Shepherd Wizard

Chapter 107

Translator: Pai_

It had been fifteen days since Turan had taken over Onil's face.

While living the life of a debauched noble youth, he took every opportunity to wander through the residence of the house, observing and gathering intelligence on others.

The matter that concerned him the most, of course, was the whereabouts of Talis Zahar.

Talis appeared to be staying in a guest room near the residence of the Carmine family head. However, after the meeting day, he seemed to have lost interest in Turan and made no further attempts to observe him.

Wary that Talis might attempt another midnight intrusion, Turan stayed awake almost every night, preparing for an attack, only catching brief moments of sleep at dawn. Yet, as if mocking his vigilance, Talis slipped away from Avacha precisely during one of those brief moments of rest.

Turan had briefly considered chasing after him to capture him but ultimately decided against it.

'No matter how I catch him, it won’t be of any use.’

His first impression of Talis was that he was a persistent and paranoid snake-like person.

Unlike Ymir, he did not seem like someone who could be deceived or threatened into revealing any useful information.

If anything, all he had achieved was confirming the existence of some unknown entity targeting them.

In any case, with Talis gone, Turan was left with two choices.

The first was to continue impersonating Onil, infiltrating deeper into Carmine, and actively intervening in the war against Aravion that would come in months or years.

The second was to seize a suitable opportunity to discard his current false identity and regain his freedom.

When the opportunity arose, Turan did not even hesitate before choosing the latter, continuing to maintain Onil’s identity had become too much of a burden.

"Master, if I have done anything wrong, please tell me. I will fix whatever it is…."

"I have no interest. Leave. I will call for you next time."

"Master-!"

Turan shoved aside the concubine who was rushing toward him naked, kicking her away as if rejecting an unwanted advance, and threw her out of the room.

Beyond the magically locked door, the sound of sorrowful weeping could be heard.

It had been a few days since he had taken over Onil’s body.

Unlike the original Onil, Turan had found every excuse possible to avoid sleeping with the concubines.

At first, the concubines, who had struggled with Onil’s insatiable desires, were relieved. However, as time passed, they grew anxious and began seeking him out.

They assumed Onil had grown tired of them and was looking to take in new concubines.

Turan, for his part, had no choice but to refuse the women who threw themselves at him.

What if he ended up fathering a child with women he neither loved nor even recognized, as they had never even seen his real face?

What if the child happened to inherit the bloodline of Zahar or Aravion?

There was no way he could take responsibility for such a situation.

Having recently seen the face of his grandfather, a blood relative who bore a resemblance to him, that fact weighed even more heavily on his mind.

Of course, wizards, especially noble wizards, were not known for having many children.

If their chances of conceiving were the same as ordinary humans, the number of noble houses, who lived for centuries and actively sought to increase their numbers, would have long surpassed that of commoners.

So perhaps one or two casual flings wouldn't cause major problems unless he was extremely unlucky...

But whenever he thought that way, Meisa's face appeared in his mind, making it impossible for him to choose such an option.

*

"Everyone, assemble!"

The day of deployment arrived, and along the coast near Avacha,

Fifty-five knights and four nobles lined up in orderly ranks, awaiting Turan’s command.

They had been gathered to subjugate the magical beasts that had appeared in the northern region of Avacha.

"Assembly complete, Captain."

"Hmm."

Turan responded to the young noble officer’s respectful report with nothing more than a slight nod.

He noticed a few faces twitch in displeasure at his arrogant demeanor, but he paid them no mind.

In just a few days, he would no longer have to see these people. The last thing he wanted was for rumors to spread about how Onil had suddenly changed into a different person right before his death.

"What about the magical beasts for transport?"

"They were supposed to arrive by now, but it seems they are running a little late. If you permit, I will confirm their status…"

The woman, startled by Turan’s question, mumbled briefly before a loud rushing sound came from a short distance away, and a massive orca emerged.

It was a magical beast with magic power equivalent to that of a mid-tier noble, and atop it sat a wizard with a similar level of strength.

"Is this the subjugation force? Apologies for being a bit late!"

"You are late."

"This one overslept, that's why. Being a tamer doesn't mean I can command magical beasts. I can only be their friend."

The man muttered an excuse as if speaking to the lieutenant. He was a noble of the Tamer Bloodline from the Carmine family and a close relative of Gill, the young noble who had once worked with Visen.

Unlike Gill, however, this man’s magic power had matured, and he even had a powerful magical beast under his command.

A short while later, the subjugation force connected a pre-prepared boat to the orca's body.

