Shepherd Wizard-Chapter 223

Translator: Pai_

Around the time they were marching with the army toward Axum, the capital of House Zahar, Turan encountered someone suspected to be a puppet of the Monarch.

Her name was Haime.

She was a woman of high reputation as both an excellent merchant and philanthropist in the region near the ruined city of Banifel.

There was no justifiable reason to capture or kill her outright, and she didn’t even seem to be aware that she was a puppet, so Turan merely assigned someone to keep watch over her.

However, for some reason, that watcher had ended up here in Helio City, severely injured.

Geographically, it should have been much faster and more convenient to return to Kalamaf.

“I thought you had arranged a way to contact the main house.”

At Turan’s words, the knight bowed his head and replied.

“Yes. I did send a pigeon magical beast, but there was no response, so I continued with the tracking and surveillance mission.”

Considering that no reports about it had arrived from Kalamaf, it seemed the pigeon had failed to return and must have died somewhere along the way.

Perhaps it had the misfortune of being caught by a passing giant, or was shot down by a dwarf's gun.

“How far did you go?”

“I lost the trail near the entrance of the Grassy Plains, so I returned to Helio to report.”

The knight bowed his head, apologizing for failing to complete the mission.

Looking down at him in silence, Turan patted his shoulder and acknowledged his efforts.

“Just surviving out there is fortunate enough. The Enril Desert must be crawling with giants by now.”

“Yes......”

Of course, while giants were overwhelmingly strong compared to other races, they were slow and few in number, so it couldn’t be said that the area was completely devastated.

According to those who had passed through, most cities had been abandoned and the inhabitants were now wandering.

That might work temporarily, but if it continued, they’d suffer from all kinds of resource shortages, so it was necessary to hunt the giants down and stabilize the region quickly.

But even that was impossible with new other races continuing to appear like this.

“So, that woman headed toward the Grassy Plains?”

“That’s correct.”

According to the knight Badik, after the return to the New Era, Haime had done as other wealthy people did, selling off her assets to buy a large number of livestock and forming a massive nomadic caravan.

Badik also joined them under the guise of a laborer to continue his surveillance.

But how long had they traveled southeast from near Banifel City?

Just when it seemed they had arrived near the South Sea and things were finally safe, Haime suddenly declared that they had to head east.

Even her family didn’t know the reason why.

Claiming, as if possessed, “I must go there”, she eventually left with only a few attendants for the east, and Badik secretly followed her for days.

It was around the time he reached the vicinity of the Grassy Plains that he realized there were others also heading into the plains like Haime.

They were people who, just by appearance, seemed to have never met each other in their lives, yet they naturally joined up and moved together.

“I considered following them farther from there, but it seemed impossible to keep tracking them once inside the Grassy Plains, so I withdrew and returned to Helio.”

After hearing the full report, Turan nodded with a serious expression.

He had a rough idea of what the knight’s report was implying.

“You really did well. Maybe you’ve found an important clue.”

“If it was of any help to you, Family Head, that’s all that matters to me.”

Promising that there would be a reward fitting of his efforts, at least in material wealth, Turan left the hospital room with a hardened face.

Listening quietly at his side, Solif spoke up.

“That woman named Haime, she was a puppet, right? If she’s moving toward the Grassy Plains, then could it be…”

“It’s safe to say we’ve finally found a clue.”

Most likely, the ones who had naturally joined up with Haime were other puppets of the Monarch.

For some reason, the bastard seemed to be gathering all the puppets he had scattered around the world in one place. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Naturally, that place would either hold the bastard’s main body or at least something performing a crucial task.

Among the Monarch’s abilities that he had learned through this investigation, there was no technique with a clear enough reason for such behavior, so it might have been to use techniques related to magic from another world.

After a brief contemplation, Turan made his way to the underground prison.

Before long, Kim Woong, a former member of the old Zahar’s Preah God Tribe and a convert, welcomed them.

“You’ve come again, Solif. Been a while for you too.”

“You two seem to have gotten pretty close? Even though you wouldn’t have had many chances to meet.”

Turan said, to which Solif smiled awkwardly.

“We had some talks while I was resting after coming back. It’d be a problem if he turned out to be dangerous, right? But he was surprisingly easy to talk to.”

“That guy really likes stories about Earth. As we talked, I ended up reminiscing about old times too, and it felt good.”

Kim Woong added.

Hearing this, Turan could guess why the two had grown close.

To Solif, who was already curious about Earth’s civilization, the stories Kim Woong shared must have been extremely exciting.

Turan watched the two interacting warmly, then clapped his hands to get their attention.

“Alright, chit-chat is fine, but we’re busy right now, so let’s talk business first. I’ve found a clue about that bastard, and I want your advice.”

“What kind of clue?”

“It looks like his puppets are gathering in the Grassy Plains. Do you know anything about that area?”

