Chapter 114

The land of the five lakes, the territory of House Varaha, had long been renowned for its diverse and abundant natural environment.

Forests and mountainous regions nestled between fertile plains.

Five massive lakes and the rivers extending from them, keeping the climate humid despite the high amount of sunlight that could otherwise make it dry.

If the Takein Plains produced large quantities of grain each year from the black soil struck by lightning, this land’s pride was its orchards, filled with sweet fruits as if infused with sugar.

As luck would have it, grapevines grew in abundance on both sides of the path where Turan and his companions were passing through.

"Those look really delicious."

"They haven’t fully ripened yet. Should I pick a few if you want to eat some?"

"That would be stealing, my son."

"Son, my ass."

At Solif’s grumbling, Turan chuckled heartily, leaning on his cane as he led the way.

It had been two days since he had used the magic artifact to disguise himself.

Unlike the initial awkwardness, now he looked just like an elderly man of that age to anyone who saw him.

In fact, disguising oneself as an old man when one was young wasn't something that could be accomplished by simply changing one's speech pattern.

Unlike young people, there were subtle nuances like the creaking of joints, the fatigue caused by reduced physical ability, and other factors that were difficult to intentionally control.

However, after playing the role of Onil Carmine last time, Turan had fully awakened his talent as an actor who could observe and imitate others.

Now, even his two companions would have had trouble recognizing him if they had met him elsewhere, he was the perfect embodiment of an old man in his twilight years.

"We're almost there."

As the sun set, the city, originally white, greeted them bathed in a warm orange hue.

The White City, Helio.

Turan lightly clicked his tongue as he surveyed the city, which should have been the place where the family head of House Varaha resided.

"Something feels off."

"What do you mean?"

"I felt it on the way here too, but there are too few wizards wandering around. Normally, in the capital of a great noble house, you’d see knights frequently even in the outskirts..."

That was precisely why they had chosen to land a little further away and walk in disguise rather than fly directly near the capital.

Flying too high to avoid detection could still make them visible to the sharp-eyed nobles of House Varaha.

At this, Solif let out a small hum before speaking.

"Maybe it’s because of what happened back on the island."

"The island?"

"You know, when I was captured."

"Ah."

His words were as brief as a classified document, but the meaning wasn’t difficult to understand.

Back when Turan had rescued Solif, hadn’t he slaughtered more than a dozen of Varaha’s most elite high-ranking nobles?

The power vacuum left by their deaths was likely filled by slightly weaker nobles, who in turn left another vacuum that weaker nobles or knights had to overextend themselves to cover...

If this chain reaction had continued, then it wouldn’t be strange for the number of wizards guarding the capital’s surroundings to have decreased.

On top of that, the family head of House Varaha was most likely away, having traveled far from here.

Naturally, a large number of nobles would have accompanied the family head as escorts, meaning it wasn’t all that surprising that Helio was practically unguarded at the moment.

"If that’s really the case, then good. It’ll make things easier for us."

With Turan’s final remark, the three of them entered Helio without saying another word.

Since the sun had already set, they found a suitable inn for the night.

After spending the night there, they first headed to the place where Solif’s parents had originally lived.

Since the two weren’t particularly high-ranking nobles, they had lived in a mansion on the outskirts of the city.

Upon arriving in front of the mansion, Turan gave Solif a small shake of his head.

It meant he couldn’t sense any human presence inside.

Just as they had feared, it seemed Solif’s mother had also left for another place along with his father.

Solif’s face twisted at the realization.

"Damn it..."

"They’ll be safe."

"Stay strong."

While patting Solif’s shoulder to comfort him, Turan used Tracking Magic to trace Solif’s father, Godis.

Immediately, a vivid sensation spread through him, as if the target were right in front of him.

Based on experience, this meant Godis was within a few kilometers, most likely somewhere inside the city.

“Let’s head that way for now.”

A short while later, the three of them arrived in front of a building, following the direction indicated by the Tracking Magic.

