Shepherd Wizard-Chapter 204

Translator: Pai_

Several hours after sending a message to the city located in the southeast.

Solif returned to Kalamaf, clutching Bije's leg, which he had used for the communication.

Perhaps because he had been scratched multiple times by her claws during the process, his hair and the sleeves of his clothes were a mess.

"Ah, she scratches like hell. Knock it off already."

-I told you to hold my leg gently because it hurts!

As always, the person and the beast quarreled with bad chemistry.

Turan, familiar with the sight, shook his head and quietly listened to Bije's whining.

"That damn bird seems to get more ill-tempered by the day."

"She said to grab her leg more gently."

"But if I do that, I might fall off."

Apparently, the memory of having fallen once in the past still lingered with him.

After a brief chat, Solif, like the others, was informed in detail about the events that had occurred in the western region.

The maneuver of the two forces, the crisis, the victory that overcame it, and the hidden story behind it.

Naturally, what interested him most was the new symbol combination that Turan had created.

"A shepherd... makes me want to have a spar for the first time in a while."

"It's not the time to waste energy yet, so later. More importantly, how's the situation with Zahar?"

While he had received a rough update through signal fires, there was no way that could be as detailed as hearing it directly.

At that, Solif scratched his tangled hair and explained.

"You have to consider them completely gone. From what I've scouted several times, they've apparently retreated to places several days away from the Gray Zone."

"If it’s that far, it’s hard to call it a feigned retreat."

Of course, since it was difficult to track the movements of nobles, some of them might have stayed behind for separate operations, but Turan didn't think that possibility was high.

They too would know of the existence of someone who could completely see through their concealment.

"Judging by the timing, it seems they retreated after hearing that you defeated Badal."

"As expected..."

After discussing things to that point, Turan did not forget to add a request for Solif, who was heading off to meet Berit, to thoroughly check the ruins in the east as well.

In the current situation, if Monarch were to attempt a reversal, that would likely be the move.

Though it remained unknown how many hands he could mobilize for it.

While Solif took a short break at the Varaha base and returned, Turan elevated the alert level of Kalamaf to its literal peak.

Hundreds of knights stationed around the base monitored every passerby, and the nobles always carried loaded muskets, staying vigilant for any disturbance.

Of course, that did not mean they stopped detecting external movements.

Scouts equipped with separate communication devices rode magical beasts to check the border zones between Aravion and Zahar, as well as the status of the Carmine army stationed in the northeastern coastal region.

Thus, several weeks passed.

*

[Huek...!]

A suppressed groan came from beyond the door.

Leaning against the wall, Turan suppressed his mental fatigue and once again sharpened the senses of the sacred relic.

His senses, now sharper than ever, could detect the flow of all magic power within several kilometers in every direction.

The range had become so vast that Turan’s consciousness couldn’t keep up, forcing him to focus on specific locations individually.

"You look extremely tired. Someone might think you’re the one giving birth."

While he was on high alert, Ashiz’s voice came from the side. Turan gave a small laugh and shook his head.

"This is nothing. It's not as hard as actually giving birth."

"True… Still, it's a relief. At least there's no chance of dying during childbirth like commoners."

Due to poor sanitary conditions and such, ordinary people without magic power often died from excessive bleeding or complications while giving birth, but fortunately, wizards had no such risk.

Although the physical enhancement from magic became extremely weak just before childbirth, it was still enough to give birth without major issues, in other words, they retained a level of strength somewhere between that of a normal human and a knight.

If that weren’t the case, nobles like Rida who gave birth to over a dozen children would have literally had to risk their lives.

“I heard that for commoners, it’s not unusual for their first childbirth to take ten hours.”

"That's terrible. I probably would have died from anxiety by now."

Even though he knew noblewomen typically took at most an hour or two to give birth, the situation still had him on edge.

Still, the fact that Rida had entered as the midwife was greatly reassuring.

She had given birth to more than ten children herself and had assisted other nobles with childbirth as well.

The advice to stay out and not watch the birth scene directly had also come from her.

There were apparently men who couldn’t share a bed with their wives anymore after seeing it firsthand?