At Turan’s question, Kim Woong scratched his eyebrow with his thumb.

“The plains? Hmm, I remember there used to be a Great Noble House out there. I think they were Earthmovers and Harmonizers.”

They had secretly tried to embed a few gods to take control, but things didn’t go well, so Caesar—that is, Haroon, personally stepped in and wiped them out.

Having heard yet another of her cruelties, Turan groaned quietly and shifted the topic.

“Besides that, nothing particularly related to him?”

“I really don’t know, but… hmm… ah!”

“What is it?”

Prompted by his exclamation, as if something had come to mind, Kim Woong spoke, albeit without much confidence.

“It’s not exactly a clue, but there is something I remembered.”

“What is it?”

“A long time ago, I think he set up something like a lab in the eastern part of the Grassy Plains. He was trying different things to get past the Fog Zone or something.”

“That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

“Well, that’s because if I tried to tell you everything, it’d never end.”

Starting with the labyrinth beneath the Tomb of the Gods, there were too many times the Monarch had poked around in that fashion, so if he didn’t think deeply, he wouldn’t even remember them all, that was Kim Woong’s excuse.

Turan then told him to wait a moment, and interrogated the Phoenix residing in the Soul Prison to cross-check.

Although it was too long ago for him to remember clearly, he said there seemed to have been something like that.

Returning to his body, Turan nodded at Solif and Kim Woong to indicate the information was correct.

“If it’s a building from the Old Empire era, it might still be intact. Could you mark the location on a map?”

For now, he planned to track Haime using the strand of her hair he had secretly collected in the past, but there was always a chance she could be hunted down by other races or wizards before reaching her destination.

Knowing where the base was would certainly come in handy.

“I can’t say for sure since it wasn’t recent… but I do know it was hidden in some kind of valley. Or maybe it’s been three thousand years, has the terrain changed since then?”

In any case, his explanation was that it was designed to be hard to discover from the outside.

Paradoxically, because there weren’t many elevated areas in the Grassy Plains, that might actually make it easier to locate.

“Then we’ll have to go together.”

“What, seriously?”

“Your ability doesn’t just block Tracking Magic, but also breaks through those kinds of defense spells, right? If it’s a hideout, it might be protected by some kind of barrier.”

This was something Turan had learned by carefully reading through the character build for ‘SSMS’.

Kim Woong likely hadn’t shared this information before because he anticipated being exploited once the ability was revealed.

If Turan had known about it beforehand, he would have certainly brought Kim Woong along when searching the stronghold of House Nagin.

“Did the Phoenix tell you about this?”

“I found out by chance. So, can you help?”

In any case, the reason Kim Woong was confined in the underground prison was simply to keep him out of Turan’s sight and prevent him from doing anything suspicious.

If he could help in tracking down the Monarch’s traces, there was no reason not to bring him along.

Besides, the power he held as a god wasn’t particularly combative, so keeping him in check wouldn’t be much of a hassle.

Frankly, with Turan, Solif, and Meisa all in one place, what could he possibly do?

At worst, he might transform into a monster like the other nobles of House Nagin.

Compared to his ability to locate hideouts protected from Tracking Magic, that was a risk worth taking.

“Honestly, I’d rather just stay here. If things go well, it means I’ll have to face that bastard, right?”

It seemed Kim Woong felt burdened by the idea of facing Monarch he had once betrayed.

Whether it was fear or simply not wanting to face an old comrade and enemy he had turned against, Turan couldn’t be sure.

So this time, Turan spoke in a much gentler tone to persuade him.

“You know there’s nothing certain when it comes to that bastard. But if we really take him down, you might finally get to live a bit more freely. Better than staying in this underground prison forever, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“I’m not asking you to fight anyway. I won’t even give you a weapon. Just guide us and stay in the back.”

After some continued persuasion, Turan finally got a promise that Kim Woong would act as their guide.

As he rotated his wrists, free of the binding chains for the first time in a while, Kim Woong clicked his tongue.

“Just when I thought I was getting used to living without magic power… it definitely feels different.”

Now a group of three, the moment they came up to the surface, they declared the immediate assembly of troops.

Watching as they began calling in elites from among the recently returned forces and the existing wizards, Turan asked:

“You sure about this?”

The second return to the New Era had occurred here in the Land of Five Lakes as well.

It was certain that the number of goblins had increased far beyond before.

To this, Solif shook his head as if telling him not to worry.

“Well, the Axum expedition returned, so we’ve got more hands available. Though I am a bit concerned since some of them are still exhausted.”

“Then gather only volunteers as much as possible. I want to move fast, so prepare enough mounts too. I’ll bring only the capable ones from Kalamaf as well.”

“What about Meisa?”

“We’ll bring her. If I rush her a bit, two days should be enough. Kind of embarrassing to say goodbye like we wouldn’t see each other for a long time.”

