Shepherd Wizard

Chapter 100

Translator: Pai_

In the dense jungle and half-rotting swamp filled with water.

A single flame rose in this primordial land that had not permitted human footsteps for countless ages.

Of course, this was not the first time fire had appeared in this land.

Occasionally, lightning would strike from the sky, setting trees ablaze and bringing heat to this place.

However, the fire that had ignited this time was not something that could be extinguished by the moisture-laden air, the damp trees, or the puddles pooling on the ground.

Fueled by an immense amount of magic power, the flames grew endlessly in scale, spreading in all directions.

“Oh wow, that burns nicely.”

The fire magic unleashed with full power by the high noble of the Sun Bloodline was enough to subdue the raw forces of nature.

With a sizzling sound, the puddles on the ground instantly evaporated, and the soaked trees and aquatic plants turned to ashes.

Naturally, the countless creatures that had made this swamp their home were also affected by this inferno.

From tiny insects to lizards, frogs, otters, fish, and even some species of birds.

An immeasurable number of lives were snuffed out in vain, accompanied by the acrid stench of burning, as massive clouds of steam, ash, and smoke billowed into the sky.

If people from an advanced civilization had witnessed this, they would have screamed in horror at such a devastating act of environmental destruction.

[Shiiiiik-!]

At that moment, with a sharp hissing sound, a massive swamp viper, about five meters long, burst through the flames and lunged at Solif.

Thanks to the mechanical reflexes characteristic of reptiles, it managed to sink its fangs into his arm in an instant. Unfortunately for the snake, its venomous fangs could not even pierce his skin.

“Tch, filthy thing.”

With a flick of his hand, Solif sent the massive serpent crashing to the ground with a loud thud, its body crushed upon impact.

Even before awakening his Guardian Bloodline, he would never have fallen prey to such a lowly magical beast. And now, with his newfound power, only a high-ranking noble-level force could hope to inflict any meaningful damage on him.

Without such strength, one would not even be able to leave a scratch on his completely defenseless body.

After burning several more magical beasts that charged through the flames, Solif shouted toward the sky.

“It’s ready! Send it off!”

At his call, the massive clouds of steam that had been rising into the sky suddenly began to shift southward.

As if grasped by an invisible giant’s hand.

The one responsible for this was Meisa, who was soaring through the air, clutching onto Bije’s leg.

She worked in perfect harmony with the golden eagle that commanded the winds, generating a wind barrier that redirected the remnants of Solif’s fire beyond the earthen wall erected to the south.

And to complete the task, Turan, who had been waiting beyond the wall, infused the incoming steam with frost using the power of the Carmine Bloodline.

In an instant, the liquefied water poured down into the river.

Then, using flight magic, Turan crossed over the barrier and extended his hand over the scorched earth, drawing out the water that had seeped deep underground.

“Solif, the container.”

“Here.”

Solif, standing beside him, formed a massive bowl of light, dozens of meters in diameter. Turan then guided the summoned water into it.

Finally, the three of them combined their efforts, using telekinesis magic to pour the collected water over the barrier and into the river, effectively completing the task.

“Alright, this area is done!”

“Should we call it a day? We’ve used a lot of magic power, and the sun will start setting soon.”

“Ugh, working hard makes me hungry. You feel the same, right?”

As Solif rubbed his stomach and spoke, Bije snorted and pulled a piece of jerky from the pouch on her chest, chewing on it.

Meisa briefly soared into the sky, then descended and reported,

“I checked. There are no leaks.”

“Good. Then let’s head back and rest. Bije, we’re counting on you.”

As they climbed onto the swing Bije pulled, lifting them into the sky, Turan looked down at the vast land stretched out below them.

In the middle of the dense jungle, there was a vast, empty area that stood out as if a hole had been punched into the landscape.

This was the result of Turan and his group's diligent efforts to reclaim the swamp over the past three weeks.

First, they built a levee next to the southern river that supplied water, blocking its flow.

Next, they isolated the area to be developed by raising the surrounding earth into a square barrier. Then, they incinerated the entire ecosystem within using overwhelming firepower, extracted the remaining water to dry the land, and compacted the soil.

For ordinary wizards, bringing about such a massive environmental transformation would be nearly impossible, and even if they somehow managed it once, they would be left utterly exhausted. However, with their transcendent magic power, they could repeat this process multiple times.

Any attacks from magical beasts that emerged during the process were too insignificant to pose a threat.

As a result, the land they reclaimed had already expanded to cover an area spanning several dozen kilometers in every direction.

"At this rate, how much have we developed so far?"

"Hmm, I haven’t measured it exactly, but I’d say we’ve covered at least a tenth of the total area."

"If that's the case, we might actually finish within a few months."

"Sir Yoz might faint when he returns and sees this."

"Are you still calling him 'Sir Yoz' even when it's just us?"

"Ah, damn. It's become a habit."

Chatting leisurely, the three of them flew northward, crossing the still-untouched swamp.