Though Turan had seen more than enough gruesome sights in his time, there was no need to go against the advice of an elder unnecessarily.

“Ah, it’s over.”

At that moment, Turan turned his head at the presence he sensed from inside.

He could feel a small and delicate life separating from Meisa, and Rida lifting and tapping the baby.

Turan had to show great patience as he waited for the call from inside to come in.

[You may come in now.]

As he opened the door and entered at Rida’s summons, the first thing that hit him was the strong smell of blood, which had already been noticeable from outside.

Meisa, looking somewhat gaunt from the ordeal, was lying in bed holding a small, wrinkled baby.

Though the interior of the room as well as his own body and clothes had been thoroughly disinfected with magic to prevent bacterial infection, Turan, just to be sure, disinfected himself with fire once more before cautiously approaching.

Meisa, watching this, gave a small laugh and said,

“Aren’t you being a bit over the top?”

“You never know. Your complexion looks bad. Just a moment...”

“If it’s Healing Magic, no need. I already got plenty from Rida-nim. I’m just exhausted, that’s all.”

As she said, he could feel Meisa’s grip slowly regaining strength in the hand he was holding.

It was the effect of her body, no longer needing to remain weak after childbirth, quickly accepting magic power.

Rida, who had been quietly watching from the side, spoke softly.

“You don’t seem very interested, but it’s a boy.”

"I see."

In truth, Turan didn’t think it mattered much whether it was a boy or a girl.

Unlike ordinary people, gender wasn’t a particularly important factor in the world of wizards.

If anything, while there was some disparity in physical combat ability due to physique, it was a gap that could easily be overcome with a greater amount of magic power.

At Rida’s words, Turan finally turned his gaze to the baby Meisa was holding.

Since the baby hadn’t opened its eyes yet, he couldn’t tell the eye color, but the newborn hair was a slightly darker gray than Turan’s.

“He kind of... looks like a monkey.”

"You have nothing nice to say about your own son!"

At his overly honest remark, Meisa let out a laugh of disbelief.

Her strength seemingly returning, she handed the baby to Turan and then stood up, stretching as she rubbed her abdomen.

“The stretch in my belly is all gone too. My body feels light... it’s kind of a strange feeling. I don’t feel like I’ve just had a baby.”

As she said, Meisa’s belly, which had gone through childbirth just minutes ago, had smoothed out like magic.

If not for the bloodstained clothes and the newborn, no one would have guessed she had been pregnant.

This was thanks to Healing Magic working exceptionally well on her post-childbirth body.

While Meisa was relaxing her body, Turan activated Spiritual Perception and observed the child’s spirit form.

Though not yet fully formed, the child’s spirit form was much more solid than what he had seen before.

“It looks like the adjustments made last time were properly applied. Just a little more reinforcement should do it.”

“Are you going to use a soul again this time?”

“Of course.”

The soul to be used this time was from one of the Varaha half-elves who had been the most uncooperative.

Perhaps because he had no real will to live, he simply decorated his room and secured just enough food to satisfy his appetite, and from then on did whatever he pleased.

Now it was time to pay the price.

[This is outside, isn’t it? Wait, don’t tell me-]

Turan immediately seized control of the spirit form, silencing its mouth, and once more opened the child’s spirit form to begin adjustments.

What he was about to add now was none other than a fourth bloodline.

Turan clicked his tongue softly at the rate at which power within the spirit form was being consumed.

‘Indeed, at this rate, it’d be nearly impossible to do this with just one subject.’

Originally, granting a fourth bloodline through Soul Magic was a task close to impossible.

That was truly the domain of the gods.

However, because Turan and Meisa’s son was born between those with the potential to possess four bloodlines, bestowing such power was far easier compared to others.

Even so, unless he used the soul of a god that had endured for thousands of years, wielding power equal to dozens of ordinary wizards, it would have been impossible to grant the fourth bloodline.

There was a reason they were so obsessed with Meisa.

A short while later, Turan confirmed that the child had acquired the potential of the Chaser bloodline, and with the last remaining spirit energy, he completed the adjustment and dispersed the now hollow soul.