The vessel had no masts, anchors, or anything necessary for navigation, it was merely a chunk of wood carved into the shape of a boat.

"We are setting off!"

At the tamer’s call, the orca began swimming, pulling the sizable boat behind it.

True to its nature as a magical beast, it showed no sign of strain, even while dragging a vessel carrying sixty people.

After all, even Bije, when possessing a similar level of magic power, could fly with a few people clinging to her.

For magical beasts with equal amounts of magic power, the smaller ones tended to be faster, while the larger ones were stronger.

Considering the orca was thousands of times heavier, it was not surprising that it displayed such monstrous strength.

Turan quietly observed the orca pulling the boat ahead for a moment before his attention was drawn to voices coming from behind him.

The noblewoman assigned as his lieutenant was enthusiastically lecturing her fellow knights and subordinates.

"The magical beast that has appeared this time is an octopus-type. Typically, octopus magical beasts release a toxic ink. While it may not significantly affect nobles, it can be dangerous for knights, so avoid it as much as possible…"

Turan stood behind the lieutenant, attentively listening to her explanation.

'An octopus… The eldest son of the merfolk king could also transform into an octopus. Though he ended up dying while hunting the Great Sea Serpent.'

Had everyone assumed that the original Onil wouldn't care about details regarding his prey?

No one had given him any detailed explanations, so he had no information about it at all.

However, suddenly demanding an in-depth explanation from someone would seem too unnatural and draw suspicion, making it difficult to ask.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, the lieutenant abruptly turned her head in the middle of her explanation.

"Captain, is there a problem…?"

"Just continue your explanation."

"My apologies."

At Turan’s curt response, the lieutenant stiffened slightly before resuming her lecture.

Pretending to drink strong liquor while listening, Turan realized she wasn't explaining the reason behind the magical beast's attacks.

‘Does she not know, or is she keeping it a secret?’

Magical beasts were, at their core, just ordinary animals infused with magic power.

They didn’t instinctively bear hostility toward humans without reason.

Of course, there were exceptions. The most notable were large felines.

The leopard magical beast that Turan had hunted during his first hunt was a prime example, such creatures had an innate instinct to hunt weaker beings for amusement. When turned into magical beasts, they would often hunt humans in dozens or even hundreds just for fun.

Next were highly intelligent animals like monkeys, whales, or crows. The more intelligent the creature, the more likely it was to engage in cruel acts as a form of entertainment, making them dangerous.

The monkey magical beast that had appeared north of Orem City in the past likely fell into this category.

Lastly, there were harmless herbivores like rabbits or squirrels that, after suffering at the hands of humans, became magical beasts and sought revenge.

‘That case could be a different matter entirely, though…’

It was highly probable that the recent increase in marine magical beasts attacking coastal areas was connected to a larger issue. That possibility needed further consideration.

As Turan sifted through the knowledge he had read in past magical beast guidebooks, the boat steadily advancing northward began to slow down.

"We have arrived!"

Traveling along the open coastline was certainly simpler and faster than moving across land.

Of course, it still could not compare to flying through the sky on Bije.

In just two hours, the subjugation force arrived at Savis, a city located 150 kilometers north of Avacha. They disembarked immediately and passed through the half-ruined harbor.

Judging by the broken structures and the sounds of wailing as people gathered corpses, it seemed that the attack had occurred quite recently. When the locals saw the subjugation force, clearly high-ranking nobles just by their attire, their eyes widened in surprise.

"O, lords of the sea!"

"Please, take revenge for us!"

As someone mentioned that these wizards had come from the Carmine main house, anguished cries erupted from all around.

Perhaps these sounds reached the lord's mansion?

Soon, the lord of Savis came rushing out to greet Turan, so hastily that he had not even put on his shoes properly.

"Oh, Lord Onil! It has been decades since we last met. It feels like just yesterday that you were toddling around, and now you have grown into such a formidable figure. I, Ahiva, am simply grateful for your proactive efforts in coming to our aid."

"Ah, well… It has been a while, Lord Ahiva."

The visibly aged noble, who appeared to be well over 250 years old, openly flattered him. Though Turan found it bothersome, he still used honorifics in response.

Perhaps that was the right move, as the lord did not seem to notice anything off about him.

"So, where is the magical beast?"

"It struck again this morning. It usually attacks twice a day, so the situation has been dreadful…"

Judging by the visible injuries on the old lord’s body, he was not lying.

In terms of magic power, he was likely in the upper-middle ranks among nobles.

At the very least, Turan gave him some silent credit for being a shepherd who had personally fought to protect the people of his domain.

"You appear injured, so you should rest. We will handle the hunt ourselves."