As the swamp gave way to the reclaimed plains, Turan narrowed his eyes and casually gestured, sending several bolts of lightning crashing into the ground.

"Magical beasts?"

"Yeah. There are more of them than before. They're fleeing north."

As Turan’s group gradually expanded their development from the southern part of the swamp, some of the magical beasts, sensing the threat, had begun escaping to the open lands in the north.

Even though this was an incredibly remote area, there were still a few villages and towns. To prevent any unexpected incidents, they needed to clear out the creatures in advance.

*

Flying northward, they hunted and cleared out magical beasts several times along the way.

Eventually, Turan’s group arrived at Koloa City, the only city in the Koloa region.

This city had a population of about 1,500, and the only wizards here were a mere three knights.

It was comparable in size to Murei City, where Turan had stayed when he first ventured into the world.

This was because, in terms of both the Lavitas domain and human civilization as a whole, this place was a remote backwater among backwaters.

"The gods have arrived!"

"The lords of the world!"

"Ooooh!"

At the sight of Turan’s group, the commoners all, without exception, prostrated themselves, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

Even after seeing this scene multiple times, it was still something he couldn’t get used to.

Clicking his tongue inwardly, Turan passed them by and continued walking.

Here, nobles of their status were not merely revered as gods, they were worshipped as literal deities.

The majority of the commoners were illiterate and had only learned religion through hearsay. To them, nobles they had never seen before were no different from divine beings.

As Turan’s group approached the mansion at the city’s center, they were met by a gathering of particularly wretched-looking commoners.

Some were missing an arm or a leg, others had lost fingers or toes, and many suffered from terrible skin diseases, their entire bodies wrapped in bandages.

All of them threw themselves to the ground and cried out to Turan’s group.

"Oh, great and mighty gods! Please have mercy on these poor souls!"

"We came after hearing the rumors!"

"Please, save my daughter! I will offer my entire fortune!"

Solif, upon seeing this, wore an expression of sheer annoyance, but Turan and Meisa remained utterly composed as they approached the people.

[“Form an orderly line. Healing will be given to all.”]

Despite having never received any training in queueing, the commoners immediately lined up at the command of the gods.

Some scowled, feeling they had been cut in line, but no one dared to lash out or raise their voice.

How could one dare to commit such blasphemy before the gods?

At the front of the line, Turan handed the magic artifact containing healing potion to Meisa.

As she infused it with magic power, the liquid inside swirled.

"Where does it hurt?"

"H-here, my hand... It was bitten by a venomous snake and rotted away..."

"This will hurt, but bear with it."

The end of the man’s wrist was blunt, as if it had been cut off, likely to prevent the rot from spreading further.

With a swift motion, Meisa used the magical dagger Turan had lent her to slice off the damaged portion, then applied the healing medicine to the severed area.

The man, who had been suppressing his screams with choked sobs, widened his eyes in shock as a fresh, fair hand, completely unlike his sunburned skin, grew back.

"My hand... My hand is back! Thank you, Goddess! Thank you so much!"

Of course, as seen when treating the victims of Visen in the past, simply making them drink a sip of the medicine would have sufficed.

However, this time, there were far more people in need of healing.

They did not have enough magic power left to feed the medicine to everyone.

With Turan and Solif assisting, Meisa continued to treat one case after another, amputations, skin diseases, fevers, and all manner of illnesses, using the healing potion.

Watching silently from behind, Turan suddenly stopped one of the patients and asked,

"What are you suffering from?"

"I-I was bitten by a venomous insect, and now my whole body is trembling..."

"You must have heard the rumors that those who fake illness to receive false healing will suffer a terrible punishment."

At Turan’s words, the middle-aged man turned pale and immediately prostrated himself.

"I-I’m sorry! I just wanted to receive the gods’ blessing…!"

"Get lost."

With the sense of the sacred relic, Turan could detect even the minute amount of magic power possessed by commoners, essentially the power needed to maintain life, and through this, he could easily determine their health.

Though he could not pinpoint the exact nature of their ailments.

As the frauds were weeded out, a few of the remaining patients quietly slinked away. Even so, the number of real patients was still overwhelming.

By the time they finally finished treating everyone, the sun had already set.

"O, goddess more beautiful than even the Mother of the Earth, I will serve only you for eternity! Since you have saved my daughter, I will offer my entire fortune-"

"I understand, now go home. We do not accept compensation."

At Solif’s firm words, the young man, who had been clutching his daughter and crying, bowed several times before finally disappearing.

Letting out a small sigh, Solif glanced around and muttered,

"This place barely has any people, so why are there always so many sick ones? No matter how many we heal, they just keep coming."

"If you count everyone living within a few days' walking distance, the population still reaches tens of thousands. The rumor that they can receive treatment here must have spread far and wide."

In Lavitas proper, nobles regularly traveled between cities and villages, holding events to heal the commoners.

However, because the Koloa region was so remote, nobles with the ability to do so never visited.

This was likely another reason why the commoners here worshipped Turan’s group as gods.

After all, healing was one of the defining abilities of Lavitas nobles.