“It’s done.”

Originally, he had also considered giving the child the power of the Fighter or Enchanter bloodline as the fourth.

Though it would be a difficult combination with the Hunter bloodline, those powers were useful enough on their own.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Especially considering the immense value of a top-tier Enchanter capable of creating sacred relic-class magic artifacts.

However, now that the symbol combination of the Shepherd was complete, both Turan and Meisa agreed that it would be better to pursue a path with proven success.

He had already confirmed through a few simple experiments just how powerful the combination of these four bloodlines could be.

Watching all this, Rida cautiously spoke up.

“Unless truly necessary, it’s best not to pass down the soul magic talent-adjustment technique to the next generation. No matter how I think about it, it’s hard to imagine it being used for good.”

“It’s something to consider… yes, probably so.”

For now, they still had plenty of gods' souls to use freely without guilt, but once those were exhausted, human nature would inevitably turn toward living human souls.

If this technique were carelessly passed down, one day in the distant future, all humans might become mere materials for Soul Magic, with only wizards remaining to kill and be killed until mutual destruction.

Wiping away that horrifying thought from his mind, Turan gently brushed aside the damp newborn hair of the child, still moist from the recent cleansing.

Even now, the wrinkled facial features that resembled a monkey seemed to bear traces of both him and Meisa.

“Thank you for being born, Luska.”

Luska Parsha.

That was the name of the first child of the House Parsha.

*

The news that the first child of the House Parsha had been born soon spread throughout all of Kalamaf.

The commoners, who had no knowledge of magical matters, were abuzz with excitement over the birth of an heir, but naturally, those who knew better did not make such a fuss.

After all, it was still unknown what bloodlines the child had inherited, or what level of magical potential he possessed.

Although both parents were family head-level powerhouses, an almost unheard-of combination even in the span of thousands of years, magical potential could not be calculated so mathematically.

Rarely, even among the highest-ranking nobles, weaklings of low-noble or knight level could be born, while among commoners, nobles or even high-ranking wizards could appear through atavism.

Of course, the core members of the House Parsha, those deeply versed in the most intimate secrets of Soul Magic, already knew that the child possessed the potential to rival or even surpass the heads of other great noble houses.

As he passed along what people outside were saying, Turan gently patted Luska’s back, who had just finished eagerly nursing and filling his belly.

Before long, a cute little burp came out- “Buuurp.”

“To be honest, even with all this adjustment, there’s no guarantee he’ll become the strongest wizard.”

A wizard’s combat ability wasn’t determined solely by magic power, bloodline, and magical skill.

Though those factors carried great weight, others, so-called combat talents, also played a major role.

Things like resistance to pain, creativity in overcoming crises and defeating enemies, and combat intelligence.

These were capabilities that couldn’t be enhanced through Soul Magic.

At Turan’s words, Meisa, who had been adjusting the front of her gown, shook her head and responded.

“He doesn’t need any of that. As long as he’s healthy, that’s enough.”

Having taken the baby back into her arms, she kissed his cheeks over and over as if she couldn’t contain how adorable he was.

Though at first she had said it didn’t feel real that she had given birth, once she had nursed him, maternal love seemed to overflow.

In contrast, Turan didn’t feel quite such an intense sense of fatherly love.

Of course, since it was his and Meisa’s child, if anyone so much as laid a finger on him, he would rip them limb from limb without hesitation.

Still, when he looked into those round gray-blue eyes staring up at him, something tickled in his chest.

It felt like he was gazing at a replica born from a fusion of himself and Meisa.

Then Meisa let out a deep sigh and said,

“Just thinking that I won’t be able to see Luska for a while is unbearable…”

“There’s no helping it. Everything we’re doing is to create a world where he can live safely.”

“I know, I do. But babies can suddenly get sick, right? I mean, our Luska is a healthy one, but still… you never know.”

“Rida-nim promised to look after him. He’ll be alright.”

Luska, who was now fifteen days old, was destined to be apart from his parents for the time being.

