Shepherd Wizard

Chapter 115

Translator: Pai_

Turan, who had sensed the commotion above using his magic power detection ability, unconsciously swallowed hard.

The small hope that perhaps something else had happened disappeared as he observed the unfolding movements.

The hundreds of wizards above were clearly forming a large encirclement targeting this prison.

'We've been discovered.'

Even after retracing his memories, he could not recall touching any barriers or magical artifacts on his way here.

But then, how on earth did they figure out that they had infiltrated?

The first suspects that came to mind were Solif’s parents, Godis and Romi, who stood right before him.

Of course, he had confirmed just moments ago that they truly loved Solif as their child.

However, separate from that, there was a possibility that they had cooperated in this trap to reinstate their child as the rightful heir of the Varaha family.

Perhaps the higher-ups had promised them a chance if they managed to persuade and capture him.

“Get ready to leave.”

“What?”

“They are forming an encirclement above to capture us right now.”

Everyone's faces showed expressions of shock and confusion.

Not missing that moment, Turan fixed his sharp gaze on Solif's parents and questioned them.

“There is no time, so I will ask quickly. Did either of you use some kind of device to call someone?”

“Huh? What are you...”

“No! Absolutely not!”

The middle-aged couple, startled, quickly denied it.

Given the urgency of the situation, Turan discarded even the minimum courtesy and brought his nose close to their ears, inhaling deeply.

Even from a short distance, he could sense strong emotions, but being this close allowed him to analyze them more precisely.

Panic, fear, indignation...

The types of emotions were quite similar, making it difficult to distinguish, but their feelings leaned more towards those of people falsely accused rather than individuals whose hidden truth had been exposed.

“I apologize for the intrusion.”

Determining that they were innocent, Turan quickly apologized and scanned the surroundings.

Finding out how they had been discovered was more crucial than running away immediately.

Without that knowledge, even if they escaped, they would likely be pursued relentlessly.

However, neither the bodies of the two captives, the furniture, nor the ornaments within the prison showed any traces of magic power.

At that moment, Meisa, who had also been inspecting the surroundings after hearing Turan’s words, suddenly shouted.

“Look over there!”

“Hm?”

She was pointing at what seemed to be an ordinary ventilation duct, a common feature in underground facilities to allow air circulation.

However, after a moment, Turan realized that two ventilation ducts were positioned unusually close to each other.

He immediately sent a stream of air inside to explore its interior and noticed something odd.

‘This is...’

One of the vents was a regular air duct leading outside, but the other was connected to the first floor, where a knight, presumably a guard, was stationed.

Moreover, the end of that vent was blocked by some unknown magical artifact.

Seeing the guard pressed closely against it with his ear, he could roughly guess its purpose.

'They were clever.'

A magical device designed to absorb and amplify voices traveling through the ventilation duct while blocking sounds from descending to the first floor.

It was a perfect tool for surveillance, leaving no traces in the prison itself.

Most likely, the guard on the first floor had overheard their voices and reported the presence of intruders.

Since he had remained in place while relaying the information, it was clear that there was a separate device for sending signals.

Whoever had designed this prison was undoubtedly a meticulous individual.

Without hesitation, Turan pulled out a handful of the Spirit of Fire from his pouch and sent it into the vent before detonating it.

“Ugh!?”

“What.....?”

Even though Turan had blocked the backlash with wind magic, an overwhelming roar and a wave of heat still surged through the ventilation duct.

The first floor, where the explosion had occurred, must have been thrown into total chaos.

With the eavesdropper dealt with, Turan immediately formulated a plan.

Since Solif's parents were proven innocent and the method of their discovery was identified, the next step was escape.

Despite the unexpected circumstances, it took less than three seconds for a plan to form.

“This way.”

As Turan led everyone, he replayed the conversation that had taken place inside the prison cell.

He needed to assess what had been leaked and to what extent.