As Turan’s group walked back, casually chatting, the people they had healed continued to embrace each other in joy.

Yet, they still turned toward the mansion and bowed deeply, reaffirming their gratitude.

*

The mansion located in the center of the city.

As Turan’s group entered through the grand entrance, they were greeted by one of the knights who originally governed this city.

"You have worked hard again today, O Great Ones!"

"Where are the others?"

"They are patrolling the surroundings as per your orders. If a powerful magical beast appears, they will report immediately!"

"Good."

In truth, the presence of Turan’s group was nothing short of a natural disaster for the knights who once ruled this city.

Being stationed in such a remote place meant enduring harsh living conditions, but it also granted them the freedom to rule without oversight.

However, with the sudden arrival of these overwhelming superiors, they now found themselves forced to bow and scrape before their new lords.

Moreover, since they had also brought direct orders from the main family to cooperate, trading necessary resources and manpower for the reclamation at fair market prices, they could not simply be treated as mere guests.

No one knew why such high-ranking nobles had come to work in this remote countryside, but one thing was clear: they had some connection to the main family.

If they refused Turan’s orders, such as the recent directive to keep watch for magical beasts coming from the south, and later word got back to the main family that "the knights were neglecting their duties" there would be nothing they could do to defend themselves.

“Well then, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave…”

“Do your best.”

Afterward, Turan’s group washed up and changed into fresh clothes in the best rooms of the mansion, which originally belonged to the knights. Then, they gathered at the dining table.

A woman, who looked as simple and unassuming as any countryside housewife, served grilled ribs made from swamp boar and apples, along with a steamed dish that combined fish and crab meat.

“Oh, this is delicious. Even though this town doesn’t have much else, the variety of food here is impressive.”

“Well, the swamp has a greater diversity of life compared to other regions. Remember how you freaked out when we had frog dishes a while back?”

“That’s because I’ve never eaten that before! And I wasn’t the only one! You’re the only one who casually puts something like that in your mouth despite not being from this region!”

While Turan and Solif chatted, Meisa was carefully chewing and swallowing each bite of her meal.

With her eyes closed, savoring each mouthful, she almost appeared reverent.

A short while later, after finishing an amount that would suffice for an ordinary person, she wiped her mouth and spoke.

“That’s enough for me. It was a good meal, Ryute.”

“The fact that the goddess says so brings this humble woman nothing but joy.”

At Meisa’s compliment, the middle-aged woman called Ryute smiled warmly as she began clearing the dishes.

This was precisely why Turan’s group had been spreading word of their presence and gathering the sick for treatment while carrying out the reclamation project.

One of the treatments for Meisa’s chronic eating disorder was building her self-esteem by helping others.

Thanks to healing hundreds of people since the first day, Meisa was now able to eat her meals with relative ease.

Of course, by the standards of high-ranking nobles, her meal portions were still far from sufficient, but at least she no longer needed to have food forcibly administered to her while unconscious.

“But we still don’t know if this effect is permanent. Remember how the people we healed after that fire incident ended up relapsing not long after?”

“Well, the goal is to help her develop a habit of eating like this. But she can’t spend her entire life just helping others.”

“Why not?”

At Meisa’s question, both Turan and Solif gave her a puzzled look, prompting her to elaborate.

“I just think… maybe staying in the countryside, reclaiming land, and helping people wouldn’t be such a bad way to live.”

Rather than eating merely for the sake of survival, she found deep fulfillment in giving others a new lease on life. With a slightly shy expression, Meisa added her thoughts.

Was it because of her nature that she was able to find self-worth through healing others?

As Turan secretly reveled in the commoners' praise, feeling a surge of superiority and pride, he quickly averted his gaze to his food, not wanting his childish thoughts to be exposed. Meanwhile, Solif let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

"Sigh, there’s no way I could live like this forever. How can anyone spend their entire life in a place without a proper tavern, a gambling house, a theater, or even a library? I’m only putting up with this because it’s just for a few months."

Indeed, Koloa City had little to offer in terms of cultural life.

It was barely more than a large village, so it was only natural.

This was also one of the key reasons why nobles had never flocked here to develop the land, despite the presence of mines.

Even the head of a grand noble house would face backlash if they ordered nobles to settle in such a place and reclaim swampland.

If Ashiz, a theater enthusiast, were here, he would probably be writhing in agony.

Because of this, the knights of Koloa often whispered among themselves, speculating that Turan’s group must have committed some grave crime and been exiled here.

"Don’t you feel anything when you see how happy these people are?"

"It’s not that I don’t feel anything, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend my whole life here. I left my family in the first place because I wanted to travel the world, you know? If I had to see the same scenery and do the same things for months on end, I’d die of boredom."

Half-listening to their argument, Turan turned his gaze to the large moon hanging in the sky.

Indeed, compared to fighting against lurking gods and struggling over the hidden secrets of the world, spending peaceful days like this was far more comforting.

He was unsure whether he would enjoy living this way for a lifetime, but at least for now, he wanted to savor the moment.