"Ah, I appreciate the thought, but as the lord of this land-"

"Rest. The creature’s magic power is mine."

At Turan’s blatant display of greed, the old noble regretfully stepped back.

In any case, if a perfectly capable noble lord had been reduced to this state, it meant the magical beast possessed magic power at least on par with that of a high-ranking noble.

However, since it had failed to kill the lord, it was likely not at the absolute highest tier.

Indeed, it seemed that Jemel had prepared the perfect prey for his son.

Turan quietly contemplated how he would stage his own death.

*

After a brief exchange of greetings, the subjugation force did not rest at the lord’s residence but instead immediately set up a camp near the coast to prepare for the magical beast’s next attack.

The lieutenant seemed nervous, as if expecting Turan to object. However, upon receiving the order, "Do whatever you want; handling command is your responsibility now" she let out a sigh of relief.

An unexpected development was that the orca magical beast and its tamer declared that they would not be participating in the battle.

Their reasoning was that the orca was not aggressive and had not received proper training for combat, making it unsuitable for battle.

"But even just maneuvering around the magical beast for support would be useful…"

"Absolutely not! This has already been discussed with Lord Jemel. This one is not just my companion; it is an invaluable transportation asset of Carmine."

"Let him do as he wishes."

The lieutenant was visibly displeased at losing such a capable force, but since the commander, Turan, showed no concern, she had no choice but to let it go.

However, the decision sparked discontent among the other members of the subjugation force.

"So, the rumors of him being a delinquent were true. Seeing it firsthand, I understand now."

"Does he even have the skills to back it up?"

"With a personality like that, if he didn’t have the skills, he would’ve been cast aside long ago. Let's just see how it goes."

Between his rude attitude, his poor leadership, and the fact that he had once flipped over a dining table simply because the food at the temporary camp was not to his liking, Onil’s reputation had completely plummeted.

Unlike the household servants at the Carmine main house, who were accustomed to the original Onil’s vile behavior, most of the knights dispatched to this location had only heard rumors about him. Seeing him act this way firsthand was unfamiliar, which only fueled their dissatisfaction.

How many hours had passed as they idly watched the ruins being rebuilt?

As the sun began to set, Turan narrowed his eyes at a signal transmitted through his sacred relic's senses.

‘It’s here.’

The level of magic power he sensed was between high and mid-tier, almost identical to that of the original Onil.

A massive octopus, with each leg measuring around ten meters in length, was crawling up onto land.

The subjugation force swallowed hard as they gripped their weapons and rose to their feet.

"Everyone maintain formation as trained! Strictly perform your support duties! We'll handle the main battle!"

At the lieutenant’s command, the Carmine wizards took up battle stances against the octopus.

The first thing the knights did was draw in a massive amount of water from the nearby shoreline and bring it under their control.

Even though they had not fully awakened the power of the Rapids Bloodline, their high level of proficiency allowed them to manipulate water more effectively than other wizards. As a result, a vast quantity of seawater gathered.

The nobles, including the lieutenant, distributed the water appropriately and forged their own ice weapons.

Naturally, Turan took control of the largest remaining portion and shaped it into a massive ice whip.

After setting the sacred relic to Carmine blood and using magic power at the level of a high-ranking noble, he was able to wield a strength that the real Onil would have likely used.

"It’s coming!"

Had the creature sensed the magical energy gathering against it?

The octopus made the first move.

From near its eyes, a large tube suddenly protruded, spewing a massive jet of ink.

"Arghhh!"

"Ack, my eyes! My eyes!"

A few unfortunate knights at the front were caught in the ink and screamed in agony. Fortunately, most managed to evade the attack or used fluid manipulation magic to control the ink and prevent it from hitting them.

As for Turan, he was positioned safely at the very back of the formation, so he did not even need to move a single step.

"Kill it!"

"You damn octopus bastard!"

Enraged by the magical beast’s preemptive strike, the Carmine wizards retaliated immediately.

A long ice spear impaled one of the octopus’s legs, while several ice arrows, shot in quick succession like the ones Visen had used before, narrowly grazed its eyes.

The most powerful among the nobles, the lieutenant, sent several ice blades piercing deep into its massive head, causing the creature to thrash in pain.

Then, Turan’s enormous ice whip, roughly thirty meters long, slashed through one of the octopus’s legs in an instant.

"Ohhh!"

"As expected of our captain!"

The sudden praise from a knight who had been badmouthing him just moments ago was amusing, but Turan suppressed his laughter and maintained a serious expression as he continued the battle.