Judging by the presence he sensed, the magical device had been destroyed, and the guard appeared to be dead as well. However, he also had to consider the possibility that their conversation had been recorded or transmitted elsewhere.

‘Solif’s identity has certainly been exposed. After all, there wouldn’t be anyone else infiltrating this place… Other than that, did we discuss anything particularly sensitive?’

Ironically, the reason their information security had been so tight was because they did not fully trust Solif’s parents.

Upon reaching the tunnel, Turan immediately gave Meisa instructions.

“Take them and escape first. Ride Bije to a safe location. We’ll stay behind to buy time and escape separately before regrouping.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we all left together?”

“We wouldn’t be able to move quickly that way.”

Solif’s parents, though mid-ranking nobles and fairly competent wizards, were nothing more than weaklings compared to Turan’s group.

Even the slightest mistake could cost them their lives.

Considering that attacking and evading were easier than defending, it was far more effective to have one person escape far away while the rest created a distraction rather than trying to flee together with a vulnerable group trailing behind.

“Don’t worry. We know for sure that the head of the House Varaha isn’t here, so we’re not in immediate danger.”

From the circumstances, it was evident that their enemies had not set up a grand trap in anticipation of Turan group’s infiltration but had merely activated an emergency system prepared for contingencies.

With the family head and a significant portion of the elite absent, the likelihood of them being in serious danger was low.

The only real threat would be if one of the fallen gods decided to reveal their true power.

But even they wouldn't act recklessly with so many watchful eyes.

As the explanation continued, Meisa gave a heavy nod before firmly grasping the hands of the middle-aged couple.

“W-Wait! What about my son-”

“Go on ahead and wait for us, Mom, Dad! We’ll catch up soon!”

Solif waved his hand with a bright smile, speaking in a childlike tone.

His face, now appearing to be in his late twenties after removing his mask, somehow looked as boyish as when he was in disguise.

"You must stay safe..."

After a moment's hesitation, the couple seemed to understand that complying would increase their only child's chances of survival, so they moved along obediently.

Leaving behind nothing but their desperate plea for his safety, they took their steps forward.

*

“Oh, here they come!”

As the passage connected to the surface exploded with a deafening roar, the wizards of Varaha tensed and shouted.

They already had an idea of who their opponent was.

Solif Varaha.

Despite his relatively ordinary birth, he had risen to the position of heir through exceptional talent and character, earning overwhelming support from the Varaha nobles of similar backgrounds.

But now, he was nothing more than the greatest of traitors, having discarded all the grace the family had shown him, slaughtered those who came to bring him back, and fled.

Those who had once admired him felt an equally deep sense of disappointment, which was why they did nothing as Solif’s parents were imprisoned.

If a child committed a crime, it was only natural for the parents to bear the consequences.

But separate from their disappointment, everyone acknowledged his skill.

The tense expressions on the faces of the encircling forces were proof of that.

As the thick smoke, stirred by wind magic, cleared away, a figure emerged before the ruined prison.

A young man with short silver hair and a broad, imposing physique.

Solif looked around and whistled leisurely.

“Well, well, there sure are a lot of familiar faces.”

“Surrender immediately, you disgusting traitor!”

“You took advantage of the family head’s absence to infiltrate? You cowardly bastard!”

With their shouts, fire and light, and a golden radiance that mixed the two, rose from all directions.

Light of Judgment.

A secret technique that only those who possess both the Sun Bloodline and exceptional magical talent can wield.

The number of people capable of using it was nineteen. Beyond them, there were thirty-one individuals with noble level magical power.

And the number of knights exceeded five hundred.

Even for Solif, surviving against such numbers would be difficult.

That is, if he were still at the level of a mere top-tier wizard, as they remembered him.

Facing that overwhelming force, Solif raised both hands as if surrendering and shouted.

“First of all, I apologize for running away from the family! But I had my reasons, so if you’d just listen-”

"He's stalling for time! He's clearly trying to help his parents escape!"

“Damn, how did they figure that out?”

