Shepherd Wizard-Chapter 176.1

Translator: Pai_

According to the information obtained from Reshion, the former head of the House Varaha, the relationship between the two half-elf groups that had taken over Ruvan and Varaha was extremely complex and delicate.

First of all, since they had been conspired together during the downfall of the gods and carried out their work side by side, each side had a rough assumption that the other was in a similar situation.

However, neither could be truly certain whether the other was indeed in the same predicament.

Even during their exchanges, unless the other side revealed themselves directly, it was impossible to peer into their spirit forms.

Because if one side were to honestly reveal their identity, and the other turned out to have used some trick to preserve the complete soul of a god, then at that moment, they would undoubtedly face a joint attack from all the gods of the world and the forces led by them.

To the Preah God Tribe, a different race that had stolen half of their souls would be a target to be exterminated immediately.

In that respect, it was not particularly surprising that the half-elves of Ruvan had been hiding the existence of the White Elves.

[Speak. Why did you choose to define your identity as White Elves? It doesn't seem like you completely removed your personalities as gods either.]

Calais, hearing the question, clamped his mouth shut and did not respond.

Indeed, it would have been stranger if the one who had been the most uncooperative from the start were to suddenly speak obediently.

In response, Turan pointed with his chin at Nia, the White Elf princess.

[Speak.]

Considering that the half-elf still harbored a lingering attachment to his fellow kin, there was no way this threat wouldn't work.

As expected, he hesitated, then let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

[Just as you guessed, it was because I had descendants. They gave me discernment.]

According to Calais’s following explanation, the half-elves of Ruvan were initially no different from those of Varaha.

Lacking sufficient knowledge of Soul Magic, they forcibly attempted reincarnation by bringing in White Elf Soul Manipulators, which resulted in their souls becoming intermingled.

However, the decisive difference between the two was that the gods of Ruvan had left behind a few ordinary White Elves rather than just Soul Manipulators.

[Among the survivors was a royal with the aptitude for Soul Manipulation, and with their help, we adjusted the souls.]

Once mixed, it was impossible to completely separate them, but at least classification was possible.

Just as the gods possessing host bodies used the physical memory like a shell, the god’s ego was kept outside, and the elf’s ego was made the core.

[So that's how it was.]

Given how dominant the White Elf's ego was, he had wondered why characteristics like the obsession with physique, the trait of the 'druggie', still remained, and if that were the case, it made some sense.

In other words, the gods of Ruvan were puppets that believed they were puppetmasters.

In a way, they were in a more pitiful situation than the half-elves of Varaha, who were struggling with identity.

[So, what do you plan to do with us now? Will you sever our lineage as others have done?]

[Well, if you’re useful in some way, there's no need to kill you immediately.]

Turan didn’t immediately bring up the project he was preparing to the other side.

If they thought they had something to offer, it would only make them all the more arrogant.

Even after that, Turan continued asking a few more things. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Things like how they had collaborated with the gods of the west, and what they had intended to do after attacking and occupying Varaha.

Among them, what he was most curious about was why, for the past several thousand years, they hadn’t tried to revive the White Elves and instead had kept them hidden in some underground corner like that.

[That’s because nothing good would come from increasing the numbers.]

[Hmm?]

[No matter how much our numbers increase, our race doesn’t have the capability to properly fight against you. Even the strongest Soul Manipulator would likely be killed by a couple of spells from a mediocre noble. If we recklessly increased our numbers, the risk of exposure would only grow... and if we’re exposed, wouldn't that truly mean the end of our race's lineage?]

Even if they were occupying the House Ruvan, that was only possible because they were using human bodies.

After their identity had been exposed, if they were to argue for forming an alliance with the White Elves and protecting them, even the wizards of Ruvan would turn their backs.

Having finished his conversation to a certain extent, Turan stuffed Calais's spirit form back into the jewel box and returned to his body.

As he lightly stretched his body, Armania, who had been quietly watching the two of them, spoke up.

"Did you fall asleep or something?"

"Of course not."

Indeed, from Armania’s perspective, who lacked spiritual perception, Turan had simply closed his eyes and stood there blankly, while Nia mumbled nonsense to thin air.

***