Of course, the Takein Plains were still suffering due to the surge of Birdmen, but this matter took precedence.

Turan didn’t lower his guard just because the Monarch only had a few noble bodies he could use.

The techniques that bastard employed were not only useful for strengthening forces with enough time and budget, but he could also wield magic brought from another world.

The more forces they had, as long as it didn’t hinder mobility excessively, the better.

While Solif gathered magical beasts usable near Helio City and selected still-sturdy wizards, Turan also returned to Kalamaf using the Jade Mirror and urgently assembled a special detachment.

He also sent Bije, with a letter tied to her leg, to bring Meisa.

From those who had served in the special unit during the war with House Aravion, and among the surrendered Aravion nobles, a few who had most actively declared their intention to convert, fifteen nobles in total crossed over to Helio.

“You’re already here?”

“We had to be. What about your side?”

“Of course, we’re all set.”

Looking at the hastily assembled special unit, Turan could see the deep fatigue in their eyes and expressions.

Those who had remained had been busy hunting Dwarves and Goblins, while those from the Zahar expedition had made a long journey avoiding giants, so it was only natural.

To them, Turan clearly explained the purpose of this operation.

It was to boost morale, even just a little, and draw out their willpower.

“Starting now, we’re going to hunt down the bastard who brought the other races back to this land. I believe only by taking him down can we end this damned situation. Solif agrees too.”

“Yeah.”

As Solif nodded beside him, a quiet murmur rose among the selected troops.

It was a somewhat frivolous attitude to display in front of heads of Great Noble Houses, but the impact of the statement was that significant.

“May we ask the identity of the one who caused all this?”

“I can’t tell you. Not because I don’t trust you, but for other reasons.”

Turan explained the Monarch’s abilities to them, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way.

That the mastermind behind all of this possessed an ability that allowed him to perceive things simply by having his name mentioned.

That alone caused expressions of dread to surface on the nobles' faces.

“That’s... that’s practically a godlike ability-”

“He’s no god. He’s a devil. We’re going to hunt a devil. Can you do it? Or would you rather stay here and wait for it all to end quietly?”

When someone was about to voice a demoralizing opinion, Turan cut them off and provoked everyone gathered.

If someone heard that and replied, “Yes, let’s do that”, what kind of noble would that be?

By nature, wizards held a sense of superiority, believing themselves stronger than ordinary people, and nobles were among the most elite of those wizards, those who saw themselves as descendants of gods.

And standing before them was a wizard closer to a god than anyone since the Preah God Tribe left this land.

Anyone who would speak like a coward in front of him wouldn't even be qualified to stand here in the first place.

***

Turan, Solif, Kim Woong, and a unit of about forty nobles from Parsha, Varaha, and Aravion set off directly south from Helio City.

The Tracking Magic, performed using the strand of Haime’s hair they had prepared in advance, pointed somewhere southeast, and according to Kim Woong’s testimony, the so-called old laboratory should also be somewhere east.

Since they were riding only the fastest magical beasts, their pace was swift beyond compare.

Of course, they were slower than Bije, but still two to three times faster than what an average noble could achieve on foot.

Riding at the front, Solif looked out over the plains ahead and shouted excitedly.

“Yeah, this is way more fun, running full speed like this! Coming back from Axum was a pain since I had to keep pace with the knights!”

“Don’t talk while you run. You’ll bite your tongue.”

Since Bije had been sent to fetch Meisa, Turan was moving with Solif, mounted on a massive horse.

The beast was one that had been raised in Varaha long ago. Its magic power was on par with a lower-ranking noble, but its natural physical strength and speed made it impressive.

Roughly comparable to Tilly, who was currently carrying five nobles further back.

“So what if I bite it? Anyway, how’s the location?”

“Still the same. There’s only so far a human can go anyway.”

The principle of Tracking Magic was to set specific conditions and amplify the senses that perceive targets meeting those criteria.

Because of that, it was hard to determine exact distances, like how many kilometers away the target was.

It could only give a vague idea, based on how strong the scent was, how loud the sounds were, and similar factors.

From what they could tell, Haime was either staying still or moving slowly somewhere in the southern part of the Grassy Plains.

At this pace, it would take less than a week to travel from Helio to the southernmost tip of the plains, so they should be able to catch her.

“Should we capture and interrogate her once we do?”

“There’s no point in that. If all goes well, we’ll tail her first without making contact. Also, we’ll split off part of the unit and search for that so-called laboratory from the past.”

It was still only a possibility, but Turan figured that the Monarch would prefer holing up in a hideout he had created, rather than living in a tent out in the middle of nowhere.

And so, after a day of leaving the Land of Five Lakes and entering the Grassy Plains.

“They’re coming!”

What greeted the special detachment in the midst of their pursuit of the Monarch was a volley of arrows from a centaur army numbering in the hundreds.

*****

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