Solif let out a low groan and muttered,

“As expected… though I had a feeling, it really is inside the Temple of the Sun.”

An ancient imperial structure, built long ago for the priests who worshipped the Silver Sun.

Now serving as a residence for the highest-ranking nobles of House Varaha, it was just as majestic as other remnants of the old empire.

The first thing that stood out was the pure white marble walls.

Unlike other buildings that had quickly become stained and turned ashen gray, these walls shone in an untainted whiteness, as if nothing could defile them, giving off an almost sacred aura.

Above them, the roof was made of a material resembling baked ceramic, gleaming with a radiant golden hue as it reflected the sunlight pouring down from the sky, illuminating its surroundings.

Unlike Aravion’s ‘Wall of Light’, which was crudely patched together with magic artifacts, this structure seemed like a miniature sun resting upon the earth.

‘With something like that, Concealment Magic won’t even be an option.’

Since Varaha was allied with Zahar, Turan had assumed the security wouldn’t be too strict. However, it seemed the building itself had been designed to prevent infiltration via Concealment Magic.

Perhaps, in the distant past, the Silver Sun had built such structures to guard against the Night Hunter.

Simply staring at it and moving on might have seemed suspicious, so Turan and his companions blended into the crowd, pretending to be ordinary pilgrims as they prayed in front of the Temple of the Sun.

A passing knight, noticing them, asked,

“Pilgrims?”

“Yes, we’ve come from Moro Village in the south, seeking the grace of the Most Radiant Sun...”

“Enough. Just pay up and pray.”

“Here you go.”

Turan smiled and handed over the money, unbothered by the knight’s irritable tone.

At the same time, he discreetly used the strand of hair hidden in his sleeve to cast Tracking Magic.

‘Inside… something feels off. Underground? I can’t pinpoint it unless I go in.’

The absence of magical presence inside the temple also suggested that, like Aravion’s stronghold, it had some kind of detection-blocking function.

Though, it seemed it couldn’t block Zahar’s Tracking Magic.

After finishing his prayer, Turan relayed his findings to the other two.

“I won’t be able to get any more details unless we go inside.”

“Infiltration at night?”

"That's right."

The two swallowed hard and nodded.

*

Late at night, the three of them cautiously left the inn and walked through the darkened streets.

During the day, the city had been bustling with people, but now it was deathly silent.

By this hour, even gambling dens and taverns had long since closed.

The only ones roaming the streets at this time were thieves, criminals, or the guards patrolling to catch them.

“There’s a patrol ahead.”

At Turan’s whispered warning, the three of them vanished instantly.

Concealment Magic.

Though it was often regarded as a privilege of House Zahar, ordinary wizards could still use it with enough practice.

It was rarely used against nobles since living beings naturally emitted sounds and scents, making it ineffective against them. As a result, most people didn’t bother mastering it.

Naturally, ordinary guards had no way of detecting a noble using basic Concealment Magic.

As a patrol carrying torches passed by, Solif let out an impressed murmur.

“Wow, that’s incredible...”

“Keep your voice down.”

He was probably getting overly excited in an attempt to suppress his nerves.

Turan sharply reprimanded him while keeping his gaze forward.

Though much darker than during the day, the Temple of the Sun still shone brightly in the night.

“At least we made it this far without any trouble.”

“So... should we go in? Where exactly is the place you mentioned?”

“This way.”

While not as formidable as the Aravion stronghold, the Temple of the Sun still had a fairly thorough defense system in place.

The only main entrance of the temple was always guarded by two nobles, and there was also someone watching the sky using Light Magic.

Meanwhile, the only viable route for infiltration, the underground passage, was blocked by the Old Empire's relic walls that couldn't be penetrated by conventional methods.

But Solif was no ordinary man.

As the heir of Varaha, he had spent his youth within the Temple of the Sun and was well-versed in the building’s layout.

He even knew of several secret passages that only those of high status were aware of.

A sewer located about two hundred meters away from the temple.

Turan and his group easily picked the lock and slipped into the filthy, pitch-dark underground tunnel.