The crucial aspect here was balancing offense and defense.

If he attacked too aggressively and killed the octopus outright, it would defeat his original purpose. But if he appeared too weak, it would raise suspicions.

At the same time, he had no desire to see his subjugation force wiped out under his command. So, as the fight dragged on, he gradually shifted his focus toward defense.

"Get away!"

"Th-Thank you, Captain!"

With a flick of his ice whip, Turan yanked a knight away just before he could be crushed by the octopus’s tentacle.

Ignoring the knight’s gratitude, Turan observed as the Carmine nobles continued their relentless assault on the octopus.

None of them were individually strong enough to face it one-on-one, but since Turan was blocking most of its attacks, the magical beast had no choice but to endure a one-sided beating.

Before long, the octopus, now covered in wounds and oozing blue blood, began to twist its body and retreat toward the sea.

"It’s trying to escape!"

"Stop it!"

Perhaps thinking it couldn't win?

The octopus trampled over the frost spikes forming in its path and charged toward the ocean.

The Carmine nobles frantically attempted to stop it, but with their mid-tier to lower-mid-tier magic power, they were no match for a magical beast possessing the strength of a high-ranking noble.

The problem was that the strongest person present, Onil, was simply letting it go.

"Captain! We can’t just let it escape!"

"Don’t give me orders! I am the captain!"

The lieutenant, who had been shouting desperately, was left speechless, her mouth agape at Turan’s absurdly childish response.

Unlike the lower-ranked knights, she knew all too well just how lowly of a man Onil was.

If his pride was hurt, he was more than capable of letting the magical beast escape out of sheer spite.

"I apologize! It was my mistake! Please, lend us your strength to stop that thing-!"

But before she could finish apologizing or attempt to persuade him, Turan immediately dashed toward the fleeing octopus magical beast, heading straight for the sea.

"Stay out of this! I’ll finish it myself! Anyone who follows will be killed!"

"W-What…?"

The subjugation force was left in shock, but no one dared to go after him.

This was an order from Onil, a powerful noble and a close relative of the family head, not to mention their commanding officer.

If they defied him unnecessarily, they would only risk their lives and earn nothing but scorn.

Thanks to that, Turan was able to leave the subjugation force behind and plunge into the ocean alone in pursuit of the octopus.

As seawater filled his mouth, he swallowed it down, feeling a refreshing sensation akin to taking a deep breath.

This was the additional ability granted to those of the Rapids Bloodline, underwater breathing.

With no issues in respiration, he easily continued his chase, and before long, the octopus took notice of his presence.

Perhaps realizing that only one pursuer remained, it decided it still had a chance to fight.

The five or so remaining tentacles spread wide, coiling around him.

If it had been Onil, the high-ranking noble of Carmine, he might have panicked or shown fear in this situation…

‘Goodbye.’

The moment Turan stretched out his hand and unleashed his full magic power, over a dozen ice whips, identical to the ones Onil used, materialized, ruthlessly tearing through the octopus’s body and crushing its brain, ending its life instantly.

Though its tentacles twitched for a bit longer due to separate neural pathways, it was nothing more than meaningless convulsions.

The subjugation force’s fierce battle from earlier now seemed utterly pointless in comparison.

Having dealt with the magical beast with ease, Turan immediately retrieved Onil’s corpse from his large-capacity pouch.

Since he had kept it frozen ever since killing him, the body was still in relatively good condition.

Of course, it was not as fresh as when he had first died, but

‘A bit of swelling from the water, and no one will even notice.’

*

"Where’s the captain?"

"Still no sign of him…"

"Damn it, should we have followed after all?"

"That reckless bastard! He just wanted to take all the credit for himself…!"

"What a crazy son of a bitch."

Several hours after the battle, the exhausted members of the Carmine subjugation force remained on edge, unable to sit still as they lingered near the shore.

Their commander, Onil, had recklessly thrown himself into the sea alone to finish off the octopus magical beast.

Belatedly, some of the nobles had attempted to search for him, but finding someone who had disappeared into the dark ocean at night was an impossible task.

In the end, all they could do was keep a bonfire burning and comb the surrounding area, waiting for Onil to return.

Just then, a knight came running from the distance, his face deathly pale.

"I-I found them! Both the octopus and the captain!"

"Where?!"

The Carmine nobles hurriedly rushed to the location the knight had indicated, only for their faces to harden at the sight before them.

The corpse of the octopus magical beast, its body shredded and torn apart by something sharp, stood as proof of a fierce battle.

And entangled in one of its tentacles, as if swept ashore by the waves,

Lay the headless body of Onil.