Clicking his tongue at the outcry, Solif immediately manifested a massive halo behind him.

The Varaha wizards’ faces stiffened as they sensed its speed, size, and the heat radiating from it.

They instinctively realized that his magic power had increased significantly from before.

Though he was still far weaker than the head of the House Varaha, even the elders who had once been on par with him might now struggle to face him.

“This is…”

“Give it everything you’ve got! If we don’t kill him, we die!”

At someone’s urgent cry, hundreds of spells, cast at full power, rained down within the encirclement.

A sheer onslaught of magic so overwhelming that not even the most powerful of wizards could emerge unscathed, an attack clearly meant for execution rather than capture.

“Hmph.”

However, Solif successfully formed a circular ring of light around himself, completely blocking the assault.

What would have been difficult to withstand in the past was now hardly a challenge for him.

Having absorbed the power of the Great Sea Serpent and awakened his Guardian Bloodline, he was far beyond his former self.

“W-What…?”

“He’s completely unharmed?”

As they stared at him in shock, Solif calmly reached into the pouch at his waist and withdrew his hand.

The moment he scattered the black powder it contained, an immense explosion erupted in front of the prison.

Considering that the magic used was only a handful, the level of destruction was absurdly disproportionate.

For the first time, the Spirit of Fire unleashed its full potential in Solif’s hands.

“Aaaaargh-!”

“My arm, my arm.....!”

“Injured, fall back and receive healing!”

The nobles of Varaha continued issuing commands with cold precision, yet they could not hide their shock at the spectacle before them.

As those who prided themselves on mastering fire magic better than anyone else, they immediately recognized that the spell Solif had just used was beyond strange.

To generate such a powerful explosion with no visible incantation or sign beforehand?

At that moment, one of the elders observing from behind suddenly shouted.

"Set fire to the black powder when he tries to scatter it! It will explode!"

Solif memorized the face of the elder who had so quickly identified and countered the properties of the Spirit of Fire.

But there was little time to dwell on it. Those who had escaped the worst of the explosion swiftly resumed their barrage of magic, targeting Solif once more.

Rather than aiming to kill, their attacks focused on forcing him to expend magic power in defense.

They truly were experts in coordinated assaults against stronger foes.

“Tch.”

No matter how powerful Solif had become, trying to match magic power with hundreds of opponents was sheer foolish.

Without hesitation, he bolted toward the thinnest part of the encirclement.

As a noble of the Guardian Bloodline with near-family-head-level magic power, he unleashed the full strength of his legs, causing a thunderous boom.

The solid stone ground cracked and caved beneath the force of his step, forming deep fissures.

“W-What…”

“Stop him!”

The two nobles in Solif’s path forged Light of Judgment into a sword and a spear, striking down at him. However, he countered by manifesting a whip of his own, blocking their attacks.

With magic neutralized, all that remained was a pure clash of physical strength.

With a thunderous impact, more than a dozen bodies were sent flying through the air in a ridiculous display.

Even a mere brush against his charging body caused limbs to snap like brittle twigs, and those unfortunate enough to collide with him head-on were nearly pulverized.

It was a sight akin to an ordinary human being struck by a massive magical beast.

"What, what's going on? How?"

“Isn’t this the Ruvan Bloodline…”

A wild and primal display of power reminiscent of the noble warriors of House Ruvan, who possessed both the Fighter Bloodline and the Guardian Bloodline.

As someone murmured in disbelief, one of the elders of Varaha issued a firm command.

“Everyone, pursue him!”

“What about the other criminals?”

“Forget them! We only need to capture him!”

Dismissing the concern about chasing Solif’s parents, the Varaha wizards hesitated briefly before immediately taking off after Solif.

The elder did not immediately follow, but stood for a moment to catch his breath, and then muttered.

“Alma.”

“Yes.”

A woman who had been silently standing beside the elder responded.

Her voice lacked any hint of respect, as if she were speaking to someone of no significance.

The elder, however, maintained a courteous tone as he addressed her.