Before long, Solif pointed to one side of the wall.

“This is it.”

Pressing firmly against a brick set between two unusually close torch brackets, the wall let out a creaking sound as it turned.

Since no magic could be felt from it, it seemed to be a mechanical device, though it had likely rusted and misaligned from years of disuse.

“Let’s go in.”

“Wait.”

Just as they were about to enter, conjuring a small light each, Turan raised a hand, stopping them.

“There’s a barrier.”

“A barrier?”

“They must have anticipated your return. Someone must have known you were aware of this secret passage.”

With his ability to perceive the flow of magic, Turan could detect an invisible magic net woven across the narrow passage.

Had Solif come alone, he likely wouldn’t have noticed and would have been caught.

It was a highly effective method that required minimal effort.

That is, if Turan hadn’t been here.

Activating his Earthmover Bloodline, Turan manipulated the stone walls to create an alternate path around the barrier, bypassing it completely.

As they continued walking down the narrow passage, multiple presences of wizards suddenly became noticeable from above.

“We must have entered the temple interior. About sixty nobles… and around seven hundred knights. The family head doesn’t seem to be here.”

Indeed, compared to Aravion’s stronghold, this was a much weaker force.

It was likely due to the aftermath of Turan’s previous rescue of Solif, where he had slain Varaha’s elite nobles, and the separate escort that had accompanied the family head.

One curious thing, however, was the relatively high number of powerful nobles despite the overall lack of forces.

Had they chosen lower-ranking nobles as the escort for the family head to accompany him?

“What about my father?”

“Hold on… He’s close. We can head straight from here. Seems like there’s no one outside for now.”

Using Tracking Magic once more, Turan sensed Godis’s presence a short distance away.

He emerged from the tunnel exit and surveyed his surroundings.

"Where is this?"

"The underground wine cellar."

As expected, the strong scent of wine filled the air.

Confirming that Godis was indeed underground, Turan quickly devised a plan and explained it to the other two.

Rather than going up to the surface, they would dig directly toward Godis.

“…Will that be okay?”

“I think it should be fine. As far as I know, there are no additional underground defense measures in place.”

With Solif’s assurance, Turan’s impromptu tunnel plan was immediately put into action.

Breaking through the stone wall in the direction of Godis’s presence, Turan used his Earthmover Bloodline to carve out a tunnel.

Solif and Meisa reinforced the passage behind them to prevent it from collapsing.

“I never thought my mining experience would come in handy like this.”

“Pffft.”

Perhaps to lighten the tense atmosphere, Meisa made a casual joke, and Solif laughed in an exaggerated manner.

Before long, they completed an underground passage connecting two large buildings.

The tunnel spanned about four hundred meters.

Upon emerging from the exit, Turan focused on the presences he could sense from the other side.

[“Two mid-ranked nobles and one knight. The knight is above ground, while the two mid-ranked nobles are underground.”]

Since their voices could now be heard by potential enemies, Turan used Wind Path to prevent sound from leaking out.

[“They’re probably my parents. The knight must be a guard.”]

["Guard?"]

[“This is a prison.”]

At Solif’s words, Turan took a moment to observe his surroundings once again.

Unlike the desolate, iron-barred cell he had once been confined in, the hallway before them was adorned with various decorations, making it far too lavish to be called a prison.

Perhaps this was simply the standard for a noble’s prison.

After all, he had never actually seen a prison designed for nobles before.

[“Let’s go in.”]

As they moved toward Solif’s parents, Turan and his companions soon encountered a large iron door.

Not only the door itself but even the surrounding walls seemed imbued with magic, likely crafted from enchanted materials to prevent destruction.

Just like the residences of many family heads.

To make matters worse, the door was secured with three thick locks, each reinforced with magic to prevent them from being broken through ordinary means.

Forcing their way in would inevitably create a great deal of noise.

However, such defenses crumbled helplessly before Turan’s simple magic.

‘Looks like they didn’t prepare against unlocking magic. Well, they probably never even considered something like this existed.’

