, Jemel felt a chilling sensation and quickly formed an ice barrier around his body.

A foreign navy-colored lightning bolt smashed into the barrier, brushing past him.

“Ugh-”

Realizing that this attack came from Meisa Aravion, who was far off in the distance, and that she too could skillfully use a combined skill of Airbender and Thunder Lord, Jemel lost his fighting spirit.

Those two alone were formidable forces, and if Turan joined after stealing a soul, the battle would be unwinnable.

Thanks to the presence of the Great Sea Serpents, it might not be a total one-sided defeat, but

‘Wait a second, those bastards?’

Only then did Jemel notice that the massive figures who had been beside him just moments ago were gone.

The three Great Sea Serpents had already transformed into mermaid form without being noticed and were fleeing in different directions.

Was it because of the torrential rain pouring down?

Even on land, their speed was quite fast.

“You bastards!”

Even as Jemel raged, he could understand why they were acting that way.

It was clearly a situation where they had no chance of gaining the upper hand.

Rather than resist to the bitter end and die, wasn't it better to flee while using those who had been uneasy allies, original enemies, as shields, thereby preserving their strength?

What was truly bitter was that unlike them, he couldn’t simply abandon his subordinates and comrades to escape.

The Carmine wizards here were loyal enough to the house that they carried out even inhumane orders, such as cooperating with the mermaids.

“We’ll escape while those mermaid bastards hold them back! Retreat!”

“......Yes! Everyone, fall back!”

Fortunately, the thousands of commoner-class mermaids ended up serving as anvils, absorbing the enemy’s attacks.

No matter how elite the Parsha and Varaha wizards were, it would take time to cut down all the mermaids, whose ferocity had only increased under the torrential rain.

Not long after fleeing while abandoning the mermaid army, Jemel realized why the enemy had deployed such an elite force composed largely of nobles.

"Could they have planned this far ahead...?"

From a distance, several wizard forces approached them, surrounding and tightening their encirclement.

Due to the limits in manpower, most of these units were likely just knights. But in a situation like this, even being delayed briefly could prove fatal.

Jemel’s face twisted like a demon as he saw the approaching enemy forces.

*

The battle between the Parsha–Varaha alliance and the Carmine–Mermaid coalition, though more aptly described as a chase rather than a battle, continued for nearly an entire day.

As expected, the casualties on the side of House Parsha and House Varaha were almost negligible.

Around thirty knights were sacrificed attempting to pin down Jemel and the other powerful nobles, and about twenty were killed by the ferocity of the charging mermaids.

Among the nobles, four died attempting the reckless task of holding back the Great Sea Serpents.

By contrast, the toll paid by House Carmine and the mermaids was truly immense.

Of Jemel and the fifteen Carmine nobles who followed him, and about eighty knights, only ten managed to escape intact.

As for the mermaids, only one of the three capable of transforming into Great Sea Serpents barely survived, while the noble and commoner classes were completely wiped out.

In terms of exchange rate, it was effectively one hundred to one, perhaps even more, a completely overwhelming victory. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Clicking his tongue as he received the flood of incoming reports, Solif remarked,

“Seriously... I didn’t think they’d fall for it this easily, just as you said.”

“They already collaborated with Ruvan once. On top of that, we knew it was Zahar who mediated between the two, so I figured if we showed any opening, someone would come for it. I didn’t expect them to team up with the mermaids, though.”

In truth, Turan had even anticipated the worst-case scenario, an all-out assault from the enemy with every force at their disposal.

He envisioned the armies of Aravion and Nagin led by Badal, along with the House Carmine family head known as the Lawyer, all the possessed beings, and even a dozen Great Sea Serpents joining forces to wipe Parsha from the map.

If that had happened, Turan planned to infiltrate them using the Mimic God's Mask and stir up internal strife.

He would have attacked Aravion and the mermaids while impersonating the House Carmine family head, or snuck Armania in to pit Aravion–Nagin against Carmine.

Compared to that, the current situation, an assault by a force seemingly perfect for trampling House Parsha left without its main power, was little more than a small prey falling into a grand trap.

At the very least, it would have been better if the House Carmine family head or the mermaid king had come in person.

Still, even without them, it was a fact that Carmine and the mermaids had suffered enough of a blow to make rash movements impossible for the foreseeable future......

"But what if they hadn't taken the bait?"

"Hmm?"

"Ruvan could have attacked Varaha's fake army, or Carmine might not have attacked at all."

At Meisa’s natural question, Turan went “hmm” and took a moment to organize his thoughts.

He had considered it in advance, but it took a bit of time to bring it to the front of his mind.

“First of all, Ruvan absolutely won’t attack.”

“Why?”

"Because their army would likely be as insubstantial as ours."

Not long ago, through a series of repeated railgun assaults, Turan had proven that he was a threat no ordinary army could handle, someone who would only cause greater damage the more elite troops were thrown at him.

If the enemy knew that such a presence was among the opposing forces, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk sending in their elite troops.

Even if they destroyed the main force with brute strength, it would still be difficult to capture Turan, and the assaults would just continue.

“Ah.......”

“This is only speculation, but they’re probably waiting for me to strike again with the railgun, preparing a special unit to capture me.”

Of course, considering that the Varaha army stationed across the river had neither the ability nor the will to actually advance, it was all a pointless effort.

"And if nobody attacked... well, that would just be a bit disappointing."

After all, the only resource expended in planning this operation was essentially Solif’s prestige, so even if it failed, there wouldn’t be any significant loss.

Moreover, since Varaha had done Parsha a great favor in this operation, as long as they provided sufficient support in return, Solif’s diminished prestige would quickly be restored.

And there was one last important factor.

“Now that we’ve thrown in a deception once, from now on they won’t be able to act with certainty. Just forcing them to hesitate and wonder if it’s real or not is already a win.”

It would have been better if they had been able to completely wipe out one enemy faction as originally planned, but in any case, it was clear that both forces hostile to Turan had taken significant damage.

In Turan’s mind, the next plan was already being laid out step by step.

"If we target Ruvan immediately while they're paralyzed after taking a hit... Ah, come to think of it, I need to have a chat with our new friends first."

Turan lightly tapped the jewel box that still held traces of moisture from his recent use.

He needed to cultivate camaraderie with the newly admitted friends as well.