Turan needed to lead the reorganized Parsha army along with Solif to deal with Zahar, and Meisa had to seize control of Aravion, where most of the high-ranking nobles had been wiped out.

Naturally, neither of them could manage such things with a newborn in their arms.

Yet, they also felt uneasy about leaving the child alone in Kalamaf, so after some deliberation, they decided to hide him in the safest possible refuge during the remainder of the war.

After the final feeding, the two approached the Jade Mirror located in the basement of the family head’s mansion.

Standing guard nearby as always, Armania opened his eyes wide when he saw the baby in Meisa’s arms.

“This Turan’s brat? He’s tiny!”

“That’s right. Don’t eat him.”

“I absolutely won’t!”

At Armania’s indignant protest, Turan laughed, gave his chest a few pats, and stepped through the Jade Mirror.

A moment later, they met Solif and Berit at the Varaha base, and both gently touched Luska’s cheek and ear as he lay bundled in cloth.

The baby whined as if annoyed, but he didn’t cry.

“He’s a calm one. I heard babies usually cry their heads off at the slightest thing.”

“I’m told he rarely cries. What about you, any news?”

In response to Turan’s question, Berit, standing nearby, replied with a smile.

“I’ve been trying plenty, day and night, but no results yet. Still, time will take care of everything, I’m sure.”

At the bold comment that didn’t match her youthful appearance, Meisa, standing beside her, blushed instead.

A little later, they stood in front of the House Varaha family head’s study and recited a secret incantation.

“Om Amogha Vairocana Mahamudra Mani Padma Jvala Pravartaya Hum.”

Upon chanting the incantation, a door appeared, leading to a secret chamber beneath Helio City.

What had once been a barren place was now transformed into a well-decorated nursery.

“You still remember that? I already forgot.”

“The homeowner shouldn’t forget.”

Turan, responding to Solif’s cheeky remark, stepped through the spatial gate alongside Meisa, who held the baby in her arms.

Waiting to greet them inside were Rida and several maids who had arrived earlier to prepare the room.

“You’re here already? That was quick.”

“Looks like the setup is already complete.”

“It should be more than sufficient for the child to stay in comfort.”

The secret space was filled with soft furniture throughout, designed so that even if the baby fell or bumped into something, no serious harm would come.

If there was one drawback, it might be the lack of windows making it feel a bit closed in.

But that couldn’t be helped, it was underground, after all.

After exchanging greetings and thoroughly inspecting the facility, Turan nodded in satisfaction.

High-quality dried food, a magical freezer filled with bulk frozen provisions, and even books prepared to ward off boredom while staying inside.

It was all, in a word, perfect.

“Very nice. This should be more than enough to last a few months.”

“No one can enter unless they know the password, so security shouldn’t be a concern either.”

Solif nodded in agreement.

Ever since Luska was born, everything from his body had been isolated to prevent any chance of being tracked by Tracking Magic, and beyond that, this space itself was protected with additional interference measures to block such spells.

The only other ones who knew the password were the former Varaha half-elves now trapped within Turan’s soul prison.

This place was a space where Monarch could never harm his child, no matter what he tried.

And if the child fell ill or was injured, Rida would provide immediate care.

“I’m sorry to ask this of you when you must be so busy with your Soul Chain research.”

The one and only concern was that Rida, who should have been focused on her research, was now spending her time here instead.

But it wasn’t as if there was a suitable wet nurse to take her place.

There weren’t any other Lavitas nobles Turan trusted enough to entrust his son to.

Knowing well that Rida didn’t have much time left, Turan wore an expression filled with guilt, but she simply reached out to stroke his head and gave a warm, grandmotherly smile.

“Don’t make that face, Lord Parsha. Looking after children has always been my greatest joy. You’ll just have to resolve everything quickly and return.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“But don’t push yourself too hard!”

After sharing a laugh with the cackling Rida, Turan led Meisa, who had been crying as she pressed her forehead to their son’s for the last time, out of the room.

Now, Luska’s hiding place had become a completely isolated space where no one could interfere.

At least, not until they had cleared away all the threats from the outside world.