With a mere gesture, each of the metal locks released with a metallic clank, falling open without resistance.

This was a technique that would have been impossible for anyone other than a Storm Bloodline wizard skilled in manipulating Wind Magic.

Of course, expecting someone in a place this far removed from Aravion to prepare against such methods would have been excessively demanding.

As they opened the door and stepped inside, Turan saw Godis, whom he had met before, and a middle-aged woman sleeping beside him on the bed.

‘That must be Solif’s mother.’

Solif’s mother, Romi.

Though it was his first time seeing her in person, he immediately recognized her face, having previously seen her portrait.

The room’s furnishings were decent, but judging by their weary expressions, it was clear that their imprisonment had been anything but pleasant.

“Father, Mother…”

It was a barely audible murmur, quiet enough that someone sleeping might not hear it.

Yet, the middle-aged couple caught it and immediately opened their eyes.

Perhaps it was the shock of hearing the voice of a son they never expected to hear again.

As they took in the three figures standing in the room, their gazes locked onto Solif, who had deactivated his mask, and they gasped.

“You…?”

“How…?”

At that moment, Solif’s gaze was not on his parents but on Turan.

Taking a deep breath, Turan inhaled the scent of the two middle-aged nobles before him, the emotions deeply embedded in their presence.

Confusion, worry, fear, and… even a type of affection often found in those who care for others.

He gave a small nod, and only then did Solif’s face brighten.

“Why… why are you imprisoned here?”

Perhaps due to his overwhelming concern, even after realizing that his parents truly considered him their son, Solif unconsciously spoke in a half-reproachful tone.

Godis replied bluntly.

“What do you think? Because my fool of a son suddenly went crazy and ran away from the family.”

Unlike the refined speech he had used when speaking with Turan before, his tone toward Solif was no different from that of any ordinary father.

At that moment, Romi, Solif’s mother, lightly nudged Godis’s side and interrupted him.

“More importantly, are you hurt anywhere? How did you even get here?”

“I’m not hurt, so you don’t have to worry. Let’s talk after we leave…”

Even though they had infiltrated without leaving a trace, this was still a prison under Varaha’s control.

Lingering here too long would do them no good.

Just then, Godis glanced at Turan and Meisa and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Did you not deliver my letter?”

“I did. Coming here was his decision.”

Strictly speaking, Solif had been unsure up until the moment they arrived whether he should truly seek out his parents.

If that letter had turned out to be a trap, he would have lost even the last sliver of hope he had left.

However, seeing his parents effectively imprisoned, it seemed that coming here had been the right decision after all.

While Solif was talking with his mother, Turan took the opportunity to question Godis.

“How long have you been confined here?”

“For about two months. Romi, on the other hand, has been here for over a year and a half.”

According to his explanation, Godis had traveled as far as the western wilderness in search of Solif before returning.

Since his wife, Romi, had been taken hostage, he had diligently searched for their son, but with no results, his efforts were deemed insincere.

Letting out a low sigh, he continued,

“They said they would forgive me if I convinced him to return. But I never believed that from the start. I know all too well how this family operates. Without a doubt, they would have killed the boy and used his magic power to strengthen other promising children.”

“It might have been even worse than that.”

“…What?”

“We’ll talk about it later. It’s a complicated matter.”

From the way he spoke, it was clear that Godis knew nothing about the secrets of the gods.

Trying to explain it now would take far too long.

In fact, for their own safety, it might be better to keep it undisclosed.

“More importantly, I have something to ask you. When you raised him…”

Turan was about to ask whether Solif’s personality and habits had been shaped according to orders from the upper ranks and, if so, what the reasoning behind those instructions had been.

But he suddenly stopped speaking.

His gaze shifted upward, fixing intently on the stone ceiling.

“…What is it?”

Godis’s question went unanswered as Turan extended his senses through the sacred relic, detecting movements on the surface.

The dozens of nobles and the hundreds of knights who had been resting.

All of them were now moving in a hurry, as if they had detected an intruder.

***