“I would like you to head underground and track down the escapees.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to assist them instead? That ordinary heir doesn’t seem so ordinary after all. At this rate, they might all get wiped out.”

Her mocking tone made the elder’s veins bulge with irritation, but with years of experience, he quickly regained his composure.

“You lot can’t even hide properly within this temple, so it would be more useful for you to help over there.”

“Well, fine. The family head did order us to cooperate with you as much as possible.”

At her words, Alma gestured, and four individuals who had been mixed in among the knights silently moved toward the prison’s interior.

The elder snorted as he sensed their presence disappear into the building moments later.

These five nobles from House Zahar had been brought in by the family head to fill the gap in power while he was away on urgent business.

Sinister and untrustworthy as they were, their assistance would undoubtedly increase the chances of capturing Solif.

After all, when it came to hunting someone down, House Zahar nobles were nothing short of nightmares.

Especially when one of them was a heir candidate.

*

"This is definitely it."

Descending into the underground prison, Alma Zahar let out a dry chuckle as she examined the tunnel formed along one of the walls.

A direct tunnel bypassing the surface-level security system.

Judging by the scale of earth manipulation magic used, there was certainly someone with the Earthmover Bloodline among the infiltrators.

Nobles without that bloodline wouldn’t have the skill to perform such large-scale terrain manipulation.

"You go first, Rad."

“Yes, Lady Alma.”

Alma, a fifth cousin of the House Zahar family head, was one of House Zahar’s three heir candidates.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she was one of two now that Ferga, the weakest, had been eliminated.

Because of that, the Zahar nobles who followed her treated Alma with utmost reverence.

A moment later, Rad cast Tracking Magic to scan the surroundings before pointing forward.

“This way.”

"Traces?"

"I think we'll find them if we go a little further."

“Move out.”

Naturally, Alma was the most skilled tracker among them, but to conserve her magic power, she left the tracking spell to one of her subordinates.

The five nobles of House Zahar, each wielding a weapon suited to their specialty, immediately entered the tunnel.

No one created any light, yet none among them struggled to see through the darkness, so their steps remained steady.

“Here, if we use this as a medium, it should-”

The moment the leading tracker bent down to pick up a strand of silver hair that had fallen to the ground, a deafening explosion erupted with a thunderous boom, engulfing the five nobles in a shockwave.

Realizing that the blast was the same type of explosion that had occurred above ground earlier, Alma urgently shouted.

“Take cover!”

She had no idea when Solif had returned to the underground, but considering the power he had displayed earlier, facing him head-on would be suicide.

Casting Concealment Magic while pressing herself against the corner to secure a safe position, Alma first checked her own condition.

Thanks to her defensive magic artifact, the actual damage was minimal.

Her face burned slightly, as if she had suffered a mild burn.

It was nothing serious, something that would naturally heal with time, so it was safe to ignore.

With her own safety confirmed, the next step was to locate the enemy.

Her sight that pierced through darkness swept across the surroundings.

‘The tunnel has collapsed, and there’s no one in sight… More importantly, how did he attack? I didn’t catch a scent at all. Was it a barrier?’

She didn’t know exactly what kind of explosive magic had been used just now, but if it had been triggered through barrier magic rather than directly cast by a person, it made sense.

Using Tracking Magic to detect human targets, Alma turned her suspicion into certainty.

The only traces left in the area were faint human scents lingering from those who had passed through.

This meant that either no one was nearby or the only ones present were the Zahar nobles who were currently hidden.

‘His parents supposedly have the Sun Bloodline, so that means their allies include at least an Earthmover and a Barrier Master.’

Realizing that she had overreacted out of fear, Alma clicked her tongue and dispelled her Concealment Magic, preparing to order the clearing of the collapsed tunnel.

At that moment,

"Ah-"

A sensation, as if something invisible had suddenly seized her throat.

Before her brain could even process the nature of that unfamiliar feeling, Alma's vision turned pitch black.

***

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